Awesome
DESCRIPTION: Old World Cooking and hospitality. Not cheap, but well worth the price. Don Pepe is a jewel hidden in Newark. Worth the trip (two hours for me from South Jersey)
DATE: 2003-06-05
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Garlic Chicken and Portuguese Coffee Drink

Do not go there for New Years Eve
DESCRIPTION: Last night, New Years Eve, My husband and I paid $100 each for what was the worst new Years At Don Pepe. I was served cold Lobster... it was awful. The tables were so crammed in, you could not get up to dance. The buffet was poorly laid out, there was food on the floor, we never did get calamari, the service stunk, we had to ask for eveything twice, and the music stunk. We feel very ripped off along with the other 15 guests at our table.
DATE: 2006-01-01
FOODRATING : 4
SERVICERATING : 4
AMBIANCERATING : 4
OVERALLRATING : 2

Salt Lake's Blue Iguana is the world's best!
DESCRIPTION: I have made it a point to eat, and judge Mexican food everywhere I have traveled, including Mexico, South America, Europe, Asia, and of course, the Mexican communities of the U.S. (El Paso, Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles, etc.) The food at the Blue Iguana is absolutely the very best I have tasted. I am now trying to get this restaurant to ship me the chili verde by air freight.
DATE: 2003-12-28
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : chili verde, cheese enchalidas, chili rellenos

Spanish gourmet treat
DESCRIPTION: San Chez is a gem in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids. Always a favorite due to their unique tapas offerings and dynamite sangria - this restaurant never disappoints. The waitstaff are wonderful at guiding newcomers through the menu and giving suggestions. Most of all, the atmosphere is wonderfully colorful, and condusive to intimate nights out as well as large parties. The food is to die for!
DATE: 2003-11-13
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : goat cheese fritters

My favorite place
DESCRIPTION: This is perhaps my fav restaurant. We go with a large group and order tons os little dishes. You leave stuffed. Service is always excellent and helpful. The sangria is good as well.
DATE: 2005-09-11
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : flourless chocolate cake

DESCRIPTION: San Chez has become a "destination restaurant" for me and my wife when I visit relatives in GR. The service has always been top-notch, and the food- well the food has always been spot-on perfect. After half a dozen visits, I honestly cannot say that I have ever had a flawed dish here. About two years ago, relatives holding a 50th wedding anniversary party booked the entire restaurant for a rather large brunch party of about 80 people. The service was seamless, and the staff and management went out of their way to accommodate the program that friends and family assembled for our guests of honor, helping to make it truly a day to remember.
DATE: 2005-09-18
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Cazuela de Esp rragos (asparagus casserole)

Avoid it!
DESCRIPTION: My comments are about the Deerfield Beach Cielito Lindo's, not to be confused with the Fort Lauderdale one (which is good) or the Pompano Beach one (which is fair). Service and food at Deerfield Beach Cielito Lindo's has been poor, both times I have eaten there. The first time, only one thing went wrong, and that was with my margarita. I ordered one of their premium tequila margaritas, frozen. It arrived looking like gray, gloopy dirty dishwater, and tasted about the same. It had no flavor, let alone any alcohol. Our waitress said (annoyed) that that was how frozen margaritas were supposed to taste, that the ice as it melted watered it down. I asked her about the gray color and she said it must just be from their ice. She never did anything to fix it, and I just let it alone. Weeks later, my friend begged me to go to the Deerfield Cielito's, even though I warned her of my earlier bad experience. But we went, and this time it was so much worse!! We arrived to the restaurant at 9:35 p.m., and received a friendly greeting at the door. As we were being seated, however, the host said that the kitchen was closing in 5 minutes. I asked my friend what that meant; she's worked in the restaurant biz for years. She said that just meant to hurry and place our order. If they didn't want us there they should have told us they were closed. Our waitress arrived, and also told us the kitchen was closing in 5 minutes. We ordered quickly and looked around. The lights were turned all the way up and were so bright we wished we had sunglasses, and we saw another couple complaining about the same thing. The manager refused to turn the lights down. A cleaning girl swept the floor of the restaurant, right by our table, as we munched on chips and salsa. Then, our food arrived. My friend had ordered the Vegetable Stir Fry, and I ordered the 2 Enchiladas. The Vegetable Stir Fry didn't look anything like what my friend had expected, so she called the waitress over. The waitress got very defensive right away, said the meal was what was ordered, and there was nothing she could do. She even grabbed a menu and shoved it in my friend's face to 'show' her she was wrong. But the Vegetable Stir Fry on the menu says the dish contains snow peas, red onion, yellow squash, plus red and green peppers. My friend's plate however was only red and green peppers, with a few slivers of yellow onion. All there was were peppers and onions! When the waitress read the menu for herself, she called the manager over. He came over, and said oh yeah, sorry we are just out of red onion and snow peas. We asked about the yellow squash and he said they were out of that too. My friend asked why, when she was ordering, the waitress didn't warn her that 3 of the 5 vegetables in her entree were not available? The manager just said he was sorry there was nothing he could do, and my friend asked him to take her plate away and if she could have something else. He said no, the kitchen was closed. It was 9:45. I started to eat my enchiladas, and realized that the cheese in my cheese enchilada wasn't even melted, it was just as if someone had sprinkled shredded cheese in a tortilla, wrapped it up and served it cold. My beef enchilada wasn't much better; the meat inside seemed hours old and was tough, dry and hard to chew. The rice on my plate had obviously been under a heat lamp for hours, the yellow rice was now brown with age, and each grain had hardened into something unedible. We asked for the check. The manager brought it, and asked me if I wanted a box since there was more than 3/4 of my dinner still on my plate. I said no, because unfortunately it wasn't very good. He turned and walked away without even asking why! That's when my friend called him back, and started explaining everything that was wrong. He didn't care. He just barely apologized and said next time we shouldn't come in so close to closing time. (They closed at 10, almost a full half hour after we arrived.) I paid the $10 for my dinner and left. I could have had a much better meal and service from Taco Bell for half that price. We went to leave, and the door was locked!! No one could let us out! So we stood there for an additional 5 minutes waiting for the same jerk manager to come and unlock the door so we could escape this awful place. This is by far the worst dining experience I've ever had. The restaurant smelled like garbage, and the staff was totally rude. Avoid it!
FOODRATING : 2
SERVICERATING : 2
AMBIANCERATING : 2
OVERALLRATING : 2
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Something from Taco Bell instead

