Favela's Fusion — Restaurant in Fairfield

My husband and I met up with a dear friend and her husband last night here, my friend's suggestion. They're longtime residents of Fairfield and regular diners here. First impression: nice enough ambience, attentive service- initially. The food was tasty enough, but we waited exactly 43 minutes from the time the server left with our order to the first 2 plates being set on the table. The other 2 orders took another 10 minutes! I was raised not to eat until everyone's served and so were my tablemates. So half of us had cold food.

Admittedly, we were so caught up in catching up that we let slide the slow service and tiny overpriced portions for some dishes. My husband and I live in Napa and, while we rarely eat at typical Napa restaurants ($$$$), we do expect a little more on the plate at a taqueria for $9.50 (the Z Tacos) than two tiny, flat tacos with a teaspoon of carne asada between them, "garnished" with the most anemic tomato slice I've seen since eating at Howard Johnson's in the 70s. One plus-the tortillas were quite possibly housemade, as they looked and tasted even better than my neighbor's homemades. But they were street taco size and just looked so awkwardly undersized on such a big platter with that little pile of shredded iceberg in the center. And the anemic, pinkish tomato quarter slice on top.

My husband ordered a shrimp burrito, off-menu at the server's suggestion (no burritos on a Mexican restaurant menu??), and it was pretty big. But it came to the table on an even bigger platter with no garnish or sauce or embellishment whatsoever. He later said there were maybe 2 or 3 "shrimp pieces" in the whole thing, but it was mostly rice, beans and cream. Overpriced for what it was, at $15. In Napa, when we eat out, it is often at taquerias, which are almost universally priced fairly and is reliably tasty and satisfying. Yes, there are a few taquerias in Napa that cater to non-Latino diners, but we eat where local families come for menudo or birria on Sundays, with mariachi on the patio, orders often taken and given in Spanish, porqué cuando en Roma...

My friend also ordered the Z Tacos, with no meat or dairy, her usual, and she was happy with her choice. Her husband chose the tortilla soup, which looked like a bowl full of canned enchilada sauce with some slivers of fried corn tortillas on top as a garnish. He was happy, too. Or he didn't complain. He also left a lot in the bowl, but maybe he's a light eater these days.

We were presented the check after about 15 minutes, not offered dessert or coffee. That's when we noticed the many dinersband bar patrons who'd been there before, magically disappeared! And the tv over the bar was now off- it was surprisingly quiet and it was only 715pm! According to their online info, they're open until 9pm, so why were we feeling rushed out?

To their credit, the server was friendly and accommodating up to that point, and the food I ate was tasty. But the price for what was offered was disproportionate. The slow service and last impression of being pushed out the door left a poor impression.

If you're looking for a place to meet up with friends and leave satisfied, try Korean Hot Stone BBQ on N.Texas Street, Tokyo Sushi in the Raley's shopping center or Peking Kitchen right next to Tokyo Sushi. Actually, we've been eating there since 1988!

If you're looking for Mexican, try Hacienda on Old Sonoma Road and...

I liked the decorations and how inviting it felt when I first walked in. Came to meet co-workers & told to hurry to the bar to order as happy hour was about to end and the service is slow. The bartender rudely ignored me several times (before & after giving me a menu) stating the time of happy hour. I re-joined my party and let the waitress know I placed an order at the bar. I received my food, a refill on chips/salsa & water before finally receiving a very small glass of house wine with bits of cork in it after having to ask about it. Needless to say, I sent it back. The fish tacos were just OK due to the nuggets being so tiny & dry, & there was barely any sauce. The 3 piece band sounded great, but were too loud for the small restaurant which made people talk louder. This was my first and most likely last...

I little pricier than I expected, but this was a fantastic dinner. A simple dish; the Chile Colorado con Nopales was excellent. Very flavorful. The pieces of meat were tender with bis of fat for the best flavor. The nopales were not the mushy mess I typically get. Soft pieces riddled the dish. Cooked until it had a slight crunch; an excellent texture experience. The sauce was tomato based, laced with traditional Mexican spices. This gave it a wonderfully deep tone while remaining edible for even the faintest of hearts. This dish absolutely pairs well with Pacifico or Modelo Especial, reminiscent of a mild clamato, giving you a contrast that makes it easy to come back to the plate.

The wait staff was very friendly and helpful without being overbearing.

I will...