Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue is located in beautiful Cave Creek Arizona. This is a casual order at the counter…..unique Barbecue Restaurant with a Cowboy type decor.
They offer the usual smoked meats that you expect and vegetable offerings that you might NOT expect.
Fried Artichoke Po Boy with Smoked Tomato Remoulade, Smoked Apple Cider Butternut Squash Soup and Vegetarian Pulled Squash Sandwich……..Sound so yummy and different! Ah what to order….BBQ or interesting vegetables.
We ordered, got a table number, got our beverages and sat on the patio since the weather was perfect.
My dogs would love to come here
Soon our name is called so my husband goes in to pick up our order.
The Firebird with Olive Cole Slaw and Baked Potato Salad
The Firebird is a half Chicken that’s tender, moist and flavorful. It coated in a sticky spicy sweet sauce that isn’t too sweet or too hot…….but it is hot. The bird rest over sliced white bread and a sweet pickled jalapeño pepper. The chicken is delicious…..I like the olive slaw…It not too drippy and it isn’t too creamy…It’s just right with crisp fresh cabbage. The baked potato salad was spiked with sour cream and is very dill forward. These sides are above average for BBQ places.
Two Meat Platter with Pulled Pork, Brisket Chili and Cowboy Beans
I tried the Brisket. I really like the smoked pecan flavor…..but today’s brisket runs slightly dry and they gave us from the lean point side …..But hey I usually hit BBQ places when the brisket runs drier than normal from the flat side. We also were talked into the Cornbread. We were told that it is special because it’s made with Brisket Drippings.
I think the cornbread is best not with the butter but combined with the Chili that’s enhanced with Brisket. This works best for me….Combined they are both better this way. My husband said the Pulled Pork and Cowboy Beans were very good.
I took most of the Firebird platter home so I could save room for a House Made Ice cream Sandwich.
It’s served a little too frozen…but it’s tasty…….I bet it’s probably much better when it’s hot outside… A couple of days latter we had the leftovers. WOW the cornbread tasted completely different when I heated it up in the oven….It was so smoky and it tasted like BBQ meat……It didn’t taste anything like this before…you must get them to heat the cornbread for you. The Firebird Chicken was still moist and delicious after re-heating.
That was my First Taste at Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue.
www.BryansBBQ.com
Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
Tacolandia is an all-you-can-eat taco festival that took place Saturday January 26th from 1pm-5pm at Margaret T Hance Park in Down Town Phoenix. General Admission cost $20-$40. depending on where and when you purchased your tickets and VIP tickets cost between $40.-$55. also depending on where and when you purchased your tickets. The VIP this year seemed only slightly different than general admission. The VIPs got into the festival slightly sooner, got two free drinks and were able to vote for favorite taco.
WOO-HOO! this was an All-You-Can-Eat Taco event! Over 20 taco venders participated. There was some free entertainment and libations were available for sale.
This event was dog friendly and parking was free and also metered depending on how far you wanted to walk.
(Don’t tell my dogs that this was a dog friendly event)
The 2019 Tacolandia went similar to the 2018 Tacolandia. The event was held at the same place and the festival goers trickled in the same way. The first hour from 1pm-2pm it was easy breezy getting around anywhere you wanted to go. Either no lines or very short lines.
No lines a little after 1pm hereA little after 1pm here
Then about by 2pm lines ran about 25-30 minutes.
By 2:30 I got tired of standing and was very thirsty. The line for lemonade ran 45 minutes.
Just like last year some tacos were better than other tacos. Some were made with MADE TO ORDER FRESH tortillas that were mighty delicious! The Forking Truth is that only one vender used an awful tortilla.
This was all I ate from this taco. Filling was tender but bland and on a hard tortilla that needed to be grilled.
Here are what we tried. Just like last year my husband tried more tacos than what I tried. The majority of the tacos offered were beef, followed by pork, a few chicken and I only found one fish taco. There were two vegetable tacos offered that I noticed. I wasn’t able to hit every vender but between the two of us we hit much of the offerings. One vendor had trouble and didn’t have power so I don’t know if they got to serve. Another vendor started serving tacos about an hour or so after opening.
