What a lovely oasis! Spacious, breezy, festive yet casual vibe, spectacular cocktails (especially the Cadillac Margherita), smooth and light guacamole, and chimichurra sauce with the quesadillas. Super shout out to waiter Alex whose calm and warm attentiveness was just what we needed on an otherwise crazy day. read more

Great spot that you need to try! We walked by Xica on a walk and then ended up there a day later because it looked like a nice spot. We were right! The vibe and service are both top notch. You can tell that they really care for all of the details and everyone who was around our table and inside was very helpful and in a great mood. The drinks are delicious. They have a lot of unique margarita options and even a flight you can opt for, which I did, and was awesome. The food itself was also very, very good. Tons of flavor and not your average Mexican food but it'll keep you talking. The Chips and Guac itself was a wonderful start. Also the desserts were on point! Worth a stop! read more

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Outside dining with my husband and our fur ball recently. First impression: love the building and the beautiful murals at this place. It's spacious and would be perfect for small or large gatherings. The outside dining is lovely, especially on hot days like the ones we are having. The staff also set up an umbrella for you so you don't have the sun blasting on top of your head. The food and drinks are pretty good. All gluten free. Great chips and guacamole. The elote-style chicken wings were yummy. The rosemary lemonade is perfect for thirst-quenching. I enjoyed my fish tacos and my husband enjoyed his 3 street tacos of carnitas, pollo asado, and steak. Dog-friendly waitstaff gave my fur ball a bowl of water. Located on Battery and Greenwich. Steps away from Levi Strauss & Co. and Levi's Plaza Park. read more

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Disappointing food and atmosphere. XICA has potential. The restaurant is spacious and open. There's not too much competition around. But upon entering the restaurant, something just feels off. It just all feels very stiff and corporate. The music, the weird table layout, the detached service. I mentioned the restaurant is big, but all seated tables were all clustered next to each other. None of this would matter too much if the food was actually good. The guac was too sour. The beet salad was 99% greens.The fried chicken was bland and dry. The mole sauce was good, but there was not enough of it. The rice that was strangely served in a ramekin along with beans was so mushy and clumped together it was borderline embarrassing. The house margarita was OK. If the atmosphere was good or the food was enjoyable then I would have stayed for more drinks or dessert. Not worth the price. read more

A Night at XICA with Rude Girl and Perfect Mole! For months, we'd talked about trying XICA, but our schedules never aligned. Finally, yesterday, on short notice, we decided to take advantage of the unusually warm evening and have a couple of drinks and dinner there, sitting outside with our little puppy. Chef Maria Elena Esquivel and her husband, Ignacio Perez, opened the restaurant. They previously operated another restaurant called Chica in Oakland. Then, they moved to Levi's Plaza and started as a takeout window. Finally, Chica was closed so that Maria Elena and Ignacio could start XICA. We had to wait for a table to be set up when we arrived. A few minutes later, we were seated, and our very nice and friendly young lady server was kind enough to bring our puppy some water. We started with a couple of drinks. Mine was the Nena Grosera, which means "Rude Girl" in English! This "Rude Girl" came in a martini glass with a dried pepper floating on top! One sip and I was in love with this concoction of mezcal, Aperol, and Alma Tepec Chile Pasilla liqueur. We also shared a very flavorful guacamole, where you could both smell and taste the little dash of oregano that was added to it. As the guacamole was disappearing, we decided to order and share an order of tacos. They were delicious! The presentation was beautiful, and the four crispy-fried tacos filled with potato came on a bed of flavorful beans and salsa. The toppings of cabbage and pico de gallo added to the flavor. We closed the deal with an order of Pollo Mole Negro! It was delicious! The chicken breast was cooked perfectly - cooked but soft and juicy - and the mole was so good that we literally wiped the plate clean with the corn tortillas that came with it. I'm a flan aficionado and would have loved to try their flan, but I was full and sadly had to forgo my traditional closing act! But it's no big deal. We both agreed we'd be back here again, so the flan can wait! read more

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The ambiance was beautiful with great service and tasty food. As someone who has recently gone gluten free, it was a relief to know all the delicious food was gluten free. read more

