I came across some notes I made on this place. As usual, we had high hopes going in just based on the menu and overall idea. But, we won't be going back. First off, I have many ties to the city of Roanoke. I have several friends there and went to High School with the City Manager and his brothers & sisters so I am glad to see it becoming a kind of dining destination. That said, aside from Babe's we haven't had that great of an experience at the few new places we've gone. But, we'll keep trying.
Back to Cowboy Chow.... There was a wait, seemingly not bad, so we saddled up to the bar and had a cocktail. Getting service was tough at first. There was only a couple people at the bar (including us) but the bar staff was nowhere to be seen and when they were around they ignored us. We finally got our drinks, nothing special, and continued waiting for our table. Seemed like a forever wait and didn't feel like anyone was leaving. We finally saw a bar table opening up and asked if we could order food there. Yes was the answer so we moved over. Having plenty of time to check the menu we knew what we wanted but the waitress seemed to want to chit chat with the bartender more than work her tables. Finally she comes by and takes our appetizer order...then vanishes...we were ready to order food too but she turned and left. Cowboy Nachos....really? Potato chips with a sprinkling of cheese and pico? There MIGHT have been 6 chips in the bowl and not even enough cheese and pico to touch each chip. We were getting restless. We got our food order in...One chicken fried steak and one rack of the "7 Hour" baby back ribs. I had to order these because I can not imagine needing 7 hours to cook baby backs. The chicken fried steak was good, a little tough but tasty and the jalapeno gravy was pretty good too. It wasn't nearly as good as across the street at Babes though. When you have that type of competition you gotta bring something to the table. The ribs were a total disappointment. You would think after 7 hours of cooking (and you would assume wood or charcoal) the ribs would have some kind of smoke flavor. None. Not even a hint of smoke anywhere. They must have used just a salt & pepper rub because there wasn't much else going on. They were also completely overcooked. The meat was mushy and you couldn't even pick them up to eat. The only thing that semi-saved them was the BBQ Sauce. We declined dessert.
After eating we were ready to go. The live music they had wasn't doing it for us and was becoming more annoying than anything else. Another long wait for our change was a fitting end. Finished how we started.
I know I shouldn't judge based on one trip so MAYBE we should give them another try. It has been awhile since this visit and things may have changed a little there. But there are so many other options.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Baja Grill Southlake vs Baja Grill Grapevine vs Baja Grill Keller
First off I'd like to say that I like this restaurant. I like their food and margaritas. But, each location has its pros and cons. Overall the prices are good, drinks are good and the menu selections are pretty typical for this area: Brisket Tacos, Enchiladas, Flautas, Fajitas, etc...
Southlake has better food and drinks. The bar is stocked better than the other two and the bartender we always seem to have there is very good. He was originally the bartender we had the first time we tried the Grapevine location and they moved him over. We've tried many of the menu items at the various locations and every time the Southlake Baja Grill wins on flavor and freshness. Of the three though this location lacks on atmosphere. They are located in what was once Michaels which was a fine dining and wine bar. The layout and decor don't really jibe with the Tex-Mex feel but the food trumps it most times. Their ceviche is clearly the best of the group. Always fresh and flavorful and the presentation is much better. The tequila selection here is also way better than the other two locations.
Grapevine has a great atmosphere but the food can be less than expected. The bar seems to alway be out of the better tequilas when we go and they don't even have our standards here, unlike the Southlake bar which seems to be better stocked. The food has been really spotty here. Ceviche seems to be lacking something. Its not fishy but its just lacking flavor. At both the Southlake and the Keller locations the food seems a little more fresh. Hard to pinpoint the reason but it seems like grill or the fryer oil was dirty. I'd say the food was just OK at this location. Margaritas are always good even with the poorly stocked bar.
The Keller location just never has appealed to me. It's small and just seems a little bit to stripmall-ish for me. We've only gone for lunch a few times but none of the trips there are very memorable. The bar is about the same as the Grapevine bar and the food is a little better but not quite as good as the Southlake location.
