Thought4Food

I actually joined Menuism BECAUSE of JamesE’s complaint’s about this place. What on earth was he thinking, bringing his kids to this place? It’s NOT a “family dining” kind of place. It’s a “going out for a few” kind of place, that happens to have surprisingly good TexMex cuisine, JamesE’s review notwithstanding. And to put some context on it, as tasty as Sierra’s (Sudbury — about 8 miles away) Margaritas, fajitas and mole (sorry — can’t figure out how to put an accent on that "e") are, Daniela’s wins hands-down on all 3 counts… but not on the salsa (although it’s quite a few steps up from the “from a jar” level described by the other reviewer. The Chicken Fajita Quesadilla was really delicious, for example — fresh tasting vegetables, nicely marinated chicken, better-than-average guacamole on the side.

Biggest problem with this place is the fact even when there aren’t too many people there, it’s claustrophobic, and it’s too loud. It tries to have a charming ambience, and doesn’t pull it off. But the service really is no worse than most places these days. And let’s face it: service in restaurants has gone WAAAAY down in the past 5-10 years, pretty much everywhere.

So let’s not knock ourselves out trying to kill a restaurant in our own backyard that may not be perfect, but it’s frankly much better, and a much better deal, than a ton of places that we’d have to drive a lot of miles to get to.

Strengths: Friendly waitstaff, pretty good salads, wonderful nachos, great burgers, decent pasta dishes, good sandwiches, tasty fries & other side dishes. Their steaks and chicken dishes are pretty good, too. Portion sizes are generous. I’m not a dessert person, so I can’t comment on them. Like-able decor. Best brunch in the greater Acton area! And their once-a-year lobster and surf & turf specials are great, too.

Not-so-strengths: Other than their excellent nachos, the other appetizers, especially their mussels, are mediocre at best. Booths are nice-sized, but the seats are so far away from the tables it’s a crap shoot whether the food can get to one’s mouth without landing on one’s clothing first. They used to pour a reasonably generous cocktail, but now they’re too heavy on the ice.

The bottom line: Decent food, nice ambience, and they clearly care about customer service. We’re lucky to have this neighborhood-feeling place in our own backyard. Maybe that’s why every out-of-town friend I’ve ever taken here always wants to come back, even the ones from Boston. With and without their kids.