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| - Let me first say, this is nothing like the original Rosa's down on University and Mesa Drive. I loved that place when I was in high school and I have always had high hopes for the owners when they sold that place (last time I was there it had gone downhill) and spent a few years building the Tia Rosa's compound. Everybody raves about this place, but I've been here half a dozen times since it opened a few years ago and always come away with a bad taste in my mouth. I wait a few months or a year, and somebody tells me I should really give them another try, but I always have the same issues.
Reviewing this place is a six-part affair. First, there is both the restaurant and the taco shop (separate building), and then the decor, the food, and the service of each. Oh, and I'll throw in the parking, which is a nightmare if you're going for dinner at either place.
A) The Restaurant
1. Decor - one of the best things about this place is that they spent tons of time making it look like a plaza right out of old Mexico, except brand new-ish. There was music playing overhead, loudly in the entrance, not so much in the restaurant.
2. Food - I will say that it tasted fresh. The chicken in my chimichanga tasted like it was from a rotisserie or a roaster, which was nice. But nothing tastes Mexican. It tastes like my grandma from Ohio put a lot of love into making a Mexican meal in her very Caucasian kitchen in Pataskala. Even the salsa verde that came with the chips and normal-ish salsa tasted like it was made with apricot jam or blended with kiwi; it was that sweet. I am told they grow many of their vegetables on-site; too bad they don't use spices. The refried beans don't taste like anything other than pinto beans in water. There are some little flecks of something they add to the sour cream if you ask for a side order, but it tastes the same as the stuff I buy at the grocery store, so it might as well be dirt in there.
3. Service - to call the hostesses at the tiki booth in front snotty is to compliment them. Most times, we've just been ignored. Once, we waited so long to be addressed that I got mad and dragged our whole party out. When we do get noticed, we get attitude. Tons of attitude. I'm attaching a picture of the RULES on the board you are made to read before approaching the hostesses. Notice there are three exclamation points on this one board! That means you! We have rules! This and the miniature board three feet away at the entrance to the bar, also requiring you to "ask!" to be seated in the bar are where the hostesses get their power from. I believe if you came in with a damp sponge and wiped off all the chalk from the boards, they would fall lifeless to the floor. The wait-staff is generally friendly, but they never introduce themselves or do anything that goes above and beyond. If you go for lunch, and are interested in the $5.99 lunch specials advertised on the sandwich board out by the street, they'll have to find you the little card that basically gives you the choice of a taco, three tacitos, or a burrito. Hardly worth it.
B) The Taco Shop
1. Decor - Yeah, yeah, old Mexico, we get it. This place is generally in sub-par condition with sticky tables and uncleared tables because all the staff stays behind the counter all the time (more on that later). Again, there is music playing overhead.
2. Food - It's cheaper than the restaurant, I guess, so that's why it's a taco shop?? But, again, it tastes bland. I mean more bland than Serrano's, and that's saying something. Oh and there's no hot sauce to add anywhere. Everything is pretty much a la carte. The specials are special because they're tiny and very basic. You can stop in here to eat cheaply and have a beer, but why stay when the only flavor you'll get is by taking it home to add some.
3. Service - The kids at the front counter are generally courteous in a minimal way. They tend to have little idea what they are actually selling, as questions about what's on the menu, the specials, or in the food go over their heads. There is usually a barker who calls out your order number and then leaves a giant tray with a few plates on it a the counter. You must stand by or someone else will take your food because there is nobody there by the time you reach the tray. I'm unclear as to whether I was expected to take the tray to my table, balance each of the individual item plates on my arms and head back to the table, or have everyone in my party grab their own food. When done, I believe you're supposed to clear your own table, because there's the Ikea cafeteria-like receptacle near the garbage and some dirty dishes on table #6 that have been there since 2011.
So I've obviously got some opinions about this place. "Why, oh why do you keep going back?" you might be asking. People from all over town tell me how great the place is, and I honestly want it to be. At this point, I think I'm done.
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