Caliente - Bethlehem
Caliente
Description
Caliente is a neighborhood Southwestern spot that polarizes diners: when it succeeds, vibrant, fresh dishes (ceviche, enchiladas, inventive specials) and a welcoming back room please families and groups at fair prices. When it misses, plates arrive lukewarm or oversalty, portions feel small and service is uneven. The staff are often friendly but busy weekends slow service, and charming decor is undermined by harsh yellow lighting. A mixed but promising casual destination worth trying for its highlights.
Feedback
The restaurant had a nice atmosphere when we first arrived, but then we were seated in a back room. The servers were polite, but there were no chips on the table and we had to wait quite a while for our service. The children's food was too spicy, and the fajitas came with the smallest wraps I’ve ever seen. If you eat the three little ones they provide, be prepared to pay for more. The taco salad was overpriced for what we received. The owner was rude and made an unnecessary comment to another patron, even chasing them outside and starting an argument, which is very unprofessional. My recommendation is to choose Blue Cactus or Don Pablo’s instead.
My "Mom's Night Out" group dines here once a month, and we absolutely love it. The atmosphere is very welcoming, and the food is bursting with flavor. The service can be a bit slow on weekends, but that's expected when the restaurant is busy. I particularly enjoy the enchiladas, especially the beef ones. We love coming here because we always leave feeling full and satisfied without spending much. We usually bring our own tequila since they offer non-alcoholic margaritas (I love the pomegranate one!). I recommend this place to everyone.
The service was quite poor as well. I seriously considered leaving only a 10% tip as a way to express my dissatisfaction, but I wasn't sure if our corner table and our casual attire played a role in how we were treated. Other patrons seemed to be receiving better service. We only saw our waitress when we placed our order, when she delivered our food, and then again when she brought the bill. She never checked in to see if we needed more drinks, even though the restaurant wasn't busy. Overall, I can't recommend this place to my friends. It's a real shame.
TRIED THIS PLACE AFTER A COUPLE OF FRIENDS TOLD ABOUT, I WAS SURPRISED BY THE FLAVORS OF THE FOOD. I STARTED WITH THE SHRIMP CEVICHE , I DID’NT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT BUT IT WAS GOOD. WE ALSO HAD THE CHIPS AND SALSA. THE SALSA WAS AMAZING ,WITH FRESH CUT TOMATATOES, ONION, AND OTHER THINGS. I GUESS THIS IS WHY IT’S NOT FREE. FOR DINNER I HAD THE HUGE BEEF BURRITO AND MY HUSBAND HAD THE CHICKEN ENCHILIDAS A LITTLE SPICY BUT GOOD). WE ALSO HAD THE NON-ALCOHOLIC MARGARITAS. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A CUTE IDEA. OVERALL I WAS PLEASED AND WILL RETURN
We eat here all time moms group below) and my family. I can make a reservations for a BIG Mom’s group gathering in the back room) or we can have a casual family dinner with just the family. either way we always leave satisfied. I came across this website when I “googled” Caliente for the websiite. I was disappointed/surprised to why people were dissapointed….. I think Caliente is a GREAT new restaurant with A LOT of potential. It started runnung weekly specials I had the plantain crusted fish last weeek, with a fruit salsa)…, TRY IT AND THEN FORM YOUR OWN OPINION!!!!!!1)
