Pip: Girls Night Review — where the margaritas are rated, the servers are named, and the family shows up every Monday like clockwork.
Mara: That's the spirit of it, really. Juli Loftin has been documenting these weekly outings in detail — tacos in the Haymarket, a historic pizza spot, and a sprawling catch-up log covering months of American bars and happy hours. Let's start with the taco cantina that nearly melted someone's face off.
Taco Spots And Mexican Bites
Mara: Tipsy Tina's Taco Cantina sits at 8th and Q in the Haymarket — a hidden gem, chosen for a birthday, and the kind of place where the food earns a perfect score even when the service doesn't.
Pip: The Pollo Asada apparently came with consequences. The post puts it plainly: "The heat made my face turn red, especially my ears, and I was sweating profusely, but I was determined to enjoy every bite."
Mara: That determination paid off. Food and drinks both landed at 5/5. Service pulled the overall down to 4/5 — the server was hard to find early on, and a large party arriving later stretched the staff thin.
Pip: Spicy food, slow service, still worth it. That's a ringing endorsement delivered through visible suffering.
Mara: The ratings back it up. Next up — a much longer paper trail of spots, from a historic pizza parlor to a string of American bars.
Casual American And Pizza Stops
Pip: This segment is about the breadth of the project — not one night out, but months of them, documented across neighborhood bars, a Thanksgiving-week pizza institution, and a craft beer spot that reunited the whole group.
Mara: The Isles in Havelock sets the tone. It's a historic spot, and the centerpiece order is described this way: "We ordered the infamous Leaning Tower of Inferno, which includes: a medium-to-thin crust baked golden brown, hamburger, pepperoni, pepperoncini, and onion."
Pip: Spicy jalapeños and cream cheese baked on top — and again, eaten anyway. There is a pattern here.
Mara: The Isles earned a clean 5/5 across every category. The visit landed during Thanksgiving week, with the group catching up on holiday plans while the dining room buzzed around them. It's the kind of place the post calls one they'll definitely visit again.
Pip: Hop Cat in the Haymarket has a similarly warm write-up — mom Jan had just returned from Arizona, and the post makes clear these Monday nights aren't casual. The line is that Jan said from the beginning, "these Mondays are priority."
Mara: Hop Cat scored a 5/5 overall despite two 4/5 subcategories, with food and service rated a hard 5. The Loaded Cosmic Fries and crispy Brussels sprouts got particular praise.
Pip: Then there's the catch-up post — a rapid-fire log of outings from December through April. Granite City, Grata, Green Gatau, Carmella's, Bison Witches, Led Belly, and more, each with full ratings.
Mara: Standouts include Green Gatau at 10th and L, called "definitely one of our favorites," and Bison Witches at 13th and P, which swept every category at 5/5. Grata at 70th and A was the low point — a 3/5 overall with a note that they probably won't return.
Pip: Across that whole run, the beverages almost never drop below a 4. Whatever else varies, the drinks hold.
Mara: Service is the swing factor — sluggish at some stops, exceptional at others, and occasionally the only thing separating a good night from a great one.
Pip: Spice tolerance, service gaps, and showing up every Monday — that's the through line.
Mara: The food almost always wins. More spots to cover next time.
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