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!
Review Source: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.
Review Source: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." Â
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!
So this thanksgiving week my girlfriend and I took a road trip up the coast from San Diego to San Francisco. Â This was the first place we stopped on a massive food tour. Â I had heard good things so thought I'd check it out...
Really good Mexican food. Â Good prices. Â I heard the Chille Rellenos were the BEST ever. Â Well....I had never had a chille relleno before, so maybe I was just expecting something different, but all it was, was a deep fried chille stuffed with cheese. Â A larger, less spicy, jalepeno popper. Â I mean, yeah it was good...but there wasn't much to it. Â I have no doubt in my mind I could whip up the exact same thing in about 10 minutes. Â How THIS particular chille relenno is the best ever, I dont know. Â It was good though, I'll say that. Â
Bonus points for the geriatric japanese cowboy sitting next to us at the bar telling jokes..
Him:"What's that name of that actress who killed her husband with a knife?"
Me: With a knife?
Him: No! Witherspoon! HAHAHA!
I'm pretty sure he tells that same joke to anyone who will listen...but oh well, made us laugh for a few seconds. Â He's definitely one of the regulars which frequent this middle of no where spot....I'd definitely recommend it.
You're right Tressi. Â Mama IS in the kitchen, and she knows exactly what she's doing. Â They should institute a "Chile Relleno test" for Mexican restaurants. Â "Mama" knows how to make a relleno, and does it right before your eyes - and once you've had a fresh one, you'll never want anything else. Â The specials - mole, birria, etc, are incredible. Â The service is right out of the Mexican restaurants of your childhood. Â This place is the real deal, and has been for many decades.
Plus, the drive on old Hwy 1 from Santa Maria to Guadalupe to Vandenberg and through Rancho San Julian to Gaviota is one of the few remaining unspoiled central CA cattle country drives. Â It's worth making a day out of it with La Simpatia for lunch and the Hitching Post (Casmalia) or Jocko's for dinner.
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