Mango's in Branford, CT

Mangos in Branford, CT is a Key West style restaurant.  It is nestled in a little courtyard just off Main Street in the center of town.  My wife and mother took me there for my birthday.  The wife and I love Key West and have been there several times.  I was really excited to be swept away back to the island by the food at this establishment.  Unfortunately, I was disappointed. 

The meal started with drinks (of course).  Sam Adams Octoberfest was sounding good to me.  I read the menu over and over, trying to decide what I wanted.  So many thinks sounds amazing.  I finally settled on the Mangos Burger.  I know it sounds boring, but check this out. 
 

There was the burger (obviously) topped with fresh avocado slices, cheddar cheese, fried onions strings, and jalapeno barbeque sauce.  Before I even got to taste my food, disaster strikes!  We all got our meals; I cut my burger in half for the picture and all I see is red.  As in, UNDERCOOKED meat.  The wife’s was undercooked as well.  Everyone else got chicken or vegetarian meals.  So I ask the waitress if they can cook me another burger because this one was too rare.  She fully agreed with me and took it back to the kitchen.  (Side note: This restaurant has a small open kitchen and I was within earshot of the chef.)  I hear the chef yell something about the Mango burger and a few minutes later I have my dinner in front of me.  I was amazed at how little time it took to fire up another burger.  So, again I cut my dinner in half for the picture and I’m amazed to see my burger is already cut in half.  They scraped the topping off my burger, threw it back on the grill, then put fresh toppings on and a new roll and sent it back out to me. 
 

Now, if I was truly a professional, I would not have stood for this.  I would have complained to the waitress, demanded to speak with the chef and/or the manager, and I would not have eaten that dish OR paid for it.  However, I was with my family, it was my birthday, and they were already eating.  Instead of making a scene I choked down my now overcooked twice grilled burger with “fresh” toppings.  At least they didn’t spit in it…I hope. 

The avocado was indeed fresh as I could tell from the bright green/yellow color and its creamy texture.  The flavor was totally lost under the sharp flavor of the barbeque sauce.  The sauce was tangy but did not have any hint of jalapeno and actually tasted like it was off the shelf; not made in house.  The onions were very thinly sliced onion rings which added a nice texture to the meal.  And the cheese was just plain old orange cheddar.  My side was fries which were fresh looking (skins still on) and tasted like they were twice fried.  First they were par fried, then fried again to crisp them up when someone ordered them.  

I have eaten at this restaurant before and I had enjoyed it.  I’m not sure if they changed chefs or just stopped caring about the food they serve.  Either way, I will not be rushing back to Mangos anytime soon.