La Hacienda - Take Two

REPORTED CLOSED OCTOBER 2015

My first, and only, visit to La Hacienda on South Padre Island's beautiful bay front was less than stellar.  We went on a holiday week-end, during their inaugural Summer.  They were short staffed, it was a tortuously long wait, the hostess bordered on rude (and I'm being generous), and 2 out of 4 at the table didn't care for their food,.  I never wanted to spend my restaurant dollars there again.  For many months I heard nothing but the same sort of thing we experienced...and then I heard "nothing"...crickets.

In mid-winter 2013/2014 I began seeing La Hacienda in Facebook posts again, people raving about the food, the location, and the good service.  I smiled to myself and thought "okay - that's good - they got their act together".  The restaurant and amazing view is outstanding.  I always had hoped it would make it, turning around all of the bad experience into good.  It appears they have!

Mr. Flip Flop came home Monday in a very good mood after winning a very nice prize at work and getting off work early after having spent a grueling two days on-call at the hospital.  After he sat in his recliner for a bit, resting after the work day, he said "let me take you out to dinner"...and I was on that like a chicken on a june bug!

Our original thoughts were going to one of our favorites but as we hit the island, I mentioned I felt bad that we never went anywhere "new" and there were some places we might want to consider.  I told him that I'd been hankerin' to try La Hacienda again and told him about the locals who seemed to really enjoy it.  Being Monday, I wasn't sure they were open (many restaurants close on Monday down here) but it was worth checking.  He was agreeable so we headed over after a quick stop at the Blue Marlin for lottery tickets.  He felt like it was a lucky day so he wanted a ticket.  Fingers crossed!

When we arrived, it was nearly 7:00 and there were only three cars in the parking lot.  We looked at each other and wondered if that was a bad sign.  I took it as a good sign that I wouldn't have to wait this time!  I said I suspected many people might assume they were closed on Monday, like I had wondered and to get out of the car, because we were going in.  I later learned they were open every day.  Yay!

We were promptly greeted by our very friendly and efficient wait person, Graham.  He gave us the latitude to sit inside or out - anywhere we wanted.  Knowing my husband can't stand the sun in his eyes and it was glaring off the water as it prepared to set over the bay, we positioned ourselves so the sun was blocked by the space between two windows.  Glorious view, partially blocked sun.  I know they don't want to block the view, but some sort of sun protection would be nice.  I imagine we are not the only ones bothered by this issue.

We were promptly offered drinks, appetizers, and menus...we ordered our liquid refreshment and began perusing the menu.  Looked pretty much the same as I remembered, which is good for comparison purposes.  Our drinks came PDQ with a small bowl of salsa and really outstanding chips.  I might have mentioned previously that chips and salsa down here are rarely to my taste.  The salsa at La Hacienda was slightly spicy but delicious and the way I like it.  The chips tasted freshly made but not over-cooked like so many chips I encounter on the island.  Excellent start to our second visit.

I really waffled between ordering Chicken al Carbon or a plate called The Saltillo.  I finally chose the latter because it had a variety of items - including a beef enchilada, a seasoned ground beef taco, and two "Yolanda's Peppers" along with beans and rice.  Mr. Flip Flop decided to have the Chili Relleno plate, like he'd had on our first visit.  He loved it then and he really wanted it again!

We enjoyed the view, the nice cloud formations that remind us of puffy Summer clouds, and the sun slowly moving down over the West side of the bay.  More people arrived while we waited for our meals - so we came at just the right time.  Our drinks were refilled and our waiter checked on us, but was not intrusively attentive.  Just right.

Our meals came out, also at just the right time, we were starting to get hungry, but we weren't checking our watches!  Another "just right".

Mr. Flip Flop's Chili Relleno was reportedly wonderful.  I think I kinda heard him moan when he bit into it, causing me to smile to myself.  I'm glad it was as good as he remembered it.

