Taqueria Guadalajara — Restaurant in Davis

I started coming here back in 2011 when I was a student at UCD. They made the best chimichanga I'd ever tasted. Since graduating, I'd moved to IL and could not find an equivalent chimi. After IL, I moved to CT, and ran into the same issue. Seven years later, my boyfriend and I finally found ourselves in Davis again, and just had to go to Guadalajara for a chimichanga. Usually when you've been reminiscing about a restaurant, you build up the expectation and imagine the food better than it really was. However, we were far from disappointed this visit. The food was stellar- just like we remembered it- and the staff was absolutely wonderful and made us feel like valued guests. The gentleman who took our order- who I recognize from 9 years ago- was so sweet and jolly. When we ordered our food, he asked if that was it (we had only ordered one entree), and we let him know we were going to split the chimichanga (we can never finish a whole one alone- they're pretty big!). Instead of pushing us to order more food, he asked if we'd like our chimichanga cut for us, since we were sharing it. When we received the chimi, it was served on separate plates, and each half had its own dollop of guacamole and sour cream. No other restaurant has ever gone above and beyond like this for us! Even the wait staff was polite and very, very kind. Mind you, I am the kind of individual who is ALWAYS disappointed by my restaurant experiences, so me saying these people are incredible means a lot. Also, the restaurant hasn't changed at all in 9 years, aside from some tiny price changes, and they still serve unlimited fresh chips, fresh salsa and other toppings, and they do not charge extra for horchata nor any of their other home-brewed Hispanic drinks (they're the same price as a regular soda). Did I mention you get unlimited refills? Needless to say, if you're craving Mexican food, Guadalajara is the...

Good flavors. Poor execution. We ordered a carnitas burrito. I asked for crispy carritas and the person at the register didn't understand or seemed unwilling to ask. I had to say never mind. We like the carnitas crispy. I've been to dozens of Mexican restaurants and its never been a problem or questioned to get it crispy. Your restaurant should be the same way. The customer should get what they like. It literally takes an extra minute or two to crisp. The flavors were good as were the salsas. We did have a couple of suggestions and questions. The burrito had huge chunks of stewed carnitas. Not my favorite. Every bite ended with left over meat. My biggest suprise was this place didn't know how to properly distribute the ingredients. I can understand if it were Taco Bell. But to have all the sour cream, cheese and guacamole all at one end, while huge chunks of meat sat alone?? No excuses for that. The poor execution took away from good flavors. I suggest better consistency and listening to what the...

For decades I've been going up and down the I-80 corridor between San Francisco and Sacramento and it's such a worn path for me. And perhaps, it's this familiarity that I've neglected to review this place thinking that I must have already posted one and it's a surprise to me that I hadn't.

Well, here it is, an old favorite and as reliable as Old Faithful, an endorsement for an establishment that I've patronized for years. I can describe the food as being good and all that, it's a given.

What makes this place a gem is that it has always served up delicious meals and one of the advantages is that it's just off the freeway, the Mace exit. If you're on limited time, getting off and back on the interstate is a breeze, ample parking with gas stations nearby.

If you're traveling through from a more extended journey, this is a great place to top off your tank and your tummy, stretch your legs and then...