| rev:text
| - I go back and forth on Caliente. On one hand, it has one of the best draft lists in the immediate area. On the other? The service, pricing, and food leave something to be desired.
The good first. Caliente's draft list is awesome, and I've really enjoyed my visits to the basement bar (open weekends). It's a very different feel than the upstairs bar and restaurant, which lacks any sort of atmosphere. Caliente's Happy Hour deals are fantastic--from 4:30 to 6:30 on weekdays the drafts are half off!
After Happy Hour, my issues with Caliente outweigh the positives. First off, the service is nonexistent. I can't blame this on the staff itself, I the place seems severely understaffed. Every time I've visited, servers are running around trying to help everyone out, and in the end, it takes about double the time to place orders or get drinks.
I don't mean this as a cheapskate, but I've found some of the pricing on the draft list to be off. Last night, the always awesome Big Hop was on tap for $6.50... for a smaller goblet. That's a hard pill to swallow, since you can walk across the street to Lot 17 for a $5-6 Big Hop in a pint glass. I do understand the high price for many of the rare beers, but this just seemed fishy to me.
I've eaten in several times, and everything has been meh. I mean, it's bar food, so nothing fancy, but I'd rather get a pie down the street.
I recommend visiting Caliente for Happy Hour, getting an order of the Buffalo Fries, and allowing plenty of time for the slow service.
|