More than a restaurant -- a cultural experience!
DESCRIPTION: Despite the increasing popularity of flamenco music, flamenco restaurants seem to have lives measure in months. Not this one! El Cid has been at its present location for over forty years. The restaurant's world-class performers offer a highly varied program, encompassing the major flamenco forms. If that were not enough, the restaurant occupies a historical site. Complementary brochures, supplemented by informative articles posted in the lobby, provide a unique insight into early Hollywood.
DATE: 2003-01-13
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : paella, El Cid

Don't go for the food!
DESCRIPTION: While the flamenco show at El Cid is adequate (I would never call it spectacular, and I do have some expertise as my sister dances flamenco), I was very disappointed by the food. It was a Saturday night, certainly not an "off" night, and we ordered the paella and a couple of other dishes. The lamb (cordero catalan) was passable, but the paella was horrible. Not a hint of saffron, and the rice tasted cheap and overcooked. The seafood consisted almost entirely of rubbery scallops. This was especially disappointing since the paella was touted as the specialty of the house. For almost $30 a person, I expect a lot better. I was truly embarrassed that a friend who was with us was trying Spanish food for the first time, because she came away with a terrible impression. If anyone from El Cid comes across this review, please, work on the quality of your food! The ambience cannot make up for a dreadful meal.
DATE: 2003-05-05
FOODRATING : 2
SERVICERATING : 6
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 2
RECOMMENDED DISHES : none.

DESCRIPTION: There's really no other restaurant like El cid! It gives you a taste of Spain's culture. With it's authentic spanish dishes, their spectacular show and the decor of the restaurant. Also the service is friendly and good. As a aspiring flamenco musician I felt like I was at home! I was really amazed by the preformers especially Gino's, the flamenco guitarist. I could tell he felt every note he played. I would really love to get lessons from Gino but I don't know how to personally contact him.Whoever gets this could you e-mail me a number to reach him at. thank you!
DATE: 2004-01-12
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : paella,

Lobsters as you have never been served.
DESCRIPTION: This place serves the very best lobster we have had .....anywhere. They range from the 1-11/2 garden variety dinner size up to and including the behemouth 7-8 pounder that has sucessfully intimidated my most ardent lobster fan. Try whatever size you fancy broiled rather than steamed to bring out the special flavor of the shellfish.
DATE: 2003-12-22
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Lobster, spanish fried potatos and garlic green beans ...ther best

We survived the Spanish Inquisition
DESCRIPTION: Since this apparently is the first review of this restaurant, I can't do the proprietor any favors by trying to be kind. On 1-23-2004 oue party of four arrived a Don Quijote's about 7:30 PM. There is a do it yourself cloak-room at the front of the restaurant, it was too small, resulting in people standing line either to hang-up their coats,or waiting just to get their coats to leave. The ambiance was satisfactory, in that it reflected thoughts of Spain. It certainly wasn't the "live band" as advertised, because there was none. The lighting was so low that it was necessary for the waitress to bring a small flashlight just to read the menu. We ordered a combination appetizer plate consisting of various meats and mushrooms. The meats were much too spicy,resulting in one of my guests later becoming ill. Another of my guests ordered a T bone steak, well done. What he received was a filet mignon, burnt to a crisp. The waitress took it back, then later brought another cut of meat, not a T Bone and it was burnt. This guest declined to see if the third time was a charm, so he went without a main course, and got something from Wendys on the way home. I ordered a T bone steak, well done. I actually got a T Bone, but it was burnt, and dry as a bone. I felt fortunate that I at least received a piece of meat which resembled what I ordered. I ate it in silence. We felt that for Northwest Indiana the menu prices were a bit exorbitant, at least five dollars more per meal than comparable restaurants. The location of the restaurant is not user friendly in that there is no parking adjacent to the entrance, except on the curb, and across the street in a common use lot. There is no consideration for the disabled, neither in the approach to the entrance, nor in the bathroom facilities, which only accmmodates one person at a time. On the whole, I must chalk this up to "lessons learned". I feel this is another example "ethnic restaurants", that depend on the general lack of dining sophistication of the average American. Don Quijote should stick to tilting windmills, as I'm sure Sancho Panza is searching for a better restaurant.
DATE: 2004-01-25
FOODRATING : 2
SERVICERATING : 4
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 2
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Spanish rice (its' hard to mess up)

