Nueva Cantina is a huge home run! Located right next to the brand new Drury Plaza Hotel Tampa/Brandon - this restaurant delivers great food, ambiance and service. Ask for Daniel to serve you! read more

Came in and immediately felt confused as guests because there was no greeter and no clear direction on whether we were supposed to seat ourselves, order at the kiosk/menu board, or wait for someone. The overall atmosphere felt chaotic from the start. Unfortunately, a waitress, waiters, and bartenders were extremely rude and wouldn't even make eye contact. Eventually, the hostess seated us and she seemed okay. After being seated, we were ignored for about 15 minutes. We tried getting a waitress's attention to ask how we order, but she rushed by and completely ignored us. Later we found out her name was Maddie, and she was by far the rudest employee we encountered. We finally got a male waiter's attention who apologized, but then disappeared again. I'm not sure if they were understaffed or what, but the customer service was honestly horrible. We eventually went to the kiosk and ordered ourselves because at that point I just felt uncomfortable with the overall atmosphere (which honestly I should have just left). I still tipped, as I normally do. I waited at the bar for our food and the kiosk stated someone would call your number when your order was ready. No one ever called our number. I noticed a server/maddie repeatedly placing food on the pickup rack, so something told me to check. Sure enough, both of our orders had been sitting there. Another waitress helped me check, she was nice. I asked for the name of the rude waitress/server and was told it was Maddy/Maddie. Whoever the owner is really needs to look into the service because I would never allow this type of representation of my restaurant. Service: 1/5 Food: 3/5 Decor/Ambience: 4/5 (this is honestly what attracted me to the place) I would describe the food as not as good as Chipotle, not authentic Mexican, but maybe a step above Taco Bell and as we know, Taco Bell isn't that bad but it's Taco Bell. I had never tried this place before and wanted to give it a chance, but I wasn't impressed. The poor service definitely affected the experience, but honestly flavor-wise it's not something I'd crave again either... I'd rather have Taco Bell, lol. We all had steak bowls. For my order, 1 steak bowl and churros, it came out to about $23 with tip. Everything was just okay. Not from here, visiting from South Florida and unfortunately I would never come back.. but that's just me, I hope your experience is different if you try it. read more

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Tried Nueva Cantina in Brandon (located behind Hooters in a corner spot with plenty of parking) and it was an all-around great experience, and they also have a nice covered outdoor seating area right out front. The décor is clean and inviting, and the staff really stood out--attentive without being overbearing and consistently checking in at the right moments. Prices felt reasonable for the quality and portion sizes. My wife and I both ordered the Bowlrito--she went with Al Pastor, black beans, Spanish rice, and all the toppings, and I chose pork carnitas. The Spanish rice was especially flavorful, and everything tasted fresh. There was a slight kick from the pico de gallo, but nothing overwhelming (and I'm not big on spicy food, so that says a lot). I also added a grilled chicken tostada, which had a perfectly crunchy tortilla. For dessert, we shared churros and tres leches cake--both were so good they disappeared in no time. She also loved the horchata agua fresca, saying it could've doubled as dessert on its own. We went on a Thursday around 1:30 PM expecting it to be quiet--it was for about 10 minutes, then quickly filled up. Even so, service stayed fast and efficient; our food came out in under 10 minutes. No complaints at all about the food, service, or atmosphere. This place just earned the top spot for our Mexican dinner go-to. We'll definitely be back. read more

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This location has been open for 6 months. Inside and outside seating. Parking can be found at a distance. Sat at a table near the restroom and there always seemed to be a line of people waiting. Seats were wore out with insides exposed. Food was just ok. Fajitas had no flavor so you had to sauce it up. read more

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Hubby and I was looking for something to eat and came upon Nueva Cantina. Decor is nice and the place is big and open. Has a nice covered outside sitting area. We were seated after a short wait (there was no line). Looked at the menu which doesn't have that many menu items. Everything is ale carte and very pricey. They have a full bar which seems to be the draw. Utensils are all kept in a canister on each table. The utensils at our table were all dirty from something inside the canister. We received our food and couldn't use any utensils. After waiting for our waitress to come and check on us; I finally had to get up and go to the bar to ask for clean utensils. Food was okay, pretty much over priced I feel. Served the purpose of feeding our hungry stomachs but most likely won't repeat. read more

