Our experience at Rostizado. A Friday night to celebrate both our birthdays.
My husband and I thought we'd celebrate our birthdays (about a month apart) at Rostizado. We are so glad we did.
Rostizado has been open for around six months, and I've been wanting to go to this restaurant for about nine.
Located in the historic Mercer Warehouse building on the south/east corner of 104 Street and 104 Avenue. Rostizado took over the old Roast Coffee shop location when they closed down last year.
Rostizado by Tres Carnales is founded and run by Dani Braun, Chris Sills and Edgar Gutierrez. These three gentlemen also created the famous Tres Carnales TaquerÃa restaurant. Another great Mexican eatery located just off Jasper Avenue which is much more casual than Rostizado. Tres Carnales is your place to go for tacos, and was shown one time on the "You gotta eat here" TV show.
Picture of the inside feature wall. I asked our waiter Nick, what the words meant. He translated "To eat, drink and dance like the world will end tomorrow". Pretty deep.
Drinks: The tall green drink was mine. It's the Epasote Limeade and it went down very quick. You could hardly taste the alcohol. The drink contained egg white, lime, Mezcal and epasote syrup. The syrup was made up of a herb that has liquorice taste. For people who don't know me, I'm not a fan of liquorice - but I didn't notice it in the drink at all. I almost finished my drink before the main course.
Aaron's drink was the Rosita. The drink consisted of Vermouth, Tequila Reposado, Campari, bitters and burnt orange. It was really good. Why is it that you've always wished you have ordered the other person's item? Though, my drink was really good and refreshing - Aaron's drink was comforting and suited the cold winter night better.
On each table there is a complementary small bowl of their bar mix. Tasty bits to eat while waiting for your food. Consisting of roasted chick peas and corn in a spice call Tajin. A salty and tangy mix, that wasn't too spicy. A great pairing for drinks
As our waiter explained what was in the Sope, I noticed Aaron's eyes widen. We just had to order it, and was the right amount to share. Also, cause we showed up early, we were lucky to have gotten one before the restaurant got really busy. Oh, and it did get busy!
Entree: We ordered the Platter for 2. It contained - half a roasted chicken (which came from the local Four Whistle Farm), roasted pork, roasted potatoes, corn tortillas and salsas. The platter as you can see is large and we ended up taking leftovers home with us.
The tables there are a good size to hold the platters and the large amount of food. You won't feel crapped at the tables. I like the rustic, family style - help yourself kind of feel of the place.
The three salsas shown are:
- Chimichurri, a finely-chopped parsley and oregano, paired really well with the pork and was used up first.
- The middle sauce was the Yucateco pumpkin seed chili de arbol, and it's spicy. It hits you hard, then mellows out.
- The last sauce was a tomatillo salsa. A fresh green and tangy salsa that worked good with the chicken.
The pork was tender and juicy, and great to fold into the tortilla with the Chimichurri sauce. The potatoes, that are my favorite - were crispy on the outside and tender inside. Chicken was roasted well and not dry.
We really looked forward to the leftovers the next day.
The side dish: We ordered the cauliflower to accompany the platter. Now, if you're not a fan of cauliflower - this could change your mind. Note: even though it's a vegetable, it's not vegetarian friendly (cooked in pork fat). Topped with chili peppers and roasted garlic - divine.
Desert: The Flan de Queso. SO GOOD! This was rich, and decadent. Not too sweet, but just right to finish off our meal. I think I'd come back just for this desert. Creamy and smooth with a nice crunch from the almonds. If you normally like custards or Creme Brule - you will like this. I almost forgot to take a picture, luckily I got one in just before we polished it off. As you can see, we've already taken a few bites.
Service: Our server, Nick was wonderful. He knew the menu and drink options, gave us suggestions and our water glasses was never empty. The service at Rostizado is one of the best I've seen. The place got really busy and I've never seen servers work so hard and diligently.
The restaurant has a cool ambiance. With the exposed brick and wood pillars - it has a rustic and modern feel at the same time. The kitchen is open to view, which is nice to see where your food is coming from.
The restaurant seats 70 and fills up fast. They don't take reservations, so expect to wait for a table if you come around the busy time (6-8 pm). Aaron and I came in around 5 pm, and when we left there was a wait line for a table.
Our Bill: For the quality of food and service we received, we found that the cost of the bill was very fair and reasonable. Oh, and Aaron ordered another drink too - the Mescal Mule (yummy).
This place is comfortable, tasty and trendy. Don't expect tacos or large nacho platter with slushy margaritas. If you are a non meat eater, you might have limited options. I heard our server talk about various options for people that have dietary restrictions. Plus, maybe due to the menu or evening atmosphere - I didn't see any children the night we were there (a Friday).
You can also do take out. Their full menu is on their website
If you crave hearty/authentic Mexican food - then this is the place to be.
Will we come back? You bet. We recommend Rostizado.
General Info:
Rostizado by Tres Carnales
Mexican, platter sharing style.
No reservations - First come/first served. (unless it +8 people)
They are on the "no wait" App
Closed Sundays and Holidays.
They are on the "no wait" App
Closed Sundays and Holidays.
#102, 10359 - 104 Street, Edmonton
www.rostizado.com
info@rostizado.com
Parking: Meter street parking, free after 6 pm,
Bus Route: 112, 15, 7 and 8 (walk up 1 block from 103 ave)
LRT station: The Bay Enterprise on 104 Street and Jasper (walk 2 blocks)
