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| - What a JoY!
We went at 8:15 on a Friday night so of course it was packed. We were quoted a 45 minute wait which is normal in Phoenix.
The bar is huge with plenty of seats and easy to get a drink. However, even better is the patio on the north side of the building, that is separate from the dining patio, and perfect for waiting. There is plenty of seating, a few table, and a server dedicated to making sure you never are thirsty! We found 3 seats right away, and they brought us a basket of fresh chips and salsa and waters to start while we looked over all the drinks. Within minutes we all had margaritas in our hands and we were happy. Very smart move Joyride. The 45 minutes flew by because we could converse and drink and munch on chips the whole time.
We were greeted with the same friendliness when we were seated at our table in the dining room. Again, waters and fresh chips and salsa right away. Our drinks from earlier were effortlessly transferred to our dining bill, so there was no urgent need to close out with one server before being sat at our table.
We changed up our drinks inside and were impressed by each one we had. All of the nectars and juices are house made which makes the drinks very fresh. No bottled mixers or syrupy concoctions. The house margarita was perfect. Not sweet or overly tart. Just refreshing. The Blood Orange Margarita was a little sweeter but also delicious. The Key Largo was something else. Very pina colada-esque but better. Whatever they used to rim the glass made the drink. Everyone was impressed.
The food was very well done. We stared with street corn, which was flavored well, but will probably be even better when corn is actually in season. It just didn't have the sweet and juiciness that you get from corn on the cob in late summer. Our friend had the tortilla soup with chicken which she said was fantastic and perfectly spiced.
We all had tacos of course, although I was very tempted by the chilequilles. Next time, maybe for lunch! My favorite were the shrimp tacos. Huge shrimp, great flavor, and NOT breaded! The baja fish tacos were fantastic as well. Finally a place that does grilled fish tacos well in Phoenix. The braised beef taco was tender and juicy as well. The tortillas are homemade and amazing and much larger than your typical street taco.
Here is the one complaint I had about the food. The side dishes were not up to par. We had the pinto beans and the rice. Both were pretty forgettable. I am very surprised by this because Windsor, also an Upward Project restaurant, is known for their sides. (hello Joe's church potatoes and mac n' cheese). So next time we will try some other sides in hope of finding something better. The sides are included when ordering 3 tacos, otherwise you really don't need them after all the chips and tacos!
We usually skip desert because we are rarely impressed by restaurant deserts, and I for one would rather have another basket of chips and salsa. I am a salt guy, not a sweets guy. BUT, Better Than Betty's was one of the best desserts I have had at a restaurant in a really long time. It was perfect to share by the way, even by 3 people. The brownie was incredible...chewy inside and slightly crusty outside and just the slightest hint of spice that made it less Betty Crocker and more Nacho Libre! Then there was a layer of caramel that was divine. It had to be homemade. And a huge scoop of dulce de leche ice cream that was definitely homemade. As soon as we tasted it we knew they must have made it across the street at Churn. If you have been there you know what I am talking about. That smooth creamy homemade ice cream that is so dangerous because it is walking distance from my house. Perfect. Oh, and the candied pecans were a bonus. They almost had a caramel corn flavor to them. Anyways, the combination of flavors left us all speechless.
So if I had to make a recommendation for diners, it would be cocktails, 2 tacos each (which is very hard to narrow down from your choices) skip the sides, and dessert is a must!
The place looks great and I can't wait for spring when they open up all the sliding windows and doors.
We have tried Taco Guild as well (see my review) and Joyride is 10x better and way more fun.
I forgot to mention the service. Everyone was so friendly and fun. The servers inside at our table, and outside on the patio, were very helpful with recommendations and explanations. We were never without drinks or chips and salsa or water. Super attentive and just a great, laid back, easy vibe that is normal from these 4 neighborhood restaurants on this corner. That is why we love them and keep coming back! (it helps they are all walking distance too!)
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