Ambiance: great location, welcoming and nicely done. Service: attentive but that kitchen was crazy slow for how empty that place was. I get it good food takes time to make right, but honestly, that was slooooow. Food: it was all over the place. From this is great, to the tortillas being unreasonably dry and everything in between. Over all I felt like it was trying too hard at fusing Latin flavors with a California twist which ended up being an over all miss on the food and portions are very small. Not everything has to have edible flowers or micro green garnish, some foods should be allowed to have their natural flavors enhanced not buried in sauces and seasoning. Drinks were anything but generous as well. Price: It's honestly on the expensive side. Lunch could easily be over $100 per person. To be clear, price does not dictate the quality of the food, neither expensive or cheap. But what you get at Xica does not match what they are charging. Overall this place is a miss. read more

Be Careful. This Place Is a Rip-Off I'll start with the ONLY positives: the restaurant is clean, and the service was ok. The chips were decent. Now everything else. The food was mediocre at best, and that's being generous. No one in my party even finished their meal. For a place charging these prices, that's honestly embarrassing. Speaking of prices, they are completely out of touch. A small side of guacamole was $10 and did not even come with chips. Chips and salsa, something that is free at most Mexican restaurants, cost $15. Want a few extra chips? I'm talking a handful, That will be another $5. It feels like you are being nickel and dimed at every turn. Our bill came out to over $200 with no drinks, no dessert, one child, and a toddler sharing a plate. That alone was shocking. But here is the part that really crossed the line. They automatically add a 20% gratuity for parties of 5 or more, including a toddler, and do not clearly tell you. Then they swipe your card at the table and stand there staring at you while you are prompted to add an additional tip. It is uncomfortable and misleading. I ended up tipping on top of the automatic gratuity because it was not clearly disclosed. So what should have been about a $100 to $160 meal turned into nearly $250. Between the overpriced, underwhelming food and the deceptive tipping practice, this place feels more like a cash grab than a restaurant. I would not go back, and I would strongly recommend others think twice before coming here. read more

We had a fantastic dinner here. Wonderful vibe, great service and food. OVERALL: I was just looking for a spot within walking distance from the Exploratorium for our family to eat after a long day at the museum. On the way we walked through Levi's Plaza, with the fountains and pathways through the water, that our toddlers really loved. Once in Xica, the tall ceilings, the handpainted colorful mural, the live music, and the friendly service won us over, even before we tried the food! SERVICE/ FAMILY-FRIENDLY: They don't have a kid's menu, but they offered to make a simple kid's cheese quesadilla. I'm not sure if they had high chairs/boosters (we didn't need any, but we weren't offered any either). We had young kids there, and they were probably the youngest, but there was no issue at all. Earlier in the evening, the guitarist even serenaded us with some Disney/Pixar songs (Coco, Lion King). We tried to tip him later on but couldn't find a tip jar. Our server made some great recommendations. RESERVATIONS: Made online about a week in advance for Friday dinner at 5pm for five people. THE COST: $198.11 total (including tax/tip) for 2 starters, 2 drinks, 3 entrees, and 1 dessert. Filling dinner for 3 adults, 2 toddlers. DRINKS: * Paloma ($15) - 3.5 stars. Tasty, refreshing. More well balanced than other Paloma's I've had. * Nena Grosera ($15) - 3.5 stars. Loved the spicy chile pasilla liqueur, but as I took more sips, I found the Aperol to be a little much. THE FOOD: * Guacamole ($14) - 4 stars. Tasty, lime-y, fresh, nice thick texture. * Fried Cauliflower ($13) - 4.5 stars. These had a fried shell - a thin layer of crisp, so unusual and tasty! Great with the dip. * Fried Fish Tacos ($20) - 4.5 stars. Excellent crisp and fresh texture to the fish. Super tasty. Good crisp on the battered and fried fish; nice tangy slaw on top. I think the tortilla kind of fell apart though. * Carnitas ($36) - 4.5 stars. Our server recommended this over the Chilaquiles, and I'm glad I got it. The carnitas were crispy on the outside yet soft and easily falling apart on the inside. This came with 3 handmade tortillas, which sounds like very little, but it was the right amount. * Waffle Churros ($16) - 4 stars. Great crisp, nice cinnamon flavor. We got these for the kids to have something to eat, but we enjoyed them too. read more

