Okay, I know this probably seems like a recurring theme...but please apply the caveat "I got steadily drunker as the evening progressed" to the tail end of the review.
Okay...
5 stars on the accomodating staff. Friendly. Flexible. We started with a group of 6...wait...sorry 8...wait...sorry...10 people for a friend's birthday party and the staff just kept finding ways to get us seating. It is NOT their fault that the seating we ended up with was apparently a repurposed shoebox in the ass end of the top floor of the restaurant. That was not on them. I don't know what that space normally does...but it did hold 10. And the restaurant was steadily busy all night. So full marks there.
We started out the evening on the ground floor. We ordered drinks from the menu. They were good. I don't...I don't REALLY remember what they were. I'll look them up. Bear with me.
RIGHT! Okay...I got the Delicioso. House Margarita, muddled jalapeno & cucumber + splash
of soda...right up my alley. It was really good. I probably would have ordered another one later except I thought it would be smarter to order a pitcher instead. Related note...it is almost impossible for a single father of a younger daughter to order the Delicioso without doing so using an impression of Backpack from Dora the Explorer.
The pitcher I got was the Kahlo - Hornitos Reposado, club soda, fresh lime juice, fresh mint. I should take a minute here to acknowledge that written underneath the margarita menu (in too small a font, if we're being fair) was, "Keep in mind, silver tequila (used in many of our signature cocktails and margaritas) can sneak up on you. The smooth
flavor doesn't taste like alcohol, but we assure you, it's in there!"
Heed this.
The drinks were great. Let's give them another five stars.
The speed with which our order was taken was a downer. I'd rank it pretty low, honestly, but they were so good about moving us around, and also...I had a pitcher of alcohol...so I wasn't really THAT irritated by it, but if I'd have been sober longer I might have been. They were busy. We were a big...seemingly nomadic table...so I have to give them a pass. I'll rate that 3 stars.
I've sampled most of the elevated taco joints in Pittsburgh, so I was excited to try out theirs. They have either a build your own menu, or a few signature styles. I was surprised how many vegan/vegetarian options there were. I think one of the three I got was vegetarian. I was...I was quite drunk when the food arrived.
BUT...BUT...they were goooooood. And that's not the tequila talking. After my first taco, the girl across the table from me said she couldn't finish hers and passed it across and that one was even better than the one I'd ordered.
The Mantis: Sweet Lucy shell, jackfruit, onions, tomato, Chihuahua cheese, and mango habañero sauce.
Honestly ordered it because I wanted to say "jackfruit" over and over.
What? I was drunk.
George's Dirty Taco: Flour soft shell, queso blanco, rice, black beans, onions and dirty sauce
This one just made me laugh. I was eating George's dirty taco. And laughing. Because I'm twelve. And I was drunk.
Surf 'n' Turf: Flour soft shell, queso fresco, rice, ghost pepper steak,
shrimp ceviche, lettuce, onions, roja salsa, & dirty sauce
This one sounded the best to me, and I honestly don't remember whether I even ate it. I think I did though. And it was hot. I poured myself another drink from the pitcher.
All in all I have no idea which tacos I ate and didn't eat. And I think the fact that I put my name on the order slip (they give you pencils and taco order forms at the table) as Rico Caliente probably contributed to the chaos that forced one of our party to just pay for the entire night on his credit card. And I guess...I guess arms raised in victory and shouting "WOOHOO!" was not the correct reaction to this because everyone else seemed to be saying things like, "Oh my god, no, you can't possibly" and "It's too much" and stuff like that and frankly I was just happy to still have enough money to go to the next place, and also I was drunk.
So...I will DEFINITELY be back. Something I didn't mention was the decor. I loved it. Lots of contrasting sugar skull-esque sorts of murals. It was a fun vibe. GREAT happy hour locale. Really good food. I'll...fine tune my food review in at some future date.