Beef Taco from Casa CorazonBulgogi Beef with Kimchi Bun from Bao Chow at the Yucca Tap Room (this one ran salty)Chico Malo – Pork Belly TacoJamburritos Cajun Grille Pork TacoGadzooks Chicken & Cornbread Stuffing Taco – One of the best tasting tacos that I tried. El Tlacoyo – two different kinds of pork tacosAjo Al’s Brisket Taco – Taco shell was fresh madeLa Olmeca – Beef Taco – before topping barMrs C’s Caterins – Chicken TacoTaste of New Mexico – Pork TacoSylvia’s La Canasta – Fish Taco – only fish taco I foundSylvia’s La Canasta – Vegetable Taco – VERY Cilantro forward and also spicyPhilly’s Sports Grill – Among the better tacos…a non-traditional Asian Fusion Beef TacoTortas Paquime – Among the better Tacos – Beef Tacos with House Made SPICY saucesVarsity Tavern – Beef TacoFrom The Lunch Box – Chicken Tostada and Beef Nando’s Mexican Cafe – Chicken TacoSome festival goers dressed for the occasion.Some festival goers dressed for the occasion
That was my Trip to Tacolandia 2019 – I’d say it was Worth a Fork!
Dining out with dogs is just a “Fluff” story about taking my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started when my dog Louie was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. He was given only a 3-6 month diagnosis. Louie enjoyed going out to eat so I thought I’d take him out to eat as often as I could. Instead of the 3-6 months Louie made it 17 months more. Today I take my current dogs out to eat.
Many restaurants in Metro Phoenix do have patios for outdoor dining but not all patios are dog friendly. It’s always a best bet to call a restaurant in advance and ask them if it’s ok to dine there with your dog(s). Even if a restaurant is certified “Dog Friendly” it is still best to call first because the patio might be booked for a party. It is suggested to dine with dogs at “Off Times” to avoid other diners might not like dining with dogs and might complain. Other diners can also be allergic to dogs and also will complain. It’s also better to dine at “OFF TIMES” to avoid others that are dining with dogs because they might start barking at each other and everyone will be asked to leave. For these and other reasons just FORKING dine at off times to avoid as many other people and other dogs and potential problems as possible.
There are some rules for dining out with dogs. Dogs are to be by your side at all times. Dogs are NOT to sit on restaurant furniture or to eat off restaurant plates.
It’s IMPORTANT to know that MOST food and drink that you consume is NOT recommended for dogs and can cause health problems or can indeed be TOXIC. Please get a list of foods and drink to avoid from your veterinarian. In general usually a small piece of lean un-sauced meat is safe and is usually recommended for dogs. You should bring a water dish for your dog so he or she can have water. It’s very important to know that dogs are not as heat tolerant as you. Over 90 degrees is too hot to dine out with dogs. Not all but most healthy younger dogs can tolerate up to 90 degrees F but only in FULL SHADE. Dogs are like people and have different heat tolerances. Hopefully you know your dog well enough to notice their individual heat tolerance. When in doubt leave your dog home.
January started out very cold for desert standards. We had to wait till the second week to dine out with dogs.
“We are on our way to Pita Kitchen in Glendale AZ”
Pita Kitchen is a fast/casual Mediterranean restaurant in the Arrowhead section of Glendale Arizona.
I got my usual, the Greek Salad topped with a Chicken Kabab. Now I’ll take a break here and turn The Forking Truth over to my dogs.
“There’s plenty of juicy, tasty chicken for sharing!” says the little one from under the table. “Ummm my mouth is watering!”
“Our other human got the two meat plate with gyro meat and chicken.” “More food there for us to try.”
“I FORKING love this chicken from Pita Kitchen!” “It’s so juicy, plump and tasty!” “I just love it!”
“Big Woman is right.” “That chicken is really good!” “Much better than a lot of Grilled Chicken Kababs in the area!”
“We always enjoy ourselves at Pita Kitchen!”
www.PitaKitchen.net
“We are gonna see food at Oscar’s Pier 83 in Glendale”
“Yum!” “I got CRABS!”……..”Soft Shell Crabs!”
“I can go for some salad with ahi tuna shaped like a Forking Stingray too!” “Look at that fish!” “It looks like it got wings!”
