05/20/09

Excellent food!

by tobinjan

We loved the tacos, the tuna appetizer and the nachos (which were a huge portion, even for gluttons!).

• Pros: Good food, nice atmosphere.
• Cons: If you are a fan of huge servings, you might be hungry.

05/10/09

Good Mexican Food

by futurechef

This place is almost identical to Distrito. The food is about the same as it is at Distrito. The place looks a little worn though.

• Pros: More Food then Distrito
• Cons: More Expensive then Distrito, Ambience is worse than Distrit

02/07/09

I don't know what some of you were talking about - this place was great!

by fyt

From the minute we walked in - we were greated with smiles. We sat in the middle of the room. It was a little dark, but enough light to read the menu and see the decor. The service was really good - Jack our waiter had the menu down to a science and was very happy to answer any and all questions. He paid just enough attention to us. Now the food - OMG - I was nervous about this place from reading some of the reviews. I ordered the taco sampler and was more than happy - beef, pork, sea bass, mahi mahi, etc. If a flower had a taste - this was it. Each one was better than the next. Kudos to the Chef and staff. Dessert -well - make sure you save room. Drinks were on the same level. This place is a class act. The price is on the higher end - but as they say you get what you pay for - this was worth it. I highly recommend it!! Enjoy.

• Pros: Food and drinks
• Cons: lighting

12/02/08

hope you like salt

by bethfox13

the menu is creative & perhaps mexican inspired- but it's a far cry from authentic mexican food. my husband is from new mexico & we've taken numerous trips to the southwest and mexico where i've had better food from roadside carts. i went with 2 friends & we ordered 6 items to share- each greasier and saltier than the next. stop in for the atmosphere, which is fun, grab a kitschy cocktail and then go to dinner someplace else. the only thing keeping me from giving this place one star was our server- who was gracious and prompt. with so many great restaurants in philly, i'm surprised this place is still open.

• Pros: ambience, service
• Cons: food

10/08/08

Good fun atmosphere but way too loud

by fermina25

El Vez is a good spot to go with a big group of people, but your experience can depend on where you are seated. Try to get a spot in one of the round booths, those are the most intimate and easy to hear everyone at the table. Last time we were there we sat at a table behind the bar (8 of us) and we literally could barely hear eachother speak. I had to text with my friend across the table because I couldn't hear a word she said. The music is way too loud, which makes the chatter almost unbearable.

08/15/08

Insect in the Sangria... the type of insect that inhabits dirty homes and restaurants

by Foodinista

Upon arriving & being seated, drinks were ordered. Once we received our drinks, one of the guests began drinking her sangria when she noticed a "insect" which city search will not allow me to name, about 3/4 of an inch long, floating in her drink. When brought to the attention of our waitress, she gave a brief unconcerned apology ("i'm sorry"), took the drink to the kitchen & proceeded to show it to her coworkers. It wasn't until about 10 minutes later that she returned to our table, upon our request to see if we were ok. Furthermore, not one staff member or manager came to rectify the situation until two of our party members went to speak to the hostess. Finally, a manager came over (10 minutes later) offering appetizers as good measure. We left as the birthday girl was disgusted and unable to eat anything.

• Pros: atmosphere
• Cons: insects

06/26/08

Good food & drinks; Really bad service & treatment

by MrCoHead

I was looking forward to trying El Vez after hearing about their good guacamole & margaritas.

We arrived at 9:30 on a Thursday & the place was prob 1/2 to 3/4 full - with lots of people at the bar and less eating. We asked the hostess if we can get a table - as our plan was to get guac, appetizers and a pitcher of margarita. The hostess told us we'd need to order entrees in order sit at a table. I found this odd -having lived in nyc & other major cities I've never seen a respectable restaurant forcing you to order a certain # of entrees to sit down. A policy of ordering food at a table is totally understandable ? but forcing you to eat a certain quantity of food, to me, signifies a low-end establishment milking revenue.

We said ok, with no real plans to order entrees, and sat down. We figured a $65 meal with a margarita pitcher, guac, and appetizers would suffice.

We then received probably the worst treatment I've ever experienced. Our waitress was rude, sarcastic, pushy and made us extremely uncomfortable. When we ordered the pitcher & guac she asked us if there was anything else we wanted to order. We said we?ll order more, but not right now as we wanted to relax and order more as we went along.

About 3 minutes later she came back asking for our order. We said not yet. 2 minutes later our pitcher came. As did more ordering questions. 2 minutes later guac came - she then pretty much wasn't leaving until we ordered more food. So we ordered an appetizer & side dish ? at the same cost as an entree. She then looked straight at me and asked me ?what I wanted for my entree?. I said, "I don't want an entree". From there it got even worse - with her talking to other waitresses and pointing and gesturing at us, making sarcastic comments about us ?drinking up? and overall being plain rude. We tried to relay our frustrations to a manager but we left after 10 min of waiting at the front desk.

Bottom line: good food & good drinks ? but bad treatment ruined it.

06/19/08

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by k11221122

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04/29/08

Amazing Mexican, with a modern twist

by POSWO2

My friend and I really enjoyed dining here. It was a great vibe, really huge bar scene. We went around 10:00 and were seated promptly. The nachos mama's were amazing!!! A must try. They had a variety of food to choose from. I also got the enchilada's mixtas. It was delicious and HUGE. I recommend sharing this entree with two people. My friend got two different taco platters, he loved it! Overall great experience. They even had a black & white photo book that you can take pictures in. Really cute touch! Definitely give this place a try if you're in city center.

• Pros: Margaritas, Food, The Bar Scene
• Cons: Nothing!

04/21/08

Great food, Great atmosphere, Great times

by colleensarfino

This has got to be my favorite place in the city (next to Continental Mid-Town), especially to hang with friends. The Guacamole and everything else I've tried is awesome, the decor is fun and uplifting, the drinks are great...this place is always a good time, and even if your company is lackluster--go to El Vez...the night won't be a total bust! :)

• Pros: Food/Drink/Atmosphere
• Cons: Seating can be tough, but that just proves it's good!!