Xochitl

This is one of my all time favorite restaurants! Everything you order is mouth watering! Check it out you won’t be disappointed.

This was our 2^nd visit to Xochitl. The first was in 2015 for a fixed price tequila event (a different tequila was served with each course). We were extremely happy with our meal, so we decided to go there for the first Restaurant Week of 2016. The server, Kate, was excellent. She knew about all of the food and drinks on the menu, and she made recommendations to our table and other tables; she also checked with us frequently and made sure our water glasses were always filled. [NOTE: Since it is Restaurant Week there is a special menu, so don’t expect the full menu.] We thought the food was only so-​so this time. The guacamole, as others have reported, is made to order (a card is placed on the table and you select how you want it made). It is always the first course (whether or not it is Restaurant Week). We would have preferred to have seen it made table-​side, but it was good.
The next 3 courses were not very memorable. My Caesar Asada was supposed to have grilled romaine, but it wasn’t grilled, and the dressing was a little off. My husband had Taquitos, which he said was fine but not anything to write home about. For the main course I had the shrimp. There were only 4 medium sized shrimp on the plate, and the menu said they would be adobo seared. Instead the adobo was smeared on the plate. I also think the shrimp was a bit under done. There was a salad that was listed as an avocado salad, but it was more of a cilantro salad. There was way too much cilantro, but there were 2 what they called fried sweet plantain cakes that were good. My husband ordered the filet, and he noted that it was cooked really well, but the steak should not have been served over the rice because the red sauce complimented the steak but the crema did not. He said he thought it was a clumsy presentation, but he would order it again, now that he knows how to put it together.
One other comment: we thought there should have been more spacing between the courses. We were in and out in less than an hour, and the restaurant was not all that busy. It wasn’t like they needed our table.
Will we go back? Yes. We will give it another try.

We went last Sunday. They answered all my questions about GF, even checking with the chef on one dish [alas, it had flour in it, as I thought: mole]. The ceviche staring with C was good as were the margaritas. They have mostly corn tacos, but check for the use of flour tortilla occasionally. My chicken tacos were very good.
And NO gluten reaction! YAY!
One point off for low lighting.

The food was exceptional; but, we our entire visit was 2 ½ hours long.
It was Monday, December 28^th, 2015 and we had a reservation for 7 people at 6:45pm.
The place was packed, which made us very excited to be there; it looked like people were really enjoying themselves! So, we were very optimistic.
We were seated, immediately. But, we noticed something almost immediately; there was only 1 – 2 servers AND they had continuous drinks to refill and grab from the bar.
The manager was running drinks and food, too.
We ordered drinks with appetizers after about 20 minutes of waiting. We didn’t receive out appetizers for an additional 25 minutes (so we are about 45 minutes, now).
During our wait for the drinks and appetizers, we did manage to order our food.
We finally received our dinner orders at 8:00 PM (almost 2 whole hours of being there). At this point, most of our party had 2 – 3 drinks in them from the bar.
We all at very quickly because we waited so long and were hungry.
But, we still had to wait for the final bill. This took another 30 minutes.
Again, exceptional food (seriously), but the service was a 1 out of 5.

The best Mexican in the city, hands down.
A little pricey but great happy hour specials.
My favorite part is the guacamole, which you get to customize by selecting what you want added from a checklist.
The staff is friendly too and very knowledge of the lengthy tequila list.

