It was my first time coming through here. My friend had suggested coming here and I was craving…read moretacos. First things first, these are not your Mexican street tacos. So don't go in expecting that. However, they still hit the spot! I was a big big fan of the brisket taco. Juicy, flavorful, and filling! All the tacos come with a pretty substantial amount of protein. They have a lunch special where you buy 2 tacos and get your third one free, so my meal came out to be pretty affordable. Our server was great, I think his name was Miles? The restaurant itself was cute, with nice barstools and booths. I will say that when we went, the floor a few pools of liquid with caution signs up. Not sure if there was a leak or some spills, but nonetheless it didn't affect the ambiance too much. I heard they do an ice bar in the winter, so I'm looking forward to returning.

We stopped in around 7 PM and had no trouble getting a table. Tequila Butcher is a very small…read morerestaurant, definitely smaller inside than I expected, but it wasn't busy during our visit so getting seated was easy. The absolute best part of the meal was the Queso Fundido. It was delicious -- very cheesy with an almost slightly sweet flavor that I really liked. It came with both chips and tortillas, which was a nice touch. My husband ended up using the tortillas to basically make his own little cheese tacos and ate every one of them. I would absolutely order the Queso Fundido again. For my entrée, I had the Birria Tacos. They were okay, but unfortunately I'm still searching for really good Birria Tacos. The meat didn't have much flavor, there wasn't a lot of cheese, and the Consommé was pretty mild as well. Nothing was necessarily bad, but I was hoping for a lot more flavor. My husband ordered the Chimichanga. He said the flavor itself was fine, but he wasn't a fan of the texture. He also forgot to ask for it without cilantro, so that didn't help his experience with it. We finished with the Tres Leches Cake. Tres Leches is Tres Leches -- sweet, soft, and good. It was a nice way to finish the meal, even if the Queso Fundido was still easily my favorite thing we ordered. Overall, this was a mixed visit for us. The Queso Fundido was fantastic and worth coming back for, while the entrées didn't quite hit the same level. The restaurant itself is pretty tiny, and I'm curious to eventually check out the other Tequila Butcher location to see how the atmosphere and experience compare.

I'll just start by saying I could live off the brussel sprouts alone. The serving size would have…read moreto be much bigger, by OMG, they were amazing. My second favorite was the chicken with some amazing reduction of some sort, love! The olives were just becuase I was hungry and I knew they would come out fast. The seafood paella was very good, just not as good as the brussels and chicken in my humble opinion and don't do it if you are not ready to get your fingers messy taking all the shells and pieces and parts off the shrimp. The bathroom was cute. The service was fast, olives minutes after we ordered, my favorite two dishes 12 minutes after ordering and paella, 12 minutes after that. The owner Rene was the server and he was very efficient for 6 pm on the Friday before the 4th of July with him the only one waiting on tables in the smallish (10 tables?) restaurant. By the way, that number of plates (4) perfectly filled two of us. The owner is from Mexico and cooks a Mexican menu for lunch. Next thing to try...

My experience was with a group of adventurous world travelers with catholic tastes in food. We all…read morelooked forward to a great dinner at the Twin Cities' first tapas restaurant. It was not great. The problem? I think it was because owner/chef Rene Ruiz Olivar was acting as waiter, not chef. We gave Sr. Ruiz the freedom to choose our tapas, with one exception, the black ink pasta with scallops and shrimp (Tinta Negra) that reviewers have raved about. He said, no problema--he would serve it. Then he must have forgotten because we never got it. The first tapa served, almond-crusted manchego (Almendrado), was plated prettily and was delicious but oh-so-sweet. It was an odd choice for a starter, would have been better as the finale in case nobody ordered dessert. Soon came a lamb tapa (Cordero). The lamb chops' quality was uncertain as the meat was severely overcooked. El Bodegon's langoustines (Gambas al Ajillo) had given every bit of their sea flavor to the sauce, which was magnificent, we all agreed. But where were the dish's promised mussels, the rice? One shared plate, a beef tenderloin tapa (Carne Brava), had apparently lingered too long in the kitchen--the meat was nearly cold. I adore papas bravas (Patatas Bravas). I must have had the dish a dozen times or more during my last trip to Spain, in 2017, when I visited friends who live in Ronda. During my six-week stay, we toured Andalucia, staying at hotels in large cities and visiting small towns. I also spent time sola in Madrid and Barcelona. Unlike in Spain, El Bodegon's potatoes were diced to death. Never in Spain have I ever had patatas bravas that were not substantial in size. All in all, I found the vegetables accompanying the tapas unrecognizable except for the tiny Brussels sprouts. The rest seemed chopped up or stirred to pieces in the pan. Some of my friends had churros for their dessert. They deemed them appropriately hot and tasty. My dessert was cheesecake torte, decked out with a candle as it was my 90th birthday. The torte was a gold-star winner. It was absolutely delicious, its plating the most successful of the evening. It was so perfect it almost made up for the sub-par tapas that preceded it. One of us had a view of the kitchen from his seat at the table. He saw a man other than the chef/owner doing the cooking. Was he a trainee? Did Sr. Ruiz help with the plating? God knows he didn't have a lot patrons to contend with in his role as waiter. It was a slow weeknight, and there were never more than four tables occupied. I sincerely regret that our time at El Bodegon differs from so many reviewers. Like them, I want to see Sr. Ruiz's little restaurant succeed. He has a hard row to hoe, and I hope a disappointing dinner like ours does not befall anyone else going forward.

