Taqueria Playa Tropical

It was a rainy Sunday morning and we didn't have much to do and need to eat lunch, so out of the blue I suggested a Mexican place in New Westminster that my friends recently tried and liked called Taqueria Playa Tropical. I looked up the address, hopped in the car and we were there just after noon.

The restaurant was completely empty except for a couple of guys who were waiting for their take-out. The server greeted us and invited us to sit wherever we liked. We picked a table close to the window and put H in a high chair. Before we were even settled in, the server returned with some tortilla chips and two bottles of salsa. The chips were quite fresh tasting despite the restaurant preparing them well in advance - I walked by the kitchen later during our visit and noticed that they prepare them and leave them sitting on a counter in the kitchen well in advance of diners. The two sauces they provided were both spicy salsas: one mild and green, and one spicy and red. I tried both salsas on the chips in varying ratios and they were both very good. The red one was fairly spicy. I covered a third of a chip with it and popped it in my mouth only to discover just how spicy it was. My mouth was on fire for the next few minutes but it was very tasty.

I ordered the Enchiladas Verdes from the Special House Platter menu. I was going to go for the Enchiladas Rojas, but the server mentioned that they were out of the red salsa. J ordered the Barbacoa Burrito with added Rice inside.

The Enchiladas Verdes was four 6" soft corn tortillas rolled with chicken and topped with green salsa with rice and refried beans on the side. The salsa was tangy and very mild. It went well with the rest of the dish, but H found it a bit too sour. I scraped off most of the salsa for her portion and gave her some rice to go with it. Luckily, she liked the corn tortilla so she managed to eat most of what I gave her (about one and a half rolls). The chicken inside was well-seasoned and quite tasty. I thought that overall the dish could have benefited from a little bit more cheese. The rice was flavorful and the refried beans were quite standard. No complaints!

J's Barbacoa Burrito came on its own plate and was cut in half with some sour cream and guacamole on the side. According to the menu, it was slow cooked beef, guacamole, cilantro, onion and lime. I had a couple of bites of it and wasn't disappointed. The corn tortilla wrap wasn't too thick and it was either pan fried or toasted before wrapping so it wasn't soggy from the contents at all. The beef was hearty and tasty and overall it was decently satisfying.

There was only one server while we were there, and it was more than enough because there weren't too many patrons. While we were there, there was a couple of guys who ordered some take-out, two tables of two and a larger party of about 6. The service was quick and snappy, and she came by with everything we needed with a smile.

The location isn't bad with plenty of street parking nearby. The restaurant itself could use a make-over. The bar area is well-decorated and the walls have pictures, the special menu and several TVs line the walls with various sports on display. What was disappointing was the ceiling. It was typical office ceiling tiling with sections of fluorescent lightning. The lighting really took away from the mood of the restaurant and it probably looks much worse at night when it's dark outside. If you look up at the ceiling, the entire Mexican restaurant atmosphere just dissolves completely.

Overall I would return to Taqueria Playa Tropical to try some of the other dishes and see what the dinner crowd is like. I would recommend this restaurant.

Summary
Food: Good. The food was average to good.

Service: Good. Very attentive and quick service.

Setting: Poor. Good location, but the interior could use some work.

Value: Good. Food was average to good, but coupled with the price of the dishes, the value goes up.