Xochitl has been on my list of places to try for quite some time. A Groupon and a special occasion finally led me to dinner there recently.
I don’t like to give 5 star reviews after just one visit, however I honestly can’t think of a reason not to. The food was fabulous as was the service, drinks and atmosphere. There’s no reason they don’t deserve this 5.
My husband and I arrived a little before our reservation to check out happy hour. We sat at the bar and were able to enjoy a few of their delicious margaritas. They don’t use mixes and you can taste the fresh squeezed lime. They were strong, but you couldn’t tell.
So we got the Groupon deal that others have mentioned. It includes a shared guacamole, shared flatbread, choice of two entrees and shared dessert. They were so very kind as to let us do a little menu modification. Rather than the shared flatbread, we opted for our own guacamoles, which excited me since I could try it with ingredients my husband doesn’t like.
Wait, ingredients in guacamole? Yep, you get to customize it. I opted for Spanish onion, raw garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, crab and goat cheese. It was heavenly! It was so creamy, and it had the perfect balance between tasting the individual ingredients and being well blended. The chips were light and crispy with a nice amount of saltiness.
For our entrees, my husband and I decided to share the braised short rib and Pollo Fritto. I’m honestly not fan of ordering chicken out, but the Unilocal reviews swayed us in the direction of the Pollo Fritto. Do yourself a flavor and get it. It was lightly fried chicken was very packed with flavor. The skin and meat were delectable. The short rib was also top notch and I would have been raving more about it, if the Pollo Fritto wasn’t so darn good. Amazing, amazing, amazing. The sides were delicious as well.
The meal came with a chocolate sponge cake soaked in triple chocolate cream with whipped cream and coco power. It was plated with a big «X» for Xochtil on it. Not only was the dessert good, but I enjoyed the presentation. A chocolate sponge cake could have looked so boring.
The Groupon also comes with a wine pairing for each course except dessert. With the exception of the main course, you didn’t get an option. For the main course you could choose between a Malbec or a Chardonnay. The wines were enjoyable and on point with each course.
As I mentioned earlier, we also had top notch service. Our server was attentive, friendly, funny but not the least bit intrusive.
Pro tip: you are allowed to buy this Groupon every 90 days.
Groupon or not, we will be back. Despite taking so long to actually try it in the first place, Xochtil has quickly found a place on my favorites list.

Great experience! I highly recommend this restaurant. I love the ambiance (candles on each table), great service, awesome manager, excellent food, nice menu, and a ¹⁰⁄₁₀ if you ask me!

Our go to restaurant in town.
Amazing guacamole and best Margarita in Philly (esp if Kate makes it!). Xochitl salad is divine.

Came here with three friends using a Groupon. The Groupon was for four courses (guacamole, appetizer, entry and dessert) with paired wines. Everything we had was so delicious! We were even able to customize our guacamole which was awesome. We each had a different entrée and we all loved what we ordered. Two of us also had margaritas which were incredible. Highly recommend this place and cannot wait to go back, it’s a hidden gem for sure!

Went here on a weekday evening when my brother and his girlfriend decided to make the trek to Philly for dinner with me and my fiancé. They rarely visit so picking an awesome restaurant– a task assigned to me as the Philly resident– was very important.
Xochitl did not disappoint. The vibe is understated Old City– totes relaxing, trendy but traditional, doesn’t take itself too seriously but your server knows everything about the menu and food and drink is masterfully executed.
The guacamole was fantastic (if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t even bother to post a review…) which is a basic requirement for Mexican restaurants. Check.
Since we were feeling poor that night, my fiancé and I went with tacos rather than a full-​on entrée. Fish tacos-​can you make them spicy? Um, yeah. Melt in your mouth. Spicy brisket tacos– also very tasty. There were no leftovers. Our server and bartender colluded to prepare a dessert drink for us, a little shot of tiramisu liqueur goodness. And it was perfect.
I still can’t say the name of this place correctly but I will definitely be back and I would recommend it to others. Mexican food done right is such a treat, and so nice to find in a fun place that has cool staff who can really deliver for a semi special occasion.
When I go back. I am looking forward to trying one of the ceviches…

Have been here a few times now and am firmly rooted in my decision to give Xochitl 5 stars.
We dined here last night with a Gilt City voucher for 4 courses and wine pairings for each.
The first course was the make-​your-​own-​guac, which never dissapoints. Second course was the mushroom flatbread which tasted a lot like a pizza, so obviously I loved it. For the main courses we chose the pollo frito and the braised short rib. The pollo frito was some of the best fried chicken I’ve had and came drizzled with some heavenly BBQ-​like sauce. The accompanying creamed spinach even impressed my non-​spinach-​loving dining partner. My short rib was tender, flavorful, and paired perfectly with the rice and veggies it came with. Finally, dessert was a sensual experience for me. Some sort of chocolate cake with whipped cream and a fancy drizzle and a chocolate powdered X. Wine courses were all on point but let’s just say I’ve never really met a wine that I didn’t like.
Also– we were pretty much the only two people in the restaurant while we ate, so our server let us get two happy hour priced margs at our table, even though the specials usually only apply to those sitting at the bar.

