Mixed Experience - Javelina Cantina, Sedona
You know, a restaurant is more than just the food or the chef or the server. A restaurant is everything within the facility. It includes every employee, the food, the atmosphere, the cleanliness, and the attitudes of every person working. The cooks must show a passion for their craft. The servers must be attentive and knowledgeable.
Tonight we ate at a mid-size restaurant in Sedona, Arizona. The restaurant is named Javelina Cantina. It is located at 671 Highway 179, Sedona, Arizona 86336. Their telephone number is (928) 203-9514.
When we entered the restaurant at 6:55 this evening the host was busy with a carryout customer. He told us to wait a few minutes while he went to the kitchen to get the carryout order. At the same time he asked us to wait, there were two busboys behind him joking around. Why weren’t they be sent to the kitchen to get the carryout order? Anyway, we were shown to our seats after a wait of 4 to 5 minutes even though the place was only about 40% occupied.
We were seated in an indoor patio type area. The bus boy brought water, chips and salsa right away. A table next to us was placing their dinner order with their waiter. After ten minutes our waiter (let's call him "S") arrived to take our drink order. We each ordered a 23 ounce draft red ale. "S" went off to place the order and to wait on other tables on the other side of the restaurant. Ten minutes later he came back with our beverages and took our food order. At the same time, the table next to us was receiving their entrees.
The chips were excellent and the salsa was very good with a strong taste of oregano. (She said: We were supposed to watch our weight but we ate almost half of the basket of the chips.)
I ordered the fish taco platter and my wife ordered the tamale platter with one beef tamale and one green corn tamale. We each ordered the black beans instead of refried beans since we were given the option.
Within seven minutes our platters arrived. The plates were hot while the presentation was typical.
The fish tacos platter had good and not so good points. The fish, in the two tacos, was grilled perfectly. The texture was great. The flour tortillas were fresh and tasty. Unfortunately, it includes a tartar sauce that was fairly tame. The overall flavor of the taco reminded me of a Fillet-O-Fish from McDonald's. (Yes, I admit that I've eaten at McDonald's in my younger days.) (She said: I have to laugh when Chef told me it tasted like Fillet-O-Fish. He was right. But the New York Times recommended the dish.) The black beans were very good. They were well seasoned, cooked correctly and the portion was adequate. The Mexican rice apparently sat under a heat lamp or in a warmer for a while because some of it was dried out and tough. The remainder of it was moist and well seasoned. (She said: I did not care for the rice at all. The Coffee Pot Cafe in Sedona has better rice than this place.) In the center of the platter was a portion of shredded cabbage with diced tomatoes and chilies.
The green corn tamale was excellent. It had whole kernels of corn in the tamale dough and was filled with a very tasty cheese. It was served with a green chili salsa. (She said: This was outstanding. It had a little bite to it from the green chili sauce.) The shredded (Machaca) beef tamale was only ordinary. (She said: Taste like a chain restaurant’s tamale. Well, outside of Houston, TX. Houston has good tamales, even from the chain restaurants.) It was served with a red salsa. The remainder of the plate consisted of the same accompaniments as the fish taco platter.
After finishing the entree we waited another ten minutes before the host walked by to seat additional customers. Apparently he could tell that I was unhappy and asked if I needed anything. (Said: Boy! Chef had that “death ray eyes” on. He was mad!!!) I explained that we were finished and had been waiting ten minutes for our waiter. The host brought over a carryout box for Judy's leftovers. Then waiter showed up about 3 minutes later to see if we needed anything else. (She said: Heck no! I do not have another 30 minute just to get dessert.) We asked for the check. He disappeared for another 5 minutes and returned with the check. I gave him a credit card and only had to wait for another 3 minutes before he returned.
I usually tip twenty percent for good service. Tonight, "S" only received an 11% tip, which was about 10% more than I really thought he should receive.
I have to say that customers at other tables around us had different waiters and that they seemed to receive very good service. They were even told what the specials of the day were.
