Chic Eats - MexiBBQ

There's a Tex-Mex place on our corner called MexiBBQ that Lars adores. Personally, I have never been wowed by the place, but considering I find myself there more often than not, I should probably write up a little review. Originally, Lars and I avoided this place because we thought it looked douchey (there's a waterfall in the back). The ambiance is actually pretty fun and lively though, and the servers are nice. Also, you can buy growlers to take home their special brews. This is a cool thing in a neighborhood that can sometimes lack decent draft selections.

I'm going to make this one snappy, because I don't think it's a place that particularly warrants a long drawn out review. Ultimately, the pros outweigh the cons, but I wouldn't claim this is a place you need to make a visit for. That said, if you're looking for a palatable bite in Astoria with a decent atmosphere, MexiBBQ is a valid choice.

PROS:

1.) Great beer list (any draft you can imagine, with a late night happy hour to boot!)
2.) Burger and Beer Monday - $10 for a damn decent burger and a draft beer.
3.) Fun for brunch - $11 to add unlimited mimosas, bloody mary's or Mexican draft beers to your brunch entree. Do it. The waiters here will make it worth your while. The brunch options are pretty tasty too.
4.) It's seriously a 90 second walk to my apartment. (Don't take that as an invitation to stalk me.)
5.) Nice presentation on dishes. They use micro greens on nearly everything, people. MICRO GREENS!
6.) Fun, lively atmosphere with a good music playlist and big booths for groups.

CONS:

1.) The food has never come out at the right temperature. My hot food always comes out kind of cold, and the time I ordered a salad, it arrived in a room temperature bowl.
2.) It's pricey for the portions that you get.
3.) The service has been inconsistent. Sometimes very slow.
4.) They recently changed the tortillas on the tacos from corn to flour? Now the tacos come out more like a toasted chimichanga, than a taco.
5.) They use micro greens on nearly everything, people. MICRO GREENS! (some people might consider that a con.)

We started with the guacamole with crispy pork cracklings and house made chips ($7). This appetizer always wins. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture, but I can vouch that the guac is a great acid level and consistency, and the pork is a fun touch. If you're not a pork person they have plenty of other creative guacamoles featuring shrimp, chicken and more. Start with one of these.

On our last visit I ordered the Devil Corn Quesadilla. This was a flour tortilla with huitlacoche cheese, mushrooms, corn and black beans. I liked the spiciness of the sauce on top and the crema that they use to balance it out, however for $12, the portion was measly, and the quesadilla came out soggy. It was almost as though the food had sat out on the counter for a while collecting moisture before coming out to me. Not the most appetizer meal I've had there. But hey, they put micro greens on top, so yeah, that part was cool.

Lars ordered the Baja Fish Tacos ($9), which he had enjoyed at MexiBBQ before.  However, we were surprised when they came out in flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas. It really took all of the traditional flair out of the dish. Though he said it made it easier to apply the mango salsa (the other version had been a bit messy), he said the flour tortillas made the dish bland and unbalanced. It's too bad. Those used to be pretty good tacos. But hey, they put micro greens on top, so yeah, that's cool.

Finally our buddy Nathan settled on some layered nachos ($9) with chicken (+$3), because he's on a diet. Let me rephrase that: he's on a "program" where he can't eat wheat. Corn chips to the rescue! This dish had refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, black olives, tomatoes, salsa, jalapenos and chicken. NO MICRO GREENS. So yeah, totally works for a diet, I mean "program", right? He enjoyed the nachos but again, they weren't anything too special.

Overall, a fun place, but nothing to go loco about.

THE DAMAGE: