Yelapa Playa Mexicana Restaurant

As of today at 2, Unilocalapa has closed its doors. Not only does that suck, but we had a private party planned there on Wednesday for my husbands 40^th birthday!

Yelapa’s ceviches remain stellar, so on my last visit I decided to stick with the seafood and try the fisherman’s bouliabasse. The fish inside the soup was stellar. The soup stock? I couldn’t identify what the prevalent flavor was in the stock other than I didn’t like it.
Beware of the margaritas. The first one was refreshing and I didn’t feel much of a buzz, so I figured there would be no harm in having another. Two sips into margarita number 2 I was knocked on my ass by that frozen concoction. If you’re having more than one, don’t be the guy behind the wheel, you know what I mean? They’re awesome.
I like the service, I like the drinks, I like the tacos and ceviche… maybe I’d rate them higher if I came here only for happy hour, but the entrees here are kind of meh. No wonder the ratings for Yelapa fall all over the map.

I’ve been back a number of times since my last review and there are a few things I’d like to add.
First, the staff here is fantastic. My girlfriend and I have been maybe 6 or 7 times in two years and the owner and manager ALWAYS stop by to say hello if they are there. The waiters automatically say «welcome back.»
Honestly, I don’t care about being recognized at all, but it just demonstrates their customer service levels, which is important at a good restaurant.
Second, while I will say the food can still be hit and miss at times, it is substantially improved. The bacon-​wrapped shrimp appetizer and the campechana are among the best I’ve had anywhere. And I love the fish tacos. Overall, the food has really improved over the last year while still maintaining their personality.
Finally, beware the margaritas. They are very good — slightly less sweet than your average for those who like sweeter drinks — but they are STRONG. I could drink two about twice their size and most restaurants and barely feel a buzz, but not here. Yowza!
On the parking, this is the one spot in Houston where I will never complain about the valet. With three restaurants and a bar in the same, broken down, miniature parking lot, I have ZERO problem paying a valet to handle it for me. Frankly, it’s a blessing.

If it’s a Wednesday and you’re hungry — and thirsty — pay a visit to Yelapa’s weekly «beach party.» Basically, they offer $ 2 mini-​tacos and happy hour all day. These tacos are uh-​mazing. I’ve dined here on a regular night, and I actually prefer the mini-​versions rather than the pricier full-​sized option. I think the smaller tortillas are fresher…
They serve beef, chicken, shrimp, fish, veggie, pork — each seasoned differently and with it’s own unique sauce. The beef, is packed with spice and a creamy green sauce/​mayo; the shrimp tempura is more coastal with lime aoili, cabbage and cilantro and … the pork is oozing with red sauce, pineapple pico, cilantro and the right amount of kick. I’m not one to prefer red meet, but the beef definitely outshines them all — it’s the spice.
What sets Yelapa Playa Mexicana apart from the other thousands of Mexican eateries in town is that Yelapa features coastal Mexican cuisine. No heavy sauces or dishes smothered in cheeses. That’s what we call Tex-​Mex. Find fresh fish entrees, ceviche, with many artfully presented with a New American-​twist.
Must orders:
Ceviche
The Real Spring Guacamole
Don Jalapeño margarita

Honestly, I wasn’t too impressed by this place.
I usually go for Asian food, but my husband likes Mexican, and this place had good reviews, so I said why not.
We came here and had to do valet parking. Not too happy about that. Then the food. The ceviche was ok, but a bit fishy. Then my entrée was $ 22! It was good, but I seriously don’t think it should have been $ 22. Maybe $ 17 or $ 19, but not $ 22. And kimchi rice in a Mexican joint?
People are right, too: this joint looks like you stepped into a Tommy Bahama set, with the extra-​stylized Mexican stuff and the leather tables and rattan chairs. A bit cheesy. There didn’t seem to be a lot of people, too, and we got these obnoxious loud drunk guys at the next table who were trying to speak Spanish (more like yell) at the servers. Can you say embarrassing? They ordered these good-​looking stuff with chorizo, I think they were quesadillas?, so maybe next time…
My husband had a good margarita, which I had a sip of. Then for dessert, he got this flan, which he said almost had the consistency of a cheesecake, with a ginger glaze. Kudos to the ginger glaze, but seriously, Chuy’s has better flan. Wish this one had been cooked a tad less.
Service was good, though: my water kept on getting refilled, and I was thirsty, so that’s nice.
Not sure if I really want to come back here. Maybe get a cheaper entrée next time and a different ceviche and see then.

