La Tapatía

This is just a solid family-​owned resturant. The best kind there is.
It’s obvious how much care the owners have put into the dining area. I was there to pick up a dinner shortly after leaving work, and it was spotless. Fresh paint, new floors, etc, without losing the antique feeling of the great buildings in Southwest Detroit. Hell, I’d eat here even if the place was a hole in the wall.
I ordered something that I can’t spell or pronounce based on prior reviews– that dish with the fried bread foundation, «green sauce» (as the waitress termed it), pork, and queso fresca. damn. This came with a zide of refried beans and rice. The beans were not of the canned variety. they were fatty in the best sense of the word and hit the spot. the rice on the other hand? Generic at best. Next time, I might just ask if I can skip the rice and get two servings of beans instead.
I also got a tamale. really good.
The special on the day I was there was a chile rolleno. I really wish I had gotten that too. I could have eaten all of it!

I qualify my review – just a little: I always get the same thing (tacos – carne asada/​beef and al pastor/​marinated pork.) They’re always great and a bargain at 1.25 each (1 dollar on Tuesdays.) Served with perfect minced onion and cilantro, and, radish and lime slices. Can’t wait for Tuesday!

There were no customers when I joined my roommates for dinner at La Tapatía. Having recently experienced a great meal at Taqueria Lupita’s, I decided I wanted to continue on down the path of eating at Mexicantown restaurants with names that do not start with X.
Having read great reviews about the place, I was excited to try their food. My roommate had looked at the menu, noticed it lists sangria, and was excited to booze it up. Then we realized that like many other restaurants in this area they do not have a liquor license. Bummer.
The chips were stale but not the worst I’ve ever eaten and the salsas were average at best. No plates to rest chips/​drip salsa on and avoid getting the watery salsa all over the table? No good.
I had the huarache (I’ve never had it before) and it was very good. It had a unique taste and I was happy with the selection. They only offer refried beans and I have never been to a restaurant that has botched rice.
Overall, the staff was fairly friendly and the restaurant itself looks fantastic. Everyone speaks highly of it, so maybe one day after I check out the others I’ll give it another go.

Thank you, La Tapatia, for taking me back to LA with your amazing food. I was fortunate enough to work right around the corner from one wicked good taco stand for a half year or so and I have been craving those tacos ever since. La Tapatia filled that void.
The salsa came out and I knew we were in for a treat. Their salsas are the real deal. Flavorful, just the right amount of heat… juuuust right! Everything is so fresh, the chips come out still hot… you cannot beat that.
What more is there to say? Good tacos are good tacos. This place is by far the best I’ve experienced in the area to date. I dare you to find a place that’s got fresher & better tasting authentic Mexican tacos… none of that Tex Mex stuff here… no sir. Oh and their Horchata is quite delicious as well. If you haven’t tried one, trust me on this. It’s a milky/​cinnamon dream drink. YUM.

the only thing missing is beer. this place makes great authentic tacos. I can’t wait to go back.

Based on Unilocaler reviews, this place was our first stop as soon as we crossed the Ambassador Bridge. And what a delicious stop this was!
You know you are in the presence of real Mexican food when you see huarache on the menu. Their version is a robust flavour/​texture mix of fresh and fluffy masa base, succulent chicken, a slathering of sauce/​salsa/​queso fresco that other Unilocaler have already described. I thought it may also had a few dollops of Mexican crema. I only find myself wishing that the mesa base bottom is a bit crispier (a dry grill) and La Tapatia would do a whole category of huaraches with different toppings (other proteins, nopales, beans) like they do tacos.
I liked the ceviche tostada too. Different people may have different preference for savoriess/​tartness/​spiciness ratio and how long to to marinate the seafood for when it comes to ceviche. Their version works for me. By itself, the ceviche isn’t the best you will find. But the dish as a whole is crunchy, refreshing, and smooth (oh yes, good guac), goodness in one mouthful.
Friendly services, feels like eating in someone’s home.
A must-​repeat place!

I’m in LOVE!
I went here for the first time on Friday and I just returned from my second trip. What lead me back to La Tapatia so soon? The shrimp tacos! These things are so ADDICTING. Yum!
Also great are the tortas. I must admit though, tortas aren’t what I usually order, so I have nothing to compare them to. We did chat up a cool dude from Chile who claimed that La Tapatia had the best tortas in town and according to him, he had tried all the places in the area. I believe him too because he came in, sat down and then proceeded to order a torta after politely refusing the menu when it was offered to him.
Service is fast and efficient. The waitresses are super friendly and do not mind having to explain things on the menu. This is a relief because at some of the other places in Mexicantown, it seems like the waitresses get irritated by the Spanish-​challenged crowd.
During my first trip to La Tapatia, Anthony P. and I were the only people in the establishment. This second time around, it was cool Chilean guy and us. I promised cool Chilean guy and the waitress that I would come and write a positive review urging people to drop on in. So… please visit La Tapatia. They deserve your business!

