Yankee craving South of the Border tastes.

1. The appetizer was not on the menu as I found out later. I never thought, and so did another couple who ordered and then ended up canceling and leaving after checking the prices, that an average place like such is life would charge so much. I stated that the appetizer was small. It would have been cheaper to just order the Pibil plate and I would have been served a lot more of the mole and pibil than what came on the appetizer. On top of that the tortillas are not home made.

2. I am with you but again my critic is based on similar menu priced restaurants. If such is life is based on a romantic restaurant then this item falls short to the others in similar categories that offer other amenities than just good food. Again all around trying to stay within the judgment of similar priced restaurant category.

3. I have been to Mastro’s. It would be unfair to evaluate “Such is Life” in the same level as Mastro’s. I evaluate the food, service and place to what would be at similar restaurants based on the menu prices. Besides Mastro’s silverware, glasses, seats and overall construction and layout of the restaurant are far more costly than Such is Life. So again it would be unfair to compare Mastro’s prices to that of Such is Life.

4. Service was good but not that great. Again I am judging from similar priced restaurants. The waitress poured water fast which tended to spill a little around the area where we sat. The waitress checked up not as frequently as expected but seemed like she had more important things on her mind. This being that there were only 3 couples in the place with more waiters waiting for more customers. I didn’t experience a level of carefulness or concern of our enjoyment. I would say this would be fine at a lower price restaurant but obviously she has not had training or worked in a much higher class restaurant that those menu prices would have dictated. Even in Mexico (where we are from) there is taco places that have more attention to detail. This being that my wife and I are both from Mexico so we spoke in the same language which would make you think that the order and effort for the person would have been much easier. If you have some waiter experience then you know that there is a flow and order to the process. Time is also taken part in this. Being a waiter is not just taking your order. This is the reason why waiters are paid more as you move up the level of restaurants.

I do not know your level of Mexican cuisine tasting but there are many variations of the same plate in Mexico that is influenced by their region. A tamale is not the same tamale in the next state or city. So a Mexican restaurant is not all the same. This is why I always ask where the owner, chef or influence of the food is originating from. Then I judge from there and try to be unbiased to my native tastes. Some areas of Mexico might cook the same plate more spicer, sweeter, or greasier. Some might have different ingredients which are influenced from owners or chef’s of other countries other than Mexico. Most restaurants in Arizona I would say is Sonoran style influenced by the state of Sonora, Mexico. Bringing in a person from southern Mexico to eat Sonoran food would seem strange to him. So taking all this to account I know if I have a client or friend from one part of Mexico I have a safe bet they would rather prefer the food at one restaurant compared to another. Gorduno’s falls in this category. Most people from the border states are by default use to the sonoran style of Mexican food. I predicted that Mezcal would not last due to the Arizona people not use to that style of Mexican food. Sure enough it got bad praises but in its right it was very good if you knew what influence the chef was using.

5. Again, the price tags hanging from the decoration, the cheaply constructed booths, seats, tables, paint, and glassware for a restaurant commanding those prices just didn’t meet expectations. The “look” is there but not the quality. You can feel it. The best way I can try to explain it to you is maybe if you were to buy laminated wood floors compared to real wood floors for your home. They both look nice but the feel and texture is different. The prices are different which they should be but if they were the same then you would have to find the reasoning why the laminated would command such a price.

6. The ambiance is just not limited to where you sit. This is where I say attention to detail is what sets it apart from its competitors. Why try to go all the way to fall short in another department. If the menu prices were lower I would say okay. If they are commanding a higher so called elegant priced menu with theme of romance then this should dictate across the board.

I am sorry but I do not think a consumer gets what he pays for in this restaurant. I did state that the food was good and I have no qualms about it. But the food alone in my opinion should not be the lone deciding factor of the prices dictated on the menu. The owner is in it for the money, lets be honest. This is not an excuse to charge those prices while going cheap on everything else. Like I stated in my first post, I always return when I have a bad review of restaurant in case it was just a bad day for the restaurant or from me. I easily spent almost $100 and we didn’t order any alcoholic beverages or the most expensive plates. My hobby is to cook and eat out so I do not mind spending $5 or $200. I don’t mind eating at a taco stand or a luxury restaurant. I am grateful that I can. I hope the Chef is well recognized and compensated by the owner because that is the only thing worth paying for. If some one is looking for to get what they pay for then I my opinion is that Such is life falls short. If you just want good food no matter what the price then we are talking a whole new list and for my tastes I can think of other restaurants that would be on my short list. Remember we all have different taste buds so it is good that we all can have different opinions.

Cheers,

Thank you for dropping by Feasting in Phoenix.

