It opened on Monday and I visited on Friday July 24th around 7:30pm.
I came in the back door and sat down at the bar. I used to frequent this place when it was Embers so the changes in the place were interesting to see, with the removal of the wall separating the bar and dining tables, as well as lighter wood stains and red upholstery on the chairs. Lots of random pictures and posters adorn the walls. The bar has two hanging bottle displays with different tequilas in them. I really liked the interior as it seemed lighter and fresher.
Bartender Justin spotted me and came over to take my order. He recommended an "original" margarita so I went with it ($10.95). He gave me some good recommendations on tacos as well since I don't like spicy food. Tacos are 2 for $9.95. I missed out on the Happy Hour menu which has discounts for drinks only.
Original Margarita - I'm not a huge margarita fan, I usually enjoy tequila as a shot. This was ok, nothing special in my book.
Tacos - I went with a chicken taco that comes with fresh pineapple on top, and the pork belly taco (extra $1). Both were plenty big and very well made with lots of meat. The pork belly taco was delicious with a sweet marinade sauce and some crispy pork rinds on top.
Service was great, Justin kept using my name during conversations, and checking up frequently and keeping my water glass full. The other bartender whose name I don't remember didn't hardly even look my way, nor smile much while she was working the other side of the bar. There was a manager guy there who seemed like he was watching the bartenders work and he also didn't smile much or seem to have much customer connection.
Overall, I'll probably come back during Happy Hour when drink prices are a little more reasonable. One thing I did notice was the bartenders shirts said "Serving up fun since 1932" or some year, yet the place didn't really seem all that fun. It seemed like a business.