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Food and drinks are always amazing. Pitcher of mango margaritas and carne asada nachos. with trio sampler read more

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Food is always delicious! Atmosphere is nice and the servers do a great job. I've been here a bunch of times and will continue coming back! The marg pitcher is really strong, did not slight one bit! read more

Nueva Cantina - Steak Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Clair-Mel City, Florida

I went for Valentines and it was SO SO SO CUTE. Everything was pink and love theme, even the food!!! The staff was so welcoming and had fast service. I tried the margarita flight they were so fun and cute, i do wish the drinks had more description of what was inside (i might not have seen it) i didn't like the spicy drink, and one was really strong but they rest were great!!! The food was tasty i had quesobirria & esquite. It is a little pricier than other places id definitely come back to see what they do for the next holiday read more

Nueva Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Clair-Mel City, Florida

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Tonight was my 2nd time at Nueva Cantina in Brandon, and the experience was completely different ~ in the best way. Our server, Angel, took amazing care of us, and the manager, Manuel, was also very attentive and welcoming. We went with a variety of tacos from the taco tour, plus a burrito and a taco salad ~ everything was delicious. We also tried the classic margaritas; they were strong but not overwhelming, just right. The noise level was moderate this time, so we were able to chat and hear each other with no issues, which made the experience even better. We will definitely be coming back again and again! read more

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A great time at Nueva Cantina last weekend! We came on a Friday and it was VERY busy. This is a new location so there is a lot of buzz around it! Also the whole place is decked out for Christmas and they have a bunch of fun Christmas drinks! The wait for outside patio was 50 minutes and the wait for inside was 1:45 min. Crazy long! We did find a spot at the bar and sat. It was quite loud in there since it was so busy. The bartender was slammed the whole night but he was still doing his best at service to make sure we were taken care of. Great work! Did the sampler appetizer which was queso salsa and guacamole. All great! The chips were Christmas colors too! Did the tacos and rice and refried beans side. Food came quick. All very good and nice flavor! We had the Christmas margarita flight and it was delicious!! Each marg was flavored different and they all tasted great, my fav was the mistletoe margarita! They went all out with the theming. I will love to come back and try more food and drinks! read more

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This is located in the Plaza off of 60 and Falkenburg. It was a Cherrys, never been to the restaurant before. Met a friend at this Mexican spot and immediately thought it was super cute. They had Christmas decorations and was blaring loud Christmas Spanish music. There was art murals and fun decorations. As soon as you entered the dining room the aroma of Mexican food filled the air and you just wanted everything before seeing the menu. We ordered a chicken burrito bowl and steak faijitas and it was amazing. The faijitas came to the table sizzlin with all the toppings. You can choose between ciliantro rice or Spanish rice - refried beans or black beans. I got cilantro rice with the black beans and soooo good! For dessert we had the Christmas taco and it was different - it was graham crackers taco shaped with cheesecake inside and sprinkled with confetti sprinkles. It wasn't the greatest but it was different and tasty just a bit grainy and dry, in my opinion. We told the waitress to perhaps serve it with a scoop of ice cream on top to perhaps dress it up or make it not as dry. The food was plentiful, delicious and the environment was fun and inviting. I would definitely come again and next time not during lunch, as I would love to try a drink read more

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This place was good for tacos, but was a little overpriced considering the area. It was in walking distance from the hotel down the road, so it was convenient as I didn't want to deal with traffic anymore. I had a Mezcal Margarita and it was super small, but it was good. The prices were more on par with upper-scale... not a laminated menu place. Two sips and it was gone. Bummer! I went to a place next door to have a few more drinks after I was done. The tacos were good but the chicken was super duper dry AF. Maybe it would have been better fresh. I couldn't add enough sauce to make it good! On the other hand, the Chorizo was great as was the Al Pastor. Finally, the Shrimp in the Shrimp Taco got lost in all of the toppings. I like more shrimpiness! I had great service from Jai with water refills and bringing out the sauces and explaining the menu and such. Overall, it was OK. I'd go back for tacos but wouldn't make it a regular stop for unwinding. read more

