La Tapatia Taqueria

08/14/09

use the menu to keep track of prices...or you'll be cheated!

by tcmommy at Citysearch

the last three, that's right, three, times my family and i have eaten at this place, the waitress has upped our bill by adding items we did not order OR changing prices from the menu...and each time for $3 to $4 bucks. now, while that may not seem like a lot, multiply that by the number of tables per day. we have never had this problem at the original "la tapatia" in the montrose...i would strongly recommend anyone who likes the restaurant to make the drive and go to the original place (even though it has moved further west on richmond)! also, the queso con chorizo is 10X better at the montrose restaurant...the stuff at the richmond/ chimney rock location is flavorless in comparison. we did wait months between trying the chimney rock la tapatia...hoping it was simply one bad apple. but, no! we will NEVER return...and when confronted, management supports the cheating and lying.

this place should be avoided like the plague...and i would rate it 1/2 star...except that's not an option!

• Pros: near our home
• Cons: the waitresses will try to rip you off EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!

07/22/09

good food, good times

by daisychain at Citysearch

I eat here regularly and my favorite things are a chicken burrito drenched in queso, and a nice strong margarita, and the mango margarita is good, too. Alejandra has waited on me several times and was super sweet!

• Pros: prices
• Cons: none

02/19/09

Good price

by connusieuroffood at Citysearch

The food at lunch time was excellent. It came out in 5 mins after I ordered and was piping hot and fresh. Yummy enchiladas and taco. 7 dollars for 2 enchiladas a taco, rice and beean plus a tea. Great food and service

07/09/08

I really miss my favorite tacqueria...

by MsJaccyn at Citysearch

When I was a student at UST (1992), I discovered the great TexMex food at LaTapatia and for $5.00 you fed 2 people easily. I love TexMex and I have tried all sorts of restaurants with outstanding reputations for latin cooking. Now I live on DC and when I visit Houston I head directly to LaTapatia because the authentic tacos (barbacoa, carnitas, & shrimp), tortas, tilapia, enchiladas are excellent! It has been fun introducing LaTapatia to my friends that venture to Houston with me and as much as they enjot Papadeaux's they talk about the food at my favorite tacqueria. Try it!!!

05/28/07

Taqueria La Tapitia ~ Where's the La Tapitia?

by magicreview at Citysearch

For those of you who remember Tacqueria La Jalliance on Montrose fondly and the great times held nightly in this legendary late night mexican food joint...Tacqueria La Tapitia tries to recapture the classic feeling of the former retired establishment replete with the usual $4-5 dollar burrito dinners. If you think this Taqueria (Tapitia) follows in it's footsteps...Please, lend me your ear and let me steer you in other directions! Starting with the salsas, one chile rojo and the other tomatillo both are bland and uninteresting and taste straight out of the prefabbed can. I will allow them a cudo for the chips being hot, but that's where it ends. The chile con queso was melted velveta...nothing else. Seriously, we had to dump masssive amounts of the complemtary chile rojo salas in and still never quite got a respectable version. (If you can't make salsa and or chile con queso then how can you be expected to make the more complicated fare? The only draw I can see for these places is that they are never really crowded and the extensive happy hour 11-11pm. I can see why they offer cut rate prices on alchohol...it's to get you drunk on cheap booze in and effort so you will reall not notice how sub par the food is. (By the way...I tried this route and got stung by the barkeep, we ordered shots of 1800 Tequlia and half of them were not the genuine article...as if true Texans are stupid enough not to know the difference between J Cuervo1800 and Motezuma tequila...hint to the barkeep...they are completely different shades of yellow...you're not fooling anyone.Take the spanish rice...it's plain rice with leftover tomatoes, chicken stock and copious amounts of Egg Shell dye. (For those of you not in the biz...Egg shell dye makes what ever you put it in turn bright yellow. Most un-reputable places use it to fool the rubes that it contains saffron, which of course it doesn't.) Since I'm running out of space ...Save your money for a place that cares.

• Pros: Hot chips, not crowded
• Cons: High school cafeteria on Mexican day could beat this place/Don't trust the barkeep.

02/25/07

Great food for reasonable prices

by luli_brooks at Citysearch

This is a great place to dine in or order out. Take-out food is usually ready in ten minutes or less; service in-house is friendly and fast. The food is pretty authentic Mexican, and I've never had a bad order. This is my top choice in Houston for comfort food or late night dinner!

• Pros: great service, great food
• Cons: n/a

11/27/06

This Mexico City-style tacqueria serves straightforward food without fanfare.

by Contributor at Citysearch

The Scene
A bustling dining room with mustard walls is lit by neon advertising signs. A full bar on the right greets customers, while a fountain adds some soothing trickling. Televisions and a jukebox pick up the pace.

The Food
These kitchens offer perfectly straightforward shrimp tacos: eight to ten small, grilled shrimp, folded into double corn tortillas lined with a bed of sharp white onions and cilantro. The tortas (sandwiches), built on toasted bolillos (small loaves of Mexican bread) are smeared with refried beans and sour cream, and your choice of fried fajita, pork al pastor or chicken breast. Soups are excellent, but enchilada platters and the like are too greasy. Overall, the food is hearty, if a little Spartan, but you can spoon on either of the two good table salsas to add some flavor.

11/20/06

Best Sit-Down Tacos in Town for the value

by phayssonetruth1007 at Citysearch

I have been going here for over 10 years and it only gets better. The soft tacos with Cilantro and Onions is my standard fare. If you want an appetizer better order it with your drink order or it will arrive with your entree. Love the Tacos Al Pastor (pork). Pork is sufficiently griddled and spiced, and has a wonderful flavor. Lime helps add some moisture and adds a subtle sweet/tart to the cilatro and onion flavor. Frijoles al la charra are excellent but can vary in flavor. I can have two tacos al pastor and a small frijoles al la carra with a great tasting frozen margarita for $10! Sometimes it can be loud due to hard surfaced decor and when restaurant is busy. Waitstaff service can be a bit chaotic depending on your service, there are some seasoned pros and some new wait staff, but nonethe less whoever is your waitperson the food will not fail.

• Pros: Value and Consistent Food
• Cons: sometimes order not exactly right perhaps due to language barrier but nothing bad ever comes out of that kitchen

10/27/06

Looks are deceiving!

by rachaelg at Citysearch

On the outside, La Tapatia doesn't look like much, but inside it is a festive and happening restaurant! The waitstaff might not speak english very well, but they are fast and the food is AWESOME! They're open late too, so you can even pop in for tacos and tamales after a night out on the town. Highly recommended.

05/04/06

Great Value - Service Is Fine...

by runner736 at Citysearch

EXCELLENT VALUE - DON'T PASS IT UP. The comments about the service at La Tapatia are a bit harsh, after all, it's not a 5 star palace so you should set your expectations accordingly. I've been going to the Richmond Ave location about twice a month since they remodeled it several years ago and I haven't had a single issue. Sure, mistakes can make your experience sour, however every complaint I'm reading could be said about any of the restaurants in the city whether they're $ or $$$$. Food is great, service is excellent, and the margaritas are wonderful.

• Pros: food, margaritas, price