Pandemic Nachos: Quarter Celtic
Pandemic Nachos: Quarter Celtic Rating: 3 Cost: $8.00 Half, 12.00 Full (+$2.50 for meat) Location: San Mateo and Lomas (Other locations exist) Customization: Chicken Website
Quarter Celtic is one of the few restaurants I have actually eaten at since Quarantine started. This is largely due to their massive outdoor patio area. After a nice renovation, their outdoor seating is some of the best in town. It may lack a view, but it makes up for it in size, lighting, and shade. The tables are spaced out appropriately, and the servers are following the appropriate guidelines. I have been taking the quarantine quite seriously, and I felt comfortable with the setup they had. It had been a while since I had their Nachos, and I was suffering from a rather heavy craving. So, lets see how they stack up during Quarantine times.
Quarter Celtic offers their House Nachos in two sizes, half and full. I was being responsible with my portion control, so I opted for the half. In another uncharacteristic move, I opted for chicken instead of their Ground Beef or Corned Beef offerings. Their nachos a re a bed of chip covered in meat, cheese, olives, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, and a side of salsa.
I will admit, I am always nervous to order a half-nacho for fear that it can't satisfy my inhuman cravings. Thankfully, the half nacho I received was the perfect size. That said, I think the price, which was $10.50 after meat, was a bit high for what I received. I always chuckle a little when a restaurant serves multicolored tortilla chips. It feels like something done for tourists, and has a negative affect on the visual presentation of the Nacho. That said, they usually taste fine, so I'm not going to complain. I really appreciated the level of melt and crisp they achieved with the cheese on the chips with this nacho. It was extremely crunchy, which I realized was something I had been missing for some time after eating this Nacho. However, it did feel like the cheese quantity was lacking. There were quite a few chips without a trace of cheese on them, and since this was not a liquid queso, those chips essentially remained cheese-less throughout. The bean distribution was expertly executed and was never overpowering. The Tomatoes and Onions were also distributed well, being plentiful without covering the dish incessantly. I'm a big fan of Black Olives, and they are always welcome on my Nachos. They were a pleasant addition. The Sour Cream and Guac dollops felt a little underwhelming, both in size and flavor. The side of salsa is unnecessary, and went largely unused. Although I am usually sad when I receive raw jalapenos, I was happy that these were diced to a perfect thinness, allowing them to contribute to the flavor without overpowering it. The biggest issue was the meat. The chicken included was very scarce. The flavor of the chicken was fine, it was finding any that was the problem. At a $2.50 upcharge, that's a serious flaw.
Bottom Line - Its a good Nacho, but not great. The important elements like cheese and meat are far too scarce in this nacho to justify the price. They have far better things on their menu.