Oaktown Crawl #23 - Kouzina (02/22/17)

What a great night we enjoyed at Kouzina! 

PHOTOS

 

Julie, Susan, Justine, Charlotte

 

Lyn, Mary, Monica, Peggy

 

Marge, Donna, Diane


 

Lorna, Ariana, Erica

 

Pita with Hummus, Tzatziki, and Melintzana (I think)

Horiatiki Salad

 

Spanakopitas

 

 

Moussaka

 

Greek Chicken

 

Fasolakia (green beans)

 

 

Baklava

 

Wine

 

RATINGS  (on a 1-5 scale, with 5 being the best)

 

Food & Drink - 4.08 (range: 3-5)

Ambiance - 3.92 (range: 2-5)

Service - 4.31 (range: 3-5)

Overall - 4.15 (range: 4-5)

 

COMMENTS

"Perfect setting for our group - no TV, no noisy, crowd."

"Lovely company."

"Dishes served were not all warm."

"Wonderful!"

"Fun family-style."

"Food was wonderful."

"Very good and lots of food!"

"I particularly liked the appetizers."

"Almost filled up on the sauces and spanakopitas."

"I'll definitely be back."

"Great to be back."

"Lots of food!"

"Spanikopita and dips/pita were VERY good."

"I have a bias against tomatoes out of season."

"Will return."

"Food was delicious!"

 

MENU

 

      Meze - Appetizers

      - Melintzana salata, Tzatziki, Hummus w/ pita

      - Greek Salad - Horiatiki

      -Mini spanakopitas

     

      Main Course

      - Moussaka

      - Greek Style Chicken

      - Pork Souvlaki

      - Green Beans (Fasolakia)

      - Cretan Rice

      - Greek Fries

 

     Dessert

      - Baklava

 

REVIEW

We really had a good time tonight, and the restaurant's owner (Lori) ever-so-graciously went out of her way to accommodate us. She made a perfect communal table for us, reserved our spot, and designed and served a lovely family-style Greek tasting menu. Everything was delightful, and we thank her so much for serving us.

It was fun to see our largest crowd ever this night, 14 crawlers strong!  We fit comfortably around the simple, large wooden table, as they served us course after course after course of delicious food.  My favorites were probably the appetizers (pita bread with a trio of dips, and spinach spanakopitas). I also enjoyed the light-and-bright salad, and the succulent lemony chicken. I was excited to try the baklava, although it was a bit too sweet for my palate (I'm not the biggest sweet-eaters amongst us, so that's not altogether surprising).

I was taken by the traditional copper-colored wine pitchers/decanters (apparently called quatruzzos) that our wine was served in (we then poured the wine into small glasses for drinking). According to the internet (!), its an old Venetian word that means one quarter, because the original decanter held up to a quarter liter of wine. Now that's pretty cool.

Although small, the space felt light and open, it wasn't too crowded, and it was quiet enough to talk fairly easily amongst ourselves, which is a huge win, and something we don't find often in our crawls so far.

All in all, I think this was a good, local, family-run place, that's right in my neighborhood - and I will definitely be back.

 

Oaktown Crawl #22 - Barlago Italian Kitchen (1/20/16)

We had a great evening at Barlago!

PHOTOS

 

Barlago Italian Kitchen!

Heidi, Laura, Julie, Terri, Joyce, Mary, Susan, Rebecca, Andrea, Marge, Lorna

Paste Carbonara (spaghettini, pancetta, spring red onion, egg, parmigiana-reggiano)

Paste Bolognese (tagliatelle, beef, pork, pancetta, fresh herbs, ricotta salata)



















Paste Carciofo (penne, artichokes, roma tomatoes, pesto, goat cheese)


















Chicken Parmigiana (herb-breaded chicken breast, penne marinara, imported provolone, fresh basil)

Bistecca (grilled flat-iron steak, crispy roasted Tuscan potatoes, wild arugula, salsa verde)

Salmon Alla Griglia (grilled salmon fillet, Brussels sprouts, sautéed kale, pancetta ragout)



 Tiramisu

RATINGS  (on a 1-5 scale, with 5 being the best)

 

Food & Drink - 4.22 (range: 3-5)

Ambiance - 3.77 (range: 2-5)

Service - 3.77 (range: 3-5)

Overall - 4.00 (range: 3-5)

 

COMMENTS

"My favorite was the carbonara, followed by the bruschetta!"

"Very pleasant."

"Good value."

"Food was very good."

"I'd return."

"Noisy." "Loud."

