La Placita Modern Mexican Cuisine — Restaurant in Oldsmar

I had been so looking forward to this restaurant finally opening; it felt like forever waiting for a new Mexican spot nearby. The décor is lovely and the place was spotless, so at least they’ve got that part down. Unfortunately, that’s about where the compliments end.

The complimentary chips and salsa were... an experience. The chips were impressively salt-free, and the salsa somehow managed to taste like absolutely nothing, quite a feat, really. We ordered the sampler, which was, well, memorable only in the sense that I’m still trying to forget it. The bacon-wrapped shrimp could’ve doubled as stress balls, and the rest of the items were fine, if you enjoy food that inspires no reaction whatsoever.

When our appetizer arrived, the runner promised to bring small plates. Ten minutes later, those plates were apparently still in another dimension, so we resorted to using napkins. We mentioned it to the manager, who graciously offered us a flan, which I suppose was meant as a gesture of goodwill. Meanwhile, another manager seemed far more focused on perfecting his social media presence than on the dining room in front of him.

By the time our entrées arrived (after a cozy 45-minute wait), they were as cold as our enthusiasm. The manager did offer to remake them, but honestly, we’d lost the will to continue. He comped the meal, which was kind, though I think we both knew it was for the best.

If you’re looking for authentic Mexican food, this might not be your destination, unless your definition of “authentic” includes reheating it yourself when you get home. We ended up at Taco Bell afterward, which, shockingly, was the highlight...

The service was great and the atmosphere was also great! I would recommend this place for a good drink hangout or for chips and salsa either guacamole. The salsa is watery with a nice kick of spice how I like it. My dish had steak which was good and tender but flavor was lacking. The bacon wrapped shrimp was over cooked and my girls dish had chicken that was so over cooked that she just ate my steak. The enchilada was not good at all and there was a chicken stuffed with a pepper that was not to my liking. The chicken was more of a mushy texture which for me is a killer. They come over and asked us how the food was and we told them about the over cooked chicken but they didnt say anything at all about it being over cooked and for the prices they are charging it should really be top notch. It's a shame because the food looked so good when it came to the table and the photos in the menu. I most likely won't...

We were looking forward for a mexican place near us. We are still looking. Place looked really nice, but the appetizer took over 25 minutes, it was their sampler and the shrimp was overcooked, the nachos had no flavor because the chips lacked salt and the quesadillas were bland. We had asked for plates to eat the sampler and they never arrived, even after asking the manager. Entrees came almost an hour later, my beans were half raw and the enchiladas were cold. Overall, the food at the table was cold. Either they sat for too long in the counter or they didn't cook it long enough. Service was horrible and the manager’s attitude was dismissive until they realized I spoke Spanish and understood the conversation he was having with the waitress. That's when he decided to comp everything. Appreciate the gesture, but the food and service were terrible. Definitely not...