Gilbert's El Indio Restaurant

03/19/10

good service - worst tostada ever

by Charlotte H at Citysearch

I didn't complain at 6.30 yesterday, because I don't like making a scene in a restaurant. Time to rethink that !!! Everyone's food LOOKED good, and I ordered a tostada. I like a flat one though the ones in a shell are GREAT elsewhere. WELL - THIS ONE LACKED INGREDIENTS !! with only a thin smear of beans, 4 THIN SMALL slices of Avacado, one SMALL THIN slice of tomato, so little grated cheese - you could count the pieces, horrible lumps of dry pork - not shredded, and on top, a large pile of DRY shredded lettuce, a tiny dish of thousand island on the side but no sign of any salsa. There is NO EXCUSE for this. I make a superb tostada myself at home. This was over $8.00 !!

I don't like being insulted this way and silly for not sending it back ( but to me dinner is supposed to be a treat for oneself, a relaxing pleasant event - not war ).

Management are you aware of this ???

• Pros: fast friendly service with cozy atmosphere
• Cons: worst tostada ever served

10/08/08

Cash only, no reservations

by seychells at Citysearch

We are locals, and visit Gilberts, at least 3 times a month. Their Chicken tostada is outstanding. The service is always good, the Margarita's are average, the atmosphere is dive Mexican. We love it!

• Pros: Anything with chicken is awesome
• Cons: usually have to wait

10/03/08

SEND YOUR ENAMIES HERE!

by Estragon at Citysearch

SEND YOUR ENEMIES HERE! Even if you are so privileged at to array superheroes amongst your most despised who have titanium taste buds and bowels of bauxite they will still have a horrendous experience. No amount of florid vulgarity that would make sailors blush from the hardened cod fishermen of the north sea to the pirates of the south China sea could express my revulsion. No I am grossly unfair, these are talented people! If they were merely bumbling fools they could not manage to consistently make everything obnoxious, they have skills!

PS

Send Sarah (scary) Palin here.

• Pros: You can send your enemies here
• Cons: You might have to take them

05/05/08

I read the Reviews and I don't see it!

by rebeccasaenz at Citysearch

I read all the reviews on here and thought this place must be awesome. This was my 3rd time to Gilberts and the first two times were ok and enough to come back but this last time was absolutely bad. Loved all the service but the food was not good. We asked for more jalapenos and they said they were out. Now not that its a staple I have had plenty of Mexican food with out them but to be totally out and then offer a salsa that they claim is hot was dissappointing. I would have to say that after that dinning experience I will drive on to the next Mexican food restaurant to get my fix.

Bottom line food was bad, margs were good and when 2 girls ask for the hottest salsa in the kitchen you better make sure its going to make them tear up.

• Pros: Margaritas
• Cons: food, cash only

04/27/08

Surly service, limited and tired menu

by Laussie at Citysearch

I was looking forward to trying it. I wanted seafood, a fish taco, and they positioned themselves as Seafood specialists. It looked an interesting place from the outside.

What a disappointment. The thickset man who greeted us glared, and gestured offhandedly at a table. It was beside the jukebox. I asked that, if it was being played, could we move to another table. He snarled sarcastically, "It's not playing now." I looked at the menu. It was tired and limited. Only three seafood options - a piece of fish, a calamari steak, or shrimp.

So we ordered our drinks, they came quickly. The OTR margarita was nothing special. Not awful, but ordinary. The other waiter was also disinterested. No smiles or any interaction beyond a word or two at this stage.

I saw what should have been a tipoff. The lovely Mexican rug for decoration had been visibly stapled several times to the wall to hold it in place.

Now the food. It was boring and lacked authenticity. The guacamole was not as good as the packaged stuff from Trader Joe's. And the waiter put it on our table without a word. In fairness, my wife told me the ice tea was quite nice.

As we were preparing to pay, my wife had counted the meal price in front of her and we were discussing what tip the service (somewhere between indifferent and disdainful) deserved. The surly man who had first brought us to the table tried to grab it from in front of her before we added a tip. We should have let him. So we added a tip and left quickly - we just wanted to get out.

Never, ever again will we go there. You get much, much better service elsewhere - even at Denny's or Ihop! And the food on the limited menu at Gilberts was plain and tired. If you are a local who can walk to Gilbert's, not very discerning, and want a place where your kids can shriek to their heart's content, then this may just be the place for you.

• Pros: Access, quick turnaround, great for noisy kids
• Cons: Offhanded service, limited menu, uninspired food, cash only