"Bait and switch."  (editor's note: the online Restaurant Week menu was slightly different than the one we received at the restaurant)

"Tasty."

 

REVIEW

 

Overall, I thought this was a very nice restaurant. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the wall decorations were interesting and casual, a 'la Oakland Casual Chic, perhaps. We sat at a large wood table in the middle of the room, which was great for our group of 11. The restaurant is actually larger than I had originally envisioned, as later, someone pointed out that was at least one other room, and maybe two, off to the side. Although not as loud as some of the restaurants we have frequented, it was definitely a little loud for me - if we were a group of 4, I think it would have been fine, but for larger groups, it ends up being a little challenging to hold a normal conversation (this is a trend I think we need to buck!). Tell me I'm just not getting old, please.  ;-) The servers and managers were friendly, and gracious and accommodating with our fun-loving group (e.g., a couple of late arrivals, some indecision when making menu choices, etc.). There was one substitution that ended in an extra charge, and I wish we had been informed of that earlier. There was also a slight mix-up in their tipping practice, but we got that cleared up as well.

 

It was Oakland Restaurant Week, and it was their website that first introduced me to Barlago, and was what brought us here, although we were free to order off the regular menu as well. In our group, six of us selected the $20 Restaurant Week menu (Mista Salad, any pasta dish, and a glass of red/white wine), four chose the $30 Restaurant Week menu (bruschetta, any entrée, and either a cocktail or a glass of wine), and one chose off the regular menu. There were 6 pastas and about 6 entrees to choose from. While no wine connoisseur, I thought the house wine that came with our specials was quite nice. I had my heart set on one of their "craft cocktails," but due to a change in their Restaurant Week menu, I will have to return another time for that. I enjoyed my food, although truthfully, I didn't think it was anything outrageously spectacular, although maybe that was just my ordering habits or my peculiar palate, as others in our group seemed to really love their food!

 

At least several in our group are enthused for a return visit, and I'm happy that Oaktown Crawl could introduce them to this new-ish spot right here in Oakland. I'm definitely going back as well - what do I have my eye set on?  The cocktail I mentioned earlier (tequila, watermelon syrup, habanero tincture, spicy ginger shrub, fresh lime juice, and smoked salt water - who knew?! ) - and maybe something from the Antipasta menu - the Gamberi (gulf shrimp, cannelloni beans, and a lemon scampi sauce) is sounding darn good right about now!

 

As always, the company and the conversation were great!  I'd like to send a special Oaktown Crawl welcome to Marge (brand new member) and Julie (my sister, and special guest) - it was fun having you both there, and I hope you can return.

 

Until next time, when we continue our quest to eat our way through Oakland, one restaurant at a time.

 

Your crawl leader, Susan

Oaktown Crawl #21 - Barcote (11/11/15)

More later...


Average Ratings*
Food & Drink: 3.5 (range: 1-5)
Ambiance: 3.25 (range: 1-5)
Service: 3.87 (range: 1-5)
Overall: 3.43 (range: 1-5)

* Note: One diner gave all 1s (and that is reflected in the above ratings); however, based on my casual conversations with her during dinner, my suspicion is that she actually meant to give all 5s.

Comments

• Very personable waitress, Vicky!
• Loved the food, especially the lamb
• Fun to try the honey wine, but probably wouldn't order again
• Quite delicious - and filling!
• More flavorful than I expected
• Very helpful service - explaining different items, suggesting combinations for the table; very friendly
• Pleasant, with nice service
• As far as comparing to other Ethiopian restaurants, I would say it was average
• The best thing was the company!
• Food was interesting, and we had a nice variety.
• I like the ethic feel of the injera.
• Lamb, spinach, and cabbage were tasty!
• Favorite - lamb
• Least favorite - fish
• Forks would be good - hated wasting so much food

Order for 8 people

• 1 bottle Orit wine: $22
• 2 fish goulash ($12.95 each)
• 2 veggie combo ($11.95 each)
• 2 beg tibs ($13.95 each)

Costs

• Subtotal: $99.70
• included gratuity (18%: $17.95
• sales tax: $9.47
• total: $127.12

Oaktown Crawl #20 - Shakewell (10/15/14)

It was a great evening at Shakewell, a hot new restaurant by Jen Biesty and Tim Nugent, both of Top Chef and other fame!) serving Spanish-Mediterranean food.  It just opened 3 months ago.  I'll start with some photos, and then wrap up with some words (which reminds me, did anyone see that film called "Words and Pictures").

