Salsa & Agave Mexican Grill

Restaurant: Salsa & Agave Mexican Grill

Cuisine: Mexican
Last visited: December 15, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (Yaletown/Downtown)
1223 Pacific Blvd
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4 (based on the burrito I had)
Service: 3.5
Ambiance: 2
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Located in Yaletown
• Seats 20
• Made fresh upon order
• Family owned and operated
• Very homestyle Mexican on top of big stove pot and electric stove
• Very popular
• Homemade salsa/guacamole/avocado sauce
• Nothing really spicy, and a bit bland
• Not homemade tortillas
• Busy at lunch
• Eat in/Take-out
• Accepts MC/Debit/Visa
• Tuesday- Sunday 11am-9:30pm
• Closed Monday

**Recommendation: Burritos

I’ve only tried one thing on the menu: The Ahogado Burrito. Apparently it’s one of the best things they serve. The owner highly recommended me to order a burrito and claims that they’re different than any burrito I’ve ever tried. For the most part, he was right. However the best burrito for me is still Chipotle's in the States. I know it's a chain, but I think it's pretty awesome.

I have heard nothing about this restaurant before so I had no expectations for it…which is I think better because I might have been disappointed. This place is apparently a favourite. I liked it enough to give it a 4/6, but I think most people would rate it higher.

Salsa& Agave Mexican Grill has just introduced their new burritos. They’re basically the burritos on the original menu but a bit reinvented. They’re actually customer-inspired burritos. The owner found that a lot of people were customizing their burritos with extras so he decided to just make their creations permanent members of the family. It’s $8, the same price as the burritos on the original menu, so it’s not a bad deal considering you get all the extras…they’re really big too.

As you read my review you're going to notice that I’m complaining a lot about it. It was very good, but just overrated. I think it's popular and people like it because of the portion size and price. Not many places like this in Yaletown. Also becuase it tastes like 'bad for you but sooo good' hangover food

On the table:

Ahogado Burrito 4/6

• Soft pork, rice, beans, cheese, simmered in mild red tomato sauce & drizzle of sour cream on top $8
• The owner warned me that I was ordering a saucy knife and fork burrito, so I was prepared to be pretty sleepy after lunch. It was a pretty big and hearty burrito, it filled up an entire take-out container. It was pretty heavy and loaded with ingredients - but all a little bland.
• I didn’t really like how my burrito was swimming in a pool of sauce though. The sauce is usualyl the best part, but this one was bland. Rather than “simmering in mild tomato sauce” like the menu says it was more like sauce poured into a container and my burrito placed in it. It was a pre-cooked tomato sauce that wasn’t good itself, but good with the burrito. It was very watery and tasted like very watered down canned pureed stewed tomatoes.
• The burrito is very saucey which is great. However it was a bit too mushy, watery and soupy for me. Everything was just really soft and cooked to the point where you could possibly eat it without teeth. I mean it was really good, but about 3/4 of the way through I got tired of eating it because it got so repetitive.
• The best part of the burrito was hands down the pork. They were generous with it and it was very juicy and tender, just like pulled pork. It didn't have many spices; it was just really soft and cooked well so that it had that slow-cooked flavour.

  

• The beans and rice were layered on top of each other and that made it mushy too. The rice was definitely cooked to the point of baby food or Mexican style congee.
• The beans were refried beans with very few seasonings if any.
• I wish there was some fresh lettuce or black beans in it. Refried beans are just such an easy way out to me because it comes from a can and maybe add some seasonings in so it's "homemade".
  
• There was some frozen peas and corn kernels in there as well, but there was so little of them I thought maybe it was an accident.
• The tortilla shells aren’t homemade, which is super disappointing. I think they can afford to do that. A lot of authentic Mexican places will make their own. The tortilla shell also got a bit soggy because it was soaked in the sauce. Then on the ends the tortilla shells got a bit thick because it was so huge and had to hold so many ingredients.

  

• It could have used a little more sour cream as well because they only drizzled a bit over the top.
• It had some fresh salsa made with onions tomatoes and cilantro – it was quite bland again though. They made the burrito and sauces extra mild (not spicy at all, I really don't think they used any spices) for the general population. It was literally figuratively watered down Mexican food.
• It came with a side of hot sauce which was good. It was very smoky and hickory flavoured and really really spicy..