Man do they know good mexican. I would highly recommend the Short rib tamale. It was insanely flavorful and I wish I hadn’t filled up on cerviche and guac before it came out, but those were excellent too so no harm no foul.
Love how they do the checklist for the guac. Getting to try guac with chipotle and oaxaca cheese was a whole new experience of guac and I loved every second of it. The cerviche was also very tasty. Think the crab one was a bit more flavorful than the other ones but they were both enjoyable. Presentation was pretty, margaritas plentiful, service lovely. This place wins in my book.

The guacamole was pretty good, it made it more satisfying to create your own guacamole recipe and the chips that came with it were good too.
I ordered the Tacos al a Pastor and was sorely disappointed. The meat was dry and lacked flavor, and when I asked for salsa to add to the tacos they gave me sliced onions and pineapple (the pineapple was bland too.) My wife order the brisket tacos, which had more flavor than the al Pastor, but still left me wanting more.
I guess Xochitl tries to specialize in drinks/​margaritas, because their food just didn’t do it.

Xochitl is awesome!
First of all, they have the BEST guacamole! I am obsessed with it! I usually go for the Guacamole 9 where you can make your own with selections available on a checklist. One thing I always make sure I get in my guac is crab. Its an amazing, flavorful and rich addition that you have to try! Then I usually get cheese, cilantro, tomatoes and several other small additions! I try to vary this combo every time I come, but I always get the crab!
Usually when I come here, I come with a friend or two and we share a few dishes. The Pollos Frito, Braised Short Rib, Chipotle Back Bay Ribs, and Vegetable Enchiladas are among the staples that we usually order.
I also really enjoy the Short Rib Tamale, Mushroom Tamale, and Fried Plantains.
The spicy brisket Tacos and the Fish taco are certainly worth a try as well!
I also enjoy doing the tequila flights. Often if I am just with one other person, we will order one flight and share the sots because they are pretty big! I am not super knowledgeable about tequila, but the staff certainly knows what they are talking about when they explain what everything is.
Portions are an okay size. Not too small, but not large either. They are also a bit overpriced.
Their food holds quality for takeout as well!
Definitely a place to check out when you are in the area!

A good concept but lacking in quality tequila selections. Way too much promotion/​support from Patron, and Patron branded drinks on the menu.
Corralejo and Kah are nice menu options, but seriously lacking in better tequila options. There are several other bars in Philly to go to first if you’re looking to sample flights or try something new.
The «paloma» uses two Patron products (silver and citronage) and Jurritos Grapefruit soda, yet a real paloma uses a Reposado only and Squirt soda… theirs is a poor interpretation (and sad considering real Mexican Squirt is available all over south Philly).
The spicy brisket taco is lacking in spice and flavor, And I was expecting 2 shells per taco, not just one. Each taco shell split open half way through eating. Chef is obviously not mexican and has never spent anytime in mexico…
The order your own guacomole is a nice touch, but Tequilas executes it so much better. Chunks of jalapeño were too big and the tuna we added was mixed in instead of just laid ontop as one would expect.
Overall, friendly but uneducated staff and mediocre food, its a great addition to the tourist stops on South Street, but any true Tequila affecianado will take one look at the menu and head strait to No Libs for a real tequila bar
The Amarilla was way too heavy on the lemon and
the El Sol was too sweet.
The bartender was very friendly and nice, but not at all knowledgeable on tequila.
Overall environment was a bit small and crowded and the music was all over the place and made no sense, at one point we were listening to Frankie Avalon!

