La Fogata Grill | February 18, 2011

790 N. High St.

Columbus, OH  43215

Miller-Stein Ranking

Our food experience | 4.32 Buckeyes

Quality | 4.6 Buckeyes

Cost | 4.0 Buckeyes

Character | 4.7 Buckeyes

Beverages | 4.3 Buckeyes

Service | 4.0 Buckeyes

Queso Dip | 4

Combination plate | cheese enchilada with refried beans and rice

Combination plate | cheese enchilada & bean burrito with refried beans, guacamole, & lettuce

Combination plate | burrito with rice, guacamole, & lettuce

San Jose Burrito with rice (beef, queso, & potatoes)

Stein and I were so pleased that we were able to spend our evening and dinner experience with a couple of great people. Stein has known his friend, Mike, since high school and has known Mike’s wife, Jamie for four years. I was introduced to Mike and Jamie about a year ago.

We requested that Mike and Jamie select the food type for our dinner experience. They chose Mexican and hearing great things about La Fogata in the Short North, we decided on this popular hot spot in the trendy Short North. After scrambling to find a parking spot, very typical of this area, we walked through a large patio area, which we speculated would be packed in the warmer months.

Upon entering we were greeted by a hostess who questioned our reservation but after I pointed our name out to her on the list she quickly seated us and our waitress greeted us right away. She promptly took our drink order and brought us our refreshments. We requested to snack on the queso dip, after hearing great things about it. We were supplied with warm and perfectly salted chips for our cheese dip while we waited for Mike and Jamie.

Mike and Jamie arrived shortly after us and we made sure to save cheese for them to try because we were blown away by the flavor and how creamy the dip was. After catching up for a few minutes we ordered our meal and waited about 20 minutes. My meal along with Mike and Jamie’s meals came out without a problem, Stein’s meal however seemed a bit delayed coming out of the kitchen. Our mouths watered as we waited for the last meal to arrive and within 4 minutes, Stein’s meal joined us at the table.

I ordered a dish off of the vegetarian menu and tried the bean burrito and cheese quesadilla with a side of refried beans. The burrito was creamy and had a great taste. It was perfectly proportioned and tasted very fresh with guacamole complimenting the pate. The dish was arranged very well and really hit the spot.

Stein ordered what he called his ultimate meal. His San Jose burrito had all of his favorite ingredients; potatoes, beans, cheese, lettuce and meat. With all of his favorite elements it was going to be hard to displease Stein with this dish. He thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this plate and raved about the flavorful components.

Jamie ordered a cheese enchilada explaining that that was what she typically ordered at a Mexican restaurant. Jamie expressed that she likes to compare and contrast the differences in style of enchilada making and enjoys trying it at every Mexican hot spot. Jamie quickly told us that the sauce that was atop her enchilada was superb. She said she’s tried a lot of different sauces on her usual enchilada order but this was clearly one of her favorite. She explained that it was full of flavor and a great consistency; it was an excellent accompaniment to her plate.

Mike’s burrito also got rave reviews. Mike took a bit of a risk and tried something that he had never had or heard of before; he wasn’t even quite sure what was in the dish even when he had it in front of him. It worked out extremely well and he really enjoyed the burrito expressing that it was well prepared and very tasty.

Our service throughout the meal was good, our drinks barley ever got past the half-full level, which is how Stein and I typically measure good service. If a waiter is coherent enough to realize you’re running low on beverages you’re typically in a good position and don’t have to worry too much about needing something extra or ordering something more.

Stein and I really enjoyed getting together with Mike and Jamie and were so glad to catch up with such great friends. The overall consensus at the end of our dining experience was that the food was dynamite! Stein and I agreed that this could be added to our “go-to” Mexican short list. We look forward to going back in the summer and taking advantage of the patio!

And now we have a very special treat, our first guest writer. When it comes to La Fogata there is no better expert on the issue. A frequent guest of La Fogata when she lived in Columbus is now heart struck because she lives in Baltimore and can’t go every Monday. Her review is as follows, “La Fogata is the best place for happy hour with co-worker, classmate, and friends on Monday nights! They have an extensive variety of margarita flavors for only 2 dollars a drink! My personal favorites are the dessert pear and the traditional margarita. Sometimes I just ask the server to surprise me, I have never been dissatisfied! My coworkers are more into the specials they have on beer during happy hour. Nothing beats an ice cold amber or dark Dos Equis. Once my drink order is in, I am on a direct path to chicken nacho town! Really, any of the nachos are great. Of course I have tasted them all, but the chicken takes the cake! Imagine fresh baked tortilla chips smothered in melted cheese and sautéed onions and green peppers. We always like to order a side of sour cream and lettuce. (The lettuce is no extra charge!) You can top them with the fresh Fogata salsa if you choose. The possibilities are endless! Well, unless you get there after 6pm as that is when happy hour is over. It is important to note you can still get 2 buck margs ALL NIGHT! If you are running late, you can always call your friends to put in your order so it will be waiting for you still half price when you arrive. There have been times when they reheated dishes for us. The staff is very personable, and if you go there enough they will remember your order as you walk in the door. As far as seating goes I suggest outside in nice weather or the 'King's Table' in the window for the best view. The cherry on top of this experience is that it is located right off High Street. This means you can drink as much as you want and stay responsible my hopping on the number 2 COTA or hailing a cab! In summary, if anyone tells you negative things about Mondays at Fogata you can tell them to "fogata 'bout it!'”