Wolf it Down

Lobo
Court and Warren Sts
Brooklyn, NY
Couple with booze: $45

We spent the beginning of the meal chain chipping. It was virtually impossible to shovel one chip in our mouths without having one ready to follow. The crunch stood up to the humidity remarkably, so it wasn't necessary to eat so fast, but the salsa was just too good. Not too chunky, heavy with spice from black peppercorns, garlic, and an assortment of red peppers I couldn't place (I think chee-poat-lay was in there somewhere as well, but I hate chee-poat-lay, so if it was there, I'd rather not mention it, even though I just did, but whatever), it was hard to even break for a sip of beer. Upon reaching the bottom of the second bowl of chips, we decided to put a stop to the madness, so I finally got to take a few gulps of my Dos Equis. I prefer it with a lot of limes, and speaking of which, my fiance and partner in crime opted for the margarita. Lobo's version is the classic fresh juice margarita found at Manhattan's finest upscale Mexican hot spots, but it's a lot sweeter. I think the secret is simple sugar. Regardless, the Latin libation goes down easy enough that if you'd like to contribute to the Kelly Margarita Fund for the low cost of $8.00, let me know and we'll send you our address. That way she can get more than two next time. Unfortunately, Lobo doesn't offer any sort of happy hour, so eight bucks is as cheap as they come. The beers, my personal preference, are served in schooners, and at six bucks each, the value is up for debate. It's a lot of beer, but it's still six bucks.

After a somewhat lengthy delay, the food came. An art opening happening upstairs and a new hire appeared to be the culprit, but the manager apologized numerous times. The "free drink" apology never came, but we were happy with the acknowledgement of their shortcomings.

Lobo defines itself as Tex-Mex, but their menu definitely reaches further than a combo plate with rice and beans. For example, I ordered the Texas Cheesesteak with fries, and I must say, Mexican-American fusion kicks the shit out of French-Asian fusion. This particular specialty combines fresh sesame bread (likely from a local Italian bakery) with steak fajitas (in South Philly, 'wit), and completes the ensemble with a ladle of cheese sauce. I was full from the chips, but I still managed to make quick work of this meaty piece of heaven, and I decided to add insult to injury by eating the accompanying fries with a side of ranch dressing.

After Kelly rolled me out of the place, it was time for a long walk. Unfortunately, we live less than a block away from Lobo, so we went home instead. Being this close, expect more reports from Lobo. I hear they have a Tex-Mex brunch, and I love getting drunk during the day.