Trying "New" Restaurants: Pedro's

Nov 04, 2024 13:57

"Let's try new restaurants in the area." That was my New Year's resolution... in 2023. Our idea was to try one new-to-us or haven't-been-there-in-years restaurant a month. In the past 23 months we've tried... not quite ten. Clearly I'm still working on that resolution. 😅

This weekend we dined at Pedro's in Santa Clara. It's not new-new. It's a Mexican restaurant that's been there for years, at least as long as the going-on 30 years we've lived in the area. But it is kind of new to us, as the last time I recall dining there was over 20 years ago.

Pedro's is a big restaurant you can see from 101 in Santa Clara. It's harder to spot during the day, as it's a two-story joint next to a bunch of high-rise office towers. It's easier to see in the evening with its bright sign lit. Inside, the restaurant has a coziness that belies its capacity. The dining area are split into several rooms. On Saturday it was maybe less than half full, but with only some of the rooms open the visible areas were full enough for there to be a comfortable buzz. Low ceilings and intimate lighting- but thankfully not so dim we middle-age-plus adults need to pull out our phones to use as flashlights to read the menu- enhanced the cozy atmosphere.

Service was snappy. Servers entered orders on small hand-held tablets, so orders went straight to the kitchen or bar. Runners brought food and drinks out swiftly, for the most part. The one thing that was delayed was an order of tableside guacamole that arrived well after the chips and salsa.

So far I've talked about the atmosphere and the service. You might be wondering, what about the food? The food's the most important thing in dining out. Alas....

Pedro's food is good but not great. The quality and the presentation are a step above casual, family-oriented Mexican restaurants in the area. (Let me point out this is already high bar in this area.) But the flavors were not as good as our local favorites.

Pedro's prices were out of line. Entrees were about 20% more expensive than at our favorite local Mexican restaurants, which we think still taste better. A plate of two enchiladas was $30. A small steak quesadilla was $20. It all looked very pretty, but it was small for the price and only good, not superior, in taste.

In addition to being turned off by the elevated menu prices, we felt nickel-and-dimed by having to pay for chips and salsa. The three varieties of salsa they served us were tasty, but I really hope this isn't going to become the new normal at Mexican restaurants that chips and salsa are no longer complimentary starters. And for $6 for the salsa and $15+ for the guacamole- which was the size of one avocado, I must point out- they brought us only one small basket of chips. They didn't offer a refill until after they cleared away our dinner plates.

Drinks from the bar were hit-or-miss. I ordered a cadillac margarita that was good but not great. Hawk ordered a virgin piña colada that was an amateur effort. What landed on the table tasted like a melted creamsicle in a glass. She sent it back and asked for a Shirley Temple instead. At least that was good. And they brought her a refill.

Bottom line on the price versus quality ratio: Our bill was more than 20% higher than we spend for a comparably sized dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurants in the area, for the food was a notch below them. There's a reason why my last visit there was 20 years ago. I wanted to try them again in case that reason has changed. Sadly it's still the same.

dining out, food

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