I have been to El Tapatio several times, and have never been disappointed.
Pros: Great atmosphere, yummy authentic food (my husband is Mexican-American, and this has his seal of approval), great drinks, a huge menu, and reasonable prices. The manager always greets me with a smile and a kiss on the cheek, and shakes my husband's hand as we're walking in. It makes me feel like family.
Cons: I can't really think of any that are serious enough to mention. Their guacamole and ceviche are a bit on the too spicy side. We've ordered those in the past to share with our friends, and my husband is usually the only one able to eat more than a few bites. Oh, and people smoke right outside the front and side doors. Since there's an overhang, that's where most people hang out and smoke, and the smoke billows in any time the doors open, and you have to endure a wall of smoke as you're leaving. That sucks.
If you want to get smashed off of one margarita, you've found the right place. My oh my, their margaritas are good.
It's still weird walking into this place and not having everyone yell "DoBoy!", however, the restaurant, like the show, Cheers is dead and it has been replaced with this Mexican spot around the corner from Newport News' best attempt at a metropolitan, mixed-use draw, City Center.
It's hard in this day of Mexican-restaurants-on-every-corner to find something that is truly unique or stands out. The only differences they can typically employ is to offer some off-the-wall culinary masterpieces or an incredible happy hour of loud laughter and libations.
El Tapatio's leans toward the latter. The drinks here can truly dump you on your butt. I think my bartender's name in here one time was Strong Pour, V (get it, the Fifth?). Heck, they even punch up their lunch-time margarita, if you can take advantage of it and it's diminutive $2.95 price tag. I know they offer some Karaoke some nights, but I always forget the days to swing through and let loose these Velvety Vocals.
As for the food, the lunch and dinner specials are priced incredibly well. Getting a real meal for the price of a fast food combo is always a winner. The last three lunch specials were beefy enough in size that I had to take away a doggy bag in defeat. The same thing happened again today, when I partook in the burrito and taco lunch special. The taco and beans were a little bland, but I couldn't complain about the portions.
The service in this place has been hit or miss on the punctuality. Sometimes I am telling them to leave me alone so I can chew, other times, I am watching way too much of the infomercials on TV while my stomach yells "Come On!!!!!". Either way, they are always nice and courteous.
The food won't blow you away with some mix of secret herbs and spices, but I promise, you won't need a heavy pocket book to partake, which is good news around City Center. I know I will keep coming back.
I'm not the biggest fan of Mexican food but I did stop in this joint for lunch the other day. Took a seat at the bar and decided to do something different. I usually get some sort of steak or fajitas meal and decided to order some chicken burrito. I've never been to a Mexican restaurant alone so it was weird having a full bowl of chips in front of me. Normally, I'm fighting whoever is with me to get a chip but not this time... I sat there and looked at my chips and slowly took my time as no other hand was to get in my way.
Within 10 minutes (as usual) my lunch arrived. I had two large chicken burritos in front of me along with rice and what I would consider is their salad. The red sauce with my burritos really didn't have any taste. My chicken was tender and the cheese was nicely melted adding a nice coat to my burrito. It was a bit too much food for me but for under $5 I was mostly pleased. Nothing stuck out as oh so good but my meal wasn't bad either.
For a cheap lunch this place does just fine and of course, the food comes out quickly. It will be a while figuring out what else Newport News and Oyster Point City Center has to offer but I'll come back.
Great service. White sauce with the chips. Happy Hour specials every weekday. Works for me. (I think I'll stick to my steak Aztecas and fajita meals though).
Loaded review.....here it comes.....
So, being hungry as hostages, my mother, daughter, her friend, and I stopped here after some swimming time. Â For some reason, they sat us and our two 10-yr old kids at the tables by the bar.
Bar had a HUGE menu on the wall with names of drinks.....one name was "screaming orgasm." Â Since my back was to the menu, my child asked me what it meant. Â Ok, there's that hurdle.....
Besides using poor judgement in seating location, the food was good, sweet tea was awesome, and the music was great. Â I'm from SoCal and love me some Mexican food and thus far, this place is the most legit IMHO. Â Not the BEST ever, but for this area.....yes.
Carne asada tacos were very good, salsa was fresh and had a slight kick (I'll ask for hotter stuff next time) and they make fresh guacamole if you order it.
I'd go back but watch where we sit next time. Â Funny pictures and sayings on the wall, too......
Waiters don't understand or speak English well. Â Ordered lobster taco's and wasn't told the lobster was fried. Â Gross...who fries lobster. Â Asked for a side of beans and changed to bean dip. Â It is all cheese and no beans. Â Then they also brought me a huge plate of beans after I cancelled the cup I ordered.
Review Source:Órale Ese....