Overall...if you just want to drink, have chips and salsa and watch some sports or people watch then try Grapevine. If you are looking for better food and a more relaxed atmosphere then try Southlake. I could only recommend the Keller location if you happen to be over near the Keller/Watauga border and wanting something reasonable and quick. Otherwise I'd suggest Fresco's for that part of town.
Things to try at Baja Grill: Frozen Baja Blue Margarita, Fajitas, Ceviche
Southlake has better food and drinks. The bar is stocked better than the other two and the bartender we always seem to have there is very good. He was originally the bartender we had the first time we tried the Grapevine location and they moved him over. We've tried many of the menu items at the various locations and every time the Southlake Baja Grill wins on flavor and freshness. Of the three though this location lacks on atmosphere. They are located in what was once Michaels which was a fine dining and wine bar. The layout and decor don't really jibe with the Tex-Mex feel but the food trumps it most times. Their ceviche is clearly the best of the group. Always fresh and flavorful and the presentation is much better. The tequila selection here is also way better than the other two locations.
Grapevine has a great atmosphere but the food can be less than expected. The bar seems to alway be out of the better tequilas when we go and they don't even have our standards here, unlike the Southlake bar which seems to be better stocked. The food has been really spotty here. Ceviche seems to be lacking something. Its not fishy but its just lacking flavor. At both the Southlake and the Keller locations the food seems a little more fresh. Hard to pinpoint the reason but it seems like grill or the fryer oil was dirty. I'd say the food was just OK at this location. Margaritas are always good even with the poorly stocked bar.
The Keller location just never has appealed to me. It's small and just seems a little bit to stripmall-ish for me. We've only gone for lunch a few times but none of the trips there are very memorable. The bar is about the same as the Grapevine bar and the food is a little better but not quite as good as the Southlake location.
Overall...if you just want to drink, have chips and salsa and watch some sports or people watch then try Grapevine. If you are looking for better food and a more relaxed atmosphere then try Southlake. I could only recommend the Keller location if you happen to be over near the Keller/Watauga border and wanting something reasonable and quick. Otherwise I'd suggest Fresco's for that part of town.
Things to try at Baja Grill: Frozen Baja Blue Margarita, Fajitas, Ceviche
Monday, April 4, 2011
El Paisa - Colleyville
I had driven past this place many, many times and kept wanting to try it. Well, the wife and I decided to check it out for breakfast one morning. They have a drive through but we went inside to get the full experience. We took a few minutes to check over and figure out the menu. It was our first time there you know so our bearings were a little off. I ordered Huevos Rancheros and she ordered a couple of the breakfast tacos. I think our bill was like $6 with a drink. Crazy low prices. So far so good. The kitchen seemed a little scattered at first but things settled down pretty quickly. We were not sure of the protocols of the place so we grabbed a booth and checked around to see what was going on.
Our food came out pretty fast which we like when we order breakfast. My heuvos were excellent. The "ranchero" sauce was flavorful and spicy but not too spicy (and I like spicy!) and the eggs were just how I like them. The breakfast tacos were also very good. She had one bacon and one sausage. I tried a bite of both and each was tasty and satisfying. Behind the counter they have a few sauces in squeeze bottles. Be sure to grab these with your food. The green has a nice kick and the red/orange has a great flavor.
So breakfast was a success...
We made it a point to go back and get something off the dinner menu. This time we tried the drive through service. With a little bit of a communication error at first (the order takers English wasn't great and my wife is the whitest white girl when it comes to Spanish) but we got our order in. I had the beef enchilada plate and my wife had the flauta plate. Flautas in Texas don't follow any specific rule. They can be beef, chicken or pork and come in corn or flour variations. Personally, a flauta should be a flour tortilla and a taquito should be a corn tortilla...but that's just me. Add on some chips and salsa and two drinks and we might have broken the $10 barrier....maybe. Our food came out pretty fast for being made to order. The bags were heavier than I expected. We hit the road and headed home to see what we were getting into.
