Samantha Saykao

Review of Chino Latino Restaurant

I normally do not like to leave one-star reviews, ...

I normally do not like to leave one-star reviews, especially when there are people who clearly enjoy the restaurant, its food, and its environment. I've been here twice and, both times, I've been let down by its food and (most recently) its hospitality.

It, by all definitions, is a trendy, upscale bar and restaurant. They have cool drinks with bright sparklers and dry ice to make the drink look like it's steaming. The music is booming and their menus looks nice. Their happy hour prices are VERY reasonable (I got my moscow mule for $5).

I came here recently to attend a friend's birthday celebration and was the first of my party to arrive. To the restaurant's defense, the rest of the birthday crew arrived about 15 minutes late to the reservation and other members came in much later. However, we were instructed that our reservation would only allot us 2 hours to eat and drink for a party of 10+. They were very strict on this--constantly reminding us during our dining experience that we had to be finished at a given time. Towards the end of our allotted time, they were ushering us out because the table was reserved for another party. I would say that we didn't even get to properly do our Minnesotan goodbyes! I would feel more sympathy if the two large party tables on either end of us were full or if the restaurant was bustling, but they were completely empty. No large parties seemed to be waiting upstairs either. Considering the amount of money that the party collectively spent on their cocktails and food, I feel like we should have been treated better.

Food tastes okay. I feel like it's overpriced for the amount of food that you get. My friend and I shared their Cuban Pork dish and it was just enough for the two of us and a small take home box. It didn't taste bad. I don't recommend the Phuket noodles. The first time I got them, they were sugary sweet, and the second time that a friend got them, it was very salty and it tasted like they added Tiparos or Squid fish sauce right at the very end so it was very pungent and fishy-tasting. (Not to say that pad thai shouldn't have fish sauce--by all means, it should!)

Overall, I haven't had good experiences with this restaurant. I recognize that others have had a great time here and enjoy the food, so you should consider trying to eat here if you haven't before.