Rojo

OK. Let's get right to the point. Rojo is not about the food which ranges from good to very good but is not your typical Mexican restaurant. Rojo is not the bar to come to for the newest drink or mega beer & wine selection, but what they have is good & there's plenty to choose from. Rojo is not a romantic, intimate place. It's not a sports bar, in fact the 2 little TV's are generally ignored. It's not a top-name music venue, but there is live music regularly. So why did I give it 5 stars?

Simple. It's all about the vibe (for lack of a better word). Rojo is one of those places that you either love and keep coming back, or it just isn't for you. And that's OK. You don't have to be "hipster", a college student, a family, or anything else to fit in at Rojo and that's what makes it so special. You are likely to be sitting between a multiple pierced and inked person on one side, and a couple in dress clothes coming from or going to another event. It's a tight fit both inside and out, but no one seems to mind. All you see are smiles and it's one of the few places where everyone truly seems to get along. If you are new there, read other reviews for instructions if you want, but my best advise is just ask someone for help and you'll get your first taste of what I'm talking about.

That's the people vibe. There's also the location vibe. Rojo is in a residential neighborhood in the Highlands area, across from the park. Personally, it's my favorite part of the city. In truth, Rojo is one of the few places in Birmingham that could be in any other city. I always feel like I'm not only going out, but getting away. Oh, and the parking situation. It's such a Birmingham thing to expect parking at the door or valet. In any other big city you find a spot and then walk. No big deal. And as I said this is a beautiful residential neighborhood.

One last thing. The food and drink are always good. I've never had a bad meal there. And it's all freshly made and freshly prepared. They have an open kitchen so you can see the food being prepared, but nobody seems to bother. There's too much good company going on.

Considering this place is packed all hours of the day everyday it is open, they are clearly doing something right. They have one of the best hamburgers in Bham, some of the best rice in Bham, and generally everything on the menu is at least decent. The prices are reasonable and service is generally pretty quick despite the crowds.

The setup of the restaurant is confusing if this is your first time. The menus are by the entrance to your right but you have to walk all the way to the end of the restaurant to order. They bring the food out later for you.

We ordered the chorizo con huevos which came with chorizo meat mixed in eggs, tater tots, and 3 flour tortillas. I was expecting a lot from this place based on the reviews and honestly, I could get better food at Denny's. I was really distraught when they said they couldn't make egg whites as I feel nearly every mom and pop or chain diner I have ever gone to has made that option available.

The chorizo meat was tasteless. The tater tots were surprisingly bland. The only thing about them that tasted like tater tots was the texture. Everything felt tasteless no matter how much sauce you put on it and how much sauce you saw.

I really wanted to like this place because of all the reviews and the hype about it. I think this place would look really great to go to at night, but during the day, nothing about it seemed special nor was the food any good as much I even tried to convince myself it was. It also didn't help the seats outside were constantly sticky and murky despite how many times they cleaned it.