Barrio Cafe serves up nontraditional Mexican.
Okay. So some have complained this place does not offer traditional Mexican food. If you are looking for Taco Bell or Del Taco style fixings consider going elsewhere. But if you're looking for a cool and new twist on Mexican flavors this could be your spot.
The service here was quick and attentive. The busboy was fast to bring a basket of bread and an amazing olive spread (pictured.) The flavors of the spread were pungent enough to be memorable yet not overpowering.
A side salad (pictured) was included with my lunch. It had a flavorful mixture of Roquefort cheese, dried cranberries, spinach and salsa. It would have been perfection had it not been for the too-spicy balsamic vinaigrette dressing which nearly disguised all the other flavors.
The Torta de Filetito (pictured) was my entree. The first decision I had to make was how to tackle it. It was piled too high to eat as a sandwich, yet trying to slice through the crusty bread (even with a steak knife) proved to be nearly impossible. The fillet mignon was flavorful, though could have been a bit more tender. It was also to have included chorizo though I found no sign anywhere...or could it have simply had no flavor and been mistaken for the chipotle wine sauce??? The portion size was more than ample though many pictures of the same entree on yelp.com display this entrée with french fries. I did not see french fries on the menu nor were they presented on the plate. Could this have been what the restaurant considers a "lunch portion" or was it nearly forgotten?
A few tweaks and this place could be a five-star restaurant, in my opinion. I realize that space is at a premium though I personally do not care for the unisex restrooms. (One of the two was out of order, but this is the norm here anyway.). I may try this place a second time someday and if I do I think I'd like to try their margaritas.