“mmm I’m starving”
“We also like the crispy romaine, eggs are good and we also like ahi tuna….we are glad the portion is large so we get to eat more!”
“We enjoyed ourselves at Oscar’s Pier 83!”
www.OP83.com
“We are on our way to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix”
“We love going to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in Phoenix.” “The food is always fresh, delicious and always comes in large portions.”
“Both of our human companions got rice plates.” “We love the meat on the rice plates!” “It’s always so juicy, flavorful and abundant!
Grilled Pork Rice PlateGrilled Chicken Rice Plate minus the egg roll already
“The food is always delicious at Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery.” “We love coming here!”
www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com
Sadly Salad and Go is no longer an option
“Sadly Salad and Go is no longer a Dining Out With Dogs Option”. “Our location removed all the tables and the walk up window is now a Kiosk.” “We have a long list of happy memories there and really enjoyed the fresh healthy low priced fast quality salads.” “We still love the salads from Salad and Go but we can’t enjoy them there anymore.”
“Natural Organic Chicken…Not too Shabby” from Salad and Go
“Me and my old man Louie used to love our salads here!”
“We Forking miss you Salad and Go ……all that tasty food and dog biscuits too!”
“That was Dining Out With Dogs in Metro Phoenix for January 2019.”
“We hope you enjoyed and we hope to see you next month.”
The Forking TruthIn Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017
Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery is located in North Phoenix. This is a casual Pho-Free Vietnamese Eatery. I know that most of the food they serve is FORKING SCRUMPTIOUS because between me and my husband were tried most of the menu items….Some of my personal favorites that I enjoy from Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery are the delicious Banh Mi Baguette Sandwiches, Chef’s Special Curry Chicken, Lotus Root Salad, Pot Stickers and of course The Rice Plate (Co’m Dia). Oh and did I mention that everything (as of January 2019…subject to change) is less that $10.00 each?
Pork Rice PlateChicken Rice Plate minus the egg roll
The Rice Plate (Co’m Dia) is what is known as a combination plate. That is made of a generous portion of white rice, pork egg roll, salad garnish with house vinaigrette and choice of protein. The protein choices are Grilled Pork, Grilled Pork Chop, Grilled Chicken, Grilled Shrimp, Shaken Beef or Tofu and Vegetable. There are condiments of fish sauce for dipping and a spicy chili paste for zipping some things up. I can vouch that the chicken, beef and grilled pork are tender like butter and developed with really delicious flavors. It’s like magically delicious. The chicken has a tasty char on it and is developed with yumminess. The chicken is slightly sweet and fragrant with Asian seasonings. The portion is really large and double of what I eat so this is two meals for me. I didn’t weigh the meat here but it seemed like about 8 ounces. I have no idea where you can get a better or tastier deal for only $9.00.
Other things we had at Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery are pictured below. I really enjoy the Banh Mi baguette more than a hoagie type roll. It made of a combination of wheat and rice flour that makes it seem much lighter than a hoagie roll. The roll here has a crispy exterior and a soft interior. The sandwiches are made with pickled carrot and radish, slices of jalapeño and fresh cilantro and house made aioli. Some varieties of the Banh Mi also include house made pate.
We love going to Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery in North Phoenix. The Food is always fresh and delicious! Portions are very large and prices are very low.
The Rice Plate from Banh Mi Bistro is the BEST under $10.00 Plate that I tried in North Phoenix!
(P.S. Tables are no longer outside but there is a folding table inside for guest that request it.)
Banh Mi Bistro Vietnamese Eatery is Worth a Fork!
Worth a Fork!
www.BanhMiBistroAZ.com
Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
The Grass Roots Kitchen and Tap opened around December 2014 but sometime in October of 2018 in the Town and Country Shopping Center in Phoenix. This location of The Grassroots Kitchen Bar and Tap got renamed The Macintosh. The Chef and owner is still the same Chef Christopher Collins. The menu offerings are very similar. They offer weekend brunch, sharing plates, salads, sandwiches, entrees. Some plates have a southern comfort slant like Shrimp and Grits, Barbecued Beef Ribs and Po Boy Sandwiches. The Macintosh also offers Beers, Whiskeys, Cocktails, Wine on Tap and very well made Pies. The decor looks pretty much the same. Casual American.
