Urbano 116 — Restaurant in Alexandria

You will not be disappointed with your food at Urbano 116, though it is abundantly clear that the servers are still figuring things out at this brand new Old Town establishment. This isn't to say they staff aren't friendly, they very much are, but the order and food delivery logistics aren't quite clicking yet. That said, there is more than enough good going on at this place to justify coming back!

A few quick takes after a Saturday evening meal at the bar:

Location: Perfect, nestled in the heart of King St. Enjoy your meal and then stroll down by the Potomac if the weather is nice.

Atmosphere and vibe: Modern, up-scale industrial decor. The restaurant is still new, so it's a popular spot with plenty of people and energy. Quite bustling at the bar, in particular. If there's a long line for tables, grab some seats at the bar and order your food there.

Drinks: Drinks were OK. Wife and I tried four the nine cocktails on their list, including the Old Oaxacan, the Navi, the 116 Margarita, and the Urbano Punch, and nothing stood out as spectacular but nothing was bad either. We enjoyed the Urbano Punch over the other cocktails. Overall, the cocktails seemed a bit liquor-forward, rather than balanced.

Food: So, the chips and salsa are incredible--easily some of the best salsa I've ever had. Highly recommend! We actually ordered more because we liked them so much. Unfortunately, the servers failed to follow through on this request. For an appetizer, we order the cactus infladita and were very happy that we did; incredibly fresh and flavorful, great way to prelude the dinner. For mains, we ordered the short rib and the butternut squash pipian and thought both were excellent. Again, unfortunately, the servers brought my wife enchiladas instead of the pipian, so I had to wait with my dish until they brought her the correct entree. And the desserts looked good, but never really had the opportunity to order one. After we finished our meals, it took so long before another server came around to us that the moment had passed.

Service: Again, staff are incredibly friendly and clearly work very hard to ensure patrons enjoy their experience at Urbano 116. A few hiccups along the way, but that's expected at a new restaurant. Our last mix-up came when we asked for our check and received someone else's. That said, I imagine things will come together and the service will soon complement the excellent food that's being...

Came here on a Saturday night. Very crowded so make sure you get a reservation. Since they are new, you have to call. I looked for them on open table but they aren’t listed. Hopefully, that will change soon. We sat at the bar a had a couple of drinks while we waited. The restaurant is sleek and a nice city feel; however, the tables in the center are oddly placed. Either seem too big for the space so there aren’t many of them or they just decided not to use the space well.

The Drinks: The drinks were ok. Each one tasting as if they are one missing ingredient from being good.

The OLD OAXACAN, take on an Old Fashion, was just a miss. Taste extremely bitter.

The margaritas are weak and watered down. I guess that’s to be expected since they come from what looks like a tap. They could stand to hire a mixologist.

Food I Tried: (PLANTAIN MOLOTES, OCTOPUS TACOS, PORK BELLY“MANCHA MANTELES“, LAMB TAMAL, FRESH FRIED CHURROS)

The fried plantains with goat cheese. Believe me, you want to try these. The goat cheese adds a wonderful creamy taste that surprisingly works.

The chips and salsa for the table also a winner. Not your typical salsa. Has a subtle hit of smoke that was delicious.

The Lamb Tamal left a lot to be desired. Stay away. While the lamb was fine, a bit salty, the tamal (if you can find it) was absolutely bland and dreadful. Unfortunate really.

The Pork Belly. Definitely a winner. The pork has a well browned crust and really holds its flavor well.

The Octopus Tacos. Another dish that just fell flat. You root for the flavor of the octopus and really feel let down. They do however serve it with a lifesaver, two sauces (which add flavor). The dish would have been better with a charred octopus rather than the soggy braised.

Churros. So good and nice way to end the meal. Crunchy outside and soft center,...

The vibe and atmosphere of this restaurant were vibrant, modern, though a bit disjointed. Loved the lucha libre masks but I wished they embraced it more than just sticking a half dozen mask in the back of the restaurant.

As far service goes. It was adequate.

I wanted to love this place, I really did. Sat at the bar on a Tuesday and looked over the ambitious menu with my friend and decided on a couple of cocktails which were the highlight of our experience. Strawberry smokeout, the mezcal mule and an orange based cocktail were all perfectly balanced and delicious.

As much as we loved the drinks the menu fell flat or missed the mark. The salsa was overwhelming smoky and lacking acid, chips were pretty standard fare. We had pork belly appetizer where the pork belly needed to be more crispy though the ideas for flavors were there. The best thing we are was the shrimp ceviche which was bright and acidic and very flavorful though it necessary push the envelope. I've made the same dish in my own kitchen. I had an octopus taco that was delicious though texturally bland and super mushy. It need more than the pork rinds to save it, slaw maybe? The lamb barbacoa seem cohesive though underwhelming. Most the dishes there seemed to lack punch.

I don't understand this place. It looks amazing with a menu that seems to have its heart in the right place though the end product lacks substance and soul. I love the creativity and imagination of the drinks but I just wish why had hit the nail on the head more.

My ending verdict is come here for drinks and maybe ceviches, enjoy the people watching and...