Las Tortas

Restaurant: Las Tortas

Cuisine: Mexican/Sandwiches
Last visited: November 27, 09
Area: Vancouver, BC (South Cambie)
3353 Cambie Street

Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 6
Service: 2.5
Ambiance: 2
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• Specializes in authentic gourmet Mexican sandwiches
• Hole in the wall
• Mexican chefs/cooks/staff
• Expensive for a sandwich, but worth it
• Local suppliers/producers
• Homemade guacamole, dips, beans, potato chips
• Hot & fresh, made upon order
• Busy during peak hours
• Offers authentic Mexican drinks
• Couple homemade Mexican desserts
• Self-service/pay at cashier
• Accepts Visa
• Eat in/Take-out
• Seats 15-20
• Free delivery w/min. $15
• Everyday 5-9pm

**Recommendation: Cubana

I heard about this place through Kim www.imonlyhereforthefood.com and Sherman www.shermansfoodadventures.com …their pictures is what sold me. You can’t say it doesn’t look delicious! And it was! For some reason it’s easy to miss even though the sign is huge! It looks like a hole in the wall, but it’s not really. The inside looks quite new and it’s brightly lit and clean.

To order: take a brown paper bag (also their menu), select your item and give the cashier your paper bag upon paying for it as well. It’s super casual and you can see them mak

ing it upon order. The torta is also served in the same paper bag.

Las Tortas was almost like the Quizno’s of Mexican sandwiches…but more “gourmet”. A torta is a Mexican sandwich or ‘hamburger’. It’s served in a white sandwich roll called ‘teleera’ which they don’t make in house but is supplied by a local producer.

It is expensive ($9.95 for the best one), but it’s huge, and worth it. Homemade local ingredients and lots of it! I think it’s enough for 2 people…and then you’ll have room for dessert & their homemade potato chips too...which I haven’t tried yet. The value is there so I think it’s justified. You’re definitely paying for the ingredients and not the ambiance though.

Note: I really want to say it’s family owned and operated, but I’m not so sure. It’s the sister restaurant to Soupspoons – a local chain that serves gourmet homemade soups. This part really threw me off because I was expecting to see a full on Mexican menu. I think they should offer authentic Mexican homemade soups rather than Soupspoons soup.

On the table:

• **Cubana 6/6
• Pierna, turkey, milanesa & panela cheese. Served hot with tomato, cabbage, pickled onions & jalapenos, guacamole, refried beans, butter and mayo $9.95

• You can customize your order and take out some of the sauces…but I wouldn’t. Just go for it all – that’s how it’s meant to be eaten so I wouldn’t mess around with the recipe – unless of course you have allergies.
• The Cubana is their most popular sandwich. It’s almost a meat sandwich. It has 3 different kinds of meat:
• 1) Pierna: slow roasted pork thigh marinated in Mexican spices. This was super tender juicy roasted lean pork and it almost tasted like meatloaf. It was nice and salty and tasted like pulled pork but even juicier. You can just see the texture of it. I know it looks kind of dry, but it wasn't. It was actually almost creamy. I think because it was layered on top of the refried beans.
  

• 2) Turkey: this was almost like turkey ‘ham’…so not the turkey deli meat and not actually turkey pieces either. It wasn’t as distinct as the other meats used, but it added anther layer of texture and flavour that was different than the other 2.

• 3) Milanesa: breaded chicken breast also know as a chicken schnitzel. This was delicious. For schnitzel it could have been pounded thinner, but for this sandwich the thickness was perfect. It just made it a bit meatier. It was really crispy and not greasy and the chicken was really tender and juicy.
• 
• The pierna looks tastier/jucier in this picture.

• The meats are all delicious and go together so well! Beef is supposed to be the most flavouful meat and this sandwich didn’t even have any – it didn’t even need it.
• Besides the meats, one of the best parts was the Panela cheese, which is a fresh Mexican cheese that tastes like fresh Buffalo mozzarella. It was creamy, mild, and almost sponge-like. It didn’t melt into the sandwich either. I’m not sure if it would have tasted better if it did.
• 
• The sauces and dips used cannot be underestimated. They put a layer of homemade refried black beans on the bottom. It really flavorful and they layer the pierna on top of it. It blends together and the combo is great! Then there’s homemade guacamole in it and I think the mayo is their homemade garlic aioli. They also serve the aoili with their homemade potato chips which many people get as a side.
• Besides all these layers of salty flavours it’s also spicy from the jalapenos and a tangy from the pickled red onions. The cabbage and tomatoes were really fresh too. It’s a great ratio of ingredients and it hits all your taste buds in all the right w ays.

