El Guapo?

[naenae42day]

So what are the opinions about El Guapo?  Was supposed to lunch there the other day...but someone told me of an unfavorable rating.  Anyone else have any issues?

[swake]

I've been several times. The food is really good but not outstanding, the drinks are better than the food. Service is fine, it can be hard to get a table or the attention of the hostess (or host?) but the waitstaff does a good job on average. The rooftop bar is cool but is hard to get into.

[Neptune]

I stopped going there months ago.  I really liked the Steak Flautas, but they changed the recipe one day from great to bleh.  The waitress tried to say they were the same as always, but they sure didn't taste like it.

Have no idea what they're like now. 

[sgrizzle]

I went there two weeks ago for the first time in awhile. I get the Wet Burrito and it was good as always. I wouldn't say it's the best mexican ever but generally everyone will leave happy. The rooftop is the best place to sit if you can get in, but it is a bit busy. They promoted and pushed themselves hard when they opened and weren't ready so they lost a lot of customers because of it.

[HazMatCFO]

I agree with reviewers that say it's good, but not outstanding.

[Conan71]

I agree with reviewers that say it's good, but not outstanding.

That statement's true about Mexican food in general.

[waterboy]

I like Guapo just fine. Its on my list of "good" Mexican style restaurants. My wife and I have eaten there three times this past month. Its not authentic (what is?) but its interesting and the setting is fun. The margaritas at Laredo are the best in town though.

Also, I want to apologize for denying that it is the former location of a notorious bordello by the name of May Rooms (a local stock car driver was killed there back in the seventies). It actually occupies the second floor of May Rooms and still has remnants of the old wallpapered plaster walls and wooden floors. The first floor of May Rooms is an art studio now.

[Hoss]

That statement's true about Mexican food in general.

I think it depends on where you go, Conan.  I lived in Houston for 4 years; thusly I acquired a taste for mainly Tex Mex, but some real Mexican food exists there as well as here.  I also love Cajun food, and there really isn't any decent true Cajun place in town that I know of at least.

[sgrizzle]

That statement's true about Mexican food in general.

Not true. I've had some BAD mexican food. Like going to Los Cabos, having it take 4 attempts to get my order right (which was just an item on the menu, nothing special) and when it was right, it was uncooked. The manager was the one serving us and he charged me full price.

[Gaspar]

Not true. I've had some BAD mexican food. Like going to Los Cabos, having it take 4 attempts to get my order right (which was just an item on the menu, nothing special) and when it was right, it was uncooked. The manager was the one serving us and he charged me full price.

But didn't the clown make you a nice little balloon animal?

[Hoss]

But didn't the clown make you a nice little balloon animal?

Make me a bicycle, clown!

[Gold]

That statement's true about Mexican food in general.

I think it's some of the best stuff on the planet, but most of what you find in Tulsa isn't that great.  The stuff down on the Texas border or the "New Mexican" food in New Mexico is absolutely some of the best food I've had in the world, and I've been all over.  I would probably get a little tired of it if I lived in those places . . .

I like Rio Verde (pozole on the weekends is the real deal and the wet burrito is always good), Cancun (maybe the best salsa in town, the shrimp in butter thing is one of the top five dishes in Tulsa), and Speedy's (I think it has slipped some).  Tacos Don Fransisco is fun if you're really drunk.  Los Unicos shames every coney place in town.

As for Guapo, I like it just fine.  The rooftop bar is a lot of fun and also a very good lunch option when the weather is nice.  I don't think the food is bad at all; I think they tried to borrow some dishes from other places in town and that wasn't a bad idea.  I wish they'd focus a little more on the food and making it original, but then again, you can say the same thing about McNellie's.  It's not a bad addition at all downtown; in fact, it's probably one of the better concepts in the area. 

[sgrizzle]

But didn't the clown make you a nice little balloon animal?

No clown when I went. I feel cheated.

[Gaspar]

Lil Brat, and/or her hubby are always there when we go. They make my little girl a nice balloon princess that always pops half way through the dinner and we have to deal with the tears and listen to "Wwwwaaat happenned to Slleeeping Beauty'ss headdd?"

[rwarn17588]

I think it's some of the best stuff on the planet, but most of what you find in Tulsa isn't that great.  The stuff down on the Texas border or the "New Mexican" food in New Mexico is absolutely some of the best food I've had in the world, and I've been all over.  I would probably get a little tired of it if I lived in those places . . .

It depends what you're looking for, honestly.

My wife and I had a wonderful dining experience at a taqueria around the 61st and Peoria area. We like tacos that are bare-bones -- meat, chopped onion, cilantro and whatever salsa is being used placed on top of a corn tortilla. This little joint had tripe tacos that were just terrific.

I like Tex-Mex fine, too. Mexican dining can be pretty diverse nowadays, and often bears little resemblance to the real article. Not that it's always a bad thing. Mixing and matching of varying foodstuffs or cuisines can create really exciting food. Like the seafood burrito at Cheever's Cafe in OKC.