text: I came to the Phoenix location for lunch through Groupon.  I ordered the beef brisket called Ropa Vieja, which was very tough and like eating strands of rope.  I could see where it got it's name \"ropa\", because it is like cooked strands of rope. There was plenty of meat, but the flavor was all boiled and leached out of the meat.  It was served to me like a stew , but the beans and rice side and the ropa was swimming in a plateful of water almost to the edge of the plate.  The ropa stew had no flavor, like it was boiled in a big potful of plain water that kept getting changed.  I had to add a lot of salt., shake more and more and more salt on it.   It was very ICK to me.   I wish I ordered the cerviche instead.  I didn't think the ropa was worth it even with the Groupon discount, I would not want that dish even if it were free, unless I was starving.  I told the waitress it was very bland and asked her if it was normal to have all that water in the plate.   She said it was \"juicey\", but to me, juice implies flavor, but I guess \"juice\" for water is a waitress being positive and politically correct on her job.   My jaws were tired trying to chew the strands of \"rope\".  She did not offer to bring me something else.  She said that was the way it was.\n\nFor dessert, I ordered the coconut mini flan with mango sauce, and that was really good!   I'd give it an A and the size was larger than the word mini implies.  \n\nSorry for such  negative review about the ropa, but I tell it like it is, and if I thought it was terrific, I'd surely say so.\n\nMaybe you will find something else on the menu to your liking, or maybe you are less discriminating than I am about tough and flavorless Ropa meat swimming in a plateful of water  (Yes, I know the difference between juice, sauce, soup, and water.).   I consider myself a great cook and I eat out a lot.  \n\nI only tried this Ropa, and it is not good enough to make me wanna give this restaurant another change at my own cost.   The waitress was very nice and attentive though, I have no complaints about her service, but she did not offer me a substitute.  I would have given it a one star, but she was a friendly and attentive waitress.