Cinco De Mayo!
Any excuse to eat Mexican and enjoy Sangria +/​-​Cerveza is good to me!
I wanted to try someplace new and came across Xochitl. I was SOLD when I saw that they have tamales (klinda hard to come across).
Made a reservation for two using the open table app.
The place is a bit cramped and there is a downstairs seating area (though I didn’t see it).
We were greeted and seated rapidly however it did take a bit of time for a server to come over and take even out drink orders.
I started with the Sangria which was made with tequila. When I make Sangria it is usually qith gin or triple sec but this was a nice change. It was fruity and refreshing. I went to the cervesa afterwards because I love to try new beers and they had a good selection of Mexican beer that I hadn’t tried before.
I believe you MUST have the guacamole when coming here. There is a small card on the table (see pic) and you check off teh things you would like to be mixed into the guac. So though it is not prepared table side they make it to your liking.
Appetizer: shared the tuna cerviche. This was a play on the typical cerviche I have had as well. It was served with thin slices of tuna and seasoned with chunks of onions, tomatoes etc. It was ok.
Entrée’s: Fish tacos and mushroom tamale – both were just ok
There is a bathroom nestled in the corner behind the bar. This is directly across from the kitchen entrance. There is literally no room between the bathroom door and the entrance and I was smacked with the kitchen door. I was a little shocked and the girl who came out of the kitchen did not even apologize!
Overall, I think I would prefer to try another Mexican place or visit one that I have enjoyed more in the past.

I was in a tequila mood a few weeks ago and picked up one of the pairing Groupons for Xochitl. I was nearly scared off by the hit or miss reviews, as it appears most people either love or hate this place.
I’m firmly in the love category, because this was one of the better dining experiences we’ve had in a while. Upon arriving, we were seated at the best table in the house: the little two-​top in front of the curved window, which I though was charming. Our server was spot-​on, attentive, and friendly all night, and she even let us swap out margaritas for the straight tequila flights. Call me whatever you like, but I can’t stand warm tequila shots (my stomach churns just writing the words). They were overly accommodating and that always elevates a nice dinner, particularly when it involves some tasty margaritas.
The «build your own guacamole» is a great, fun idea to start off any meal, and theirs is one of the best. The habanero option is the spiciest, but I found it to be just the right amount of heat on the back end. The mushroom torta/​pizza second course was also very good, and it appears that they took the criticism in other reviews into consideration. There was no massive, sloppy salad on top of ours. Instead, it was a perfect sprinkling of micro greens.
For our mains, we chose the braised short rib and red snapper on the recommendation of our server. It was a great choice, because they were both excellent. I might have to agree with some other Unilocalers who have complained about lack of spice and salt. Both dishes were borderline bland for Mexican cuisine, but the proteins were cooked perfectly and enough flavor came through.
The dessert was a wonderful way to finish this meal. The chocolate tres leche cake was light, flavorful and perfectly plated. It was just the right size to share after a filling meal. I might normally opt for four stars, but the service bumps this one up a star.

We went to Xochitl with a living social voucher that provided us a choice of 4 courses each. i was pretty disappoint to find out soon after we arrived that our guacamole would not be made tableside like it is in the rest of the restaurant. That was a major disappointment because that is definitely a draw to any restaurant. We did get to customize our guac which is really a neat thing to do, especially with the tons of options they offered. Im a purist so we went simply with onions, tomato, cilantro, jalapeño and cotija cheese. Decent guac, but nothing really memorable.
Our drinks werent really very good either. My margarita was pretty flavorless. My fiances drink was ok, but again nothing worth noting.
Next course offered us a choice of huarache de hongos, ahi tuna ceviche or a salad. We went with the huarache de hongos and the ahi tuna salad, but by the looks of the plates, it looked like we got the salads on top of both of them. The huarache de honogos was a mushroom flatbread topped with seared wild mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and manchego and cotija cheese. what they didnt tell us in the description was that there was a mini salad on top of flatbread that covered the entire thing so you couldnt see anything underneath of it. It was far too much, and it really took flavor away from the flatbread. If I wanted to eat a salad, I would have ordered a salad. I really couldnt believe they did the same exact thing with the ceviche. The ceviche itself really wasnt very good, as it tasted more like tuna in tomato sauce with little no no heat and terrible texture, so manye that is why they layered the salad on top. It had no business being there, especially in that amount.
Luckily the mains faired a bit better. I ordered the shrimp chile nogada, why it wasnt all in spanish is beyond me, but it was fairly tasty. I love stuffed poblano peppers in all forms, and this was pretty good, even though the shrimp was kind of lost. If you had told me it was just filled with cheese, I never would have known the difference. My fiances camarones con caldo wasnt nearly as good. The shrimp were pretty good, but the sauce was very sweet and really didnt pack enough flavor. The avocado salad was nice.
Dessert was the best part of the meal for us. WHile we dont usually like tres leches cakes, this particular version of a chocolate tres leches cake was actually very good. It was creamy and rich and delicious. The vanilla flan was however the star. It was cheesy and bursting with vanilla flavor. It had a really nice caramel sauce served with it too.
I really wish I could have tried this place when Michael Solomonov still owned it. I can imagine how exponentially better it would have been. Ill stick to my other Mexican favorites. This one missed the mark for me.