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Stopped in to try the Birria pizza and had a margarita flight the food was amazing everything came out pretty fast nice and hot. The waitress was kind and suggested the flight and her favorites. The ambiance was not too noisy as the decor was Easter themed with the season very cute. I highly recommend stopping by during happy hour and if the weather permits enjoy the outside dining. read more

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Vibe and music along am ambiance was really nice . Service was great. However , the portions was explain in correctly. All taco almost $5 Birra Taco- Mini Taco ..very small almost $6 and your have buy the dipping sauce that would cost $10.Favor was good. No specials for Taco Tuesday No free salad and chips .. Cheaper to buy the pitcher $40.. of margaritas Fajitas was a large portion . read more

Nueva Cantina - Birra Taco- - Mexican Near Me - Clair-Mel City, Florida

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This is a fun place for a cocktail and tacos. It's like an upscale Loli's with a full liquor license. I came here with my family. We had reservations, but we were running late. I called the restaurant, and they were gracious about holding the table for us. When I arrived (15 min late), we were seated immediately. There is a limited kids menu. My daughter had the nachos, which was a huge size. I wish there were more options, like maybe a single taco with a side? For drinks, my husband tried one of the Valentine's special drinks, but it was undrinkably sweet. He switched to a mojito, which he liked better. I had a passion fruit margarita, which was pretty good, although I wish there were some passion fruit seeds in there for texture (given the price, I think I can ask for fresh fruit). The kids loved that there were a bunch of mocktails and agua frescas. They also loved that most drinks came with ducks. We started with the trio of dips and chips. Very good dips, but the chips were a little too salty. I had the birria posole. It was a huge portion. It was pretty good, I like the combination of the birria with the posole's hominy. I think I would have preferred corn tortillas rather than tostadas on the side. My husband had a burrito, and it was huge and filling. My son had a couple tacos, and he said they were excellent. Our server, Angel, was wonderful. Very patient and helpful, checked in with us often. read more

Tacos 8/10 Drinks 5/10 (i don't like sugary sweet drinks) I love that more non-fast food/crazy huge franchises are coming to the brandon/riverview area. This is in a shopping center, parking is pretty decent. Space inside I feel is crunched. The bar seats are literally shoulder to shoulder. There is patio seating, booths, and high top seats. I tried theme fall drink, pumpkin margarita. The one given to me initially was dangerously sweet and syrupy. Mistakenly, two bartenders made my cocktail, so the second one was given to me for free and it was a lot better and balance and fall in marg form. There were more themed drinks. My friend got the flight and all were pretty sweet, she said the lesser sweet and betters were the traditional marg and one others. Tacos: I have no real complaints. They were delicious and filling. The price on the menu is for like taco. I had two and it was filling. The toppings on the different tacos aren't very different, the protein is basically what changes per taco. The have tvs for the games and an early HH. They have marg flights and cute pitchers. read more

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Who knew there was a vacation portal right behind Hooters and Mickey D's in Brandon? It's inside the old Cherry's Bar and Grille... with a major glow up. Every bit of this place is photo ready/worthy. It has undercurrents of Cancun/Cozumel-with fun seasonal drink options, a friendly/welcoming attitude and plenty of parking/seating. The patio is laid-back and pretty... the dining room, with booths, tables and high tops, is comfy and chill... and the bar is sort of sexy. But the best part of our visit was the service! What a great staff! They're chosen and trained well. Attentive, warm, efficient, professional, fun-they made our visit on a Friday afternoon so special. The menu was accessed via QR codes on the table (not my fave, but ok) isn't large, but it is inventive. I knew I wanted tacos, which are sold separately and you can pair them with sides, like cilantro rice. Since we shared the chips and queso, I opted for just the veggie taco... which was excellent with roasted poblano. I'll get two of those next time, with that rice. Since it was October, we ordered the Halloween margarita flight. There was an apple cinnamon variety, a caramel apple, a berry flavored option and the house marg (which I loved!) They were all so different and detailed, fun and festive (including a sunken eyeball!) It was $33 for the flight. I think they're planning a Christmas flight, too. We'll have to check that out-and more of the food. It was a good first visit. I'll be sure to check it out again and report back. read more

