Not your traditional Mexican restaurant. The ""good"" is that the decor is fresh, contemporary and upscale compared to most Mexican restaurants. The ""bad"" is that the food portions are tiny and the prices are double or triple what they should be. If you're in the mood for Mexican food, but aren't very hungry and money isn't an issue, Sabor may be the place to go.
We each started with a cup of the Sopa de Tortilla (tortilla soup), which was prepared in an unexpected way. Square cups are delivered to the table, each containing only a small pile of crispy tortilla strips and a couple quarter-inch cubes of avocado. Then, the server pours hot chicken broth from a teapot into the bowls. It's an interesting presentation, but where's the beef (or in this case, chicken)? The menu describes the soup as including chicken -- it's the first ingredient listed -- but, as far as we could tell, the only ""chicken"" may have been the broth. $5 seems a tad high to pay for a pinch of tortilla strips, 1/100th of an of avocado, and a few ounces of chicken broth.
My entree was the Carnitas (pork) plate, $18. I'd estimate the meat portion to be about 6 ounces, and the rice and beans to be about two tablespoons each. I'm not kidding! The plate also comes with four tiny tortillas (about 4 inches diameter). The small portions gave me the impression that the cooks may work at Weight Watchers during the day, and Sabor at night.
My friend ordered the Fillet Mignon $32. He had two drinks from the bar (I don't know what they charged for them), I drank iced tea. We shared one dessert. Our dinner bill for two came to nearly $100 -- not including the tip!
The staff were all very pleasant. But, in a classic case of ""too much of a good thing"", staffers stopped by the table too frequently to ask how everything was -- about once every three minutes. I like feeling as though I'm not forgotten by restaurant staff, but there is a reasonable point where attention and privacy need to balance.
Sabor's website describes their intentions as presenting Mexican food that's ""upscale"" and ""refined"". To be fair, the food tastes good. But, Mexican food is -- almost by definition -- peasant fare. The ingredients are common and fairly inexpensive. Serving extra tiny portions of traditional items like rice, beans, tortillas, and meat on small square plates under a fancy chandelier doesn't make it worth more than twice the usual price. Who do they think they're kidding?
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