The Painted Burro

I think we caught them on an off day. While the place is beautiful and the staff is very friendly, I just didn’t meet expectations. We went for bottomless Sunday brunch during what was supposed to be a special “Dia de Los Muertos festivities” week. They did have a beautiful ofrenda at the entrance. Other than that, all we got was a 50 min wait for food to come out. Some small plates we ordered never came, others were missing ingredients/toppings, one we started eating, no one checked if we needed more drinks. Now they did ask about and accommodate a gluten allergy. I greatly appreciate that. Would have been even better if it was marked on the menu. All in all, the people were nice and the food was very good, but on this day, when it wasn’t packed, we waited a long time for nothing all that special.

Creative Mexican cuisine with over 100 different tequilas offered on the menu... yet the house Margarita is pretty boring. So definitely make sure to order your drink with the kind of tequila or agave you prefer. The dishes are a bit hit or miss, but there are interesting vegetarian options and our server was friendly, helpful, and very knowledgeable about gluten-free options. The beets taco was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS - yet the rice and beans were just meh. I expected more out of these staples here, but both the creamy poblano rice and the seasoned Mexican rice were lacking in flavor and texture, and the vegetarian black beans are served pureed into mush. The highlight of my meal was definitely the Mexican chocolate ice cream for dessert! Nice and creamy with little bits of frozen milk and the lovely light taste of cinnamon laced throughout. All in all, it was an enjoyable meal but I regret not trying a few more sides like the kale & plantains and their watermelon and heirloom tomato salad. It feels like the focus here is on really fresh ingredients prepared in new ways - but at the cost of the super traditional offerings. Service was very attentive and we enjoyed the atmosphere very much.