Via Real Restaurant — Restaurant in Irving

My boyfriend and I are attending a concert at Toyota Music Factory and asked a foodie group for recommendations in the area of the venue. Via Real was recommended and after looking at the menu, we decided we’d give it a try. We get seated about 6:30 and it takes several minutes for the waiter to come over, not a problem, we had been served water and chips and salsa already. The waiter comes over and introduces himself then immediately asks what we’re doing there. We say we’re going to a concert and this place was recommended. He then asks what time we need to be out of there… silly me thinking that he was concerned about us being to the concert on time. We say we’re good on time and the he proceeds to tell us how he has a reservation at this table at 8 for people that had specifically requested him as his waiter. Basically implying that we better be out of there in time for these VIPs. I was a little confused because surely we weren’t the only table in his section but ok. We immediately left because we were so uncomfortable. I just can’t imagine why he thought that was necessary to say. It seemed like maybe we weren’t his preferred clientele and he was trying to rush us out to get to someone better. I told the lady at the front desk and all she had to say was that he did have a reservation at 8 and she didn’t know why he said that to us. No offer of any resolution or apology. I can’t imagine that someone would let this happen in their business. I am a business owner and we treat everyone the same, no matter how much money they spend. We left and went to another local restaurant and were treated well and had great food. Such a disappointment after being recommended to this place. We will definitely not be back and will make sure people know how we were treated if they’ll be in the...

I don’t usually write reviews unless I have a really good experience or a really bad one. I had friends in town and we were googling brunch spots and this came up. I decided to call to see what their pandemic protocol was and spoke to a lovely hostess named Eadie. She was beyond professional and courteous. She had patience and thoroughly explained how their brunch buffet worked, offered to reserve a table for us, and was so kind that we literally decided to go simply from her alone. As soon as we arrived, the biggest stand out was it was a nicer place than we expected so we were worried we’d be treated differently (unfortunately that’s just the reality of life lol) but we were treated so kindly and with smiles from all of the staff. Our waiter Caesar was a complete gentleman, opened doors and pulled our seats out for us. My friends kept saying “everyone is so nice here” and that’s the best way to explain it. Everyone was so knowledgeable about the dishes, were more than happy to leave their station to accommodate us at another. Even watching from our table, they were like this with everyone. Food selection and endless mimosas didn’t hurt. Quality of the food was superb. Well worth the price and good service is priceless. They have a regular for life. Pleasantly surprised and thank u all for being exceptional during these times!

** Coming back after 2 years to update on this cause I got a notification regarding it. I recommend this place to everyone I can and everyone comes back to tell me its their fav brunch spot. Nothing has changed, still amazing, but I will now aim to be a better patron and visit during dinner as well so we will see how that goes. (I'm sure it will also be amazing) Just wanted to stop by to ensure u all that it wasn't quarantine hype. They are...

The Good: The restaurant was beautiful. The atmosphere was great. Although I prefer a less present waiter, that's not their fault. The wait staff was wonderful and the owner was very kind and even took pics for me and my date. The margaritas were absolutely amazing. The presentation of the food was top notch. The prices were reasonable for such a nice restaurant.

The Not So Good: Again, not their fault but I was kinda hinting to the waiter he needed to make himself more scarce and he did not. For such a nice restaurant some of the patrons behaved quite bad and were very obnoxious, I would have preferred a quieter environment for me and my date. There were not a lot of menu options and defiantly not enough traditional options.

The Ugly: The salsa was very bland and was very un-eventful. It reminded me of store brought salsa from Walmart. The food it's self was also very bland and didn't satisfy my pallet. I have had better fajitas at much lower rated establishments. I found it offensive they did not have a Micheleda as a drink offering. It is by far the number one thing I look forward to at any Mexican restaurant. My date also said her enchiladas were very bland. The tortillas were pre-made and defiantly not home style. They also only gave me 3 of them, only three for a whole plate of fajitas. I was also not asked if I wanted flour or corn tortillas, not sure if that was a choice or not.

Overall: I would recommend this place to those with a less evolved pallet for this kind of food. The drinks were good, while they did not have what I wanted. The service was great, although ratter pushy at times. The restaurant was beautiful. Personally, I could not eat here again, as I prefer more spice and more traditional...