This photo is From The Grassroots Years
Today I picked the Salmon and Orzo Salad.
The salmon is moist and flakes nice. I like that the skin and bloodline were removed. The salmon is a good meaty portion with nice grill marks. The salad is made of orzo, arugula, corn, tomatoes, cucumber, apples and pickled onions. It’s filling and tasty…I normally don’t care for buttermilk dressings but this buttermilk pesto dressing is delicious.
It looks similar to a Salmon and Salad plate I had last time from The Grassroots.
From The Grassroots
Today my husband had the Southern Shrimp and Grits.
The shrimp were cooked nicely. Grits are creamy and tasty. All the food from The Macintosh or when they were called The Grass Roots was Delicious! No Complaints here!
Below are some of the plates we enjoyed before the name change. I’ve also been here for a more formal dinner but I couldn’t find those pictures….. I didn’t have room for dessert today but be sure to view the pies because they are among the best in Metro Phoenix.
Brisket Sandwich with Jalapeño Cheese Grits
Blackened Fish(Ono) of the day Sandwich with Tri Cauliflower Salad Shrimp Po Boy with Jalapeño Cheese GritsMaui Maui Fish of the Day Sandwich with Green Bean SaladKey Lime Pie
The Key Lime Pie is extra special. They hand squeeze FOURTY key limes into each pie. I think this Key Lime Pie is the best Key Lime Pie I’ve ever tasted.
If you were a fan of Grassroots Kitchen then you will be a fan of the Macintosh in Phoenix.
I’d say the Macintosh is Worth a Fork!
Worth a Fork!
www.TheMacintoshAZ.com
Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
Manna BBQ is a California based Korean all you can eat BBQ restaurant located in Peoria Arizona in P83 across from the Peoria Sports Complex (with another location in Mesa AZ) . They offer the extra $21.99 menu of about 15 choices or the $28.99 menu of around 21 that include some more expensive meats such as ribeye and shrimp. Either menu buys you up to two hours of eating and you must finish the meats or they will charge you extra full entrée pricing for wasting……so don’t order more than you can eat. They offer seating at the bar and also booths with gas burners to cook the food.
On our arrival banchan (side dishes) were waiting for us already on the table.
The banchan were from top left mashed potatoes that might have been eggy, were sweet and also cold, bean sprouts, fish cakes, kimchi, Asian pickles and thin radish for wrapping around meat.
We started off with thinly sliced marinated beef called Beef Bulgogi, mushrooms, zuchinni, rice and glass noodles.
Just a few minutes later….
Gosh the beef was delicious! Tender like butter and nicely flavorful. Next we try a combo of chicken bulgogi and spicy chicken.
WOW! The chicken is also very tender and tasty. The spicy isn’t too spicy…but tasty. The Beef Bulgogi and both chicken dishes came out very good for us.
Next we tried brisket and beef belly.
Neither of these meats are marinated. I don’t know if we didn’t cook the brisket correctly but I really didn’t like the brisket (bottom meat in picture). I wasn’t too found of the beef belly either although it was slightly better than the brisket. Neither meat here had a whole lot of flavor. You had to use the dipping sauce for these meats to eat them.
My husband decided that he could eat a little more so he asked if he could have a small amount of pork belly to try.
He said the pork belly was very good. He forgot they offer a spicy version and would have went with spicy if he remembered.
Each table has a call button incase you need something but service was very good. I didn’t have to ask for a thing.
I’ve been to a few different Korean BBQ Restaurants in Metro Phoenix and they all have something different to offer…We only paid 21.99 for all you can eat. More upscale Korean BBQ will set you back at least $32.00- over $100.00 a person without being all you can eat.
For Mana BBQ’s friendly price point I’d have to say it’s a good value and Worth a Fork but be sure to try the Beef Bulgogi, Chicken dishes and Pork Belly.
Bulgogi is delicious, Chicken dishes, Pork Belly were all delicious……both of us weren’t crazy about the brisket and beef belly
I haven’t found a website for the Peoria location of Mana BBQ but they are on Facebook.
Every thing is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.
