Make your own Guac is awesome! I've never had a bad combo. The Guac is always nice and chunky!
Huarache De Hongos- Flatbreads are flavorful, but a bit greasy.
Brisket and Fish tacos are my favorite.
Chicken taco is also pretty decent.
While the tacos look small, don't be fooled. They are overstuffed and delicious.
Mojitos and drinks are strong and tasty!
Service is always friendly in this low lit, cozy restaurant.
The 3 stars go out for the following reasons:
1) Friendliness/helpfulness of staff: we were trying to make a reservation for a formal event and wanted to see the location beforehand. They gave us a short tour of the place and were very helpful.
2) Drinks (mostly margaritas): a good variety of options, all very tasty
3) Guacamole: you can make your own, and it tastes SO good.
However, we went there on a Friday evening and it was quite dead inside... I personally think the merrier a restaurant (especially Mexican restaurants), the better, so I was a little disappointed (especially because we had called in to ask how loud it would get, and they had said it would probably be very crowded. It was only us and two other tables...)
Perfect margaritas and a CUSTOM GUACAMOLE option? Can you just go ahead and give me alll the guacamoles possible? Perhaps in an IV?
First off, do yourself a favor and get black motherf#*&ing truffles in your guacamole. You'll thank me later when you're crying because of guacamole-induced ecstasy. Pistachios are a good choice too. Really you can't go wrong. Just get the custom guac and you'll be good to go.
I visited a couple times while in Philly and got the $2 happy hour bite (quesadilla with crack-sauce), some kind of mushroom pizzette thing with a corn crust, and my friend got street tacos. I am so hungry right now for all these. The margaritas were $5 during happy hour and also excellently prepared.
Xochitl would be on my top spots for a cute neighborhood and interesting food spots on a return trip to Philadelphia.
I wanted somewhere new for Cinco de Mayo and had never been here.
Overall, it was okay. I liked how you could customize the guacamole-adding crab, tomatoes, garlic, etc but I thought the guac was a little bland still. The chicken tacos were good but nothing special. The margaritas were also just okay-maybe I'm used to flavored ones.
Would I come back here? Yes. Would it be my first choice for Mexican? No.
Excellent, select-your-own guacamole and good chips. Drinks were extremely strong which depending on your preference is either great or a little overwhelming. Good food, but smaller plates which encourage sharing. Not as much distinct flavors as some other mexican places I would prefer first.
Review Source:PROS: Tasty guacamole, generous portions
CONS: Frankly, other menu items missed the mark
The custom guacamole appetizer was delicious. From then on, it was mostly downhill. The tortilla chips that went with the guac were substandard. My soft fish tacos were subtle, flavored mildly by a coleslaw-like topping --- not bad  but not outstanding. The huarache de hongos, though, was horrible --- an overly greasy, overfried, unappetizing imitation of a pizza. Unfortunately, this was a miss for me.
Came here for the mocajete meal, a $28 meal for two. It was basically a stone pot that we shared and 6 pitas. There was chorizo, braised beef, cheese, cactus, onions, and chicken and it was a make-your-own taco thing.
I enjoyed because I haven't had Mexican food in a while, I've yet to find great Mexican food in Philly, and it was a really cute idea. Although when we were seated, we did have to ask for the Mocajete meal whereupon the waitress gave us the flyer. She didn't just offer it.
Food was good, not great but the place is very cute and enjoyable. I love the neighborhood as well.. almost removed from the big city-style of philly.
And my gripe? No free chips and salsa. You know I love pre-meal free appetizers. Disappointing.
Otherwise, a cute night out. I was satisfied, but my boyfriend was still hungry- the portions aren't huge. While it was a good dinner, rating it a 3 because $14 for that little? Overpriced.
A whole group of us got rejected from Stella's next door and ended up here. Â This place is more upscale than your average on the street mexican food. Â The tequila was great. Â The make your own guac was original and fun for a crowd. Â We got a little of everything...the whole/half chicken was EXCELLENT- would love to get this again and again. Â The tamales and fish tacos were just ok. Â They have plenty of seating upstairs and downstairs and are great for crowds. Â Decent food but nothing out of this world.
Review Source:This place is awesome on all counts. We were there for restaurant week a little while ago, and while there are several reasons that it could have been a disappointing experience, the service and food really pulled through.
First, even though the entire party was there on time for our 8pm reservation, we weren't seated until 50 minutes after our reservation. This could have been quite terrible, but after 25 minutes of waiting we brought it to the attention of the hostess, and the owner quickly stepped in and gave us a round of free drinks at the bar and free guacamole/chips. Since our major complaint was hunger and we weren't worried about the time, this was perfect.