• 

• The bread was amazing and from local suppliers. It was hot with a crispy exterior and super soft inside. It was a perfectly grilled sandwich roll. It was nice and thin yet sturdy enough to hold all the ingredients without everything falling apart.
• To be honest, I was expecting a super greasy sandwich that would be really saucy and drippy. However it was none of the above. It wasn’t even that messy to eat and they give you a moist toilette. I mean it is big and tall, but the ingredients were really fresh and it didn’t feel like fast food even though it kind of is. I would definitely go again.

Luna Loca

Complimentary salsa and chips.

Restaurant: Luna Loca
Cuisine: Mexican
Last visited: October 30, 09

Area: Surrey, BC
Unit #106 - 15153 56 Avenue
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2 Dessert: 5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 1
Overall: 2
Additional comments:

• Specializes in Mexican cuisine
• Family-owned
• A couple Mexican chefs/cooks
• Food not representable of what it looks like on the outisde
• Dark lighting
  
• Pre-made, cafeteria-style Mexican food
• Only good quality thing is homemade sauces on specialty menu
  
• Relatively big portions, but lacks quality
• Taste better than it looks, but doesn't taste that great either
  
• Complimentary salsa and chips
• Great for desserts

**Recommendation: Desserts

From the outside it looks great, then the inside is not bad, until you really look at it - it's a dive. They have an upstairs which they use as storage for a million boxes and garbage, an unfinished patio, a mosquito lantern in the kitchen, and a pitcher where your salsa comes from. All of this is right there, for everyone to see. Needless to say, but I'm going to say...I was a bit worried where my food was coming from. I'm not being pretentious either, I can always appreciate a hole-in-the-wall, but when it comes to hygiene and cleanliness that's non-negotiable.

The only thing I would come back for is the dessert. Those were the only things made fresh and made very well. The meals were quite blah.

On the table:

• Ceviche 2.5/6
• Red snapper and baby shrimp marinated in lime juice mixed with onions tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro and seasoning. Served with tortilla chips. $8.95
• The ceviche was quite standard. It was very tart, but they didn't use fresh lime juice. It could have used some additional seasoning because the ingredients weren't all fresh. The red snapper was tender, and the baby shrimp was frozen, but that's what I expected. It wasn't really worth the price. The tortilla chips were nice and hot though.
  
• 
• Pollo Con Salsa Verde 2/6
  
• Chicken breast charbroiled covered with a mild salsa verde. Served with black beans, rice, salad and flour tortilla $15.95
  
• It actually doesn't taste as bad as it looks.
• The salsa verde sauce was not bad. The salsa was very mild and it was definitely homemade. It was a bit tangy, a bit sweet and almost like a tangy bruschetta. It's made tomatoes (canned ones here), lime juice and onion. They had no fresh herbs in it and it's supposed to have cilantro.
• The chicken was obviously frozen pre-cooked chicken breast. They boiled it, coated it with some dried spices and salt and pepper and then charbroiled it...at least it had grill marks.
• 
• The Beans 1.5/6
  
• Obviously pre-made and reheated. Mushy, dry and not fresh. Tasted like overnight beans, although the flavour wasn't that bad.
  
• The Salad 1.5/6
  
• Just iceberg lettuce that was very roughly chopped. Both entrees had big chunks of core in the salad.
• The salad dressing was taco sauce made into a "dressing".
• The Rice 1/6
  
• Pre-made and reheated. Dry because it's been sitting under a heater.
• Pollo Con Mole 2.5/6
• Chicken breast charbroiled and covered with Moles - a sauce made with chile pepper, peanuts, sesame seeds, spices, and a hint of chocolate. Served with black beans, rice, salad and flour tortilla $15.95
• The sauce was homemade and it was the best part of the entree. I'd give the sauce alone 3.5/6. It tastes like a hickory smoked chocolate sauce. It was rich, thick and nutty. It had a very smooth texture and they used a dark chocolate so it has a slightly bitter aftertaste. It was very aromatic and you could definitely taste the chocolate although it wasn't really sweet. I really liked it.
  
• Again the chicken was obviously frozen pre-cooked chicken breast. They boiled it, coated it with some dried spices and salt and pepper and then charbroiled it.

Dessert

The desserts are the only thing they make fresh and upon order here. They're generous servings, and very affordable for what you get. I'd only come back for the desserts.

