Sirena Taco Joint & Bar

Sirena Taco Joint & Bar

If you dont need to eat gluten free, you definately need to try this place.  However, if you do need to eat gluten free, Remember to double check your stuff!

The first thing I ordered was a sauvignon blanc.  When the waitress returned she handed me a glass of red wine.  I said, "Is this a Sauvignon blanc?" because I thought maybe there was a red variety I didn't know existed, but no she looked at it and headed back to the bar.  She returned shortly with a nice dry Sauvignon blanc.  

Mexican restaurants are usually not on my list of approved places to eat because I can't have gluten or bell peppers, but since this place is more like a Mexican fusion restaurant and I was told they could make most things gluten free, I decided to give it a try.

I looked over the menu and immediately zeroed in on the soft shell crab taco.  This was right up my alley as soft shell crab is one of my favorites.  I asked the waitress to check with the kitchen if they could do it gluten free.  She returned and said they could not make it because it went through the fryer.

I definitely don't want something that goes through the fryer with all the other gluteny stuff because it would no longer be gluten free.  If they really wanted to accommodate a gluten free diner, they would just saute it in a pan like most places would for me.  As long as they don't bread it, sauteing things that would normally go through the fryer is a wonderful option.  In fact, I like the soft shell crab taco idea so much, I think I'll go home and make one myself, since I couldn't get one here!

I asked the waitress for some suggestions and she offered about six different tacos that she said could be made gluten free. One of which was the BBQ shrimp taco without the BBQ sauce.

I like grilled shrimp enough to get a grilled shrimp taco.  I asked about the sweet potato fries.  She said she'd check with them on the fries and they would omit them if they was a gluten problem.

My open faced shrimp tacos arrived.  They looked awesome.  The presentation was nice.  My companions saw the sweet potato fries and mentioned that they looked like they went through the fryer.  I agreed, and before I took a bite, I asked the waitress to check to see if they went through the fryer.  She returned and cheerfully asked me to hand her my plate. 

She said she would have them remake the entire thing & not just pick the fries off.  I would sure hope so.  If they didn't, I'd still get sick just from cross contamination contact.  Not only that, they were mixed in so well, they might not get them all.

My second set of tacos arrived.  These ones were much more plain.  Only grilled shrimp, cilantro, and a small drizzle of guacamole.  You would think if they were eliminating so many things from the taco, they would add more of the things I can have, or at least not skimp on the guacamole.  At this point, I've taken apart the taco so much, that it's not really worth paying $12 for it.  If I could have it the way the chef intended, I truly believe it would be worth the price. 

I think I might have to give this place another try in order to really review it well because this taco was a completely different taco than the chef intended after I requested that it suit my dietary restrictions.  I get the feeling that there is very little on the menu that a gluten free diner can have without modifying it.  I know there is nothing on the menu I can have without modifying it. 

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