It looks and feels like an old American western saloon mixed with a speakeasy. A place designed both for hard drinkin’ and good eatin’ but, with a touch of Latin flavor for kicks.
The first thing that caught my eye was the design. Especially the fact that the gorgeous wood bar is the nucleus; it’s truly a sight to be seen with beer taps, wooden cabinets, and a full array of whiskeys. The rest of the booze is kept with the back bartender who handles the overflow of orders along with a straggler or two that ponies up to the back bar.
The food was well-seasoned and arrived quickly. I had a couple of tacos from the assorted basket as a starter: the carnitas and the fried pork rind – both were delightful and had perfect textures. The carnitas won the head-to-head with a more generous portion and better overall flavor. We also tried a couple of seafood options, the octopus and crispy shrimp tacos. The latter of which had a delicious chipotle salsa with caramelized onions and shredded cabbage.
Even though what I initially craved was a cold beer to wash down the tacos, I went with one of the house cocktails instead. A Paloma Rios, the house specialty, is a burst of grapefruit juice, soda water, tequila and salt. Later on, I had a mint julep.
While I still had room for dessert, I got a metate cake which is made with artisanal chocolate and topped with Uchempo (corn tamale) and marzipan ice creams. We finished it off with a cappuccino.
My recommendation is: come hungry and ready for the full experience. Since the vibe here is easy going, the clientele varies wildly from casual diners to drinkers. This spot will soon be a favorite meeting place for artist, coworkers, intellectuals, and everyone in between.
The only fault here is that when the place is full, the service suffers. So, make your reservations for a strategic time between the lunch and dinner rushes.