The rest of the restaurant was very nice. The place was very clean, with a nice decor. The place was well lit so there were no problems reading the menu at night.
Tonight we ate at a mid-size restaurant in Sedona, Arizona. The restaurant is named Javelina Cantina. It is located at 671 Highway 179, Sedona, Arizona 86336. Their telephone number is (928) 203-9514.
When we entered the restaurant at 6:55 this evening the host was busy with a carryout customer. He told us to wait a few minutes while he went to the kitchen to get the carryout order. At the same time he asked us to wait, there were two busboys behind him joking around. Why weren’t they be sent to the kitchen to get the carryout order? Anyway, we were shown to our seats after a wait of 4 to 5 minutes even though the place was only about 40% occupied.
We were seated in an indoor patio type area. The bus boy brought water, chips and salsa right away. A table next to us was placing their dinner order with their waiter. After ten minutes our waiter (let's call him "S") arrived to take our drink order. We each ordered a 23 ounce draft red ale. "S" went off to place the order and to wait on other tables on the other side of the restaurant. Ten minutes later he came back with our beverages and took our food order. At the same time, the table next to us was receiving their entrees.
The chips were excellent and the salsa was very good with a strong taste of oregano. (She said: We were supposed to watch our weight but we ate almost half of the basket of the chips.)
I ordered the fish taco platter and my wife ordered the tamale platter with one beef tamale and one green corn tamale. We each ordered the black beans instead of refried beans since we were given the option.
Within seven minutes our platters arrived. The plates were hot while the presentation was typical.
The fish tacos platter had good and not so good points. The fish, in the two tacos, was grilled perfectly. The texture was great. The flour tortillas were fresh and tasty. Unfortunately, it includes a tartar sauce that was fairly tame. The overall flavor of the taco reminded me of a Fillet-O-Fish from McDonald's. (Yes, I admit that I've eaten at McDonald's in my younger days.) (She said: I have to laugh when Chef told me it tasted like Fillet-O-Fish. He was right. But the New York Times recommended the dish.) The black beans were very good. They were well seasoned, cooked correctly and the portion was adequate. The Mexican rice apparently sat under a heat lamp or in a warmer for a while because some of it was dried out and tough. The remainder of it was moist and well seasoned. (She said: I did not care for the rice at all. The Coffee Pot Cafe in Sedona has better rice than this place.) In the center of the platter was a portion of shredded cabbage with diced tomatoes and chilies.
The green corn tamale was excellent. It had whole kernels of corn in the tamale dough and was filled with a very tasty cheese. It was served with a green chili salsa. (She said: This was outstanding. It had a little bite to it from the green chili sauce.) The shredded (Machaca) beef tamale was only ordinary. (She said: Taste like a chain restaurant’s tamale. Well, outside of Houston, TX. Houston has good tamales, even from the chain restaurants.) It was served with a red salsa. The remainder of the plate consisted of the same accompaniments as the fish taco platter.
After finishing the entree we waited another ten minutes before the host walked by to seat additional customers. Apparently he could tell that I was unhappy and asked if I needed anything. (Said: Boy! Chef had that “death ray eyes” on. He was mad!!!) I explained that we were finished and had been waiting ten minutes for our waiter. The host brought over a carryout box for Judy's leftovers. Then waiter showed up about 3 minutes later to see if we needed anything else. (She said: Heck no! I do not have another 30 minute just to get dessert.) We asked for the check. He disappeared for another 5 minutes and returned with the check. I gave him a credit card and only had to wait for another 3 minutes before he returned.
I usually tip twenty percent for good service. Tonight, "S" only received an 11% tip, which was about 10% more than I really thought he should receive.
I have to say that customers at other tables around us had different waiters and that they seemed to receive very good service. They were even told what the specials of the day were.
The rest of the restaurant was very nice. The place was very clean, with a nice decor. The place was well lit so there were no problems reading the menu at night.
posted by Chef Burning Chix at
9:28 PM
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