My lovely and pregnant wife usually craves Asian food, so when she said «Do you want to try this Mexican place…» I said «Yes.»
So we go to Yelapa Playa. I’m going to start with some minor annoyances, then the good stuff, then circle around to the One Bad Thing we had.
I don’t like valet parking, but their lot is tiny and crazy so fine. I didn’t care much for the party of loud frat boys who sat next to us halfway through our meal, but hey, their money is as good as mine. The ceviche, I forget which one we had, tasted a bit fishy, but it’s Gulf bycatch, the presentation and ingredients were awesome, so ok.
Our mains were excellent. I had the fish tacos, which have tempura battered white fish with the traditional sauce and cabbage on a corn tortilla. There was too much fish per tortilla, but that’s an eminently fixable problem, and the tacos, the fish, and the slaw were all amazing.
My wife had the fish (flounder, if I remember right) on top of an amazing kimchi fried rice. Yeah that’s weird, and not very Mexican. Don’t care, too delicious.
After the food, and an excellent margarita, I ordered the flan I had been waiting for all night. And… it’s too firm. Flan is supposed to be a custard, not a friggin cheesecake. It is not supposed to stick to a spoon held upside down. We ain’t at Dairy Queen here. Now, the flavors were excellent, including tiny shavings of candied ginger on top. But too freaking thick. Ahem. Sorry.
So if you go, try one of the fish dishes because, really Yelapa PLAYA (beach) Restaurant. You can get mushroom quesadilla anywhere. And get something besides the flan for dessert, and let me know how it was.

Okay food. Looks like it should taste amazing but somewhere between ok and good. Never great. Quesadillas were unspectacular, salsa were average, the ceviche tasted like it was swimming in ketchup. Hopes were really high based on friend reviews, but…
This restaurant taught me to trust Unilocal’s rating system — eat nowhere less than a solid 4 stars.

We visited Yelapa during our lunch hour and used our groupon that was set to expire. I’m glad we had the groupon because I would have been totally upset had we paid regular price for the food. I should have known this wasn’t good because there was only 2 other tables in the entire restaurant when we arrived. We were seated and the glass they poured my water into had food caked on it. gross! Then they brought us cold chips (I prefer them warm) and the salsa was tasteless.
On to our entrees… I had the shrimp enchiladas and my co-​worker had the chicken enchiladas. The chicken enchiladas were mediocre. It would have been nice if the menu stated the chicken was mixed with spinach, squash, and zucchini. We definitely would have made another choice had we known that beforehand. On to my shrimp enchiladas… when I received them I had a piece of hair in my food. ugh! The waiter took my plate and re-​made my order. The 2^nd time around I was finally able to eat and only ate the few pieces of shrimp inside the enchilada (it was loaded with sweet peppers in a chipotle sauce). The corn tortillas they used were too thick. The rice and beans were also tasteless.
Based on my experience, I would not go back to this place even if someone else was paying!

My gf’s mom barely ever gets a day off from work so when she told me she had a saturday off, I invited her out to lunch. I wanted to do a brunch place but most places only do Sunday brunch so I opted for a lunch place instead. I have been hearing many great things about this place via Mike W. He swears by it, and as much as I agree with his tastes in BBQ, I must disagree in Tex-​Mex. I’m not saying this place is bad by any means, just not knock your socks off great!
First off are the chips. Solid, a bit on the thicker side, which is a plus in my book so it can hold up the salsas better. Especially their green sauce which is very flavorful.
Our group started out with the «spring time» guacamole, which had thai basil and mango. Very unique dish.
At this point I was like damn, this spot is legit. On to the entrees. I had the torta, which comes with an egg on top, first I’ve heard of such a thing, but wow, was the execution bad… I guess it comes down to the bread, way too hard.
My gf had the chicken enchiladas, and it was just a big bowl of cheese. Not much meat nor actual enchilada.
My gf’s mom had the beef salad, which was probably the best of the 3, but since I didn’t get to eat much more than a bite, I’ll have to try it again.
I don’t know if they have central air or not, but this saturday it was burning up and all they had was a portable fan, I was literally sweating. The service was OK, a bit slow, but I think it’s the atmosphere here, but I feel you should adjust according to the table, we were constantly sitting idle between refills and dishes.

