Birthday Dinner in East Cooper

Last night, Christine and I celebrated my Birthday Dinner. In our house, the birthday person selects the restaurant for their birthday dinner; no holds barred. The past two years, I selected Robert’s and S.N.O.B. They were good choices. We had great meals and the service was extraordinary at both places. This year, I really did not want to deal with parking and traffic issues of downtown Charleston. As cities go, Chucktown is the best; however, we have great restaurants here in Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms, and Sullivan's Island that we have yet to try.

I had been wanting to try Uno Mas since it opened, two years ago. Uno Mas is one of Sal Parco’s restaurants. The rest of them are: three Mustard Seed locations, two Boulevard Diners, Sette, Long Point Grill, and Village Bakery. Of the nine, six of them are in Mount Pleasant. Lest one think this is a commercial for Sal’s places, I will let you know that Christine and I tried the Village Bakery for a couple of pastries last Saturday and we were very disappointed. The cinnamon bun was more like a biscuit and the Morning Glory Muffin was so disappointing that my wife ate less than half of it. That said, we are a bit pickier than most. My wife is an aspiring pastry chef and makes excellent cinnamon rolls and cakes at home. She made my ice cream cake for my birthday last night.

Ice Cream Cake Christine made for Bill. Vanilla, chocolate,
and chocolate chip mint ice cream, on a Grasshopper crust;
surrounded by ice cream sandwich sections and topped
with whipped cream and Grasshoppers.

Christine had the Chicken and Spinach Quesadilla. It is not on the online menu; but is on the menu in the restaurant. She really liked it and looks forward to having the second half for lunch today. The quesadilla was large and included pico de gallo and a small salad.

I had Shrimp Fajitas, also not on the online menu. Fajitas are always fun for me. They are tasty and the fact that I have to make them up slows me down a little. The shrimp (about 9 – 12) came on a sizzling bed of peppers, onions, and tomato slices that were all sauteed. The sounds and smell of a fajita plate are great and really add to the dining experience. The fajitas were served with pico de gallo (chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cilantro), beans with queso fresco (cheese), Mexican rice, guacamole, and sour cream. The meal included three tortillas. I also enjoyed my meal.

We received excellent service from our waitress, Ally. She was not the only one who served us. It seems like it is a team affair as everyone who passed the table checked on our beverages (water with lime in our case) and the manager and host each stopped by to make sure that all was OK, which it was.

The menu and décor is a little more upscale than Yo Burrito (also a great place, just not for my Birthday Dinner) or La Hacienda. Pricing is in the $8 - $12 per person range for most entrees. The Shrimp Fajitas are a little more and some of the steak and seafood dishes are closer to $20. We got out for just under $30 including tax and tip. It seems like lunch pricing is about the same and we were offered the lunch specials for dinner as well. If you like Mexican food and want a nice experience East of the Cooper, I suggest you try Uno Mas. This is one we will add to the Restaurant Bowl.