Came here for a date night with my wife. The date night special was $55 per person for a 3 course…read moremeal. We ordered the Arugula salad, the arepitas, yuca arancinni and a white fish dinner. The only dish that wasnt superb was the arancinni. It ate a little dry. Everything else was flavorful and delicious. My standout was the white fish it. Although it could use some more sauce, the fish was well seasoned and yummy. The restaurant itself was a little warm. Given the glass exterior and the angle of the sun, it was a little uncomfortable for most of the dinner. Service is good. Food was quick and hot. Overall good experience. Will probably return in the winter :)

For the "west side" of St. Paul (I don't know why it is called that, for it is truly south and not…read moreat all west!), this is a very cool, chic and original concept for a foodie establishment. I went here with my twin sister, her husband, her husbands 2 brothers and one of his brother's fiance who were in town. All are foodies. All wanted to experience a good night out to titillate the tastebuds. For I try to impress upon out of town guests that not everyone in MN is of Scandinavian origin! But I digress... The food is just...awesome! Presentation is completely unique, including flaming drinks, an assortment of vessels for the dishes to accommodate the dish with an interesting flare without compromising ease of consuming or taste. Patatas bravas, tequenos, and rompe colchon were excellent. I mean mouth wateringly amazing. Shrimp in the rompe colchon was cooked PERFECTLY and the balance of the sour leche de tigre and mango made the dish interesting for the palate. Broccolini side dish was also cooked perfectly and the cheese foam gave a unique twist to the side dish. I ordered the bollitos pelones and OH MY GOODNESS. Think huge fried (but not greasy) ball of corn dough (like tamale but grains not so fine) stuffed with braised lamb and swimming in a dark, curry and spiced sauce. It was SOOOO GOOD and nothing like I'd ever had before. I also tried the pasta with rabbit and UMAMI! it was tasty. Also unique flavor that I cannot quite identify and the sauce to meat to pasta ratio was perfect. LOVED this experience and will 10000000% go back!

Stopped by La Estancia for steak and drinks and I have to say, the staff here are some of the…read morefriendliest people I've ever encountered at a restaurant. Everyone was incredibly welcoming, kind, and attentive. The food was excellent and the steak was absolutely delicious. Honestly, you can go to a high-end restaurant and spend a lot more money and still not get a steak that tastes any better. Great flavor, cooked well, and very satisfying overall. There's also ample parking. Definitely recommend checking this place out.

Overall great experience. Service was great, parking lot in the front, and they take reservations…read more We came on a Sunday and not too busy. Table for 4 and we ordered the beef empanadas and tomahawk steak with some wine and beer. Empanadas were delicious. Flaky and nice amount of stuffing. Just wish they were bigger! Only one comes in an order. We ordered the tomahawk and were told that it can take up to 45 minutes. It wasn't a problem for us since we were ok with taking our time with the empanadas and conversations. Steak was huge with a large bone. Fragrance of rosemary. Also came with a side of 4 sauces/chimichurri. The steak comes with a choice of two sides. We ordered the sautéed veggies, mashed potatoes, and added garlic mushrooms. Sides were standard, nothing special but serving size was small in comparison to the size of the steak. Overall everything was good! Not mind blowing and our overall tab for the steak, 2 empanadas, 3 glasses of wine and 3 beers was around $230.

If you're looking for amazing Mexican food in MN look no further than Los Ocampo! My family are…read morebig fans of the atmosphere, food, and service. Not to mention they have great deals (taco Tuesday, marg Monday). And yeah the servers are speaking Spanish, but hello it's a Mexican restaurant. I prefer the staff to be speaking the language of where the food is from. Duh, Obviously they'll be speaking Spanish!!! Anyways eat here!!

Ok,I have to say,it was bad.We ordered the beef fajitas and the beef nachos.lets start with the…read morenachos,it came out close to being cold.Their wasn't very many tomatoes and it would have been nice if the ingredients were spread out a little better .The Beef(hamburger)was like sawdust,with little flavor.4 out of 10. Now,the fajitas were bad.I don't think I seen any beef strips of any kind.The beef was greasy.It looked liked crumbs of burned beef.We honestly made one serving of beef.tortillas and green peppers for me ! Bottom line I would not recommend this restaurant .

We came to check out happy hour and had a good experience!…read more There was a nice selection of food on the happy hour menu - wings, tacos, taquitos, and more. I tried a house margarita and it was fine, not amazing. Maybe I'll try the strawberry one next time! Friendly staff! Fun vibe! Free parking lot out front.

