Viva La Vida Mexican Bar & Grill

Had the Xmas Brunch yesterday with my parents in from out of town. We had made a reservation for 12:30 pm, and thank goodness that we did. It was packed.Service was timely & polite, especially for how busy it was. Food was very good (some of the best Mexican faire in Pittsburgh), and priced accordingly.We appreciated our time there, and will return soon.

I really enjoyed my first experience at this restaurant, which was for their special Pinkmas Brunch event. This was the Sunday before Christmas and they offered their full regular menu, which is expansive, along with a number of additional festive specials. We tried a couple of things from the regular menu and a couple from the special menu.We were promptly served chips and salsa shortly upon being seated, which were very tasty. Our server explained the concept for the day and was quick to answer any questions we had. I noticed a couple of nonalcoholic options on the drink menu but mentioned my disappointment at not being able to order the flashing holiday Mojito, as I am not currently drinking, and she quickly offered that it could be made as a mocktail. It sounded like most any of the cocktails could be modified that way, which is something I really appreciate! I had the huevos rancheros from the regular menu, which were flavorful and beautifully presented In tostadas. My friend and I shared the eggnog French toast, also creatively presented with the strawberries and whipped cream forming a flower in the center, and wonderfully rich. The star of the show, though, was the Mexican hot chocolate. I expected it to be more spicy than it was, and was glad that it only seemed to have a bit of a kick that set it apart from American hot chocolate. It was served in a mug finished with toasted marshmallow and topped with a snowman marshmallow, and was a decadent little ending to the meal.A sign inside the restaurant welcomes you to Pink Paradise and, from the bright pink chairs to wall decor, this place exudes not little girl pink, but an all grown up cool girl vibe. I loved the aesthetics, but vibes mean nothing if the food and service aren't good and both were very good here. I will be back!

According to Viva La Vida's website, their chefs put a modern twist on authentic foods from Mexico City. Their menu lists brunch foods (e.g., omelets, eggs benedict, and pancakes), salads, quesadillas, tacos, fajitas, burritos, empanadas, ceviche, Mexican sushi, enchiladas, churros, flan, tres leches, and many more. A full bar offers margaritas, wines, tequilas, and other beverages. Through OpenTable, I made a reservation for my husband and me for lunch. I told the host that I had a reservation, and they promptly seated us at a table. Our waiter provided timely and polite service. Here are my ratings for what we ordered:Pink Paradise - 5 stars - This margarita contained Casamigos Blanco, watermelon, strawberry, lime, and orange. I tasted the watermelon the most and enjoyed the sweet flavor. Queso Haven Cheese Dip - 5 stars - This queso dip tasted wonderfully cheesy. We also received free tortilla chips and salsa, which were very good. Spicy Tempura Sushi - 4 stars - This sushi roll contained shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, I believe some cheese, and a small amount of jalapeno. It tasted slightly spicy. (I like moderately spicy.)Chicken Fajita - 3 stars - My husband ate this entree. It consisted of flour tortillas, chicken, green peppers, onions, rice, beans, sour cream, pico, and lettuce. My husband said that the chicken tasted as if it had no marinade or spice. I took one bite, and I agreed that it tasted plain compared to other restaurants' fajitas. (My husband is part Mexican, and we have vacationed in Mexico many times.)Golden Elote Corncake - 5 stars - This dessert was a corncake with Mexican eggnog. The corncake was moist and slightly sweet. It came with strawberries, cream, and vanilla ice cream, and it tasted very good. About three hours later, the restaurant cancelled my reservation through OpenTable. I had to contact OpenTable and upload a photo of my receipt to prove that I had dined at this restaurant, so that I would not be considered a "no show" and would receive my 100 OpenTable points.

What a unique experience! We had reservations for 7 on a weeknight, and this place was very busy! The "pink vibe" throughout the restaurant is very cool, everything from the edible flowers that topped the entrees, to the bubbly margaritas were very unique. I was pleased with the food, and the prices. I did think the prices for the margaritas were silly, there were really only about 3 drinks per glass. So good tasting, just notMuch there.

Such a fun place! Many birthday celebrations with the staff singing, with lights and sparkler candles! Great food and excellent service. I will definitely be back.

This place has been the talk of the town lately and I've been dying to go here so I was super excited to finally come in for lunch and the place was super busy at lunchtime on a Monday! Service was great and food came out quick and hot. Drinks are yummy and fun. I had the shrimp ceviche, which I loved.

