by johnlannon » Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:26 pm
BBG seems to have sprung from the ashes of the Tortilla Flats store (or was it Tortilla Jacks?) at Brownsboro and Lime Kiln, or perhaps from the mind of the same Jimmy Buffet-obsessed designer. The store draws on the Qdoba, Chipotle concept but adds something those players don't: fish.
Fish tacos were very good, served with shaved onions, jicama and a refreshing, tangy-citrusy-sour cream-based sauce all piled on top of a generous piece of fried white fish. The batter is a bit too thick (think Long John Silvers), which distracts from the refreshing zing of the taco. All in all, though, this is the most interesting menu offering at any of the upscale, Mexican fastfood concept stores.
The salsa bar offers fresh pico de gallo, a slightly bitter tomatillo-based green salsa, a chipotle salsa and several other fresh sauces. Unfortunately, the garlic habanero salsa referred to in a previous post is a vinegar-based Tabasco clone that fails to rise above the vinegar. It does add spice if that's what you like, but the habanero and garlic are lost in the mix. The label of the garlic habanero sauce did suggest that the company is local as it is distributed by Ballyhoo Baja Grill in Louisville, KY.
Haven't tried the other offerings, but the pork is next on the list (again, Qdoba doesn't offer pork as the corporate number-crunching robots that quantify and shape the narrow American taste preference don't seem to acknowledge the existence of the almighty swine).
Ballyhoo is a welcome addition to the Bardstown Road restaurant scene. Hopefully, the hungry masses will take notice and keep this place afloat. While I don't expect them to put Qdoba out of business, they offer a differentiated product and a little bit of something for those who might want to eat a bit outside of their Mexican fastfood comfort zone.