I'm surprised there wasn't a single Yelp review for N3dos until Tom E's FTR (First to Review) in…read moreNovember 2020. This Caribbean restaurant and lounge - Dominican food to be specific - opened in 2018. The food we had hit the spot. It was fresh and tasty, cooked and packed to order. For a place that's primarily a Latin nightclub, our Sunday lunch on the patio here was surprisingly delicious.
N3dos is located on Buford Highway OTP (outside the perimeter) in the former Shooter Alley building: https://bit.ly/382CSeQ. The shopping center it's located in, Treasure Village, has cleaned up in recent years. Gone is Shooter Alley, the sketchy spa, and Buford Hwy Twin Cinema: https://bit.ly/382LKRC. N3dos renovated and opened up the old Shooter Alley space. It now features a long bar with TVs, elevated booths, tall tables, lounge seating, a DJ stage, and a game nook with gambling machines. They also added lots of windows to let some natural light in.
Due to the currently raging COVID-19 pandemic, we dined outside on the makeshift parking lot patio. It's amazing how many tables you can fit onto three parking spots. The outdoor patio was enclosed with cinder blocks and wooden beams. The tables weren't exactly level, but that was OK. At least the furniture was in good condition and looked clean.
When I called N3dos before our visit to confirm outside seating, the lady who answered told me that outside seating availability is subject to the staff and volume during each particular shift. Weekends are busier than weekdays and outside seating is more likely during weekends. Also, I was told only two servers work per shift. The patio is completely uncovered so it's also available weather-permitting.
During our extended lunch stay from about 12:00-2:30pm on a Sunday, we were the only walk-up "dine-in" customers. I noticed one pick-up takeout customer and another solo customer enter the building. When we visited, there were no other customers and we saw only three workers inside: a man and woman up front (the latter took our order) and an older lady in the kitchen. There was a language barrier, but we were able to order successfully. I discerned that the entire menu wasn't available during the daytime, but instead at night, which was understandable given the bulk of their business is in the evenings.
Our server, Katherine, immediately directed us to several specific items on the menu. The menu was spiral-bound, laminated, sturdy, and colorful, filled with helpful pictures and descriptions in both English and Spanish. She pointed out a few chicken dishes, but when I asked her about other dishes, she also suggested beef.
Note: Katherine said if we wanted true dine-in service, we had to eat inside. If we wanted to eat outside, we had to order to-go. Our food was served in disposable containers -- aluminum foil plates with paper tops, plastic bowls with snap-shut lids, and flimsy foam boxes.
Menu items were affordably-priced with most entrees, except for the seafood entrees, under $15 each. Entree categories included salad, soup, sandwiches, Mexican, Dominican, chicken, steak & pork, stew, pasta, and seafood. Examples included menudo (tripe soup, small $6.95, large $10.95), a Cuban sandwich ($8.95), churrasco (grilled beef with chimichurri, $18.95), and a two-person paella (Spanish rice with mixed seafood, $40.95). They had a variety of apps and sides too. Examples included picadera (small $12.95, large $21.95) which is an assortment platter of party/finger foods, ideal for the club environment, and pastelitos rellenos (savory chicken and beef pastries, $4.95 per order). I didn't ask for or see a drink menu, but it's safe to say they have a full bar.
After a little back and forth with the server, we settled on a few dishes:
* Rabo Guisado ($13.50) - stewed oxtail
* Bistec al Caballo ($14.00) - steak and eggs
* Tostones ($3.50) - fried green plantains
* Nestle Pure Life bottled water ($2.00 each)
We received more food than we were expecting because each entree came with a *generous* portion of white rice and red beans and a salad consisting of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and a delectable salsa made of chopped red onion, cilantro, and tomato. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. The rice was nice and moist, the beans were hearty and satisfying. The oxtail was served in a rich, oily stew that was absolutely packed with mouthwatering flavor. The oxtail meat itself was wonderful; excellent consistency. The steak was a cheap cut that had been cooked well-done, but what can you expect for $14 steak and eggs? It was fine and served its purpose. The steak was topped with two eggs, sunny side up. The tostones were good quality; thick and appetizing, but they lacked flavor. They should've had some seasoning and/or come with a sauce or something. Still, not bad though.
Payment was handled via the Clover POS system.
Check out N3dos on social media at the links below.
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3elm7N5
Instagram: https://bit.ly/2HOaW3U