The flautas were great. Crispy but not overcooked with plenty of rice and beans. I found the beans to be better than some of the big restaurants around the area. My enchiladas were surprisingly good. I stated before I was a bit of a snob with enchiladas but all I could think while I was eating it was "how did they make this sauce?"! Vibrant orange in color I couldn't think of what could make that color. It wasn't a cascabel. It wasn't spicy but it had a great flavor and the consistency was really nice. The enchiladas were stuffed with a seasoned ground beef that was very good also. Again, plenty of rice and beans to go along. Even with just 2 enchiladas in the plate I was quite satisfied after I finished. They also have really good chips and salsa. The salsa has a nice kick to it. Loved it. I used the leftover salsa to make my own Huevos con Salsa a couple days later.
We love this place. I keep wanting to stop in and find out how they make that sauce. At this time I would say they get a 5 out of 5. No complaints, good food and good service both inside and at the drive through.
Just a note...the El Paisa in Grapevine is only a Taqueria and they don't make anything onsite there. You have to go to the Colleyville or Bedford location for anything other than tacos.
Our food came out pretty fast which we like when we order breakfast. My heuvos were excellent. The "ranchero" sauce was flavorful and spicy but not too spicy (and I like spicy!) and the eggs were just how I like them. The breakfast tacos were also very good. She had one bacon and one sausage. I tried a bite of both and each was tasty and satisfying. Behind the counter they have a few sauces in squeeze bottles. Be sure to grab these with your food. The green has a nice kick and the red/orange has a great flavor.
So breakfast was a success...
We made it a point to go back and get something off the dinner menu. This time we tried the drive through service. With a little bit of a communication error at first (the order takers English wasn't great and my wife is the whitest white girl when it comes to Spanish) but we got our order in. I had the beef enchilada plate and my wife had the flauta plate. Flautas in Texas don't follow any specific rule. They can be beef, chicken or pork and come in corn or flour variations. Personally, a flauta should be a flour tortilla and a taquito should be a corn tortilla...but that's just me. Add on some chips and salsa and two drinks and we might have broken the $10 barrier....maybe. Our food came out pretty fast for being made to order. The bags were heavier than I expected. We hit the road and headed home to see what we were getting into.
The flautas were great. Crispy but not overcooked with plenty of rice and beans. I found the beans to be better than some of the big restaurants around the area. My enchiladas were surprisingly good. I stated before I was a bit of a snob with enchiladas but all I could think while I was eating it was "how did they make this sauce?"! Vibrant orange in color I couldn't think of what could make that color. It wasn't a cascabel. It wasn't spicy but it had a great flavor and the consistency was really nice. The enchiladas were stuffed with a seasoned ground beef that was very good also. Again, plenty of rice and beans to go along. Even with just 2 enchiladas in the plate I was quite satisfied after I finished. They also have really good chips and salsa. The salsa has a nice kick to it. Loved it. I used the leftover salsa to make my own Huevos con Salsa a couple days later.
We love this place. I keep wanting to stop in and find out how they make that sauce. At this time I would say they get a 5 out of 5. No complaints, good food and good service both inside and at the drive through.
Just a note...the El Paisa in Grapevine is only a Taqueria and they don't make anything onsite there. You have to go to the Colleyville or Bedford location for anything other than tacos.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Hacienda San Miguel
I had heard many things on Twitter about this place and was really looking forward to going. I have to say I was disappointed. It's a beautiful restaurant visually but the food and service need some serious help. The one positive I will offer is the chips and salsa are very good and they do keep you supplied with fresh chips.
Our first round of cocktails came a little slow but not too bad. They all tasted good but I could not tell if there was tequila in my Paloma. After not getting any sort of buzz after 3 of them I assume there was not much to speak of.
