Snowmobile trip in the middle of incredibly cold weather. Usual stop at Bleachers Sports Bar for pre-dinner drink warmed the cockles. Then the group of six headed for Habanero's. This was a Saturday night. Parking: ample behind the building, a welcome thing in these small U.P. towns. Greeting: We honestly waited almost 10 minutes to be acknowledged. Perhaps standing well inside the doorway by the window seating confused the hostess? Hmmm. Decor: First reaction: upscale Golden Corral. Blink: oh, it's a Japanese sit-down. Blink: oh, it's an Applebee's. Blink: oh, that's it, an Olive Garden. Whoever designed the space created an absolute chameleon. Oak veneer paneling, pastel colored walls, drop ceiling visible in spots? To say generic is too much, it's been "aesthetically sanitized." Thanks to Rick for that one! Why not accentuate the fact that your are on the first level of a historic sandstone????? Some local touches on the interior perhaps? A la Quincy's.... Waitstaff: Come on, hit us with food & cocktail specials when you arrive tableside--and that shouldn't take 10 minutes. The restaurant was 1/3 full, but it's a kind of maze inside, so the servers can disappear for extended periods. Another 10 minutes for drinks--and not a blended drink amongst our order, all beers & highballs. Food: This is where you get beaten up. A chimichanga that was deep fried to infinity. Two seafood enchilada-type plates that honestly tasted like the Velveeta cheese and diced green chile tomatoes had been waved over a pot of imitation crab leg. Chile Colorado--and yes, this group works in L.A. so we know what it is--fooled two more patrons. The piquant green gravy over slow roasted pork....no. Dried pork and a nebulous gray sauce arrived lukewarm on the starch. The last entree was fajita plate, that was acceptable. Three stars because after 25 years of snowmobiling through the Keweenaw, there are fewer and fewer restaurants to choose from. Can't afford for another to close. Perhaps that's why the presentation and delivery are so lukewarm?

Food was warm, not hot. My salad was completely tasteless. The service was slow, 20 minutes to get our order, our waiter was too busy with an 8-top (table of 8 people)--- there were only 8 people in the whole restaurant at 2pm! He wasn't prepared with pens for checks and there was no communication between staff. The decor was pleasing and the place has a great potential.

Now that the restaurant has been open a few months I have had several opportunities to eat there and try different foods. Most of the food really reminds me of trips I've taken to Mexico which is exactly what I had hoped for. Here are what myself and my boyfriend have tried: Various Quesadillas - I really like the cheese they use, and they are ENORMOUS. Fresh Guacamole - They make it right at the table and it's delicious. Korean Tacos - Not authentic, definitely fusion, but good. Chorizo y Papas Burrito - (Chorizo=Mexican sausage, in this case they make it there. Papas - French Fries) Not too spicy, tasty, leftovers get a little oily from the sausage, but still taste good. Carnitas (pulled pork) Tacos - Juicy, yum. So far I've had good experiences with the wait staff, and food has come out a bit faster each time.

Friendly staff, good food, good prices.

Yum! Been to mexico a bunch of times and this is as close as you'll get to tasting those flavors, even though you're way up in the U.P.!