Chulita

We were pleasantly surprised to get table for 5 on a Sunday afternoon walk-in to this place. We were starving and felt like trying some Mexican food. Our server Jenn was friendly and attentive, and we got straight to ordering as soon as we were seated. They were serving both, brunch and Lunch menu, and their lunch menu looked a much better than the brunch menu. We started off with a few $18 cocktails, which included a winner - El Pepino - very very refreshing and also not that spirit forward. Foodwise, we got the Coliflor Fundido ($16) - served with some excellent Tostadas. These were very tasty, but nothing can beat their absolutely excellent tacos, which included Vegan Mushroom Carnitas ($7 each), and Tinga de Pollo. The Mushroom tacos were spectacular which set the bar very high for our mains, which sadly, did not live up to the level! The Chulita Bowl ($19) while presented in a very nice way, lacked taste, which even the Vegan Chorizo couldn't fix. Our table had a similar experience with the Chicken Tinga bowl. Service however was very good, food arrived within 20-mins of ordering, and noise levels were on the lower end. A very positive experience overall. Vegetarian options: Definitely try the Vegan Mushroom Carnitas tacos

Food was super good. Went for late lunch, and was easy to get a table. The meat tacos were good but would pass on the cauliflower.

Love this restaurant that includes some vegan food options. I enjoyed the dinner with my friends. 8.5/10

Incredibly disappointed in our experience at Chulita. After arriving for our reservation, we were escorted to the back patio, which was all concrete. The ambiance was fine, but the ground wasn’t level, and so our table wobbled all night. It took a while for our server to greet us, but a number of tables sat at once, so we didn’t mind. I immediately asked for a new water glass, because mine was dirty. It seemed to have been coated in something inside the dishwasher. I was given another glass that looked exactly the same, covered in particles of food. I asked a runner for another glass, and she took mine but simply never returned this time. My partner and I shared one glass all night. When we ordered, our guacamole was served while our server was still at the table. Quick, but no problem. Five minutes later, our drinks, appetizer, and six tacos were delivered at the exact same time. I asked our server if they typically course things this way. She said that Chulita is a “fast casual,” so they “don’t really course things.” Needless to say, Chulita neither markets nor prices itself like a fast casual restaurant. Of course, half of our food was cold by the time we got to it, and our experience was over within 20 minutes of ordering. Our server never asked how the food was or if we wanted a second round of drinks. We ran out of water halfway through a short dinner. There were some decent bites and some mediocre ones, but nothing exciting enough to make Chulita worth our time or money. Our server seemed more concerned about a table of 8 nearby (whose food was coursed, by the way) and closing out for the night. The worst part of all of this is that I didn’t want to write a review, because I respect how hard it is to run a restaurant and know that bad nights happen. There is no way to contact Chulita’s management (except a catering inquiry) on their website, so I sent a DM via Instagram which was read and ignored—twice. I would have been happy with some understanding and an apology, but Chulita seems convinced that its trendiness will offset a consistently poor customer experience. This is usually not the case. My hope is that they can find a better balance, but I will not be back to find out.

Experience: I don’t think I’ve ever felt more cared for and tended to at a restaurant than at Chulita. From the moment I walked up to the host stand, I felt like I was being welcomed home. Jahir (I hope to god I’m spelling his name right) our server, was incredible and aside from being super attentive and responsive to our requests was also genuinely kind and charming. It was clear that the staff are kind and supportive of one another and work well together. They had a hive mind level of efficiency while still consistently giving a personal touch to the work. Food: AMAZING! Everything was cooked perfectly and Jahir did a great job at describing each dish we were interested in. He really listened to what we wanted and offered suggestions that perfect matched what we were going for. I can’t wait to go back and try more things!! Atmosphere: It’s really beautiful in there.