Chili Relleno

My plate was HOT.  I dabbled about with my tasty beans and rice as I allowed things to cool just a bit.  My first bite was the beef enchilada and I have to say it was superb!  The red sauce was perfect, a generous amount of cheese, and the meat was tender and moist.  Two thumbs up there!  I next sampled a bit of the Yolanda's Peppers.  They are whole jalapenos stuffed with ground beef and cheese.  They are dipped in batter and fried, then topped with a light avocado cream sauce.  They were much bigger than I expected!  They were HOT - temperature wise and spicy the closer I got to the stem.  I could only eat one and Mr. Flip Flop ate the other.  They were quite delicious.  I would have been happy with some extra avocado sauce to dip my bites in...the breaded crust absorbed the cream sauce by the time I got to it.  I'll know to ask for extra on the side next time.  I was starting to get full by the time I made it to the taco - served in a corn tortilla, lightly fried, but still soft.  I will say it was good, but not great.  The meat was kind of dry and bland by the time I got to it - I suspect that's my fault for eating it last.  I ate half and Mr. Flip Flop ate the other half.  The other flavors were so powerful and seasoned that I think my tongue was underwhelmed by the less seasoned taco.  I would also have enjoyed some cheese on the taco.  Still, I was so filled by that time, I certainly don't hold the taco against them.  It was certainly generous in proportions - the plate was really large and a reasonable $13.

The Saltillo Platter

Overall, I definitely believe they have gotten their feet underneath them.  I doubt I will go back on a holiday week-end (actually we don't go ANYWHERE on a holiday week-end) but I think we can comfortably add it to our restaurant rotation.  I really want to try the Chicken al Carbon dish - it sounded awesome.  I'm thinking Monday nights are a good night to go out and eat at La Hacienda!

SPI FLIP FLOP FOODIE RATING:

4 – Lip smackin’ - good quality – flip flops will definitely be parked under their table again!

THE CHEF HOUSE - 2014

MAY 2015 REPORTED CLOSED AT THIS LOCATION

I just have to say...WOW!  Talk about "movin' on up, to the East Side"!  The Chef House restaurant has moved to a new location on the island.  It's awesome!  The view is outstanding, the space is maybe 75% larger than the Port Isabel location....lots of changes.  What hasn't changed is the personalized and attentive service and their outstanding cuisine.

The view from our table by the window

My friends and I had lunch there today.  It was a gorgeous day, resulting in an outstanding view of the dunes, beach, and ocean outside their lovely windows.  We hung out for nearly two hours.  Thankfully, they weren't over-crowded and allowed us to sit and chat and sip tea and coffee without feeling rushed.  Since we don't seem to get together often enough, we had a lot to catch up with.

I love the 3 types of salsa and fresh tortilla chips
served before the meal.  Unusual and delicious!

Both of my lady friends had coffee with their meals (actually, one just had coffee - she rarely eats when we go out) and they both were happy with the nice large mug and delicious flavor of the coffee.  My first comment about my iced tea was "this is really good tea".  I hate it when I go out to eat and have iced tea that is bitter or watered down.  This tea tasted perfectly brewed...and I enjoyed having it served in a stemmed goblet.  Just felt more special.


Once we'd had a few minutes to chat, we busily perused the menu.  I had decided on the special of the day (an enchilada plate that sounded delicious) and then I realized we had a breakfast menu to look at as well!  I have been craving Eggs Benedict and I had no doubt The Chef House Eggs Benedict would be outstanding.  True to form, they were.  Prepared with high quality ingredients, the addition of some fresh spinach, both a Beurre Blanc sauce as well as a Hollandaise sauce over perfectly poached eggs....my eyes were rolling back in my head after the very first bite.  Add a tasty little potato cake and my meal was just incredible!

My friend who did eat, also ordered off the breakfast menu.  She had Ham and Egg Tacos on corn tortillas.  She said they were excellent.  It was quite a bit of ham and egg, so it was nice that two tortillas were provided.  Her meal also included a side of refried beans on the plate.  It looked quite yummy!

I'm so happy with the new location and the same fine cuisine.  Their hours are currently 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and they are closed on Monday.  Beginning this very evening, they will start serving dinner on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.


We all scanned their dinner menu and it looks to be delectable!  I can't wait to get there for an evening meal.  Hope you stop in and give them a try.  I don't think you will regret it!

Returned for lunch on January 25th with Mr. Flip Flop. He had a
Port Isabel Omelet (which he said was delicious) and I had
Beef Enchiladas with the Red Chili sauce.  Absolutely outstanding!

