By Elyse Cram

It’s Friday night, and you find yourself craving your favorite Mexican dish–Where in the greater Richmond area do you go?

Collegiate Upper School survey results. Image credit: Elyse Cram.

According to the 68 Collegiate Upper School students who participated in a Match survey, 51.5% would go to El Caporal, a local Mexican restaurant near Three Chopt and Quioccasin Roads. The popularity of this restaurant is best described by Sam Hahn (‘24): “great people, great food, great deals.” Location also plays a role in El Cap’s popularity. Located approximately five minutes away from school, it makes for a quick, delicious, and easy meal when you’re in the area. 

El Caporal Mexican Restaurant. Photo credit: Elyse Cram.

Jax Lou (‘23) speaks to El Caporal’s “homely dining experience that is unmatched in comparison to the other Mexican restaurants in Richmond.” Along with the popularity of this restaurant comes the familiarity and comfort of walking into the building. As you walk in, you are likely to see other people you know dining, in addition to friendly and familiar waiters greeting you.

Although a slim majority of students voted for El Caporal as their favorite local Mexican restaurant, ten other restaurants were also nominated for the title. Some who voted for other restaurants felt very strongly about their decision. Hayden Rollison (‘23) acknowledged the hype El Caporal receives, but he claimed, “You haven’t had Mexican food until you go to Mi Jalisco” in Northside.

Another restaurant that attracted attention was Mexico Restaurant. Liza Fergusson (‘23) and Lauren Watts (‘22) both claimed that the location on Horsepen Road had the “best” salsa compared to other local Mexican restaurants.

Some students also chose to defend their choices by bringing authenticity into the picture. Rory Jones (‘24) described Lalo’s Cocina in The Fan as “the only authentic Mexican place near my house.” In addition to being authentic, Jones claimed that it is “very delicious and [has] reasonable pricing!” Will Porter (‘22) reported that “Panchito’s is a great taco place off of Old Midlothian Turnpike,” and that “their tacos are great and authentic.”

Authenticity can prove difficult to judge, as not everyone fully understands the difference between authentic Mexican dishes and Tex-Mex. Although Tex-Mex restaurants find inspiration from Mexican food, there are a few key differences. For example, Tex-Mex dishes incorporate popular ingredients such as orange shredded cheeses, queso dip, crunchy taco shells, flour tortillas, and refried beans. On the other hand, authentic Mexican dishes feature fresh ingredients local to Mexico, such as tomatoes, chile, corn, and many spices, including coriander and epazote.

Tacos from Habanero Mexican Grill. Photo credit: Elyse Cram

Even a difference that may appear miniscule, such as a restaurant serving flour tortillas as opposed to corn tortillas, has cultural roots. The process for making corn tortillas originally involved “planting and harvesting native ingredients such as corn… and manually grinding grain for tortillas on stone and mortar.” This process demonstrates the care and attention put into even the small details of traditional Mexican dishes.

Specific dishes also exhibit clear differences. For example, authentic Mexican tacos are often smaller, involve corn tortillas, and are topped with cilantro and onion rather than cheese. Habanero Mexican Grill, located a few minutes away from El Caporal, serves authentic tacos down to the exact definition. Personally, I strongly recommend their tacos de carne asada.

While all of the local Richmond restaurants mentioned in the survey attract hungry crowds on weekend nights, some have also made special adjustments to accommodate social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, Casa del Barco, which has three locations in the Richmond area and was the favorite Mexican restaurant of 11.8% of our survey respondents, has come out with an emergency taco kit that is a great option for families who are not comfortable with eating in restaurants at this time. This kit comes with both adobo chicken and carne asada, along with multiple sides and sauces.

Personally, I prefer different restaurants depending on what dish I want for dinner. Some of my favorite Tex-Mex/Mexican meals include pollo adobado from El Caporal, tacos de carne asada from either Habanero Mexican Grill or Pepe’s, and the emergency taco kit from Casa del Barco. Other factors I consider while choosing which restaurant include the prices, atmosphere, and location. However, if you find yourself choosing between the restaurants mentioned in this survey, you can’t go wrong!