troubling visit to La Rosita

I am a long time reader/lurker here and was content to stay that way, but a recent visit to "La Rosita" has inspired me to post.

My wife and I, and often times a group of our friends, have been enjoying La Rosita for the past six months or so on a regular basis---it is BY FAR the best and most authentic Mexican food I have eaten outside of California and definitely better than any of the Tex-Mex places we have locally. In short, we love this place. However, last night's visit has seriously left a bad taste in my mouth.

The place was a little busier than normal (though no wait) when we arrived. Shortly after being seated a gentleman whom I presume to be the owner (kind of short/stocky with spiky hair and a goatee) came to our table to take our order. We received our delicious appetizer of guacamole within a few minutes and our food came probably within fifteen (brought by a different, younger waiter). Everything looked great with the exception that my tacos were not the tacos that i ordered. I had ordered the Mayan pork tacos that i had discovered on a previous visit and was served the "Monte Christo" tacos instead. No big deal, right? I told the waiter that there had been a mistake, told him what I had ordered and thought that would be that. After all, these things happen all the time and I can see where a mistake could have been made since my wife also ordered two tacos, one of which was the "Monte Christo".

Within a couple of minutes after the waiter left with the plate, the gentleman who took the order (who i presume to be the owner) reappeared with the plate of food and said, "You ordered the Monte Christo.", and pushed the plate towards me. A little taken aback I explained that my wife had in fact ordered a monte christo and that I had ordered the pork (i even pointed to it on the menu as well as said it aloud!). His reply was "No, you said Monte Christo". Not having the wherewithal to know how to react to the situation I asked if he would like me to take the plate of food (which, like everything else at La Rosita, looked great). The gentleman said no that he wanted me to have what I wanted and then AGAIN reiterated that I had said "Monte Christo". I said that I wanted what I had ordered, the pork. He left with the plate and a new plate of food was out in a timely fashion, again brought by a different waiter. Needless to say, after this unexpected altercation, my dinner (which was delicious) was not terribly enjoyable.

But wait!! Theres more...despite the experience we still ordered a flan which was brought to us by the owner (again, I presume...). He refused to even acknowledge me!! He only looked at and spoke to my wife, asked how HER meal was and offered to refill HER glass despite the fact that mine was also empty and right beside hers!!!

I still left a nice tip because i figured that the other two people who waited on us would likely be the ones sharing it, and THEY were very nice. Im really conflicted here. Im not a fussy or demanding patron but this mans behavior was beyond unacceptable. As much as I love the food there, Im having a really hard time building up an appetite for a return visit.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks, HL

Harry, If you remember my earlier post about this place you will see that my husband and I recieved terrible service there too as well!! Beynond horrible if you ask me. But let me add, I did return to just this past Firday (Went with work, because if it was on my dime, I would not have gone) We were served by the same guy w/ the spiked hair. Never got refills, the order was completly wrong. One person was asked twice what type of meat they wanted and I guess they forgot both times, because it was served with no meat AT ALL! Everyones food came out at different times and they came back several times to verify what was oredered! They really need help with the customer service there! If it wasn't for someone taking my office there I would not have gone. No one in my office was impressed and stated we would not return. No one good thing makes a place great...it's a combo of good things.

On first blush it seems unfortunate the Mr. Lime had six months of good experiences but waits to post until there is something negative to say. I'd say your plentiful positive prior experiences should outweigh this one negative experience and you should march onward back to La Rosita.

TP Lowe: In my defense, I found out about La Rosita from Mr. Garrs comments along with the comments of members from this board. What I have said about the quality of the food, etc. seems to have already been said by others multiple times. I also love Havana Rumba and Vietnam Kitchen but there seems little point starting a new thread about restaurants that nearly every foodie in town already knows and loves. Nevertheless, I do see your point. I suppose the real reasons for not posting before were simply shyness and laziness (mostly the latter). However, now that I am registered, I will be a more courteous to our fellow restaurateurs and post the good and the bad.

I have had several bad experiences/disappointments in restaurants. The reason for my post however was that even in the most incompetent of establishments I have never been treated so hostilely or rudely. Unfortunately this was a real standout experience for one of my favorite eateries.

but there seems little point starting a new thread about restaurants that nearly every foodie in town already knows and loves.

OK, point well taken. Maybe it's a credibility issue. Posting negative thoughts after one negative experience (admittedly after many, many positive experiences) indicates some negative credibility, even if undeserved. I do hope you'll go back and try again - seems like the odds of a good experience are in your favor.

Having had a similar experience, not at this restaurant, it is a strange phenomenon that some people engage in to avoid admitting a mistake. Whether you give them another chance depends on your patience and enjoyment of the theatre of human nature. Being a teacher I suspect you have to be the patient type to begin with. Either way, welcome to the forum!

