La Palapa Grill - Best Mexican Food in Howard County

Wait – am I reading this right? Bog Ganoosh’s Baltimore Restaurant Reviews is giving props to Howard County establishment? What gives!? Well, we here at Bob Ganoosh like to give credit where credit is due, and this time the credit is due far beyond the city limits.

From downtown, one can take the scenic Frederick Road – once the only road from Baltimore to the West –on a narrow winding path through Baltimore County and into the quaint village of downtown Ellicott City. Ellicott City’s downtown is a hilly historical mill town, with a level of charm and character that is pleasantly uncharacteristic of Howard County, known mostly for its strip malls and cul-de-sacs. And Main Street has everything you would expect of an old mill village – antique shops, boutiques, and an awesome Mexican joint.

Ok, so maybe the Mexican restaurant doesn’t exactly fit into the theme of the town, but it is said restaurant that we at Bob Ganoosh are so excited about! And that restaurant is La Palapa Grill.

La Palapa is well known amongst the college crowd for its heavy-handed bar staff (the area does not have a particularly hopping night life, but is the only area with decent bars that is accessible from UMBC via taxi). But Shawn and I learned this past Friday that the joint serves up some respectable entrees as well. While sitting on their outdoor deck being serenaded by a guitar-yielding duo, we each debated fiercely between their unique dinner entrees and their renditions of the classics; we both chose the latter. Shawn chose the California burrito, a large burrito generously stuffed with beef, chicken, and a conglomerate of other flavorful ingredients. Not only was the burrito huge, but it was packed with flavor. For those familiar with the famous El Andariego near Olney, the best way we could describe this dish is to take the “Twins Burritos” from El Andariego and stuff them into one burrito. A power move, indeed.

I was swayed by the Texas Chimi, a beef and chicken burrito, fried and covered in a chili con queso sauce. And as long as you like cheese, I can promise you will love this dish. The con queso was plentiful, and the meat was well seasoned – the chimi had just the right amount of kick. Both dishes were adorned plentifully with refried beans and rice. I also threw in an a la carte beef taco in a soft shell, which was pretty much what I expected. But it was stuff so full that I had trouble keeping it all in one piece.

Our only disappointment was the lack of “corn cakes” in the kitchen – you know, that scoop of corn stuff that they used to give you at ChiChi’s. And I think they still give it out at Chevy’s. Shawn and I could live on that stuff. Also, the parking situation is rough – the city has a free municipal lot but even that was completely full – but that is a bit outside of the scope of their control.

Overall though, there is no way we could give this place anything less than 4 stars. Along with their excellent food and heavily-poured drinks (we confirmed this to be accurate), the service was prompt, and the drinks were unusually quick for table service. We never went thirsty.

So if you’re looking for some quality Mexican food and one hell of a margarita, just take a drive down old Frederick Road.

La Palapa Grill
8307 Main Street
Ellicott City, MD 21043
410-465-0070
http://www.lapalapagrill.com

5-Star Rating
Food: ****
Service: ***
Ambiance: ***1/2
Price: $$$ ($20-35)

Update - Holy Frijoles!

A Public Service Announcement from Bob Ganoosh

We are very disappointed to report that Holy Frijoles – our long-time Tuesday night venue thanks to their fantastic half-priced quesadillas – has committed a culinary sin. That’s right, it has done away with its unlimited complimentary chips and salsa! As such, Team Bob Ganoosh would like to take a moment to denounce this horrid business practice.

Don’t get me wrong – their chips and salsa are good enough that some people will pay for refills (including us, last night). The chips are fried on site, and the salsa is freshly made and boldly spiced. But come on, it’s basically a slap in the face to the loyal patrons who go their week after week despite a poor economy and a wide array of Tuesday night specials throughout the city. And, they are boldly charging $2.50 for each refill! Ouch!

Holy Frjoles: we understand that times are very tough right now for small local restaurants, and that giving away anything gets more and more fiscally challenging each day. But there has to be a way to squeeze some extra revenue out of your patrons, without seeming so… CHEAP! Raise the entrée prices $1 or the drink prices 50 cents. If anyone noticed, they certainly wouldn’t care that much, and it appear a lot less stingy than charging for a small basket of chips and salsa!

So, to Holy Frijoles: please stop charging for chips! To our readers: please let Holy Frijoles staff know that you support this cause.

Loco Hombres/Alonzo's - We hombres are loco for their nachos!

