One of my friends absolutely loves Ocotillo, swears by them. He put together a group dinner for 10 of us recently for a fun weekend dinner. Nothing special, just a group of friends getting together for a good meal, good drinks, good people. One of the girls and I arrived first to be welcomed with the not-easy parking situation of figuring out where/how to park in the neighborhood - we found a dusty lot nearby which already had a bunch of cars in it. Might be worth them noting on the website about that.
As she and I checked our group in, we stood at the bar to check out fare and drinks. The first thing we noted upon entry was that it definitely has a Mad Men/1960's cool basement vibe. Cute spot to dress up a bit and go out for a date night. Can I just say how obsessed I am with their Arcadia Spritz drink?! It's like the perfect summer drink for sipping and sitting on a porch with friends. It wasn't much time later [after drinking one full Arcadia drink] that we were sat at a high-top bar and greeted by our server. I really wish I could remember his name, he did a fabulous job. He knew exactly when to come by to each of us with fancy drinks for refills.
My organizer friend highly suggested ordering a bunch of small plates to share among a few people, but no one seemed terribly into that idea. Had there been less of us, the idea might've worked. I was extremely happy that I got my own Campanelle pasta dish with a white sauce and peas. I think it was a seasonal item because it's not on the current menu. It was so rich and flavorful, a highlight of everyone who tried a bit from my bowl. Had we not had plans afterward, I would've taken a to-go box. You can definitely tell a difference between their homemade pasta and normal store-box pasta.
Resident friend-who-is-a-fan also noted that they have great brunch - so it's definitely worth a return trip for that alone and to sit at another part of the restaurant for a new view on their hip dining experience.