I've walked by this place a dozen times and have been meaning to try it -- how could I not have noticed that garish hot pink and bright orange awning? Even though this is a new place, it is consistently packed with people who seem to be enjoying themselves. Luckily, the restaurant takes reservations, so two of us went for an early mid-week dinner. We opted to share five appetizers, which was actually too much food for us. The guacamole (we ordered ""medium"") was tasty, and came with six homemade small, warm tortillas. They also brought us extra chips (the kind that had come with the smoky salsa) to finish it off. We had two appetizer orders of taquitos -- three pork and three beef, served on the same small tortillas. Both were well-flavored and the meat was really tender and delicious. We both like the beef better, maybe because the green sauce on the pork tacos was the same as the sauce used on the crab dish. Speaking of which, the crab sopa tart-like thing was really good -- probably our favorite. Two generously sized, creamy and moderately-spiced real crab tarts, in that same tortilla shell, served over a slathering of fresh green sauce. Lastly, we had the black bean and plantain empanadas The two good-sized empanadas were sweet and delicious, perfectly fried (not at all greasy). There was a touch more of that same pungent (not spicy) green sauce on this plate, too. (I would have liked more of a variety of flavors in the sauces used for the different appetizers. In other words, less green sauce. But that is my only small complaint.) We had a glass of the malbec which was quite good--we were pleasantly surprised. The service was extremely cheery and friendly. The same fuscia-and-orange color scheme is used on the inside as well, but somehow it works inside and just seems fun. They play a soundtrack of upbeat Latin-flavored hits, not overpoweringly loud. They also have a nice-sized outdoor patio. Barrio beats Miracle Grill across the street by a mile!
Pros: delicious food & drink, friendly service, fun decor, takes reservations
Cons: gets crowded, many appetizers use same green sauce
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