• **Deep Fried Ice Cream 5/6
• It's a softball sized scoop of vanila ice cream rolled in a "breading" made of nutty graham crackers, cinnamon and sugar $3.95
• This was HUGE! I've had this a few times, but this was the biggest.
• The crumbs form a light crust around the ice cream and the whole thing is deep-fried. It wasn't even really batter it was more like a sugar syrup coating that formed a light crispy layer. I liked it better than the batter becuase all too often the batter separates from the ice cream.
  
• It wasn't melted at all, which is great! They did a really great job with it here.
• It could have used a couple layers of the crumb crust, but it was still excellent as is.
  

• 
• **Double Fudge Dessert Chimichanga 4.5/6
  
• Chocolate fudge brownie rolled in a flour tortilla, fried, and topped with whipped cream, ice cream and chocolate and caramel sauce $4.95
  
• This was made upon order, which is great. The chocolate fudge brownie taste like those 2 bite brownies, which are good. I think they mixed the brownies with some shredded coconut too. They wrap it un in a flour tortilla and deep fry the whole thing.
• It was great! They served our with ice cream too even though the menu didn't say so. They used a few tortillas for the wrapped so it created warm soft flakey layers and the exterior was hot and crispy. The inside is this ooey gooey, half-melted, chewy brownie. It was almost like a molten lava chocolate cake with coconut. Very rich, very sweet, very good! You need to eat this with ice cream though, otherwise it can be too sweet. This is comfort food.
  

• Also available:
• Runditos de Manzana: Tortilla filled with apple, cinnamon & rum berry sauce baked until golden brown. Served with vanilla ice cream $5.95
• Sopaipilla Sundae: 2 scoops of vanilla, 2 scoops of chocolate ice cream, topped with strawberry and chocolate sauces. Served in edible cinnamon bowl $6.95
• Churros: Baked and rolled in cinnamon served with whippd cream, chocolate & strawberry sauce $4.95
  

Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar

Restaurant: Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar

Cuisine: Mexican/Spanish/Tapas/Fusion

Last visited: August 26, 09

Area: Las Vegas

3900 Paradise Road

Price Range: $20-30 (average bill per person)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very Good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5

Service: 4

Ambiance: 2

Overall: 4

Additional comments:

• Casual atmosphere
• Busy, late night crowd
• Mexican servers/kitchen/staff
• Mexican and Spanish style
  
• Comfort food tapas
  
• Tapas style - so everything is meant to be shared
• Generous portions for tapas style
• Reasonably priced (around $7usd on average per tapa)
  
• Famous for stuffed dates and Sangria
• Very popular to locals - off the strip

**Recommendation: Stuffed Dates, Tuna Tartare, Stuffed Peppers, Veggie Empanada, Manchego Mac n' Cheese, Baby Back Ribs, Lamb Skewers, Sangria

My friend who lived in Vegas for 2 months brought us to this restaurant. Very familiar to locals, this place shouldn't be missed. It's casual, enjoyable, and full of energy. The decor is nothing special, and the food is nothing fancy, it's simple and down right tasty. Typical Mexican comfort food style tapas that are very reasonably priced. I went with 6 people so we made quite a dent in the menu. Everything was extra tasty becuase it's all bite sized finger food so it leaves you craving more. It's all too heavy to have a plate to yourself - so almost everything tastes good, and even if it doesn't you don't really notice because you only had a bite. This review will be done a bit differently because we tried so much stuff I won't go into too much detail. I also didn't get any pictures because it was too dark inside. You'll spend about $20-30USD per person including tax and tip.

On the table:

• Boquerones 2/6
• Spanish white anchovies on toasts with roasted red pepper, yellow pepper vin
• These were nice and salty - not fishy tasting and really typical ingredient from Spain. It kinda tastes like a quick appetizer you can throw together at home, but it's still good. One of those easy/simple/quick appetizers.
  
• **Tuna Tartare 5/6
• Layers of mango, marinated ahi tuna, avocado and taro chips.
• One of the favourites. I liked the taro chips - it was a nice twist, better than serving them with the usual tortilla chips. You get quite a bit of tartare too.
• Ceviche of Shrimp 4/5
  
• Tiger shrimp, avocado and crispy corn tortilla chips.
  