After being seated, we received exceptional service by the waiter. Restaurant week is always busy for any nice restaurant, but he was patient and answered all of our questions. Everyone loved everything they ordered, particularly the pork dishes.
The best part of the service was dessert. I am allergic to dairy, and while I thought that wouldn't be a problem on the menu, turns out it was. The owner stopped by and made sure I got a special dessert that's not even on the regular menu, just so I could have something to eat with the party.
I can't comment on prices as other reviewers have done as I was there for restaurant week, and they don't have their regular menu during that time.
It was after 10PM by the time we arrived at Xochitl. Â Upon entry, we waited for a couple minutes, but we didn't see the hostess. Â I flagged down a waiter who was busily moving about with dishes bound for a table downstairs. He informed us that they didn't have a hostess at that hour, but would get us seated shortly. Â And indeed he did.
We've been to Xochitl a couple times before. Â We had previously returned because it had the best chicken torta in the city, but then that item fell off the menu, no where to be found. Â The revamped menu was OK, but not good enough to go all the way out east just for it. Â Since we were nearby that night and hungry, we dropped by to give it another chance. Â I'm glad we did.
We had the make-your-own guac with Spanish onions, roasted tomatoes, cojito, truffle oil, and a pepper whose name I can't remember. Â I thought this was so-so and was missing a little bit of something. Â But, this wasn't the restaurant's fault since it was us who picked the ingredients. Â Shame on us.
We split the Pollo Frito - a half chicken that was brined for 24 hours, steamed, fried, and drizzled with sweet chile sauce. Â It was paired with corn bread and spinach in a chile cream. Â The chicken was fried perfectly, with the sweet chile sauce serving as a good contrast to the spicier chile cream of the spinach. Â Definitely a repeat to be had.
We also had the fish tacos - achiote lime marinated walu fish layered with mexican slaw and wrapped in house made tortillas. Â I'm not normally a fan of fish tacos as the flavors are often more bland. Â The flavors of these tacos weren't bland, but just more subtle. Â Another repeat to be had.
The only big service miss was that our guac came out late because there was confusion in the kitchen regarding whether we already got it or not (we didn't).
Overall, a nice comeback Xochitl.
This place made me swear off restaurant week. Usually my husband and I avoid busy restaurants on Fridays and Saturdays and opt for a Thursday date night, we have also sworn off Valentine's Day and any other amateur hour/prix fixe/everyone is out type of night. We were still clinging to restaurant week, but have been let down on so many occasions. Â Bummer.
We started off with drinks, and there is something off about the drinks here. I can't place it, but they just taste awful, and we had three different drinks. The worst was the blood orange martini. It tasted so flat and bland and almost watered down. The Pepino, the jalapeño/cucumber/basil beverage should have been packed with flavor, but fell flat with just heat and little actual taste. It was the best of the three. I then tried the cherry grand marnier drink, can't remember the name as recommended by the manager--again it fell flat and though it had been described to me as "sweet" it was not at all. I could taste the alcohol hardcore, but little else. I suspect they are using low quality tequilas and charging top shelf prices, but that's just my theory.
We placed our order-- guac that we customized, cheese empanadas, mexican flatbread, two vegetable sopas and the churros and chocolate tres leches cake for dessert. Our guac arrived and again, I only tasted the heat of the habanero that we had requested. We also asked for spanish onions, roasted garlic and tomatoes. I have made better guacamole whilst drunk. BLAND city. I even squeezed a lime in it form my drink to brighten the flavor, nothing. It was also way too smooth, like they had a vat of pureed avocado in the back and were just adding things in quickly. The chips also needed more salt.
Next, we received our entrees instead of our apps. When the guy (not our waiter) put them down in front of us we were all "nope, didn't get apps yet" and he was all ok, bye and left the entrees there. Uh what? The manager did come over and apologize and offer us a free drink for the mistake, encourage us to eat meal in reverse. We did, and it kind of ruined the whole night since we filled up like crazy on the heavy entree. We then waited quite some time for our apps. The empanadas were the only amazing part of the meal. The flatbread had an odd mouthfeel to it, was greasy and again lacked flavor. We waited awhile again for our desserts and our waiter was mostly MIA for the entire meal. Â Finally dessert. The churros were not fully cooked. The oil was obviously too hot because they outsides were crispy and brown, but they were pure uncooked batter inside. Gross. This was confirmed by the table next to us, as theirs were also partially raw. The cake was yummy. Subpar meal, bad drinks, kind of crappy service. I did appreciate the effort from the manager, but he has some work to do. Wish I'd tried this place before it changed hands.
Joe the bartender makes a perfect margarita. Not too sweet, not too bitter. Heavy on the tequila in a festive glass filled to the brim. $5 at happy hour.
