2nd Annual Holiday Hop

We did another actual Restaurant Hop. It has become a Christmas tradition with Megan and I, this year we included our boys too, Dave and Chris joined us. We chose to hop along Baldwin Park's main street this year, so on December 23rd we wandered along New Broad St.

Things were a bit interesting with 4 people, we all got a little less, but we could afford to try more places this time, so that was cool. You should know that Megan and I prefer to eat Vegetarian type of cuisine, no Poultry, Pork or Beef where as Chris and Dave are meat lovers.

Just read the posts below to hear about our experience at each place.

Colibri Mexican Cuisine

Name: Colibri Mexican Cuisine
Location: Baldwin Park, FL
Meal: Main Course

Server: Rose
History: The third stop on our restaurant hop
Menu: Typical, unoriginal, priced as expected.
Food: The complimentary chips and salsa were yummy, the salsa was spicy which we liked. We ordered Chicken Fajitas and a Fiesta Combination with an Enchilada, Burrito and Quesadilla. They were all good and it was a lot of food, but there wasn't anything original or exciting about them. The Combo Platter was plenty for two to split and wind up comfortably full.
Atmosphere: Again, nothing original. A typical type of place with a nice view of the lake, they had outdoor seating which it was too cold to use, but seemed like it would be great when nice out.
Cost: $35
Conclusion: In line wih the rest of our evening we found this place to be typical for a Mexican joint, maybe a bit on the more affordable side. 3 out of 5 Stars.

Grouper & More

Name: Grouper & More
Location: Baldwin Park, FL
Meal: Salad & Appetizers

Server: Lauren
History: This was the second stop on our restaurant hop.
Menu: The menu was typical seafood fair, however we decided that it was typical of a beachside menu, without the fresh quality but with higher prices.
Food: We ordered a Chicken Ceasar Salad as well as Fried Conch Fritters and Fried Zuccini. They were out of Zuccini so they gave us Hushpuppies for free. The food was all decent for fried seafood dishes, they both came with a Chipotle Ranch Dipping Sauce which was nice. The salad was a typical ceasar salad with a large portion of chicken on top.
Atmosphere: The atmosphere was very disappointing, it was that of a typical strip mall restaurant, high ceilings, nondescript furnishings, everything was very generic. Considering the prices of the food, we would have expected more.
Cost: $20 (the $6 hushpuppies were free so no included in this cost)
Conclusion: We weren't impressed. The overall agreement is that it was not original and overpriced. 2.5 out of 5 Stars.

Jack's Steak House

Name: Jack's Steak House
Location: Baldwin Park, FL
Meal: Appetizers

Server: Blake
History: This was the first stop on our 2nd Annual Hop
Menu: You can actually check out their menu online as well as order online by going to their website. The selection was diverse and yummy sounding, on the higher end of the price scale, but not unfair for the quality of food.
Food: We settled on the Lobster Macaroni and Macadamia encrusted Brie. Both were excellent.

The lobster pasta could have been an entre for Megan or I, so the serving size was great, though it was served room temperature, almost cold, which we though odd. The sauce was almost like a lobster bisque, there were large peices of lobster in it as well which was nice.

The Brie was just delightful, light, sweet and salty. It was served with crackers and fruit which we made good use of.
Atmosphere: The interior is small and there is a large bar, yet it still manages be have a classy and warm vibe. It was chilly outside but we imagined the outdoor seating would have been quite nice as well. It definitely has date night potential.
Cost: $25
Conclusion: Overall, very nice. We would all like to return soon. 4 out of 5 Stars.

Notes: Jack's is only open for dinner and Sunday Brunch, they are located on the square with the gazeebo next to Publix.