I found a coupon on LivingSocial for this place and thought it sounded like fun! For $25 you got an appetizer of chips, salsa and Guacamole or Queso and a Tequila Tasting for Two! Sounds like it's worth your money, but I was unimpressed. Let me tell you why:First and foremost it was clear from the beginning that they were completely understaffed. Our poor waitress could not handle the crowds, and it's a busy place. Usually this means it's really good food, but I think it's the prices that turn people on, I know they turned me on! $2.50 Empanadas, $2.99 Tacos, $7 Margaritas, nice atmosphere, etc. Sounds good, right?
Starters:
The first thing that came to the table was chips, salsa, guacamole, and queso:
Their "salsa" is really Pico de Gallo, and we discovered through a friend who was with us, that there was a salsa bar in the back they didn't care to mention. So she went and got us a sample of each of their salsas, and I have to say, this was the best part of the meal!
Salsa Bar:
Jalapeno-Cilantro: really good! Spicy, definitely our favorite (we put some in to-go containers with lids and took them home for later!)
Plum tomato: sweet, fresh, mild
Onion slaw: super spicy! So good as a condiment though.
Roasted tomatillo chipotle: thought this would be my favorite and it was the worst. Too vinegary
Red devil: medium, more a normal salsa, nothing to scream about
Corn salsa: you can't screw this one up. Corn, red onion, black beans, tomatoes, done.
Guacamole: creamy, taste is sweet only, no spice or kick at all. Tastes chilled instead of room temperature, like it came straight out of the fridge. Clearly not handmade.
Queso: NOT true Queso, tastes like Velveeta with canned jalapenos chopped up on top. Gross.
Chips: not too greasy, taste baked, could have used a little salt.
Hells Kitchen Jalapeno Appetizer:
Fried golden brown spicy jalapenos stuffed w/ cheddar w/ side of creamy cilantro)
These were almost perfect, and the creamy cilantro sauce was very good, but they ruined it by stuffing it with that Velveeta-tasting Queso cheese! Once we scraped that out, they were good! (see Jenn's notes for more detail)
Drinks:
Tequila Tasting:Milagro Tequila: sweet, not a big punch but tasty and smooth. No lime needed.
Tierra Tequila: More bitter than the first, burned a little in your throat after.
T2 Tequila: Stronger taste, tasted more like a generic tequila, brassier.
Camarena Tequila: definitely a sweeter, dessert tequila. Hints of vanilla and/or chocolate.
Margaritas on the rocks:
Lime: straight-up, good, did the job, could have been stronger
Pomegranate: Refreshing, could have been stronger
Mango: Just juice. I sent mine back for the lime, but what I got was watered-down.
Entrees:
Chris had:
Short Rib Taco: Chris said that the flavor of the short ribs didn't work in a taco. He did not enjoy this one.
Chicken Taco: good and juicy
Both of the shells tasted stale and flavorless
Kelsey had:
Pulled Pork Empanada: fried, pork was juicier than the chicken, this one was my favorite.
Chicken Empanada (Baked): too dry (maybe because it was baked as opposed to fried), really needed the salsa.
Sarah had:
Veggie Taco (my friend Sarah is guest-commenting on this):
Vegetarian options are hard to find, so as far as tacos go, this one was fine - beans, guac, cheese and fajita veggies - but overall it was bland. I would have loved a little spice! I'm also a salsa fanatic - usually my chip to salsa ratio is 75% salsa, 25% chip... I was pretty disappointed, especially in the Pico de Gallo (however the green cilantro salsa ROCKED).
Jenn Nelson, my college roommate, has volunteered to help me in my Mexican Food adventures, and will be a regular guest-blogger. Here is her take on her food from Lime Jungle:
To start, my opinion on the jalapenos... They were decent. Normal enough. But I've had better jalapeno poppers from the frozen food section. Like Kelsey mentioned, the cheese ruined it. Cream cheese would have been a better choice. The cilantro dressing saved this one.
For my entree I got a chicken soft taco. The chicken was nice and tender, but the taco as a whole really didn't have much flavor. I slathered that baby with that amazing Jalapeno Cilantro dressing, which was the saving grace for the entire restaurant in my opinion.
Overall:
We gave them "Two Jalapenos" (our star-system) because their Salsa Bar was so good, it is a nice atmosphere, and the waiters were sweet, even though they were under-staffed (which was not their fault).
On our way home, we bumped into a neighbor who said that their second location at: 803 9th Ave
New York, NY 10019 (212) 586-6032, was significantly better. So if you want to try them, try them there.
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