Up in Worthington, the spot at the corner of South and High streets used to be a Bruegger’s. And it was a fine Bruegger’s, it had bagels and coffee and all the accessories expected from a Bruegger’s. But it’s gone now, and its replacement has arrived. You wouldn’t necessarily expect a bagel place to convert neatly to a full-scale restaurant, but it recently made that transition, and as it turns out, the joint is bigger on the inside. It looks perfectly appropriate for a full scale bar and restaurant establishment.
The replacement player is a new Mexican restaurant AND…
It’s not a Chipotle, AND…
It’s also not a generic fast-casual, build-your-own spot.
So the news of Chapala Mexican Grill’s entry to the market is kind of exciting. The menu is large in the way that Mexican restaurant menus are normally large, with burritos and tacos and quesadillas and enchiladas; it’s familiar, but there’s a lot to take in and consider in the ordering process. If the model seems little throw-back, that’s good, because it sometimes feels like a throw-back too. Right down to the refried beans, reddish rice, and lettuce-tomato garnishes.
Let’s begin with a classic starter. There’s the complimentary chips n’ salsa, but an order of Guacamole ($5) adds some variety. The guac here has good depth, while maintaining avocado-integrity. That is, it’s not so polluted with seasoning that you can’t taste the clean, natural avocado goodness shining through.
The entree section of the menu is organized in terms of meats. So, instead of a taco section or a burrito section, it has a chicken section (and pork, and steak and seafood sections). There are specials too, which is where you’ll find the Enchiladas Mexicanas ($14), which provides a dreamy little enchilada sampler. There’s a green enchilada filled with chicken, there’s a shredded beef enchilada with cheese sauce, and then there’s a ground beef with red sauce. The cheese element on the shredded beef one makes it the best of the bunch, but it took repeated trials to arrive at this conclusion, and there was cross-contamination which happens when three sauces share a plate. This mixing is also a selling point, as the moments of mergers were the best parts. Alongside the enchiladas comes classic elements: serviceable refried beans and seasoned rice, along with lettuce, tomato and sour cream.
It’s not all a classic scene. There are plenty more millennial dishes too. Consider the Pollo Yucatan, $14. It’s a luxe combo of chicken with sautéed zucchini, peppers, onions and tomatoes on rice. Sounds light? There’s also cheese sauce and sour cream. It’s the kind of heavy, heady treatment that chicken and vegetables rarely get.
And for taco fans, there are taco options. In the seafood section, an order of Fish Tacos ($13) delivers three tender flour tortillas filled with a balanced mix of crackle-coated fish, shredded lettuce, cotija cheese sprinkles, spiked mango, and some agreeable chipotle ranch on the side that helps the elements and textures merge together.
The menu ventures into more continental offerings; you can score a steak and fries for $24, and the kiddie menu offers macaroni and cheese. These sorts of cross-cultural touches position it as a neighborhood family hangout, albeit with solid bar offerings that include margaritas, beer, and honest-to-goodness sangrias: A little something for everyone.
For dessert, the Sopapillas are a bargain at ($3.75), and it delivers a warm, fried tortilla coated with a dense sweater of cinnamon sugar, made even better served with honey and whipped cream.
You’ll find it at 530 High St. in Worthington.
All photos by Susan Post
