Mojito Restaurant and Lounge

Where to begin?



We had been kicking around the idea of visiting Mojito for some time. We had seen them on Scoutmob, but finally decided to give the place a try when we got a dining dough certificate from AmEX worth $50. Big mistake!



Awful doesn't begin to describe this mess. The writing was on the wall the minute we arrived. Sure wish we had paid attention. Costly mistake.



We knew where the hotel was, so no problem. However, we decided to park ourselves, driving into the parking deck expecting there to be some clue as to where to park. Nada. We called the restaurant, after driving about 3 levels with no indication of where to park for the restaurant. Parking for the restaurant was on the 9th floor, from which you have to walk down a flight of stairs and take an elevator to the ground floor. It's not indicated where the restaurant is, but we go off on the ground level and began the search for the restaurant--wandering around in the dark until we were later for the reservation than we had been after leaving a movie that lasted longer than expected. No signs. No clues. Just "find your way…" I should have heeded the warning.



When we finally made it to the entrance, we saw that the place was about 1/3 occupied. We were greeted by someone yelling in our general direction from the middle of the restaurant, "table for two?" and taken around a corner, seated near windows that soon had cars arriving at the hotel, blinding us every time one approached. Really??? When the place is far less than full?



We ordered a couple of mojitos and two appetizers--fried calamari and a ceviche. The calamari was incredibly salty, greasy and lifeless. The ceviche was not bad, but nothing special. The mojitos fared better. They were very good, strong drinks. At least they got one thing right…



I ordered the prime rib, which I hadn't had in a good while, and my partner ordered the salmon. When they came, my prime rib was well done instead of med. rare as I had ordered it, with a lukewarm baked potato. My partner's salmon was quite literally cold. We sent both of our meals back. If you knew my partner, who was in the restaurant business for 22 years, and who understands that things sometimes happen, you'd know how bad something actually has to be for him to send it back.



In the interim, we ordered a couple of glasses of wine. Geronimo didn't seem to be able to understand what my partner was ordering for us, so he ended up just (literally) pointing it out on the menu. My merlot didn't taste right, but again, I drank it anyway. Only when we got the bill did we have it confirmed that the server had indeed served me a cabernet instead. Nice pour though...



When the server returned with our replacement meals, they were once again unsatisfactory, with both barely warm, albeit cooked to order, with his fish obviously dried out under the heat lamp. Also, I had asked for some raw horseradish for my rather tasteless prime rib (a $30 entree, btw!!!), and once an interpreter was brought out to determine what it was I was talking about, I was brought a small side of chopped up red radish. Prime rib on their menu, and they've never had ANYONE ask for horseradish?!



We didn't send the food back again, telling our server that it was still not right, but that we would just eat it, given that we had already sent it back once. If you're like us, when you go out, you don't want to ruin the mood completely by belaboring the point over and over about the food not being right. It was obvious that it just wasn't GOING to be right. If they can't make it right even when they know it has been wrong already, then it's obvious that they aren't capable or willing. Cut you losses, which is what we did. Geronimo was very apologetic, saying how awful he felt, etc., and he DID seem sincere, but at no point was a manager brought over, or any other kind of overture made.



Final tally: $85 after the discount of $50. Live and learn.

This hotel is too new to look this bad. Stayed there for a weekend between the Christmas and New Year's break, and this hotel is in desperate need of a rennovation. The bedding -- specifically the bedspread -- was tattered and the curtains were discolored. The wallpaper looked as if it was going to separate from the wall at any minute. The indoor pool area also had cracked and missing tiles. The state of the hotel is a genuine shame because the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful.