Tapatios Cocina Mexicana — Restaurant in Fitchburg

I wrote a review 5 years ago, complimenting the food and expressing disappointment with the bar service. We enjoy the food and have been back several times since, but rarely ordered mixed drinks. Our experience last night was a repeat. The food prices are on the higher side but, the food is really good. Likewise, the alcohol drink prices are on the high side but the service is poor at best. Our service was also only mediocre. Our group of 4 ordered drinks as soon as a server came to our table. Each drink was directly from the menu without customization. We waited over 15 minutes before our server came back to our table to check in and I asked about our drink order and had to ask if we could place our food order. We ordered our food, and our server returned in just a few moments later to check on us when I again asked about our drink order. Our food was served fairly promptly and we were almost half done before we were served our drinks. And then our server just disappeared for a long while. She was working tables but not paying any attention to us. If it weren't for the location convenience and food quality, we likely would rarely return if at all. Unfortunately, our experience hasn't changed.

Original review from 2020: The tacos are consistently very good, pretty much no matter which one. Tonight I tried the fajita trio. It was good - there was a nice char on the meat and vegetables, though they could use more seasoning, likewise with the rice. The refried beans were good. The rest of our group of 6 had tacos and, between them all, had most all of the choices covered.

We also had drinks and, while they were good, they were incredibly slow to be served. We ordered our drinks just after we were seated and 3 of the 6 were served after we got our food. They seriously need to have a bartender for the evening rush instead of the current...

Tried this place on a mildly busy Saturday evening. Waited about ten minutes for a table, not a big deal. The service was good and the staff is very friendly. The server brought a small bowl of chips which were nothing special. The salsa was so-so. We had to mind how many chips we ate because a refill costs $2. Again, not a big deal but I've never been to a Mexican restaurant where they charge for a refill. And the amount of chips was probably two handfulls at most.

One thing I like about Mexican restaurants is that the entrees come out rather quickly. To our surprise, it took about 20 minutes to get a chimichanga and quesadillao. Seems an excessively long time to wait. Also, beans and rice are not included, you have to order those as sides. Another first for a Mexican restaurant. My steak chimichanga was pretty good, but it was loaded up with refried beans, so steak was hard to come by. It was just way too heavy on the beans. Also, many other restaurants place the sour cream and guacamole on the side so you can control the level of both. This chimichanga was prepared with both piled on top. So between all that guac, sour cream, and beans, it was a very heavy load and seemed to be too much of that and the steak was buried underneath. My wife's quesadillao was okay but she didn't seemed overly impressed. She only ate about a third of her meal, which is a sign she didn't care for it much.

The decor is nice and the location is a close to our home. But these concerns probably won't get us back in the door. Compadres in Middleton is still the best...

In grad school I spent a few years in Davis, California, which is where I learned to love "Cali fresh" style Mexican. I have been searching for that flavor for the subsequent 25 years and in Tapatios I finally found it!

Everything is fresh and flavorful. The jewel of their menu is their pico/salsa. The flavor is amazing, I have no idea what the secret could be. The tomatoes are deeply flavorful and ripe (like summer garden flavor even in winter!), with tons of cilantro and onion flavor. I would eat this by the gallon. NB that only the first bowl is free but $2 for each after. Doesn't matter I'd pay $10 each! Be sure to ask for the hot and medium to be brought with your entree.

For entrees I'm partial to their chicken, which has an incredible grilled flavor even buried in sauces and other ingredients. The traditional burrito is HUGE and the quesadilla cheesy and rich. Their taco selection isn't as exotic as Tex Tubbs but I feel much more flavorful. I can especially recommend the chorizo. They have several vegan options which are just as wonderful.

I will warn you that if you are fond of the long-established "popular" Madison Mexican restaurants, this probably won't be your thing. Those other guys have heat, but with very bland veggies without subtle flavor. These flavors will knock you out if you have that kind of palate!

I also need to say a word about the staff. They are incredible. They recognize and personally greet almost every repeat customer. I cannot overstate what a delight they all are and how much respect and appreciation I...