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| - *300th review!*
If it weren't for Yelp, I never in a million years would have stopped here for lunch. The restaurant is tucked in the back corner of a very sad and run down little strip mall. Half of the store fronts are empty and decrepit. The restaurant itself was pretty run down, but for so many good reviews, I'm willing to over look the scenery and jive with the hole in the wall-ness.
Ok, atmosphere first. There didn't seem to be any electricity. Or at least, they were saving on their bill, because there wasn't a single light on in the place, bathroom included. There was a tv playing some daytime drama (not in English) of a woman who cried the whole time, and a fan turning with as much energy as a fat kid on a bike (that means slow).
The decor is a mix of ethnic religious paintings, framed records of Journey and Michael Jackson and random musical instruments hanging on walls or jammed in corners. They must get down at some point, why else have 15 piece band equipment at your disposal?
The food. We ordered some kind of fried shrimp appetizer, a plate of veggie fried rice and chicken Pad Thai. The shrimp was good! They were fried in some kind of tasty cornmeal batter. The rice was.. Meh. The Pad Thai was all right, but the chicken was suspect. It tasted very strongly of... chicken. You know that flavor I mean? It's like the dark bits, the stuff you make your dad eat.
The owner was quite the character! He took our order and then went on a five minute rant about how crazy Indian (like from India) people are and how spicy they like to eat their food. At least I think that's what it was about.
The quirkiest part of the whole thing was the limes. I know, right? The limes? When he brought over our water, it came with a plate of sliced Key Limes. The tiny and delicious ones! The Pad Thai came with Key Limes too! They were sweet and juicy and amazing and completely unexpected.
I don't know that I'd ever come back, I rarely go to Mesa in the first place. But I wouldn't rule it out I guess.
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