Tasty! Super Great! Bland! Boring!
If I were going to use a few phrases to describe my recent brunch at Yelapa, these are the words I would use. My wife and I decided to take advantage of the Groupon Now feature and purchased a Groupon giving us $ 15 for the price of $ 7. I figured this would be a good way to try out Yelapa without necessarily breaking the bank.
We were promptly seated and, since we arrived around 11:30, had the restaurant to ourselves. Chips and salsa were promptly planted in front of us and we went to town. The chips were crunchy and warm, and both the red salsa and the green salsa had great flavor – not too salty, not too spicy, but just right. We finished the entire thing of chips and then some (between 2 of us) before our food came out. Is that good or bad? I can’t decide.
Our first order of business was a mango ceviche that was absolutely fabulous ($ 11.99). Like seriously, one of the tastiest ceviches I have ever had. The fish was fresh and delicious, and the cilantro was plentiful. The standout ingredient, however, was the cinnamon oil. Never have I had a ceviche with cinnamon oil, but if (if) I come back to Yelapa again, it will be for this dish.
So, how did things go off the tracks? The entrees. Boring, boring entrees. Maybe we ordered the wrong thing. Maybe I should have gone with my gut and ordered the french toast or the eggs benedict. Well, maybe I didn’t do that. At a good restaurant, you shouldn’t have to order «the right dish» to have an enjoyable experience.
1. Taco-​truck tacos ($ 7.99). For this price for 2 tacos, I was expecting something great. What we got were some wonderful flour tortillas filled with a bunch of bland. First, the tacos didn’t come with any salsa. I had to use the salsa that was sitting on the plate for my frittata. I’m thinking, though, that the salsa was on the wrong plate. It didn’t matter. Salsa or not, the filling had no flavor. The beans and rice also on the plate were tasty, however. Why pay $ 8 for 2 tacos when you can pay half the price at any number of places and get better food.
2. Vegetable Frittata ($ 7.99). Another bland option. Under salted, under seasoned, underwhelming. Each bite tasted like eating nothing.
So a wonderful 4 – 5 star ceviche is tanked by two mighty disappointing entrees. Yelapa: so close, yet so far. Get your ish together and be more consistant across the board with your dishes.

I ate here for the first time Thursday night (³⁄₂₄). I have been in Houston now for 4+ yrs and have always wanted to go there. A friend invited me to dinner on her and the first and only place I wanted to go was Yelapa’s. We were seated as soon as we walked in and the place was pretty crowded. It was a great evening so we decided to sit on the patio. Loved it on the patio! We were in no hurry and advised the waiter. He gave us just the right amount of space as not to feel bothered. The margaritas were great, per my date. The food was wonderful!!! We both had the shrimp enchiladas and they were to die for. The owner even came over to introduce himself, as well as the chef. Each wanting to know how the dinner was and did we need anything else.
If I had a negative it would be the lack of parking and that what they have is broken up asphalt and gravel. Paving the are would really help.
I will go back, again and again. LOVED IT!
Bruce C.

I was really disappointed in the items we tried. What makes it worse is that the service just wasn’t friendly.
We came here on a whim after leaving Blue Fish since they no longer have happy hour on Friday; which reminds me that I need to update my review.
Their $ 2 happy hour tacos seem to be a great deal — they are large in size and the homemade corn tortillas are the best I’ve had, however the fillings for each of the tacos I had were sub par. They all had the same mango salsa flavor — I had the grilled shrimp, pork, and chicken.
The pork taco was drenched in oil; it was getting onto the other tacos as soon as the plate was put in front of me. The shrimp taco tasted like the chicken, except the chicken had a couple of bites of tendon that I had to take out while I was chewing.
The red salsa tasted very bland and watered down. There was absolutely no kick to it. The green salsa had TOO much cumin.
We tried the campechana and it tasted like Pace Picante sauce and ketchup mixed together. The only saving grace was the ripe avocado mixed in.
The pineapple seviche was okay for $ 5. It was not anything to order again.

Holy crap: Happy hour= $ 4 «Real» Margaritas, $ 2 tacos (pastor, ceviche, carne, shrimp, fish, or barbacoa)
two words: huitlacoche risotto.

I was pretty disappointed with this place. The menu online looks so interesting and exciting but when I arrived I was not impressed.
We started off with the Pineapple Ceviche with dried pineapples, mint, cilantro, and black pepper pesto. First of all, their was no cilantro in the ceviche. Being a huge cilantro fan I was immediately disappointed. The black pepper pesto was just a small brown smear underneath the ceviche. Not the most appetizing color for a smear on the plate…
I ordered the shrimp tacos for my entrée. I could have made those at home. It was simply boiled shrimp with some mild spices in corn tortillas.
I felt that everything was bland and boring. For over $ 20 a plate I expected much more.

