Mixto? More like a Mix of a Mess…

May 9th, 2023

Authored by Nina Wilson and Dynisha Murray

Hello and Welcome Back Brunch Besties!

We took a bit of a hiatus, and if you have been following us on social media, you know that we took a short vacation to DisneyWorld a couple weeks back. If you aren’t following us on social media, make sure that you are! We post behind the scenes content, memes, and a bunch of other things in between these blog posts which are a lot of fun and more short form content.

This week we are reviewing Mixto Restaurant which is located around 11th and Pine Streets, right next to Philly AIDs thrift. Mixto is owned by sibling duo, Jose and Mercy Mosquera. Mosquera initially got his start in the restaurant industry through the acquisition of his first restaurant Tierra Colombiana in the 1990’s (Al Dia). Through the success of Tierra Colombiana, he was able to open Mixto in 2000. Meaning that Mosquera has over 30 years of experience as a restaurateur. The name Mixto comes from having a mix of different Latin and Caribbean cuisines on the menu (NBC 10).

We visited Mixto on Saturday, April 22nd. We made reservations in advance of our visit and we would recommend you do the same, but it is just as likely that you can walk in and get a seat as well. We arrived around 11 am, and the vibes at the restaurant felt very open and warm. There were floor to ceiling windows towards the front of the restaurant that can be opened or closed depending on the weather, and on this day in particular, the windows were open. We asked for a seat close to the windows, because the restaurant was empty, and the host sat us as far as possible from the window. That was a bit annoying, but that did not deter our appetites. For drinks, we ordered Bellini ($14), Orange Mango Juice ($6), and Vanilla Latte (price unknown). In terms of food, we ordered the Colombian Breakfast ($16.25), French Toast Tempura ($14.00), and the Arepas Rellenas ($12). With the Arepas Rellenas you can choose two arepas out of three to four different kinds, so we ordered the Ropa Vieja and Chincarron.

Drinks

Bellini 10 and Orange Mango Juice

*Pictured above is the Bellini ($14) and Orange Mango Juice ($6). Photo courtesy of the Brunch Besties.*

One of the first drinks that Dynisha got was the Bellini 10, which is pictured above. According to the Mixto’s menu, It contained “Champagne, Peach Schnapps, and Peach Nectar.” The presentation was basic. But the drink was good. It had enough of a kick to give you a bit of a buzz. Because of that we gave this drink 4.78 out of 5

Next drink we got was the orange mango juice. It’s exactly what it sounds like, and you get it in a standard 16 oz glass. This drink was good, although it had pulp in it, which is not our favorite. However, if you’re looking for a deviation from your typical orange juice and don’t mind the pulp, this may just be the drink for you. Our final score of this drink is 4.2 out of 5.

Vanilla Latte

The last drink that we got was meant to be a morning pick me up, but was more of a morning let me down. It was a vanilla latte, Which although not on the menu, typically contains vanilla syrup, milk, and espresso combined together to make a delicious warm caffeinated drink. At least that’s what it’s meant to be in theory. The presentation was nice enough, however the flavor was horrible. The espresso had a burned flavor, the vanilla was nonexistent, and it just was not good. We wouldn’t recommend it, even if it were the last item to drink on the menu. So our final score is 1.52 out of 5.

Entrees

Colombian Breakfast

*Pictured above is the Columbian Breakfast ($16.25), Photo courtesy of the brunch besties.*

This was a dish that we were somewhat excited to try. The menu describes it as “ Sirloin steak, arepa, two eggs, maduros, and white rice mixed with red beans.” The presentation was decent enough. It was simple.

In terms of the elements of the dish, firstly we did not get an arepa with our order. So already we weren’t off to a good start. The steak was cooked nice enough, but it was missing something crucial in any and all latin cooking. Seasoning. The rice and beans were slightly undercooked, and the inclusion of green onions as a garnish was confusing, because most rice and beans we have had, never are garnished with green onion. Aside from the garnish, the rice and beans were bland. The eggs were fine. The only truly good thing about this dish were the maduros. They were perfectly pan fried which was nice because it had a slight crisp on the exterior. They were sweet without being sickly sweet. Overall, this dish, much like the vanilla latte, was disappointingly average. Thus, why we rated it a 3.2 out of 5.

Arepas Rellenas

Ropa Vieja

So as previously mentioned with the Arepas Rellenas you have the choice of two Arepas. Our first choice was the Ropa Vieja, which was described as steak having different seasonings and veggies mixed in. The flavors burst into your mouth. The meat was super juicy, tender, and well seasoned. The arepa was soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The interior of the arepa also did a good job at soaking up the juices and flavors from the steak. All in all this was succulent and we rated it a 5 out of 5.

Chicarron

We decided to get it grilled, and we think that might have been where we went wrong. The texture of the pork threw off the texture of the arepa and made it mushy and soft. The meat was inconsistently cooked, because there were some pieces of fat that were more tender than others. It was a bit under seasoned, and could have used a bit more. And the real saving grace here were the sauces and dips that the arepas came with. It helped to add an additional kick. All in all we rated this arepa 3.0 out of 5.

French Toast Tempura

This was one of the last items that we sampled off of the menu. It is described as “fried french toast, tempura style with a house berry compote syrup.” The presentation was simple, much like a lot of the other dishes we had ordered. The tempura made the french toast light and fluffy, despite being fried. It was also crunchy and had a nice crisp to it. The compote syrup was sweet without being overly sweet. The only downside was that the french toast itself could have used a bit more seasoning. Maybe some nutmeg or some cinnamon. However overall, we weren’t mad at this dish, and gave it 4.0 out of 5.

In Conclusion..

There is one word to wrap up our experience here. Disappointing. When it comes to ethnic food in this city, there tends to be a trend where the food gets so sanitized that it’s nowhere close to what it originally was meant to be. You can see it with a lot of trendy, contemporary asian fusion restaurants in Philly. *cough cough* Sampan *cough cough*. However, it's something that one would not expect of a latin restaurant, because the seasoning is a huge part of what makes the food what it is.

However, that is something that even the owner himself admits. “ Mosquera came to learn that the clientele at Mixto was roughly 80% American and 20% Latino; a contrast from the clientele at Tierra. ‘We make the menu at Mixto a little bit different, more upscale,’ said Mosquera.” (Al Dia). It is unfortunate that flavor has to be sacrificed in an attempt to appease the masses, but that is the line that has to be walked when it comes to owning a restaurant. You can either have deliciously seasoned food, or make mildly appetizing food to keep foot traffic in your restaurant. Pick your poison.

All in all, we most likely wouldn’t come back here. Nor would we recommend that you go to Mixto either. However if you guys think we should try to go to Tierra Colombiana for brunch, please let us know!

Until next time,

Xoxo

The Brunch Besties