GREAT. A friend and I decided to check this place out because of the good reviews on Unilocal,and we weren’t disappointed. I got the chicken torta along with a shrimp taco and a fish taco. I love tacos but I’ve been growing tired of the greasy beef tacos, so I figured I’d try out some seafood tacos.
First the torta. Bigger than I expected, it’s basically a meal on it’s own, which is why I was only able to eat half of it along with my tacos. I asked for a little cheese, because I personally don’t enjoy gobs of cheese on my food, and they did right. The breaded chicken was good, but it was hard to really notice it because the delicious jalapeños overpowered it, which was great. They tasted very fresh and were not overpowered by heat. They certainly had some spice to them, but the savoriness of the peppers was more noticeable. Just awesome jalapeños.
Then there were the tacos. Good flour tortillas and the fish and shrimp had good flavor. Definitely a new flavor for me, and I enjoyed them. Next time I’d probably add some more salsa, because I like some spice in them, but I figured the first time around I’d try them out without covering them with salsa.
Overall the service was good, but it is hard to judge for sure because we were the only people in the restaurant for the entire time we were there. The woman there had some young children helping out, which was cute I suppose. They also give you 3 different salsas with some chips, and they were better than other salsas I’ve had at other restaurants in Mexicantown. Overall, the best meal I’ve had in Mexicantown, and I hope they get some more business that what I witnessed, because I don’t want that place going under.

Tacoooos! Eff yeah!
Basically covered almost everything on the menu with V in one sitting. ALMOST.
Let’s just say they beat Lupitas or Los Altos or the taco trucks on ALMOST every level on tacos alone. Their salsas, however, are meh. We got chips and salsa off the bat. It’s a thinner greener salsa, and the chips are also thin. You also had to ask for red and green sauce for your tacos when they came. But your tacos themselves come with lime wedge AND radishes.
Tacos:
Al pastor — juicy tender
Asada — they use a different cut of beef than most place and zomg. Instead of short and tough, they use big chunks and it’s juicy and tender. So tasty. WIN!
Camarons (shrimp) — FRIED shrimp and plump and juicy and zomg, WIN! After an epic hour nap V and I are STILL craving this taco. Wondering if 20 min is enough to wake up and get TACOS.
Barriro (stewed animal, most likley cow) — WIN WIN WIN!
Tostada:
Ceviche — comes with the option of ketchup or table side hot sauce. I opted for hot sauce. Not bad. Not great. I think I need to call up Senior Acapulco cuz girlfriend has a ceviche tostada craving and he needs to park it like it’s cold in front of my midtown loft (*cough*).
I am unsure if everyone there speaks English — but our waitress did. The menu is in Spanish. You are SOL if you cannot remember pollo = chicken, etc. And this complimentary grilled onions? Yeah, never saw those. Or got a taste of those pickles. But that’s just fine by me.
They take credit cards, but for 5 tacos + 1 tostada + 2 drinks = $ 10.80 — your lazy butts better just ante up the cash. It’s pono — the right thing to do.
They are open until 10pm every night — apparently. Bring up the salsa thickness and we just might have to crown them new King of Taco Town.

La Tapatia is great! I’ve been there three times now, and really ought to branch out and try more of their menu – but so far I’m stuck on the shrimp tacos and fish tacos, which are super. (Especially nice for me, since I’m a pesco-​vegetarian, and often can’t get tacos at restaurants in Southwest, since most places don’t have fish – and tacos are such a treat.) The fish and shrimp are battered and fried, but the batter is pretty nice & subtle. The fish & shrimp flavors really pop out (and don’t get overwhelmed by fried-​taste). The tacos are served with three sauces + limes & radishes. Lovely. Good horchata, too. They have white rice and red rice. I’ve had the white and wasn’t that into it – so next time I’ll try the red. Pickles are a treat and pretty unique. They’re in a big jar on the counter, and you may have to ask for them.
Ditto what the other reviewers said about the great service. As a bonus, super-​adorable children around. Spread the word – we need a good restaurant at the top of the park, and this place more than fits the bill. Hope they do well.