Mora Italian Restaurant is by Celebrity Chef Scott Conant of Food Network and our local Pomo Restaurants. Mora Italian is a glamorous, stunning, modern somewhat upscale but also casual Italian Restaurant. The atmosphere is a mix of grand, rich and playful with an energetic vibe at prime time.
On my past visits to Mora Italian the food ranged from the outstanding – very good. Not everything we tried but some things we previously tried are pictured below.
PolentagnudiSea BreamCroquettes Short Rib
This time we decided to try the tasting menu. I note that nobody made me try the tasting menu by twisting my arm…..or holding a gun to my head………but it just sounded fun and worth trying and I was planning on trying two of the dishes anyway and I also always wanted to try the signature pasta dish (pasta al pomodoro)…………… The tasting menu (at this time)…. cost $58 dollars a person at your table for five courses. That seems reasonable and we always enjoyed the food here so we gave it a try.
First course was the Focaccia di Recco.
I’ve had this before from Pomo Pizzeria and from Pomo it was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted in my life. From Pomo the crust was also whisper thin…but crisp with a melty molten middle of flowing pungent cheese that taste better than pizza cheese. Sadly Mora’s focaccia didn’t compare. From Mora the texture and flavor of the cheese differed and didn’t get all melty and molten and also didn’t have that special flavor. The Mora focaccia tasted burnt and over salted and was slightly unpleasant. It also turned doughy…I didn’t feel like complaining…..I just figured everything afterwards would be fine. Below are two photos of the focaccia di Recco from Pomo Pizzeria in Scottsdale.
Focaccia di Recco from Pomo Pizzeria Focaccia di Recco from Pomo Pizzeria
Second course was the best course for both of us. An arugula with goat cheese salad and the burrata…….no complaints here…….only praises.
Third courses were Polenta and Meatballs over Semolina Pudding.
The creamy polenta was accented with fresh mushrooms and very hard burnt chunks of bacon that I honestly thought were inedible pieces of burnt wood. The bacon was so overcooked that it impossible to bite threw (I thought they were burnt pieces of wood). The polenta would have been excellent if it didn’t contain the burnt wood-like bacon. On the other hand the Meatball dish almost was the best dish of the evening. It was flavored very well but unfortunately for us the meatballs were hard and dry………just overcooked……
Fourth courses were the Signature Pasta Al Pomodoro (plain pasta with sauce) and Fettuccine.
I can’t say in any way anything bad about the pasta al pomodoro….. The pasta was prepared to a perfect al dente. The tomato sauce was seasoned nicely and came with the perfect amount of basil to make it delicious. The Fettuccine didn’t have much flavor to it. It was studded with several extra large whole garlic cloves that seemed slow cooked till sweet. I thought maybe a little bit of some kind of pepper or more escarole might balance out the flavors more. At this point I feel the effects from all the carbs and I ate less than one third of the previous plates.
Fifth course was the Caramel Budino and the Chocolate Torte.
Both desserts were too rich and heavy for our taste….plus I had carbs way beyond my limit already. The Chocolate torte was heavy and rich like a cheese cake and the Budino was like a whole bowl of sweet caramel.
Picking up the car from valet was odd. We had to walk to the valet when our car was by the valet stand and then had to walk back to the restaurant so the valet could drive our car to us.
Turns out the Tasting menu isn’t always a good idea. It was too many carbs for me. I do note I did enjoy the food from previous visits to Mora Italian. For me it’s better if I pick out my own plates in a restaurant.
Even from a really Nice Restaurant The Forking Truth is that The Tasting Menu isn’t always a very good idea. www.MoraItalian.com
Your experience may or may NOT differ and EVERY FORKING THING is subject to change.
The Forking Truth
As a slight update the manager from Mora read a review from me and did apologies for the unpleasant burnt tasting focaccia and poor execution from some of the food that was prepared for us. He told me to make sure I say Hi to him the next time I dine with them.
Last year (December 2017) PA’LA Wood Fired Cooking was the most anticipated restaurant opening for Phoenix. The chef/co-owner is highly accomplished and has worked for many of the most cherished restaurants in Phoenix. PA’LA is not the usual restaurant. This is a high quality casual order at the counter restaurant with very limited menu offerings that slant fresh seafood and also slant slightly Italian. On my most recent visit they offered a few mostly Italian inspired tapas plates, a seafood grain bowl and a sandwich. PA’LA is a small but cozy restaurant. There are a few tables inside and outdoor seating.
