Highs and Lows

My brother recommended Gringo's to us when we first arrived in Hosuton. Last night we got to try it out. Like all the restaurants on the southwest side it's busy. There's ample seating while you wait, and a twist I haven't seen before, a free soft serve ice cream machine for the kids. There's three main dining areas, the bar (smoking allowed), and a patio. Noise level is reasonably good. Kitchen is well separated from the dining areas so there isn't excessive noise from there. The service was decent. A waiter showed up in about 3-5 minutes to take drink orders. He refilled drinks periodically. The orders were transmitted correctly. One variation to a stock meal was accepted without any hassles. Orders arrived in about twenty minutes on a busy Saturday night. Prices are exceptional. No entree is over $12. Most are $8 or $9. Appetizers (the pace where the Chili's of the world really improve their bottom line) are about $4. So, price wise this place is a winner. Total check for two entrees, drinks and an appetizer was $24. The food. Very mixed opinions here. The queso dip is Kraft cheese whiz melted with anaheim peppers and onions in it. Tasty, if you're in the mood for that mixture, but not very healthy, nor would I go back for it more than once a year. The chips and salsa are unexceptional. The chips were neither hot nor fresh tasting. The salsa is a bland mixture which tastes mostly like tomatoes. The main dishes are generous on the principle items, i.e. if you order seafood enchiladas like I did, you get a decent amount of shrimp and crawfish. But strangely the serving of rice and beans that came with the meal was very small. The taste of the enchillada sause was remarkably good. But then we got the cheese whiz again. The enchilladas were filled not with the shrimp and crawfish mixture, but with CHEESE WHIZ! Overall - the service and ambiance was good, price was great, food was mediocre.
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