joya

a good mix. while we had a reservation, we had to wait, which is abitannoying. none the less, i liked the mix of traditional spanish tapas with newer fare like sliders. the sangria was abitsweet, but the wine list was very complete. service was tops!

loved it. despite the negative reviews from over a year ago on here, i felt like joya was an excellent restaurant.

we tried a few tapas - the coconut shrimp ceviche and the cheese plate - and they were delicious. the seafood was fresh with a strong lime taste, and the coconut was a subtle complementary flavor. the cheese plate was to die for with the different sauces (honey, cherry, etc) to use with each cheese. i personally loved the manchego with a little honey over the top.

the meals were also excellent. i split the kobe tacos with a friend. while our steak was abittougher than expected, it was still delicious. the homemade tortillas were a little on the greasy side - that was probably my biggest complaint.

my wife had the braised short rib tacos, and they were to die for. the meat was like butter with the perfect flavor. my friend's wife had the hangar steak with yucca fries and once again, to die for!

while joya is abiton the "chic" side of the aisle, i must say that it was a very enjoyable experience. we had a good server, and the food was excellent.

i definitely recommend it.

great venue, decor & ambiance, but!. what a poor dining experience. it is abitout of place for the relaxed yet affluent university ave. there were a lot of staff, yet our starter plates were not cleared away until our main course arrived. our waiter was as expected, attentive. it was a poor tapas sampler for the price. the glass of wine was frugal. thank goodness we tried it out before we brought any guest over there. we would not bother again.