Esperanza on the Rooftop — Restaurant in Paso Robles

We were so excited to try this place out… We called to make reservations, but they told us they don’t really take them unless we’re a large party… So we took our chances and showed up before 5:30 and got in right away… Our server was happy and bubbly, she was probably the best thing about this whole experience. We ordered the queso and chorizo jam that came with House chips, the chips were bagged Taco Works chips so that was the first disappointment. The chorizo had good flavor. The rest of the cheese dip was very bland and definitely needed salt and pepper, which were missing from the table. We didn’t ordered the loaded waffle fries… Once again flavor was definitely lacking. The quality of the Carnitas was good but once again it did not have much flavor. I asked if I could get some salsa which she brought over and of course there was a five dollar charge on our bill at the end for the salsa, which was no big deal. What’s five dollars in the scheme of things but still it would’ve been nice to have been told… My friends margarita was super small for $18 and just not worth $18 he said… I did get a mocktail for $11 which was fairly decent… We decided to share the shrimp burrito, but I told our server I need some flavor in there…can you put some cilantro and onions, pico de gallo something… when the burrito came, there was nothing like that in it however, this huge bowl of guacamole and house chips arrived with our burrito… I asked our Server what this was she said she asked them to put it inside the burrito but inside the burrito already came with guacamole, so I’m not sure what she meant by that… However, at the end of the meal there was an additional $10 charge for the guacamole that we never ordered… Of course they took this off the bill…final disappoint was the churro dessert…omg they weren’t even churros I’m not sure what they were…fried burnt pieces of dough…inedible… I had also ordered it with vanilla ice cream to come with it, which was missing… The little busser told me she would run and grab it, but I told her never mind. I was not going to be eating them and all of the three sauces that came with them were cold …. The first cold sauce was Tamarind and it was way too sour to even palate…cold caramel sauce had no flavor and not sweet…the cold cream sauce was also flavorless… The Server asked me if I wanted her to remake the churros as they did look kind of burned …. I said no thank you… I don’t ever write reviews as you can see but this one with the prices they’re charging. I just hope something will change. Maybe we’ll give it a try again… I also heard the couple at the table next to us complaining that they were charged for extra house chips or should we say taco works chips? They stated they wouldn’t be back… The Server did take the guacamole off of our bill as well as the burned uneditable churros…. The ambience at this place is absolutely amazing and beautiful, and the Server tried her best… But she did not deliver certain things we asked for…working in the industry we gave her a break and...

I loved the ambience. They definitely could turn the music down some. I was with a party of 7 sitting across the restaurant from the main speaker and we had a hard time hearing each other during conversation. Our server was fantastic and we had multiple people check on us. Cocktails were okay. We had carnitas fries and chips with guacamole & queso. The menu says house chips, I assume means made fresh but they tasted like basic bagged chips without seasoning. The main dishes we ordered (fish and chicken tacos, shrimp burrito and flautas) were all so undesirable. Not one person in my group were pleased with the flavor of the food. I know food is a very personal opinion but as a local I will never go back to partake of their food and I'm regretful for the amount of...

An Unforgettable Amuse-Bouche

As the saying goes, it’s all in the details. I was savoring what I thought would be the final, decent bite of my meal when I encountered a shockingly unique texture. It was chewy, with a slightly adhesive mouthfeel. I discreetly removed the morsel to examine it and realized the chef had included a special, off-menu offering: a used bandaid.

While some might consider this a major health code violation, I prefer to see it as a bold, avant-garde statement. After all, what is fine dining if not a journey into the unknown? Esperanza is certainly trying to make a name for itself, and this unexpected course left an unforgettable impression. If you choose to dine here, just be sure to inspect every...