Build your own guacamole is fun, whether it's your first time or your tenth. The activity itself is a good conversation starter (hello, first daters!) and the result is delicious. Chips are fresh and plentiful.
Xochitl is a great place for happy hour/appetizers. I wouldn't stay for dinner, personally. The mains are, in general, a bit disappointing. But really, who needs more than guac and margs anyway?
I went here for restaurant week and was very pleased with my experience.
The restaurant itself was small and cozy (bathroom is TINY!). Food was delicious! Aside from the fact that the churros were very bready and undercooked, the rest of the meal was perfect! Be warned! Having a full three courses is a large meal! Especially the flat bread appetizers! They are definitely share-able!!
As for price, it's a little higher than typical Mexican restaurants, but what can you expect when it's located in Society Hill? Don't be scared of the price! Definitely worth trying out especially during restaurant week!
I went to Xochitl with a group of 5 other friends for restaurant week. The atmosphere and service was very good, even if it took a while before we placed any orders. We ordered guacamole for the table that came in a heaping pile and was fresh and tasty. For appetizers, I got a dish that was essentially a small pizza that was topped with mushrooms and chicken. It was decent and filling, but very greasy. My friend was not pleased with her empanadas appetizer. For my entree, I got shrimp in a poblano pepper smothered in cheese. The taste of the cheese was overwhelming, and unfortunately the cheese wasn't anything special. My friends that got the short ribs were disappointed with the lack of flavor in their dishes too. We got a bottle of hot sauce, and it helped a lot. I'm not one to love spicy foods, but I need a little bit of flavor. My friend who got the steak and potatoes enjoyed her food (though what Mexican place serves steak and potatoes?)
I'd maybe come back for tacos & drinks, but I wouldn't bother with the high prices of restaurant week.
Preface/Warning: I am a Hispanic SF native!!!
Why do I need to say this? Because as I navigate through Philadelphia's "Mexican" food offerings, I am becoming way too bitter. Because obviously, I know what REAL Mexican food is. . Xochitl is NOT I repeat NOT authentic Mexican food. I came in here knowing that full well but I of course was trying to keep an open mind.
The fact that they need to put "So-Cheet" on the sign was my first annoyance. I get it, it's not a common name, and in Society Hill lets be real, not many people can pronounce it without that help. My second annoyance was our waiter, a tall thin Buddy Holy hipster. While I looked over the menu I asked if the margarita's were offered only on the rocks or blended as well? "No we put them in a shaker and blend them before they are served" Uhhhhh... I think to myself, is this guy f*cking with me?! I guess I have to say "frozen"? Â When our drinks arrive I notice my friends "Sangria" has ice in it and one tiiiiiny piece of apple? What in the fame of Jesus Christo is going on here?!?!!?
I look over the menu and think OK so it's "White people Mexican fusion" I got itttttt. At least they have the good sense not to put cheddar or American cheese on anything. But come on!!! You are trying way too hard, Xochitl. I ordered the fish tacos and discover that even at $16 friggin dollars they do not come with any sides. Are you kidding me?!?! Dear Lord Baby Jesus!!!! Â I can feed an entire family real Mexican food on Mission St. for that. They tasted awful. The fish was soaked in some kind of oil and tasted fishy rather than spiced. I had two bites of one, pushed it aside and instead ate off of everyone Else's plates.
The carnitas tacos were edible but not note worthy. The star dishes of the night were the build your own guac (still some options like tuna?! which I refused to let my friends add were laughable) and the aroz con manchgo. The "Mexican STREET corn" ok Esquites was so so. Thank god for my house "blended in a shaker" Margarita or I might have just started a riot in the middle of the downstairs seating area. Yes, did I mention we were seated next to the bathrooms downstairs? I had to be stopped from asking our Hispanic runner if she was sour that she has to serve this crap all day.
Sigh. The hostess was friendly, the runner was sweet and our water glasses were filled regularly but our waiter was a joke. He never once asked us how the food was and my friend said that on more than one occasion as he checked on the table of uppity young d-bags next to us, he'd look over and simply walk away. What about the bond between hipsters, com-padre?
I will pay top dollar for good food. I will pay a fortune for good authentic Mexican food at this point. Xochitl is neither. 2 stars for the nice hostess, table runner, good guac, and rice. But for now I'll stick to Chipotle.
We came here with a group of 6 and this was the group's rating. Â The best part was the guac. Â Even that wasn't that great! Â We all had different dishes. I had the brisket tacos which had plenty of meat but had no flavor and the corn tortillas fell apart. Â I think they are going for a fancy street Taco like in Mexico. Â Honestly, had my mother in law not given her vote a 5 for her meal the average would have been a 1. Â She had the tamale dish. Â I recommend this place as a good place for beer and guac, happy hour skip. Â For a meal way too expensive for the flavor.
