Proudest Monkey

Perhaps we went there on the day they had an actual monkey doing the cooking... just not one of the proud ones. For a town with little to offer in the way of interesting/eclectic/palatable cuisine (of the non-hamburger-and-fries variety), I can see why many people in the area feel like they should like/support it. A starving human will think water crackers taste like a T-bone steak if they are hungry enough, and they serve a pretty mean cracker here (BCS is a food desert and this place is just another mirage).

So here we go... several of the fried plantain and yucca chunks were still frozen and stuck together, and the order of just a few tacos took over an hour to exit the kitchen after ordering. I was, however, provided with the most tea I have ever drank at a restaurant; granted, this was due in large part to the friendly wait staff/bartenders who were also clearly wishing the kitchen would come back from their "lunch break" (that being said, the wait staff were actually very considerate of this and they did do a good job keeping us happy in light of apparently not having anyone in the kitchen over lunch).

Once on the table the kitchen upheld its fine reputation. After this hour of waiting we were served several "tacos" that could not have taken more than 3 min to prepare (read: take cheap tortilla from sams club, open carl budding meat package, place iceberg lettuce and smattering of other salad veggies, then drizzle with frenches mustard for a 'classy' appearance). But seriously, the food was a joke, and for ~$4/taco you can do much, much, much better. It makes me cautious about the drinks, since the food is supposed to be better than the cocktails. But I digress... The cubano taco was a joke (simply putting some sliced sandwich pickles and ham on a tortilla does not make it 'cubano', and the pulled pork (what few strands I could find amidst the rest of the mess on the tortilla) was... well, come to think of it, I cannot say what it tasted like - maybe cabbage and mayo? At least it has fresh jalapenos. There were a few other tacos on the table but none were finished (partially due to lack of time, but mostly due to lack of flavor or any discernible flavor that we were comfortable taking a second bite of).

But not all is lost. The inside is nice (sandblasted brick, nice bar, etc.), and the overall concept is good if you are not hungry or thirsty. If it is still around in a year I will try it again, if not I will be happy that they renovated the space and hope that the next group to move in does a better job running the joint.

I love the tacos (which are huge) and am a big fan of the plantains and yucca. The service has always been on the slow side, so if you're short on time, be very upfront if you need anything and ask for the check early.

I like to pop in before a show at the Grand Stafford Theater next door.

It's best for groups of 4 or less.

This place is a nice hole in the wall in old downtown Bryan.  

It feels like it is trendy on the inside, with solid service and welcoming decor.  There are TV's in the eating area and there is also a bar.  There aren't any draft drinks available, but they have a decent selection of bottles.  The tacos and fries are also very good.  Enjoy!