Midtown Lunch

Two weeks ago, Dream Mexican Grill opened on Walnut Street where the San Samosa Indian buffet had reigned for at least as long as I’ve been in Philly. Not much has been done  with the interior so far and the outdoor seating won’t be useful for many months. Dream is open daily for lunch and dinner with a Mexican and Caribbean menu. For lunch, you can order a la carte or choose 3  (an entree plus two out of the soup, salad, dessert choices) for $9.99

From the a la carte- a tomato based ceviche ($10) that was not as citrusy as I prefer in a ceviche.

But, the caldo tlalpeno, a smokey and spicy chicken soup, was a nice start to my “pick 3”. The other options for soup are a seafood chowder, chicken tortilla, or black bean.

Salad is either “tropical” or a Caeser. The tropical salad comes with mixed greens, avocado, cheese, tomato, and pineapple. The pineapple and big pieces of tomato, with the too sweet dressing didn’t fully work for me.

Their shredded beef sope was my entree pick. The chaotic mess of the refried beans, roasted peppers, cheeses, avocado and shredded beef had enough of flavor to satisfy me despite the fact that the tortilla underneath became inedibly soggy.

Service needs some shaping up; though our waiter was nice, he originally brought me the wrong salad and then calculated the tax in our bill incorrectly. Dream Mexican Grill was not a dream come true, but has potential. City dwellers could certainly do worse when seeking a convenient and affordable BYOB.

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• 3 for $10 is a good value
• Smokey chicken soup is great for the cooler months

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• Spotty service
• Dishes need tweaking- see, soggy tortilla, overly sweet dressing

dream Mexican Grill, 1214 Walnut Ave (@ 13th St), 215 545 2009