Media loved Comida. The Observer wrote a nice story on Comida. The Charlotte Business Journal wrote a nice story on Comida. The Agenda wrote a nice story on Comida.
Yelp, not so nice.
There are now 36 reviews on Yelp, and Comida has a 2.6 rating out of 5. That’s not good. For example, fellow new arrival Kid Cashew has a 4.0 rating out of 5.
I’m not a hardcore Yelp user, but Yelp is a very useful service for diners and has tremendous power over restaurants. Yelp ratings matter.
The major complaints on Comida boil down to two main issues.
(1) Price. People think Comida is too expensive.
(2) Tacos. People think the tacos at Comida are too small and taste bland.
On the positive side, people consistently compliment Comida’s atmosphere, cocktail program and chewy chips.
Are Yelpers right? Yes and no.
Over the course of two trips to Comida (neither as part of a media event), we’ve paid for and tested $300 worth of food, consumed multiple adult beverages and ordered all of the tacos. Here are the answers…
Is Comida expensive? Yes, especially compared to other neighborhood dining options like Three Amigos and Sabor.
Are Comida’s tacos small? Yes. Each of these tacos are $3 to $5.
Do Comida’s tacos taste bland? Yes, especially when you compared to the fellow neighborhood restaurant Soul Gastrolounge’s Pork Belly Tacos.
But, nobody says to their friends, “Let’s go to Comida for the tacos and cheap eats!”
You go to Comida for the experience.
Everything about the restaurant is different. The warm, chewy thick chips are different (and delicious). The modern design is different (and beautiful). The cocktail program is different (and the bartenders are excellent).
A friend said it well: “Comida is the type of place you go for date night to mix it up; it’s not the type of place you go to stuff your face with Mexican food.”
Comida is playing in the Good Food space, not the Three Amigos space – and despite what the internet says, Comida is winning, at least for now.
