We were excited to see a new upscale Mexican restaurant open in the neighborhood and especially excited after we read the first reviews. When you step in Isabel's you can see the owners put a lot of effort into the decor. Utilitarian- but beautiful. We were greeted by a warm staff that quickly seated us next to the rolling glass garage door.
Once we read the menu, we started to think we may just be lucky enough to have a Barrio Cafe equivalent just a couple blocks away. I ordered the chicken tomatillo tamales and my wife ordered the chile relleno. Unfortunately, Isabel's can't hold a candle to some of the finest Mexican food Phoenix has to offer.
One of my tamales was almost entirely corn meal. The other was flavorful, but the chicken was dry. My wife's Relleno was tasty, but the chiles had been charred leaving behind the withered and tasteless tops that could not be seen until you bit into them. Not good. Now, the drinks are another story- WOW! Unbelievably tasty, but you do pay $10 for the best of what Isabel's has to offer in the alcohol department.
Overall, the experience was not bad, but it wasn't great either. For the prices, I can say we expected a lot more. Perhaps as they work out the kinks Isabel's will bring a lot more amor to my taste buds.