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We walked in on a Friday night no reservation and they sat the 2 of us right away. This place was so beautiful and surprisingly not too busy! Everyone was extra nice to us! We let them know that we were dairy free and one of us was pescatarian. Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and gave us great recommendations! We started off with the Tostada de Tuna which I cannot recommend enough!!! Such a unique dish loaded with flavor and it had a nice touch of potato to it. This dish alone would bring me back! We had an assortment of drinks such as a Michelada (with Zero Proof Beer!) it was one of the best I've had! The Vegan Horchata was to die for and we tried the Spicy Tamarind Margarita (with zero proof Tequila) and WOW! It was soooo good! I recommend all of them! My date ordered the Vegan Enchiladas and they were bursting with flavors both SALSA VERDE AND ROJA! best of both worlds! I ordered the vegan Chile Rellenos and I was obsessed with every bite!!! There are plenty of non-vegan items I'm sure would be just as delicious here but it's easier to order vegan to make sure nothing has dairy. A lot of the dishes here can easily be made vegan which is nice :) We ended the night with a secret menu dessert that was dairy free and WOW! What a treat it was! This is the exact experience I look forward to when it's my first time at a restaurant and they easily earned 5 stars from me! I will be back! read more

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Literally so so so good! Every component of the bowl was perfection - the Carnitas was so flavorful and tender, the rice and beans tasted so good and clean, the guacamole was the best and the pickled onions and jalapeño completed it. Love the chingona sauce too! read more

XICA - Mexi-bowl with Carnitas + Chingona sauce - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

We were craving some good Mexican food on this taco Tuesday and we came across this place. Our server Claudia was AMAZING!!! We started of with some guacamole and chips. The guacamole was amazing so nice a fresh. We also got some margaritas. I got a spicy one. My husband got a bad bunny which is made with fresh carrot juice. We both got Mexi salads. Mine had fried fish and the hubby had his with spicy shrimp. The food was delicious. And I will most definitely come back for dinner and try their popular chicken molè. read more

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I drive an hour just to come here! This restaurant never disappoints. Having celiac disease, they never fail to let me down. The staff are all welcoming and the food is delicious and filling! read more

XICA - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Right on! A restaurant in San Francisco FINALLY told Lillytino that it's not appropriate to have that DOG in the lap--and it's not a service dog. It's disgusting, and ilt's not a "loser from Iowa" who would object to having doggy drool and fur all over the table. Why should Lillly have priviliges that othet patrons don't? Why should Lilly and Nugget gross everybody out, and take so much time at a table that others may be waiting for? And bad table manners--bad customer, but never treated badly by XICA, just with honesty that Lilly is so clearly unused to it. Consider others, Lilly Contino. Maybe now that consideration will enter Lilly's narcissitic mind. PS: Nugget is a nice dog being ruined by Lilly. The diabetes Nugget suffers from is a result of his inappropriately being fed restaurant food by Lilly. Many thanks to the waitress for her polite firmness. "Tacos with Nugget" is the video to which i am referring. read more

As a gluten eater, the kitchen being gluten free didn't affect the quality or flavor of the food. Margarita Flight 10/10 (Spicy mango margarita was fantastic!) Guacamole and Chips 9/10 Fried Fish Tacos 8/10 Churro Waffle 8/10 Taquitos 7/10 Our server was super friendly but our only complaint is that it did feel like our server was "rushing" us out when we were still enjoying our meal/dessert. We had a reservation on a Friday at 7pm but there were plenty of empty tables when we arrived and when we left. Restaurant is very aesthetically pleasing with beautiful ceiling fixtures, foliage, bright colors! I would come back - pretty solid restaurant! :) read more

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Made reservations for a Friday night around 6pm and were sat immediately. There weren't that many people there; however, around 7pm it was pretty packed. We ordered a round of drinks including La carrot bad bunny and hija de tu peachy madre; so cute and clever haha. Drinks were definitely bomb. We also order guac and chips for an app and shared the flautas de papa and the huarache de platano with carnitas. Everything was made super fresh and tasty Delilah. Pricing wise, alittle on the pricier side for Mexican food; however, this is a little more upscale and it's sf so it is what it is. The night we went they had a DJ who also plaid the guitar, drums and sang and it was so cute and such a vibe. Can't wait to go back! This place is definitely a nice spot for a big group celebration too. read more

