Brasero Cocina & Cantina — Restaurant in Muscatine

I wanna start by saying I really want this place to succeed, they have the potential to the be the very best restaurant in town. The decor is gorgeous and very comfortable to sit at any table in the place. The staff is exquisite, very charming and snappy with requests. Ate here a week ago for the first time and was so excited to see they make real tortillas and fresh ingredients hand chopped and authentic. Some of the best carnitas I've ever had, certainly a home recipe of some sort.

Went there today and had a very different experience. Canned tomatoes with the salty can juice in the salsa, canned pineapple chunks and bagged pork rinds like from a gas station in the house guacamole...corn tortillas definitely store bought, outta the plastic and onto the plate....extra quiet fajitas with no sizzle to the table...rice that was mushy from being reheated from earlier in the day...just disappointed to see corners cut so quickly into being opened. It felt like an entirely different restaurant. The food came out really quickly, but I wouldve waited happily for the real stuff to be served...blistered fried corn shells and real pork fat chicharrones, fresh chopped tomatoes is what Im after.

What wasn't different was the price..and I feel like they figured nobody would notice. Don't fall into this trap guys..I'm rooting for ya to be this town's new date spot..you can do it, just gotta keep the ingredients freshand authentic! Make them waaaaait. Add a buck to everything on the menu. All will be forgiven when that food slaps! Good luck folks. I believe in you guys, and I'll try...

We went here to celebrate our son's girlfriend birthday. There were 7 in our group. Chips and salsa came to the table ahead of our drinks (which were delicious!) We all placed our orders with the very attentive waiter. The food was delivered hot and fresh. One in our group didn't receive their rice and beans and the waiter was quick to get them delivered. The food was delicious! 👍 After our meal the waiter brought out dessert (no charge) for all of our table. Fried ice cream! Yummy. We were all surprised with this! The wait staff then assembled and brought the birthday girl a churro dish and sang happy birthday to her! The restaurant has been remodeled and is very clean and tastefully decorated. The food/drinks were all delicious and the portions were just right. Our waiter/wait staff went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of. The costs and portions of the meals were inline with other Mexican restaurants in the area. We won't hesitate to come...

I recently had dinner at Brasero Cocina and Cantina in Muscatine with three coworkers for a team outing. The food was above average, not great, and the service was fine but unremarkable—nothing that stood out.

However, the experience took a turn when the manager dropped an entire container of salsa on the table directly behind us, splattering salsa all over my coworker’s back and all over the front of me. Mistakes happen, but the response was shockingly unprofessional—he laughed it off, handed us a towel, and offered no compensation or meaningful apology.

We were left sitting there covered in salsa with no attempt to make things right. For a restaurant trying to project quality and hospitality, that response was unacceptable. Unfortunately, that incident completely ruined what could have been a decent dining experience. I won’t be returning and wouldn’t recommend it for group dinners or...