Tin Lizzy's Grant Park

Mr. Man and I had dinner at Tin Lizzy’s this past Friday night. We’ve been watching for a couple of months for this new restaurant to open up in the space previously occupied by Six Feet Under. They had a good crowd, and from the looks of things, largely Park residents and locals. Everyone from the host/hostess, to the waiter, to the manager were eager to make sure all were having a good time and enjoying their meal. We started out with margaritas (the house for Mr. Man and the Texas for me). They are served in short glasses and were seriously strong. Maybe we’re just lightweights, but we had to ask for another glass of mixer to be able to drink them. Once we balanced out the Tequila, they were excellent!

We had high hopes for this restaurant as we welcome any new establishment in the GP area. We were offered a free order of chips and salsa as this was our first visit—maybe it’s just me, but I think all Mexican restaurants should give you free chips and salsa—and we ordered some queso to go along with it. The queso was bland and needs spicing up; nothing a few jalapeños wouldn’t cure. The salsa verde got mixed reviews; Mr. Man liked it, but I found it a little too vinegary. The chips were great; light and fresh.

For dinner Mr. Man had the black bean soup and half salad with carne asada. The black bean soup is pureed (a turn off for both of us) and lacked flavor. We tend to like our black bean soup with beans and spice. Mr. Man ordered a bowl but was served a cup, and when our waiter tried to correct it, Mr. Man chose to just keep the cup and then wound up not eating it. He did enjoy his salad though.

I had the Santa Fe Steak Taco, which was delicious, and a side of the veggie rice, again no flavor! I also ordered salsa fresa as I didn’t like the salsa verde. A major disappointment. It basically tasted like tomato juice with a few diced tomatoes thrown in. Where was the cilantro, onions & jalapeños? As the restaurant has only been open a little over a week, you expect them to need a little time to get things right.