El Barzon
| Address: | 3710 Junction St, Detroit, MI 48210, USA |
| Phone: | +1 313-894-2070 |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | Closed 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM 4–10PM 3–8PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
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Kenny B
The staff was perfectly consistent in the low quality of service. The service was very slow but at least the employees didnt care. So that level of dedication was nice to see. This experience felt more like one of the escape the room puzzles than a dinner experience. Our team got out in just over 4 hours. Step 1 in the game. Find the hostess and get them to acknowledge that youre not a ghost. We split into teams of two and went off on a search. Mission accomplished in just about 10 minutes, with a twist. We have a table ready for you but its inside - not what you asked for and what we agreed to when you made the reservation. Step 1a, wait another 40 minutes for a table outside. Had a drink at the bar, if you havent done this youre missing out. This is a rare opportunity to marvel how the bartenders can make drinks with their eyes closed to avoid any accidental eye contact with a customer. 3 out of the 4 of us might still be ghosts. And these bartenders do not see dead people.( For those of you under thirty, thats a Bruce Willis movie reference - not die hard) "Soon" we were seated and the second Step in the game was revealed. Find your server. Easy right, we quickly formulated a plan and decided that waiting patiently was the best course of action. After 10 minutes we determined that plan to be a failure and moved on to politely asking for assistant. Excuse me sir, I say to an employee as they walk by, could you ask our server to come over when you have moment, "no problem". Fast forward a few more minutes an were still being ignored. I wonder if he meant, not my problem. This game is harder than I first imagined. I ask another employee who was walking by if they could grab our server. The response, "sorry really busy" - ring the jackpot bells - I found our waitress. She walked past our table three or four times and never said hello or explained that she was slammed. I think that step 2 took about 20 minutes to complete but time is starting to become an abstract construct at this point. She was about to leave without taking our order so we hurriedly threw in a drink and appetizer order. Appetizer arrived in a reasonable amount of time. Drinks however, well lets just say that the appetizers were finished before the drinks arrived. Step 3, place an order for food. From past experience, we knew we needed to grab the waitresses attention and we hurriedly delivered our dinner order. Were there any specials? Yes, we overheard another server so we cheated on that one. Anyway, order is in - did we want more drinks. Yes we did. It didnt matter. I think its fair to say that we at the table for over an hour before we had our first opportunity to place our entree order. Step 4: wait for your food. This is just an exercise in patience which admittedly was not in high supply at this time. They designed this game well. At this point I began to seek out a manger to speak with. The table objected because we hadnt received our food yet and were from the thought process that its dangerous to express dissatisfaction with someone who is handling your food. Food finally arrived, Im thinking it was about 45 minutes after we order. But again, time - who is the judge of time at El Barzon. Not me. Step 5: pay the bill and escape. In summary, if you like poor service, rationing one basket of chips, hunting down employees for attention, and taking 4 hours out of your life for some mediocre food then please visit the escape from El Barzon.
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Rayna Thompson
My family had an exceptional meal during our first visit here. The wait staff was friendly and prompt. We arrived a bit before the dinner rush and were seated after a 3 minute wait despite having no reservations. I recommend you do call ahead for reservations, because in another 15 to 30 minutes there werent any tables left. Everyone enjoyed their meal. My steak was very tasty. We decided to sample all three flavors of sorbets and each finished off whichever was our favorite. Each is served inside a frozen piece of its fruit according to flavor. My husband brought his frozen peach home to eat. We walked over from visiting in the neighborhood, but there was ample parking at the rear, where the entrance is. The food is pricey here, but not overpriced. Well definitely come again in the future.
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A Private User
This is some of the best Italian I have ever had. The first bite will give you the taste of Italy like no other place around SE MI. If you are looking for authentic fresh pasta this is the place to go. If you are a fan of Mexican, their food will have you feeling like you are eating in Playa Del Carmen awaiting the ferry over to Cozumel. You really get the best of both worlds. I will agree with the rest of the reviews here though. I have had some waiting staff who have had me sitting there for half an hour waiting to order my food and some who were very attentive. I would advise setting some time aside to eat there as this will not be a quick meal. I would have given 5 stars if the orders when into the kitchen and the food came out a little with an average speed.
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A Private User
Not a place for a (remotely) quick lunch! I met some friends for a birthday luncheon, I couldnt stay long at all so I asked that I have my order put in first and get it "to go." 25 minutes later I asked if it would be ready soon and reminded our server I needed to go as soon as possible. After 5 minutes I received my meal, and waited another couple minutes to pay. Mind you, there were 9 of us and maybe 8-10 other people in the restaurant at the time, so I dont believe they were busy. I returned to my office to find very unexciting food. The chicken enchiladas were bland, along with the rice. I didnt even bother with the beans. The atmosphere was very elegant and comfortable but I expected more exciting and delicious food.
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Scott Robbins
There is a lot of buzz around this place. The food is fine, but its not that exceptional. I also feel like the dishes lack creativity, are on the smaller side, yet fall on the pricy side. Its also not in the best area, which would be fine if it were a home run. Our service has always been good to fair, no real knocks there. The idea of a restaurant serving Mexican and Italian seems a little more exciting than it really is. If you want Mexican, go to Mexican Town, and if you want Italian, go to Roma Cafe.
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Jason Heien
El Barzon is a wonderful place to dine. I would greatly suggest getting reservations in when it is warmer, and make sure you tell them you want your reservations for the patio. The patio atmosphere can not be beat. We visited this past Saturday, and it was pouring rain. No worries, the patio is covered. My wife got the Zuppo misto (2nd time having it) and I had the skirt steak special which was phenomenal. We would recommend El Barzon to anyone looking for authentic Mexican or Italian cuisine.
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A Private User
Dont let the middle of nowhere location fool you -- El Barzon is a contender! With a menu that is half Italian, and half Mexican, the biggest problem is figuring out what to order and avoiding food envy when the dishes arrive. I had the Strozzapretti Norcina, and went halvsies with a friend who ordered the Mole Steak Enchiladas. What a great lunch combination! Reasonably priced for the quality, the physical space is a bit dingy. But the overall experience is outstanding by any standard. Great Job!
