Personal Review (27 July 1998):
After hearing a couple comments about the `great' food at the new Don Pablo's
out at White Marsh Mall (The Avenue at White Marsh), we made a trek over to
try it out. What a disappointment that was!
This was actually our second attempt to eat at Don Pablo's. The first encountered an hour wait with very loud noise and smoke at the entry. We left to try again another time.
On our second attempt, we were told the wait was 15-20 minutes. Thirty(!) minutes later we finally got a table. The frustrating part of this visit was the fact that there were lots of empty tables, but apparently not enough help. Interesting since 3 young ladies at the entrance were doing essentially nothing but standing around giggling and having a good ol' time and occasionally escorting people to a table, but doing nothing to help serve or clear tables. A very inefficient operation to say the least.
We sat down at the bar, which was right next to the entry, to have a margarita. The bar was dirty and the area was smokey. There appeared to be relaitively good air circulation, but when everything is so close together, it is inevitable that non-smokers will be subjected to smoke. And to top it off, the bathrooms are in the smoking area. Why do so many restaurants persist in being so inconsiderate of their non-smoking patrons? The margaritas de la casa were nothing to write home about, in my opinion. My wife liked the very tart taste, but it was too much for me (if you've ever sucked on a lemon, you'll know what I mean). Pucker up.
The noise level is atrocious. The floors are bare and the music level very loud. Acoustics are bad making it difficult to talk or be heard. Whatever happened to the idea of having a nice peaceful dinner. When we were finally escorted to our table, we made our way through the restaurant across dirty floors (mostly tortilla chips) and sat down at a dirty booth. None of this was making us feel too comfortable about what to expect next.
The salsa and chips were actually pretty good. Not the best, but decent. The chips are oversized and must be broken to dip into the salsa, which explains the dirty booths and floors. The food was another matter.
If you like refried beans and mexican rice, pig out. They were very good. The rest was not. My wife had the tamale dinner. She described them (and I concur) as similar to something out of a Dinty Moore can with a salty chili mess on top. I had the El Presidente dinner with chicken enchilada, beef enchilada and chile relleno. First off, I don't like having to fish around for my ordered items through a melted, runny mess on my plate where everything merges together. Good mexican food is not made this way. The beef enchilada had the same salty chili topping as the tamales which took away from the flavor, or hid it (who could tell?). The chili relleno was a nightmare. The chili skin was not removed. The hard stem was still attached and the hard seeds had not been removed. Who taught Don Pablo's chefs how to make chili relleno's?
To put it bluntly, this was a one time appearance for us at Don Pablo's. We tried it, it was not quality mexican food, we don't need to go back again. I would not encourage anyone else to either.
Don Pablo's sells itself as "the real enchilada," as in authentic Mexican
food, but we had a hard time distinguishing its offerings from the usual
fajita-nacho-uesadilla-chimichanga Tex-Mex juggernaut. Yes, the chips and
salsa are a cut above (and limitless--you serve yourself from a bottomless
vat of fresh salsa and an enormous metal chip-dispensing bin) and the food is
made fresh on-site, but what really draws the crowds, we suspect, is the
no-holds-barred party atmosphere. Colored lights, hand-painted murals,
fountains, skylights, and a jungle's worth of plants are, so the PR goes,
"modeled after a Mexican village plaza." But let's face it: This is a
Mexican village plaza the way Las Vegas's Bellagio is Italy's lake district.
It's a sensory-over-load free-for-all.
And did we mention the noise? Sound bounces off the high ceilings and cement
floors like a playoff game in the Georgia Dome. Which makes the place
less-than-ideal for a romantic night out but absolutely perfect for an evening
with your brood. "Your kids can run around and scream all they want and nobody
will look at you funny," explained the accommodating manager of Don Pablo's
White Marsh outpost. And when the young ones slow down, they'll doubtless be
mesmerized by the fountain and the giant tortilla-making contraption in the
middle of the room. And you? Soothe your jangled nerves with one of Don
Pablo's truly excellent margaritas.
Why you'll like it: Nothing over $10.99 and all kids' meals are $2.95.
Why your kids will like it: The fountain, the lights, the noise...all
this, plus crayons and a menu to color.
What to avoid: Not that you should avoid it, but be forewarned that
"Pablo's Queso," billed as an appetizer, is just a cup of melted cheese.
Hidden treasure: Lots of low-fat choices for the Frito-phobic among us.