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Buenos Aires, Argentina > Buenos Aires restaurants > Xalapa XalapaEl Salvador 4800 (@ Gurruchaga); Tel. +(011.54.11) 4833-6102
Like all restaurants in attractive Palermo, Xalapa is usually packed to the gills and spilling out into the street. This colorful, casi-casi (almost) Mexican eatery operates on some prime restaurant real estate in the heart of Palermo’s nighttime eating scene. Those arriving after 10pm can expect a long wait for a table but those with the good fortune to arrive in the summertime should request one of the few tables in the sun to enjoy their chips and salsa – they go down a treat with a beer or a frozen margarita and some sunshine. Xalapa is a welcoming place. It is small enough to feel intimate with its 20 or so tables and the bright colors, traditional music, and murals make it feel like a slice of Mexico. The food is well prepared though portions are small when you consider the prices. Burritos will set you back about $15AR and come only with meat inside. Luxuries like refried beans cost an extra $7AR. The menu is limited but includes guacamole that is tasty though probably not what a Mexican or Californian would expect. Dishes like chile rellenos (stuffed chiles) accompanied by fresh made salsas keep the porteños sweating and the Mexican food purists really wishing that jalapeño spice was more popular in Argentina. All in all Xalapa is a friendly but overpriced place. For those really missing Mexican food it is passable despite the fact that this Mexican food has been overly adapted to the porteño palate. There are, after all, real flour tortillas and cold beers. —Xalapa review by Clare Nisbet
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