Bakery Bread and Grill — Restaurant in Fairfax

I've been there three times in five years, and the last time I remembered the reason why I didn't come back in so long.

The food is okay. If you compare with the food in other Bolivian restaurants in the area, you will find that it's below the standard. The quality of the food does not justify the high prices, neither the quantity of the serving (Bolivian dishes are known for their large serving size).

Seems like they try to take advantage of customers with their pricing policy. Ask for a cup of coffee and you'll see what I mean, specially when you request a refill.

The last time I ate there I ordered a "charquekan", a dish which consists of beef jerky, hominy corn, steamed potatoes, cheese, and hard boiled eggs. in other restaurants it's served with rice, instead of hominy corn, and some salsa, or "pico de gallo" topping the jerky to add some moisture to it--here the jerky is not real, by the way, it's just beef overcooked to an extreme dry state. I requested my dish like that, but got charged $7.00 more for adding the pico de gallo and a portion of rice (no other restaurant would do that).

Yesterday I was there, again, ordering the same dish, with the same substitution. The girl behind the counter said the substitution could not be done, but went to the kitchen to inquire about it. The cook got very upset and, in a very hostile way, replied that it could not be done, that I would have to eat it the way it's served, if I wanted to order that. He kept shouting and complaining about the request so loud that I could hear him from outside. I decided to cancel the order and went to another restaurant. I figured that if that joker is so hostile while making my meal, he could do something disgusting to it. I just don't trust cooks like him, I worked in kitchens before, and seen it all.

I guess he doesn't realize that, if he's got a job, it's because...

I stopped by this small eatery because I saw it was a Bolivian restaurant—and I’m always down to try new ethnic spots, even if they sometimes don’t meet expectations.

I asked the waiter for a recommendation, and she suggested the Silpancho Cochabambino. I was like, okay, let’s go for it.

While I waited, they brought me water and played classic rock over the speakers—Queen, to be specific, which was unexpected but actually kind of vibey. Who doesn’t love a little Queen?

A few minutes later, my food came out and I was like, holy moly, this could feed a whole family. And that wasn’t an exaggeration—I ended up taking some of it home.

The presentation was on point. My main issue was the flavor—it just didn’t have much in my opinion. I even sprinkled a little salt on it, and I’m usually 95% anti-salt. Eating it was also a bit tricky—if you're not careful cutting through everything, the diced veggies spill all over the place. I try to be low-maintenance when I’m out, so that was kind of a mess.

As I made my way through the meat and potato wedges, I finally hit the rice—which, honestly, was my biggest gripe. It was way too soft for me. That might just be how it’s traditionally prepared, though. I personally prefer my rice with a bit more bite.

Also, aside from a spicy green sauce on the side, there wasn’t much else adding flavor to the rice. But again, I’ll take the L on that—it could very well be a “me not knowing the cuisine” thing. If someone told me the rice is meant to be soft and minimally seasoned, I’d adjust my expectations accordingly.

Overall, it was an interesting experience. If I do come back, it’ll probably be to try their...

This is the 2nd time I've eaten here in several years. The first time I had the buttered Trout, and it was delicious! So buttery and tender. Everytime I think of this place, I would think of how yummy the fish was. Today, I came back for the fish, but decided to get the Tuesday's special, Paella. It has a nice balance of meat and rice. I has mussles, tiny clams, calamari, shrimp, sausage, and chicken. The rice was a little more moist than I prefer and I am ok with the seasoning used. I don't see myself ordering it again... But definitely the Trout next time. The staff seems more quiet and reserved, but they did their job well. The restaurant appears to be clean. They even gave me and a couple of patrons a small slice of cake. I excited because I have been staring at their cakes and am wondering how they will taste. The cake was moist and has a lot of flavor. The icing melted in my mouth. The little slice is plenty for me after the big plate of Paella. I got a table by the window and the sun was shining in. The waitress was so thoughtful and lowered the shades without me asking... I didn't even think to lower the shade because the sun wasn't shining on my, just my table. I didn't finish my food, and the waitress was so helpful offered me a container to take my food even though I wasn't planning on taking it. She cleared my table as I enjoy the free cake. One of the reviewers mentioned a 20% tip added to the order. That didn't happen to me. Maybe for large orders or group? Overall, I have a great experience. Will come back again... Sooner than...