Poco A Poco

My friend and I gave Poco a Poco a try for the first time this past Sunday. We went in sometime afternoon, otherwise I would have ordered a bottomless mimosa; instead I tried a ruby red grapefruit margarita, with which I was very satisfied. I also had coffee, which was decent, and my friend had lemonade which he enjoyed.
For our entrees I ordered the Croquet Madame and my friend ordered the French Toast. I was quite impressed with the Croquet Madame. The cheddar, ham, mustard, and apricot went together beautifully over the arugula and bread. I am not a big fan of runny eggs so I traded the poached egg with my friend for some scrambled eggs. The fruit cup that accompanied my dish contained very fresh and sweet strawberries, pineapple, and blueberries. I would definitely recommend this dish.
My friend enjoyed the French Toast, which came with bacon, and scrambled eggs. The French Toast was also topped with pineapple which was a little different.
We will definitely come back to Poco a Poco at some point. The service was very good. The noise level was a bit loud though, so we will likely come back on a day cool enough to sit outside.

Let me tell you a thing or two about Poco a Poco (and for those of you who don’t speak spanish, the name means something that someone who speaks spanish can tell you).
I can only attest to Poco’s brunch dishes, but there’s a good chance that this be applicable to their evening recipes as well… the food is NOT good. You’ll want to believe in its quality by the sexy-​sounding ingredients (e.g. Bose Pear Chutney, Caramelized Pineapple butter, American Cheese), but be sure to remove your mind from their foodie façade and focus on Poco’s premier prodigy: their bottomless mimosas…
wowWOWwow. There are two parts to the «Bottomless Mimosa,» so let’s break down the name into each aspect:
1) First, there’s the «mimosa.» Mimosas, historically, have only had two ingredients: Orange Juice and Champagne. Poco has somehow memorized this recipe and are able to continuously put this combination together (along with their secret ingredient (s) — Triple Sec and possibly Pez) at blistering rates. Their efficiency in this regard certainly serves itself to the second part of «bottomless mimosas»…
…2) the «bottomless» part. You know how at most restaurants it is almost impossible to finish your glass of water before it being re-​filled? Imagine that same problem, except with alcohol, and then re-​evaluate to realize that this is the best kind of problem. Poco even leaves the carafe on your table for self-​refills. Heroic.
Another nice feature I appreciate is that underneath each table is a thick foam layer so you don’t bump your knees when shifting in your seat. It’s nice, though maybe unnecessary, since you can’t get shifty and restless when the speedy service is this good.

Bottomless mimosas were a hit. I was expecting get a glass and have to wave someone down every time it was empty, but no! They brought us a big carafe and were very prompt about getting refills, even after we had paid our check!
The food was delicious. I had the chorizo melt and boyfriend had the eggs benedict, both of which we loved. Unilocalers raved about the chorizo mac and cheese which is a HUGE portion for a side, but we felt it was a little saucy and too rich for us, especially as a side.
The décor is a little weird. I kept saying that I felt like the floors would be sticky because it feels like a bar turned brunch place, but I understand that they sort of are bar-​ish on weekend nights.
YES to brunch. We’ll be back.

To quote another reviewer and Unilocal friend Elizabeth W, «little by little I like this place more and more».
I took a date here around 6:00 on a Wednesday last week and since Winter has been an epic fail this year we sat on the front patio where we split a couple Mahi Mahi Tacos and Yucatan Chicken Skewers. We were lucky enough to order them in the last 30 minutes of Happy hour so our total meal came to $ 10.65 (tax included). This was a steal!
The Chicken Skewers were better the more sauce you dragged them through. I’d probably get something else next time. On the other hand, the Mahi Mahi tacos were excellent! I’ve never had fish tacos before and this was a great way to be introduced to them. The Mahi Mahi had a nice crisp exterior and was cooked to perfection. My date informed me that they were on par with the fish tacos at Nada downtown.
Impressed, sated, and financially still in the black.

