La Simpatia Cafe

5 stars? No, but I I have to say, this used to be the home of some really good authentic Mexican food. My family used to always get together here for family reunions & order there infamous Chile Verde or Menudo if it was Sunday morning. So I was excited to see how the place was holding up after a few years. The hubby & I came in mid morning around 10 am & were warmly greeted by a friendly middle aged woman(pretty sure this wasn't the mama  everyone's talkin about?) who quickly brought us freshly made chips & salsa ,which I might add, tasted really delicious. Ordered a chicken enchilada & chicken taco durado(fried) while hubby ordered a Chile verde burrito , both with rice and beans. Waited about 10 minutes for our food to arrive, which seemed kinda speedy for home made Mexican food? Took one look at my plate & my hubby could tell I was disappointed & damn near shocked to see the abomination placed before me. Seemingly DRY enchilada, COLORLESS Spanish rice & RUNNY beans =( but I had to keep my composure! Heyy maybe it tastes a lot better than it looks, right? No, I was terribly wrong. Enchilada tasted like boiled chicken placed inside a griddled tortilla that was dipped  into Las Palmas enchilada sauce prior. Fried taco had the same dry chicken & besides the shell being completely cracked down the middle, it was also incredibly small. Rice was as bland as it looked( coulda fooled me into thinkin it was white rice with the dim lights), & the beans were watered down.  Hubby's Chile Verde in his burrito was also very chewy & full of fat that was far from rendered . So sad to see a place that I remember as a child, being a staple for Mexican food, going so far down hill. I hope they get mama back in the kitchen soon because there's some kinks to be worked out!

OMG!  The chile rellenos are AMAZING!  So  different than ANYTHING in So Cal,  and I've been eating in Mexican Restaraunts since I was five years old.    The tacos are pretty darn good, as well.  And the Margaritas are tasty and potent.  The flaw is the enchilada, which (to my taste, anyway) needs a little more sauce and a little more oven time.  Otherwise, the place is the BOMB!  For anyone on the South Coast with a few hours to kill, La Simpatia is well worth the drive.

I was so disappointed last weekend when I saw the "Cllosed for retrofitting, will re-open soon" sign of the boarded up windows. Ah, the price of being located in an old building in an earthquake zone. Damn.

I try to get my cheese fix once a month here. The last time I was here, the rellenos  were literally bursting with the good stuff.  The sauce is a rich rusty red, full of spices (no Tapatio needed,)  and it tastes of red chiles rather than tomatoes. The portions are large, too. My friend had the tamales-- chicken this time-- and he agrees with the reviewers who said, "Momma's in the kitchen."  

It's best to sit at the bar. That's what we did, and our  basket of chips was never empty. We never lacked for conversation, either.  The staff and customers ( mostly locals) were very chatty. (It helps if you speak Spanish.)  The food came out quickly, and it wasn't too salty.

What makes this place special is the atmosphere. It's less kitchy Tex-Mex/ Tijuana and more 1940's diner or truck stop. Something from the historic Route 66, maybe. Perhaps the ghosts of Cesar Chavez and  John Steinbeck are sitting at the bar discussing politics and literature  over bowls of pozole.  I wonder if this place ( or a former incarnation) was around when Cecil B. DeMille was filming out in the dunes. Next time I'm here, I'll find out.
Now hurry up  and re-open!!!! I'm hungry for some decent chiles rellenos!