Adobe Cafe Review

The South Philly arm of this popular Roxborough restaurant underwhelms.

Some time ago I lived in Roxborough for a year, and my favorite restaurant while I was there was the Adobe Cafe. The orange-painted Mexican joint featured friendly service and tasty food; food so good that my boyfriend chose to spend his birthday there two years in a row.

When I moved closer to Center City, I wasn't able to visit Adobe nearly as often, which is why I was thrilled when the restaurant opened a South Philly location. Unfortunately, I've found that the restaurant's charm and deliciousness hasn't transferred from Roxborough. The difference is immediately apparent in the restaurant's atmosphere: it might be due to the lack of crowds, but the South Philly Adobe lacks the warmth of the Roxborough location. It feels dim, and it's certainly empty: I've visited twice on weekend evenings, and both times the restaurant has barely been filled to half capacity.

The food and drinks are probably to blame. I found the margarita mix to be too sweet and fake-tasting, and the most recent time I visited, my chips were a little stale. For my entree I ordered the vegetarian Mexican platter, a mix of different items. Most were unremarkable. One of the best was a fried tortilla filled with mashed potatoes, but it's hard to mess up the fried anything + potatoes combination. My refried beans had a bit of a crust on them, with a chip stuck unceremoniously in top.

One bright point on the platter was the seitan taco. I've always enjoyed Adobe's seitan offerings – especially their fajitas and tacos – and they continue to deliver. My dining companion ordered the duck burrito, which was also good, spiced with a bit of cinnamon. But the vegetables served with the burrito looked lifeless.

For dessert we shared the banana sopapillas. While it tasted good, the dessert was also much less banana and sopapilla (a fried pastry) and more ice cream. A lot of ice cream. Even half the amount of ice cream we were served would have been more than enough.

I've often wondered by Adobe chose to open its South Philly location only a few blocks from Cantina Los Caballitos, a popular Mexican restaurant. Opening that close begs comparison, and unfortunately, it doesn't work in Adobe's favor. If you're looking for Mexican food on Passyunk, you're best skipping Adobe and going to Cantina. Or, if you're interested in trying Adobe, I fully recommend it – just make sure you do it in Roxborough.