I need to go back and try this place again because I don’t feel like I really paid attention to what I ate, the service, or the décor. We came in a large group after a wine tasting and I was enjoying the people around me more than the restaurant.
I do remember our server was totally on the ball despite the fact that we had a party of 12 and the restaurant was totally packed. She was friendly and made good suggestions on some of their unusual cocktails.
Though prices are a little high for Mexican fare, I generally feel that way about tapas. The food was tasty! We loved the chips with queso, guac, and salsa. Four of us inhaled it without really tasting! My husband and I enjoyed the vegetable tacos for an entrée.
I saw this as a restaurant on
recently. So, buy yourself a coupon and try it out! I know I will be going back!

… I really like this Poco.
the food is unlike any where else in town.
I crave this place!

I really hope that maybe poco was just having a bad day.
I ordered the «Latin Benedict». Which was described slow poached egg, ham, chihuahua queso and pico de gallo.
Our server was nice, but inattentive at best. We sat at our table for about 15 minutes without drinks. Then when someone came and got our drink order it took another 30 minutes to get 1 sangria. Which was pretty good, but in all honesty, it’s kind of hard to screw that up.
When our food finally came, which felt, and probably was, an hour later, everything was cold. My slow poached egg was rubbery, the yolks cold and set. The pico de gallo consisting of maybe six tiny pieces of diced tomato. It was pretty awful.
I think the real pull of this place is the bottomless mimosas they have for brunch that are about 12 bucks. Maybe if I was plastered I wouldn’t have noticed how awful our food was?
I’m willing to give it a second go, this time for dinner, to hopefully experience that «four star feeling» so many other Unilocalers have had for this place.
Wish me luck.

Tried brunch at Poco A Poco recently and found the overall experience to be rather lackluster. I went with the French Toast, which comes with scrambled eggs and bacon. I substituted a cup of fresh fruit for the bacon, which was nice. The eggs were pretty standard. The French toast was made from a loaf of French bread and I unfortunately got the end pieces. There wasn’t enough syrup on them and they didn’t bring any extra out with it, so was overly dry and hard.
Service seemed to take forever, particularly between ordering and food delivery. Our server also didn’t come check on us after food delivery (or I would have asked for more syrup!) until we were already finished. My husband enjoyed his corn cake and egg, but was a pretty small portion and nothing he would come back for.
The prices are fairly low for an upscale brunch place (but do come with smaller portion sizes). Seems like the biggest draw here is bottomless mimosas ($ 14 per person), so if that’s your thing – drink up! The place wasn’t totally without promise, so I might try it again for dinner, but doesn’t rank for brunch places for me.

My wife and I are slowly working our way through all the restaurants in our new neighborhood of Hyde Park. Two Sundays ago we stopped in at Poco a Poco for dinner. We arrived around 6pm and found the restaurant mostly deserted except for a couple of tables outside on the front sidewalk. We also choose to sit outside to enjoy the wonderful fall weather. The same employee who sat us at our table was also our server for the evening.
After looking through the rather extensive drink menu, my wife and I decided on a couple of drinks. She had the sangria while I went with the sazerac. Both were fairly typical drinks, though I was shocked to see mine served in a martini glass. I had only had it served in an old-​fashioned glass before. Also interesting was the color of the sangria was white and not red, like usual. Next time I think I’ll just go with a beer, as the drinks were rather pricey and nothing outstanding.
Prior to our visit I was told that this was a tapas style restaurant, however when I glanced at the menu that was not the vibe I got at all. I saw a fairly typical layout of appetizers, entrées, with a special section highlighting tacos. There is also a large selection of sides available. I guess you could order a couple different plates of tacos and some sides and then split it, but this is not what I think of when I hear tapas.
After going over the menu a couple of times I decided on the Rancheros ($ 16). This features 18 hour slow roasted pork stewed in tomatoes & smokey chipotles, served with refried beans & Latin rice. Not pictured above are the three tortillas that were served on the side, basically so you could make your own tacos. The price is higher than the other tacos on the menu, but this dish includes the beans and rice side, which I could have easily skipped. However the rancheros were delicious! The menu doesn’t mention the soft cheese that was served on top of the mixed stew, but I really enjoyed it’s presence. If I could order these without the sides I would definitely get them again.
My wife ordered the Vegetales tacos with grilled summer squash sauteed with red & green bell peppers, dressed with sour cream vinaigrette, fried avocados & pickled jalapenos ($ 9). She really enjoyed these and after just a couple of bites I could taste why. The fried avocado was unique and definitely one of the standout ingredients. Also the sour cream vinaigrette that they used was very tasty. I would not hesitate to order this dish again.
After our first visit to Poco a Poco I would suggest skipping the pricey cocktails. The taco plates could easily be shared between guests, but that’s as far as the tapas concept goes. I look forward to future visits so I can sample more of the taco varieties and also some of the sides that are offered. There are also a couple of other entrées that look good, but those get much more pricey than the tacos.