Not that I had to start off with the alcohol but… The Pancho ‘rita was AHMAZING!
The Real Guacamole is a MUST and their tacos are really good! I absolutely loved the atmosphere and the authentic decorations and tables/​seats. The new «beach party Wednesdays» are getting better every week! It does get a bit hot out on the patio but the guys there were nice enough to put out fans and make sure we were always stocked with cold drinks.

Went to Yelapa today for late lunch around 2pm and I started talking to a waiter while I waited for a friend to join me, and the waiter informed me that happy hour was on and there were drink and food specials awaiting me inside.
When my friend finally made it there we looked over the menu and I was definitely excited at what I saw. We ended up ordering tons of stuff.
— Apalachacola Oysters
— The Real Guacamole
— Sopes
— Half Enchilada
— Chalupas
— Tacos (Pork Belly)
— Cebiche (Local Citrus)
Every dish was flavorful and had me wanting more, it was a great thing that happy hour was on and I ordered as much as I did. The plates kept coming and coming and with each bite I was happier and happier. The passionfruit chili sauce that came with the oysters were tangy and spicy at the same time and they added a great kick to the oysters that my friend was too chicken to try since they were «slimey» to her. If i had to skip a dish, it would probably be the enchiladas, the 4oz of steak wasnt enough to make want want them again. The cebiche had an amazing refreshing citrus taste that was unlike any other ceviche ive ever tasted before. We opted not to try any drinks or dessert, but I will have to save those for my next trip.
The place is in the middle of a 3 and a 4, since I only tried the bar menu, i’m reserving final judgement for the time i get to sample the entrees and desserts, I’ve heard from other friends that the entrees leave something to be desired, which is reinforced by some of the other Unilocal reviewers here. I almost want to stick to the bar menu so I don’t ruin the idea of Yelapa.
Cliffs: Stick to the happy hour /​bar menu for your first passage into Yelapa, you wont be disappointed by the great food or service at this cozy mexican establishment.

I loved Yelapa. I said it, can’t take it back. The food was excellent, which I will elaborate in a second, but what really sold me was Chef (LJ) Wiley taking the time to see his patrons enjoy the food, explain the dishes, and even talk about his old days growing up in Houston (and experience working in Jean-​George Vongerichten’s Spice Market). Granted, I hear he runs a tough kitchen and wouldn’t want to work under him, but the effort clearly pays off.
Regarding the food, I experienced the Peruvian Bay Scallop and Apalachacola Oysters cervices. Both were good and met my expectations for high quality, creative dishes. However, the items that really sold me were the short rib chalupas that filled my mouth with heavenly delight and the duck and steak mixed grill. I prepared my house-​made corn tortillas with savory and crispy duck breast and topped it off with fresh persimmon salsa (tomatoes are out of season, so Yelapa keeps it fresh) and Mexican kim chee (just the right about of spice and crunch). I finished the meal with a shot of spiked and spicy chocolate drink (I went with dark, but the milk and while varieties sounded equally good).
I’m coming back when I get down to Houston again and plan to partake of the weekend taco offerings. For anyone out there on the fence, give Yelapa a try… it’s not going to replace your favorite Tex-​Mex, but it will give your taste buds an exciting new place to play.

Have you ever seen a watermelon radish? I hadn’t. I’d seen pictures, but never live and «in person,» on the plate in front of me. A few nights ago, I finally saw and ate some pieces. It was mixed in with other ingredients to make a very tasty, far from traditional guacamole. It was more like foodie-​esque avocado nachos. Very good. Savory and sweet. Mixed in with house made, thick tortilla chips.
This was closely followed by two types of quesadillas: pork belly and shrimp. Yes, pork belly, mixed with cheese. Yes, yes. In between two tortillas. I’m not certain if people would be more shocked at the idea of pork belly in a quesadilla or that I ate fatty meat. I don’t like gristle; these were excellent. There were salsas and sour cream to dip them in, but I just ate them without… then with a bit of guacamole. A traditional guacamole, this time.
There was a tequila tasting happening in the bar area. I’m not really much on tequila, but these were exceptionally smooth. The youngest of the three had a teeny mint sprig, the medium was supposed to have cinnamon, the añejo had chocolate shavings. Good, but I was more fascinated by my specialty drink. It was a spicy and sweet perfection of a drink. It had no tamarind in it, but that is sort of what it tasted like. A bit like chile tamarind candy. House infused pepper vodka, chambord, and two other ingredients that have escaped memory. I may have to go drink another very soon.
The wonderful thing about this restaurant (granted I only sampled the appetizer and drink menu) is that it isn’t mired in tradition or Tex-​Mex. It’s pure foodie. It’s experimental Latin. If you go here for the «staple Tex-​Mex» or «staple Mexican» menu items, you’re going to be unapologetically confused (don’t order the chips and salsa), you’ll be better off going to La Tapatia Tacqueria or Chipultapec farther down the road. If you want to be wowed and eat a good meal, venture here with an open mind.
Just a note on parking, if you drive through the mine-​field parking lot shared with Blue Fish House and The New Hobbit Hole, make certain your car tires have enough air.

