Recently, we went to a business meeting at Fiesta Tapatia in Spring Mills, WV. There is another location in Martinsburg, but this review is strictly about the Spring Mills location. I had high hopes for this place because I am a huge fan of Mexican food, but unfortunately my expectations were not met, mainly by the food. Let me preface this by saying that it was just one experience, and I know there are a lot of Foodies who enjoy this location, so it may have just either been a one-off bad day, or it may have just been that the dish I got was not for my palate.
Price 💲💲out of 5
While Mexican restaurants have always seemed to be more economical as compared to other types of cuisine, I have noticed that prices are rising at these establishments. Full disclosure, our meals were covered by our business associates, so I didn’t see the final bill, but based on the menu, it was in line with what you would expect today from a Mexican restaurant – entrees ranging from about $12 to around $19 or $20 depending on what protein was in the dish.
Ambience 🧑🍳 🧑🍳 🧑🍳 🧑🍳 🧑🍳 out of 5
Something that Fiesta Tapatia can definitely hang their hat on is the ambience and decor. They spared no expense when it comes to creating the type of atmosphere you would expect in a traditional Mexican spot. Traditional Mexican decor covered every inch of the place, with the walls, tables, chairs, and everything in between heavily embracing Mexican tradition. While many Mexican restaurants do this, Fiesta Tapatia has the best ambience of any Mexican restaurant in the area.
Food 🥩🥩 out of 5
Let’s get to the food. There was an extensive menu that included all kinds of typical Mexican cuisine. I did not see any kind of birria at this spot, so that was a bit disappointing as that is my favorite type of protein to order. However, I was happy to see that complimentary chips and salsa were brought to the table immediately. The salsa actually had a kick to it, which I was a big fan of.
Robbie ordered a lunch chimichanga (even though it was past the time when that should have been available). This thing was absolutely DRENCHED in queso. I am not a huge fan of chimichangas because I feel that the fried tortilla is just too overpowering from a texture perspective, but Robbie absolutely loved it (and she is an expert on chimichangas as that is the only item she will order from Mexican restaurants).
I ordered the most basic Mexican dish – arroz con pollo. The portion was massive. No qualms there. I thought the rice was flavorful, and I appreciated the veggies that came with it (shredded lettuce and a massive tomato slice). The two main criticisms I had for the dish were:
- The chicken was boiled and shredded as opposed to small strips or heavily sauteed and pan fried chicken. I am not a huge fan of shredded chicken, as I feel it is flavorless and boring. The chicken strips get nice and crispy and pack so much more flavor, and that was the type of cooking method I was hoping for (and what I think is traditional, although I do not profess to be an expert).
- For the generous amount of queso they put on the chimichanga, they went the opposite way for my dish. There was very little queso, which didn’t help with the dry and unflavored nature of the boiled chicken. I do feel that more queso would have helped offset the cooking method of the chicken. Just one of these changes would have taken the dish to the next level.
Experience ⭐⭐ out of 5
Overall, my experience was subpar. I just cannot stand plain, unflavored chicken. As I said, this could just be a palate thing, as I have heard that many of their other dishes are delicious. I will absolutely go back and give them another shot and provide an update, but for now I would say this – incredible ambience, good pricing, generous portions, but avoid the arroz con pollo unless you like boiled, shredded chicken.