Been here a few times — for happy hour and for dinner.
Excellent food and delicious drinks. Service could be better — it’s slightly disorganized. I tend to overlook the service aspect though if my drinks are flowing and made well!
Our faves: charred corn, puerco tacos, pescado tacos, chiles rellenos, caipirinhas, rum drinks!
What is not to love about a li’l hip tapas restaurant on Hyde Park Square? Come during nice weather, and get a seat on the patio or in the bar overlooking the square.
Next step is to go on a weekend for brunch. Super intrigued by the different menu and the mimosas.
Live music is also a lovely touch! Great alternative to Teller’s on the Square.

I had no idea this place existed until a group of friends decided to go here after the Whole Foods Friday wine tasting. I had previously been here when it was Red Steakhouse. The place was busy with a typical frenzied Friday crowd of young professionals. The bar area was serving up some great looking cocktails and drinks.
Our server seemed to be the only one working the entire place so I felt a little sorry since our group was rather large. We were starving so we ordered as quickly as possible. We had the trio special and veggie enchilada. The trio special was nice and the enchilada was decent as well. My wife had a Mexican cosmo which was tasty.
Getting our check took a little longer than I wanted, and I was not surprised when an automatic gratuity of 18% was added to our bill. Total was a smidge under $ 40. Not bad but I don’t think I’ll be back, as I can get Mexican/​Spanish at lots of other places for less. You might have better experiences in smaller groups on less busy nights, but even then, you might be taking a chance.

I really liked this place! The restaurant was in a very cool area of cincinnati, and it had a cool atmosphere.
Drinks were good, and they have happy hour every day until 7pm which is nice! Food prices were reasonable as well.
Tried the vegetarian, asada, and pork belly tacos with sides of corn and chorizo mac and cheese. I LOVED the corn and mac and cheese!
Also — we tried the mussels for an appetizer — DELISH
Definitely recommend!

Sampled 3 tacos: vegetarian, asada, and pork belly. Also shared sides of charred corn and chorizwo mac. Everything tasted great. Reasonably priced, and atmosphere is casual, but nice. Parking is a little limited, but we used the bank parking lot across the street. Would return.

I think the name says it, little by little, I like this place more and more. The food is awesome, fresh, inventive, but if you are expecting an overflowing plate of runny cheese mexican food, this isn’t your place. Unless you hoard your plate, and even if you do, the tapas offerings are only a couple of bites. The fun part is, you get to try so many different flavors. I guess the midwestern appetite won out, because since they’ve opened, they’ve added more traditional entrees. My friend got the half chicken with egg and, despite the ethical conundrum, enjoyed it immensely. Some other friends got the paella, which was enough for the table, even though they’d ordered for two.
The drink menu is also exciting and original and the bartenders are always experimenting with new combinations. I know the service struggled a bit at the beginning, but the last time I was there, the owner was onsite and chatted up our table and the service couldn’t have been better. Despite our confusing combination of tapas and dinners, the food was prompt and timely.

