Sandia — Restaurant in Seattle

Let me start by saying I really want to like Sandía and I intend to go back because of the proximity from my home to see if they have made improvements in the future. However, the biggest issue is that the price is not in line with the quality of the food. Everything is overpriced by $3-5 and that adds up! If they were a tipless establishment they might be able to justify it but they aren’t.

Food:

When comparing Pablo y Pablo in Wallingford, which is the same kind of vibe and slightly better quality food, Pablo’s most expensive taco is $7.50 and the rest are $6.50 or less. I ordered Sandía’s halibut taco expecting a slightly larger taco for $12 but I was wrong. It was your standard 2-3 bite taco and the fish hardly filled out the taco. This was the most egregiously priced of the items we ordered. We also ordered the watermelon salad which was delicious but was not worth $20! $13-15 would have been much more reasonable. It was a medium sized bowl with cubed up watermelon, sprinkled with a modest amount of cotija. We also got the potato flautas which were tasty but came on a bed of nice-looking but undressed cabbage/kale. This is a big miss, especially for a dish over $20. We actually took those veggies and mixed them into the leftover watermelon salad dressing which was delicious.

Drinks: We ordered the first round off the menu and they were solid. For the second round we ordered classic margs and they were very very good. Well balanced. Would go back for just their classic marg which were $14 each. $12 or $13 would have been more reasonable. Most of the drinks looked to be between $13-17.

Vibe: It undeniable that this place is cute. They have an exposed beam ceiling that they painted pink, a black and white color scheme throughout, marble tables inside, and a very inviting bar. Outside on the deck their tables are perforated which also seems like a miss. If you spill food or drink, it’s going right on your lap.

TLDR: price is totally out of line for what you’re getting. The vibe is cute but doesn’t warrant the price tag. Food is solid but I can’t in good conscience pay $12 for a 2-3 bite taco. Would be willing to go back if they adjust...

Sandia is making better Mexican food than I’ve ever had in Mexico, truly elevated. I was a bit surprised they charge for the chips; however, when this huge basket of fresh fried blue corn chips with two of the most amazing salsas showed up, I felt like I was getting a steal. We also tried out the queso and guacamole, both of which were top-notch. I grew up in Texas and these would definitely place in any cookoff. The highlight of the meal and a must order is the huitlacoche quesadillas. The menu calls them “corn truffle“ and while I don’t know what that means, I’ll definitely be going back again and again for them. By then I was stuffed, but I did sneak some flautas de papa, which were basically potato taquitos, but piping hot and delicious. The secret to every dish seems to be the sauces. Don’t hesitate to be generous with them. Ended brunch with the hot churros with chocolate dipping sauce. These are not the dry and crunchy ones you would find at a Disney amusement park. The prices are more than fair for what you get, and the location on the trail makes eating outside a lot of fun. My only issue was that our waiter seemed a little bit overwhelmed. I think they weren’t expecting such a rush, but that was probably because the weather was surprising...

We really wanted to love this restaurant. The decor is beautiful and it has the potential of being very cozy inside. The service was really not attentive, and there was only one other table in the restaurant, most of the time, and at the most two other tables. Food took a long time to come, water was not refilled, and we were never really asked about refilling our cocktails. And most of all, the food was just not very delicious. It was lacking in flavor and texture, and the prices were very high. Paying $22 for two tacos without any sides felt like too much. One block away I can get an incredibly tasty fish taco from El Camion for under four dollars for a single taco. I know part of paying the higher premium for a sit down restaurant is enjoying the service and the atmosphere, but since the service wasn’t top-notch either, it just felt too pricey. I also understand that 16/$18 for a cocktail is becoming normal in Seattle, but this also felt incredibly high. I want this place to succeed because I really believe that the neighborhood needs some great restaurants. But unfortunately this spot is missing the...