Review Source:Hidden among the bars of Headhouse Square next to Steven Starr's beloved Stella, Xochitl looks like a neighborhood favorite and go-to spot for those craving some fresh Mexican and it definitely is both of those things!
We started off with 2 House Margaritas which were absolutely perfect and fresh. Â We also ordered the Create your own Guacamole (you select the type of peppers,onions, tomatoes, garlic and cheese you want on a little card and give it to your server) and I must say it was the best Guacamole I've had in a long time. We also had the Huarache de Hongos which is a crispy masa flatbread, seared wild mushrooms, marinated artichokes topped with manchego and cotija cheese... it was INCREDIBLE! So we were two for two so far... onto the entrees. We ordered the Fish tacos and the Pork tacos to share although the server accidentally gave us the Beef tacos so we got to try one of them too. I wasn't super impressed but did eat 3 tacos nonetheless. I think they were fresh and cooked and prepared perfectly but I am just one of those people who love salsa and this is not the place that serves salsa with their tacos.
I would give Xochitl 4 stars if it were not for the poor attitude of the server, bartender, and hostess.
Example: We had a reservation and the hostess tried to sit us at a High Top table in the bar/waiting area. If I make a reservation I expect to sit "down" (not up) in the main dining area. It may just be me but I think it's just part of the guarantee you get when making a reservation ahead of time. Throughout our meal our server was rude, disinterested, and not attentive. The bartender also seemed to have a chip on his shoulder and I felt rushed throughout my Friday night dinner.
I may come back if I feel that their service has improved based on other reviews.
Way too expensive for a Mexican place in Philly!
The food is average for a mexican place but you are really paying for the nice society hill location and not the food.
The drinks were watered down and expensive also.
I got the fish tacos and it was about $13 for 2 tiny fish tacos that are not nearly as good as any of the mexican places on washington ave but for double the price.
Others had the Steak for $27 which looked pretty good, but one person's order of a "rare" steak came out completely charred and he had to wait another 20 minutes for it to be remake.
2 stars for our waitor who was very efficient without being intrusive and kept track of the orders for our big group of 14 people.
If you want high end mexican food that is expensive without the food to back it up, then come to this place. Â Otherwise, steer clear and go elsewhere in center city, like El Vez instead
I have only been here once, but as usual, any time I eat at a Mexican joint, I order half the menu. Luckily I was there with an equally hungry friend, and so between the two of us, we had enough food to really get a good feel for this place.
I wish I lived close to this joint, I would be there every other day man. Their guac is awesome, made perfectly however you like it, super fresh, and good quantity too. Their service was good too and the tacos were LEGIT authentic tacos that are sort of hard to find in Center City. The authentic touches to the food are what really sold me on this place, I have a hard time finding decent legit mex food in this area.
I will definitely come back here. The place is always lively, everyone seems to be having a good time and the food comes out fast and hot. What more do you need to know?
If you are looking for middle of the road Mexican, this place is for you. Â I do not mean it is bad, the food is prepared well. Â It is just not special; the service is good but not great. Â The notable exception is the tequila, they had plenty of varieties, and they mixed their margaritas well.
So go, just do not expect exceptional.
We came here for Restaurant week because they give you a fair amount of options and 3 courses + guacamole. It was good, the guacamole is customizable which is cool, although you have to pay for mix-ins after a certain point. The base guacamole they give you is only avocado, lime and evoo, so three is enough to get you red onions, cilantro and garlic to make it actual guac.
For appetizer I had the Huarache de Hongos which was something like a cotija cheese and mushroom flatbread. It was definitely tasty, and really large compared to the empanadas.
For my entree I got Camarones Con Caldo on recommendation by the waiter. It was tasty but not out of the ordinary. It was like 6 or 7 regular sized spicy shrimps. It said it came with "avocado salad" but it was really just cilantro salad with a few tiny pieces of avocado in it. It did come with fried plantains though, which will always get extra points for me.
One of my friends got the salmon, which was good but also not out of the ordinary. The other got the flat iron steak which was probably the best (if you like steak) of the three. It was thicker than most flat iron steaks and cooked perfectly (asked for medium rare).
We got the white sangria...which came with ice. It had tequila in it which kind of overpowered the wine, and when I said ice, they give you a LOT of ice so that by the time you've finished unless you're sucking it down really quickly it's pretty diluted.
For dessert I had the flan, which I didn't really care for at all (and I love flan normally). The flavors were just off and kind of strange. The chocolate cake was nothing like our waiter described, but it was awesome I should have gotten that. And then the churros were freshly fried and came with a good sauce.
