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Cafe Negro - San Antonio


jkgourmet

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We stopped in for a late breakfast, early lunch. Cute little place. One server, which was adequate. Small menu of sandwiches and a few other items. We ordered black coffee, which was sadly weak. There was a bold notice that refills were $10 pesos (this was in English).

Husband ordered what he thought was a BLT, but turned out to be a sandwich made up of tomato, raw onion, and what we would describe as a bacon omelet. very tasty, he said.

I ordered the quiche Lorraine. Good sized slice, but a different kind of quiche than the usual US style. The filling was very light and airy, rather bland. The crust rather heavy and wet under the filling, very dry on the edges where there was no filling. I honestly wondered if the crust had been pre-cooked, as I am used to with quiches. Not a bad dish, and nice for a change of pace, but I wouldn't run out for more.

Both included sides of fruit (watermelon, cantaloupe, and payaya) nicely presented in a cup, using a melon baller so the pieces were in a round shape. Cute and tasty.

HOWEVER, the prices! $55 pesos (I think - might have been a bit more) for his sandwich, and $75 pesos for my quiche. Sorry, but for those prices, we can do better in Lakeside. Can even do better NOB.

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We stopped in for a late breakfast, early lunch. Cute little place. One server, which was adequate. Small menu of sandwiches and a few other items. We ordered black coffee, which was sadly weak. There was a bold notice that refills were $100 pesos (this was in English).

Husband ordered what he thought was a BLT, but turned out to be a sandwich made up of tomato, raw onion, and what we would describe as a bacon omelet. very tasty, he said.

I ordered the quiche Lorraine. Good sized slice, but a different kind of quiche than the usual US style. The filling was very light and airy, rather bland. The crust rather heavy and wet under the filling, very dry on the edges where there was no filling. I honestly wondered if the crust had been pre-cooked, as I am used to with quiches. Not a bad dish, and nice for a change of pace, but I wouldn't run out for more.

Both included sides of fruit (watermelon, cantaloupe, and payaya) nicely presented in a cup, using a melon baller so the pieces were in a round shape. Cute and tasty.

HOWEVER, the prices! $55 pesos (I think - might have been a bit more) for his sandwich, and $75 pesos for my quiche. Sorry, but for those prices, we can do better in Lakeside. Can even do better NOB.

Where is this place,I don't want to go to, located in San Antonio? In case I'm in a stupor.

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We ordered black coffee, which was sadly weak. There was a bold notice that refills were $100 pesos (this was in English).

Really! The equivalent of 8 bucks for a coffee refill!! What did the first cup cost?

We ate there last fall and enjoyed it. Found the prices fair, given the quality of the food/baked goods. We don't drink coffee, so guess we got off cheap.

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Really! The equivalent of 8 bucks for a coffee refill!! What did the first cup cost?

We ate there last fall and enjoyed it. Found the prices fair, given the quality of the food/baked goods. We don't drink coffee, so guess we got off cheap.

When I go by a restaurant and see people just sitting taking up a table with their book/paper and just a cup of coffee it sure makes sense to me to make it uncomfortable economically to have a second or third or fourth cup. Even if they bought a meal or danish and have finished it the idea of long lingering and taking up a producing seat/table in a small restaurant is unkind to the proprietor.

Although I choose to not support her business for personal reasons I certainly defend her right to charge what she believes is fair for a seat at her limited tables.

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Carmen who runs Cafe Negro is Perry March's wife. She is trying to support her 3 kids. She still supports Perry's innocence but the bottom line is that is in many ways one of his victims as well. We should not blame her for the things that monster did.

Her baked goods is what she does best. I like to drop by and pick up a treat to take home. I particullarly like her biscotti.

Her food prices are high for breakfast and lunch but in the past were exceptional. Since I don't eat there I can no longer speak to that.

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I knew about the owner and her connection to Perry Marshall BEFORE we went there to eat. That has zero effect on my personal experience of weak coffee and overpriced food.

I avoided mentioning the Perry Marshall issue on purpose. To me, it's not relevant to how our meals were.

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Carmen who runs Cafe Negro is Perry March's wife. She is trying to support her 3 kids.

I knew about the owner and her connection to Perry Marshall BEFORE we went there to eat. That has zero effect on my personal experience of weak coffee and overpriced food.

Maybe the point is that you are hurting individuals and the families by posting negative reviews based on one visit to a place.

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Maybe the point is that you are hurting individuals and the families by posting negative reviews based on one visit to a place.

So... are you saying that we should only post wonderful, glowing, happy happy happy reviews - even if the businesses don't deserve them?

The major reason so many places go out of business here is because they don't (or won't) listen to what the customers want.

If I like a business, I support it. I don't throw pity money at it just because the owners have a family. Life is tough, so is business - anywhere.

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Maybe the point is that you are hurting individuals and the families by posting negative reviews based on one visit to a place.

I've often questioned the logic of frequenting a restaurant because the owners are "nice people", or they need the money, or whatever reason, other than that the food and service are to my liking. Dining out and shopping are not normally charitable activities. I went back and read the review and thought it sounded fair, based on my personal experience with the restaurant. If one does not wish to have their business judged by customers, close the doors.

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Maybe the point is that you are hurting individuals and the families by posting negative reviews based on one visit to a place.

Reading Jeanette’s description of her visit to Café Negro, I note the following comments:

very tasty

Not a bad dish, and nice for a change of pace

Cute and tasty

As that the coffee price typo has been corrected there were also these comments:

black coffee, which was sadly weak

quiche Lorraine. Good sized slice, but a different kind of quiche than the usual US style. filling was very light and airy, rather bland

but I wouldn't run out for more

$55 pesos (I think - might have been a bit more) for his sandwich, and $75 pesos for my quiche. Sorry, but for those prices, we can do better in Lakeside.

