Abuelos in Chesapeake

Reason Why We Visited:

We were running errands in Chesapeake and we were hungry. In the mood for Mexican but unwilling to drive out to Virginia Beach or Norfolk to visit our normal Mexican joints, we opted for the newly built Abuelo's located in front of Greenbrier mall. Kate had been there before right when it opened with friends and had mentioned that it was "ok" when she visited.

The Wait:

Not that bad for a Saturday night. It was busy and there were quite a few families and large parties waiting to be seated. However, we only waited in the lobby for about twenty minutes before being seated.

Atmosphere:
Jon and Kate commented together how the usual "mom and pop" Mexican restaurant has an authentic feel to it, from the entrance down to the tables and decor. This restaurant struggled with its identity. It strove to be upper class and fancy which somewhat detracts from the typical "home style" Mexican feel that the average patron has come to recognize. The murals and paintings seemed canned as if they were cheap and mass produced copies of the real Mexican experience. It was all very pretty and clean, but lacked in the originality and homeyness of a true Mexican restaurant.

Service:

Our waitress was excellent. Very prompt and explained the menu and specials well. She was even indulgent in granting Kate's daughter, Isabelle's whiny request for a "drink like Mommy's." She was not over eager but genuine in wanting to facilitate a good and delicious experience.

Drinks:

Jon was disappointed when the waitress told him they were out of the Mojito ingredients (oddly enough the featured beverage emblazoned boldly on the front of their drinks menu). He opted instead for the Sangria Swirl that looked refreshing in the picture and in real life. Katie had a strawberry daiquiri and Isabelle, a virgin strawberry daiquiri.

Food:

We started out with an appetizer of tortilla chips and guacamole (usually offered free at most Mexican restaurants) however, all dips and salsas were charged as extra at this establishment. Being used to home-made or at least tastes like home-made chips (Tortilla West in Ghent being the best at this) we were dissapointed by the stale and unsubstantial taste of the grocery store brand chips. The guacamole was also less then spectacular, not fresh or home-made tasting either. Jon ordered the "Enchiladas de Cozumel" and Kate ordered the "Shrimp Mojo de Ajo", both House Specialities in the Seafood section. The description for Jon's dish was "Three delicious crepes filled with fresh guacamole, covered in a rich white wine sauce with a medley of perfectly seasoned shrimp, scallops, mushrooms, fresh spinach and roasted peppers," according to the menu. Jon noted that the sauce tasted bland and floury and there was an abundance of guacamole covering up what should have been the flavor of the rest of the dish. The rice side dish was also undercooked and seemed to have been made long ago and allowed to sit out. Kate felt that the shrimp dish was very lack-luster. Not Mexican in flavor, more greasy Olive Garden meets Carrabas Italian wannabe.

Dessert:

We shared one slice of the Dulce de Leche Cheesecake. Incredibly rich but again like other chain restaurants tasting like it came from a mass produced box one could also find in the freezer section of the grocery store.

Value:

One of the reasons most people, including us love Mexican so much is because of the typical economical prices. The average patron can get any number of tasty combination plates at other non-franchise Mexican places for under ten bucks. Abuelo's in its quest to be "higher class" in the Mexican restaurant industry includes a price tag to match. Unfortunately, I would prefer the home style feel and taste over the "delusion's of grandeur" offered by Abuelo's.

Overall:

On Jon and Kate's extensive list of excellent Mexican places (it being one of our fave ethnic cuisines) Abuelo's hovers precariously near the bottom. There are many places that even warrant an extra drive out of the way including El Loro which is also conveniently located in the Greenbrier area of Chesapeake.