Sharing my review after 2 visits at dinner time…read more Enhiladas - 5/5 Margaritas - 4/5 Burrito - 3.8/5 Appetizers - 4/5 Overall - 4/5 I'd say the ingredients are very good. Service was prompt. Very crowded, popular location. Slightly upscale Mexican spot in downtown Wayzata. On our last visit, my wife ordered the fish tacos and yuca fries and enjoyed them. Burrito could have used more sauce or queso blanco. I'll probably be returning here from time to time and go back to the enchiladas next time. :)

Amazingly for living in the South West Suburbs of Minneapolis (or maybe a little farther than what…read moreyou would consider that), I had never been to Lat14. Lat14 Asian Eatery is a critically acclaimed restaurant in Golden Valley, Minnesota, created by Chef Ann Ahmed. Its name comes from the 14th parallel north, inspiring a menu of bold, shareable Southeast Asian dishes from Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines. The food was phenomenal, which shouldn't be surprising coming from Chef Ann Ahmed's pedigree of awards. We started with a couple of appetizers. First was the Basil Wings which were Tempura Fried with Thai Basil, Jalapenos, and a Signature Dry Rub. Wow the tempura gave a satisfying crunch with a beautiful zing of spices. Next was the Snow Crab Wontons which were filled with Cream Cheese, Snow Crab, and served with Apricot Sweet Chili. These were stuffed with crab and you totally could taste it. The sweet/spicy sauce with nice acidic bite cut through the cream cheese very well. For my main, I went with the Lao Yum Salad which consisted of Mixed Greens, Tomato, Cucumber, Red Onion, Toasted Almonds, Watermelon Radish, Hard Boiled Egg and Lao Yum Dressing. Perfectly balanced and the dressing was delightful. Oh, and can't forget about the House Pickle Assortment of delicious tangy morsels. ___

It had been a long while since I was last able to visit this establishment, since I now live out of…read morestate. When I recently finally got a chance to go while in town, it was a must visit. I used to go at least once a month when living in state and on the west side of the river, especially when they had happy hour (the one negative aspect I have to report. But I digress...) Ann Ahmed is a Laotian-American Minnesotan and 3 times James Beard semi-finalist. This restaurant is known to serve food around the "14th latitude" and is FAMILY STYLE, so keep in mind while ordering. The food also comes out as it is ready rather than all at once per course. My twin sister and I went one cloudy summer's afternoon and sat outside on the patio, surrounded by lush greenery under decorative cloth shading hung above us. Of course, we got the lumpia, which they split in half for us since it was only us two and they come 3 to a plate (or 4 if you pay an extra $8 or something...) and the nam khao for "starters." For once, we both decided to try something different rather than our go-to (heavenly exquisite) Khao soi (sincerely, just divine). I ordered the pad thai with fried tofu and she ordered the squash curry with a side of roasted chicken to add. We both also got cocktails. I got the mango margarita and my sister got the old fashion (lat 14 style). The lumpia are crispy, flaky and filled with the perfect ratio of succulent pork to fillings served with a spicy dipping sauce. When cut in half, they sear the end of the cut portion to seal in the flavor and contents. Next came the khao soi, a dish to tantalize and tease the palate with the crunch of puffed rice and peanuts and the umami bite of pork flavored with lemongrass and other seasonings wrapped in a crispy lettuce leaf. Living currently in Miami, an absolute vacuum for even gross asian food, I was CRAVING pad thai and Lat 14 delivered. Perfectly cooked noodles with the right amount of sauce (not too dry and not swimming either) with lots of protein, perfectly cooked scrambled egg, fresh beansprouts that don't overcrowd the other ingredients and the crushed fresh peanuts hit every note my taste buds craved. I also was allowed to try the curry and never knew squash curry with coconut was the flavor I missed in my life. All in all, is it pricy? Yes. Are the portions also generous? Most definitely. Is it worth it and your wallet will be begging you to lighten itself by another visit? ABSOLUTELY! Also, our server was attentive, knowledgable and kind.

I have been coming to el sombrero for years and I loved it but recently I was told they had a…read morehealth inspector come in and they were told they can no longer make Chile rellenos. I'm really not sure that's what they said, rather I'm sure it had to do with contamination of the eggs which isn't good, but I don't believe they said they couldn't make them anymore. Well they still have it on the menu and don't tell you it has changed when you order it. They literally put the Chile in the fryer by itself. They don't stuff it and only put a tiny bit of sauce and cheese on top. Chile relleno literally translates to stuffed Chile which it is not stuffed, so they should take it off their menu if they aren't going to serve it correctly anymore. When I asked the manager about it he seemed annoyed that I wasn't happy. To be honest the rest of their food isn't wonderful or worth coming as much as we did for the Chile rellenos. I won't be back unless I find out that they have started making them correctly again.

New location, great food…read more Have always had terrific service, too. Take-out beer being available is a plus.