I’ve come to the conclusion that my time at Bowling Green State University has me spoiled. For being such a small town in the middle of a cornfield, BG really delivers in the area of Mexican Food. And by “Mexican Food” I mean El Zarape, unequivocally the best Mexican restaurant I’ve ever eaten at. The food is simple, yet packed full of flavor. The prices are reasonable. What more could a girl ask for?

Well, since you asked, I would ask for a similar restaurant in my new hometown of Lansing. As of yet, I have not discovered it. I always assumed that the food at El Zarape was so good because it was authentic, but now I’m not so sure–maybe it’s authentic enhanced? It’s so good that I’ve stopped there on my way to my parents’ house so that Jason could taste the food I use as the basis for my comparisons.

We have gone to restaurant upon restaurant in the Lansing area, each time hoping that this one would be “the one.” No such luck. Here are the places we’ve tried, with a few notes:

1. Alicia’s Authentic Mexican Deli: Judging by the reviews, we thought this place would be a perfect little “hole-in-the-wall” location. Unfortunately we were wrong– the food was bland, tasteless, and overpriced for what it was. And served on styrofoam plates, the food didn’t exactly scream “delicious.” (Though I would like to note that had the food blown me away, the styrofoam wouldn’t have been much of an issue)
2. La Seniorita: The food seemed over-seasoned and over-cheesed (yes, there is such a thing as too much cheese), perhaps to cover up a lack of quality ingredients. To top that, our service was pretty slow.
3. Los Gringos Restaurant: Nothing memorable except for the fact that there weren’t many menu options and they are a cash-only establishment.
4. Famous Taco: Because of its convenience, we tried Famous Taco many times, but gave up on it because of how underwhelming the food was. The rice and beans were bland.
5. Los Tres Amigos: Again nothing memorable. Seemed pretty run-of-the-mill.
6. Pablo’s Panaderia: Another one we had really high hopes for based on reviews, but the food was a letdown. The taco meat, like everything else, didn’t seem to have much flavor.

We did find two places that will go on our short list. While the food wasn’t quite like El Zarape these restaurants stand out among the competition:

1. Aldaco Restaurant: The place has a good atmosphere, large portions, and pretty tasty food. Jason and I also have a little bit of a sentimental attachment to it because we happened to stop there on one of our first dates.
2. Cancun Mexican Grill: The atmosphere is good and the food has an authentic feel. I will probably go there again.

I figure we have to be running out of places to try by now and I have yet to be completely wowed. Maybe my attachment to El Zarape is something more than taste? If you have a place in the Lansing-East Lansing area you think we should try, leave it in the comments! Oh, and if you have any good Chinese cuisine spots, leave those too… but that’s a post for another day!

Update 01/18/2010: We tried El Azteco this past weekend. We liked the salsa a lot, and the beef taco seasoning was good. However, the refried beans (which are a deal breaker for Jason) were awful. Not sure if we will go back to try some other menu items.

Update 05/10/2010: We tried the El Oasis Taco Truck this past weekend. I think they are probably the best tacos around and very reasonably priced. I was also excited by the Coca Cola in glass bottles from Mexico. It’s quite a luxury! We will definitely go back sometime to try other menu items.