On Sunday afternoon, L and I went to Mikey’s live music event – Sit Back Jam with Tom Philip and Friends. When we walked in, the laidback environment and the music-loving crowd reminded me of King Eddy. For this post, let’s listen to a song I overhead – “Don’t Mess Around with Jim” by Jim Croce.
Service was genuinely friendly, despite how busy the captive audience kept the servers. We sat in the far back of the bar, next to the kitchen. I ordered a Caesar ($6.50), and L got a pint of Mount Crushmore (Banded Peak, $7.99).
I liked my cocktail. The flavour of the Clamato was strong and salty, even after most of my ice melted. I could taste the heat from the spices and the tartness from the pickled bean. I’m picky when it comes to Caesars, and I would order this again. I sensed the bartender gave me a full shot of vodka and undulated at that. Call me paranoid but I get the sense most pubs water down the booze or don’t give you a full shot. Not so at Mikey’s.
For only eleven bucks, you get three tacos. Cheese and guacamole are extra, and unnecessary in my opinion as these babies are jam-packed with flavour. We shared nine tacos: beef brisket, pork pastor, confit pork, Baja fish, panko shrimp, tinga (chicken), and calamari frito.
I enjoyed the stewed meat tacos over the deep-fried fish, shrimp and calamari. In particular, the tinga impressed me. The white chicken meat was tender and flavourful. I loved the addition of the sour cream and warm, chopped tomatoes.
L’s favourite taco was the beef brisket. The beef was saucy. The meat’s saltiness contrasted with the cold, crunchy pickled radish and onions. He liked that each taco was loaded with filling and came with two thin corn tortillas.
The pulled pork was light with a subtle smokiness. The pork pastor tasted like it was grilled. The juicy piece of pineapple was sweet. I thought the kitchen did a great job with the beef, pork and chicken tacos, as each tasted distinctly different from the other.
I noticed all the customers were drinking alcohol, but most weren’t eating. I don’t understand how anyone can come here and not indulge in a street-style taco, especially when enjoying an ice-cold beer. My father always said that music fulfils the soul, so perhaps there’s less of a need to fill the belly.
For dessert, we shared an order of Churros ($5.99). Each churro was warm and fluffy like a doughnut. The texture was cake-like, and it melted in your mouth. The chocolate sauce reminded me of chocolate chip cookies. I would order the churros again.
L and I had a nice time. The musicians were talented and lively, the food was yummy, and the service was warm. I would return and recommend this place to anyone who enjoys live music and cheap tacos. Hitting the Sauce gives Mikey’s two phat thumbs up.
Hitting the Sauce 