http://www.tower7.com/The menu at Tower 7 is a slightly scaled down version of Josh Vach's other "Baja fresh" restaurants. K 38 was the original, but due to a smaller kitchen Tower 7's menu maintains the same flavor and makes up for the smaller menu with fantastic ambiance. It's really too bad the website doesn't have some photos to illustrate what we are talking about, but the ambiance at Tower 7 is one of the best on the beach. Laid back, beach friendly, up-to-date, and buzzing with customers, it has become the premier local food hangout since it opened a few years ago. The fact is that the locals love it! As we said in the Cafe del Mar review last month, there is marketing genius behind this setup that maybe a few other restaurants should take try to replicate--if they are smart. Let's talk about the ambiance before we get to the food.
First off, the staff is made up of very lovely and efficient young ladies that keep the process of table food delivery sharp and courteous. This is one of the few places you will not hear customers complain about service. The table cleanup staff (young men) remove and clean every table within a minute of the diner leaving the restaurant.
Secondly, there are flat screen televisions within sight distance of every table that show the most food-friendly visual one could find on Wrightsville Beach--surf videos. Since surfing is supposed to be one of the draws of living and visiting this area, it only makes sense to show people successfully surfing around the world.
Next, the table setup puts everyone on equal footing. There are two rooms with matching tables and chairs that give off a communal dining hall feel. It really does feel like you are in a chatty reception hall with family.
Then there are the pleasant pieces of art and light fixtures hung on the wall that complete the Baja feel and allow sight to work in conjunction with taste to help you
enjoy your food.Finally, they play good music all day. Simple, targeted marketing based on the premise that people are affected by ambiance, whether they know it or not. Fuckin' A right.
On the whole, the food is good but it is not as inexpensive as we expected for Baja food (Did the peso rise against the dollar recently?), but you get what you pay for these days. It might be best to figure out what you are in the mood for, or ask the server for recommendations if you find the menu confusing. We are not the biggest fans of this type of food, with its excessive cheese toppings, but damn if almost everyone else on this beach does not seem to thoroughly enjoy it and rave about it. For our taste, you cannot go wrong with the tuna taco or any of the burritos, and the Black Angus hamburger is really good.
The bar has a very extensive selection of tequilas and the bartenders can quickly whip up any other mixed drink. The design for the small bar has pleasant lighting and a natural wood feel that gets very cozy after a couple beers. But before you think we are sucking up to this restaurant, we want you to know we saved our usual nitpicking for last.
It would be nice to see much more surf videos of professional women surfers. There are plenty of good ones out there, and just as many women eat at the restaurant as men. Also, what's up with the pricey beers that are supposed to be cheap? What's the overhead on a can of PBR? Come on, man.
(We have been asked, politely, to remove our previously posted opinion regarding the new uniforms at Tower 7, and we have complied. We appreciate the feedback and now realize that some things are definitely off limits.)
As usual, we encourage you to go and make up your own mind about Tower 7.
Next: Honey, Why The Hell Are All These Mexicans On The TV?
