Outdoor seating, vibrant Mexican décor and colorful tiles invited us in….

When reviewing authentic Mexican establishments we standardized at least one dish as a basis of comparison by ordering queso fundido as a benchmark. Queso fundido is a traditional melted cheese dish which is oftentimes prepared with chorizo and paired with flour tortillas. This establishment did not offer chorizo with their queso fundido, which should have been telling of what was yet to come.

The first bad sign was the mysterious absence of horchata on the menu. Horchata is a deliciously sweet rice drink. Now, to most people who grow up with Mexican culture, that should raise more than a few eyebrows. To really drive home the point, the absence of horchata and other “agua frescas”(fresh juices) borders on blasphemy when calling an establishment Mexican. Additionally, they did not offer non-alcoholic Mexican coffee, and provided only a limited selection of Pepsi beverages.

The salsa seemed dull, and very unappetizing, with clumpy tomatoes that looked like they had been smashed down into slime. Upon taking a taste, my taste buds immediately re-treated. When we asked for a hotter version of their salsa, they brought back a version that reeked of vinegar, and was most likely straight out of a cheap 99 Cent Store salsa can that was purchased down the street. Only the chips resembled something found in Mexican food, but did not rise to the level of redemption.

Perhaps we are masochists, but we decided to brave their culinary cuisine by ordering our standard queso fundido. They served a glop of what resembled those Mexican three-cheese pouches sold at the grocery store. We struggled pouring the goop onto our small tortillas and regretted ordering anything on the menu. My girlfriend ordered me to stop eating, fearing a foodborne illness. We decided to call it quits after the dismal appetizer, realizing an order of entrees would only lead to a night of regret on the toilet.  

In short, this is not a Mexican restaurant. This place better serves those who wish to down a couple of cheap drinks before heading out to a real establishment. The quality of the food is akin to a late night meal scrapped together from leftover ingredients. By the looks of the popularity of the place (it was empty), this is a fast-sinking ship. Better to wait for the next establishment that opens at this location. Anything has to be better than this.