Restaurante Doña Tomas
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Being big fans of Mexican cuisine and hearing good reviews about Doña Tomás, we were a little disheartened by our overall experience, service was neglectful, and the food was only so-so. More than anything, the atmosphere was so loud, especially with the chairs scraping the cement all evening, by the end of the night we were more on edge than when we had arrived, and that's after margaritas! For our money, we prefer the fantastic Pizzaiolo next door. We recommend the Margarita and Sopes de Camarones
Atmosphere
Doña Tomás is actually 3 dining areas that make up the whole. As you walk in, the first dining room is comprised of cozy dining tables, and open kitchen, and a small host area. Colors here are muted, with gallery-white walls accented by soft neutrals and dark wood. The second dining room, in a separate building but connected by a large corridor-cum-waiting-area, is called 'The Red Room' and is made up of several tables lining the walls, a small cozy bar, and very bright red walls. Outside, there is a patio with heat lamps, for romantic al fresco dining. Over the speakers, loud Mexican music frayed our nerves a bit, but not as much as the heavy chairs that constantly scraped against the cement floors and echoed throughout the cavernous space. The volume level here, in the Red Room, is particularly high.
Service
Service was fine, but a bit sloppy. Silverware was literally dropped on the table, large gobs of cheese were left in front of us without being wiped, and I'm pretty certain our server forgot about us as the evening wore on.
Food
Offering nouveau Mexican cuisine, the menu at Doña Tomás is interesting and exciting, though not everything lived up to its potential. To begin the meal, warm, thick tortilla chips arrive on a plate sprinkled with queso fresco and served with an intense and flavorful poblano-mole salsa. For a first course, Sopes de Camarones ($12.25), warm and thick corn cakes with black bean puree, ripe avocado, and plump pieces of shrimp, were the star of the evening being at once simple and compelling. Entrees were not quite as successful, with the Becker Lane Carnitas ( $18.25) having wonderful, fatty, melt-in-your-mouth pork chunks, and very good mashed pinto beans, but uneventful and tasteless rice and nothing-to-write-home-about tortillas and salsa. Even more disappointing, the Enchiladas con Pollo ($17.75) were simply dry tortillas stuffed with plain chicken, topped with an unsatisfying fruit salsa. On the side, a savory and eggy corn and zucchini pudding was good.
To drink, a fresh and perfectly tart margarita ($8.50) took the edge off.
By the end of the evening, we were eager to leave and, so, did not venture into dessert.
To drink, a fresh and perfectly tart margarita ($8.50) took the edge off.
By the end of the evening, we were eager to leave and, so, did not venture into dessert.
Cleanliness
Very clean, though the bathrooms were surprisingly under-par.
Pros
Great margaritas, Local produce and organic meats
Cons
Hit-and-miss food, Very noisy in the Red Room, Inattentive service