We ordered a queso and a ceviche for appetizers. These were both ok flavor wise. The queso was made using Asadero cheese which really stiffens up when it cools so a little more milk or cream or even another cheese added in would have helped. You basically needed a fork to eat it once it cooled down. The scallop ceviche had a nice flavor but the portion was very small. I can think of 3 other places where the ceviche is better and with twice the portion for the same or less than the price of here. It did need some heat and some additional lime juice though.
For our entrees our group ordered the Mar Y Tierra (steak and shrimp), Enchiladas de barbacoa (brisket enchiladas), Ahi Tacos and a chicken dish that was cooked in a banana leaf. The waiter had a hard time understanding what we were ordering. Even as we would repeat what we wanted a couple of us had to point on the menu to show him then he would repeat back exactly the same words we had just repeatedly told him.
The steak and shrimp were boring at best. The shrimp were dry and bland. The steak was cooked correctly but also very dry. The whole dish could have used a sauce or even some sort of compound butter on top. The plating was generic, steak sat on top of mashed potatoes which were on top of a chile pepper then the shrimp were intertwined on top of the steak. I didn't order this myself and am glad I didn't.
The Ahi Tacos looked promising at first. Good sized pieces of tuna on seemingly house made tortillas. But looks can be deceiving as we soon discovered. The tuna wasn't cooked well and had a fishy taste to it. I've not had Ahi that had that fishy of a flavor before. It needed a better sear on it and maybe some citrus to bring out the flavor (or mask the fishy taste). We asked for additional lime for this dish but it came well after that dish was finished (and desert had been ordered).
The enchiladas... Since I cook Tex-Mex quite often I tend to be a bit critical when it comes to my enchiladas. To me its about the filling, the sauce and the portion. These failed on all three points. When the plate came I was surprised by the portion. Three, half sized at best, enchiladas topped sparingly with sauce served over white rice. Ok, is this it? I was hoping that the flavor would make up for the visual but I was wrong. While the sauce was not bad there wasn't enough of it and it lacked enough heat to make it interesting. The brisket inside was bland. It tasted like unseasoned brisket that was braised and chopped. It was tender so I'll give them that but that's it. The rice was really just for filler. It had no flavor and disappeared against the white plate. When you order enchiladas and you get more plate than food you know it's not going to be a good meal. The menu also stated that their tortillas were made with blue corn. These were definitely NOT blue corn. More like a yellow/white corn mix. I really felt like something was missing in this dish. It wasn't the lack of beans or anything like that. It was a flavor or a texture that was missing. Or maybe it was just so small a portion that I was still hungry.
The chicken breast dish was probably the largest portion dish we saw and also the had the best flavor. I don't have much to say either way on it so take that however you like.
For dessert we ordered a Tres Leches cake and a Chocolate Mousse cake. Both were actually very good. The Tres Leches was a three layer cake and the texture was very nice. Not overly sweet like it can sometimes be and not soggy either. I actually enjoyed it. The same can be said for the Chocolate Mousse cake.
With dessert we ordered a bottle of champagne. The waiter brought over 4 glasses and of these 2 still had lipstick on them and one was chipped along the rim. We sent them back and he came back with another lipstick stained glass and another chipped glass. The third time we finally got clean, safe glasses to use.
As far as the service goes, it was hard to order, the food came out slow and things we asked for either didn't make it to the table in time or were not usable (the glasses). We all commented that we might come back and sit at the bar for happy hour drinks and appetizers but would not come back for dinner. With several other similar restaurants in the immediate area Hacienda San Miguel really needs to up their game. In our opinion they did not equal the experience or food at Glorias, Chuys or any other similar place around W. 7th. When we spend as much as we did here we usually have a good time, a good meal and good drinks. Not so on this trip. I rate this place a 2.5 out of 5 overall. I just can't recommend it to anyone at this time.
Our first round of cocktails came a little slow but not too bad. They all tasted good but I could not tell if there was tequila in my Paloma. After not getting any sort of buzz after 3 of them I assume there was not much to speak of.
