New Mexican restaurant in Oxford offers an upscale — yet bland

A few weeks ago, everyone started talking about Calendula, the newest restaurant in Uptown Oxford. Being new to campus, I had friends telling me this was a huge deal.

After a busy week of events, I headed to Calendula on a Friday evening and was met with an hour to an hour-and-a-half wait. It seemed the rest of Oxford was as excited to try the newest restaurant in town as I was. Unfortunately, I was too hungry to wait and went elsewhere for dinner.

The next day, my friend and I went back to Calendula for lunch. We were met with a much more relaxed and casual atmosphere and, luckily, a lot more open tables. The service was great — all the waiters and hosts approached me with a friendly smile and kind words.

Photo by Sydney Mulford | The Miami Student
Several Miami students were eager to try the new Mexican restaurant.

When we started reading the menus, we found them short, but they still had a reasonable variety. While I did not order from the drinks menu as I am underage, I thought it was adorable because it had different cocktails drawn throughout. If I was 21, this alone could have persuaded me to order something. The food arrived quickly, only 10-15 minutes after we ordered.

I ordered El Verde: chicken, corn, tomatoes and cilantro on a corn tortilla. I received two tacos on a well-presented plate. The presentation made it feel more upscale — something I think Calendula was aiming for.

Photo by Sydney Mulford | The Miami Student
Despite the presentation, Mulford said the tacos lacked flavor and were chewy.

When I dug in, the tortilla tasted really dry and chewy, which did not complement the rest of the taco well. However, I did enjoy the crunch and freshness of the tomatoes, corn and cilantro on top. But even with all the decorative toppings, they could not hide the fact the taco did not have a lot of flavor. When I did get a hint of flavor, it was really good — just not very noticeable.

My friend ordered Al Pastor, which came with pork and other decorative add-ons. She also noticed similar themes — the corn tortilla was a little too chewy, and the taco itself lacked flavor.

Each entree also only came with two tacos. While I was not starving at the time, it would not have been enough food for dinner. It also seemed a little overpriced to get only two tacos for $12. If I had to wait an hour for food at dinner time, I would be ready to run down the street elsewhere for a larger serving size.

All in all, Calendula was a pleasant experience and a good lunch stop. It offers an upscale dining experience Uptown. And, if you ever stop in late on a Friday night, Calendula has its own bar and seating area next door to wait at. While I do not know if I would go back on a Friday night, I would recommend it for a light lunch.

Rating: 6/10