(in my new tradition, please ignore any typos or other errors/omissions, as I'm doing what I can to live in the moment and to avoid perfection!)

Standing, left to right: Heidi, Diane, Charlotte, Lorna, Susan, Karen, Pat

Seated, left to right: Mary, Andrea, Holly, Rebecca

'

Love the design of this sign out front

The dining area

The kitchen

 

 

THE FOOD

There were 11 of us, and we sat at adjacent tables, 5 at one and 6 at the other.  One of our group decided to order independently; the other 10 of us decided to go communal, and shared the following dishes. I may have missed some, especially at the Front Table (since that is not where I sat, although I happily admit that they did share some bites with me!).  Fellow crawlers, please let me know (via comment here, or separate email/phone/text of my omissions or errors) - thanks!

Back Table

• Falafel, romesco, spinach chorizo ($6)
• Octopus, olive salad, pan a gusto, saffron n aioli ($8)
• Grilled calamari, charred leeks, artichokes, olives, romesco sauce ($16)
• Roasted delicata squash salad, black lime, sriracha yogurt ($12)
• Arugula-frisee salad, Asian pear, dates, blue cheese, pomegranates, honey yogurt dressing ($12)
• Pan seared king salmon, white chanterelles, butter beans, sweet herbs, roasted carrots, olive tapenade ($25)
• Lamb kefta, harissa, yogurt cucumber sauce, toasted quinoa, mint ($19)
• Braised pork shoulder, pickled green tomatoes, basil, hot sauce, Lebanese flatbread ($18)
• Braised greens, early girl tomatoes, chickpeas, spices, feta ($6)
• Bittersweet chocolate torta, pistachio, cocoa nibs (8)

Front Table

• Fried squash blossoms, queso fresco, poblano
• Salt spring mussels, roasted apple, ham, fennel pollen, scallions, toasted garlic, rioja blanco, grilled bread
• Chicken and prawns bomba, piperade, heirloom tomato, picholine olives, aioli, fino sherry
• Chicken albondigas, pimenton, tomato, fino sherry, almonds, marjoram
• Grilled broccolini, piri piri sauce
• Bittersweet chocolate torta, pistachio, cocoa nibs
• Churros, spiced bittersweet chocolate sauce

I thought the food was great.  Very flavorful.  Unusual combinations.  Absolutely beautiful presentations. Darn tasty.  This was the first time I had octopus, and I thought it was good - not earth-shattering favorite-food type of good, but good enough that I'd try it again (only when Kenny's not around, as he's quite partial to live octopus in the ocean and aquarium).

THE DRINKS

Two at my table ordered an "The Early Bird" (blanco tequila, grapefruit, lime agave, sal de gusano).  I'm not a big cocktail kind of girl, but I know that I like tequila, and my new love is grapefruit juice, and I was not disappointed. Despite my server's advice, I forgot to enjoy the salt on the edge of the glass, instead using the provided straw. Next time!  My drink cost $12.  A couple of the ladies at my table ordered a glass of red wine (Cinsault blend, ch d'oupia minervois, 2011), each of which were $9. I'm actually not sure what the folks at the other table ordered to drink, if anything.  The cold water was in carafes at our table, and was plentiful. 

THE SERVICE

I may be biased, as I got AMAZING service from Tim (General Manager) over the phone before we even showed up at the restaurant, but I think the service was simply superb.  Not only did he make special accommodations for our large group in their somewhat-smallish restaurant, but he did so in a way which made me feel welcomed and special, and somehow in the middle of all of that, he made me laugh (on more than one occasion).  It is clear that he is passionate about this restaurant, about what he does, and about his customers (us!). He rearranged tables so that we could all sit together, which I think took a bit of "do-ing" on his part.  Three thumbs up, if I had that many.  Our server that night (sorry, but he name has escaped me, kind of like the name of the poem that escaped Billy Collins, my absolute all-time favorite poet), but it was something like Angelo, and he was friendly, smiling, polite, kind, accommodating, and never, in the least, flinched when we were too busy talking to see that he was standing there, when we asked for recommendations, or when we were indecisive on our orders. Great. Two thumbs up.

