Wait: We arrived at 5:45 p.m. on a Tuesday and were seated right away in one of Los Olivos’ bustling dining rooms.

Service: While our water and chips and salsa arrived right away, we had to wait more than five minutes for our server to show up and take our drink order. While she was friendly enough, she never checked back with us after our food arrived to make sure everything was OK; also, I had to plunk down my plastic on the edge of the table as a gentle hint that we were ready for our check.

What we liked: Our meal got off to a great start with the fabulous homemade tortilla chips and spicy, chunky salsa — both of which were delicious. Our appetizer — four mini chimis stuffed with refried beans — was slightly less impressive, though the accompanying guacamole was tremendous. And from there, it was all downhill. Of all three entrées we tried — a spinach enchilada, a green corn tamale and chicken chimichanga — we honed in on the sweet ’n’ spicy tamale, smothered in a green chile sauce. Unfortunately, the other two offerings were just too bland.

Scene: Los Olivos reminds me of a Mexican version of Monti’s La Casa Vieja, as it seems to be a maze of rooms. We were seated in the second room from the entrance, which was somewhat dark — though we did enjoy the Mexican paintings on the walls. Our only major complaint was that there was some sort of banquet going on in the next room, so our conversation was frequently interrupted by fits of clapping. (Los Olivos has lots of different rooms — but no doors separating them — thus it gets noisy.)

Bathroom break: Spotless, spacious and just plain pretty, the women’s room features bold colors and tasteful south- of-the-border accents.

Tab for two: $29 with tax and tip for mini chimis ($6), green corn tamale ($3.50), spinach enchilada ($3.95), chicken chimichanga ($6.95) and two iced teas ($1.50 each).

If work weren’t buying: I’ve heard East Valley diners rave about Los Olivos’ enchiladas (which also happen to be one of my favorite Mexican offerings). Thus, I was more than a little disappointed with my meal. Sure, the salsa and guacamole were excellent — but dips, alone, do not a dinner make.

By CRYSTAL PETROCELLI
Get Out

Wait: We arrived at 7 p.m. on a Monday and were seated about five minutes later.

Service: Two types of salsa (one chunky, one spicy), chips and water were delivered as we sat but refills on the latter two came very slowly. Los Olivos is family-owned and, according to the menu, run almost entirely by friends and relatives who create a “warm friendly atmosphere.” I felt neither warmth nor friendliness from our server.

What we liked: I wasn't thrilled with our main dishes (tacos al carbon were just OK and there were small pieces of bone in two separate bites of spicy chicken chili poblano) but we couldn't get enough of the sides. The chips were warm, the two salsas were some of the best I've sampled, our side of pico de gallo came with avocado chunks (bonus!) and the slightly- sticky red rice and smooth, hot refried beans with loads of melted cheese on top were so good we took them home as leftovers. Yes, they were that tasty.

Scene: The packed restaurant had very dim lighting, low ceilings, huge Mexican sculptures, sections of “Planet of the Apes”-ish skylights and multiple flooring styles — it’s one of the oddest-looking restaurants I've ever seen. With doorless rooms tucked here and there, Los Olivos is slightly disorienting in its layout and loud when there's a crowd.

Bathroom break: The spacious women's restroom was very nice with black granite counter tops, mirrors inlayed in Mexican tiled walls and more of those funky, moon-crater-like skylights.

Tab for two: $38 with tax and tip for tortilla soup ($3.75), pico de gallo ($3), tacos al carbon ($10.95), spicy chicken chili poblano combo ($9.95) and a soda ($1.50).

If work weren’t buying: As much as I loved those rice and beans, I would have rather fallen for my main dish.

Los Olivos Mexican Patio
7328 E. Second St., Scottsdale

Major cross streets: Second Street east of Scottsdale Road
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sun.-Thu., 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri.-Sat.
Entrées: $5.50-$14.25
Reservations accepted: Yes
Health report: No major violations
Kid friendly: Yes
Web site: losolivosrestaurant.com