Urban Eats Grill & Cantina | 250 S Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN | Facebook: @urbaneatsgrillandcantina | Instagram: @urbaneatsindy
This afternoon’s impromptu lunch with co-workers left a little to be desired.
Even though I brought my lunch today, I decided to be social and join a group of my coworkers for lunch. I’m always excited to try new things downtown since I live several miles away from the downtown area. I have never heard of the restaurant before so I had no idea what to expect.
We arrived a little after noon. Other than a large party of about 16 and one to two other tables, the restaurant was mostly empty. We were greeted by a hostess and seated near the rear of the restaurant. The bar is across from the entrance and there are several larger windows facing Meridian St. that let in a small amount of natural light creating a dimly lit atmosphere. The music was a bit loud so we were struggling to hear each other and were forced to almost yell to make conversation. Most of the tables in the center were tall but the chairs at least had a rail to rest your feet so your legs don’t lose circulation while dangling. That was a plus!
So…about the service. I’m not sure if they were understaffed but the servers seemed to be either shy, slightly flustered from the large party in the back or just uninterested in making conversation. Either way it was noticeable.
Our orders were taken in order around the table, but after waiting what seemed to be a long amount of time there was much confusion as to who ordered what when the food came out. My food came last, which was fine.
I ordered the Tacos Dorados lunch special = Deep fried tacos stuffed with chicken, topped with lettuce, tomato, and crema served with a side of rice and beans.
They do bring fresh chips and salsa out for the table. (Yes!) The salsa was really good. The flavors were robust with just the right amount of heat. It also had a great texture unlike those runny salsas that are all too common. I asked for some additional salsa and I’m glad that I did because my chicken was dry and lacked seasoning. The texture was off too & slightly overcooked. So, I used the salsa to add some moisture and flavor to the overall plate. The beans were seasoned well and I enjoyed the delicate flavor of the rice and it’s fluffy texture. Even though the tacos were fried they were a bit too fried for my liking (almost bordering burnt)…which may be why the chicken was a bit dry.
There were mixed reviews heard around the table but overall it was an okay experience that left a little to be desired. While I won’t necessarily pursue this restaurant experience again, I am open to giving another dish a try if it is chosen in the future by someone else.
kellyemarie.com 