Cadillac Margarita

La Palapa is a solid choice for festive Mexican food with a slight chain-restaurant feel, safe enough to bring your most racist family member. Your waitress will be as white as snow and the food will have a familiar sheen to it.

Sometimes you don’t want crazy authentic Mexican. Sometimes you just want at a nice, clean, generic table setting and an enormous hot ass plate (“Don’t touch! Too hot.) filled with something, anything covered in cheese. I’m talking neon Cheddar, not this Cotija crap.

Ok, I could be off base. La Palapa could be authentic. I really don’t care to look at the website and check.

The one bad thing I could say about this place is the shocking lack of the one guaranteed provision at any Mexican restaurant. No chips and salsa!

Well, they did give us these three servings of some kind of homemade salsas but then never brought any damn chips. I looked around. No one had any chips! What was this madness??

I decided to order the mole enchiladas. Except, I didn’t want mole enchiladas. I wanted enchiladas Suizas. What the hell is that? It’s probably the least authentic “Mexican” dish known to man and I love it.

Problem is, La Palapa doesn’t serve Enchiladas Suizas.

Well, they didn’t bring me my mole. They messed up and brought me something better. Green chili enchiladas. Not exactly Suizas, but they covered it in queso fresco (like sour cream) so it pretty much was everything I was in the mood for. Yay!

The dish didn’t need any salsa or sauce, but by God, I made sure to use up our complimentary sauces anyway. I just can’t say no to free shit!

The Tequila Steak was very nicely seasoned. But a little chewy. However, I find pretty much any steak chewy. Except my fav, Salisbury. The Steak of Kings. Or whatever.

Chain restaurant Mexican food is always about $5 more than your more authentic fare, and La Palapa is no exception. Yet, my meal was delicious and filling, so they can gladly take my $5 bucks. And go buy me a freaking bag of tortilla chips. They can share it with everyone in the restaurant, my treat! I just want my generous handful. It’s my right!

77 St. Marks Pl
New York, NY 10003
b/t 1st Ave & 2nd Ave
East Village
(212) 777-2537
lapalapa.com

Café de Olla – Coffee with Orange Peel, Cinnamon – $3

Various Salsas and Sauces – BUT NO CHIPS!!

ENCHILADAS DE POLLO VERDES chicken enchiladas in tomatillo salsa verde
housemade queso fresco, mexican crema, sweet maya onion 16.

ARRACHERA AL TEQUILA CON JALAPEÑOS TORREADOS grilled skirt steak
marinated in lime and tequila, char grilled onions and jalapeños, green rice, pinto beans 22.