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| - I visit Sierra Bonita about 4-5 times each year, Their happy hour is an exceptionally good value when you take into account the consistent quality of their appetizers. However, I do eat a full dinner occasionally, as I did last Friday night which was a great disappointment. We rolled in around 6 pm, and I was glad to see they had prime rib special. When it came time to order it, however, it was already gone. The waiter explained 12 people had already ordered it - how can a special only serve 12 people when it is a busy night (and they do get busy there)? So I opted for one of my favorite dishes there, the pork green chili Osso Bucco. I remember the great flavor and presentation of the dish. Big mistake. It looked nothing like the times before. It was this mound of cornstarchy, green chili sauce with little flavor drowning the cheddar mash and pork in such quantity you couldn't even tell or taste what you were eating. The pork was fatty and there was an overabudance of undercooked onions. Terrible. Even worse when you consider the $28 price tag. My husband ordered the Oaxacan chocolate rubbed tenderloin served with mixed vegetables and a vanilla bean butter sauce. It was nicely presented but very little flavor considering the description of such exotic ingredients, although the meat was nicely cooked. Our dinner partner ordered her favorite, the buttermilk chicken dish with mashed chili sweet potatoes, which she described as delicious. They must have a new cook or two because there wasn't any consistency with the food. Also, it was so busy we didn't get a water refill until our meals were over.
The lesson learned: go to the happy hour - that is always good and affordable for the price. And weekdays give you a better chance for quality service - and, hopefully, access to the special of the night.
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