3 October 2008
El Capitan, My Capitan
Posted by hottie under: Mexican .
El Capitan 3 peaks
1800 S. Milton Rd.
Greentree Shopping Plaza
774-1083
El Capitan is a great place to go if you are missing Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco, Mexico for you non-Arizonans). With a laid-back beachy (and also pirate) theme going on, El Capitan is a fun place to go. It’s also a good place to watch a game or for college students wanting some filling, yet reasonably priced Mexican food. El Capitan always has a special going on, the most popular being their “…and beer” offerings, such as tacos & beer, burrito & beer. You get the picture.
Staying true to their beachy Rocky Point-like roots, their best offerings are the seafood dishes such as shrimp or fish tacos or grilled shrimp. Their standard Mexican dishes are good too, as are their more unusual dishes such as one of Fatso’s favorites, the Carne Adovodo.
A high point of El Capitan is their fresh salsa bar. There are several kinds to choose from and they are generally unique salsas. El Capitan’s competition on that end is Salsa Brava. While we think Brava’s salsas have the edge on Capitan, both are solid and are the two best salsa offerings in town. However, their chips are pretty standard. To make Capitan’s salsas shine more, they should upgrade the chips. (Try Ai Caramba’s chips and you’ll taste the gold standard here in town.)
El Capitan has a full bar with a daily margarita special. The Hottie is a margarita fan and while I find Capitan’s completely decent, they don’t blow me away. They do make for a nice addition to an entirely pleasant meal, though. (See below for a list of my favorites in Flagstaff.)
Service can be somewhat slow. Lunch or dinner here is usually at a leisurely pace but then again, you’re supposed to be at the beach! Service pace is probably due to the use of college students who may not have much prior waitstaff experience, but it is still acceptable. Just don’t think you’re going to be in and out like at La Fonda.
El Capitan has a decent kids menu and although it is near campus and has a bit of a campus vibe going on, it is still entirely welcoming to children. Plus you can’t miss the wonderful treasure chest at the end of the kids’ meals. The treasure chest is a small pirate-looking chest with dollar store type prizes inside like fake coins, pencils, stickers and such, but kids think it’s a genuine treat.
El Capitan will treat you right and sate your Rocky Point cravings. In a southwestern town with many Mexican food options, El Capitan is one of our best.
One Comment so far...
Matt Brydenthal Says:
17 November 2008 at 7:11 pm.
try Casa Bonita….across from Target….we have been bringing our family there for years!!!