Jefe Urban Cocina — Restaurant in Minneapolis

What a gem!

I would describe Jefe as Latin-inspired cuisine. My partner and I arrived with ten minutes left to happy hour, which was just enough time for him to order one of each of the HH tacos at $3 each. We also ordered the guacamole, fried yucca, tap beer, Jefe margarita, and canned beer + shot (the last two were also HH specials). Somehow our server made a mistake putting in our order so that we ended up with two extra tacos on the house.

My dude, a taco aficionado, thought each of the three different tacos was delicious. We received two chicken tinga, two carnitas, and one vegan chorizo taco. I only tried the vegan chorizo, and thought it was yummy as well. (I wonder if they get the vegan chorizo from The Herbivorous Butcher? It tastes a lot like theirs).

The guacamole was absolutely delicious in flavor, although my dude didn't love the ultra-smooth rather than chunky texture of it. The yucca was also absolutely delicious, perfectly crispy on the outside but soft and starchy on the inside. The margarita had me feeling tipsy after one serving. The beer list had decent variety and tap options for a Mexican restaurant.

Last but no less important, service was great! Our server was friendly, attentive, and prompt. The food and drinks all came out in a reasonable time.

Less than ten tables filled + a few folks seated at the bar on a Thursday evening. The crowd was mostly folks like me on a date as well as a few 20-something...

I had been wanting to try the food and drinks here ever since I seen the patio while shooting photography down the street earlier this summer. When I finally got the chance to go back and try it recently, it didn’t disappoint. Everything from the appetizers to the drinks & meal itself were uniquely prepared and flavored. Most of all, It was all quite tasty! The chips (tostadas) come out round which you break into smaller sizes and dip into the various salsas they have. I HIGHLY recommend getting the salsa flight of (6) flavors as they are all equally unique. Our table couldn’t get enough of this appetizer. I had the (Elotes) corn on the cob with melted cheeses & seasoning for my meal. It was nothing short of amazing. Which is pretty significant because well, it’s corn on the cob. I even shared it with the others at the table who also raved about it. We all had various drinks which everyone enjoyed throughly. The various sangrias and Smokey Paloma were nothing short of delicious. The restaurant atmosphere is great, the decor & overall ambience phenomenal. The only way our trip could have been better is if you could have seen the water from the patio. Unfortunately the brush and buildings across the cobblestone road make it impossible to get a view like that. Also a word of advice, this place is huge and seems to always have a full house so I recommend calling ahead. And the parking is atrocious. Take an...

Food quality has noticeably suffered since the last head chef left. It was already over priced, but I’ve heard from staff they started buying cheaper ingredients to cut costs. Now they are increasing prices again. Good thing they won’t be allowed to charge their deceptive surcharge that carried over from the pandemic anymore.

After witnessing the owner Jeff and his son Shane’s treatment of their employees, it’s hard for me to believe they are good people. Most of the employees who made the amazing atmosphere and gave exceptional customer service have either been fired or quit, which has been a consistent pattern at this restaurant. The turnover rate is very high because they get sick of paying the “trusted” employees they promoted and then lay them off or offer them an overqualified demotion. It’s seems as if they put the blame of their business failures on everyone but themselves. So expect to see new faces when dining here.

However, I would not recommend eating here, and definitely not working here. If you are a big fan of the Main Street vibe, I strongly recommend Cabana Club right next door. It just opened and they have an incredible menu, and you can tell their employees are happy to be...