This being Mark's final blog dinner as part of the TP4, we could have viewed it as a grand celebration of our time together and chosen a more lively, festive venue. But instead we just went to Miguel's. There is little about the outward appearance of Miguel's to attract attention or interest. The common passerby would probably not even realize there is a restaurant connected with the luxurious Best Western "Falls Church Inn" on Rt 50. All that distinguishes Miguel's from the hotel itself is a very innocuous awning with an old graffiti-like logo. So essentially, if you are not a guest at the Best Western, you would probably never know that Miguel's even exists. This, as they say in the restaurant biz, is "not a good thing."
(Side note: the Best Western/Miguel's combo is just across the street from our previous location, the Quality Inn/Bentley's hotel & restaurant combo. I like to imagine that there's some kind of vicious Falls Church hotel war going on between these two neighboring rivals, marked by corporate espionage, price fixing and customer ambushing. But, realistically, probably not. In fact, I think they may even be partners of some sort. How boring is that?)
Rating: 1.5 Thurbs
Food & Beverage: Mark
Let's face it. Miguel's was mediocre, and that is pretty much what we were expecting. The meal began with the traditional tomato soup -- sorry, I mean salsa and chips. Typically, you can practically see the hot grease on your freshly salted, hot out of the fryer tortilla chips. I think Miguel cooked up a big batch in the morning and then decided he would keep them warm for us all day. Yeah, they were pretty bad, but to my surprise, I kept eating them. Pure hunger, I suppose.
Tommy and I both had the chimichanga, and the first few bites started off actually pretty good. The later innings of our meal started to go down hill. Perhaps, the crisp shell turning soggy, bland flavoring, and too much salt had something to do with it. I'm not a food extraordinaire, but I'm pretty sure you want the meal to get better with every bite.
Rating: 2.5 Thurbs
Service & Cost: Brian
The Thurber household spied Miguel’s from across Route 50 just a week earlier when visiting the homage to old-folks eating, Bentley’s. Boasting Mexican/American cuisine, Miguel’s appeared to be a restaurant with a menu free of guesswork. We all expected similar outcomes in regards to cost as well. Aside from the quality of food presented, dishes were reasonably priced in the 8 to 15 dollar range for a variety of typical Mexican fare. However, Miguel’s slumped in the service department.
First, we entered a massive dining room and bar area to be greeted by no one. Then, from across the great expanse of tables, our hostess/waitress/bartender lumbered over at a snail’s pace. Whether due to personal injury or sloth we’ll never know. The lack of urgency displayed in seating the only patrons in the restaurant made a less-than-sterling first impression. Additionally, our slow-footed hostess decided to forego a number of nicer table locations, and proceeded to seat us next to a partition separating our party from the kitchen door.
Next, our meal arrived. I will admit the chef/cook did prepare our large portioned dishes in a timely fashion. Luckily, our food did not fall prey to our slow-footed waitress as the chef helped deliver them. I will give her credit for making phone calls in order to ascertain the ingredients of such mystery cocktails as the “Pecos Bill” or the “Nobody” that we tried to order. Alas, even these attempts were fruitless. Lastly, in an effort to cap off the evening in much the same manner it began, hostess/waitress took her sweet time in compiling our bill. This should be a relatively simple process that was arduously drawn out beyond necessity. Needless to say, her tip suffered accordingly. Miguel’s would benefit by excluding the Hispanic tradition of leisurely meals. It doesn’t translate well in the U.S.
Rating: 1 Thurb
Ambience & Entertainment: Tommy
If your idea of a fun evening is heading out to your local hotel and hanging out in the lobby, you’re the type of person who will love Miguel’s. To be fair, at least the hotel wasn’t too shabby (apparently it was the Best Western Hotel in the region). I couldn’t figure out who stood to gain from the partnership between these two businesses. Either the hotel lost a bet when picking their adjoining restaurant or the restaurant couldn’t find any standalone structure.
Interior décor is what I like to call “Southwestern Applebee’s” (sorry Applebee’s), but they looked like they had taking the fake stained-glass lamps and then threw in the occasional Incan idol or parrot (you know, like the parrots they have in…Mexico??). It was clean, and I felt like it was on the cusp of greatness, if only the location, food, and service weren’t holding it back. The bar was mostly for show, as nobody knew how to make any drinks (more on that in another section) and in actuality, there was no discernible “entertainment” per se, save the Better Western’s pool, which I don’t think we can include since you can’t use it for at least 30 minutes after you eat. I know we’ve set the bar high, but when your biggest “draw” is Univision on blast from the flat screen tv next to our table, there’s still something to be desired, and that something is anything…just get ANYTHING.
Rating: 1 Thurb
Miguel's
Overall Rating: 1.5 Thurbs
And now, a final word from Mark:
Alas, this is my final blog posting as a Thurberian. And while the food, often times, has been bland and uninspiring, the experience has been anything but. It has been fun. It has been real. And now, picture me doing the Sammy Sosa routine where I rapidly pump a peace sign between my chest and my mouth, followed by the anticipated arm held high, spreading peace across the land. Now, the camera gets over exposed and zooms out and pans over the field. Bowman out.
Stay tuned for the addition of a new member to the Thurber Party coming very soon! And don't forget to enter the Guest of Honor lottery (scroll to the bottom of this page) for your chance to join the party.
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