Rita Hutchinson
July 31, 2008
Helen Ann Hebert Martin
August 4, 2008
My Morgan City friends for years have raved about “their” Tex-Mex eatery: Tampico Restaurant & Cantina.
Recently, I ventured to St. Mary Parish to find out how and why this Mexican establishment rates so highly among its locals.
I’ve hesitated to write about the area’s “Tex-Mex” restaurants, as they seem to be dominated by the Izaguirre family.
It is my understanding that Tampico has restaurants in Morgan City, Bayou Vista, New Iberia and Lafayette.
La Casa Del Sol in Houma, Thibodaux and Luling, I believe, is owned and operated by other Izaguirre cousins or distant relatives. And La Casa Mexican Restaurant has been serving its own brand of south-of-the-border delights in Cut Off for years. It too is owned and operated by another part of the sprawling Izaguirre clan.
While Tampico, La Casa Del Sol and La Casa Mexican restaurants each are apparently separate, it is quite a testament to the family as to how they have been able to open restaurants in close proximity, but not directly competing markets – building strong followings in each.
I wondered how one extended family member’s restaurant would compare to the others, but I decided to table that concern and go for the gusto at Tampico.
Enough of the background, several weeks ago I was hungry and craving a margarita, tostados and salsa, so I used that as an excuse to dart over to Morgan City and experience firsthand Tampico-Morgan City (1025 Victor II Blvd.).
Tampico touts itself as a restaurant offering traditional and Tex-Mex cuisine at moderate prices in a hacienda-style setting. Situated behind a mall near the movie theatre, it is difficult to find if you are unfamiliar with the area, so I recommend mapping out a driving route before you go.
The premises feature several large dining areas and a cantina, complete with arched entrances, Mexican-themed murals and paintings and bright, pastel-colored wood tables with classic Mexican chairs. Although the food is the ultimate thing, this location seemed outdated and in need of some freshening.
The tostados and salsa arrived quickly and we decided to add some fresh guacamole for a little something extra.
My palate enjoys guacamole on most things, and this dip didn’t disappoint. It was fresh and quite tangy, with a slight but pleasant “fizz” to it. Neither my friend nor I could determine what the added flavor was, but we enjoyed it.
We also learned that Tampico hand-cuts and hand-fries its tostados on-site each day. It is refreshing to know the fresh tostado chips aren’t what you get at your grocer. The salsa also is homemade as well; not too hot, but with plenty of zest.
To get a broad sampling, we ordered the Tampico Special ($13.95) and the Tamale Dinner ($9.95).
The Tampico Special arrives on two separate plates and consists of an enchilada, chalupa, taco, tamale and cheese tostada, guacamole, fried beans and Spanish rice. The Tamale Dinner consists of three tamales smothered with chili and cheese and also comes with refried beans and Spanish rice [both staples of all Tampico “platas Mexicanos” dinners].
Both dishes hit the mark and we were favorably impressed with how fresh the ingredients seemed to be.
Several weeks later, I decided to try Tampico again on a Saturday afternoon. Another friend and I traveled to Morgan City, ready to try new menu items and debate whether margaritas should be “frozen” or “on the rocks” and served with or without salt. To our dismay, the restaurant was not open. The sign indicated that it was open from noon on Saturday until 2 a.m. We were perplexed but resolved the dilemma with a phone call.
Someone inside did answer the phone, who indicated the Morgan City location does not open until 5 p.m. on Saturday. We were directed to the Bayou Vista location at 1425 U.S. Highway 90 West, across the Atchafalaya River about three miles down the road. Although the diversion was not planned, we decided our hunger warranted the detour.
The Bayou Vista restaurant is on the highway and much easier to locate. Also, the building is new, well maintained and inviting.
Although this is the “same” restaurant at a different location, the Bayou Vista location’s ambiance was far superior to Morgan City. But what surprised us even more was simply how much better the food tasted when presented with this change of environment. I am not suggesting the food was any different, but it was a casual, firsthand experiment in how an environment can affect a person’s experience.
My point is this: If you are traveling through the area and have a choice as to which location to dine at, the Bayou Vista location reigns supreme. It is newer, fresher and easier to locate. No doubt the Morgan City location has its regulars who’d argue differently, but we simply preferred the atmosphere in Bayou Vista.
At Bayou Vista, we continued to sample the menu, with Chicken Fajita Nachos ($11.50 or, for a half-order $7.95) as an appetizer, and two entrees: Combination Steak and Shrimp Fajitas ($13.95) and a small, loaded Burrito Cargado ($10.95, large; $7.95, small).
The fajitas were grilled with onions and bell peppers in the classic tradition. The taste and texture, along with the fresh guacamole and homemade salsa, wrapped in warm flour tortillas, satisfied my tastebuds.
Charro beans came as a side item. I expected something akin to refried beans, but these were in a bowl and could be best be described as a charro bean soup.
This slight variation from the typical was a hit with me.
The Burrito Cargado is a burrito topped with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, black olives and sour cream. Having consumed countless Tex-Mex dishes in Texas, I generally presume a burrito is to be eaten with your hands.
I was simply wrong. This burrito warrants and deserves a knife and fork to avoid the mess and to coordinate the right ingredient combinations.
We left bloated and favorably impressed with the detour we made to the Bayou Vista location.
With respect to service, the waitstaff at both locations were willing to help and seemed interested in making certain we enjoyed our dining experience.
My friend and I are still debating “frozen” versus “on the rocks” margaritas. We suspect that debate may rage on for some time to come. She suggested we continue the discussion down U.S. Highway 90 to the Tampico restaurants in New Iberia and Lafayette. Who am I to say “No”?