• I liked the tuna tartare better. A bit more expensive, $8.50 for a cup full, but they are relatively big pieces of shrimp so it's ok - it was quite heavy on the lime flavour. Very fresh tasting and tangy. Simple flavours that are easy to pick out.
  
• **Stuffed Dates 6/6
  
• By far THE favourite! This is what they're famous for! And they should be, and I know why. They're pretty delicious. It's a date stuffed with an almond and blue cheese, then wrapped with bacon and served with a red wine reduction sauce.
• These dates are nice and sticky and the combination of flavours merry together so well. I'm not even a fan of bacon or blue cheese and these were still amazing! No ingredient was more powerful than the other. They are bite size and just perfect. A little savoury (bacon), sweet (date), tangy (sauce), creamy (cheese), crunch (almond) and crispy (bacon) - it hits all my taste buds in the right way! You bite into a date and it oozes out warm and creamy blue cheese...then you get the crunch of the almond and the salty crispiness of the bacon and the sticky moist date - oh my god...it's amazing. Perfect in flavours and in textures - these are real treats.
• **Veggie Empanada 5/6
  
• Deep fried pastry pockets stuffed with spinach, mushroom, artichoke, and herb cream cheese and red pepper aioli.
• This is yummy! Really creamy and rich. Meant for sharing - one to yourself would be a bit much.
  
• Roasted eggplant cannelloni 3/6
  
• These "cannellonis" are rolled up roasted eggplant slices. They are stuffed with a lot of goat's cheese and marinara sauce. The goat's cheese overpowered the eggplant and it kind of felt like eating warm goat's cheese and that's it. It needed to be spread on a cracker or crostini or something.
• **Stuffed Peppers 6/6
  
• Spanish piquillo red peppers, mozzarella, garlic cream cheese and tomato sauce.
  
• These are really cheesy and really rich. But they're so small so 1-2 per person is perfect. These little red peppers are nicely marinated and really sweet so they go so well with the savoury cheeses and tangy tomato sauce.
• Mushroom Tart 4/6
  
• Puff pastry covered with mushrooms and a boursin cheesy cream sauce.
  
• This was delicious and it was a generous portion. It's actually quite big and it comes loaded with mushrooms and a bechemel type white cream sauce. I mean the puff pastry is your standard puff pastry and it tastes exactly like the description. Simple recipe and still good.
• **Manchego Mac n' Cheese 5/6
  
• This mac n' cheese was homemade and you could tell. Really cheesy, creamy just like grandma would make. Really hearty and rich yet thoroughly enjoyable.
  
• **Lamb skewers 5/6
  
• Marinated chunks of lamb with tomato and red wine sauce. It's served on a bed of lentils which I really liked. I'm not a fan of lamb, but my friends are and they all loved it so I put it as a recommendation.
  
• Crispy duck rolls 2/6
  
• It's served with a cherry hoisin sauce which is nice and creative. The duck was ground up duck though - so it tasted like sweet ground beef or something. It was crumbly and dry and bitty - I think they mixed the duck with some ground beef to save costs. I'd pass on these next time, but the sauce was nice.
• **Baby Back Ribs 6/6
• Steamed - falling off the bone ribs with a mango BBQ sauce.
  
• These taste like they're slow baked! The meat slips right off the bone and they're smothered in this sweet and tangy BBQ sauce. You get 4 big ribs for $9.50USD - A bit more expensive, but still worth it. They're really tender!
• Firefly Fish Sticks 2/6
  
• A fish stick is a fish stick. It has a panko batter though and a spicy tartar sauce.
  
• Steamed mussels 4/6
• A huge bowl of mussels served in a red curry, white wine and coconut cream sauce.
  
• This is a deal for $8USD - we got about 10 mussels. The sauce is amazing, our mussels were a bit undercooked though. 6/6 for the sauce though!
• Big Bowl Pasta 3/6
  
• I could have done without this. I would rather have tried other stuff on the menu - since marinara pasta is kind of blah. We had 6 people though so we wanted to order a filler. My favourite part of this was the big chunks of roasted and marinated artichoke hearts.
• Paella
  
• I did not order this and I probably won't because a restaurant with this type of volume won't be able to make a paella very well. I'm almost certain it will be a frozen paella. I wouldn't bother.

Dessert

• Lemon-berry Tarts 2/6
  
• Four bite sized lemon tarts with fresh berries and whipped cream.
  
• These are probably frozen too - don't taste homemade at all. But they were cheap and worth it if you need something sweet at the end of your meal...which I always do =)