Yesterday was my first time in El Tapatio (obviously or I would have reviewed it already)
The ambiance was nice, it certainly fit the bill when it came to my unofficial checklist to determine whether the restaurant is 'authentic'....
Mexican staff - check
The staff was pretty attentive contrary to the slight language barrier. It's all good though, I'd rather deal with a slight language barrier than knowing there are anything other than Mexican cooks in the back preparing my food.
The white sauce was really good. I have to put it up there with some of the best white sauce I've tasted. The picante sauce was good too, it was spicier than any other place I've been.
Tapatio has lunch specials from 11-3pm. I decided to pick from that portion of the menu and had a beef chimichanga with rice and guac salad. I need to be careful though, because I'm not a huge fan of the cheese sauce. It's always so salty to me. I'd rather have some cotija on the side and sprinkle it on to my liking.
That said, the chimichanga itself was on point. Lightly fried and filled with shredded beef. The rice was very good also. It didn't look like or have the texture of instant rice or that it had been sitting there waiting for someone to order it for that matter. It was pretty fluffy and fresh.
All in all, not bad. I will certainly be checking them out again to try my staple carne asada. I might be ruined for carne asada in VA though after my trip home to San Diego later this week........
I have not given out many (if any) single star reviews, however my experience at this place most defiantly warrants one. Â I stopped in on evening because I didn't know what I wanted for dinner, and I was driving by. Â It was a new place, so I figured I would give it a shot. Â I had a seat at the bar, ordered a iced tea and my food to go, and my order was brought out quickly. Â I gave my card to the waiter who brought my food to me, and he walked out of the bar area to ring me up. Â I wondered why he didn't ring it up at the bar register, but figured he must be signed in at another unit. Â Well, I waited for well over ten minutes, and still he did not return with my bank card. Â Then I got worried and angry. Â I asked the fellow behind the bar if he could see what was going on, and he made a very unfunny joke by saying, "We sent your card to Mexico", and laughed, as did a waitress standing nearby. Â I was most certainly not amused. Â I walked to the other register area to see if the waiter with my card was there but he was not. Â Finally, after about 15 min, returned with my card saying he was had a hard time scanning it. Â I said I didn't see you at the register with it when I checked, and he just shrugged. Â I was ticked, but there was not much I could do. Â Then, as I was signing my receipt, the joker ( I didn't see his name, but he had a tat on his neck), told me to make sure I tipped well for the good service and laughed it up some more. Â I was really mad now, and obvisiouly left no tip of any kind. Â I returned home and had to reheat my now cold takeout food..
Â
Since this experience, I have been checking my bank account several times a day to see if there are any unauthorized purchases made with my card. Â I should not have to feel like I was somehow scammed when all I wanted to do was get some dinner, and hopefully find a new place for Mexican takeout. Â Perhaps I am overreacting, but the whole situation left a very bad taste in my mouth. Â
I suggest you skip this place. Â There are many Mexican restaurants nearby that have very good food, with no hassle like this. Â Salsas is right down the road, and there are numerous Plaza Aztecads within a ten mile radius. Â Hit one of those restaurants up before going to this place. Â You don't want to leave worrying that you have been or may be ripped off for far more than a burrito.
This restaurant is in the upper spectrum of standard Mexican joints - decent prices, normal/good quality food, good bar, and comfortable and clean atmosphere. But I usually don't review a place unless something sticks out, and for this restaurant it's the staff. As with most Mexican joints, I expected quick service, but these guys were outstanding - and incredibly friendly to boot. We were all grumpy from a long day, but these guys joked around with us and definitely made us feel welcome. The server was very kind/helpful about our super complicated orders (i.e. three of the same dishes - each with different exclusions) and really transformed our time into a great experience.
Review Source:The staff is always friendly, helpful and efficient. Â I have been about 4 times. Â The tableside guacamole is awesome! Â I have ordered from the taco bar and it's always great. Â The chili verde and alambre are A+ too. Â Everytime I go it is clean. This ups the quality of Mexican food on the peninsula. Â It's clear that the staff and management are committed to ensuring a positive dining experience.
Review Source:This location is a branch off of the "El Tapatio" in Virginia Beach area. I believe this would be the 3rd El Tapatio in Hampton Roads and the 4th in the same chain. I've only gone here a few times and they have yet to disappoint me. The place is newly renovated from the old "Cheers" restaurant. Â It was pretty empty when we came here during lunch time but I would imagine that their service would be the same. The wait staff here doesn't speak very clear English, but they understand your requests. Just try not to make sarcastic jokes at them because they don't quite understand them. They are always fast and attentive, with quick water refills.
The food is your typical food from an ordinary fast Mexican restaurant place but it's just perfect to me. Â They have an extensive menu to pick from. Â Overall, this place is A-Okay! Good fast Mexican food.
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