Perdida - Mexican Kitchen — Restaurant in Denver

My wife and I had the opportunity to have dinner with friends, at Perdida, for our first time this past Monday night, the 19th of February. We had looked at the menu online, and were excited to try a number of things, as they all sounded delicious. Considering that we would be arriving at 5:30, we did not make a reservation, and decided that we would just go for a “first available” table. My wife and I arrived first, and when we asked for a table for 4, we were told that we could have a table immediately, but would have to leave by a certain time in order for them to seat another table there. This is a new practice I’ve noticed in some of the newer, “trendier” restaurants. Telling people that they can have a table, but only for a certain amount of time before they need to re-seat that table. This is SO contrary to everything that it is to be a sit-down restaurant (I’ve been in the restaurant industry my entire life), that it is hard to fathom. And then, to add insult to injury, when I told them I would not accept a table with these sorts of time constraints, the host informed us it would be just about another 15 minutes. If THAT is the case, then just tell me it will be 15 minutes for a table, right from the beginning. Don’t do to this new, insulting “timed table” procedure.

Once our friends arrived, we were seated outside on their front patio. It had been a fairly mild day, but was beginning to cool off. The patio was equipped with over-head heaters, and had nice, cushioned seats with lots of throw pillows, so it certainly appeared to be comfortable and pleasant enough to start. Food and beverage service was OK. The drinks took a little longer than it seemed they should have. Maybe 15 minutes or so? But the food came out expeditiously and courses were timed well. The drinks were underwhelming for 3 out of 4 of us on the first round, including the Cali-Caliente, Paloma, and Passion Fruit Margarita, but I loved my Strawberry Margarita. After some verbal adjustments to the drinks for the second round, they were better. The food (inclusive of guacamole, queso, chicken tortilla soup, veggie fajitas, chile salmon, and Baja enchiladas) was exceptional, save the ceviche, which was just a little “fishy”.

Now then, as we sat outside enjoying this tasty dinner, the temperature had been dropping steadily through the evening. Even with the overhead heater running (which appeared to not be working very well), the temperature still became uncomfortably chilly. So much so, that the restaurant staff literally closed us out by shutting the accordion doors and clasping them. There was never an effort to check in and see if we were warm or comfortable, or to see if, perhaps, we’d like to move inside (there were PLENTY of tables available), only a half-hearted offer of another round, and the dropping of the check. Now, I will bear some of the responsibility for not declining the outdoor table in the first place, but why is Perdida even sitting people outside on a February evening, when plenty of “4 top tables” sat unused inside all night long. Had we had the opportunity to move inside and be warmer, we WOULD have enjoyed additional drinks, coffees, and dessert, so Perdida’s lack of concern for us also lost them added revenue.

It's a shame that the food was so good, as our feeling of being banished and disregarded to the patio severely tarnished what should have been a lovely evening out, leaving us...

I’m not one to make bad reviews but I had a pretty bad experience here tonight. I met up with some friends (5 of us total) and we had a little bit of a wait which was no issue at all. I decided to go up to the bar and try and grab a drink while we wait, the bartender was helping just about everyone else but me. I had to ask another couple standing beside me what they did to get the bartenders attention to order a drink, I had been standing here for almost 10 minutes with zero eye contact or acknowledgement while everyone around me was ordering their drinks. Luckily this woman was able to help me flag down the bartender. Once we got sat it was off to a fine start, we ordered then 4 of our entrees came out, missing one, and we waited for a few minutes until the server came by and finally went and talked to the kitchen about what was going wrong. 1 of our group was left without food for over 10 minutes while everyone else had their entrees. Then, when we asked for the checks, which was spilt into what each person got besides 2 which were a couple on the same check, the server seemed visibly annoyed and frustrated and proceeded to print off one check and left it on our table for about 10 more minutes ignoring us and serving all the tables around us when we were just trying to pay and leave. Luckily a manager I believe came over and helped us probably cause we looked visibly annoyed. He was able to split the check for us and get us out of there in less than 2 minutes. And of course right after the manager came over the server came back over and then asked for details on splitting the check, which once we told him the manager helped us he laughed and walked away. We all felt extremely uncomfortable. First and last time...

Disappointing Experience at Perdida😞 Our recent family dinner at Perdida was unfortunately quite disappointing. While the restaurant was undeniably busy, the level of disorganization and the quality of service fell far short of expectations.

Despite a visible number of staff, tables weren't cleared promptly, leaving us with finished plates for an extended period. The speed at which the food arrived seemed to compromise its quality. My salad was subpar, and my salmon tasted like it had been sitting in the refrigerator for far too long. Even my daughter, who usually enjoys quesadillas, disliked hers. My husband found his sampler platter to be acceptable, but my apple spritzer was the only part of my meal I truly enjoyed.

However, the most disheartening aspect of our visit was the distinct feeling of being unwelcome. As a Latina woman in a predominantly white restaurant and neighborhood, I felt like I was subjected to uncomfortable and rude stares from both staff and other patrons. It took an excessive amount of time for our server to clear our table and bring the check. Eventually, I had to actively seek her out, only to be met with a dismissive "I'm too busy." The overall atmosphere made me feel incredibly out of place, reminiscent of an unwelcoming experience I once had in Gastonia, North Carolina. It's ironic that a restaurant named "Perdida" (Spanish for "lost") and featuring a Mexican menu could make a Latina customer feel so completely alienated. From the initial greeting to being seated on the patio despite other available tables, the entire experience left me feeling disconnected and unwelcome. We will not be returning to Perdida and cannot recommend it based on our very...