We ordered a queso and a ceviche for appetizers. These were both ok flavor wise. The queso was made using Asadero cheese which really stiffens up when it cools so a little more milk or cream or even another cheese added in would have helped. You basically needed a fork to eat it once it cooled down. The scallop ceviche had a nice flavor but the portion was very small. I can think of 3 other places where the ceviche is better and with twice the portion for the same or less than the price of here. It did need some heat and some additional lime juice though.
For our entrees our group ordered the Mar Y Tierra (steak and shrimp), Enchiladas de barbacoa (brisket enchiladas), Ahi Tacos and a chicken dish that was cooked in a banana leaf. The waiter had a hard time understanding what we were ordering. Even as we would repeat what we wanted a couple of us had to point on the menu to show him then he would repeat back exactly the same words we had just repeatedly told him.
The steak and shrimp were boring at best. The shrimp were dry and bland. The steak was cooked correctly but also very dry. The whole dish could have used a sauce or even some sort of compound butter on top. The plating was generic, steak sat on top of mashed potatoes which were on top of a chile pepper then the shrimp were intertwined on top of the steak. I didn't order this myself and am glad I didn't.
The Ahi Tacos looked promising at first. Good sized pieces of tuna on seemingly house made tortillas. But looks can be deceiving as we soon discovered. The tuna wasn't cooked well and had a fishy taste to it. I've not had Ahi that had that fishy of a flavor before. It needed a better sear on it and maybe some citrus to bring out the flavor (or mask the fishy taste). We asked for additional lime for this dish but it came well after that dish was finished (and desert had been ordered).
The enchiladas... Since I cook Tex-Mex quite often I tend to be a bit critical when it comes to my enchiladas. To me its about the filling, the sauce and the portion. These failed on all three points. When the plate came I was surprised by the portion. Three, half sized at best, enchiladas topped sparingly with sauce served over white rice. Ok, is this it? I was hoping that the flavor would make up for the visual but I was wrong. While the sauce was not bad there wasn't enough of it and it lacked enough heat to make it interesting. The brisket inside was bland. It tasted like unseasoned brisket that was braised and chopped. It was tender so I'll give them that but that's it. The rice was really just for filler. It had no flavor and disappeared against the white plate. When you order enchiladas and you get more plate than food you know it's not going to be a good meal. The menu also stated that their tortillas were made with blue corn. These were definitely NOT blue corn. More like a yellow/white corn mix. I really felt like something was missing in this dish. It wasn't the lack of beans or anything like that. It was a flavor or a texture that was missing. Or maybe it was just so small a portion that I was still hungry.
The chicken breast dish was probably the largest portion dish we saw and also the had the best flavor. I don't have much to say either way on it so take that however you like.
For dessert we ordered a Tres Leches cake and a Chocolate Mousse cake. Both were actually very good. The Tres Leches was a three layer cake and the texture was very nice. Not overly sweet like it can sometimes be and not soggy either. I actually enjoyed it. The same can be said for the Chocolate Mousse cake.
With dessert we ordered a bottle of champagne. The waiter brought over 4 glasses and of these 2 still had lipstick on them and one was chipped along the rim. We sent them back and he came back with another lipstick stained glass and another chipped glass. The third time we finally got clean, safe glasses to use.
As far as the service goes, it was hard to order, the food came out slow and things we asked for either didn't make it to the table in time or were not usable (the glasses). We all commented that we might come back and sit at the bar for happy hour drinks and appetizers but would not come back for dinner. With several other similar restaurants in the immediate area Hacienda San Miguel really needs to up their game. In our opinion they did not equal the experience or food at Glorias, Chuys or any other similar place around W. 7th. When we spend as much as we did here we usually have a good time, a good meal and good drinks. Not so on this trip. I rate this place a 2.5 out of 5 overall. I just can't recommend it to anyone at this time.
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