SPI FLIP FLOP FOODIE RATING:

5 – OMG – that was an outstanding meal!  I can’t wait to go back.

The Cafe on the Beach for Lunch

Sister Sheryl is on the island and we decided to lunch together somewhere she has never gone before.  I had told her about how much I enjoyed the location and food at the Cafe on the Beach at Palms Resort...and she said she was "in".  We had a nice 15 minute stroll down the beach from her temporary island home to arrive at the beach access in front of the cafe.  She immediately started commenting how cute it was and wondering how had they missed it all of these years.  I told her I didn't really find it until we moved here in 2008, so it wasn't really surprising.

When we arrived, there were plenty of tables open...by the time we left it was completely full!  I admit I was a bit surprised at a full restaurant, at lunch on a week day, off season!  One waiter handled it all...and did an excellent job.

We started with both of us ordering the Tropical Tea - sister loved it.  We spent a lot of time perusing the menu and I finally decided on my "regular" - a delicious Beachfront Salad with grilled chicken.  While certainly delicious, I was greatly disappointed that it was missing the Parmesan crisps and caramelized pecans that really go towards "making" this salad extra special.  I guess for a $19 salad ($13.95 plus $5 for the chicken addition), I expect to get all that is advertised.  But, as I said, still delicious.

As described on the Menu:  Beachfront Salad
"Fresh spring mix lettuce using  organic greens
from local organic farms with tomato, kalamata
olives, pears, hearts of palm, Maytag bleu cheese,
and mandarin oranges with tangerine  balsamic
vinaigrette dressing.  Topped with Parmesan crisps
and caramelized pecans."

Sissie ordered the Spinning "Crispy" Chef Salad as a tryout for her husband, Rob.  He likes the chef salads apparently and she was hoping to lure him back down there because she knew he would enjoy the beachfront location....but only if the food was as equally delicious as the view!

As described on menu:  Spinning "Crispy" Chef Salad
Julienne ham, turkey, provolone,  Kalamata olives,
boiled eggs, organic greens from local organic farms,
hearts of palm, tomatoes, and Maytag bleu cheese tossed
with honey mustard dressing..  Served in a crispy
fresh made flour tortilla shell. 

I will likely get that salad the next time I come - I tasted hers and it was delicious.  I do love honey mustard and have gotten kind of stuck in the awesome rut of their Beachfront Salad...but that chef salad was a new contender in my game!  A good buy for $12.95.

Mostly we enjoyed the cool breeze, the gorgeous flowers bloomed up in the low dunes in front of the restaurant (due to a couple of days of good rain) and the beauty of the Gulf Coast.

It's a small place, very personal, and I've never had a bad meal there.  Fingers crossed it never changes!  I haven't talked to my sister yet, but last night when the teen and I joined her family for a delicious lobster dinner, she was encouraging her husband to walk down with her for breakfast (she'd checked out the breakfast menu while we waited for our food).  I hope, if she went, that her second trip was as enjoyable as the first!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!

SPI FLIP FLOP FOODIE RATING:

4 – Lip smackin’ - good quality – flip flops will definitely be parked under their table again!

La Hacienda

REPORTED CLOSED OCTOBER 2015

I waited a week to write this post because I wanted to let the emotion of the day pass me by.  We had not eaten much over the course of the day and were pretty darn hungry when we arrived at La Hacienda on the bay front in South Padre Island.  Greeted by a "how many?" from the hostess - without a smile - we said "4" and she said it would be 20 to 30 minutes...maybe as long as 45 minutes.  No smile and no eye contact.  I said that would be fine because I had heard from friends that the wait could be long despite MANY available tables in sight.  She noticed me looking and said, defensively, we have a lot of reservations and people waiting.  I said "no problem", smiled, and asked where we could wait.  Vague hand signal towards the bar.  Good grief.

We sat out on their beautiful patio and enjoyed the sunset over the bay...a truly lovely location.  Twenty minutes passed, then thirty, then we were counting the five minute marks.  My oldest son, who was visiting, said he was going inside to the bar to get a drink...five minutes later my youngest son joined him...at the 50 minute mark my husband and I followed them in (after listening to every patron on the patio grumble...which was only escalating my irritation). 

