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| - Tried Barrio Queen on Wednesday. I have very much been looking to a new location from this chef and to see lights on again in the space formerly occupied by my beloved Metro Brassiere. I am not a tequila drinker (yes, lame, I know) and the only options on the menu were margaritas and beer. I asked the waiter if there was anything else and he recommended a cosmo. It was $15, which I think is a little steep, but it featured Grey Goose and was amazing, not too strong, not too tart or sweet. Definitely a pleasant surprise for a Mexican restaurant. My friend and I split the guacamole, which seems to be the same pomegranate seed-speckled variety as featured at Barrio Cafe, and just as delicious. We did the combo option, which allows you to pick from a list of 6-8 entrees and comes with black beans and a cabbage slaw. The beans were mostly pureed/mashed - the flavor was great but I would have liked a little more texture. The slaw was also a little bland, but the cochinita pibil and chile verde were awesome. The cochinita pibil is, again, the same or similar to the recipe served at Barrio Cafe and is my favorite item there. The chile verde had some good spicy kick to it, but not so spicy that it overwhelmed the flavors. They played awesome varied Mexican music in the background, the servers were attentive and friendly, and the sparkly bronze-colored seats, big jars of aguas frescas and other decorative touches make for an attractive comfortable setting.
The waiter carefully packaged our leftovers, and I made huevos rancheros with my leftover beans, cochinita pibil and chile verde. If it's possible, they actually tasted better after a day or two. I will definitely be back.
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