What a great restaurant!
DESCRIPTION: Don Quijote has the best Spanish food this side of the pond! The owner and chef are both native Spaniards which shows up in the menu, hospitality, and decor. The smell of coffee and olive oil reminded me of my visits to Spain. Each table is presented with a proportional size dish of paella to get the appetite going. The bread is as close to pan del dia I have come across. It is well worth the trip!
DATE: 2004-05-13
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : paella, gambas ajillo, flan

Very authentic Spanish cuisine.
DESCRIPTION: I had an arranged meeting with some friends there for 7:30pm. I arrived late due to Chicago traffic, but was welcomed very well by the hostess Elena and seated with my group. My friends' food was arriving when I was seated, I took a few minutes to look over the menu and made my decision. They must have taken into consideration the fact that my friends' already had their food and cooked mine right away because ti was out very quickly (5-10 mins). I spent over 14 years in Spain, so I know Spanish food, and let me tell you that I haven't had more authentic Spanish food anywhere other than in Spain. The price is rather high, but I believe that the reason behind that is that a lot of what they serve is actually imported directly from Spain, which isn't cheap. The hospitality of the people there is also very Spanish, extremely open and friendly (the hostess came by my table at least half a dozen times tomake sure things were to our liking. I Live in Lafayette, IN which is about an hour and a half drive away from Valpo, but it was more than worth the drive. The following Monday at work that was about all I talked about was how great of a restaurant I had been to and was recomending it to everyone. My experience at Don Quijote's was great an very memorable.
DATE: 2004-08-16
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Paella, Trucha Navarra, all of the tapas (appetizers) are great, for dessert flan (the best I've ever had, and believe me I've had a lot)

DESCRIPTION: We love this restaurant! After a couple of visits the owners will know you by name. Everyone is treated like family. Remember this is a European restaurant, and the atmosphere is to sit relax and enjoy dinner and conversation with friends. You will be there a couple of hours. You will not go hungry with the various courses coming at an even pace, not too fast, just enough time to let the previous course digest a bit. Appetizer - Croquetas, mushrooms, or tortilla are winners. If you like spicy try the chorizzo. Main course - The paella or cod Desert - In cooler months try the arroz con leche, in the warmer months try the fresh lime pie (nothing like key lime pie.) These deserts are not from Gordon Food Service, they are freshly made from scratch!
DATE: 2005-01-22
FOODRATING : 6
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8

Great restaurant
DESCRIPTION: A great evening. Very friendly service in a very nice setting. And the food was just delicious. A wonderful place to discover the wonderful wines of Rioja and others as well. The service was outstanding.
DATE: 2005-04-30
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Paella Marinera for two

DESCRIPTION: Denver and Spanish omelets are outstanding. Steaks and burgers are better than average. Service can be slow.
DATE: 2002-11-12
FOODRATING : 6
SERVICERATING : 6
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 4
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Denver or Spanish omelets

DESCRIPTION: This was the best place we found in Quanah. Down home friendly service. Full menu.
DATE: 2005-05-23
FOODRATING : 6
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 6
RECOMMENDED DISHES : T-Bone steak, chocolate cream pie

DESCRIPTION: The food here is exquisite. Great for lunch, dinner, and even special occasions. Service is wonderful!
DATE: 2003-08-17
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Mango Chicken, Springtime Snapper or Ropa Vieja

Consistent quality over 30 year-period
DESCRIPTION: I've been a customer for over thirty tears and tony's has always been known for fresh, quality food.
DATE: 2003-11-27
FOODRATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : beef steak in pepper sauce, my favorite...all seafood dishes...

Fresh Seafood and Excellent Service
DESCRIPTION: At a Family gathering, we ordered the following dishes: stuffed lobster tails in which the stuffing was too salty; king crab legs which was served with only 1 and a half legs ($26); beefsteak with shrimps, very good; chilean sea bass, very good; veal with bananas in madiera sauce, the veal could have been somewhat more tender; and the broiled seafood combination, very good. The sangria needed a bit more brandy as it was a little on the weak side. For an Ironbound restaurant, we thought the bill was too pricey. Parking across the street. Excellent service! Fresh seafood. Only complaint was the experience was too expensive
DATE: 2004-03-09
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 6
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Any shellfish

Sangria
DESCRIPTION: Best Sangria in DC metro area.
DATE: 2003-10-20
OVERALLRATING : 8