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| - This review is long overdue as I visited Chino Bandido back in July, but I will preface it with this: I am still dreaming about the black beans consumed here. And to still be fantasizing about falling face first into a plate of these beans really just baffles me. And makes me sad that I don't live closer.
The ordering process was confusing, but the friend I went with knew the system and would have been able to make it happen. However, it was a little slow when we went in and the cashier not only took our order, she let me sample anything I wanted to try after my friend told her it was our first time eating there. They get one star alone for that! I ended up with a jerk chicken quesadilla which was the perfect combination of cheese, spice and crisp tortilla. I will analyze the crap out of a quesadilla because it's one of my four child-like food groups and this was the Rolls Royce of quesadillas. It wasn't overly greasy as quesadillas tend to be (you can't avoid it...I mean essentially it's just melted fat), the cheese was melted perfectly and the jerk chicken brought the heat without sacrificing flavor.
I think I got some kind of chicken (jade chicken?) as well which I remember being good, but not as good as the black beans. Oh the beans. Did you know that magic beans aren't just a key proponent to a much-loved children's story? They are also on the menu at Chino Bandido and served in almost gargantuan portions. They're kind of sweet, savory and the texture is so smooth, almost like a bean dip. It's sprinkled with cheese and can honestly be eaten as a meal itself (which I'm totally tempted to do next time). I didn't finish the rest of my food, but did use my tortilla scraps to scrape up every bit of that glorious bean concoction!
The portions are overwhelming to say the least, so I think you get what you pay for plus some. I was so full after that I was ready to petition for a nap room in the restaurant and was really glad I wasn't the one driving afterwards! The service was great and they have a pretty huge space, so if you do find yourself needing to lay across 3 chairs after eating you might have that option if the restaurant is slow.
Chino Bandido is great for reasonably priced, hearty eats that will make your tastebuds happy and possibly induce a Rip Van Winkle-like nap!
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