www.theblindburro.com
If it wasn't for The Blind Burro's hard-to-miss location which is conveniently situated down the street from Petco Park, walking in you'd barely recognize that this restaurant was once home to the Fleetwood on the corner of J and 6th. Now a few months established, The Blind Burro opened right in time for baseball season, and it's location is hard to beat if you are looking for a pre-game brunch spot.
The conversion from Fleetwood to Blind Burro is definitely an upgrade. No longer an empty, cold and awkward sports bar during the day, it's a lively joint. The walls have been splashed with warm inviting colors, rich wood and rustic steel decor adorn the ceilings, and they make good use of space mixing in plenty of seating with 4 tops and lots of solid wood high top tables that seat as many as 8 on each. They enter the Gaslamp scene fully prepared with 2 full bars, one of which opens up to outdoor bar seating looking in, which will definitely prove to make for some great bar watching on a nice day.
Brunch at The Blind Burro comes complete with a live DJ (whether this is good thing or bad thing, I am still undecided), drink specials such as bottomless Sangrias for $15 and Mimosa carafes for $10, and the menu itself is promising for those hungry (and thirsty) brunch goers who embrace the the tried and true south of the border favorites such as Steak and eggs, Ranchero Omelette, Shrimp Benedict, and a Casuela dish similar to a skillet breakfast with potatoes, chorizo, and eggs. The brunch menu also includes Tortas and more unique additions like a Chorizo Burger with house-ground brisket, Churro Waffles, and seafood starters such as Cocteles Mariscos and even Oysters on the half, while a list of mexican ingredients adorn the sidebar of the menu. Being brought to us by the same bar owners of Bub's, Block 16, Lucky's, and Tipsy Crow, it was quite a surprise to see such a level of effort with this new concept's menu, giving the impression that they may very well take their food and ingredients here seriously. The servers reflect the same sentiment, as our attentive server eloquently described menu items and specials to us like a pro.
The unfortunate thing is that they were empty promises. With what seemed to be thoughtful attention paid to creating a fun and approachable, yet unique mexican style menu with more daredevil ingredients than the norm in downtown, it was disappointing to end up with a table full of insignificant food that one should only expect from an old, burnt out corporate brunch chain. From steak to tacos to omelettes, the housemade chips were the only appetizing highlight of the whole meal. The seemingly simple to execute but yet most disappointing dish of all was the Casuela, a hot crock filled with dried out, gummy potatoes covered with shameful quality, tasteless, yet over salted chorizo, and finally topped with 2 lifeless eggs and a few slices of avocado. Some other major missed marks were the Steak of the Steak and Eggs which was an undesirable and fibrous, chewy cut of flank, and the flour and corn tortillas which had the uncanny resemblance to the too familiar grocery store Mission tortillas that you are forced to buy only when you are in a bind. The bottom line is that quality and freshness was lacking. Components lacked depth of any flavor, and ingredients and products were likely bought in bulk and prepped in mass far before service. It was a shame that this hopeful restaurant experience was overshadowed by a lack of concern to execute and ultimately create a quality, memorable meal. You can bet I won't be trying oysters there any time soon.
The Blind Burro has however succeeded in creating a great social gathering venue and a fun bar environment that will keep them thriving in their new Downtown digs at least for now. Customers will show up, they will drink, and without fail they will eat, and heck they may even think it's great after that 5th glass of sangria. But if there is any intention to attract and more importantly get those customers who care about what they eat (and expect better than mediocrity) coming back, The Blind Burro is going to need to step it up. It's no secret that all new downtown restaurants eventually lose their luster, so it's going to take more than just good vibes, good service, and lots of booze to keep them in the restaurant game for good.
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