Another review that is long overdue, is of the sister restaurants Loco Hombres and Alonso's. Located in old Roland Park a short walk from Loyola College, the two restaurants share an entrance, hostess stand, and bar. Loco Hombres has a tex-mex theme, while Alonso's goes for more of a sports-bar/pizza theme (although the 2 menus are overall very similar). The tex-mex ambiance is experienced before you even walk in the door, with the old Spanish-style tiles on the roof of this old corner business (which is incidental, as this is a common style found on rowhomes made in the "daylight" period, which is a whole-nother blog!). The Alonso's side also sells beer and wine for about couple hours later than most of the nearby liquor stores.

Anyway, we had visited on Wednesday night, having been there many times before, expected greatness. We have been there in both large groups and small, and tried items across the menu. One previous visit worth noting, was on the opening night of the 2008 Hampden Christmas Lights - while all the "Avenue" restaurants were on a 2 hour wait, Loco's accommodated a party of 12 in a matter of minutes. And everyone left satisfied.

This week we were in a beer and pub-grub kind of mood, and we remember being intensely impressed by the nachos they served - so we each ordered an order of nachos. I got ground beef on mine, the others got chicken. As we remembered, the portions were huge and looked delicious. Each plate of nachos was smothered with cheese, olives, peppers, guac, etc.; and you never had to worry about getting a nacho with nothing on it. The ground beef was good, the more mild of the choices, but of course was a little greasier. The chicken had a slight bite to it - which we all found to be delicious - and was generously rationed throughout the plate.

The nachos with meat were $13, and were large enough for 2 meals. If you're in a vegetarian mood or want to save money, they're available without meat for $10.

Most of the dishes offered are between $10 and $20 - some other Bob Ganoosh recommendations include the fajitas, the huge burgers (1.5lbs!), and the pizzas on the Alonso's side. They also have a nice drink menu, with a decent beer selection and some fun cocktails. I got a bottle of Newcastle, served with a frosted glass, that was very cold and refreshing on such a warm evening.

So, of course, we give our strong endorsement to these fun restaurants for almost any occasion - large group or small, dinner or just pub-grub during the game.

And, they get bonus points, since our waitress had a Natty Boh tattoo!

Holy Frijoles - Good Simple Cheap Mexican

For my first post, I will talk about a place my roommates and I know all too well. That place is Holy Frijoles!

Located on "The Avenue" (W. 36th Street) in Hampden, this restaurant is one of the busiest and most well-known restaurants on this self-proclaimed "kitschy" stretch of local businesses. Being walking distance from my house, I have been there several times with several different crowds, sometimes looking for a big meal and sometimes looking for a good Margarita. Interestingly enough, Shawn and I have differing opinions of this establishment, so I'll give you both perspectives.

First my opinion: I love the place. Hence why I go there all the time. Now let's make one thing clear: if you are looking for quality, authentic, high-end Mexican fare, this is not the restaurant for you. What Holy Frijoles serves are simple versions of simple Mexican dishes. The menu could fit in your pocket - it basically consists of nachos, burritos, enchilladas, chimichangas, and fajitas. There are several prices for each, depending on if you want only beans, beef, or the works. Most prices are somewhere between $7-10.

Now, at first you may think, 8 bucks for a stinkin burrito, that's crazy. That is, until you see the size of the burrito. You know those huge burritos they sell at Chipotle... well picture 2-3 of those. The ingredients are simple but very well flavored. It is pretty much guaranteed that for under $10, you can leave there with your taste buds stimulated and your stomach full. I personally recommend the chimichangas (fried burritos) or the Drunken Sweeney nachos, which are a little more expensive but HUMUNGOUS. Also, the salsa there is uniquely delicious.

Now, if you like Margaritas, you're in luck as well. The house Margarita is decent - not necessarily the best in the world, but worth the money. And on Monday nights, they have half priced house margaritas.

Now Shawn's opinion: The first few times we went he liked the place. However, one time we went and he was sick the next day. I think it was a stomach virus but he thinks its Holy Frijoles. So, if your stomach is feeling a little funny in the first place, you may want to save Holy Frijoles for another day.

As for the atmosphere, it's everything you'd expect in Hampden. Vibrant colors, art on the walls, and lights made of Patron bottles. It's a trendy rough-around-the-edges joint that has a pretty eclectic clientele. The service is not super quick, but not horrible either. However, being a busy yet small joint, it doesnt work well for large parties, especially on busy nights.

Long story short - as long as you dont have a weak stomach, HolyFrijoles is a great place to just chill with a few friends, a margarita, and a huge burrito.

Location:
908 W 36th St
Baltimore, MD 21211
(410) 235-2326