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| - With plans to go to Spring Training in full effect, I turned to Living Social and Groupon to find some deals on places to eat nearby and El Hefe was at the top of my list. I went to their site (and Yelp) page and instantly purchased the Groupon voucher. $20 for $40 worth of food and drinks. Unbeknownst to me there are tons and tons of Mexican restaurants in the Scottsdale area and El Hefe was in the middle of a very nice neighborhood full of eateries trying to cash in on Spring Training.
As you approach El Hefe you'll notice their great outdoor patio, perfect for brunch, day drinking, or a refreshing cocktail as the sun sets. We arrived a little before noon on a Saturday, which meant they were offering their brunch drinks. Even before we got inside the trendy taqueria, our eyes gravitated towards an oversized mimosa with a mini champagne bottle coming out of the goblet. After seating ourselves and our attractive waitress introducing herself, I ordered the Bulldog Mimosa for $12 with refills at $0.01!
After milling over the menu for a bit, as well as enjoying my oversized mimosa simultaneously, I ordered the Pollo Parrilla Torta, a Mexican sandwich with grilled chicken breast with a tomato-ancho jam, chipotle mayo, queso asadero, mixed greens, and a bit of lime oil. My party ordered a few high-calorie appetizers that I passed on, in order to enjoy a few of the penny refills. Priorities first.
A few refills later (3 or 4 to be exact) our food came out and the fajitas looked great as did the two tortas we ordered. The bread of the torta was fluffy and sweet and was a striking contrast to what I'm used to but added great dimension to the sandwich. The chicken was equally great and had plenty of flavor all while being moist. All the flavors worked together making it a truly unique Mexican sandwich. I added a bit of hot sauce and the torta was gone before I knew it. I went ahead and tried the steak fajitas ($16) which instantly made me want to order the steak torta. I didn't. I should mention that additional tortillas are $2.
I should mention that the mimosa refills aren't the big, overflowing, jumbo-sized ones but rather the size of a normal cocktail. Nevertheless you can't complain for a penny. The bar staff messed up a few times and I was lucky enough to get varying sizes of the mimosa refills. Service was inconsistent but you couldn't be mad at our friendly waitress, as she was overworked and was servicing every table. You'd think they'd have a full staff ready to go given that it's a Saturday, at 12pm, on gameday.
El Hefe was close to a perfect 5 stars but after some churros that were sent back and a less than helpful manager, as well as the inconsistent service, 4 stars will have to suffice. I will, however, be back next year during Spring Training, especially to try out their tableside beer taps that I didn't have a chance to try out this time around.
Ambiance/Decor: 5/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Price: $$
Overall: 4/5
Pros:
+ Unique taqueria decor (very San Diego)
+ Patio bar/seating
+ Large main bar
+ Spacious dining area/tables
+ Tableside beer taps!
+ Oversized drinks w/ refill specials
+ Tasty tortas and great overall menu
+ Attractive waitresses and bartenders
Cons:
- Additional tortillas run $2
- Inconsistent service
- Manager did little to resolve our problem
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