I am not much of a fan of Mexican food. I can’t really handle the heaviness and the often smothering of cheese, nor do I prefer spicy food. But there is one Mexican restaurant that I have always been a fan of – the Coal Creek Tapatio.
My family and I have been eating at Tapatio since I was a toddler, and ever since then, it is the only restaurant where I will eat Mexican food – and I am a picky eater. I make an exception to my usual food preferences because of the superior quality that has never wavered. For more than 15 years, Tapatio has delivered quality Mexican food that fits many tastes without fail.
The main reason I go to Tapatio is for my all-time favorite dish – fish tacos. Tapatio serves their version, the “Baja fish tacos,” with a light creamy sauce, fresh lime, avocado and perfectly battered fish on a flour tortilla. The lightness and fragrance of all the fresh ingredients have kept me coming back for more for over a decade.
Not only does Tapatio excel in entrees, but the appetizers and sides exceed my expectations as well. As soon as I am seated, a waiter or waitress brings over freshly made salsa and warm, house made tortilla chips that are so delicious I have filled myself up on them before my food even arrived. And don’t even get me started on the Mexican rice and beans, I could eat them alone and be satisfied with it. Every fine detail is treated with care at Tapatio, and it definitely shows through. Although I have tried many dishes, I have never had a bad meal.
The food is always served with a multitude of sides and toppings such as fresh guacamole, sour cream and multiple choices of salsa – and of course, the legendary rice and beans. The restaurant also offers ample vegetarian dishes.
Dessert at Tapatio also never fails to impress. The restaurant introduced me to fried ice cream – a dish that baffles me. I don’t know how they manage to deep fry the ice cream without melting it, but somehow they do and it is always a hit. It is offered in vanilla and caramel flavors. Although I am a fan of the fried ice cream, the indulgent chocolate lava cake will always be my all-time favorite. the richness of the chocolate paired with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream is a great way to end the meal.
Not only is the food up to par, but the atmosphere makes it that much more enjoyable. The restaurant is almost always packed with patrons, but remarkably does not get overwhelmingly loud due to the pleasant acoustics in the restaurant. The walls and ceilings are well adorned with seasonal decorations and live plants that fit a uniform color scheme, and there is ample room in the restaurant to feel comfortable, never cramped.
Even on a Friday night, service is quick, welcoming and reliable. Often times, the waiters are so experienced that they can remember my order perfectly without even writing it down, and no order has ever been wrong or faulty, even with special requests that I have made.
Overall, Tapatio is satisfactory enough for me to put aside my general dislike for Mexican food and I am sure that I will be going back for years to come. It has become somewhat of a family tradition to eat at the restaurant. It is one of the only places that my family and I visit regularly, and I plan to continue the tradition.