03 On Sept. 17, 2024, I visited a local favorite, Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant and Bar. Guadalajara is located on the northern side of Spearfish, SD.
Guadalajara is a classic family restaurant, covered with custom murals and carved booths that depict everything from mariachi bands to skylines to sunflowers, presenting pieces of the western Mexican city that the restaurant is named for.
The dining area was warmly lit, the lower ceilings give a feeling of coziness and intimacy. The restaurant was unusually busy for a late Tuesday evening, but that only adds to the appeal, as when I have visited on different occasions it was similarly or exponentially more busy during earlier times of the day.
My party was seated quickly and our server was very polite and had the balance between checking on his guests and not being overbearing down to a tee. While I was not able to catch the man’s name, I would like to greatly commend him for the excellent service, and for being very patient with my indecisiveness regarding the menu later on.
We had a basket of chips and two kinds of salsa within five minutes of arriving. The chips were a wonderful texture and still warm to the touch. The regular salsa was very fresh, with chunks of tomato, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro nicely balanced through. The spicy salsa was smooth with chili seeds floating among the sauce and a bold smokiness to the dip that made it very memorable.
The menu, while extensive, is certainly straightforward, letting a patron know exactly what it is that they’re getting. Guadalajara has a variety of different dishes ranging from seafood to desserts, but this night, I went with some of my absolute comfort foods and ordered the One Enchilada, One Chile Relleno, and One Tamale Combination.
The enchilada, served in a red sauce, had the choices of either chicken, beef, or pork. I personally chose the chicken which was shredded. The chile relleno, a green chile and egg dish, had a lovely texture, and the chiles were very flavorful. The tamale, masa with a pork filling, was cooked to perfection with a green sauce poured over the top. The tamale itself was incredibly flavorful and with the addition of the green sauce, it made for a great addition to the plate.
To tie it all together, the plate was served with a side of classic refried beans and rice. While not overwhelmingly spectacular on their own, they had a place on the plate, and added to the value of the meal. The dish wasn’t presented in the most elegant manner, with each item simply being presented next to each other on the plate, but an incredibly tasteful presentation isn’t exactly an expectation at such a casual establishment. I would definitely recommend this dish, as the amount of food overwhelmingly justified the price, which was already low on its own, amounting to around 12 to 13 dollars.
My guest ordered the Guadalajara’s Special combination that comes with a broiled steak, a chile relleno, and crispy chicken burrito served with sour cream and guacamole. It comes with a side of refried beans and rice. The steak was tender, but chewy with fat throughout, giving a nice variation in texture. Dipping the steak in the spicy salsa gave the steak a great smoky flavor and gave it a bit of kick which I found desirable. It had a nice crispy char that also contributed to the flavor.
The chile relleno was of the same quality of the one included in the first combo, and the crispy chicken burrito had a well fried tortilla, and the same chicken from the chicken enchilada. It was also served with red sauce, and had cheese melted on to the top of the item.
The presentation for this dish was a little more put together, with the items being more highlighted and separated on the plate. This is another one of their dishes that I would highly recommend, as it includes even more food than the chile relleno, enchilada, and tamale combo with just a bit more variety, while being around the same price.
Overall, Guadalajara is a great family oriented restaurant that allows for big meals at small prices, while also providing quality dishes. It has become a staple, go-to restaurant for my friend group, as its low prices are very kind on our college-sized wallets, and also allows us to not have to rely on fast food for nights we are too tired to cook for ourselves.