Today’s menuOrder at the counterThe Dining AreaOutdoor seating
We started out by sharing a tapas plate of anchovies with crackers.
The anchovies were plump for anchovies and were dressed with quality olive oil and lemon. They were sprinkled with a fruity slightly spicy red pepper that might be have been Aleppo pepper. Three crackers were served on the side.
My main was a grain bowl topped with Rhode Island Skate called the Navarro Bowl.
This meal was very unusual. The bowl consist of five grains, seeds, beets and cannelloni beans that are dressed with oil, vinegar, a few herbs and seasoning. The skate is unlike any fish I had before. It’s unusually flat….no more than a quarter inch thick. Instead of flaky meat like most fish is this one is sort of stringy but tender and very mild. Skate is a very unusual fish choice to serve. Very few restaurants in the country serve it for a number of reasons. Most fisherman don’t even catch the skates and throw them back into the water because the fish has very little edible meat. Skate meat also spoils much faster than other fish………….Anyways…The fish is seasoned with some fresh herbs and a spicy red powdered pepper. This taste more flavorful and is very different than my last Navarro Bowl I had at PA’LA. The grains here have different textures. Some grains are chewy, some pop, others burst and the beans are creamy. The chunks of beets are earthy and bright. The bowl was nourishing, didn’t seem heavy but was also filling.
My husband had the Sandwich….A grass fed beef sandwich with poblano pepper, spinach and chimayo chile powder.
The sandwich was made on Italian Style wood fired flat bread and came with a tasty salad that was made of very ripe sweet tomatoes and peppery greens. The sandwich is very flavorful and delicious. The meat was also tender.
That was my trip to PA’LA.
I’d say PA’LA is worth a Fork!
Worth a Fork!
www.PALAKitchen.com
Everything is subject to change and your exsperience may or may not differ.
***UPDATE NOW CLOSED FOR BUSINESS****The Barrio Cafe Grand Reserva is located in Phoenix Arizona and is an upscale modern Mexican Restaurant. The executive chef is James Beard Nominated Silvana Salcido Esparza. She is well known and famous for her tender flavorful Oochinita Pibil, Chiles en Nogada and her bright chunky Guacamole topped with pomegranate seeds. The menu offerings at Barrio Cafe Gran Reserva are about half vegan and half with cheese or meat. The menu offers a la carte options and tasting menu options that are vegan or non-vegan or flexible. Often special hard to find Mexican ingredients are used in dishes offered. Most of the dishes are very complex and some but not all do run extremely hot and spicy but also very flavorful.
The restaurant is only postage stamp sized. The dining room is a vestibule of about 8 tables. The bar only seats two.
The walls are an art gallery that tells Mexican Folklore.
La Llorona is of popular Mexican Folklore. A song about a ghost of a woman in-between worlds who lost her children.
Around the restaurant are amazing decorations. Much more than these photos show. Many whimsical things. Trees that are crocheted…..hanging dolls…lots of colors and lights.
Tonight they started us off with complimentary extra spicy but delicious nuts and seeds.
We shared an amazing dish that was made with fresh lime, cilantro, seaweed, a few different hot peppers, onion, radish, cucumber, watermelon, pear, pomegranate, sushi grade ahi tuna and some other special things.
Without tuna this is vegan Aguachile and with tuna it’s Atun
OMG this is so refreshing, light, delicious and oh so spicy……but delicious…..I got sort of hypnotized. It’s almost too hot. ……but did I mention how Forking Delicious this is???? It’s so light and all the flavors pop!
We also shared the Huitlacoche (corn smut also known as the Mexican Truffle but it’s not truffle) with corn, chile, corn masa tortilla and salsa de xoconostle.
This was tasty…..but I think my mouth was sort of numb from the last dish and my spicy cocktail……I’m not certain that I was able to taste everything here…still tasty.
My dinner was a masterpiece. I had the Pescado en Mole de Rojas.