I have to admit that I am a bit confused by your observations. In fact, my roommate and a friend and I all read what you had to say and were left scratching our heads. Perhaps you can clear some things up for us.

1. You stated that you felt suspicious because the server rattled off a featured selection and an appetizer and then were shocked when you got the bill. What precluded you from asking the price or simply saying, “Oh, those sound delicious. Let me review the menu because we may choose something else”?

2. With regards to your bathroom experience, as long as it was clean and had supplies, why would that make any difference? I would much rather have a clean bathroom in spartan surroundings than a bathroom decked out in the most fashionable of designs only to find they hadn’t scrubbed the toilet in days.

3. You said you couldn’t understand how an appetizer could cost more than an entree. Really? I suggest you not go to Mastro’s in Scottsdale. One of their side dishes is $37.00, which is only two dollars less than two entrees on the menu (most entrees are well below that in cost). There are plenty of restaurants that have more expensive appetizers and desserts and side dishes than the entrees.

4. What exactly did the service lack? What more did you need that they didn’t follow through on? I expect my server to take my order in a timely fashion, keep my water glasses filled, bring me my check added correctly, and check in on me from time to time. I have no specifics from you – just an abstract notion that they aren’t as good as Garduno’s (and why you would eat there is beyond me).

5. You stated the restaurant set a romantic mood cheaply. Like the bathroom issue, as long as it set the mood, why would you care how much it cost?

6. Speaking of romance, I simply have no idea what you mean about the bill being hand-written and therefore marring the romance. Huh? Is dot matrix or laser print romantic? I am truly boggled by this sentiment.

It is clear that Asi Es La Vida really is not your cup of tea. So be it. However, I think that some of your criticisms are a bit over the top.

Again, you left three people scratching their heads over your comments.

Such is life, I guess.

This being said my wife and I decided to visit such as life restaurant after many positive reviews such as this one. With a menu price of this caliber it puts “Such is life” higher than or on par with Houston’s and Garduño’s Mexican restaurant in Scottsdale.

Right off the bat I was a little suspicious about the waitress not handing our Menu’s right away but telling us what appetizer and dinner plate she recommended while waiting for our yes or no answer. The shell shocker came in when we received our check. After ordering the appetizer, which was a small portion of Cochinita Pibil, Chicken Mole and queso fundido, the waitress handed our Menu’s.

The prices are high for a place where the plates and glasses were something bought out of a cheap home store. The Pineapple drink was a little watered down. The seats looked nice but when you sit on it you not as comfortable as the seats lead you to believe. The booth seats felt like they came from a fast food restaurant. After moving to 2 booths we settled for a regular chair and table.

We actually were the first people there so my wife and I decided to walk around a bit and check out the place. The bathrooms were normal but not at the same caliber of restaurants found in other like menu priced restaurants. Everything in the place was for sale. The pictures and vases had little strings with a green tag depicting the price. After a second visit (I like to go back again in case it was a bad day for the restaurant) during the day I noticed why the restaurant was low lit. The doors and walls were painted by an amateur with thick paint and no attention to detail. You might as well go to dos gringos to eat. The place is not going out of business but the decoration is a way to bring in more income. It really cheapened the restaurant’s ambiance in my opinion.

We tried different plates but the shocker was the appetizer. Never have I seen a small appetizer cost over $21 at similar restaurant’s of this caliber. I had to ask but I was told that the price was correct. Though she tried to explain the reason, I still could not understand how a small appetizer would cost more than a dinner plate. The dinner plate also had 3 times more food.

the restaurant did set a romantic mood in the evening but I thought very cheaply. The prices are out of line for this type of restaurant. The owner should invest in the restaurant before offering those high prices. The waiters and waitresses are nice and friendly but not at the caliber of the other restaurants I previously mentioned. The menu price just commanded more from them. The bill is another thing. Since it is hand written and of a generic type used at small mom and pop fast food restaurants, I thought it killed the romantic mood and is definately not for a restaurant commanding these prices.

Putting all that aside, the food is good (minus the store bought tortillas. They were not home made) and plentiful. I am left with the impression that the owner is trying to depict a high class restaurant while taking short cuts to maximize his profits, banking all of his marbles on the Chef which did a great job. The whole experience was like buying payless shoes but at the cost of a more name brand price. So my wife and I left telling myself, “Such is Life”, you don’t necessarily get what you pay for.

Appetizer $21.95
Cochinita Pibil dinner: $18.95
Sea Bass:$15.95
Pineapple drink $3.00 x2= $6.00
Flan $8.00
Peach $8.00
Tax: $8.00
Total: $80.85 not including tip for the waiter or guitar players.