El Gato Azul — Restaurant in Prescott

Walked in at 7pm, the host told us it would be a 45min wait - Before I put my name down for the reservation I asked what time they close. She said 8 but don’t worry you’ll be fine 8pm is just when we stop seating people. So loving the atmosphere, vibe, and the reassurance that we weren’t making anyone “stay late” to seat us, I put my name down.

The 45min wait went by fast walking the beautiful downtown area, they called my phone when they were ready for us and we headed back to the host stand. After a little confusion (I guess they accidentally sat someone else in the table we reserved) we finally got seated. The band of the night was the Goodwin Street Gang Jazz band and wow are those guys good! We were easily distracted for the 15min we waited for the waitress to arrive with some waters.

To start I ordered a 805 and some of the black bean empanadas to share with the lady. The 805 came very fast, then nothing for another 25min. Again thank god for the Goodwin Street Gang 😂. Thinking the empanadas would be arriving soon and who knows when we would see our waiter we went ahead and ordered dinner. My lady ordered the brisket tacos, and I ordered the tri tip / Mac & cheese.

It’s 8.25 now beer finished, no empanadas and the band is wrapping up their equipment… Our food came out and I asked about the empanadas? I was told they accidentally gave them to another table and that more will be out soon. So as we turn to start our main dish..everything was cold. I mean ice cold. Only the Mac and cheese was warm. Steak ice cold and tough, vegetables cold, tacos ice cold like out of the refrigerator cold.

Seeing how everyone was leaving we quickly realized we should have just booked a reservation for a earlier time on a different day. So not wanting to be a burden we just went ahead and asked for a box and left :/

👉🏻Overall I’ve heard nothing but great things about this place and will be back to try it again. The vibe is awesome, the music is great and I can see the potential in the food. HOWEVER my advice is to book an earlier reservation,DO NOT BOOK ANYTHING WITHIN A HOUR OF CLOSING TIME. no matter what the host says, you will leave feeling invisible, the food rushed, cold, and in a “last people of the day hurry up and whip it out kinda way”. Even though I feel partly to blame for walking in and making a reservation so close to closing I would have still expected the same kind service and quality as any other time of day and that wasn’t...

El Gato Azul - A Mixed Bag of Great Food and Reservation Frustrations We had a reservation at El Gato Azul for 6:00 PM on a Friday evening. Arriving five minutes early, we were told the restaurant was still waiting on tables to clear. When I asked where we should wait, we were told to stand outside and they would come get us when the table was ready. As we stood on the sidewalk, another party of four arrived, announced they had a reservation, and were taken in to be seated. Naturally, I asked why they were seated ahead of us when we had been waiting. I was told their reservation was earlier-even though they arrived at 6:08 and our reservation was at 6:00. It was confusing and frustrating. Eventually, we were seated, and a staff member (Eric) offered an apology for the "misunderstanding." When I asked what misunderstanding he was referring to, he stated they had mistakenly seated another party under our reservation. As a result, we were placed at a large table for six--more space than we needed, but not exactly an improvement, as it made the cozy ambiance feel a little awkward for our party of three. Eric did try to make it right. More than I can say for the young lady at the front of the house who made excuses. On the upside, once seated, the experience improved significantly. Our waiter was fantastic--attentive, professional, and friendly. The food was truly excellent, living up to El Gato Azul's strong culinary reputation. Every dish was flavorful and well-executed. The ambiance was warm and inviting, though it would've been more enjoyable at a more appropriately sized table. This was my second visit to El Gato Azul, and unfortunately, both times have been marked by reservation issues. During our first visit, we waited nearly an hour to be seated despite having a reservation. This time, our reservation was mistakenly given to another party. In summary: great food, great service at the table (thank you Jacob)--but consistently poor front-of-house management. It's hard to fully relax and enjoy a meal when the experience starts with confusion and disorganization. I'd love to return for the food alone, but l'm hesitant until they get a better handle on their...

I was filling up the car during my visit to Prescot last Saturday. I asked a local there for recommendations. He told me about it, and then explained that I may have a tough time getting in there without a reservation. So, that really piqued my curiousity. While not hard to find, it is a bit tucked-back into the street view when you come in from the east. It's an easy walk around the corner from Whiskey Row, and a mere half--block from the south edge of Courthouse Square.

I arrived at 110pm, and the hostess said it would be about a 35min wait. So be it, because I easily spent the majority of that time exploring the menu options, and building my appetite. Sure enough, I was seated at an outdoor table by 1:40pm. A plug for my server, Nyah. She was upbeat, efficient, and attentive through my entire repast. I started by handing her a list of what I'd decided on while I was waiting. I told her Chef's Choice as to the order of the service. It's simply easier on the staff. Well, I ended up having her run several more options beyond my initial list.

I would describe the menu as having a large core of tapas plate choices. Then, there are several, entree-sized options. If you're a fan of variety, you will be well-pleased. I won't go into every choice that I had, for fear of embarrassment. I will say that everything was delicious, with picture perfect presentation on beds of fresh romain, basil, and/or spinach. I will detail my one entree, as it really stood-out.....the Paella Valencia. If you have ever eaten paella, you will generally see a platter/plate with a mound of yellow saffron-infused rice. It's then dotted-over with bits of chicken shrimp, olives, peppers, and/or variations. Well.... the presentation here was eye-popping. I got a large plate chock full of large shrimp, chicken, squid, mussels, olives, peppers, shrooms, etc etc. The rice was a mere afterthought! Dessert was a plain cheesecake on a graham cracker crust. While quite tasty, it was the only thing without any effort at pizazz or presentation. Just a healthy slice.

Suffice to say, just one visit, and I am hooked. It will be quite awhile before I eat anywhere else on my...