Though I’ve been to Poco a Poco a few times for drinks, I just had dinner there for the first time, and it’s still a solid 4 star experience. I had the apple and jicama salad to start with, and it was very light and refreshing. Great flavors. For my entrée, I went with the Hills Farm Chicken, which was served with a creamy polenta and a fried egg. Sounds odd, but it was a good combination. They cover the egg in a light eggwash (ironic, no?), and then deep fry it. It was rich, and it took a while to get used to the crunch, but it was pretty tasty. My friends both tried the chorizo mac and cheese, and they loved it. I had a bite, and it was definitely good, but I just wasn’t in the mood for pasta.
I have self control issues when it comes to dessert, so I ordered the chocolate hazelnut brownie, which is served with caramel and ice cream. The only problem we experienced during our visit was the 30 minute wait for the brownie, but our server, Duncan, came out to explain that the kitchen burned the first brownie, so they had to make another one. It had great chocolate flavor, and the ice cream and caramel were a nice addition. Since I waited so long, Duncan had originally offered to comp the brownie, but it still showed up on the final bill. A little annoying, but not a big deal. I’d go back to Poco A Poco for dinner and dessert anytime.

I’ve been looking forward to eating a meal at Poco A Poco since they opened last year. I love a good Mexican place, and I had tried their margaritas and guacamole and really enjoyed both. Unfortunately I didn’t write this review before I tried the food.
I started with a margarita ($ 8 but worth it… it’s hard to get a good margarita in Cincinnati and they totally have it down) followed by the Trio appetizer: Guacamole, queso, and salsa with chips. Their salsa is pretty boring, almost tastes like ketchup, but the guacamole is good and the queso made the whole app worthwhile. Made with real quality cheese and flavored differently than any other queso I’ve had before… delicious.
If only I had stopped there…
For dinner I ordered the chicken tacos ($ 9) with corn tortillas. I got flour tortillas, but decided not to complain when I realized they were homemade. It’s rare to find homemade tortillas even at the best Mexican restaurants, and that and the margarita are the only reasons this review gets 3 stars instead of 2.
The tacos were pretty tasteless and didn’t have much to them. They serve you 3 of them but they were so unsubstantial that I wasn’t even full after eating the app and the tacos. My friends ordered the mussels and the sliders, which were equally bad. The mussels were cooked fine, but were tasteless and boring. The sliders tasted like they had been soaked in vinegar (which was actually a nice change to wake up my taste buds after the other awful food) and the meat was overcooked. They were served on buns you can buy at the store. Definitely nothing special.
The atmosphere of the place is okay. It’s not that different from when it was Red except for there is more light and less steak. The bar area is nicer than the dining area and they also have a decent patio area, which would be much better than sitting inside.
If you want a good margarita, it’s not a bad place to spend an hour or so and hang out with a drink. If you want a meal, Tellers is only a few doors down.

Truth be told, I was planning to have Sunday brunch at Teller’s. I parked my car on the north side of Erie and started my way down the street towards my destination when a few people sitting at outdoor tables caught my eye. I then noticed the sign advertising the «bottomless mimosa.» OK, I was intrigued. I meandered up to the menu posted outside the door. The brunch menu had some great descriptions. That had me. So I walked into Poco A Poco and sat down at the bar.
This casual Latin-​inspired tapas restaurant situated in Cincinnati’s Hyde Park neighborhood has a simple and understated décor. Exposed brick intermixed with green earth tone painted walls and artwork that evokes the life in Central and South America makes you feel comfortable. The main room has a large bar that seats 11 and numerous high-​top tables that seat as few as 2 and as many as 8. The bar surface is made of smokey glass and is underlit with a soft blue light. There’s a good sound system playing soft contemporary music and 4 flat screen TVs tuned mostly to sports channels. In a town more likely to favor small batch bourbon, Poco A Poco’s bar is equipped with no fewer than 25 boutique tequila bottles.
I ordered the corn cake with eggs. It is prepared in the style of a frittata and drizzled with a flavorful sauce. The taste was magnificent. I could barely control how quickly I wanted to devour this dish. The has browns I ordered received the same response from my appetite. Baking potatoes pushed through a ricer were pan-​fried as a single cake in grapeseed oil. Quite delicious! Needless to say, I availed myself of the bottomless mimosa. Might I suggest that you sit at the bar when ordering this beverage? It increases the likelihood of quick refills!
Paco A Paco is a great find. I look forward to trying the dinner menu!

