Critic's Review
I'd started to go into this place a few times, and I've always changed my mind for one reason or another. Today I made it in.
They have a covered patio that's better than some, but it was very windy so I went inside. "Sit Anywhere", they said, as they didn't seem to have a hostess at 2:55pm.
The place is a big square room, with a bar up front and lots of booths around the perimeter.
From a decor standpoint, this place probably reminds me of a place in Cancun or Cozumel more than any other place I've been to around here. The decor is very festive.
This place is a local chain however; it's not run by a Mexican family who run a restaurant just to get a Visa. The girls wear tight green shorts and tight black tops and they're more Davie than Hialeah; I'm guessing it's a Hooter's copy attempt; the shorts definitely are a close call.
The meal starts with chips; probably from a bag, and a decent salsa. Ice tea with extra lemon comes a minute later.
At 2:58 I was able to order a lunch special; the specials end at 3pm. I'm sure of this because a girl came by to remove the lunch menu at 3:02; they don't wan't anyone getting a deal after 3pm here. None of my faves were on the specials; this menu is not really "authentic", it has a few Mexican recipes but a lot of Gringo hybrids. I settled on the Chino Latino, which is purported to be a "fire grilled" skirt steak with a "Chile Tamarindo" sauce.
Music here is spattered with festive tunes; Viejo is sandwiched between The Stones and The Beatles. Good music, but unexpected given the decor.
The disk came out in less than 2 minutes, which is convenient but also troubling.
Clearly the "huge portions" they advertise doesn't apply to the lunch specials. This was one of these deals where they "fire grill" the steaks before lunch and just heat them up for lunch. This wasn't hot, juicy nor freshly cooked. The sauce tasted like a Hoisin sauce; throwing some jalapenos on it doesn't make it Mexican. The potatoes were as advertised; "smashed" which implies very lumpy. The cheese was just thrown on top of warm potatoes; they weren't hot enough to melt the cheese.
Service was random; she checked on me when she was in the dining room, but when I was done eating I had to try several times to flag here down as she rambled around in the kitchen. No refill was offered for my iced tea, which cost her $1 on the tip.
In a nutshell; Cool decor, indifferent service and lousy food. At least that's my 1 visit impression.