The fact that you can customize your guacamole is mind-blowing and amazing. This automatically won my heart over to begin with, but if it wasn't for that, the jalapeño infused margarita called El Pepino was top notch!
For our customized guac, we added white onion, garlic, jalapeño and truffle. So scrumptious!
I ordered the fish tacos for myself, and the portion was filling and did not lack in flavor or freshness in the least! I would definitely recommend this place. And I hope to return next time I'm in town! (Thank God my sister lives right above!)
Sangria with Ice in it.. seriously?! We asked the hostess and she was like wide eyed with surprise  - "oooohh.. but I have NEVER had any Sangria without Ice"
I gave up on the place after that! lol!!
The guac was fresh, but lacking lemon and salt, we asked them to get some, so we could make it taste better.. lol!!
The chips were fine - fried tortillas instead of normal chips
The queso was just that - CHEESE! With a few peppers thrown in. Nothing memorable.
The Veggie Sope - not my style at all. The masa cake was not seasoned at all. The veggies on top of it was ok, nothing great.
The Tamale - The mushrooms were perfectly cooked and I loved every bite. But the tamale itself was like super lean, NOT seasoned and too chewy. Not at all like what a real tamale should be! Not flavorful or yummy.
My Coco martini was good - super strong on the coffee flavor, not so much on the tequila though!
The MICHELADA delivered though - it was spicy and strong.
Not sure if I would like to be back here..
WARNING: DO (not) UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CONSUME MORE THAN TWO MARGARITAS FROM XOCHITL (or else you might end up too drunk to stumble your way to the Society Hill parking lot...ergo risking your status...in...well...society. "Hello chaps, I've just had 3 drinks and now I'm a blithering idiot." Stumble, stumble, fall.)
The Perfect Margarita is, indeed, perfect...and is complimented very nicely by chipotle salt...you need salt to retain the water so you don't dehydrate yourself and end up as above.
The build your own guacamole is a fun concept: I've always wanted to blend black truffles and Mexican onion in an avocado puree. But unfortunately, the guacamole had its tush handed to it by the best fried tortilla chips I've stuffed my face with. Double layered and perfectly salty, these chips are fried to light gold perfection, and it's guaranteed you'll leave the basket empty...with nothing but grease remnants staining the red napkin to let you know who's been where.
The mushroom tamale dish was more like one long skinny tamale topped with dollops of soft Mexican white cheese. Thick and smooth, the tamale exuded a mild corn flavor, and served as the ultimate compliment to the umami pile of sautéed mushrooms accompanying it.
I took my sister here for her birthday in November '11 and we were thoroughly unimpressed--poor service, small guacamole portion, small+EXPENSIVE glass of unimpressive sangria, and tacos without accompaniment. My wallet was upset with me.
April '12. My partner and I strolled here on a Friday night for a dinner date. Start out with a much more pleasant server--a fellow bearded gent. My partner inquired about the carmenere on the wine list, he provided a captivating description, so she ordered it and loved it--we actually ended up buying a case about a week later, so thanks dude! Also, $4 21st Amendment IPA is a huge plus.
Guacamole: choose your own ingredients=sweet. The portion was easily double the size of my previous visit=ever better. Ahi tuna ceviche: flavors meshed well, all-around nice dish, yucca chips light and complimentary to the dish. Tacos (portion of 3) delectable combination of well thought-out ingredients and plenty of meat. The standout, however, was absolutely the SHORT RIB TAMALE: moist masa, incredibly tender and marinated short rib (A TON OF MEAT) and sweet pickled onion. This dish is a must.
The upscale Mexican decor works nicely (lots of browns and yellows, black wrought iron, white and blue tile), although I would like the lighting to be more muted/dimmer and have more candles.
Great experience the second time around. Get the tamale and a beer and your stomach will praise your divine judgment.
Smallest menu selection I've ever seen at a Mexican place.
Queso fundido was odd and pretty greasy. Â Short rib tamale was flavorful but again oddly served.
Portions are tiny. Â Pretty cheap if you don't drink. Â We drank. Â Mojitos were good but $10.
I would just recommend going somewhere else. Â I think others would agree seeing as there was no one there on a Saturday night.
I definitely agree with everyone else here - the food is overpriced and bland. I remember walking out of there last night telling my husband that if I didn't order the Mexican street corn as a side with my entree and the pitcher of (red) sangrias that we shared, I would have been really upset.
-Appetizers: We started with the queso fondito with peppers which was okay. It was very greasy, but was good enough to settle a craving that my husband had.
