With a decor of palm trees on the windows and a tiki hut inside the front door, Acapulco Mexican Restaurant brings the feel of the Mexican Riviera to Northwest Arkansas.
Since opening its doors in 2013 at 1602 E. Robinson Ave., in Springdale, the restaurant has established itself with a core of regular customers and a growing faction of new ones.
"We are always getting new customers, but we also have a lot of loyal, regular customers," said manager Clara Resendiz, who has overseen the business since the beginning. "I think it is mostly by word of mouth that new people keep coming in to try us out."
"We try our best to treat all of our customers well with great service, fresh and quality food, and just make them feel welcome," she said.
She gives a lot of credit to the kitchen staff, including veteran grillmaster Ruben Almacan, for always preparing quality food for the entrees.
"Our cooks do a very good job of preparing our entrees fresh, made to order, using fresh ingredients every day," Resendiz said. "I love talking with the people that come in and making sure all of our customers leave satisfied."
With the majority of their customers being local Americans, they strive to offer innovative takes on classic Tex-Mex, as well as new dishes that follow the Hispanic path, from a variety of enchiladas to carne asada steak. All of the guacamole and salsas are made fresh daily.
The appetizers include a variety of dips and quesadillas made fresh every morning. There are four different styles of nachos, including the fajita nachos, which consists of crispy corn tortillas with beans, a choice of chicken or beef, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, jalapenos, sour cream and guacamole. Nachos range in price from $4.99 to $10.99 for the huge Nachos Supreme.
Fajitas are by-far the most popular item on the menu, according to Resendiz, served with either beef of chicken. She said they can serve upward of 30 fajita plates during a lunch time.
"People just love them," she said with a smile. "Whether its just the fajitas, the fajita tacos, fajita nachos -- they just love it all."
The Fajitas Famous Sizzling Platter runs $9.99 for one person, or $17.99 for a couple, and comes with delicious strips of either beef or chicken, with tomatoes, onions and green peppers. It is served with lettuce, pico de gallo, tortillas, sour cream, guacamole, rice and beans. There are two other varieties of fajita plates that cost $11.99, including the Fajitas Cheese Poblano and the Fajita Mexicanas.
"Our cooks marinate the chicken and beef, and carefully grill it with the onions and tomatoes," Resendiz said. "They don't mix it together while they are cooking, which allows everything to properly cook individually. Then it all comes together on the plate."
Acapulco's seafood menu includes three dishes that are also served with large shrimp, including the Shrimp Plate that includes a choice of mojo de ajo (cooked in garlic and butter), ranchera (cooked in salsa ranchera, a la diabla (hot and spicy) or blackened (with a special Acapulco sauce). They are served with rice, steamed vegetables, sliced avocado, tomatoes, lettuce and lemon.
The Shrimp a la Parrillada comes with red snapper and grilled chicken for $13.99, while the Shrimp Alambres comes with scallops and catfish for $12.99
"That's what makes us different than most of the other Mexican restaurants, is the variety we offer on our menu," Resendiz said. "You won't find shrimp at many other places."
The menu also comes with a large variety of other Mexican specialties, with three choices of 8-ounce rib-eye steaks that range from $11.99 to $12.99 for the Acapulco steak, which is served with four shrimp, as well as steamed vegetables and fries.
A variety of soups and salads are also served, as well as vegetarian specialties.
The most popular soup is the Sopa de Tortilla, which is a a traditional Mexican chicken soup served with vegetables, crispy tortilla strips, avocado slices, and topped with jack cheese.
Acapulco also has a full bar, with domestic and traditional Mexican favorites, including classic margaritas. Happy Hour is 3 p.m.-close, Mondays through Thursdays, and features $5.99 margaritas and discounts on fajitas. Taco Tuesdays offer any of their wide variety of tacos for just $1.50 each.
The restaurant is open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
For reservations, call (479) 927-1012 or visit their page on Facebook.
NAN Dining Guide Cover on 01/13/2017