La Catrina Restaurant & Tortilleria — Restaurant in De Pere

I am currently on a taco tour trying to find the best chips and salsa, steak taco and lime margarita. All are rated on a scale of 1-5

Taco Tour stop #26 La Catrina Mexican Restaurant & Tortilleria - 310 N. Wisconsin St Depere, WI

This tour was a little different due to it being our only stop and we had lunch. A steak taco plate, chicken taco plate and quesa birria were all ordered.

Chips and Salsa: The chips were thick and lightly salted. Even though the chips were thicker, they were almost airy. The salsa was so fresh, full of flavor and just a great kick - 5

Lime Margarita on the rocks: These were freshly made. Not too sour and not too sweet. Just a really great and refreshing margarita. We could see ourselves enjoying several of these on a warm summer day - 5

Steak Taco: Flavor: 5 Fullness: 5 Appearance: 5

This steak was well seasoned and had a nice char on it. The tortillas are handmade and so good. I personally would have like the tortillas to have been fried on the flattop a little more, but the tortilla held up and did not break apart and was a great addition to the meat.

Service - really good service and very personable - 5

We were asked if he wanted red or green salsa for our meal and then if we wanted hot or mild. We went with green and asked for both hot and mild. Both were delicious and the mild had a kick which some thought was a lot….however when you added the salsa to your taco it 100% took that food to the next level.

Chicken: Flavor: 3 Fullness: 4 Appearance: 4

Flavor was good and “on point”

Quesa Birria: Flavor: 3 Fullness: 5+ Appearance: 3

We have never had Quesa Birria before, so we don’t have anything to compare it to at this time. But overall it was really good.

We were given rice and beans with our plates which were delicious.

This place prides themselves on using fresh ingredients and making things from scratch and it really shows.

We would definitely come back here again and this place has moved into our top three places.

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Super food, room for improvement on service. This was our 2nd time dining with them and two different experiences.

We dined first on the Wednesday before the Draft. We were 1 of 2 tables in the restaurant at the time. We were seated quickly and orders taken promptly. Very nice first experience. The food was awesome. Very much original. The Mexican rice was very fresh, soft and fluffy. Our food came out quickly and tasted awesome.

Our second experience fell short of our expectations unfortunately. Upon arrival, we were asked to wait a few minutes for an open table...that was fine- no biggies there; a few minutes isn't bad and they were busy (good thing!). The hostess walked us to a table, oddly one that was open when we arrived. We sat and reviewed the menu. A few minutes later two other groups of people came, they were seated right away. Another few minutes passed and those two other tables got their meal and drink orders taken. We were forgotten. I gave them a few more minutes, then had enough watching them eat their chips and have their drinks-- I walked up to the bar. The bar tender was busy making drinks for other folks and said she'd be with me shortly. I waited, perhaps 5 more minutes there and she assumed I was checking out. I told her "hey, you guys forgot us, two other groups came in after us, two other groups are having their chips/salsa, drinks and menu orders taken." I didn't hear an apology but "oh, not sure who missed their table". Anywho, we eventually got served like another few minutes after that discussion.

I very rarely tip under 20% and this was one of those rare occassions. Service fell far short I'm afraid. Traveling and dining with kids is tough, especially with patience. Predictability and promptness is usually held with high regard at hispanic and asian restaurants- and this did not meet that level. Since I'm the diner who usually always picks, I will reserve choices more...

This was our first time eating at this restaurant. I almost didn't come because the Google review photo contained tables and chairs arranged like the old buffet restaurant that used to be there. I was pleasantly surprised! The new owners did a great job with the new seating arrangement. Cozy booths with high backs to provide some privacy. The tables and chairs were painted with colorful images that looked more modern than other Mexican restaurants. The music wasn't too loud. It was upbeat and happy; which helped me get in a good mood!

I ordered a frozen lime Margarita with salt on the rim, which was served with a colorful orange slice garnish. The drink was not too sweet and it had a unique flavor. I didn't see chimichangas on the menu, so I asked if they had shrimp chimichangas. They are in the process of updating the menu...and they serve them. They were delicious! He ordered tamales and said they were the best he's tasted locally. The tamales came with a unique cucumber salsa on the side. It was sweet and spicy (flavorful, not too hot) at the same time. I learned it's a family recipe from Mexico.

The staff was friendly and the portion sizes were just right for both of us. We don't eat out much, but we're definitely...