Four of us went to poco o poco last Saturday night for dinner. Our servers was wonderful and we liked sitting on the patio & the atmosphere in general.
Drinks:
We ordered 4 different drinks: white sangria, margarita, guava cooler, and a mojito. Authentic Sangria is made with just barely over-​ripe fruit soaked in brandy, at least overnight. The fruit in these drinks were under-​ripe and crunchy, which totally distracted from the drink and added no flavor. When the manager asked about the drinks, I told him why I was unsatisfied, he confirmed my suspicions about the prep of the drink, but he did not offer to get me something else. I feel it was a missed opportunity to make a customer happy.
The margarita was uninspired. They clearly used a mix. The guava drink was tasty, but watch-​out, if you do not like sweet drinks. The mojito was the best drink of the night for sure. All were $ 8, but they do have a happy hour where all drinks are $ 2 off.
Food:
The table ordered: Cerviche, Chips & Salsa, the veggie cheese option (I forget the name, but it was really good), fish tacos (2 small for $ 12), pazole (a nice amount for soup), and shrimp (5 small shrimp for $ 8.50, but the sauce was nice and spicy!).
This restaurant is supposed to be «tapas style,» however, they do not prep the food in an easy way to share. Also, there were not specialty ingredients to justify the price/​portions. Everything was delicious, but they should reduce their prices. It is mexican food… they are totally ripping people off. Being greedy is going to put them out of business.
I really wanted this place to be great– but it is not a value. It is a place to maybe meet friends for a drink and a snack.
Do not go here if you are hungry and don’t want to spend over at least $ 50 per couple (with drinks).

I love trying new restaurants, so I was excited to try Poco a Poco out this evening with a group of friends. It has a great location, right in Hyde Park Square.
We arrived about 1915 without reservations, and were immediately able to be seated. We started off with the guacamole and chips and salsa. I absolutely loved the guacamole and chips! We then started with the summer salad and charred corn, both of which were big hits. I could actually taste the advertised «asian» influence in the salad. The corn was served in a small cup, and we probably could have used 2 for all of us.
For our main course, my friends got the yucatan chicken and pork. They said they were good, but one friend found a small section of undercooked pork. As a vegetarian (but fish eater), I opted to try the shrimp. I’m not much for spicy foods, and the shrimp were sure spicy! I think I would try something else next time; I felt that the spicy overpowered the taste of the shrimp.
We ordered 5 tapas in addition to chips and guacamole, and that was plenty of food for the 4 of us!
All in all, you can tell this is a new restaurant. One of my friend’s drink orders got mixed up, and then took a bit to get her correct drink. Our server also never exchanged our plates throughout the entire dinner… I’m not sure if that is something they are supposed to do, but it would be a nice idea! I would be willing to try it out again after they have been open a little longer, but I don’t think this will be my first choice for dinner anytime soon.

While I am excited to have a new restaurant in this location and I commend them for scrambling to open for the Blast event … one bit of advice … don’t open before you are ready. First Impressions are everything …
We had horrible service … drinks we ordered before the food, came after we finished our food. Two other tables sat down, ordered food and drinks, received them and paid for them before we received the first round of drinks we ordered. Ceviche was good, chicken was ok. When we finally got our drinks the server admitted that he and the bartender had never heard of one of the drinks (on their specialty cocktail menu), the mojito was mediocre … Sangria was the best thing of the night.
I am giving them the benefit of the doubt, and that they made a bad decision to try to open Early for a Hyde Park event and that in a few weeks when this place opens for real, it will be much better. Then I will come back and change my review, otherwise I give them three to six months and this place will be closed … too many other good choices in the area.