Vivir — Restaurant in Minneapolis

We got the Centro Crunch, Chicken Verde Enchilada, and chips and queso. First of all, whoever said this was authentic Mexican and flavorful don't know a damn thing about Mexican food and what flavorful is 😂. The food here was overpriced on top of a mandatory service fee of 10% not including tip. I was prepared to pay the cost to see if it was worth it though.

The chips and queso was $10. The amount you get is an appetizer size. Something you get for free dining at an average Mexican restaurant. The chips are decent, but the queso was horrible. I would describe it like grated cheese not fully melted and blended well...kinda gritty. Most queso I've had elsewhere are typically sliky smooth or thick. The taste was on the bland side. We had to request some shredded cheese as an attempt to salvage it. It didn't really help

The Centro Crunch consists of ground beef, diced tomatoes, and lettuce. The naming of this is very odd since there's nothing about this item that would make this "crunch". It was simply lightly seared tortilla. The ground beef texture was similar to taco bell meat, but much drier and lacked flavor and seasoning.

The Verde Chicken enchiladas consists of shreded chicken with lettuce, verde sauce, and lightly smeared with sour cream. The only taste signature that presented itself in this item was the chicken, and it's not saying much since it simply tasted like shredded chicken with a squeeze lime juice. The taste of sour cream nonexistent, and the verde sauce very mild in flavor.

The service was good and atmosphere good. Water is self served from a water jug. I would not recommend this place for Mexican food. Not even a quick casual bite since...

I was excited to try the tacos here, as this has the highest rating of tacos in the area, but was hugely disappointed. The beef empanada lacked flavor and was high in fat content (in meat and in wrapper and on my hands). Fat is delicious, yes, and made the wrapper very flaky. But overall, the only memorable thing about the empanada was the fat, not the flavor. Also, there was a blackened ring on the first bite of the empanada. I opened the other side (check the picture) and not sure how the edge of the beef filling could’ve gotten blackened like this. The birria tacos were also disappointing. Meat was braised and had nice dark color but got lost in the cheese and tortilla. The consommé was S-P-I-C-Y and after 2 sips I couldn’t have any more; my nose was on fire like I ate a spoon of wasabi! The duck carnitas tacos didn’t taste like duck (which may be a positive for some) but I love duck and did not enjoy these tacos. They just tasted like fatty meat in a taco shell. Octopus tacos again had a very strong seasoning, hiding the octopus. Spice and toppings on both tacos were very heavy and dominated the dishes. Server wiped our table when we sat down. She brought our food and removed our finished plates. We served ourselves water. When I left, I read more reviews and noticed many positive comments about the atmosphere and the drinks. Yes, this is a fun place to get together and hang out. Fun cards and hot sauces and snacks to peruse. Be aware that the noise level gets high, even with only 2 other tables being occupied. I did not have any beverages so I cannot comment on this aspect. In summary: Would I bring friends to hang out? Maybe. Would I come again...

TL;DR. Perfect menu size with delicious meat or vegan options. Baked goods were stellar. Tasty drinks menu w/ a mezcal specialty. Fantastic service. Highly recommend.

ViV!R is a small Mexican bakery and cafe with a full-service kitchen and bar, as well. It's located in a gorgeous walkable area of Northeast right next to Indeed and sharing space with it's sister-restaurant, Centro.

When we went we tried the Duck Carnitas Tacos, the Avocado Tostada, and the Verduras. The tostada is vegan and not my normal faire, but it was super hot outside and I found it really refreshing in addition to just down-right tasty. The duck was delicious as well, but be prepared, it is greasy (as duck tends to be). The Verduras were roasted carrots in an anise sauce. I thought the carrots were good, but I'm not a fan of anise, so it's hard for me to judge that.

For drinks we tried the Morelos Sour, the Rose Sangria, the Coconut (Mezcal) Marg, and the Classic (Tequila) Marg. The Morelos Sour was sweet, salty, and spicy, and was absolutely my favorite. The two Margs were solid, and if you're into Mezcal, they are specialists here. Unfortunately, the Rose Sangria was a total miss, but 3/4 is good.

The atmosphere is relaxed and fun. They play catchy toons and the kitchen is open so you can see the magic happen. They also have a really fun gift shop where we bought a few stickers. Service is top notch! Very friendly, attentive, and willing to answer any questions or provide suggestions. The area this restaurant in is unbeatable. It's in an old warehouse district but has greenery and is tucked in nicely right next to Indeed, which is a great stop...