Naked Lunch: Restaurant offers great food, but the service, surroundings lack flavor

McALLEN — La Tapatia was almost empty when I dropped in for lunch.

It shouldn’t have been. I found the food to be very good, although the service is just a tad slow; I had to call the waiter over a couple of times even though only two or three other tables were taken.

The atmosphere is a little too spare. However, it is clean and comfortable, with polished wooden square tables and chairs of deep burgundy red. I sat in a booth where the seats were upholstered in beige floral designs. With a name like Tapatia, I had expected much brighter colors and perhaps paintings of Mexican villages and photographs of famous Mexican celebrities. Instead, the cream-colored, cinder block walls are decorated with neatly placed paintings of shuttered windows with balconies festooned with flowers, European country sides, and pots the color of orange marmalade and

red earth.

I found the menu diverse and interesting; the restaurant offers a good selection. I had a hard time deciding whether I wanted carne asada, chicken breast a la parilla, chimichangas or just a simple hamburger with French fries. I could have gotten the La Tapatia sampler with taco, cheese enchilada, and chile relleno with rice and beans for $9.95, but I instead chose the La Compuesta.

While I waited, I munched a few of the taco chips the waiter had set before me, and I found them to be some of the lightest, crispiest chips I had ever tasted. I didn’t get a chance to enjoy them for long. Pretty soon, my plate was set before me with a delightful concoction of beans, chicken (you can also get it with beef or pork), lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream and guacamole all nestled on a large, puffy flour tortilla. The tortilla itself was wonderfully crispy, and I found the entire meal delicious.

I returned a few days later for dinner. There was only one other table filled — the waiter told me later it starts filling up at about 7 p.m. — and my waiter immediately came to my table. He pointed out the restaurant offers agua frescas on its menu, and I ordered a jamaica. He quickly brought me a tall cold glass of this refreshing beverage.

I looked over the menu again. I thought for a moment that I might get one of the four shrimp dishes, but thought better of it. The soups — caldo de pollo and caldo de camaron — also looked good, as did the three selections of burritos. The waiter also had told me they had a special on the two tostada plate.

However, I decided on the chicken breast a la parrilla, a salad with avocado, cucumbers, tomato and choice of salad dressing. My meal soon arrived, featuring generous strips of chicken spread over a bed of fresh lettuce and grated carrots, with strips of avocado. A line of cucumber slices were spread along the edge, but I was surprised it didn’t come with the tomato as advertised. However, this small oversight didn’t diminish the overall pleasure of the meal. I found the chicken very tasty and the lettuce light and crispy. The meal was just enough to satisfy my hunger without overwhelming me.

La Tapatia is a great place for families to dine on fresh, hot meals in a comfortable setting with somewhat decent service. I was a little perturbed that, when I went to pay my bill (under $10) they didn’t have extra change, but that was a small matter.

Children under age 10 can order from a child’s menu, and La Tapatia also serves breakfast.

Two mounted TV in opposite corners add some entertainment, while ceiling fans overhead circulate the cool air through the dining area. The owners could add some personality to the dining room and give it the more of the spontaneous energy of Mexico, but they’ve created an establishment where diners can get some fine Mexican food.

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Travis Whitehead covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4452.

WHAT: La Tapatia, WHERE: 6500 N. 10th St., Suite J, McAllen

HOURS: 10 a.m.- 9 p.m. Mon-Sat.; 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. Sun.

COST: $

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE: Yes

PAYMENT: Accepts major credit cards, no checks

RATING: 2 ½

Atmosphere: 2 ½

Food: 3 ½

Service: 2