Pan seared Corvina, this unique delicious salsa d Xoconostle (cactus fruit) tatemado (fire roasted), red pine nut and rose petal mole sauce and vegetables. It was more delicious than I can describe. Different flavors were all around the plate. The salsa was more delicious than other salsas I’ve tasted…..Rose mole…who knew that this could be delicious? It was a very spectacular plate!
Same thing with the Amarillo con Chicharron de Pancita.
Here we had tender pork belly in a amarillo mole sauce also with different flavors around the plate and lots of fresh vegetables.
For dessert we shared this incredible light as air vanilla cream filled chocolate dome with orange mole and the plate came with these whisper thin tasty sesame crisps.
Everything was Forking Awesome!
Worth a Fork!
Barrio Gran Reserva is always Worth a Fork!
www.BarrioCafeGranReseva,com
Every THING is subject to change and your experience MAY or may NOT differ.
My first visit to this restaurant located somewhere in Metro Phoenix Arizona was ok….It sure wasn’t five star food but ok food at a fair price. On my second and third visits I wasn’t so thrilled with what I had and I haven’t been back in a long time …actually a few years………I recently heard that this restaurant had a new menu and had hopes to find something tasty. The new menu wasn’t on-line for me to check out but since this restaurant has been here a while I thought maybe they settled in and caught their stride. I’m not mentioning the name of this restaurant because It is not in my interest to bring negative attention to this establishment. It’s not my intention to bring negative attention to any restaurant……but this one serves foods (foods?) that have a level of suckiness that I think is criminal……like maybe worst than what incarcerated people get………..This place is always busy so it seems most people have a different taste than me …or maybe the beers are cheap so they don’t care about the food?
When I stepped in I noticed that they were very busy. I think every table inside and outside was full. Inside is very energetic and noisy.
We waited a few minutes for a table. I looked at the menu and my heart sort of sank…The new menu is sort of American……slightly American Mexican and Hamburgers now. The old menu was better as they used to have a seafood section.
We ordered and about FOURTY minutes latter our dishes arrive.
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Wow…..(small clap) this is worst than what a school cafeteria would serve……….lucky me!
This is what I think I tasted……. processed, purchased from frozen, was pre cooked… from what seemed like possibly freezer burnt and or microwaved till the chicken blew up…….breaded chicken. (I think at least Microwaved till the chicken blew up……(look at picture…blown up chicken that’s hallow now)……Then the chicken was chilled and then served to me……..and enhanced with sprinkled buffalo sauce so I wouldn’t notice the blown up processed, chilled chicken………. I received FORKING COLD pre-cooked, chopped up chicken fingers that seemed like pre-made processed chicken that were Crunchy in a bad way……like blown up in the microwave oven. This sh*t is FORKING WORST than fast food and taste very salty too…..Also on the salad was cheap budget cheese and bottled (I can taste the citric acid in them) red peppers…YUK! THIS SUCKED! This wasn’t even close to being on the level of fast food…..This was lower than fast food prepared in a way on the level of the way a three year old youngster might prepare food. This is just something that I find polarizing……. I just don’t get how anyone can own a restaurant and serve food like this?
What kind of person is preparing food like this….?
It’s either someone that doesn’t know any better……
or someone that doesn’t give a flying Fork!
WhyyyyyyyWhyyyyyWhy…..Eating here was as painful as getting clubbed in the knees
My husband received the Sandwich Version of yuck.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with $3.00 upgrade for Onion RingsThe cheese was melted and hard
My husband said the cheese was hard but also melted. His sandwich was made with luke warm slightly buffalo chicken fingers that seemed processed?…..but his were fresh cooked (probably manufactured from frozen) and weren’t COLD like my blown up crunchy in a bad way, salty, chilled, chopped up processed tasting breaded chicken. He said the sandwich was also on a cheap tasting bun.
The Onion Rings were good. They tasted fresh made and not processed like everything else. Or the onion rings seemed so much better than the chicken I thought they were fresh made……
Sometimes eating out is like getting clubbed in the knees and is NOT Worth a Fork!
NOT WORTH A FORK! Wild horses can’t even drag me back!
Everything is subject to change……maybe it will and maybe it won’t…..Your experience may or may not differ.
