El Tapatio — Restaurant in Gainesville

Not a ton of choices because of the weather but we decided to give it a try based on the reviews. The salsa and chips were spot on, I ate four bowls before the food made it out. The dishes look really nice except for the watery queso. The overall taste of the dishes just weren't that great. It was a table wide consensus.

Appetizers - White Queso. 4/10 It was watery and needed some help in the flavor department. It was cheese, that's about all I can say about it.

Main Dishes - Enchiladas Supremas. 5/10 Four rolled corn tortilla, one beef, one chicken, one cheese and one bean, topped with enchiladas red sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomato and sour cream. $7.99 The beef enchilada was ok but the sauce was a bit too spicy. The chicken, bean and cheese enchiladas were blah.

Enchiladas Mexicanas. 5/10 Three enchiladas: 1 topped with green sauce, 1 topped with white sauce, 1 topped with red sauce, Served with rice and salad $7.99 Like the other dish the beef in these tasted decent but the salsa verde was a bit too spicy. The guacamole was pretty good.

Burrito El Tapatio. 4/10 A large flour tortilla filled with seasoned ground beef or spicy chicken topped with lettuce tomato, sour cream and cheese. Served with Mexican rice and beans $7.49 It was ok, the spicy chicken wasn't very good. It once again lacked flavor.

Nacho Fajita. 4/10 Cheese nachos topped with marinated tender strips of chicken, beef or mixed. Cooked with onions, peppers and tomatoes. Topped with lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo $9.25 A lot of food but the fajitas were not that great and it was coated in that watery queso.

Chimichanga Fajita. 5/10 Flour tortilla stuffed with beef or chicken fajita, deep fried to a golden brown topped with cheese sauce. Served with lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, onion, bell pepper and tomatoes $8.79 As with the nachos the fajita meat wasn't that great and the watery queso was there as well.

The customer service was ok, not horrible but not great either. Give it a try if you want, I don't recommend it, but people have different tastes and you...

06/29/23

This place use to be great. One of the reasons we liked to go every Tuesday was the nice staff they had they always greeted you nicely and that made you feel home. I haven’t seen the usual staff that I was use to instead they have young guys who seem like they are barely learning but they said they have been there for a year or two the drinks are definitely not the same weak not the correct amount of alcohol. I requested a sangria swirl my usual drink, when it was brought to me it barely tasted the alcohol, I brought it to my waiters attention and asked him nicely if I could exchange it, I literally had just taste it so was still full. His response said I can’t brother, I can bring you another one but I will have to charge you for that one. I asked him why would I have to pay for something I didn’t consume and wasn’t what I requested he than got a lady who he mention it was his manager in a green shirt with glasses who said the same with not a very friendly manner and not a friendly face. I than said that’s fine bring me another drink even if you are going to add on my bill the one I didn’t drink. Furthermore he forgot items on my plate the portions of the food compare to before are small. When I left I deducted the margarita he charge me from his tip. I wasn’t going to pay for something I didn’t drink. On my way out i make sure I had a few words with the manager and let her know to make sure she covers his tip. Not sure where is the old staff but surely I won’t be going back in there again. I drove 1:30 min just for this place I use to go every Tuesday when I was closer only to be so disappointed in every single way mainly the staff The only part I liked is they had a this 12 year old kid in the register charging people and greeting people like everyone else should be doing.

I have been in the restaurant industry and certainly that attitude and way of dealing with a customer will definitely make them not want to...

Until today, this was one of our favorite places-if today's meal had been served earlier we would not have gone back.

Things right: 1) salsa was good and mildly spicy, but could have used some salt 2) chips were nice and crunchy. 3)Husband's beer was ice cold as was the mug. 4)Guacamole was nice and creamy - good flavor. 5) Waiter was quick and attentive.

What was wrong - A LOT! 1) My margarita on the rocks was warm, as was the mug. The little ice quickly melted because the drink was so warm. We were seated in the bar area - I went to the bar and got a glass full of ice to cool it down. 2) Husband ordered a combo with carne carde sauce - he gets some sort of chili sauce that looks like spaghetti sauce and is sweet, not spicy. 3) I ordered the lunch chicken fajitas - they came out looking like chunks of chicken (think dog food) and very few vegetables. 4) flour tortillas were hard around the edges and tough - they were hot, but tough like they were left overs. 5) tried to eat the fajitas - they had an odd taste like a citrus whang - didn't taste good - over 3/4 left on plate. 6) Refried beans were pale tan, had a strange taste. I ended up eating very little of my meal.

Before we get home, about 18 miles away, I started feeling sick to my stomach. The taste from the fajitas would not go away. As soon as I got home I brushed my teeth hoping to get rid of the taste. Really didn't help. And after 3 hours my stomach hurts even more and my husband is complaining of a sick stomach. I honestly hope we were not given bad meat and do not end up with food poisoning.

We may or may not give this location another chance, but as for now if anyone mentioned going there within the next few weeks I would...