Rita's Margaritas & Mexican Grill — Restaurant in Arcata

Stopped in mid afternoon Saturday because it's located among the shopping district where we were walking about. Nothing special here. Salsa was decent, chips were out of a bag; not house made. Margaritas were pretty good. I would've gotten a second one, but we never saw our waiter again after he brought the food out. We flagged him down to ask for the check when someone else got their food. I ordered a chicken tamale, which was offered with either red or green sauce. It contained a miniscule quantity of shredded chicken in a red sauce ( I ordered green) with a puddle of green sauce on the plate adjacent. It did taste pretty good. Obligatory rice and beans required a ton of salt to have any flavor. Wife ordered chile relleno and was severely disappointed to receive a pepper full of cheese and nothing else inside. It wasn't expensive by local standards, but did leave a lot to be desired. Two margaritas plus our entrees, I think totalled right...

Just to point out. The locals all put 5 stars. They're from humboldt county. They've never tried authentic Mexican food so of course they're going to say 5 stars. But let me tell you this place doesn't even deserve one star. This place serves probably the most DISGUSTING, literally the most DISGUSTING FOOD I have ever tried in my life. The food is not fresh at all. It tastes like canned food and on top of that it is wayyyyy over priced. $11 for a burrito (with no meat) that just falls apart? The menu supposidly says that the tortillas are hand made tortillas? No. I've tried hand made tortillas and let me tell you it's nothing NEAR as close as a hand made tortilla. Taste like card board to me. On top of that all my clothes smell like oil? I go to a restaurant and walk out smelling like I cooked my own meal? Not cool. I have this place so many chances (just thinking I ordered the wrong thing) But no this place sucks I'm done...

This quaint little place is located on the Southwest side of the town square. Just ask anybody for Rita's and they will point it out to you. On a Tuesday, this was the only place in town opened after 8:00 P.M. Thank God for taco Tuesday. The place was packed including the patio area where some music was playing on a speaker. Everyone from the wait staff, to the servers, and bartenders were very attentive. The soft tacos 🌮 were generously proportioned and seasoned. There's over 15 different choices on the taco Tuesday menu including vegetarian options. Let's just say there's something on the menu to cater to every pallette.

Don't forget the margaritas. We ended up with a pitcher made with 1800 tequila. It was the perfect combination of salt, sugar, lime, and tequila. Keep an eye out for Ed, the owner. So if you're ever in Arcata, make sure to stop by Rita and enjoy a Margarita 🍹... especially on Taco...