Q: negative

A: I've driven by this place many times and my husband and I finally decided to give it a shot. From the outside, it looks like you would get a classic "Mexican Food" experience. We had high hopes. OMG, were we completely wrong! While Las Vegas doesn't have many great Mexican restaurants, this place was definitely bottom of the barrel. One star is being generous and that star is only due to the waitstaff who were friendly and attentive. The food, however, is another story entirely. The chips were fine but that's not saying much since it really takes a concerted effort to screw up something as simple as a tortilla chip. I find that the quality of a Mexican restaurant can almost always be immediately determined by the quality of the salsa. I was optimistic when our chips were served with not one, but TWO different tyes of salsa. Sadly, my hopes quickly turned to profound disappointment. One "salsa" tasted like the blandest, generic jar of salsa one can find in the grocery store. The other can only be described as glorified enchilada sauce. Seriously, who eats enchilada sauce with their tortilla chips? Our entrees were an even bigger disappointment. My husband and I both ordered salads from the lunch special menu. I ordered the BBQ Chicken Chipotle chopped salad and was stunned when an industrial sized cauldron of "food" was placed in front of me. My $10 salad consisted of a few small strips of over-salted chicken with barbecue sauce atop a pile of lettuce cut into chunks big enough to choke a cow. I did occasionally see evidence of tomatoes, beans, corn and a few other ingredients that were listed on the menu description. However, these other ingredients were so difficult to locate amongst the ridiculous amount of lettuce that I would have probably had better luck trying to find a leprechaun or unicorn. My husband's salad was Macayo's version of a tostada salad with chicken. Once again, a ridiculous amount of iceberg lettuce mix from a bag, at most a Tablespoon of canned pinto beans at the bottom, and the same bland, over-salted chicken breast that I received. We both ordered our food with no cheese but were shocked by how little else was served. If I had to summarize both of our meals in one word, it would be BLAND. Using fresh, high quality ingredients and made to order menu items prepared by a chef who cares is the key to great food. Why is this most basic concept lost on this restaurant? Macayo's has a lot of potential in terms of location, ambience and friendly staff. If they find a way to improve the quality of their food, there is no doubt that their business success would increase exponentially.

Q: positive

A: I was pleasantly surprised by this neighborhood zoo. You can tell they are trying to update the animal homes. The zoo has a nice, simple vibe. It is a free place to take your family for a couple hours on a summer day. This place will not take more than a few hours to go through. You can take food in or check out some of the stands. I did not eat there, so I can not attest to any type of food they have. I am excited to see what the new Bear Home will be. I noticed that many people are worried about the size of the animal homes. I understand this can be a little sad but they are a free zoo. It is unfortunate. They have fundraising events and donation boxes all around. They have an annual 5K to raise money as well. The parking situation is terrible. There are so few spots and the side streets are packed bumper to bumper. I can not wait to go back and check out the new bear exhibit. I also like the idea that the zoo was founded by the Vilas family and it will always be free.

Q: negative

A: I had a gift card so I took the family out for dinner. The boys liked it (ages 14 &17) but for those of us who are looking for quality over quantity... not so great. Started with waitress asking for our drink order. I told her I wasn't sure about wine but really needed water. She brought two lovely glasses of ice water for the boys, but none for the adults. Asked me again about wine and I said I really just wanted some water, and she said they were all out of glasses. She finally poured some into the little glasses they use for wine. No ice. We drained the bottle they put at the table and never saw another one. Ordered the house wine and it was undrinkable. Food was all overly salted (and we had no water!). I had Pasta Rustica, which is supposed to have prosciutto. Instead, there were these thick strips of some kind of ham. Prosciutto is typically sliced very thin. Weird. Also, we ordered salad and got the food first. The server blamed the waitress, who said they were all out of bowls. Maybe they should order some more dishes and glasses! Finally, desert sounded good but was dried out chocolate cake. They serve it with whipped cream and chocolate sauce, probably because the cake is so dry. Glad I didn't pay for this meal with my own dollars.

Q: positive

A:
Came at prime time on Friday night. Was a bit of a wait, but not excessive. The king crab appetizer was enough to serve as an entree. It came with microgreens and summer squash, and was worth the $19 price tag. We also had a side of steamed tricolor cauliflower with ponzu sauce-worth the 3 bucks, but so much more could have been done with this. The roasted corn and poblano soup was outstanding. Try the fruit pie and gelato for dessert. I will probably try short ribs next time I come. Jody, our server was top notch. "Howie Burger" with the gruyere cheese and caramelized onions was good combination per friend's report. Aside from the burger, all the items we ordered were from the small featured menu, which generally features local seasonal ingredients. It's noisy inside, so pick somewhere else if you want an intimate romantic dinner. There is a back patio if outside dining is a realistic option.