-For the entrees, I ordered the carnitas tacos which automatically came with a side of beans. The was really disappointed because the pork meat itself - although tender had no flavor. The worst part was the side of beans... they were semi warm and still had the aluminum can taste... there was absolutely nothing added to them!! My husband ordered the short rib tamale which he really enjoyed, but the portion was a tapa-like portion at a fabulous price of $14.
-For dessert, my husband got the churros with hot chocolate (which was luke warm), and I ordered the chocolate tres leches. The desserts were not great but not horrible.
-Service: At first, the service was fantastic... we had our appetizer and first round of margaritas delivered to our table within 20 minutes of being seated. However, once we received our dinners and sangria, it's like the waiter forgot we existed for the remaining 45 minutes that we were there.
-Overall: If we didn't have a groupon, we would have been really upset but with the discount, the bill wasn't too bad for a mediocre meal in Philly.
-Tip: If you want authentic Mexican food, take a drive up to Conshy for El Limon.
Xochitl is one of my favorite places to go for a drink in Philly. I hope that doesn't change anytime soon. The margaritas are the best and I do believe they are a bit larger than they used to be. But several staff changes (including the chef) over the past year lead me to this review update.
I'm going to shoot straight: this new version of Xochitl is overpriced. Not for the drinks, which I feel are worth their tag, but for the food, which is sadly not as good as it was in the past. Wanting to share a few small plates for dinner on Saturday night, we ordered a red snapper ceviche for $14. The fish was more like sashimi with some red onion and orange pieces thrown in. There was absolutely no citrus taste to the fish itself, which is a staple in ceviche. It really lacked any kind of taste other than the snapper, which could have used a little salt as well.
Two types of tacos were better in show. The steak tacos were juicy and very flavorful, and the chicken tacos with a nice, healthy slice of avocado were great... with the exception of a small bone in one of mine. The accompanying sides of black beans were slightly warmer than room temp and not so great.
These three plates plus two margaritas each came close to $100, including a generous tip (we received a couple new drinks on the house in exchange for our thoughts on them so we wanted to make sure our server Michelle was covered). Happy hour will probably be the way to go for me in the future, because I cannot live without those amazing margs. Sadly, the late night happy hour I used to love on Thursday nights is no longer, but I'll happily pull up a seat from 5-7 on weekdays.
Offensive. Â Flavorless pre-made guacamole in a tiny bowl. Â i've been robbed less at overpriced restaurants in manhattan. Â what really got me was that it turned brown by the time we were down to the last chip (tops 10 minutes). Â pampano, mama mexico, even dos caminos makes fresh guac at your table to order. Â are you serious "So-Cheet"? Â within the first 20 minutes of being at this restaurant, i can understand why they did an opentable spotlight.
The housemade chips aren't overly greasy and they're the perfect thickness, but is all that salt necessary?
The mushrooms in the tamale were tasty, but I thought the strong cheese didn't fit in, I could barely taste the pasilla chile gravy or house crema, so I can't say they added much.
Extremely dry, tough and tasteless short ribs--maybe this was the "lean kind" but it was really really dry/tough. Â the golden potato gordita was great, but the roasted garden veggies were soggy, soaking in sauce, and just as uninteresting as the short ribs.
Completely dry and tasteless chicken (the special "pollo frito")--$25 for a half-chicken, are you serious?! Â i made a more tender chicken breast on a fry pan the other night. Â (entrees were $30 post-tax across the board--at those prices, I'd go to one of the amazing BYOs Philly offers) Â 24-hour brined does not make dry chicken!!!
The doughnuts were an incredible disappointment. Â the chocolate sauce and whatever fruity sauce (they called it strawberry) they brought out seemed like they came out of a can and a film formed on the top of the chocolate almost instantly. Â they should learn a thing or two from the stanton social.
I would give this place 2 stars but for the fact that the service was pretty terrible despite the very nice disposition of the waitress. Â finished glasses and plates were not taken away unless we stacked them on top of each other and placed literally on the edge of the table. Â the restaurant was hardly full so there was no excuse. Â i specifically asked for no salt on my margarita, but surprise surprise, it came with salt. Â my friend's first drink of the night never got cleared from the table--with 4 people at the table, are...you...for real? Â i can appreciate paying happy hour prices for these drinks, but aside from the fresh ingredients like lemons, limes, mint, truly nothing to warrant the $10-15 cocktails (the cocktails go up in price from there). Â the flights of tequila we tried were delicious but they could not make up for the fact that the food sucks. Â sorry for the bluntness.
Stopped in for dinner with the wife this past Friday. While we didnt end up staying for an actual dinner, we did order some drinks and share a few items off the menu to hold us over. Heres the long and the short...
