Tampico Kitchen + Lounge

Game night! The Santa Cruz Warriors were playing last Saturday night in town, so we needed food close to the arena. Tampico Kitchen, located at Pacific and Maple Avenue, fit the bill. It's been around forever and I've been a few times, but not for awhile. Let's try it out and write it up!

Tampico Kitchen + Lounge

Alan and I were looking for a filling, hot meal since it was like 40 degrees outside. Not typical Santa Cruz weather! Some rice and beans in our bellies should keep us happy as we watched the game.

We sat in the main dining room as opposed to the bar lounge area. The place was packed for a Saturday night and I didn't see an empty table. And they didn't have the playoffs on, so the dining room was it for us.

Our chips and salsa came quick, which was great. Not a full basket, but they offered free refills. The salsa was thin, but packed a punch. I'd rate it a 6 out of 10 since it did spice up the food, but not spectacularly. And why so little in the bowl?

Alan got the Killer Quesadilla (($12.95) - he had heard it was pretty good from others. His pint of Negra Modela draft was $4.50. Well, I thought quesadillas were flat with two tortillas and everything squeezed in between. Not here! He said it looked more like a big soft taco. The chicken inside was good-sized and plentiful. But he was sad the rice and beans were cold.

I got the Chicken Mole ($12.95), which also came with rice and beans. My domestic bottle of beer was $3.50. The chicken was tender and had a mix of breast and thigh meat. A few bits of gristle didn't deter me from enjoying the dish. The mole sauce was decent, but not amazing. I did like the flour tortillas that came with it to roll my own.

So if you said "Mexican food downtown", I'd still pick El Palomar over Tampico, but it's a decent second place. And it's a shorter walk to the Arena.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 6
Service: 6
Atmosphere: 7
Value for the price: 6
Overall: 6.25

Casa Rosita's

Who likes Mexican food? A show of "manos", por favor. Aha, I knew it. You can't escape it here in California, but why would you want to? Melty cheese, spicy salsa, succulent meats all served with beans and rice. Sign me up!

Casa Rosita's (Yelp)

There are a lot of Mexican spots around town, so what makes this place any different? Let's find out. We got there on a Friday night and we had to wait about 5-10 minutes for a table. That is a good sign.

They have a small bar with about four bar-stools if you are thirsty, but they only serve beer and wine. Ever have a Beer-rita?

We were seated in the corner and chips and salsa were promptly delivered. They have two kids: pico de gallo and a spicy red. The red didn't kick in at first, but had a slow burn if you like that sort of thing. Not too hot, but I'd advise against guzzling it by the gallon.

She went with the #1 combo of a Beef Taco and Steak Enchilada with rice and beans ($11.50). It arrived hot with lots of cheese on top. She liked how the meat was cooked and the little bit of guacamole on the side. A star of the plate was the enchilada sauce, which had just the right amount of chili flavor.

I went a la carte (that's how I roll) with a Spinach Enchilada, Chicken Tamale and 1/2 beans for $11. I didn't miss the rice and I got some avocado slices on my tamale. Mmm... just looking at this picture now as I'm writing up this review makes me want to drive down there again tonight. Everything in this meal  was delicious. The tamale had a nice light cheese sauce over it that was a good contrast to the slightly spicy enchilada sauce. Magnifico!

This place is a bit far for me, being out on Portola Drive (right behind Cole's BBQ). But if you want a homey, feel-good Mexican meal, you know where to go. Tell 'em Juan sent you!

Scores out of 10:
Food: 8
Service: 8
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 8
Overall: 7.75