On first blush it seems unfortunate the Mr. Lime had six months of good experiences but waits to post until there is something negative to say. I'd say your plentiful positive prior experiences should outweigh this one negative experience and you should march onward back to La Rosita.

If Spiky is indeed the owner I would also never return after this kind of rudeness- there are too many other restaurant owners who care about their guests and deserve to be patronized.

If the man with the attitude was a server I would return based on earlier experiences and request that I be seated in another server's section.

If I were the man with the attitude I would explore other employment options.

Welcome to the forum, Harry, I also lurked for quite some time before I felt the need to post- now I can barely shut up. I always enjoy other's take on things.

I had been under the impression that stage names were discouraged here.

I'm a fan of the Third Man, but New Albany ain't Vienna.

I find all this interesting as my La Rosita experiences have been radically different. As a regular, I do occasionally run into a new server who's not quite up to speed, but Chef Israel has consistently gone out of his way to educate customers about the food he prepares, much more so than the large majority of other restaurants I've frequented.

I live in La Rosita's neighborhood and several locals had a running joke that we each individually thought we were somehow special because of the high level of attention paid to us at La Rosita until we discovered we were all treated that way.

A word about potential touchiness when it comes to orders: Because La Rosita serves authentic food in an area that had none before, Tex-Mex indoctrinated customers are sometimes taken aback and complain about the authenticity as if it's a problem to be corrected- "This isn't the way it's served at Tumbleweed", etc. I've actually heard several argue with staff and the chef that the food isn't Mexican. One guy went so far as to loudly proclaim that he'd lived in Texas as a way of augmenting his argument. To my knowledge, those experiences were the impetus for the signs asking customers to be sure of what they're ordering.

Again, that's not an excuse for legitimate mistakes nor an attempt to discount others' opinions unless, of course, they're using a stage name as Roger suggests. If that's the case, they've discounted themselves. Just trying to provide some balance for readers like me who use Robin and the other knowledgeable folks on the forum as a resource to make dining decisions.

I'll freely admit that I'm still annoyed by the Harry Lime monicker, and I'll echo Jeff's remarks, seeing that I, too, live in the same neighborhood as Israel cooks. It's a three-block walk, and we make it twice a week.

The one thing that really drew me to Israel in the beginning was his straightforward honesty. I visited the original taqueria on Charlestown Rd. and asked for a bean burrito for my wife, who is a vegetarian. He essentially responded that no such item was available, and I needed to order otherwise. This I did at the time, but we had to make other arrangements for her. But there was no rancor.

Later, when the Market Street location opened, we returned and have had universally good experiences since. At the start, Diana good naturedly lectured Israel about vegetarianism, and voila -- the next edition of the menu had numerous veggie options, which have remained available to this very day.

Two weeks ago, Israel informed me that we'd have more Hispanic customers if we offered tuna fish as a pizza topping. He then proceeded to prove the point by cooking a quesadilla aith tuna (from a can) and jalapenos. It was delicious. I've learned not to doubt his culinary wisdom.

Yes, there have been times when I've chuckled to myself and thought, boy, that Israel sure is firm in his opinions and doesn't suffer fools readily.

Since I've been the exact same way for the past 15 years, the empathy should be obvious. La Rosita is a treasure.

I had been under the impression that stage names were discouraged here.

I'm a fan of the Third Man, but New Albany ain't Vienna.

I think I will go away, only to return as Larry Lemon and crew.

[Robin Garr]

I had been under the impression that stage names were discouraged here.

I'm a fan of the Third Man, but New Albany ain't Vienna.

We ask that everyone sign on using their real name, and allow the use of real first name and last initial for those too shy to feel comfortable using their full name on the internet. Obvious cryptic screen names and handles are rejected, but the rest is (obviously) on the honor system, since there's no reasonable way for me to check. Emphasis on the "honor."

Understood, Robin.

I also understand that I've always been somewhat at odds with the seemingly prevalent view that Internet anonymity is acceptable, and some will insist, actually "good."

My girlfriend and I visited the La Rosita for this first time yesterday. They were slammed so I gave the server slack for being run ragged. My girlfriend being the pickiest vegetarian on earth was dismayed she could not just get a bean burrito. She seemed happy with her Breakfast Burrito in it's place though. I tried the grilled veggie enchiladas which were an acquired taste for me as I'd never had anything with such a range of flavor to it. I was pleased with it but look forward to trying other menu options. I'm happy to find several vegetarian options there that dont rely heavily on beans.

Also big thumbs up to having plantains, so frakin' good.

[Robin Garr]

Understood, Robin.

I also understand that I've always been somewhat at odds with the seemingly prevalent view that Internet anonymity is acceptable, and some will insist, actually "good."

You and I are on precisely the same page. That's why this forum (and all forums I administer) has a real-names policy. It makes a difference.

I hope "Mr. Lime" will read this and do the right thing.