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| - Just to clarify: this review is for the Elliot Rd. restaurant in Ahwatukee.
The only way I can make sense of the glowing reviews here is to conclude that those diners don't get out much or they're friends with the owner. They also obviously really appreciate that the staff pays attention to regulars (who wouldn't?). However, in the past four years, I've eaten here probably a dozen times, and experience was such a let down that months would go by before my husband and I would say, "Eh, let's give it another shot." Okay, no more.
Everything about this restaurant is consistently inconsistent. The service is friendly but inevitably the server screws up our order. The ingredients seem thoughtfully chosen but the preparation is way off (overcooked, undercooked, something left off of the plate, etc). One of our dishes may be really good and the other barely okay. Even the space is confused. Half of the dining room faces the bar, so diners are forced to deal with whatever game they have the giant TV tuned into. I don't know about everyone else, but I don't usually pay $75 for a bottle of wine at a sports bar.
Which leads me to the wine. By the glass? Forget it. The offerings are no better than what you'd find at a nice pizza joint. Bottle offerings are pretty unforgettable, too, and I get the sense that the owner is counting on his patrons not realizing that they're paying too much for what they get. Much of the wine list looks like it's taken straight from the shelves at the local Fry's market. But why would I want to drink Rex Goliath, Rodney Strong, Bogle or even Lindeman's at a restaurant that bills itself as a "Euro-style bistro and wine bar"?
It's true that the dining experiences in Ahwatukee are mostly limited to chain restaurants and modest mom-and-pop joints, so it's nice to see someone trying to up the ante. Now if only Caffe Boa would actually do so...
One more note: I know there's an ongoing grudge between this restaurant and the Mill Ave. establishment of the same name. I'm familiar enough with both to say this: the Mill Ave. restaurant far exceeds this one in terms of ambiance, food and wine. Alas, it is also run by someone notorious for not treating his employees very well. I've never heard one bad thing about this Caffe Boa's management.
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