Chapala Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Ann Arbor

On my last day in Ann Arbor visiting my daughter we decided to have something besides American food. We were trying to decide what cuisine we wanted and decided on Mexican food. My daughter said her friends recommended this place because they said the food is good and the portions are big.

We were on our way back from spending a day in Chicago and hadn't eaten breakfast. I looked at the reviews and pictures of the food before getting there and wanted everything because it all looked delicious.

When we got there I immediately loved the look of the place because it looked very authentic. I can't stand when I go to a Mexican place and it's whitewashed and overpriced. This was not the case.

The menu is extensive. They do have a lot of Tex-Mex dishes but they also have a lot of authentic Mexican dishes. They do have a full bar and offer many signature drinks. Even though I looked at the menu before arriving I still couldn't decide what I wanted. Upon arrival they serve complimentary chips and salsa. I think the salsa isn't homemade it sort of tasted like a commercial brand. The chips were warm.

My daughter ordered a drink that had a frozen strawberry ice pop in it. I didn't get a drink because I was driving. I wound up just ordering fajitas Tejanas which is just a trio of protein- steak, shrimp and chicken. It came with Pico, sour cream, guacamole and your choice of corn or flour Tortillas (3). It's also accompanied with rice and beans. You can get it with melted cheese on top for an extra $1. I did, because I love cheese. My daughter ordered a lobster quesadilla. It came with a Chipotle sauce and topped with a mango salsa. Her quesadilla was huge!! My portion of food was really big too. It was full of protein and not just the veggies which I love. A lot of times you order fajitas and they're full of veggies and no protein. The fajitas came out sizzling like at most places. What I loved was how the onions and peppers kept cooking on the skillet and caramelized. I asked for hot sauce and they brought out a bowl or their house sauce. It was spicy but had a really good flavor. They also have Tabasco if you like. Oh, I also wanted to add that the rice and beans were tasty as well. I don't normally eat the rice that comes with Mexican food because it always tastes like box rice- but this one didn't.

Service was quick and the staff were friendly. I would go back and my daughter said she will be returning (she lives...

Bad waitress service – Martha R.

Last weekend, to be precise on Saturday, November 11, a total of 9 people, including friends and family, visited the restaurant and were treated very rudely by Martha R, one of the waitresses.

My friends and family (some) ordered a total of 5 drinks, two of which were served, firstly in a bad way and secondly wrongly. We had every intention of dining there, until we changed our minds and left the place after paying for drinks due to poor service.

Drink 1: A specific beer was ordered and a different one was served. We let the waitress know, she takes the beer and comes back with it saying that this is the beer you are ordering. The first conflict is not resolved. Arguing that the bartender says it is the correct beer. Which doesn't make sense when you're ordering a different one.

While he takes our drink order he brings us chips and salsa for the two tables we had together.

Drink 2: I asked her for a specific margarita and I ask you to please serve it “frozen”. The margarita was served to me on “the rocks”. Then I ask her to please change my margarita because I ordered it another way and she says: –that margarita can't be served “frozen”, and she added that the only margarita that can be made “frozen” is the Margarita of the house. It seems to me a lack of respect and rudeness on her end when she had not specified that before taking the order and knowing that you cannot serve me what I am asking for.

As a group we decided to pay for the drinks and not dine at the place due to the poor treatment we are being given and then we asked her to bring us the bill to pay. In a very rude manner she began to snatch glasses from the two tables and at the same way she very angrily removed the chips and salsa from the tables, she passed over the glasses and did not make sure or ask if we were already finished with the drinks!! We all could notice the hostile and rude way in which she removed everything that was on the table.

We have been customers of the restaurant for over 4 years, and have recommended this...

I rarely write Google reviews, especially negative ones but I felt compelled to share my experience at Chapala Mexican Restaurant yesterday.

To start on a positive note, our server was fantastic. She was attentive, helped us choose drinks and appetizers, and handled our concerns with kindness. Unfortunately, the issue began when we ordered the Quesadilla with Scallops and Portobello Mushrooms. When it arrived, the scallops had an overwhelmingly strong fishy odor, making the dish nearly inedible. We voiced our concerns, and our server graciously offered to replace it.

What completely ruined the evening was how the so called “manager” chose to handle the situation. Instead of listening, he came to our table and argued with us, saying: “This is what you ordered, and this is how scallops are supposed to smell.” Buddy, I’ve eaten scallops enough times in my life to know the difference between fresh and spoiled, frozen ones. When I mentioned this, he dismissively told us: “If you don’t want this, then it’s your problem, not mine.”

That response was not only unprofessional but also disrespectful. We weren’t trying to take advantage of the situation and we barely touched the food. There’s a huge difference between a picky customer and the one pointing out spoiled food, and the fact that the manager couldn’t see that says everything about what’s wrong there.

If the manager happens to read this: You need to understand that Chapala isn’t some one-of-a-kind gem in Ann Arbor. There are countless Mexican restaurants here, and most of them serve great food and provide great service without treating customers like they’re the problem for pointing out a legitimate issue.

I’ve been coming here for nearly two years, but after this experience, I will not be coming back and I’ll be telling my friends and family to avoid...