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Absolutely 10/10. Even if you're not gluten free, Xica is a must try. We had the aguachile and the chicharron empanada as appetizers and both were fantastic. Both were so fresh and the aguachile was especially unique and had the perfect amount of heat + acid + flavor. Then we ordered the steak fajitas and the carnitas and they were absolutely delicious. Great balance of flavors and every bite was top of the line. And the waffles churros are a must. Will definitely come back. And shoutout our server Alex! Super down to earth, understanding, knowledgeable and just brought great vibes. read more

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Xica is close to my job and a frequent lunch destination. It's a beautiful space and the food is always delicious. Lunch this week was especially on point. I ordered from the Masa menu...a Quesadilla with Carnitas. The cheese was plentiful and the pork tender and well flavored. It was the perfect bite with the salsa verde served on the side! To wash it all down, I ordered the rosemary lemonade. It was cold, refreshing, tart with just the right hint of herbaciousness! They make a great Paloma if you're looking for something a little stronger . Only 4 stars because it's a little pricey for lunch and the service a little slow, so give yourself some extra time to enjoy. read more

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Great food and solid service. I had the carñitas - they were crispy and full of flavor and a decent quantity. I could have used an additional tortilla to fit it all in! read more

Came to XICA for dinner and had a good experience. I wasn't expecting them to have a fully gluten-free kitchen, this was an interesting surprise. Overall I felt that things were on-par for what I expected; the location is just north of the fidi and mostly seemed to be comprised of large dinner parties (i.e. work business groups), but that didn't impact the experience. The ambiance was nice and modern, large open space. Servers were friendly and expeditious. As for the food -- I thought it was "just okay," but felt like it lacked seasoning (salt). The guac was decent but nothing extraordinary. I probably liked the flavor of the macha corn ribs the most, but would have preferred if it was served completely off the cob. The duck tacos were also decent with the duck being cooked tender although we felt the dish would have worked better if the duck was crispier. The enchiladas were equally decent; I was rather impressed by the amount of meat served inside the enchiladas, but felt that the carnitas themselves was a little too dry. Again, overall, some additional seasoning would have gone along way on all the dishes -- that would be my biggest recommendation to the kitchen. I felt that prices seemed mostly fair given the establishment location, food quantity/quality and ambiance. While this place definitely won't go down in my list of favorite mexican restaurants; I'd definitely recommend it for someone seeking a fully gluten-free kitchen. read more

My husband and I had wanted to try this restaurant for a bit! It had great reviews, pics looked great, and we love elevated Mexican food. However we left disappointed. We ordered the chips and guac to start. Guac was good, and chips were okay. The chips were the thicker kind, not really my preference- weren't horrible, but also not anything to rave about. We also got the fried cauliflower appetizer, which was also decent, but again nothing special. I got the Shrimp a la Diabla for my entree, which was not the best. The shrimp had a strange gassy taste to it. The veggies were just a medley of American roasted veggies, and the rice was kind of hard, and beans were soupy. Not only that, but the portion was tiny for the price $36. This was a huge disappointment compared to the same exact dish I had at Elena's, which was way better in all regards. I also ordered the Negroni Tropezado, which was very weak. The service was friendly, but a little slow - we got our guac and chips right away, but it took a while for our drinks to come. No one asked to see how we liked the food. If they asked, I would have told them the truth that it was a bit disappointing. They were very accommodating for our daughter, provided high chair on request, and were friendly to her. I compare this restaurant to Elena's, Flores, Nopalito, which have similar vibes and food. All of the other restaurants mentioned are great in different ways, with similar price point. Even the taste of the food of all the other restaurants were 10x better than Xica. My husband did dine here for dinner, and perhaps this is more of a brunch spot. I don't know though. I felt so disappointed that I don't want to return. Glad I tried it though, but I really cannot recommend it to anyone, except if you're one of those people who only go to restaurants for instagram photos (but even so, the food didn't look that beautiful!!) read more

