The New Fajita Grill

 Ed, I would have to agree with you. I went to FG once when it first opened and
 felt that it didn't compare with the original. Then I went back last week to
 give it another shot. Sadly, it was just as disappointing as the first time.

 Specifically, the tortilla soup--which I loved at the old location--is just
 not as good as it used to be (the flavor is off somehow), and the "bowl" (for
 $3.50!) is barely a "cup's" worth. The serving sizes have definitely
 decreased, while the prices seem to have increased. I agree with your comment
 on the chips and salsa as well.

 On a positive note, if you are looking for some good Mexican food, you could
 try Mago Latino in Bloomfield. While it's not the same as the original FG, the
 food is quite good and the prices are pretty reasonable.

 Kimberly

 Ed M. wrote:
 |> Does anyone have opinions on the re-opening of the Fajita Grill? I must
 |> say that after waiting a year, I was somewhat underwhelmed. Though the
 |> food was decent, I thought that for the offering it was very expensive,
 |> and the selection poor. The salsa was OK but the chips were about the
 |> worst I've ever had in a Mexican restaurant.
 |>
 |> A note on the menu selection: I was told that this was only half of
 |> their menu at this point. I will give it another try sometime, but are
 |> my views shared with other Fajita Grill patrons?
 |>
 |> Ed
 |>

 I also agree that the new FG is a disappointment. I was at the old one
 only once, but it was excellent. It was about 2 months before they
 closed. So maybe I'm not the best critic. But we truely had a
 disappointing experience at the new place. The service was great, and
 the wait staff very friendly. But The prices seem to be really out of
 line. Also, the food just was not as we remembered it. My wife and I
 just ate, and talked about everything BUT the food until we both kind of
 exclaimed that "Nah, this just isn't what it used to be." We finished
 our meal, paid our bill, and left. Probably never to return.

 I'm lyin', we'll give it another chance. But if you haven't been yet,
 and, you remember the old place, lower you expectations a bit.

 I feel compelled to jump in here and report a relatively positive
 experience at the reopened Fajita Grill.  I went on a Saturday night
 about 3 weeks ago.  The wait was long, but I expected that and so
 didn't find it annoying.  The service seemed a little unorganized --
 the wait staff was haphazardly taking turns substituting for an
 absent, or perhaps non-existent, maitre d'.  I attributed that to
 their being open only a few weeks at that time.  The food, however,
 was just as I remembered it from the old location.  I had enchiladas
 in green sauce, and my companions had one of the entree-type chicken
 dishes (mole and another for which I don't remember the name).  We
 were all more than satisfied, and certainly didn't find that
 everything tasted the same.

 As a point of comparison, I went to Cozumel on Walnut St for the first
 time a couple weeks later, and something similar to the enchiladas --
 I can't exactly remember what.  The food was acceptable, but
 distinctly less subtle and complex in seasoning.  For me that's the
 big plus side to Fajita Grill -- they have dishes from regions of
 Mexico I've never seen offered elsewhere.  Cozumel was only slightly
 less expensive ($7.50 vs $9.00 at Fajita Grill).  I haven't eaten at
 Mago Latino yet -- the one time I tried, on a Friday evening, the wait
 was longer than we were in the mood for.

 I agree that the prices at Fajita Grill are a bit steep, which makes
 me regret only that I won't be able to go as often as I otherwise
 would otherwise.  And I wish they'd start taking reservations.  They
 should also abolish the $1.50 per person charge for bringing your own
 alcohol.  It's one thing if they open the wine for you, but I brought
 beer and my own opener.  I can't even remember that they offered us
 glasses.

 We were told that they're purposely keeping the menu small until they
 get used to the new setup -- it might even have been printed on the
 menu.  Maybe they've stretched themselves too thin with running the
 stand in CMU's Student Center.

 Tony

 Someone wrote:
 # How's the (Chicken) Tinga?

 good question!  The Tinga is great when the sausage is great,
 but the sausage hasn't always been great.  They have been
 made aware of this and hopefully will keep an eye on it.

 One good piece of news is that the chef they hired quit,
 so Sra. Nevisa is back to doing the cooking herself.
 Bad for her, good for us, since her wonderful cooking is
 a huge factor in the quality of the Fajita Grill.

 And yes, keeping the lunch stand at CMU open does put a
 strain on their small family operation.  It's what caused
 them to close their old location.  Unfortunately, after a
 year of waiting, it was almost impossible for them to live
 up to expectations.

 And yes, Mago Latino is a great place, too.  In a few
 months when they have some capital, they are expanding into
 the store next door to alleviate the seating problem.
 That's pretty good, considering it took Tessaro's many
 years to finally do the same thing!  Who would think
 that we could have two fabulous Mexican restaurants within
 five minutes of my home?  woo hoo!

  -Rick