Marenca — Restaurant in Baja California

Marenca Writing this review on 10-7-2017 (October) from Hospital Mi Doctor in Tijuana Mexico on my breakfast visit on the same day--8AM PST. Service: 5/5 Food: 5/5 Price for value: 5/5 Bariatrics/Healthy Options: 5/5

Overall score: 5 stars--you can't get any better to this.

Thanks to the nearby feature on Yelp, I was able to find this gem! It's an upscale restaurant, with excellent customer service. We were seated right away after being greeted. As we sat down the hostess took my sweater, and my dining companion's satchel, and brought over a small coat rack--which I thought was awesome. I've never experienced that and soon realized that this is a norm for the area. While she was doing that, another waiter brought us over a free appetizer of churros, which as a bariatric patient I didn't eat, but I did smell it and lived through my dining companion who said they were amazeballs! Shortly thereafter a waiter came around with a plate of meats--in Spanish he spoke to my dining companion and explained all the meats to him. You can, for 15 pesos (less than $1 US) have two different meats in your omelets, which I took advantage of. We ordered and another waiter came around with a plate of fruit, sprinkled with granola and Greek yogurt, again complimentary. This to me was super delicious and part of my diet; however, I was getting full already and past the rest to my dining companion because I wanted to eat some of my meal.

Azcapptzalco (Chicharron) I got the chicharron (pork) and shrimp in my omelet. The omelet had a nice authentic cream sauce over and around it, which was very tasty. A side of beans, and corn tortillas soaked in an enchilada sauce garnished with a slice of avocado and shreds of carrot and beet. I will admit that I tasted one and it was epic! The food was beyond delicious. It came with corn tortillas which were purple and since that isn't part of a bariatric lifestyle I gave them to my dining companion. However, if they see your tortillas gone and you still have food, they'll bring you more...

Enchilada: In the US you're generally given 2 enchiladas as to here you're given 4 and they're the same size. Double the food with less money! The enchiladas had a very good Verde sauce smothered on top, with melt in your mouth lengua (beef tounge), chunks of cheese and a well-balanced tortilla. His came with crisp fried round tortilla chips and beans/frijoles. The meal was topped with a slice of avocado and shreds of carrot and beet.

If you order water, it comes in a bottle and you're charged for it. This is normal in this area. Total for two people was about $24 US, which is a very good price for all that we got, the extras, fresh squeezed orange juice, and all of the wonderful service and attention. They boxed my left overs for me, which I am noticing is a normal accommodation in Mexico. Excelente!

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The restaurant does not have good decoration or ambience. It's too simple, and the furniture looked like a "school cafeteria." The service seemed like we were in a diner instead of a restaurant. The hostess was sitting at one of the tables - eating food she had delivered from another restaurant, and all the staff were taking turns, eating at that same table, right in the middle of the main restaurant - instead of having a designated place for the employee dining room. Our designated waiter also sat down to eat, without notifying us, and so we had no service for more than 20 minutes. The whole time we were there all the waiters, the hostess, and bartenders were talking loudly and yelling across the room at each other. They were also playing around - singing and whistling to the songs that were playing - with the volume too high - giving the place more like a "bar" feel than a restaurant. They all behaved like kindergarten children without a teacher present. Then there was a janitor cart with chemicals and cleaning supplies in the middle of the restaurant, which was so inappropriate and unappetizing to have it there - since it gives a bad appearance. Then we first ordered our appetizer, and the waiter brought it without the bread that comes with it, and so by the time the waiter brought the bread, the appetizer was already cold. It was also very salty and tasteless, and the shrimp tasted and smelled rancid. So, instead of giving any more of our hard-earned money to this undeserved place, we decided to ask for the bill and go elsewhere. So maybe if you are looking for something very casual, with zero expectations, it would be fine. But we wanted a nice dinner, and this definately is not the place to...

Marenca is a great option for breakfast. Good location about a block North of Hotel Lucerna. Luckily it has its own parking lot behind it as street parking in this area is usually a challenge.

The restaurant itself is clean and inviting. Nice linens and plates. Service is great. Food is great. I had eggs of the house with cesina. It came with a side of so-so chilaquiles, which felt unnecessary. I had one bite before knowing I wasn't going to eat them. But the overall plate was delicious even though eating meat like that for breakfast is foreign for me. My wife had entomatadas. Also good.

Some things that I wish were just a little different: • Missing from the menu were small lighter breakfasts like my favorite molletes. • I didn't like that the pastries that were brought with coffee were implied to be included with the coffee, and then were not. I don't mind paying for them. It was just the way they brought them. They just set them on the table and say, "to accompany your coffee". Not "would you like a pastry for your coffee?" I would normally reject the option, as I don't have a dying urge to eat pastries with my coffee. It didn't matter much in the end they were like a dollar, but I don't like feeling duped into getting something I would not usually have. • We ordered water at the very beginning, and it didn't come until the very very end.

Aside from these nitpicks, Marenca is an excellent restaurant, and I will most...