Barely two hours after our hearty American lunch at VFW, interrupted by a little shopping-cum-walking exercise around the sprawling Puregold Supermarket inside the former Clark Air Base, we were ready to munch on great Mexican food at Zapata’s.
This place was quite a revelation to me as I didn’t expect it to exist beside those rinky-dink bars that surround Clark’s Perimeter Road. Its heavy wooden door had a sign that said “Open/Abierto” and as we stepped inside, we were treated to its colorful interiors, notably the red and green chairs and the giant replica of a cactus which reminded moi of those tequila plantations in Mexico. Furthermore, the place was gaily decorated with eyecatching Mexican hats, brightly patterned ceramic plates and other curios. All these prepared us for our delicious Mexican meal ahead.
First-timers are well-advised to try this quaint resto’s Combination Plate which has a serving each of the house taco, burrito, enchilada and chili con carne. These were accompanied by a Mayan bean soup, refried borracho beans and a choice of steamed or mexi-rice for a grande serving of P235. For a merienda meal, our foodie group adjudged it a winner. Of course, what’s even greater is that every table at Zapata’s has the following condiments: tapatio Salsa Picante and Caramba Chili Verde for that extra zing in your dish. I also ordered virgin margarita to go with my food, which would have been less sweet if I settled for the stronger one with a dash of tequila instead.
The bar offerings are quite extensive and Zapata’s lean list of Mexican favorites include good ol’ quesadilla, nachos and fajitas. I am also curious of their Gringo Burger, their fish tacos, the puerco vera cruz (marinated pork tenderloin) and the mahi mahi de baja (fish steak marinated then grilled and served with zesty garlic sauce).
What I like about Zapata’s is that the quality is never wanting (reason why it’s full even on a dogday afternoon), plus the tastefully-decorated interiors are the type you wouldn’t be ashamed to hang out in with your friends. Definitely a jewel worthy of being discovered in Clark.
Zapata’s Authentic Mexican Food
Open 11 am to 10 pm (closed on Mondays)
480 Don Juico Avenue (Perimeter Road)
Clarkview Angeles City
tel (045)892 0859
mukahng masaya kayo ha.. sayang wala ako. bat ba kasi kailangan pumasok on saturdays? ahehehe
sino yang mga kasama mo pakilala naman eheheh
Exciting….:arrow:
Hi Eric. Shown in pic (taken by Yuga) are Anton’s wife, Rachel, Yuga’s friend, Abe and our tour guide, Spanky. We missed you and shall I dare say, you also missed half of your life:lol:
i love Mexican food! so far the closest i could get to real Mexican food is thru Del Taco or Rubio’s. i’ll try to look for real authentic Mexican food in the area. I’ll have to ask my friends or my cousin. nice photos. 🙂
aba at kayo lang ni abe ang nandyan.. nag tago ba ang ibang bloggers? ayaw pakita ang mukha aheheheheheeh
hay sayang at di ako nakasama sa inyo
🙁
sana may next time pa ahahahahha
Hi Jaypee. I thought there were lots of Mexican restos in SoCal. Thanks for the compliment.
Eric, Abe in pic is not a blogger but a friend of Abe a.k.a Yuga. Sorry wala akong group pics namin eh, the digicam I brought along ran out of battery. Surely me next time pa since there are still a lot of places to go to in Pampanga:razz:
yeah, madaming Mexican restos dito sa dami ba naman nila dito eh. hehe. but i don’t know where the good ones are at. i’ll have to ask my cousins or friends.