THE AMBIANCE

Except for the noise level, I really enjoyed the ambiance.  Lots of atmosphere (especially when part of the lights suddenly went off partway through our meal - everyone hustled and got them back on within 1 minute tops, seriously).  Interesting textures, colors, materials, and lighting.  Dark, but not too dark.  Serious enough to take the restaurant and the food seriously, but not too much to make it pretentious or aloof.  Very welcoming.  But, I have to say, while it wasn't the noisiest restaurant that we've been (this was our 20th!), it was definitely noisy - too noisy, in my book.  If I had been by myself, I don't think it would have bothered me (it wasn't that noisy), but it was noisy enough, at least for me, that it made it difficult to hold an easy-flowing conversation.  I tend to use fewer words (some might say that's not a bad thing) and everything seems a little more stilted and superficial than it might should there have been a few fewer decibels.  My pet peeve.

THE PRICE

Honestly, I don't know how to judge this. Almost wherever I go, prices seem just a tad too high.  Objectively, the food (without tax, tip, or drinks) for the Back Table totaled $130, or $26.  I left having had enough to eat, so I guess that seems reasonable, for a lovely meal.  I'm not sure what the Front Table paid, as we ordered and paid separately (easier), and while I could try to guess (based on the menu I listed earlier), I'm pretty sure that I missed some things that they ordered, so it wouldn't be an accurate representation).  And then, of course, add in tax and tip, and maybe a drink, and the number of bills leaving your pocket increases.

THE RATINGS   (on a 1-5 scale, with 5 being best)

• Food/Drink - 4.5
• Ambiance - 4.1
• Service - 4.7
• Overall - 4.5

THE COMMENTS  (other than mine, as you've already heard enough from me)

• "Would return to try more sections."
• "Very good!"
• "Good food 'n drinks."
• "The servers were very nice!"
• "I'll come back!"
• "Really great experience"
• "I enjoyed everything."
• "It was rather loud; hence, my ambiance score"
• "Thanks for including me!"
• "Food was very good."
• "Good to try, I don't think I would return"
• "Ambiance would have gotten a 5 if it was less noisy."
• "Lovely food - create, tasty."
• "A bit noisy."

THE LAST WORD

 Delicious food. Amazing service, especially from Tim. Great ambiance. Despite the noise and despite that it's a little bit over my typical budget (especially given that I've been known to eat more than the normal person), I sincerely hope to return, likely for a special occasion, and/or maybe for a drink and a bite with friends.  After all, there are still a couple of things on the menu that I haven't tasted yet, and several that I'd like to taste again!

Oaktown Crawl #19 - Empty Bowls (5/29/14)

What do you do when you call a crawl, and nobody shows up?

Well, in the case of me, and in the case of today, you hop into your car directly after work (after stopping briefly at home to brush your teeth and attempt, unsuccessfully, to meet a potential window contractor, who was either late or never showed, I may never know) and then head south on 880 until you near the airport, where you take a turn west, let them valet park your car, and head instead for soup and bread, and a whole lot more.

Yep, it finally happened.  After 18 crawls where people (ranging from 1 to 12, in addition to me) were able to join together in a crawl - this 19th one turned out to be an exception - a solo crawl which I enjoyed by myself  - or rather, with more than 499 other souls.  I wish you could have been there, but even with your absence (all of your absences!!!), I had a lovely evening.  You'll find the details below, but the bottom-line was that the food was good (but was not the thing), the music live and lively (but not the thing), and the people nice (but not the thing). The thing was the kids, the ones not there tonight, the ones who sometimes go to bed hungry, the ones who live right here in our own backyard, the ones who we, tonight, in our own little way, helped fill their bowls and fill their bellies. For that I am grateful.

ALL PROCEEDS BENEFITED THE ALAMEDA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOOD BANK!!!

Menu:

• Soup, split pea, corn chowder, and chicken tortilla - donated by SF Soup Company
• Bread, fresh, donated by Semifreddi
• Ice Cream, chocolate, strawberry, and toasted almond - donated by Fenton's
• Wine, Water, Lemonade, maybe more

Ambiance:

• Converted warehouse, set with more than 50 10-person round tables, bright green tablecloths, bright yellow napkins, multi-colored bowls (more below), Chihuly-balloons (their term), concrete floors, donation-barrel backdrop
• Live ukulele music
• Emcee, speakers, awards
• Long tables of interesting, sometimes gorgeous pottery for silent auction (there were a few that I was tempted to bid on, but didn't, although others were definitely going for it!)
• Wine and bidding for a bit, then they called you up table-by-table, then speeches, then dessert, music throughout, with some dancing at the end as I was headed out the door
• The bowls (which we got to KEEP) were painted by school-children and were ADORABLE!!!