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My friends and I decided to check out this restaurant for happy hour. What a great choice it was! The decorations for valentines were so nice! They had decorations outside, inside, and even on the doors and entrance. I heard this is something that they do for a different holidays, which I absolutely love! They have seating areas inside and outside as well as a bar area. The staff was patient and kind to our large party. We started with the passionfruit margarita pitcher. It was very tasty! Three of us was able to get 3 drinks each out of it. I didn't get a chance to take pictures of the food, but our table ordered chips and salsa, steak tacos, and shrimp tacos. The food was pretty good. We also ordered the seasonal item, strawberry cheesecake taco. It was a good sweet treat. read more

First off this place decorates so well for the holidays and the food is delicious! We came here for the Valentine's popup bar. They decorated it so cute and the drinks were so fun. No where else is really doing this so they've got a great thing going. We read more

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Upon observing the prominent huge pinkish party balloons, I immediately knew the fun potential of this establishment. The themed ambiance consistently improved as I entered. The decor, from the exterior to the patio and interior, was charming and detailed. The menu, encompassing heart shape tacos and various adult themed beverages, was thoughtfully thoughtout for the Valentine's holiday. While I anticipated average cuisine, I was pleasantly mistaken. The salsa was above my standards, the asada taco salad shell was exceptionally flavorful, and the fruity salad dressing was exquisite. Service exceeded expectations; the staff hustled and efficiently managed customer seating and timely service. Our entire experience was memorable, and I intend to revisit this establishment in the near future for more of the tasty cuisine. read more

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My best friend and I went for Galentine's and it was a great experience. Our server Sam was very kind and patient with us as we struggled to decide on the food. He came around check on us and make sure we were taken care of even if it eas really busy. The food came out quickly and was delicious! The decorations were beautiful and we took many pictures with it. Music was fun and not too loud. We had a great time! read more

Nueva Cantina - Cupid drinks! - Mexican Near Me - Clair-Mel City, Florida

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Came here right after a flight into Tampa. We were immediately greeted by the friendly staff right upon walking in. We came around 3pm on a weekday and the place wasn't too busy. The first thing I noticed was how cute it was set up! Valentine decor and valentine themed specials. Our server (Dani?) greeted us and he was very friendly and knowledgeable of the menu. We ordered two different margaritas, the specialty margarita flight and a horchata to drink. The drinks were not only cute looking but great tasting. We got the Nueva Sampler which is chips with three dips (queso, salsa and guacamole). The chips were fresh and warm and the queso was the best I've ever tried. We got a few tacos: shrimp (my fave), carnitas, barbacoa, chicken, and chorizo. They were all delicious. I would definitely go back for the drinks and stay for the food. read more

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So for starters I'll say that I LOVE this place. I've been the downtown Tampa location and now this one in Brandon. The food and drinks are amazing! The ambiance is great, I like it! HOWEVER I have a complaint. Everything was 5 STARS until they let this family with a barking DOG come sit by us. I HATE DOGS IN ESTABLISHMENTS-- and I'm a dog-loving pup-mom, but a restaurant is NO place for DOGS!! I feel that it's so gross and inappropriate and unnecessary -- MIND YOU ppl have dog allergies! It's so inconsiderate of the ppl around you and so I had to lower the rating. I'm going to start avoiding places that allow pets. So gross. read more

