Botanero Restaurant — Restaurant in Rockville

I wanted to try Botanero in Gaithersburg, so I took the opportunity to visit the restaurant while I was staying at a nearby hotel. I did not have any problems finding street parking nearby. The place is small and intimate with a bar that seats about 10-12 people. There is number of tables and the decor is simple but cozy. I arrived at the beginning of their Happy Hour (4:00pm), and they do have a separate menu of cocktails, wine, beer and small plates (known as " botanas" in México and Central America, a similar concept of the Spanish "tapas") induring for that time. I sat at the bar as I usually do, to better experience the establishment's service (I will comment about the service later), and enjoy an advantageous view of the place. There was a flutter of people at the bar as apparently a server shift was occurring at this time; 5-6 people were bahind the bar at different stages of coming or going. There were greetings, hugs and goodbyes, which are all fine and bespoke of camaraderie amongst the personnel. However, it took a good 15 minutes for anyone to greet me and ask me if I wanted something to drink or eat. I believe that if a venue is customer-focused, someone needed to acknowledge the customer already sitting at the bar (there were 1-2 people at the opposite end of the counter when I arrived). One of the bartenders greeted me and gave me their Happy Hour, Full and Drinks menus, which I appreciated. I ordered a their regular margarita, and three Small plates; Pork Belly Bao Buns, Tostones (green fried plantains) topped with shredded pork "carnitas" and Beef Empanadas. The Bao Buns were also served with fiery hot "encurtidos" (pickled veggies) with a predominant Chinese five-spice flavoring, and were delicious. The two Tostones with Carnitas had very generous portions, but were somewhat bland, and were also accompanied by the same pickled veggies, but this batch was not hot at all. The two fried beef empanadas had a sweet ground beef stuffing that had Asian flavors, which was odd for a South American staple. My second margarita was "maracuya"(passion fruit) flavored, and was much better than the first "basic" one; the bartender suggested if I wanted it with another flavor, and it was a smart choice. On the desert menu i noticed Tres Leches (Three Milks) Cake, which is a favorite of mine. It was light, spongy and full of milky, fluid goodness; a delicious classic. I buttoned the meal with a Pedro Ximenez, a style of port wine. I thought that Botanero is an intimate space where regular locals meet to have drinks and small plates. I found Botanero's service à little lacking, specially since I was sitting right at an mostly empty bar at the beginning of their service, and there were, at some point, five or six people behind the bar. I did see that there were a few people that seemed to be regulars that were given focused attention; but if there is a desire to attract more and diverse clientele (they are located in an affluent Gaithersburg/Rockville neighborhood), they may need to focus a little more on service to all patrons. I found the Happy Hour food that I tasted slightly bland; nothing horrible, but not specially memorable. I think that Botanero has the potential of offering truly innovative "botanas" mixing Latin American flavors with other cultures and styles. I think that the kitchen needs to decide which direction they want to take, and focus on making a few dishes exceptionally well. I loved the attention to detail in presenting their drinks, decorated with fresh flowers, pieces of fresh fruit and citrus rinds. The bar was also colorful an elegant, with the "misé en place" for the drink additions and little vases of...

There’s pricey (cost a lot but it’s worth it) and there’s expensive (cost a lot and it’s not worth it). This place is expensive. lol. It’s expensive because they serve small plates but charge full plate prices. The food is (mostly) good. I wouldn’t recommend the Pee Wee Potatoes (not pictured). They are potatoes, the size of grapes. They aren't seasoned and the spicy yellow pepper aioli tasted like mayonnaise. The Seared Scallops (pictured) were quite good. A decent sear, while remaining, juicy and tender. The farro and squash risotto was okay; it didn't add anything to the dish. The online menu had the price at $15 but I seem to remember them being $22. That's a lot for two scallops. The Fried Calamari exceeded my expectations. A light batter, yet still crispy with a flavorful sriracha aioli. Having the aioli that came with the potatoes, I was skeptical about this aioli but, it was good. I didn't get the garlic flavor usually found in an aioli so, this was basically the sriracha mayo that you'd get with a spicy tuna roll at a sushi restaurant. My favorite was the Flaming Shrimp (pictured). The presentation is excellent and despite being set on fire (for a bit of time), the shrimp remained cooked well and not over-cooked. The shrimp is served in a spicy oil that has just the right heat/flavor combination. I heard good things about their Beet Salad and I was cautioned against trying the Truffle Mac and Cheese. I am curious about their Maryland Crab Cake, Thai Chicken Egg Rolls, and Lamb Skewers. I'm not sure if I'll be back but if I do return, I already have a good idea of what I'll order! lol. Many of the negative reviews focus on service (or lack of service). I didn't experience any problem with service but, it was late and the waiter only had one other table to serve. I don't know how service would be during a peak dining time. I will share this, because I thought it was odd: we were seated downstairs. It was relatively late in the day and we were the only people seated downstairs. At some point, they seated a couple at the table right beside ours (despite having the entire downstairs available). It was awkward since our tables were so close, it might as well have been a table for four. There was absolutely no ability to have a private conversation. That definitely detracted from...

I was in the mood to have a drink so I Google searched, “happy hour in Montgomery county, MD” and Botanero popped up. I’m so thrilled that it did because it exceeded my expectation.

The food that was ordered were the beef empanadas, beef short ribs and tres leches. The drinks that were ordered were the weekend botanist, Baltimore gold rush and Sunday’s on the back porch. The beef empanada was nothing I had ever had before. The beef was made saucy, moist and it came with a sauce that just made this plate a 10 out of 10. The beef short ribs looks tasty but the beef didn’t have any flavor, thankfully the grits saved them because it had a thick texture and was very creamy. I really enjoyed the grits and the carrot helped give it that nice crunch. Tres Leches Cake was worth ordering, it had the perfect amount of condensed sweetened milk and the right amount of whip cream. All the drinks were fantastic, that’s why I didn’t stop with just one. The Baltimore rush was whiskey based, the weekend botanist was gin based and Sunday’s on the back porch was wine based - very light and bubbly. You could see the slice of watermelon in the drink. I thought it was a slice of lime skin but it was a whole slide of watermelon, that was a great idea.

Parking is tight here, this was on a Friday night so it was packed. We had to park at the Safeway and walk to the restaurant. Not a lot of room when waiting for a table so just heads up. The manager kept his composure with the overflow of people and was friendly. It’s great to see leaders set the example and tone for their employees. He greeted us and it was a great experience. Our server was attentive and kept checking in on us. I most certainly want to return here and have recommended this place to friends and family because...