El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Warwick

I love pleasant surprises and this new Mexican place located right beside a convenience store, across--of all places--Taco Bell, Dave's (formerly Benny's) is definitely an oasis in what seems like a good food desert (not counting the Chinese restaurants and Italian deli places that line this year towards Oakland Beach). So in we went on a weeknight.

The interior decor, with the big wall mounted suns, reminded me of another nearby Mexican place but this one's got an extra twist of multicolor ceiling lights. It was a warm respite from the onset of the cold weather and darkness outside. I was impressed that they had at least 3 tables occupied that evening and turnover that was not too shabby given the day and time of the week. Good sign. The servers were helpful and friendly, ready to explain and recommend dishes.

We started with the flautas for appetizer--bomb! Best one I've had so far in all the RI Mexican restaurants. Their menu is diverse--the usual suspects (staples/favorites as tacos, chimichanga, burrito) are there--but they have some unique items. Took advantage of this uniqueness by ordering a Del Mar Salad with Grilled Fish and a Tapatio Enchilada for my husband.

On to margaritas! Nothing unique with the flavor available so we went for a large Black Jack margarita that is made with Chambord (raspberry liqueur).

Price is right as well. All told, we spent $73 for the above, with tax sans tip.

I really like this place for a very fundamental reason, which is its competitive difference--the taste and quality of the food. Sure that is subjective but IMHO, it has the most savory prepared Mexican...

My husband and I stopped here for a quick dinner; I was in the mood for Mexican food. We will definitely be coming back! The staff was super friendly and helpful. The service was quick. Our meals were out in less than ten minutes! We got chips and salsa to start (with no charge). The chips were fresh and warm. The salsa was also fresh. It had a great variety of vegetables! We ordered a steak burrito and a quesadilla ranchera. The burrito was enormous (we’re excited for the leftovers!). The steak was very moist and well seasoned, and the guacamole was heavenly. Our only complaint is that the burrito was slightly over salted, otherwise we couldn’t have asked for better. The quesadilla was exactly what we were looking for. The shredded beef was juicy, and the cheese was evenly distributed. I wish the tortilla had been crispier but it didn’t bother me too much because every other element was so good. The prices were about average for a nice Mexican restaurant. The bill came out to $33 for two people. We’ll definitely be returning...

Went to the Cranston location and was very pleased with the food and service. Excellent! I ordered a combo supreme with a pork enchilada and a tamal. My husband got the enchilada and taco, both with pork. Everything was delicious. The tamal was my favorite. There is something about that steamed corn in contrast with the beautifully flavored shredded pork that I love. The enchilada was delicious, too, with a different shredded pork in a corn tortilla, topped with a little sprinkle of cheese and sauce.The side condiments were on point. Great guacamole, perfect beans and delicious rice. All in all, this was a great meal. Will...