2095 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC
Phone: 604-696-9997
Summary -
serving up some modern Mexican flavours
Reviewed - 10 August 2008
Meal - Brunch/Lunch
Party - 3
Age Range - late 30s, early 40s
Profile - carnivores and vegetarians
Mains - Halibut Tacos, Frittata Verduras and Brunch Burrito
Atmosphere - boisterous and casual
Factoid - this is the sister restaurant to Lolita's on Davie Street and
only takes reservations for parties of 8 or more
Rating - 3.5 out of 5
The Commercial Drive area of
Vancouver has a rather large selection of eateries - from dives to casual to (a
few) more high-end. And with its casual and boisterous (sometimes
bordering on just plain loud) atmosphere, Me and Julio fits in nicely with the
bohemian nature of this area.
Normally open just for the
dinner hour, Me and Julio has recently started serving a brunch on weekends.
The selection of traditional "brunch" items is limited but the full lunch menu
makes up for it and offers some great possibilities.
Two of us went for the
"traditional" brunch items - a frittata and a breakfast burrito - while the
third went for the halibut tacos.
I admit I've never really been
a fan of fish tacos but our lunch mate thought they were very tasty with the
halibut cooked perfectly. They came in fresh flour soft tortillas served
high with cabbage and with salad, rice and refried black beans on the side.
The two of us with eggs were
pleased with the results although the burrito was a little bland despite being
topped with an incredible amount of pico de gallo (the addition of hot sauce
available at each table helped a bit but it would have been nice to have had a
bit more of a kick to the actual burrito). The red pepper sauce on the
frittata was a bit better providing a bit of bite at the end but nothing even
the shyest of palates would find overpowering; the small tortillas that came
with the frittata was a nice touch.
The two egg dishes were served
with pan-fried breakfast potatoes that were nicely cooked, seasoned just right and consistent with
every bite. The plates also came with a small salad with a light and
wonderful dressing.
Be warned - come with an
appetite. While the two vegetarians managed to make it through their
entire plates (we had been "saving up" for lunch) our partner didn't quite
manage to get through all the fixin's on her plate.
This place does not appear to
be a place for quiet conversation over brunch. Perhaps a left-over from
the dinner crowd it could stand to be toned down just a bit as the acoustics are
not the best and the rather loud music can be overpowering. Either it did
get quieter toward the end of our meal or we simply got used to it but it was a
bit off-putting at first as we settled in.
When the bill arrived we also
received Double Bubble gum instead of the more traditional mints offered at most
other restaurants. At first we thought it was fun until we realized after
opening our individual packages and reading our jokes we found that someone perhaps forgot to check the 'best by' date
for the gum itself.
A nice brunch overall, it is definitely time to check
out Lolita's for dinner now (and maybe even back to Me and Julio).
