And so it continues ... a brand new set of tastes for 2017 ...
here's the THIRD of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA
(coming to you on sequential Thursdays. All. Year. Long.)!
Establishment: The Whole Enchilada
Location: Ft Lauderdale
Meal: Dinner
Drink: Freestyle Sproke (half Sprite/half Coke)
Appetizer: Guac and Chips
Main: The Whole Enchilada Platter
corn tortillas stuffed with jack and cheddar cheese and meat [I chose steak], topped with melted cheese, "red" sauce and sour cream
Side(s): Pinto Beans and Mexican Rice
Dessert: n/a
Server: name not provided (see below) for this counter service location
Website: http://twefreshmex.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TWEfreshmex
Maybe it was the wrong location (they have three listed on their website). Maybe it was the wrong employee. Maybe it was the wrong night. But whatever the case, finally choosing this taco joint that we've driven past many a time just didn't quite live up to the hype on the website about being "feisty", "fun and friendly" with a "'cutting edge' charisma". The details as to how it scored on the Troy-scale follow:
AMBIANCE: 8/10 (as you might be able to tell from the accompanying photo, this location is a converted gas station, which gives it a bit of a charm -- including a conversion of where the gas pumps were into an outdoor eating area with picnic tables and an ability to roll up the garage doors to give it all a very open vibe ... which is necessary because inside it's a little small and a little crowded, and a point is lost because that meant that our table by the freestyle soda machine was practically on top of the line of people waiting to self serve their drinks ... and a second point is lost for having sticky tables upon our arrival -- which, in retrospect, may be because of its proximity to said machine)
FOOD: 8/10 (with the disclaimer that Mexican is not necessarily my favorite of categories, everything was good for what it was and I was pleased that all the items weren't just mixed together on a plate, that the steak pieces in the enchiladas were large and meaty and that the guac was smooth and creamy ... my main disappointments were that the chips seemed old or stale [might they have been made fresh earlier that day?] and the freestyle Coke machine was out of cherry flavoring)
SERVICE: 8/10 (let me just say that it's a good thing the "food runner" was friendly, or else this score might have been lower than what it ended up as ... mind you, we've been to many a counter service location, so the bar is a little lowered knowing that the interactions are somewhat limited -- but this "order taker" didn't even seem to be present during the exchange [point lost], as evidenced by getting the order wrong of a tablemate [see second serving of nachos pictured, seeing as how the first ones did not arrive as ordered ... which explains the second point lost])
BACON: 5/10 (as often happens with Mexican restaurants and/or taco joints, I couldn't find a single reference to bacon on the menu ,,, so I'll say what I said before: "it's a tricky category, as traditional authentic Mexican food is more about the fresh ingredients ... and although the menu includes many references to pork [13 according to the browser counter], the reality is that bacon was not to be found ... out of sensitivity to the culture, I'll put a few points on the board")
BONUS: 9/10 (+3 for having something called the "ex-wife challenge" [details provided from its website below], +3 for the retro pop playing [retro as in y2k music, which counts as "classic" nowadays] and +3 for the creative use of the renovated gas station space])
“Because it seemed like a good idea at the time…”
Those willing to take on the ex-wife challenge will have 45 minutes during one sitting to complete the entire burrito and all of its accompaniments. If successful ~ it ‘s free and you will receive a TWE shirt and a forever gift of remembrance at The Whole Enchilada Fresh Mexican Grill.
THE EX-WIFE
a combined 6 pounds of mexican rice, black or pinto beans, jack and cheddar cheese, salsa, guacamole, lettuce and sour cream with your choice of charbroiled chicken, ground beef, pork or tofu along with a healthy side of chips.
TroyScore: 38 out of 50 -- aka 76, a C
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