Paul:  We’re back!  It’s been a while since our last review….and also please donate money to our Jump Rope for Heart campaign for the American Heart Association. 

On March 1st, we went to El Sol Mexican Bar and Grill.  The reason why is that Sam wanted to go to Twisted Taco for dinner.  We all agreed.  But, when we arrived there, we saw a sign that said, “For lease.”  That meant that it was closed, so we had to figure out another restaurant to go to.  The whole family agreed that we all had a hankerin’ for some Tex-Mex.  So, dad asked Siri, “What are the Tex-Mex restaurants in Smyrna?”  The first thing that came up was El Sol.  Mom said that the Davis family (Grant’s family) likes it a lot.  So, we decided to go.

When we got there, it looked very small from the outside.  But, when we got in, it was a lot bigger than we expected - but, it was still pretty small.  We sat down and there was College Basketball on the TV screens (which was cool).  We decided to look at the menu very closely, since we had never been there before.

As usual with Tex-Mex restaurants, we got free chips and salsa and we ordered queso dip.  That’s what we always do when we go to Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurants.  It was really good, actually.  The chips were not too salty, but they still had some salt which brought out the flavor.  They queso wa really creamy and rich and had a very good “cheesey” taste.  Dad got jalepenos on the side, which he always likes.

I got the the Burrito Deluxe.  I ordered beans in mine because you have to choose what you want.  I would recommend getting the beans because it was outstanding in the middle of the burrito when you got to it.  It was awesome.  

When we first got in there, I was not too crazy about the decor.  But, once we got the food and we actually got to look around completely, it was actually quite neat.  They have a pretty tall ceiling.  They hang signs from it.  Like one said, “Dos Equis”.  It had a big beer bottle near the bar.  It was a float on the cieling.

The service was pretty good.  The server was nice.  She got our food to us in a decent amount of time. I recommend this restaurant if you are looking for good Tex-Mex in the heart of Smyrna.

Sam:  When you walk in there, there was a sign that said, “Stay thirsty my friends.”   I had the Cheese Quesadilla.  I liked it.  I got the Fried Ice Cream for dessert.  I really liked it.  I think Paul’s dessert was good, too.  He go the Churros with ice cream.

If you are looking for Tex-Mex restaurant, you should pick this.

Paul:  Our waitress was very nice.  But, the service was slow, even though it was not crowded.  I don’t think it was her fault, though.  We could see into the kitchen and it looked like the cooks were playing around.  

The decor is really colorful.  It is decorated to make you feel like you are outside.  It was a little dirty, though.

We did not have the best time with the food.  For the appetizer, we got chips, salsa, and queso.  The chips were HUMONGOUS!  They made the chips fresh and you could see them making the chips behind the bar.  The queso was kind of spicy.  It was OK.  The salsa was great!  And the chips were very tasty.

I ordered the fish tacos (grilled, not fried).  They came with two sides.  I got the mashed potatoes and black beans.  For some reason, the mashed potatoes were really spicy.  I did not even go near trying the beans because they didn’t look so good.  The fish tacos were probably 50/50.  They were the best part of the meal, but...I mean....for some reason they tasted a little like grass.  Although, the actual fish in the tacos was good.   

I think they probably could use some remodeling and cleaning.  And maybe they could have a talk with the staff (especially the cooks) to see if anything they could change.

Overall, there are better Mexican places to eat in the area, like Los Bravos on South Cobb Drive in Smyrna.  And if you want just any kind of food in the area, there is a Shane’s Rib Shack right down the road from this place (right next to a  Moe’s).

Sam:  We almost sat near the TVs, but we didn’t.  I really liked the rice.  It looked like it had much spice, but it did not.   I really liked the Quesadilla, too.  The cooks were  too slow and most of the people were taking a break and that’s why it was so slow. The servers were trying to hurry up, but the cooks were not.  (I saw inside the kitchen, you know.)

PAUL:  The service here has improved a lot lately.  People don't believe that Twisted Taco is good; but, now with improved service, I think you should give it one more try.

The last three times we went, the service was good and food was excellent.  On Saturday, I got the Big Jake Burrito - but, - NOT "twisted", which is when they put cheese sauce on top.  It had EVERYTHING like...so...onions to beans to beef to lettuce and all that good stuff.   

The service was a lot faster...we got our food in like two seconds!  The waiter came back on a regular basis to check on us.  The service used to be horrific because it took like two hours to get our food and they would like never come back to check on us.  One time my dad's food was even cold!

Every time we go, there is hardly any people there because they must have said, "Uh..this place has bad service."  - and then never tried to come back.  So, they haven't seen that the service has gotten better.

I think I think you should give it one more chance

SAM:  I like the TVs in the booth! Sometimes we watch baseball.  I really like the food and I like the chicken quesadilla with rice and beans.  You should ask them for a spoon and try to remind them because sometimes they forget.

Paul:  Originally, we chose Pablo’s because “Pablo” means “Paul” in Spanish. But also because when we are at the beach, we want to eat seafood – but we also like Mexican food.  So, we thought, “Hmm…maybe they have some seafood, but in a Mexican way.”

For my appetizer, I had chips, salsa, and queso dip. The salsa didn't taste that spicy.  It wasn't spicy at all, actually.  The queso dip was warm, unlike some other places I've been where the queso dip was cold.  The chips were surprisingly warm, which is a very nice feature.  The chips were thick. Normally, chips are thin.  So, whenever you dip them into queso, they break. Not the case here!  

For my entree, I had the Seafood Chimichanga with beans, rice, guacamole, and sour cream.  It had crab, lobster, scallops, shrimp, and cheese in a burrito case thing. The crab was very soft, which I like.  And it was also warm.  All the seafood was very fresh.  I could tell because fresh seafood is tender and juicy.

The guy who served us came back on a regular basis to see us and ask us, “How’s the food?” and to give us more chips and salsa.  He was very nice.

The place was very clean and has a really nice, big bar with a super-lot of drinks, including 1800 Tequila!  There was a painting on the wall that was actually one of the pictures that is in our art room at school! It’s called “Flower Girl with Lilies”.

The bathrooms were surprisingly clean.  In other Mexican restaurant bathrooms, they are normally like dirty and not cared about from the owners.  

You have to go to Pablo’s if you are ever in Fernandina Beach!!

Sam:  I had the burrito with beans and rice.  It had chicken in it.  I liked it a lot.  In the bathroom there was a locker door, it was like a small rectangle and it had a window.  And the stall had a window.  It was cool.