I told my son when he finished his margarita, we were going to go ahead and leave.  Right about the one hour mark, the manager walks over and asks if we'd like some chips and salsa while we wait for our table.  I said no, we'd had about enough waiting...an hour.  He looked "concerned" and got my name and came back with the hostess.  We were seated in one of the tables that had been empty at least 20+ minutes and the hostess walked away, without providing silverware or an "enjoy your meal".  If I was her boss, she would no longer be employed at La Hacienda....or at least would be receiving some sincere customer service training.  Her attitude was the talk of the folks waiting on the patio!

Outstanding salsa with roasted bits of goodness...I'd go back
for the salsa alone!

Chips and salsa were quickly deposited on the table and our drink order was taken promptly.  Our waiter was really moving it.  He later told us they had 3 waiters and a cook call in (or not show up) and they were slammed.  I saw only one bus person trying to clean the many tables that were empty but not clean.  At the point of drink orders we had been in the restaurant an hour and fifteen minutes.  Thankfully, the chips and salsa took the edge off.  Unfortunately, I drank my water really fast (feeling dehydrated after the wait) and it took a while to get refills.  I sent my son to the bar to get napkins and the waiter noted we had not been provided the utensil and napkin sets and went to the hostess stand to get some for us.

So - despite the gorgeous location, the lovely decor, and the reportedly awesome margaritas and definitely awesome chips and salsa, I was tired and irritable.  So, moving on to the meal.

We ordered a queso...which never came.  When the meals came, my son asked about it...and they brought some out.  I wish he hadn't bothered.  It was cool in temperature - my son won't eat white cheese queso (which it clearly stated on the menu) and it had a taste of bell peppers...which we are not fond of.  Total waste of money as it wasn't eaten. $7



Seafood Trio Enchiladas - note the right side of the enchilada which
was hard as a rock.  Bummer.

For dinner, I ordered the Seafood Trio Enchiladas - scallops, Gulf shrimp, and lump crab in a seafood cream sauce, sprinkled with 3 colors of bell pepper bits (per the comment above, that was not a happy start for me...but I know how to scrape off stuff I don't like - and I did).  Sides of refried beans and rice.  I ate only 4 bites.  The first bite was rock hard tortilla. I chewed and chewed and chewed...finally got it down.  I know that sometimes exposed tortilla can do that under a salamander.  Still, I didn't expect it and it started my mouth off unhappy.  The second bit was nice and soft and I thought yum...until I bit into a scallop that tasted on the edge of rank.  I thought it was me, so I cleansed my mouth with lemon water and a chip and took another bite.  It was just okay...the flavor was bland and had an unappealing texture.  It cost $16 and I was really disappointed.  No one asked (like the waiter) if my food was okay, since I was obviously not eating my meal.  I filled up on beans and rice...which were outstanding in my opinion, despite complaints from my family that the beans were overly dressed with cilantro.

My youngest ordered a soft taco plate, no vegetables, served correctly - which he enjoyed very much. $10.00

My oldest got classic ground beef enchiladas...he said "they were just enchiladas - nothing special" and he really doesn't like cilantro so the beans were pushed to the side.  He only ate one of his enchiladas.  $12.00

My husband cleaned his plate.  He ordered a Chili Relleno and said it was delicious!  He also raved about the margarita with fresh lime juice.  The Chili Relleno plate was $12.00.

So, I feel the need to try it again...not on a holiday week-end (Sunday before Labor Day) on the night of a big island concert.  I have heard so many good things about the food, I think we must have just gone on a bad night.  I will go again...and I'll report back.

I'm not going to give it a rating just yet.  If so many friends had not raved about the food, I wouldn't be wasting my time on a return.  I think, truly, it was just a bad night.

When I got home, I checked urbanspoon.com ...and they weren't listed.  I reported it as a new restaurant and since it has been added, 3 individuals have checked that they liked it.  Someone reported as of yesterday that the food and service was very good.

Keep an eye out for an updated review within the next month!  I'm looking forward to trying their Tacos Carnitas or Chicken al Carbon...both sound yummy to me.   I'm keeping my fingers crossed.