Okay. So I’ve been to a lot of the restaurants in Mexicantown/​Southwest now, and I think I can make a fair assessment of what’s what. With that said, I will happily bestow La Tapatia with my second 5-​star rating of this taco adventure.
Absolute authentic goodness. For reals this time. At least, this is what I imagine authentic is, since I am neither Mexican, nor have I lived anywhere near Mexico. I have a Mexican Aunt that made enchiladas sometimes and really amazing salsa. That’s my street cred.
The menu is small, and pretty simple, but we still had questions. That’s why we were delighted when the waitress said «Do you need help with the menu?» I asked her to tell me what Huaraches were, even though Allen L described it perfectly. I would only add that it’s not just salsa on there, it’s salsa verde. And it is delicious. Totally different flavor combination from anything I’ve had in Mexicantown to date. The queso fresco really contributed to that, I think. The rice was incredible and the beans were good for mushy refrieds.
I also ordered a single pastor taco, just so I’d know, and it was amazing. The corn tortillas have the most amazing flavor and are fluffy. How is fluffiness even possible?! I don’t know, but they are. The homemade chips and salsa are, not surprisingly, amazing. The chips were probably the best I’ve had anywhere. The salsa had a pretty unique flavor that we loved.
The service was very attentive, complete with a little girl bringing us our second bowl of salsa and very carefully setting it down on the table and being quite pleased with herself for doing so. The waitress checked on us periodically, having to come up the stairs (we chose to sit in the upper level of the bi-​level restaurant) each time to do so.
I had the Huaraches dinner and one taco and my companion had three tacos with cheese and sour cream and it was all for a little under $ 12!!! A total steal!
Get yourself down to La Tapatia quick, before everyone else figures it out! This place will make you so happy. Also, it’s right next door to the Mexicantown Bakery, so you can get your dessert on after.

First off — great service. Lots of family helping out. Daughters, aunts, uncles, etc. The owners were very nice to help translate some menu items for us.
I had a huarache for the first time and words do not do it justice:
— an oblong, fried masa base (a little thicker than a tortilla)!
— chicken
— salsa
— queso fresco
They also have a huge jar of fresh pickles on the counter which were stellar. Apparently, one of the aunts makes them. Jalapeño, onion and carrot. They were wonderfully sweet with just a little tang and a little heat. I’m sure at different points in the pickling they have different amounts of heat. Ask for them.
Only downstroke for us was that after leaving our clothes smell like oil. I’m guessing because it was related to the open front door — but it was a beautiful night out.
Can not wait to try again.

Brand spanking new, simple menu, 5-​star deliciousness.
La Tapatía opened last weekend, and I’d been waiting for the hour to free up when I’d be able to go check this new joint out. It was everything I had been dreaming about. $ 1 tacos and $ 4 tortas made perfectly. Tucked between Mexicantown Bakery and Clark St., this taqueria has a prime location. The décor is pleasant: bright paint across the walls, with some festive art up top. The place is new so it’s also sparkling right now. The kitchen is kind of in the middle of the floor space with seating arranged around it, which makes the great food truly at the center of the restaurant. The menu is small but effective. Front side is all about tacos and tortas, with a few seafood entrée selections (you can also get fish tacos and ceviche here). The back side is dinner entrees, mostly steak-​based, with a few soups to choose from. Looked like a weekend-​only menudo recipe was being highlighted. The menu is solo en español, but just ask if you’re not familiar with the food names yet. The staff are bilingual.
Their chips are served hot, a little on the salty side (which I like), and their house salsa is an excellent version of a classic pico de gallo. It was fantastic. I ordered two tacos de birria (beef stewed with onions and peppers) and a torta al pastor (pork sandwich). La Tapatía nailed both of them. The tacos were served with two more salsas (a super hot picante, and a salsa verde). The meat was as tender and flavorful as expected, but it wasn’t served in a pool of its own stew broth (which sometimes happens at other places) which is a GOOD thing when it comes to tacos — don’t want a soggy tortila. In addition to diced onion and fresh cilantro, the tacos are served with a complimentary side of grilled onions — wow! Such a great idea.
The torta was simply the best I’ve had in town. The bread was perfectly fresh, chewy on inside, slightly crusty on outside. When ordering a torta, the bread is key and can make or break the experience. Here, it couldn’t have been better. Moist pork meat served with tomato, lettuce, avocado, and onion. Really a piece of art with a little salsa thrown on top. Washed everything down with a cold horchata while skimming through the latest issue of Metro Times and life was good.
The service was above excellent, fast & friendly. The owner chatted me up about the menu a bit, also pointing out their giant glass tub of hot jalapeño salsa «brewing» on display upon the front counter. I’m too timid, but for the adventurous, that stuff looked fierce! Have at it!
I can’t recommend this place enough.