La Tapatia Restaurant is a hole in the wall sort of a place. It is easy to miss the fact that this little restaurant exists. If a friend of mine had not told me about this place, I would have never found it. Now I am telling you about it so you can sample the great food for yourself. Tucked away at the back of a Mexican Grocery Store on the south side of “downtown” Phoenix, right next to Roscoes BBQ, is a family run restaurant pumping out some of the most authentic and consistently excellent tacos in the valley.
I have made it into a hobby of sorts to personally seek out the best tacos and burritos in the Rogue Valley. I have sampled tacos throughout all of Mexico and have my favorites all over the country, from Mexico City to Guadalajara, from Tijuana to La Penita, Nayarit. I always go to the place that seems most frequented by the locals. You wait longer in line, but you get what you wait for, and are less likely to have an unpleasant experience. With that said, you could say my years of street taco sampling has made me into something of an authority when it comes to tacos.
So, back to our little restaurant. La Tapatia is located at 125 South Main St. in Phoenix, on Highway 99 going south on the left. It is family owned and operated. These wonderful folks hail originally from Guadalajara, hence the name of the establishment. La Tapatia means “the woman from Guadalajara”. The restaurant is open 6 days a week, closed on Tuesday. Monday is referred to in my family as “Taco Monday” because tacos are just a buck. Normally they are just $1.25 and a bargain -- 4 or 5 is a decent meal. The place is only open till about 7pm so it is more of a lunch, or early dinner place. The 12:00 o’clock hour can be jam packed so you are best to get there early afternoon or just before 12 noon to beat the rush.
The key to a great taco is fresh quality meats, proper spices, and homemade tortillas. You are guaranteed all these at La Tapatia. As you make your way to the back of the store, you walk by 20 feet of glass encased meats freshly prepared by the butcher who also coincidently runs the restaurant -- guaranteed freshness. The spices are outstanding and add to the authentic nature of the meal. A small salsa bar offers various salsas ranging from mild to “take your head off” hot. The brightest colored salsa is HOT!, but very tasty. And the tortillas are fresh off the grill, not reheated.
If you are not a meat eater then the Chili Relleno plate is outstanding, and they also offer a vegetarian burrito. The Relleno comes with beans and rice with small salad and as many handmade tortillas as you can eat. South Beach dieters beware. The cheese stuffed anaheim chilis are smoothered in a nice red sauce and they hit the spot without the meat. If you are a meat eater, you are in for a treat. It is all good. I usually grab a mixed plate of tacos with Carne Asada (Beef Steak), Adobada (seasoned pork), and Pollo (chicken) being my favorites. The Carnitas is dry but good, especially with a couple spoons of fresh salsa. The Chorizo (Mexican sausage) is especially excellent and prepared fresh in the aforementioned Carniceria (Meat Store). Lengua (Cow tongue) is the only thing I have not tried, just not my style, but if you feel daring give it a go. By the way, I can feed my family of four with two growing boys for about $25 with drinks.
If you are looking for a place to impress a date with fancy digs and a high price tag, this is not the place for you. There is nothing fancy about this place, and that is part of the charm. You order at the register and they bring you your food. Lots of great items to choose from and everything I have tried has been outstanding. Every time I walk into this place I feel like I have gone back to Mexico and I never walk out dissatisfied. La Tapatia is a place for good quality food that is prepared with pride and authenticity. Don’t feel bad if your tab for two comes to no more than $12 or $15 bucks, you can always leave a nice tip in the tip jar. Viva Mexico! Buen Provecho!
La Tapatia
125 South Main St.
Phoenix, Oregon 97535
541-535-4565