Recently had a delightful lunch experience at Yelapa. Joining a group of 4 we were seated in a little «patio» area that had plenty of french doors which were opened to greet the beautiful day. The first scent that greeted me upon sitting was the smell of leather from the new tables and chairs. Thank goodness it was just a hint of leather as it would have overpowered the delicate meal I ordered.
I ordered the lunch express. It is a 3 course meal: appetizer, entrée and dessert for $ 20. I started off with the cucumber gazpacho which was sweet and creamy. The mussels were a nice compliment to the soup. For my entrée I ordered the salmon with cauliflower risotto. This dish was out of this world, while the risotto was very mild it went well with the perfectly cooked, tender salmon. The flan in rosewater was delicious with the rosewater giving it that extra push.
The chef was kind enough to send out samples on and off the menu. The campaneche was served in a cocktail glass and the best I’ve had. The sauce had a serious kick but did not overwhelm the seafood. My favorite offering was the rockfish with a ancho chile rub and Mexican «kimchi». As a kimchi lover, this unique version was, well… awesome (I hate using that word in reviews). I spoke briefly with the chef about how my mother makes a garlic based kimchi which he asked for a sample. Hmmmm, maybe we can have a trade: some campaneche for garlic kimchi. Sounds fair to me!
The service was spotty but I attribute that to growing pains and maybe we looked as we were in no hurry. Thanks Mike W. for steering me to this great restaurant!

What do you say about a man who decorates with bottles of Mad Dog ²⁰⁄₂₀? Design rebel? Lost on taste, but not inventory? No matter, because you only worry about it when it doesn’t work, and Chuck Bulnes seems to have a knack of making things work in ways you may not expect. Like how to take a small cove on the south pacific coast of Mexico and move it indoors off Richmond in a building that has hosted no shortage of incarnations.
It was there I sat at the bar on a gorgeous afternoon. Surrounded by the pastels and exotic furniture that matched the many framed photos of far off coastlines. In fact, if things hadn’t been so damn classy, including the waiters right out of a Tommy Bahama catalogue, I might have eased my mind into thinking I was under the palapa at that bare beach just south of PV.
Thankfully the GM, Brett, was available to give a couple of quick tips on the menu; seeing as I have a crippling case of dining indecision, and only 45 minutes to get the job done. We went with one of the three «cebiches» and it was fantastic. The only real shame of it was that I wasn’t drinking, and was in a rush. This was the single most complicated ceviche-​type-​dish ever placed in front of me. I wanted to savor every bite… the light and tender scallops… the bright rock shrimp… the hibiscus… the candied ginger… the pasilla chili oil. I mean this isn’t a purist’s ceviche, but I don’t normally eat ceviche and I could’ve sat there for an hour eating each individual piece. The light citrus that carried through each note would’ve been perfectly matched to an ice cold Pacifico, but alas, daddy was on the clock.
Think about that dish though. What was good olé Chuck, the man who brought the fish taco to Houston, doing with candied ginger, hibiscus, and hominy in a ceviche? It leads one to think there’s something to who’s in the kitchen. Like Chuck was doing another one of his tricks. And when you hear a resume that includes Morimoto and Jean-​George on it, you know yep: A. things aren’t quite as simple as they seem, and B. Chef L.J. Wiley’s got some chops. Not to mention local roots.
The next course was a more traditional route, or so it seemed. Two beautifully overflowing sopes. Covered with grated cotija and a side dish of garnishes, they were a great follow to the light complexity of the ceviche, or to put it another way… man food. While the flavors collectively didn’t have the subtlety or complexity that had been so great about the ceviche, it was tasty. The garnishes allowed you to find the right flavor combo. A dash of red finger chili here, some grated radish or cilantro there. What did end up surprising me was how well the braised lamb held up to the avocado and cheese, yet wasn’t a strong lamb flavor by itself. It’s called balance, and high end places trying at low brow food rarely do it well.
I’d have to give a solid thumbs up to Yelapa. Not just because my meal was great though. There are two things that I’m a sucker for on Mexican menus: huitlacoche, and calabaza. They’re both here, and I tried neither. Anytime I see a menu that has enough dishes to warrant multiple visits, I’m pretty excited. So yeah, I’ll be back.