Grub Hub: Mexican restaurant serves authentic cuisine

ROCK FALLS – The molcajete, a Mexican dish served at El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant in Rock Falls, can definitely turn heads.

The molcajete, served in a three-legged round bowl, comes with grilled streak, chicken, and shrimp mixed with peppers, onions and tomatoes.

When I ordered the dish, which is served with lettuce, guacamole, rice, beans, sour cream, and pico de gallo, it grabbed the attention of some of the other patrons in the restaurant.

“I want what they have,” one customer said as he stared at the dish.

The molcajete is one of the many Mexican dishes El Tapatio is known for.

“We have been here for about 10 years,” manager Jose Boites said with the help of translator Abraham Di Raimondo.

Boites said El Tapatio is a Mexican dance.

“The characters you see on our sign is part of the dance,” Boites said. “People dance around a sombrero.”

The restaurant specializes in authentic Mexican food. The restaurant has daily lunch specials, and on Thursdays has margarita specials. They can be served frozen or on the rocks in about 10 different flavors.

“A lot of American people come into the restaurant,” Boites said. “We have a lot of families come in here as well.”

Both Raimondo and Boites are from Lagos de Moreno, located in the state of Jalisco in Mexico.

That Mexican flair is displayed throughout the establishment.

When I walked into the building, I heard soft, Mexican music playing. The red, white and green Mexican flag is seen throughout the building. Sombreros decorate the walls, and large windows give way to natural lighting.

When I sat at my table, the first thing brought to me was a basket of warm chips and salsa.

You have plenty of options for an appetizer, including bean dip, nachos, and the popular cheese dip.

“Most people ask for the cheese dip recipe, but they don’t get it,” Raimondo said with a laugh.

One of the crowd favorites on a loaded menu is the El Tapatio Chimichanga, which is a stuffed flour tortilla with beef or spicy chicken. It’s then fried to a golden brown and topped with cheese sauce, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo.

Fajitas are also a popular item. The molcajete is a fajita stuffed into a large bowl.

A molcajete is a Mexican mortar and pestle. It’s a three-legged round bowl that has been carved from basalt.

“We heat it up before we put the food in there, so it stays sizzling,” said Raimondo, who is also a host at the restaurant.

The molcajete, which costs $18.99, is designed to be eaten by two people.

I ordered the dish with Michael Krabbenhoeft, a photographer at Sauk Valley Media. Although we split the dish, we left some food on the table.

Some people, however, don’t need any help.

“Some people are able to come in here and eat it all at once,” Boites said with a laugh.

If you are looking for a place that has authentic Mexican food, El Tapatio is a good restaurant to try.