Rate-A-Restaurant #218: Baracoa

Restaurant: Baracoa

Location: 3175 Glendale Blvd (Atwater Village)

Type of restaurant: Cuban

We stipulated: We were looking for a quick dinner close to Franklin Avenue HQ, and had been meaning to check out Baracoa for years.

They stipulated: "We also offer a great priced lunch menu, food to go and delivery. For those who will join us for breakfast, lunch or dinner, we offer a nice beer & wine menu and the best Sangrias."



What we ordered: Jerk Chicken (Marinated in Jamaican spices, seared and finished in oven; $12.95); Pork Chop (Chuleta) (10oz. Charbroiled well seasoned chop. Served with rice and beans; $11.95)



High point: The portions are good sized, and we liked how the rice had a nice, soft texture. The Cuban bread starter is also really addictive.



Low point: It was cozy, but one waitress was on duty for the entire place -- making for slow service. Also, the beans had a slightly smoky taste -- but not necessarily in a good way; and the pork was a little too thick.



Overall impression: Yes, the decor is cheesy -- but the restaurant is nicely intimate. And yes, the food had a hit or miss quality -- but it's comfort Cuban food, and you can't go too wrong with that.



Chance we'll go back: And that's why we probably will -- when we want a nice, sitdown, simple yet comfortable dinner, Baracoa fits the bill.

Rate-A-Restaurant #217: BoHo

Restaurant: BoHo

Location: 6372 W. Sunset (Hollywood)

Type of restaurant: Gastropub

We stipulated: This is going back to pre-Blogger Baby 2.0. After catching an early showing of "(500) Days of Summer" at the Arclight, we wanted to hit dinner -- and the newly opened gastropub BoHo, from Max and Oinkster chef Andre Guerrero (who's handling the kitchen) seemed to fit the bill. We're big fans of Max and, especially, The Oinkster.

They stipulated: Nothing is over $20, per the "bohemian" theme.



What we ordered: Burrata (croustades, roasted peppers, eggplant, heirloom tomato, basil; $11), Kalbi pizza (Korean bbq shortribs, chili paste, kimchee, fontina cheese, scallions; $15)



High point: Prices are strong, and some of the menu is interesting -- including the kalbi pizza, which is why we bit.



Low point: Perhaps they took the theme "bohemian" a bit too seriously. As you can see above, one of plates came out dirty, while the table was surprisingly sticky for a new joint. Another plate had a bug on it.



Overall impression: Sad to say, pretty disappointing. The pizza was OK, but the kalbi a bit too fatty for it to work -- plus, it got cold fast. And the burrata was just OK.



Chance we'll go back: Probably not. But we still love the Oinkster and Max, Andre! Sorry this one didn't work out for us.