The mushroom/artichoke flatbread was visually appealing but somewhat bland. Short rib tamale wasnt exactly a tamale as it was a pile of short rib on top of a few masa medallions. To their credit, the short rib itself was tasty, but the dish was so over-engineered I wish it just came wrapped in a damn corn husk.
Our favorite was the carnitas tacos. Easily among the most flavorful and well executed carnitas I've had in a long time. Tender shredded pork finish fried to a crisp, served on proper corn tortillas with diced onions and cilantro. Thats the one thing I would come back for (at the moment). Â I only wish they werent so damn small, especially for $12.
Overall, it would seem all the right elements are in place for a successful contemporary mexican restaurant - picturesque location, competant bar with heavy pours, and some decent flavor coming out of the kitchen. So why the 2 stars? My biggest gripes are with the tapas sized dishes with entree sized prices, and the hit-or-miss service. In our circumstance, our wait staff seemed to alternate between the manager on duty and a roving waiter, neither of which was sure who was responsible for our table. Also, we ordered 2 mojitos when we sat down... they were the last and only drinks to hit our table for the duration of our meal, despite being finished before the food ever got there. It was OK though, we got drinks somewhere else after we left.
I really want this place to be successful, they just need to work out their growing pains. Maybe I'd go back for happy hour, but not anytime soon.
For a restaurant that's only been around five years, they've changed numerous times -- in personnel, decor, menu and attitude -- and this final upheaval appears to have knocked them greatly.
I used to love Xochitl, heading there from my nearby apartment very frequently for happy hour margaritas, steak tacos and the awesome bar menu. But after Cook and Solo sold the restaurant last summer, things have gone downhill.
Though the staff is said to still be the same, the quality just doesn't seem so. It's just not quite right -- the service is decent, though don't expect them to tell you prices for specials if they are not listed. The food has changed with the new chef and it just isn't working.
Some of the best menu items are no longer there, including the tortilla soup, and it appears the bar menu is no longer available. In general, prices have increased but the value has not. A recent dinner with three girlfriends, with an order of guac, three entrees and one drink each, cost us more than $150 and we each left hungry. The highly touted fried chicken was lackluster and the camarones con caldo, while cooked well, wasn't balanced in its seasoning. Too much adobo.
Some great items still remain, like the Xochitl salad, guacamole with added crab meat, steak tacos and all the desserts (especially the flan).
But for me, Xochitl is destined to be a spot for drinks and small snacks only.
I can't BELIEVE I didn't review the original incarnation of Xochitl.
Probably because it was my go-to first date place and it was on the QT. Then I fell out of the habit of dating.
Then there was the overly long relationship with speed dial and Little Italy Pizza.
Anyway, New Year ...
Like many here I approached the new Xochitl with trepidation/shoulder chip. I just really liked what we had and wasn't ready to move on. So for those of you who like me, knew the old and are curious about the new (well, it's 6 months new), this review is for you.
Atmosphere is still great.
Service improved vastly after the sh!tty dip earlier this year.
Menu kept some of the greats from before but changed it up and got slightly less adventurous. At first blush it reads more basic (blah blah blah tacos, tamales) but the ingredients and execution keeps it all interesting.
They had the nerve to remove the queen bee item from the former menu, Tortilla Soup, BUT they talked me off the ledge when they revealed it was the night's special. I haven't tried their version, but based on how they handled the other dishes, I feel reasonably confident they'll do it well.
The red sangria got a makeover from brush-teeth drinking glass to a stem glass with a half straw with red grape halves. Still works though drinking it with the straw makes me feel so ... effete. Ole.
The guacamole (I got the regular - I can't abide by the mix-ins concept popularized by lame El Vez) was suprisingly excellent - complex flavors, good crunch, deceptively rich. The tortilla chips were very fine - thick cut. Â But not stellar. I wanted them to be a little warm. Or a little lime. Or both.
The queso fundido (two versions, adobe peppers or chorizo - I did the peppers) was tasty but imperfect. It was a little greasy - sort of ridiculous complaint given molten cheese IS grease. It formed a nice cheesy crust which to me is grade A fat-girl eating. The tortillas tasted a little pre-fab, which brought the dish down a notch.
The fried chicken was a mixed bag. As someone else mentioned the menu takes pains to let you know how involved the preparation is. The final product is very good though maybe not a panty wetter. It's moist from the 40 days and nights of marinating but not necessarily flavorful. And the chili sauce lacing visual resembled the way a Bennigan's would drizzle icing on a danish. It's kind of pedestrian and a wood deflator. The accompanying corn bread was wonderful: some nice chewy corn, good rough texture while the overall effect remained moist. I wanted the bread to be warmer, but you can't have it all. The side greens with chorizo is a miss. Way too much chorizo and a little heavy on the vinegar. I live for greens but I'm not so sure about these.
