May 2019
It’s been a long and winding road for the owners of El Tapatio, a Mexican restaurant located at 1633 Highway 99 (next to Butler Ford and above Ashland Motors). When they opened in a small funky building at the juncture of Highway 99 and Valley View Road in 1992, they were one of the first Mexican restaurants in the valley.
The owners, Ramiro and Beatriz Padilla, and their nephew Franciso, make it a point to treat every customer like family and to introduce the valley to the food of Guadalajara, where they were from.
“Guadalajara is a city of about eight million people,” Ramiro said. “A resident is called a ‘tapatio.’ It’s where mariachi music started, and it’s also famous for its molcajete. Our menu is a great combination of authentic Guadalajara treats and standard Mexican/American entrees. In addition to a great seafood selection, the menu includes carne asada, mole, pollo a la crema, fajitas, and much more.”
In 2008, Ramiro and his family learned that their building was to be razed to make room for Lithia Springs Resort. The owner, Duane Smith, promised to build the Padillas a new building not far from their old location, and the grand opening on December 5, 2008, was a big affair.
The new building includes two dining rooms separated by a full bar that accommodates both sides. The room to the left has a large-screen TV to watch sporting events. There’s also live music practically every night, including salsa dancing on Wednesdays (7-9pm); Karaoke on Thursdays (8-11pm); and Mexican dancing on Saturday nights.
The menu is overseen by main chef Alejandro Rubalcava, and it is vast, including a breakfast (both Mexican and the traditional American) that is offered every morning starting at 7:00, and lunch specials every day starting at 7am (they guarantee service in under ten minutes). Popular items on the lunch and dinner menu include the carne asada (skirt steak broiled in a special way), the super burritos, and a deluxe tostada, which is a crispy fried tortilla layered with refried beans, filled with ground beef or chicken, and covered with shredded lettuce, tomato, cheese, guacamole and sour cream.
“We have some great appetizers, too,” Ramiro said. “People love the Quesadilla Tapatia and the Chicken Taquitos. What we want to do here is offer people great food at a reasonable price. We have 17 different lunch combinations for $6.99 that are served from 7am to 3pm every day.”
After 27 years in business, the Padillas are proud to serve the people of southern Oregon with their special brand of Guadalajara food and hospitality. Kids eat free Sunday-Tuesday, but you have to remember to mention it, and there are plenty of senior specials. The restaurant also does catering and can handle banquets of up to 70 people in the main room and 30 people in the smaller one.
For more information, the phone number is 541-488-2276.