I've been here several times and never had a bad experience. The tacos are great for the price, and the taco tour was absolutely fire. We finished it all! The mango margarita pitcher was strong, and while the alcohol consistency can vary, tonight it was perfect. That said, the pitchers are a bit pricey and come with a lot of ice, so you end up with less margarita, even if you ask for no ice. Service was attentive, and the Christmas decorations made the ambiance beautiful. Overall, a solid choice for tacos, margaritas, and a great vibe! read more

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Bright vibrant decor, food service was quick and staff friendly. This is a new restaurant in an area that didn't really have Mexican food locally. read more

Nueva Cantina - Carne Asada burrito - Mexican Near Me - Clair-Mel City, Florida

I came here on Halloween! The decorations were amazing. I'll admit I'm not a huge Mexican food fan but I did enjoy the Birria I got. My only complaint is the drinks. They are overly sweet and syrupy. I got the Halloween flight and couldn't finish it because it just tasted like variations of melted jolly ranchers. I would come back for food maybe, but the drinks would absolutely keep me away from the food. If overly sweet drinks aren't your thing I'd skip them to skip the headache read more

Nueva Cantina definitely takes the cake when it comes to themed restaurants! They redecorate for all the major holidays and they do not skimp or miss! They even have menu items that cater to the holidays. I personally love the birria pizza but other people have mentioned that it is lacking some spice. The guacamole is so fresh and nice and the drinks are always tasty and they even come with a cute little duck that you can keep. Definitely make sure to make a reservation as it is always packed especially during the holidays. read more

Nueva Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Clair-Mel City, Florida

Went to the Brandon location this past weekend and it was definitely not was we were expecting. The food was a good attempt at Mexican food but not at all real Mexican food. The birria pizza was paper thin barely any meet and super dry and the consommé was not even close to what it supposed to be. The chicken "flautas" were not, they actually use a bit flour tortilla and cut it in half because the menu says two flautas, but this was more of a chimichanga. The Spanish rice tasted like it literally came out of a prepacked package, the refried beans tasted like they came from a can as well, ordered a side of guacamole and never got it, flavors were not authentic at all. The waitress was nice and came to check on us, I went to share some of my dish with my grandbaby and he shouted as she was there still, "there is a hair in your food" which she immediately saw and offered to remove it and give us a discount towards our bill which was nice, This place may be good for some but not definitely for the ones that know real Mexican food, needless to say, we will not go back all 11 of us. read more

This place is so great it has great service is a genuine blessing to my taste buds and is just awesome overall have recommended this to my whole bloodline and will make sure my great grandchildren hear about this restaurant read more

Stopped in for dinner with a friend and sat at the bar. It was pretty busy, I imagine due to the holidays. Bar service was good and the restaurant was quite festive with holiday decorations. We both ordered the margarita flight which had great flavors. They do a Christmas flight as well but when we sampled a couple flavors they were entirely too sweet. The regular flavors were perfectly mixed. Now onto the food-- I ordered the taco salad with barbacoa and my friend got the pizza with steak. Both were enjoyable and of a decent serving size to where to boxes were absolutely necessary. I would definitely return for their happy hour or a less busier time. read more

WOW WOW WOW!!! Very good festive drinks! The decor the ambiance the service the food! PERFECTION! The ease of the menu!! We will be back again and again!! read more

Nueva Cantina - He loves me margarita, spicy pineapple margarita and chips n salsa - Mexican Near Me - Clair-Mel City, Florida

The food was meh and overpriced for the portion. Kid's portion was smaller than a lunchable portion. No plates till after we finished our appetizer (shared). Table got crowded with the entrees, yet they didn't remove any of the finished trays. I can think of several other places, close by, that has better food. read more

Came for a friends birthday and server took forever to greet us, we had to ask for them to serve us. Food came before our drinks. Forgot about our non alcoholic drinks. It was not busy at all. Worst part is two days later my friend and I are both sick with a stomach bug. Same exact timeline and symptoms. BEWARE! read more

