Boteco

Came here for a friend's birthday dinner.  Super nice servers, not crowded at all.  If there's no parking, I opted for the huge, free lot on the other side of Garfield and just walked over.

Save your time and money and go elsewehere. I was in the area with my bff and we decided to get a drink and an appetizer. We walked in the restaurant and there was a handful of people in there, we decided to sit at the bar since we were not planning on ordering a full meal. We must have waited about 10 minutes for the bartender to finally give us a drink menu ( again, the place was empty and there was another person behind the bar stocking the beers). We decided on ordering a beer each, and we also decided on ordering their little cheesy bread bites. I had to literally flag down the bartender because she was too busy gossiping with the waitress. We finally received our appetizer about 30 minutes later which I thought was mediocre at best. We decided to pay and leave, I dont think I will be back. The service was horrible and the food was whatever, I wish it was still cuban bistro.

10:00pm Saturday night

This was a tough one to judge.  At the time, the place was in club mode.  ID is checked at the door and security tells me dress shoes only starting in July (feeling pretty confident for the summer, I guess).  I had a feeling there would be a dress code so I brought my Ted Mosby jacket just in case.

This is not exactly a dining experience which, again, makes it hard to judge.  There are no tables per se, but rather table service tables like a club and a few more tables for two by the bar where I sat  The waitress came by and took my drink order.  Draft beer was fresh.  Guess they're taking care of their pipes.  I asked for a menu when she came back.

Menu was simple but that's not always a bad thing.  A good variety of small plates ranging from ceviche to simple hummus and chips.  There are also salads, burgers and steaks that don't even break $15.  When the waitress came back, she told me that all fried dishes are unavailable because the fryer is broken.  Wish she told me sooner because I was interested in the fried yucca.  I ordered the pulled pork sandwich instead.  I asked about what wines they had.  She could only tell me "cabernet and pinot noir."  I ordered the cab.

The food came in less than ten minutes.  She dropped it off at the table and walked away.  No napkins or utensils.  I had to ask her for the napkins when she came back.  You show me a person who says they can eat a BBQ pulled pork without getting their hands dirty and I'll show you a liar.  The flavor was there.  Coleslaw inside with a carrot and celery garnish.  The cab was pretty darn good too.  The busboy came by to take my plate, but I liked it enough to want the bits of pork and coleslaw left on the plate.  I asked him for a fork and he was pretty surprised I didn't already have one.  I got my bill.

One glass of cabernet sauvignon
One pint of Pacifco Draft
Pulled Pork Sandwich

$22.  No complaints.

I cannot be too hard on my waitress because it's impossible to give the attention you get at a restaurant when you're in a club where you're expected to give high-capacity service.  I got more charm from the busboy.

I'm also not going to complain about the ambiance.  The interior is beautiful.  The music was a mix of Daft Punk and hip hop classics.  

If anything, this is a club that offers food until 11:00pm if you need to refuel.  Too loud and dark for a dining experience.

Thankfully I'm more handsome in the dark.