But clearly I was happy with my meal & overall experience (loved the waitress - friendly, knowledgeable, not at all pushy, efficient) so I asked if they had dessert and ... they do. I got this roiling hot chocolate cake in a ramekin (not the molten style - I believe that concept has finally inched its way to restaurant heaven) but the real news here is the topping. A dense shlag-style cinnamon whipped cream plopped on top the size of a latin nut sack. And it was f!cking amazing. Huge bonus points for the God smart enough not to add sugar to the whipped cream. So much better sans sugar. PS that cake was unbelievably delicious and my new, larger waist size can prove it.
Let's review:
great atmosphere, service and red sangria
great guac
decent queso fundido - let's say B+
reasonable fried chicken - let's say B+
thunderously perfect chocolate cake with a nipple pincher of cinnamon whipped cream throwdown
Xochitl happily remains on the regular rotation.
Postscript, I am so annoyed by any review that starts with some complaint about not being happy about a Groupon. I wish Yelp had a sort feature to remove them.
Xochitl, I'm sorry to say you let me down. Â Not all the way down, but far enough down that I'm unable to give you more than three stars.
Build-your-own-guacamole is an awesome idea, and I loved doing it. Â Black truffle, red onion, cotija cheese, roasted garlic and jalapeno.... yes. Â Yes yes yes yes yes. Â Incredibly delicious, and the chips with it were spot-on. Â A fantastic start.
And the drinks were great! Â I got a terrific tequila recommendations from the manager, my girlfriend grabbed a terrific "blood orange martini" and we followed that with what is now my favorite red sangria in the city (taking over for Bar Ferdinand, for those of you keeping score); it's got sweetness to it but finishes nice and dry, exactly what I like in a sangria.
The rest of the meal, unfortunately, was not as successful.
- Carnitas Tacos: the tortillas were perfect, and the flavors were there... but the pork was dry, and that's just not ok when the dish is 90% pork.
- Short Rib Tamale: I *love* tamales with a passion. Â But this was not a tamale, this was a deconstructed tamale, and it didn't succeed for me because the deconstruction lost that essential masa-to-filling ratio which makes the tamale essentially a cornmeal dish. Â The masa was lost in the sea of sauce and onions and short rib. Â I want to be clear here, this dish was absolutely delicious, and the short rib was cooked to absolute perfection... but I wanted a tamale, and this really wasn't one.
- Pollo Frito: Â I also *love* fried chicken, and the menu made it pretty clear this one's made with lots of care. Â But unfortunately it wasn't what I was looking for. Â The chicken was tender enough, but the way it's fried was just not appealing to me, it needed more seasoning, a little too fluffy and flaky, plus it slid right off the meat with the first forkful and had to be eaten like a side. Â I'm having trouble putting my finger on what didn't work for me about this dish... but on the whole it just wasn't that amazing fried chicken I was looking for.
- Esquites: Â Now *this* was fantastic. Â Mexican street corn, with lots of flavor and melted cotija cheese. Â Absolutely fantastic.
Again, I have to explain just to be clear and fair that the short rib tamale is totally delicious and we devoured it... just don't go into it expecting a tamale. Â And the guac and esquites were both fantastic... but the other entrees left me wanting. Â I'd have expected more quality at this price point, particularly when I've been spoiled by the delicious, perfect and affordable carnitas tacos at Cantina Dos Segundos!
No. Â Not going to pick this place for my birthday dinner again.
So we get there, I'm looking nice. Â It's my birthday and I've been talking about coming here for awhile now. Â We show up, we walk down to the basement, get into our squished table and I'm excited. Â I think I'm excited because it's my birthday and I'm finally checking out this place. Â I can't even say the name of it. Â It's become a joke - how many different ways can we say it. Â (Oh sheeeet, Ox-tail, Oxchikital, we don't stop).
I order a drink, got a weird look from our waitress but whatever. Â Drink comes. Disgusting. I never send anything back, but she's standing in the corner across the way looking at me. Â
She comes up: You don't like it
Me: Ehh whatever that herb is in there, it's not its best use in my drink
Waitress: Yeah most people don't like it, I'll get you something else.
Me: Uhhh I'll just take a regular marg.
Ok, so great service, you took it right back, you watched from across the room knowing it was most likely a no-go.... but next time give me a heads up before you put the order in. Â Heck maybe even say "let me get you a taste first".
Dinner was meh. Â There was a short rib dish that would be my suggestion to order.
The guac was good but isn't that standard at a place like this. Â Thats a bare minimum.
I don't think I'm going to give it another shot.
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