Zapatista

My follow-up review for this restaurant. Read my previous review for this restaurant here

With 15 degree weather, it seemed only fitting that we go for some south of the border cuisine to warm up. The cold limited the crowd at Zapatista so the food came out in lightning quick speed. Some nice spanish Christmas music and Christmas lights helped set a very nice mood.

this is probably the one of the more upscale mexican restaurants i’ve been to in chicago. the service can be a little spotty, but the menu is variegated and the atmosphere can be fun & loud when bustling. they’ve got this cool fresh guacamole cart (appetizer) where they make the guacamole dip tableside, and an outside dining area on the sidewalk. some of the entrees are pricey so i always get the 3 tacos for a good deal.

I arrived a little early so I waited at the bar. The bartender was real friendly and so I ordered a drink to pass the time (great way, huh?). I ordered La Seorita, a mix of margarita and sangria. It gave me a light buzz to start off the night. The drink was fairly strong so, much more margarita than sangria.

My friend arrived and we were seated promptly. The servers were very friendly and upbeat, which was great. Unfortunately, the food was so so. I really enjoyed the guacamole; it had a nice tinge of spice. But the main dish, the lomito de puerco. I felt that the swiss chard just clashed with the pork. Maybe it was just that dish, but my friend didn’t really enjoy the chipotle chicken enchilada as much as she thought she would.

Maybe we just have really high expectations regarding Mexican fare. Based on the review, I feel like we should have opted for the tacos. But so far, this was my first experience, and I won’t be returning so soon.

Great service and atmosphere. Definitely enjoy the sidewalk seating on Wabash on a summer day. Had the fajitas for two – steak and chicken. Steak was a little tough, but the chicken was tender, and the cheesy sauce was a great touch! Huge tequila selection to boot.