Recently I received coupons for La Chalupa in the mail. I had never heard of this Mexican place despite my love all of things wrapped in tortillas.

When I first drove past the restaurant, I understood why. I missed the entrance twice.

La Chalupa is in this nondescript strip mall off Summit Street. If you blink, you’ll definitely miss it.

However the food shouldn’t be missed.

Bill of Fare

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After finally realizing where it was, my friend and I went on a recent weeknight to try out the cuisine.

Along with the complimentary chips and salsa, we decided to start the meal with the nachos fajita ($15). Unfortunately, we were a bit disappointed as the dish came out with our entrees – not an ideal time for an appetizer.

However, the nachos were amazing. Topped with grilled steak, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and plenty of savory queso, the dish was satisfying and could make for a hearty meal by itself.

For my entree, I ordered the California burrito ($14.50), which came stuffed with grilled chicken, rice, beans, lettuce, sour cream, and pico de gallo. It was topped with queso, guacamole, and a light (in both taste and color) green sauce. The chicken was tender and well seasoned, and the tortilla held everything together very well. The best part was the creamy queso that topped the dish. I would have loved more of that.

My friend tried the enchiladas supremas ($12), a dish featuring four enchiladas (one beef, one chicken, one bean, and one cheese) covered in a red sauce, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and sour cream. She noted it’s a typical dish at many of the Mexican restaurants around town, and while it didn’t stand out from the others, the meal was tasty and well put together. Her favorites were the shredded beef and shredded chicken.

After that visit, I was interested in trying the enchiladas myself. So for the second visit, I ordered those as my main course but opted to order the enchiladas rancheras ($12.50).

This dish comes with three cheese enchiladas topped with shredded pork, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, lettuce, and sour cream. The savory enchiladas were filled with more of that cheese that I enjoyed, and the shredded pork almost melted in my mouth. The peppers and onions mixed in still retained some crunch, which added a nice contrast to the rest of the dish.

Bill of Fare

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My partner for this visit ordered the carne asada ($15), which comes with sides of Mexican rice and refried beans. The dish also came with tortillas and some ingredients if he wanted to make tacos. While my companion didn’t use the tortillas, he did enjoy his steak, saying it was juicy and well seasoned, and scarfed down the salty rice and beans.

To start our meal this time, we ordered the homemade guacamole ($7.75), which we are happy to say came out before our entrees this time.

Besides the queso, the homemade guacamole might be my favorite item on the menu. It was so light and refreshing. Each ingredient meshed well together but also shone through. I could taste the acidic lime, fresh onion, savory cilantro, and of course avocado with every bite.

We also decided to splurge and try the flan ($3) for dessert. It came with a nice dollop of whipped cream and a sweet, syrupy caramel. The light custard dessert was a nice way to round out an otherwise heavy meal.

One downside of both trips was the service. The staff was friendly, but our server took a while to check on us during our meals. If you don’t like to be caught asking for a refill while you’re mid-bite, that would work. Otherwise it was just a bit annoying.

Despite that criticism, La Chalupa is definitely a place worth checking out for its delicious Mexican cuisine. Just be careful not to drive past it first.

First Published November 3, 2022, 10:30 a.m.