Avocado Grill
125 Datura Street in West Palm Beach has had a number of eateries over the last few years. The fine seafood stop Spoto's held court for some time before heading to Palm Beach Gardens. The Barrel & Grain Gastropub, which shuttered in late 2013, seemed to only be around for a year or so. I visited once and liked the overall informality of it. The beer selection was choice and the food really creative and delicious, though their (admittedly, er, tongue in cheek) Halloween menu was downright odd and potentially disgusting with choices like crispy pig ear salad and braised chicken feet.
Avocado Grill has assumed the space on the corner of Datura and Narcissus and been doing some brisk business. The word has been favorable. A coworker and her husband booked a Valentine's Day date there. My wife and I recently braved the Irish Fest crowd and got a table (outside) without fuss - our timing was excellent. The place was packed on that Saturday evening. The waiter apologized for the music wafting over from the Fest - and he was right; it was close to unendurable. There were also more Valley girls sitting near us than we could tolerate for too long. Good thing my selections, Japanese eggplant and chorizo and shrimp tacos (a special) were so good. My wife had a quinoa salad. We began with corn chips and guacamole, seasoned with ginger. Wish I'd thought of that.
The menu is primarily tapas, all of which sounded terrific. There are also larger entrée plates.
The beer offerings need expansion and maybe some fine tuning but the seasonal draught was Gingerland U.F.O., a nice, aromatic, light brew spiced with cinnamon and clove to complement the ginger. A refreshing choice for a warm night.
Check 'em out. Hopefully the place has legs and sticks around for awhile.
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