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| - I've been here a few times, and it's always been good although it's usually empty. My sister, friend and I went before a concert at Mesa Arts Center, and it was unusually packed. They didn't do a good job handling the chaos. The waitress quoted us a 20 min wait time which we were agreeable to, but it was my sister who had to ask her to start a wait list for all the parties building up in the lobby. Many people ended up leaving due to the disorganized handling of seating.
Food wise, I enjoy their empanadas, but I'm a vegetarian and their choices are disappointingly limited. They should really explore veggie options because there's tons they could create, and I'm sure they would be delicious. I wanted to try something new, so I ordered the torta. I asked if I could sub tostones for the fries, but the waitress said that's not allowed. Uh really? There's just no possible way you can not put fries on my plate and put tostones in their place? I would be more than happy to pay the upcharge. I told the waitress to forget and asked for the gallo pinto plate (their vegan entree) instead, but I still got the torta with fries. Sigh. It was a good torta, and at least I got some plantain goodness as a sandwich topping. My sister and her friend loved their buffalo empanadas although I think the too warm wine was augmenting our appetites.
There's a lot of room for improvement at Republica, but due to the dearth of good restaurants in downtown Mesa, I would still come here if I was in the area.
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