Service was fast, Seems to be mainly about the cocktails, If you really want some great mexican food though I don't recommend this place as much as I recommend Tepache nearby. 4 Stars mainly for being so new and clean, reduced to 3 after reflecting that we probably won't be back. Expensive for what it is. Prices on par with a more expensive experience like Tepache. Read on to hear about why the food and ambience aren't the best.If Yelp let me title a review this one's would be "We Ain't No Lunch Brunch Drunks, Chumps"Service issues. Hostess got us waters. She was very nice and we were sat immediately. A very aggressive drink salesman, our server, "Pepe" approached us. Between getting us waters (it was noon on a Sunday) and coming back to get our order, some other third person, a bored host or manager, showed up to ask us if we wanted drinks. We pointed out that we already had waters. Sooooooo... we don't really want drinks and what's the deal, we have aggressive server #1 Pepe and his aggro manager #2 (never shared his name or we forgot it) asking us a total of 6 times what cocktails we'd like. We don't want any DUDE. Awkward However, the drinks looked amazing but we didn't have any because it's Sunday in the middle of the day and we're busy. No brunch offerings.There were definitely some people around that were there specifically to drink and eat appetizers. That sort of "Mimosa Brunch" vibe.The dining experience began with salsa and chips, a staple of many great Mexican restaurants and I have to say that the salsa was 90% good, meaning that there was something off about it. That was just a little bit off, like the tomatoes were too sweet maybe. Or perhaps something they added to it tasted old or from a can. Maybe they are just making a recipe of salsa, not familiar with it that involves more cinnamon than usual, regardless I did enjoy it, but it wasn't the best salsa that i've ever had. We wondered if they cracked a can of puree.I got the Viva Mexico Enchiladas, which is basically one of each type, so I can tell you that for all 3 types they were boring, a little light on veggies, and the chicken was chunky not pulled as you would expect. There was nothing wrong with the food, though to be honest it is too dark to know if there were hairs in it. Something about it tasted off-recipe, probably because this place touts itself as FUSION, which in my opinion is rarely good. I think Fusion is what a Chef says when they are lazy or confused. Didn't get it, but they have sushi on the menu for some reason. I guess one of them is ceviche sushi, again, a Fusion thing. When you take two great things you've made poorly and you smash them together, it's definitely "Fusion" ...food lacking clarity or identity, unfamiliar and interpretive, so probably consistency issues.The place has a spanish name, so dominant Mexican, therefore: do good Mexican. They didn't and it was disappointing. For example, one of the enchiladas had a red sauce that normally would be known as "Rojas", but this was nothing like that. It was a creamy red sauce that tasted smoky. This is just one example of how my expectations weren't met but perhaps there's a place in Florida or Mexico, where they make this stuff the way they make it here. But I'm not aware of it.It just wasn't all that great. But man, it came out quickly - like surprisingly quickly.By the way, we had gone there the previous evening and there was a 30 minute wait at around 7:30pm. There was no wait on Sunday at 12:30pm, but the place was about as full as you see in the pictures. One table of 8 not in the photo. So about half full.The place was fairly clean, but I see it getting dirtier over time. It's brand new right now. It's very dark in there and they've actually placed at your table a lamp so that you can read the menu. A fricking battery operated LED lamp. This also hides any dirt or things that you would normally notice if there was adequate lighting. Tables are black, and I'll bet sometimes they are sticky AF. A famous Restaurateur once said that lighting is important so that you can see the food since seeing the food is part of the culinary experience. This place has the lighting you would expect in a haunted house. Also, it's a bar without a dance floor. Why the lighting so low???This is one of those scenarios where you can't really see the food you're eating and it also doesn't taste spectacular. I felt that they brought what I ordered. It was clean and well prepared, but it wasn't very good. Was it as bad as Taco Bell? No. It was on par with something like a Don Pablos or a national chain, but not as spectacular or as comfortable due to darkness. It looks authentic and the people seem to be from Florida or something, but it's not as a really great Mexican place should be. My lunch companion said her Viva Mexi Bowl tasted a bit like the Taco Bell Cantina Bowl. I guess that's where they got the inspiration?

The hugest thing was that the drinks were delicious and so cutely presented. The decor is very pretty and so aesthetic for pictures. Very instagramable place. However the food was decent at best and way over priced for what it is. I will come back for drinks but would not for the food.

We just went here for my mom's birthday and I already can't wait to go back! Everything we ordered was delicious. And when I go back I can't wait to try more of the menu. I got the Mexican bowl and I loved it. I wish I had added fajitas peppers and onions to it just to make it even better. My dad got the chimichanga and he said he ordered the best thing on the menu. My mom loved her enchiladas and my sister loved the Birria tacos. The drinks were all good and were served with dry ice to make them even cooler. The service was great! And we really loved the vibes inside. Easy parking as well.

Everything from the food to the service was great! The hardest part was deciding what to get! I had the pancakes were buttery and delicious and steak fries to share, they were the perfect appetizer. I also had a Mexican Expresso Martini which was strong, yet smooth. I was hoping for some seasonal items since it was 4 days after Christmas, but everything we had was great. I will definitely return! The decor inside is super fun- Over all a great spot!