Baja Blunder

I am new to the fair city of Richmond and have yet to sample much of its fare, though I have already been to the infamous Baja Bean, not once, but twice. I will say the good things first. The Bean is spacious, and the indoor area is nice and cozy, with low ceilings and ample seating. I had a couple of bottled beers the night I went, and enjoyed myself. This enjoyment was perhaps more about the company than the place, though there were a fair amount of other people there, who seemed to be enjoying themselves too and this lent an enjoyable energy to the entire scene. And the outdoor area is inviting on a nice evening, with fans and, again, ample seating. There is a bar level where you can go if you are just drinking, and plenty of tables and chairs if you are eating, too. Their happy hour, which stretches from 5 to 7 from Monday to Friday is light on the wallet, with specials varying by the day. I sat outside for a couple pleasurable hours on a Friday and remember it was $1 Pabst pints and $3 margarita pints. This is where I will turn sour. The margaritas were made from a mix that left a chemically aftertaste in my mouth. With such a good price, it's sometimes hard to say no. And then the food. I didn't order anything myself, having just eaten, but I tried both the vegetarian nachos and the chicken quesadilla. Now, on their website, the Bean touts itself as fresh and tasty, and I would have to say it's the oppposite of those things. If I was drunk or starving, I may have benefitted from the food, but as it was, I found it rather sad. The beans on the nachos were tasteless and thick. The guacamole was starting to go brown. The chips were stale-ish and the salsa was soupy and lacking in flavor. The chicken quesadilla was nothing extraordinary. Quesadillas rarely are, but when they are...oh man! I wouldn't count on that happening here, but I'll go back, I'm sure. It's at a great central location, and the price is right.

Baja Bean is located at 1520 W. Main Street. www.bajabean.com. $