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| - Conveniently located among a cluster of other midscale dining chains in Arrowhead Fountain Centre, Abuelo's offers an impressive variety of fare, but unfortunately fails to deliver in terms of flavor and quality..
I came in to preview their food, in preparation for my daughter's upcoming graduation. She wanted to find a nice place to go with her grandparents so I was sent on a recon mission.
When I first walked in, I was struck by the beautiful interior design, every detail trying to replicate the experience of being in the courtyard of an old Spanish villa. Weathered columns. Trees. An odd statue in the middle. The ceiling was painted to simulate a pale blue afternoon sky, white clouds frozen in time. I have to admit - it was rather well-executed. But it did reminded me of the malls of Las Vegas (think the Forum at Caesars or the Venetian) with their simulated marble finishes and mock skies that hope you forget just how fake everything is.
Unfortunately, this lack of authenticity carries over to the food as well.
The first thing I noticed when I sat down was the Ziosk machine on the table. What?! I thought I was at a real restaurant. If you're not familiar with Ziosk machines, they are mini-touch screen computers used for ordering food so you don't have to talk to a waiter, playing games so you don't have to talk to your family, and paying your bill. Thanks Ziosk! These machines are sometimes seen at casual dining restaurants (ex. Chilis) and airports. Actually, those are the only places I've seen them. Thankfully, as soon as I sat down a real person came to greet me.
The waiter was actually very friendly. He offered me chips with three kinds of salsa. The chips themselves were thin, unsalted corn chips that tasted like they just came out of a huge 5-gallon plastic bag - you know the ones. The salsas were... interesting:
Salsa one - bland, red sauce. No reason to waste your time with this.
Salsa two - chunkier salsa with a roasted tomato flavor, nice kick and mellow burn.
Salsa three - tomatillo based salsa with a curiously sweet/tart flavor brought to you by pureed pineapple. Interesting, but not something I want on a tortilla chip.
The menu is HUGE. Very extensive. Like Cheesecake Factory extensive. For those of you who came to "America's Favorite Mexican Restaurant" but don't want to actually try Mexican food, don't worry - they have you covered with dishes such as Hickory-smoked Ribeye, Lobster Seafood Pasta, and Prime Rib.
I went for the Monterrey Plate - a ridiculously huge platter that is probably intended for two people to share. I say that because I could only get through about half of it before I was just plain tired of eating. The Monterrey features:
Chile Relleno - nicely-charred poblano pepper, stuffed with cheese buried under a pile of salsa - Not bad.
Rice - Ok.
Cheesy Mashed Potato - Ok, but probably unnecessary.
Crispy Chicken Taco - The crunchy shell was a nice change of pace. It seemed like its only purpose was to provide contrasting texture against the platter of mushiness.
Two Chicken Enchiladas - Quite flavorful. Probably my favorite part of the meal.
Avocado Enchilada - Sounds like a good idea. It is not.
Sour Cream Spinach - more mush
Yes, it is a TON of food. It looks nothing like the pictures because everything seemed to be smothered with sauce or cheese.
All in all, if you are looking for typical chain Mexican fare, then this is typical chain Mexican fare. Right along the same lines as El Torito or Macayos. Rather bland and uninspired.
Needless to say, we didn't take the grandparents here...
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