The comments seem altogether factual and balanced, not negative. I don’t really think that some of the downside comments such as weak coffee or the price charged for the sandwich or the quiche are going to change no matter how many times anyone was to visit. Perhaps it is just me, but if I read about someone’s visit to a restaurant that failed to mention the downsides while only talking in glowing terms of the good features, I’d quickly decide that writer either had no concept of food or was getting free meals at the establishment. An example would be Jeanette’s comment as to the quiche crust. My mother and grandmother, my experience and cookbooks have made be think that certain types of pies (especially custard), tarts, quiches and the like will have a soggy crust unless the shell has been (all or partially) pre-baked. A wet crust is an indicator that this has not happened. Another example of something that I would have found off-putting and wondered why Jeanette would not have commented on, had she just said she liked the quiche.

True enough that many places are not consistent and perhaps it would be good thing to eat in places several times before commenting—then again with all the places to dine, why return often to a place that was lacking? Or even average. I won’t write off a place that disappoints me on one visit, but I won’t hurry back either

Restaurants should remember the old adage: “you only get one chance to make a first impression.”

Most of us know that restaurateurs are trying to make a living, but the fact is we have more places to eat than the local and expat population can support. That is why so many places open and close every year. Competition and bad or inconsistent food and service, not the observations of a single person are what causes businesses to fail.

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An intelligent and fair post, "Marley's Ghost".

If a restaurant is run by "nice people", that's a plus. If it's run by unpleasant people, that's a minus.

So, in terms of overall ratings we give, those pluses and minuses do count. I can think of a place (no longer in business) where the owner's sarcastic comment when a complaint was made lost him my business, even though the food was okay. I must admit that a another place run by "nice people" didn't overcome the so-so food. Didn't return there either.

Positive or negative.......in the end, the food itself, along with the service and ambiance (if any) are the big issues. No getting around it. I appreciate a good review, with specifics about why the person writing liked or disliked a dish.

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I had started to write a long post in this thread. Instead, I'll just point out that ALL forums and web boards are based on a single users experiences with (usually) a single experience. Have a look at Amazon to see how effective this can be.

I also thank those who have been supportive, whether or not they agree with my opinions. THAT is the nature of a good forum - respectful discussion and conversation and shared opinions.

Moderators might want to consider locking this thread. AGAIN. It's a shame that happens so often around here.

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Msot often I feel Jeanette's reviews are well-qualified, but I disagree this thread needs to be locked. I don't see any untoward comments here. Maybe not all the smartest, but inflammatory, not really. We're all entitled, regardless.

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When I posted regarding Carmen as the wife of Perry March it was not in response to a negative review. Since some people will not frequent Cafe Negro because Carmen is Perry's wife I wanted to put my opinion down as we should not blame her for Perry March's egregious crimes.

Let Carmen and the cafe rise or fall on their own merits only.

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I have never been there, but now that I know that it belongs to Carmen I will certainly give it a try. She had some great food in her other place.

As for negative opinions, I personally take intrest in and respect each one,positive or negative, but do not form my own untill I have been there. That is what this board is all about....opinions and information. Sometimes defamatory statments are made here, and allowed to stay. that is entirely different and it puzzles me.

By the way, off topic maybe.....but Carmen is a wonderful person who happens to love and believe in the wrong man. Perry´s children adored her, and i believe that having the love of a child often reveals a lot about a person. She gave those kids a very happy life while they were in Mexico, and I think that earns her a place in heaven. Perry did not deserve her.

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I,like many others I am quite sure, have never heard of this fellow Perry whatever,and was completely unaware that there was any kind of scandalous conection to the restaurant being reviewed,until such information was relayed in additional posts.

But now that I do, inquiring minds want to know - what's the scoop?

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I,like many others I am quite sure, have never heard of this fellow Perry whatever,and was completely unaware that there was any kind of scandalous conection to the restaurant being reviewed,until such information was relayed in additional posts.

But now that I do, inquiring minds want to know - what's the scoop?

He murdered his wife, came to Ajijic with his 2 children because his father Arthur, lived here, married carmen, scammed or screwed some people out of some money, was a total jerk, got hauled away by the feds ( father too), father sang like a bird once in jail, perry got convicted. The end.

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I started this thread, but purposely never mentioned the Perry March connection or considered it in my comments about THE RESTAURANT AND ITS FOOD.

Recognizing that the thread was going in this direction, I previously suggested that the moderators lock it. I'd again make the same request.

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I started this thread, but purposely never mentioned the Perry March connection or considered it in my comments about THE RESTAURANT AND ITS FOOD.

Recognizing that the thread was going in this direction, I previously suggested that the moderators lock it. I'd again make the same request.

Jeanette - you are imposing censorship on the thread - please don't do that. Things wander and this thread was doomed from the start to wander, so just let it go on - it will wind down on its own.

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Jeanette - you are imposing censorship on the thread - please don't do that. Things wander and this thread was doomed from the start to wander, so just let it go on - it will wind down on its own.

Fair enough, Bournemouth. But I don't like that I started a simple discussion about a visit to a restaurant, only to have that thread turned into a discussion about a convicted murderer. Worse yet, the thread has informed people (who previously didn't know the history) about this, affecting a business owner. To me, that information is totally irrelevant and unnecessary to a discussion about food. :(

Had I known that would happen, I would have never posted my experience at Cafe Negro.

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Back to the topic. You ate the wrong things. The Blue cheese burger is beyond amazing. I am not a hamburger lover but her's is an exception. The Salad Niçoise is another favorite I keep going back for. It is not cheap, but the portion is huge. Last but not least, I love the apple, almond butter, bacon sandwich. Don't laugh until you've tried it. it is 100 times better than it sounds,

So give it another try!

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