El Padrino - Tequila Lime Cream Sauce, Yum!

Date Visited: Tuesday, June 15, 2011

Heard About Via:  Friend's Recommendation

El Padrino
13425 Voyager Parkway
Colorado Springs, CO 80921-7648
(719) 487-2727
http://www.facebook.com/pages/El-Padrino-Mexicano/144516582052

Attire:            Casual
Company:      My Husband

RATINGS

The Grub:                    2 – Try It…
Service:                         3 – Savor It…
Atmosphere:                2/3 - Try it/Savor It…
Cost/Value:                  $$ - Got a few bucks

Ratings Key

General                                               Cost/Value (based on a party of 2)
1 – No go…                                         $ – Pinchin’ pennies (less than $10)
2 – Try it…                                          $$ – Got a few bucks (less than $20)
3 – Savor it...                                       $$$ – It doesn’t hurt to drop a few (less than $50)
4 – Gotta go!                                        $$$$ – I just got a bonus ($100 +)

REVIEW
What a beautiful place, in a brand new building, El Padrino sits right on the corner of North Gate and Voyager.  The outside of the restaurant looks very up-scale, romantic and draws you in.  My favorite part upon arriving, was being greeted by HUGE Spanish doors that sit on the inside of the main entrance.  They were exquisite.  As you enter the restaurant, the room is split before you the dining room on the left and the bar on the right.  It is not huge and definitely has a “cozy” feel.  I did not get the opportunity to see if they had a patio, but if so, it would be with incredible views.  This restaurant seems like a great place to hang out with friends on a warm summer day and sip on margaritas…I did not get the chance to try a margarita last night, but maybe we will go back just for that some time!

The Grub
The value was decent, the food arrived fast after ordering.  I ordered the tequila lime chicken (~$11), good presentation with a wonderful melody of vegetables in the calavacitas on the side.  They mixed in bacon for the meat, which gave the side dish a nice smoky flavor, I pushed a majority of the bacon to the side but the residuals of its effects were tasty.  The tequila lime cream sauce draped over the chicken was phenomenal, but the rice left much to be desired.  It was overcooked and the tomatoes did not taste fresh.  Overall the food was decent with a few excellent flavors in select items, yet there was a lack of cohesion amongst the playing parts in the dish. 

So Great…
The tequila lime cream sauce!  Wow…very well done El Padrino.  The service was also phenomenal, my water did not remain empty for more than 2 minutes and all of the staff was all very friendly and accommodating.  The atmosphere also provided a warm and cozy feel.

The Bummer…
The chips & salsa.  Beyond the amazing service and scrumptious tequila lime sauce, the chips and salsa were the most disappointing to me.  Again, lack of fresh flavors left me wanting more.  The hot salsa was pretty good, but lacked personality and complexity.  The mild salsa was “pasty” and watery…missing salt, garlic and cilantro for that extra pop.  I also have to say that my chicken was a bit tough and the chicken breast itself was pretty small (there is something kind of funny about this sentence….)…I am being serious, but I really don’t know how else to write this sentence, haha… J