El catrin Mexican cuisine — Restaurant in Belle Plaine

We won't be back.

We stopped in there this past Sunday for lunch. The first sign you're in a bad restaurant is when you're the only customers at lunch time. That was nearly the case. Two ladies came in shortly after we did. Other than that, the place was empty.

They brought out complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were bland and a little stale. Probably out of a bag. A good Mexican restaurant will make their own chips on site. The salsa? I couldn't really call it a salsa. Again, probably out of a jar and had the consistency and flavor of tomato juice. If there was any onion, any cilantro, any lime, any spice... anything (!) to it beyond tomato juice, we failed to find it.

You know you're in a great Mexican restaurant when the food comes and you're kinda disappointed you have to put the chips and salsa aside. Not here. After three chips I'd had enough.

Even though it took a very long time for the server to take our order, the food came out very fast. Very, very fast. And that is not a good sign. That means they're not making it fresh, but just popping it into a microwave.

I had a seafood chimichanga, which was all right. There was a lot of shrimp and crab in it, which I appreciated, but if it was seasoned it was done so very lightly. There was nothing else in the chimichanga. No rice, no cheese, nothing. Just the seafood and the tortilla. Oh, and a dollop of sour cream that had a funky taste.

On the side was bland rice, probably out of a box, and some kind of brown slop that was supposed to be beans. It was more like a thin, bean flavored liquid with a small sprinkle of cheese on top.

In the end, it wasn't horrible, I suppose. It was the quality you might expect in a frozen dinner. So, passable and edible, but not worth the price.

Even worse than the food was the service. I mentioned it took a very long time to order, despite the place being nearly dead. Well, at the end of the meal, I was looking over the dessert menu. The server paid us a visit and, without a word, dropped the ticket on the table. No attempt to ask if the food was okay or if we wanted dessert or anything else. At that point, it felt like they were in a rush to get rid of us. I decided that since everything up to that point had been disappointing, dessert would probably be more of the same.

We waited at our table for at least three minutes for him to come back and take the credit card. Then I thought maybe I needed to go to the register, so we did that. We waited there another ten minutes. I began counting the coins in my pocket to see if I could just leave the cash and walk out. I did not have the correct change and did not want to leave a tip. (I almost always tip). Eventually, I had to go to the kitchen and get the attention of the staff before I could pay and leave.

I cannot recommend. Overpriced and uninspired food along with almost...

Stopped in at lunchtime today for the first time. Beautiful on the inside. I love the colorful tables & chairs! The man I interacted with was really friendly and helpful. He was so nice! I made a large order to go and everything was accurate. They didn't miss a thing! I ordered a variety of items for the whole family. The Mexican hamburger and fries were very good. It's very unexpected that they have such great fries! The ground beef burritos were great, and so were the Chimichangas. Everything was delicious but I've gotta say - the tortas! Wow! Soooo good! I tried a bite of my son's Chorizo torta and it was so delicious but I think my item was the best of all - the Carnitas Torta. It's the only picture I thought to get so I've included it. It was so so good. The taste of that pork was perfect and the avocado slices on it were so creamy and delicious. That roasted pork was soooo tender and some of the best. I will definitely be returning! I want to try some other dishes and every time I will order a Carnitas...

I've went a couple times now, once for lunch and once for dinner. Both times we were seated quickly and got chips and salsa and drink orders within a few minutes. Ordering food was more dependent on how busy the place was. The menu is fairly diverse with a good selection of proteins. It's more than just ground beef, steak, or chicken. There were several seafood options, as well as carnitas in various forms. Everything was good in my opinion and tasted fresh. I got fajitas once and burrito verde (carnitas in a green chili sauce). Between the two meals, I also got rice, beans, and an avocado salad. The person I ate with got street tacos both times, with cilantro and onion on a corn tortilla, instead of the more typical lettuce / cheese / flour tortilla. Good options on the kids menu as well. Not just mac and cheese and chicken tenders, but offers some options for kids that are in line with the rest of the menu. Definitely would go back, it's our new favorite...