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Most overpriced and overvalued Mexican restaurant in SF. Enchiladas had a pink color and were tasteless. The only Mexican restaurant I have ever been to that charges for the taco chips and salsa with a high price as welll ($14). Salsas that came with it were identical and chips tasted like they were baked a week ago. Margaritas were OK, but small portion. I have never been to a Mexican restaurant before that charges extra for rice and/or beans. Atmosphere was pleasant and it feels upscale. Location is a plus. read more

First off -- every item on the menu is gluten free which is why it is not called out on the menu. So happy to bring my friends who are gluten free to a place where they can choose anything from the menu! The decor inside and outside are so beautiful. This place also looks like a great place for large groups as there are a lot of long tables inside. Service is really fast and throughout the night, we were checked on regularly. Ordered the fried cauliflower, sopes, chilaquiles, and waffle churros. The entrees might look small but it was definitely enough food. LOVED the waffle churros with condensed milk. It was crunchy outside and soft/chewy in the middle. The sopes were a little hard to cut so you definitely need to eat it with your hands or eat one whole. The chilaquiles were an interesting flavor and you can definitely taste the mole. Even if you aren't gluten free, this is a great place to have dinner and the food is absolutely delicious. read more

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Wow, we had a truly amazing dining experience here. I have celiac disease and my guest is gluten intolerant so we always appreciate a place with safe allergy protocols, let alone 100% gluten free. We tried the beso del mar, which was like a warm ceviche with olive sauce, and rolled chicken tacos. I wish we had room to try the waffles for dessert but we will definitely be back for brunch (chilaquiles and chicken + waffles!!). Every bite was delicious. I am guilty of drowning things in hot sauce but the flavors were on point so I didn't even miss it. The restaurant is beautiful and our server was great, kept checking in on us and offered his personal recommendations about the menu. We didn't mind paying SF prices for such a lovely dinner. read more

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We ordered the aguachile and the enchiladas and the food was 10 out of 10 and so was the service! The ambience was also 10 out of 10. I highly recommend this restaurant to anybody in San Francisco. I would definitely come back with friends or family looking for a gluten-free option read more

As a Celiac who grew up in the Bay Area, it's ridiculous how few gluten-free options there are for such a large metro area. Luckily, XICA (pronounced "chica") is a phenomenal option if you're gluten free. XICA is a 100% gluten free restaurant so you can rest easy and not worry about cross contamination. One thing I've noticed as a Celiac is that a lot of companies try to cater to every dietary restriction in one fell swoop, meaning that a lot of gluten free things are also vegan or dairy free. I'm not vegan nor am I dairy free. I'd like a hot meal with an animal protein more often than not. Luckily XICA actually offers dishes with animal proteins and dairy. My husband ordered the $28 fried chicken. It came with 3 chicken thighs, Mexican rice and beans and grilled fajita vegetables. The chicken was incredible and very affordable compared to the only other gluten-free fried chicken I've had at a restaurant (Yardbird in Las Vegas charges $76 for a whole gluten-free fried chicken.) I ordered the chile rellenos for $27. It came with 2 stuffed peppers, Mexican rice and beans, and 3 gluten-free flour tortillas. It was totally different than any other chile rellenos I've had and was dairy-free. The tortillas were INCREDIBLE. I've had a lot of bad gluten-free alternative flour tortillas but these were fantastic. We ordered an additional order of 3 tortillas for $3. I was super full but wish I wasn't so we could have tried dessert, but next time we will! P.S. They're closed Sundays so plan your trip accordingly. November 2023 read more

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We had a really fantastic time at Xica for dinner on a Friday night. Our waitress was super attentive and friendly. The interior decor and high ceilings are beautiful. Agree with the other reviews that the prices for certain items are a bit steep (for example $13 for chips and salsa). We tried the fish tacos, quesadilla, and enchiladas - all were great. Drinks were also 10/10. They do have a 5% automatic surcharge and tipping pre-set to 20% just fyi so it does add up. read more

