Out of everywhere that we've eaten on this beautiful Cape Cod peninsula, Embargo would be my favorite place. We came here 3 times in a single week, it must be good right? Initially we found this place on Groupon. I bought it and then started doing research on the restaurant, later finding out that they have an "Appy Hour" all day on Tuesdays. So we came on Monday, Tuesday and again on Thursday to use the Groupon.
Atmosphere/Appearance: Quite fancy if I must add. The big oval-sapped bar is the center of attention. Around it are several decent-sized half-moon shaped booths and near the front entrance are some regular tables. The inside is very classy with it's dark ambiance and colorful LED lights that really come alive at night. Happy hour was pretty busy, but after about 10:00pm is when the tables in the front get moved and the area becomes a dance floor! Now it's a party! The crowd certainly livens up and is a great place to come hang out. Oh! We can't forget the ample room on the patio with lots of outdoor seating for people watching along Main Street. Lol.
Service: Awesome each and every time. I think our first bartender's (yes, we sat right at the bar, twice) name was Danielle maybe? She was just awesome. The menu was so extensive so she broke everything down, kept the drinks flowing and was an absolute pleasure to talk to since we weren't from the area.
Food: Oh man. Where do I begin?! Lol. So on Monday and Tuesday we came strictly for the 1/2 off tapas that they offer from 4:30pm to 6:00pm. If you look on the menu there's a lil' asterisk next to the ones that are NOT discounted at this time. There are quite a few, but many more options to choose from. During our 3 visits I managed to cover quite a few tapas. So here they are in no particular order. I started off with their Curried Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps which are made of toasted coconut shavings, dried cranberries and of course curried chicken. It's served cold and was pretty good, but you only get 2 so it definitely leaves you wanting more. Well, they're tapas so yeah, they'll small plates for a reason. Lol. Next up were the Pan Seared Scallops. They're cooked very well, seasoned with truffle parmesan basmati and served over arugula then topped rioja honey. They were delicious and a great addition to the menu. Looking at the menu now I no longer see these, but we had their Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts which are tossed with olive oil, red pepper flakes and pecorino. They were quite delicious, crispy and full of flavor. You know we had to get some vegetables in the mix. Ha. Also not on the menu anymore, I was able to try their Grilled Lamb Lollipop. Sounds interesting right? It's a small lamb chop drizzled with a light citrus sauce and served with a tomato compote. The lamb chop is delicious, but the sauce was lacking. A bit thin and didn't really go well with the meat in my opinion. Now there's a sauce that comes with their lamb meatballs (which I'll get to soon that's more yogurt based) that would go and did go so much better with the lamb chop. Next was their Baked Three-Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms. They're stuffed with magic and drizzled with a short rib au jus. These were my favorite tapa on the menu. They were practically addicting and I may have had 4 orders over the course of the 3 days. Next was "Gambas al Ajillo" which is a classic Spanish-style garlic roasted shrimp. It was okay. It fell short and I was a bit disappointed in how light the flavor really was. Next up is my 2nd favorite tapa, the Lamb Meatballs which are served with Tzaziki sauce, topped with mint, oil, rioja honey and crunchy pitas. They are served piping hot and are just bursting with flavor. Basically perfect. On one of the days where I didn't use a Groupon I ventured off the tapas menu and got the Kobe Beef Sliders w/ crispy bacon, pickled red onion and chipotle ketchup. I added Swiss cheese because I was feeling fancy. These were quite delicious and I ended up with 2 orders throughout the 3 visits. I got to taste their Braised Short Rib with La Mancha sauce. It was served with a type of coleslaw that complemented it very well. I really liked them. Finally, I was able to try their Grilled Churrasco-Style Sirloin Steak. It's served with sliced crispy onions and chimichurri. Delicious. Embargo really KILLED IT with their tapas menu and the fact that you can get most of these for 1/2 off almost any day of the week blows my mind! Of course we can't forget their house-made infused liquors. Up on shelves in the bar area you'll see these 2 huge glass jugs with a lot of fruit in them. When I was there they featured a blueberry infused tequila and an orange vodka. I managed to try both! They're delicious. They let the fruit sit in the liquor overnight and into the morning which just draws all the flavors out and into the drink.
I've run out of room so I have to wrap this up. Lol. Get the Groupon or come on Tuesdays or during their "Appy Hour" to get the best deal. read more