This was a tale of two visits. Both times I of course sat at the bar, but the first outshone the second.
My first visit was after I landed in Phoenix and needed some dinner. It was the first spot I saw when I hopped on the road from the hotel so I figured I'd give it a shot. Upon checking out the menu, the Tijuana donkey (instead of Moscow mule) jumped out at me. Turned out they were dangerously delicious. I wanted something light so I asked about the two seafood dishes. The bartender told me he doesn't do seafood. Undeterred I went for the snapper. It was just delicious.
Based on that experience, I decided to head back again later in the week. Unfortunately, it turned out to be like reconnecting with that hot girl you had a date with years ago - it didn't quite live up to that memory. The mahi dish was meh at best, and the tortilla soup was just ok as well, lacking flavor.
I'm really not sure what to make of the place. I'm going to split the difference and go with three stars.