Soluna Cocina + Tequila Bar — Restaurant in Arbutus

Let me start by saying that the only reason that I am giving 3 stars for service is because of the bartender Eddie who also ended up being our server. Eddie deserves 5 stars. The hostesses, not so much. We got there earlier, around 4:30 expecting the place to not be so busy at that time - and it was not. The place was maybe half full and there was plenty of room at the bar. The first thing the hostess asked was if we had a reservation which we did not. We really did not think we needed one so early - and the website said nothing about recommending reservations nor did it have any kind of link to make one. We were told that it would be 30 minutes and that we could wait at the bar which we said would be fine. We noticed at least 3 empty tables in the bar area so I went back up front and asked if they were available and I was told no. I then asked, don't you need my name or something and the response was that they thought I was eating at the bar. I clarified that I was waiting at the bar while a table became available - and they took my information. We ordered a round of margaritas which were good and spicy, if not a little small, and enjoyed some chips and salsa (which were very good). After at least 30 minutes, I went up to ask how much longer it would be before a table was ready and with the straightest face they told me 45 minutes. I asked for clarification, reminding them that they told me 30 minutes (at least 30 minutes ago), and were they now telling me that we were expected to wait still another 45 minutes. Their response was that people were staying longer then expected and that they had to keep tables open for people who had reservations. At this point I feel the need to mention that all 3 of the open tables in the bar area had never been occupied and were still open. I politely told them how rude it was to not inform us since we were steps away from them the entire time and that we would not be waiting. My partner left while I settled our bar tab and, while I was waiting for change, one of the hostesses comes up behind me to tell me that they found us a table. I told her that my partner already left and that they would need to wait so I could see if we were going to stay. We ended up staying since we had planned this all week and had no idea what we were going to do for alternate dinner plans. We both ordered another margarita and the sunken burrito, mine with chicken, my partner with steak. They both tasted good - but in no way were they anything like described on the menu - "refried beans, rice, cheese and lettuce in a large flour tortilla" - with the option to add either steak, pork or chicken. What we both got was a large flour tortilla filled with meat - I maybe counted 3 beans, so little rice I am not sure there was any and no lettuce at all. Neither of us are big meat eaters so by the third or fourth bite we both were over it. We took the leftovers home and I will rewind it into something so much better, though we will still throw away most of it since it is just too much meat. After we were seated they took one of the empty bar tables and added it to another one of the empty bar tables to sit a party of 5. When we left there was still one 2 person table in the bar sitting empty. We would have been quite happy to sit at that table when we first got there and would have been gone a long time ago. So we spent about $100 on dinner and drinks, gave Eddie - the highlight of our night at Soluna - $25 in tips, and will never ever be back again. Tip - if you are interested in trying this place, which I cannot recommend, I would suggest you make a...

UPDATE: Returned at manager’s invitation and had a better experience! Still loud but they are working on that so great news. The willingness of the staff and owner to improve based on our input means they will ultimately be very successful. Our meals were a big improvement, fajitas were delicious, my sons steak was cooked to his satisfaction and flavorful, my husband had chicken mole with a sauce that he liked because he found it more authentic and I had pork shank, a chef’s speciality that they only make 6 cups f each night. Generous portions for sure but the Caesar salad was cut too large and the dressing was sporadic throughout, the shank while falling off the bone tender was a little dry, perhaps because it cooks for so long. Still very flavorful. Spanish rice got high praise and the ceviche was my husbands big hit, served with a flair of lettuce leaf, though the avocado was unnecessary. The guacamole is on point. Glad we went back and with their determination to be better I’m sure it will be each time we go. Owner makes a point of meeting every table. Speaks volumes to their ultimate success.

We were so excited to have a new Mexican restaurant to try in this town! The disappointment settled in quickly when we walked in it was untenability loud. Got worse from there with regard to the food. While the service was good, the food was literally slapped together. My chicken enchiladas were, boring with no seasoning wrapped in a tortilla with some green sauce drizzled on top stuck under the salamander. Seems like they bought a Costco chicken and put it together last second. My son’s quesadilla was just cheese and meat and no flavor. Same with my husbandfish tacos so salty they had to go back and be redone. Maybe it’s just new opening kitchen jitters but I see no reason to...

This place has been on my list for a while due to the tequila bar and its list of high-quality, additive free tequila options. I visited on a Sunday afternoon around 1 p.m., and by 2 p.m., it was lively and jumping. We started off with a ginger margarita that used the house tequila (additive free), and it was really good. I got the spicy serano infused margarita, and it was spicy and really well made. For appetizers, we had salsa and fresh guacamole. The salsa was free and good, but refills were $3(ridiculous to pay for salsa at a Mexican restaurant). The guac was $16 and came out on a fried tortilla bowl. It was well made, but the portion was small for the price. For entrée we had al pastor tacos and carne asada. The flavor of the al pastor was good, but we could tell that the pineapples were added on after and not cooked with the meat. The carne asada I had was probably one of the best I ever had at a non-steakhouse. It was cooked perfectly (medium), had the maillard reaction color i prefer, and was seasoned very well. The steak's juices were flowing into the rice and beans. Just overall, a great dish. I will be returning for the steak and great...