Price:

• $25 donation per person (family deals available), $10 of which is tax-deductible
• $2 - valet tip (optional)
• $20 cash donation (optional) to their fresh veggie/fruit program (as a nutrition major, former clinical dietitian, and current veggie-holic, this was too good to pass up), all donations from tonight's event were donated - in exchange, I got a light-up apple pin!

So, what did I think?  It wouldn't be an Oaktown Crawl without the review cards:

• Food and Drink - 3.5 (everything was tasty, my favorite SF Soup Co soup was there in the vegan, dairy-free split pea soup, it was hot, the bread was fresh, you were welcome to go back for seconds on food, drink, and dessert - in a perfect world, there would have been a dairy-free dessert, although I must say that I took 2 LactAids and absolutely thoroughly enjoyed my toasted almond ice cream!)
• Ambiance - 3 (loved the warehouse-converted-to-party-room look, but as in almost every single establishment our little crawl group has visited, it was TOO DARN LOUD!!!)
• Service - 4 (everything was very organized, people were helpful, we walked through stations to get our soup of choice, clearly labeled with ingredient lists, they brought bread to our table and continually refreshed it, and then served dessert to our tables)
• Overall - 5 (yeah, I know, the math doesn't add up, but... well, you had to be there, and you weren't, so there!)  ;-)

I always say that in order for me to like a movie, it has to grab me from the inside out.  It doesn't necessarily have to make me cry, but it doesn't hurt.  Tonight, somehow, a few works spoken by one of the speakers reached out from across the virtual chaos of soup, bread, music, talking adults, and dancing kids, and touched the very inner of my insides. I didn't cry, but I wouldn't be lying if I told you that there were tears in my eyes. It felt very strange, in a way, to be sitting there in a huge room amongst many strangers, in a jovial atmosphere, and be touched so deeply, and so simply, but it happened.  You all know that I like food, both cooking and eating. You probably know that I am a strong proponent of Oakland.  You may or may not know how much I like kids.  But all three together, and it's a good night.

I will be interested to know if you would like to do this again next year, do our own Empty Bowls at one of our houses (they make it easy), or just stick with our more traditional crawls...

 





 It was for a good cause, I had a good time, and a good chuckle.

 

Until our next crawl...

 

Be sure to watch the 2 videos if you can!  (at the end of the photos)

 

All my love, Susan

 

[as is my new standard, in my personal life, this blog is unedited, not spell-checked, and not proofread for content or accuracy - this is SO contradictory to my innate nature, but is a conscious change which I am embracing]



The Heart-Melter

My Bowl



Dinner!

Dessert!



Live Music

Festive Décor
 

My Flickering Light-Up Thank-You-For-Your-Donation Apple



TRBTS (The Requisite But Terrible Selfie)

 

 



 



Oaktown Crawl #18 - Cholita Linda (3/26/14)



Left to right: Mary, Rebecca, Bonnie, Erica, Julie, Joyce, Justine, Susan, Robin, Diane, Lorna, Terri, Heidi

 





 

 

  

 

 

Last night, thirteen crawlers hung out at the newly-opened brick-and-mortar version of the long-popular farmers' market pop-up called Cholita Linda.  We had a great time!  Below is my quick recap... (and the ratings and comments of the group)

 

Food: I had two tacos ($3.50/each, with a 2-taco minimum).  They are served flat, with double small corn tortillas.  They are quite small, but somehow, quite filling, and two was surprisingly enough.  I had one fried fish taco (tilapia, I believe) (which is what they're most famous for), and one tofu taco.  There was plenty of both protein sources, and then piled high with shredded cabbage, a few thin slices of radishes, some crema, and a lime wedge on the side. They also had carnitas, carne asada, and chicken tacos.  I heard good things about most of them, perhaps most decisively, the chicken ones.  I have to admit that I wasn't terribly fond of my tofu taco - it was fine, but nothing great (but then again, even though I mostly do the vegetarian thing and do tofu from time-to-time, I've never been a huge tofu fan).  On the other hand, I really liked my fish taco (next time, I'd order 2 of these).  It was crunchy on the outside and soft on the middle - just the way I like them.  And while I thought it was yummy, it didn't totally blow my socks off (perhaps I read too many "their fish tacos will blow your socks off" reviews on yelp).  I also had 2 or 3 chips with their housemade guacamole - I'm picky about both, and thought both were superb (if a little pricey for the serving size).  They are still in their soft-opening stage, and plan to add additional items as they move forward, but they did have a few other sides (rice, beans, salad, plaintains, etc.), as well as 3 other entrees (2 sandwiches and 1 salad).