We visited *Nueva Cantina* on a Friday night, knowing it might be a bit busy, but the wait was beyond what we expected. Since the inside had a long wait time, we opted to sit outside right away. We arrived around 6:20 PM and didn't leave until 8:00 PM not because we were enjoying ourselves, but because we spent most of that time waiting. Let's start with the positives: the ambiance was beautiful trendy, clean, and vibrant. The drinks were excellent, and the flavor of the food was fantastic, not honestly some of the *best-tasting Mexican food in Brandon.* However, the service completely ruined the experience. If I saw my server four times the entire evening, that's generous. Our food arrived cold, incomplete, and missing items, and no one followed up to check on us. We weren't even offered salsa. There was zero effort to make things right, and the lack of attention was disappointing. I'm not sure if it was just a hectic Friday night or if we had especially bad luck with our server, but overall this visit was a huge letdown. Great food and drinks can't make up for terrible service. read more

Food was great, service was efficient , and I loved the esthetics of the place. The way they decorate the restaurant is so beautiful. They go all out! read more

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I've been wanting to try this place since Christmas. Finally made it in time for the Valentine's pop up. Hannah was an AMAZING. Everything was brought out quickly! Anything we needed was quickly fixed. Do not miss your chance eating at this establishment, PLEASE ask for Hannah! read more

Service: it took 15 minutes after we were seated for someone to notice we had not been waited on, normally we would have left by 10 minutes, we stayed because someone said the food was good, the server was great, he was polite, answered all of our questions, got everything correct on our order but he was slow Food: eh, it was good, it was prepared as requested, but not worth the wait Ambiance: it is not a place to go if you want to have a conversation with anyone while you are eating, between the music and the other guests, it was way too loud was it busy yes, yes it was, however if your staff would help each other out instead of looking around to see who is going to do what then the service probably would not be so slow read more

Just. Go. You won't be disappointed. It was our second visit and our only disappointment was the post Valentine decor letdown (kidding, sort of lol!) because honestly the holiday decorations are no joke and truly add to the fun atmosphere and great food, perfectly tacky yet still refined. Pricing is terrific and the margaritas are delicious, fresh and not made with the syrupy sour mixes that lead to 'batch made cocktails', these are the real deal.and crafted with fresh ingredients. Our server Hannah this visit could not have been any better, her service and timing were spot on, she's polite, funny and had a real sparkle, what a gem, get this girl a promotion!! I'd say that Nueva Cantina is fast becoming a fave spot for when we want a tasty Mexican fix, we find it all around fantastic. read more

Carol was an amazing server. She really made our time wonderful. Drinks were delicious and food was great! They do holiday specials too! Bonus points for being in walking distance of our apartment. :) read more

It takes a lot for me to dog a local place and say I would never come back. The place looks cute with the holiday decor, but that's where the good stops. I met a friend for lunch on a Friday afternoon. The hostess didn't bother to pull up our reservation, so I guess it was kind of slow. We were seated at a booth, which was fine. And then we waited, which was ok at first because I hadn't seen my friend in a while. But then we waited some more. Our waitress finally appeared and said she guessed she would be taking care of us, and it was all downhill from there. I rarely give myself the opportunity to enjoy a margarita, but after reading all the reviews, I decided I'd try one. Our waitress EVENTUALLY brought it to the table, set it half on top of a plate, spilling most of it. She was highly unbothered, but since I had only planned to have half of it, it wasn't too big of a deal. I definitely cared more that she DIDN'T care at all. Chips and sad salsa were $5. I've definitely had better chips and salsa that were free. Not impressed. My street corn ($5 and definitely canned corn, so sad) was really disappointing. The quesabirria was good, and that was the one redeeming point of my meal. The service though. So sad and disappointing. Our waitress was 10 minutes late greeting us, and then she couldn't wait for us to leave, and kept rushing us to get a box, etc. Chill, the place is empty. The manager was in the back of the restaurant wrapping empty boxes for their Christmas decor, so he seemed pretty useless too. They were also out of plantains and our waitress asked if beans were a good substitute. What? Overall, really disappointing and I won't bother coming back here. read more