Paxia is a newest restaurant in the College Park area. Their menu describes themselves as “Modern World Meets Traditional Mexican Cuisine” followed by their motto, “Expect the Unexpected”. It is located across the street from Scruffy Murphy’s Irish Pub right on Edgewater Drive. On the night we visited it was quiet with just a couple at the bar and one other table seated. The atmosphere is warm inside and you definitely get the Mexican vibe. The restaurant is split in two, the bar area on the right and the restaurant seating area on the left. Both offer food service.

We started at the bar while we waited for our guests to arrive.  The main bar is situated at the front left and the right side has comfortable lounge seating for two, big enough to relax and eat a meal. The bartender was very excited to see us and boasted of his wonderful Margarita making skills. We obliged and ordered two. They were excellent margaritas although small for $11.  It was a bit pricey for the type of restaurant and locale. This isn’t New York City, its College Park in Orlando.

After our guests arrived we moved from the bar area to the restaurant area. By the time we sat down we were the only ones left. We ordered a bottle of wine and two appetizers, Queso ($9) and Guacamole ($5). The guacamole was excellent and fresh. The queso came out on a hot plate and was basically just cheese flatten out and melted on the plate. One word: dry. It just wasn’t good, that’s all I can say.

For our entrees we ordered the Flautas ($11.75) and the Skirt Steak Fajitas ($13.75). Both were good sized portions, especially the fajitas. The flautas were tasty and perfectly fried. The fajitas were loaded up with veggies and a good portion of chicken. I’d recommend both dishes. For desert we tried the Flan ($6), it was ok, nothing spectacular.

Overall it was a great meal with only a few complaints. Our waitress stated that the owner was in every night and loved to visit and chat with the guests to see if they were enjoying their meals. We were the only customers in the restaurant, yet no visit from the owner. As I said above, the prices for a margarita are too high. And finally, the bartender kept encouraging us to stay and eat at the bar and our soon to be waitress was hovering near the bar waiting to seat us. It became very apparent that they were both fighting over our tips. This was very unprofessional.

This is a new restaurant that still needs to work out its kinks. Will it be around in a year? I’d say it’s a 50/50 shot. The food was good but it always seems to be empty when I pass by. It’s hard to compete with Garibaldi’s which has consistently been rated the best authentic Mexican food in town. And as far as their motto, “Expect the Unexpected”, there was nothing unexpected about the experience.

Paxia Mexican Restaurant
2611 Edgewater Drive
Orlando, FL 32804
(407) 420-1155
http://www.paxiarestaurant.com/