 

Drink: I had a strawberry/lime aqua fresca.  Good, but again, didn't blow my socks off (then again, it was a damp and somewhat chilly evening - I might have enjoyed it more on a hot summer's day.  It was $3.50.  Several in our group had a beer - bottles - 3 or 4 kinds, $4.50/each. They also had some sodas.

 

Dessert:  None offered!  Not being a huge dessert person, I actually didn't notice that the menu was completely devoid of desserts until Robin pointed it out to me.  And she was telling the truth - not a dessert to be found (but if they had some, I imagine they would have gotten a few more of our hard-earned dollars).  I have to guess that they will add this later,

 

Ambiance: Bright.  Light.  Casual. Fun.  Great colors.  Family-friendly. Fun music in the background.  Order from the cashier, then they bring your food to you.  Line was a tad long at times, but they were doing what they could to keep the line moving.  The walls were white with splashes of bright colors, and the tables were dark wood, mostly-communal.  I liked the look and the feeling a lot.  The only downside was that it was fairly noisy - the place was "normal busy," I'd say, but what with the music and the voices and all the hard surfaces, we found ourselves having to raise our voices to talk, as we unfortunately find at so many of the places we have visited.

 

Cost: Affordable.  I spent a total of $12.50 for my dinner ($7.00 for 2 tacos, $3.50 for an aqua fresca, $1.00 that I threw into the tip jar on the counter, and $1.00 I threw in to help with the cost of the chips/guac).  Kind of expensive for lunch, but very affordable for dinner (although I have to admit that my sweet tooth kicked in once I got home, and I indulged in a few dark-chocolate-covered edamame treats from TJs).

 

Conversation: We had a great time.  We weren't sure exactly how many people were coming (we all have busy lives), so instead of spreading out over 2 communal tables, we decided to squeeze around 1 - and in my view, it worked out perfectly.  Because of the size of the table and the noise level, there was no way that we could chat as one large group (which I kinda missed), but we were easily able to chat with our "half table" and then we switched it up a bit part-way through, which was fun.  I was luckily able to have a conversation with most people, although unfortunately, not quite all (next time!).

 

Would I go back: Maybe/Probably.  It's complicated.  If I go back, it would probably be for dinner again.  And I would probably order 2 fish tacos, 1 order of chips/guac (for myself - no sharing - I really liked their guac!), and either water or a beer.  And even though they easily accommodated our relatively-large group (and could have easily accommodated twice as many!), I might be inclined to go with just 3 or 4 other people next time, for ease of conversation - unless you just wanted a quick and fun dinner with a bunch of friends and were going elsewhere to conversate later - that would work well too.  The trouble is, I try not to eat fried foods very often, and at least right now, their friend fish taco is really the only thing that appeals to me (me being one who basically doesn't eat meat except for fish, unless, of course, I really want to!).  That said, I will probably go back at least once, to get a second feel for it, and to get another taste of their tacos!  I will also monitor their menus to see what else they might add.  I am a HUGE fan of tacos, and if I'm dead honest with myself, I think this is a great place, with a great story (read http://edibleeastbay.com/online-magazine/winter-hoildays-2013/cholita-linda), and I'm a sucker for a good story and nice people, with good tacos, but they didn't blow my mind (like my homemade ones can!).  But a fun, local, affordable, come-as-you are kind of place.

 

Ratings:

• Food & Drink: 4.2 (out of 5)
• Ambiance: 3.8 (out of 5) 
• Service: 3.8 (out of 5)
• Overall: 3.9 (out of 5)
• Comments: Good fish tacos, great fish tacos, liked the ambiance and open area for seating, great for groups, great family restaurant, really good food, loved the fish tacos, a little noisy but enjoyable casual setting, would recommend to my kids, dessert???, festive atmosphere, great food, reasonably priced, quick over-the-counter service, great food (fish), fun colors, lively atmosphere, decent food (could do without the crema), too noisy for me, better for small groups, great tacos, cheap!, I'd come back, I really liked this place and will come back, the fish tacos were the best!, al pastor good but not great, wonderful choice!, fun event - can't wait until the next one!, fine for a local little taco place, great fast food, worked out well for our big group!

[3/30/14 addendum #3: Small wooden back patio coming soon!]

[3/30/14 addendum #2: Thanks to Robin Lee for the great photos below!]

See you on our next crawl!  :-)

 

Susan

Joyce, Mary, Rebecca

 

Terri, Heidi, Susan

 

Bonnie, Erica

 

Robin, Diane, Lorna, Terri