5 /5 Gabriela Ortega Valdez: REDEMPTION! I started coming to this Crave years ago when I was a bartender on Cinci. My favorite thing to do was get a shaved prime rib and a cappuccino made by Buddy and would be ready for my shift. Fast forward and not being on the block meant that we would go to the other Crave’s throughout the city and consistently left unimpressed and disappointed. It always seemed that the food was mediocre and never lived up to the hype and the price. Well after a UTEP graduation my nostalgia got the best of me and we decided to give Crave another go, hoping that the OG location would be able to pull us back in, and boy did it. Melanie was an amazing and attentive server and the kitchen absolutely KILLED IT! My prime rib was finally what I remembered from all those years ago and, for the first time in a long time, felt like it was worth the $18 price tag. The chile bomber burger my wife got was perfectly cooked, juicy and with complex flavors and textures, a stark contrast to the dry “meh” burgers we had been getting at other locations. Shoutout to Gary, his food was spectacular, his skill will bring me back to this location again, he is that good, and he has single handedly made me a fan of this restaurant again. Octavio get this guy to train your other kitchens, they need his skill.
Ps. Bring back the espresso machine. Kern residents and college kids are the perfect clientele for it.
-Val