La Tapatia is on Parkcenter in the same lot as Red Robin and Barbacoa, so I've definitely passed by it, probably hundreds of times. Hell, I lived less than a mile away for a while. Weird. The patio seems decent, if not a bit small. Inside is laid out well enough, quiet and clean. The menu is large, quite a few options. In fact, this was the first time I've run into two separate fish taco entree options. I explained my predicament and they graciously offered to combine the plates and give me two of each.
Presentation - Good, simple decor, not too flashy. Enough to feel like a Mexican restaurant without smooshing your face in it. Service was great, glasses were never empty and chips and salsa showed up shortly after we sat down. The plating was fairly traditional, though I will say that the plate was damn near on fire for a few minutes. I brushed my arm against it a few times shortly after it was delivered and I sure felt it. The bare corn tortillas are the Tacos Mexicanos, the spiced ones are Tacos Al Comal. 4/5
Aroma - Something about the smell was just fantastic. As usual, hard to tell why, but it was about perfect. Citrus, spice, all that, spot on. First perfect score here. 5/5
Value - The online menu I found puts these at $10.75-11.50, which is not bad. However, the actual current menu price for either is $13.99, a pretty sizable jump. They were nice enough to give me 4, entrees are usually only 3. The low point of this review, just not a great deal. I did leave full, so it's still a good sized meal, but a below average deal. 4/10
Fish - In former reviews for places with multiple options I've reviewed the better of the two. Here that's hard to nail down, they were both pretty good. Tacotatorship, I will review both! The Al Comal were grilled and spiced really well. A good bit of bite, garlic, maybe some chipotle in there. The description is vague, so those are a guess, but the flavor was great. The Mexicanos were fried, medium-heavy batter and a really nice lime flavor to them. If there's one fault to find here, the fried were a bit on the bland side, well flavored but pretty mild, especially compared to the Al Comal. However, minor gripe at most. Both had plenty of fish per taco. Two for two. 8/10
Not Fish - Tacotatorship, double double review! Corn tortillas for both, though just one per taco and they did fall apart a bit. The Al Comal tortillas had a spice or sauce on them that added to the overall spiciness. Non-traditional, but I liked it. The Mexicanos had lettuce and pico de gallo in them, the Al Comal had tomatoes, onions, and a few other things that are slipping my mind. The guacamole was good and a nice addition to both tacos and the sauce had a nice spiciness to it. The side of rice and beans was mild, but good. I cleaned my plate without issue. One gripe as usual, no limes. 7/10
Overall Taste - Triple double? Triple double! The Mexicanos were, as mentioned, a bit on the mild side. More traditional, the sauce and guac did a good job of filling them out a bit. The Al Comal edged out the win, non-traditional and it really works. I wish they had a slightly more filled out menu description so I could remember what the hell was on them. 8/10
Bonus Points - Kids meals were fine, Christine's enchiladas were well reviewed, all around solid meal that came in at $50 with a tip, about average for us anymore. I'm almost tempted to give them one for the bonus taco, but that doesn't seem fair. Oh well. +0
Overall Overall - 36/50
The value torpedoed this one. Currently tied for 3rd with The Reef, but at the price advertised online I think they'd be a strong 2nd behind Bittercreek (whose future still remains up in the air). The rules of Tour de Fish Taco are unflinchingly rigid and divisive, and thus, on we go!
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