Had been wanting to try this place and after a conversation at a NYE party with someone who raved about it, we decided to give it a go. Sadly, it didn’t live up to the hype.
First impression was good. The place was welcoming and had good ambiance. We were seated quickly and the hostess was friendly. Few minutes later hostess comes back as our waitress. I noticed some cocktails were $ 9 and some were $ 24. To me that either means some are sharable fishbowls or some are top shelf. I asked the waitress what sizes the cocktails come in and she just stared at me. So I clarified, asking in terms of ounces. More awkward staring and she finally said she didn’t know. Ok. No offer to walk 10 feet over to the bar and find out. Cool. I guess I’ll be surprised when I order this Margarita… Got the perfect margarita and boyfriend got some pineapple thing. Mine was strong but not great. I wasn’t a fan of his, but whatever. Not my drink.
We got the build your own guac and the red snapper ceviche as starters. The guac was perfect. Seriously great. That’s about it. The ceviche was plated well and visually appealing, but that’s it. I took one bite and said «nope». Boyfriend finished it because he was starving but didn’t love it. It was a bit overpriced, and tasted more like a seafood salad than a ceviche. It really missed the light fresh flavors that are meant to come with citrus and onion and just felt heavy and overly fishy. Not how I prefer ceviche, which is something we eat once every few weeks. (I will point out that we didn’t complain and it was gone when she collected the plates, so she likely had no idea we weren’t satisfied and if you don’t speak up, they can’t fix it, so that’s on us)
I was going to order the fish tacos but learned they were out. Was thinking about the lamb but they were out of that too. After that I felt pressured to order so I just got a salad thinking it would be pretty hard to screw up. Wrong again. It looked like it would have been great if it had a different dressing and base. The toppings (tomato, radish) were fresh and looked good but the spinach/​lettuce was a bowl of wilted soggy slop. I really wasn’t a fan of the dressing; probably should have gotten it on the side. Tried my boyfriends’ spicy tacos. Got no spice (and I’m a weenie when it comes to spices usually). Ordered a different cocktail, something with jalepeno. It was just ok. Not bad but not great.
I felt like there was a lot of time where we were just sitting & waiting for her to come back. They weren’t terribly busy but I think she was the only server; didn’t see anyone else. At nearly $ 100 for 2 of us I don’t think we’ll be back.

There are a lot of places I visit that I can only describe as a place that «I wouldn’t complain if people we are dining with want to eat there, but I wouldn’t recommend it to other people». Xochitl fits in that bucket perfectly.
I liked the atmosphere of this place and I like having a slightly classier place to hang out in Headhouse Sq. The drinks were good (although I felt the margarita to ice ratio was a bit off for the price… but maybe I was just drinking too quickly) and the food was tasty. But the price was just a bit too high. Now I know that people would choose Xochitl over one of the Italian Market tacquerias due to nicer presentation, nicer atmosphere, and (slightly) better quality. But for $ 14 for three tacos, I just expected more. I will say that the «make your own guacamole» is a cool idea, and we tried some carnitas taquitos that were super delicious.
So to sum it up, I wouldn’t go out of my way to come back here (unless the prices are dropped), but I did enjoy my meal and had a nice time at this establishment. I’d maybe check it out again for their happy hour specials.