Very impressed their gluten free food selection, Got the fish tacos, and fried chicken. We also shared the wings and chips and guac for apps. Their cocktails are so good too, spicy margs and their mezcal cocktail were bomb You can't skip on Dessert: we got all 3 Churros, tres leches and basque cheesecake Service: friendly and efficient Ambiance: cutesy Parking: street and garage read more

Service was absolute crap. We were told our reservation was canceled, took forever to receive our drink order, food was decent. Staff was inattentive and not very helpful. Would not recommend and would not return. read more

An amazing gluten free find! The decor is beautiful, the staff was helpful, and the food was so yummy! I tried the elote "ribs" as an appetizer, and they were an absolute hit at our table. From the brunch menu I ordered their chicken and churro waffles and it was amazing. I'll definitely be getting that again. My partner ordered their enchiladas and said those were incredible as well. read more

Excellent meal, great service, and a beautiful dining area. Close to the cruise terminal if you are in port and on foot.

Service was great. Ambiance wonderful. The guacamole was wonderful. The tamarindo margarita was really tasty. The plain fries REALLY salty. The corn ribs fabulous. I was told the fish was halibut that was NOT what i was served but it was fish so i ate half OK, seemed like red snapper. The steak was good as was the flan dessert read more

I like the ambient of the place. But the fried chicken was just all right. Nothing special. However the roast pork was quite good and tender. Feel like it's kind of hit or miss with what you order. read more

XICA - Fries chicken. - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food here was outstanding! We sat on the patio, which was dog friendly. Would absolutely come back again.

Awesome food and quick service! Everything I had was delicious. Outdoor seating was very nice and pleasant. read more

They promote themselves as "scratch" but are serving food out of a freezer. Way too expensive for the portion sizes.

WOW! Not only was this some of the best food I've ever had, but some of the kindest people I've encountered at a restaurant. Every single person was so friendly and it made for an even better experience! The food really was phenomenal though, you'd never know it's gluten free. Our favorites were the chicken wings, guac with plantains, and churros :) read more

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The service was fantastic. Server was very knowledgeable about what had dairy in it because I'm allergic to it. Food was out of this world amazing. The gluten free buns were seriously the best I've ever had. Even my husband who can eat gluten loved it. Wish I lived closer or had this restaurant by my house. read more

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What a simply amazing and wonderful surprise. We loved Xica (pronounced Chica) and will be going back! Food. Amazing flavors and super tasty. The enchiladas with mole, elote, and chili relleno were fantastic and veggie highlights. The chicken wings got rave reviews. Dessert? Did you say dessert? The churro waffles made the evening. Our server, Claudia was a champ and keep everything moving and was super nice and personable to boot. It's hard to manage a large party and she did so with ease. Food and drinks came out quickly. The vibe at Xica is funky and fun. We sat at a high table and were able to comfortably interact with our whole party. Noise level was just right. Net, I was a little leery of the "gluten free" kitchen and the "corporate center" location but Xica exceeded all our expectations. read more

Xica is a fairly new and beautifully put together. Xica is a family owned restaurant that has deep values, vision, and a history. The staff were nice and tentative. Came here after work to enjoy a couple of drinks and food. I ordered the Mixelada and others ordered spicy margaritas amongst other drinks. Ordered a round of tequila shots and the waiter said they did not carry reposado and asked if we wanted a high quality tequila, so we opted for that. The food itself was okay. The chips were a bit stale in a way it was difficult to chew. The carne asada steak was over cooked and lacked flavor. The fried fish tacos were my favorite. The Birria fried tacos were dry and fried for too long? The taco shell was not edible due to dry and hard to bite down. The pollo mole negro was probably my second favorite out of all the things we've ordered. It also lacked flavor but the presentation was pretty sweet, wrapped in a banana leaf. The shrimp ceviche was good. The guacamole could use some work. A bit too watery and tasted more Americanized than authentic guac. We tried to order elote but they said they ran out. That was a bummer. For dessert we ordered the waffle churros and flan. I thought the flan tasted good but the waffle churros needed more work. Tasted dry and bland. It wouldn't have tasted like anything without the condensed milk. Also why is the condensed milk $1.50 charge. All in all, great ambiance but I would probably skip the food here. read more

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