1905 Bodega Ave, Petaluma CA 94952
(707) 773-4800
Parking: in parking lot
Last Visited: April 5, 2008
Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$
John recommended we try Uruapan, and what a great place it is. It was a bit hard to find, but look for the green sign. Enter Uruapan and be surprised by its immaculate cleanliness. The whole restaurant has a clean and fresh appeal about it, like a little country outfit.
The windows bring in lots of bright lot. The green tabletops and the maple chairs add to the fresh feel. The floor is linoleum and light in color. The walls are painted white, and there are lots of ceramic Mexican art hanging from them including suns, moons, and even fish are placed adjacent to Mexican paintings. There are also green plants displayed on the walls. In the rear is a large glass wall refrigerator displaying the drinks. The main counter is wood that is light in color, and the kitchen is open. Everything is kept very clean. On the counter itself are lots of tostada shells and baskets of fresh chips. Fluorescent lights on the ceiling add to the brightness in the room.
The tables have paper placemats with a folded napkin triangle in the center. A single bottle of hot sauce and salt and pepper shakers are placed on the table along with a small woven basket containing sugar. Upon our arrival, we were brought glasses of water. After ordering, we received a basket of homemade chips and two kinds of salsa. The red salsa was fresh with a sweet and tangy flavoring. The green chile salsa was slightly sweet with a bite. After looking more closely at the menu, I found that the first serving of chips and salsa are complementary. Additional servings will be $0.75 each. The chips are great though – light and crispy, so it’s worth it if you love chips, they’re fresh.
- Tortilla soup – The tortilla soup comes packed with goodness. Chicken broth is used as the base. Crispy thick tortilla strips are placed at the bottom of the bowl and topped with the cooked potatoes, squash, jalapenos, tomatoes, onions, and carrots in soup. Fresh cilantro, fresh chopped tomatoes, and fresh chopped onion top the cooked veggies. A dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cheese are placed on top of everything. This soup is wonderful. It’s hearty and filling. It’s served very hot and that just makes it taste even better. The ingredients are fresh and whole so that everything is soft, without being mushy. A must try. 5 stars. $5.75 small, $10 large
- Chicken Enchilada – Shredded chicken is cooked in a rolled tortilla and topped with green chile salsa that is heated through. A dollop of sour cream and a dollop of guacamole top the enchilada. This was excellent. 5 stars. The flavors compliment each other very well. The enchilada is served very hot and on a very hot plate. It tasted great with the green chile salsa creating that extra zip that makes it different from other enchiladas. $2.95 a la carte
- Carnitas Taco lunch combo – The menu says that Uruapan is a town in the Southern part of the state of Michoacan, Mexico, world famous for its carnitas. The lunch combination comes with salad, rice, and beans. Unfortunately, my carnitas taco came cold, and the beans and rice were cold too. The salad was made of chopped romaine lettuce topped with a drizzle of salad dressing. The refried beans had a creamy texture and nice flavor, but it was cold, and that was disappointing. The rice was average in appearance, but also had nice flavor; however, since it was cold, it also wasn’t as great as it could be. The carnitas was topped with chopped cilantro and onion and placed on two small tortillas. Again, the cold temperature ruined this dish, and everything came out tasting just average. I would be willing to try this dish again, but it would have to be served hot, so I probably wouldn’t order anything else with it in hopes that it might arrive immediately after it was plated. On my second return trip, I didn’t order the carnitas taco, but another person did. This second try was much better with the carnitas stripped into plump chunks and glistening with juices. $6.50
- Super Burrito – A large burrito, about the length of the oval plate, is filled with rice, beans, guacamole, tomato, onion, sour cream, cilantro, lettuce, and your choice of meat. I selected carnitas. The burrito is topped with ranchero sauce and a little bit of melted cheese. It was a large portion and very filling. Great fresh flavor, and there’s a lot more cilantro than your typical taquerias. Great taste and a great bargain. It’s gone up in price by $2 since my last visit, but still a lot of food for the price. $7.95
- Jamaica – The Jamaica here is very sweet and deep violet. $1.50
Uruapan is a great place to check out. It’s probably the cleanest taqueria I’ve ever visited. The tortilla soup and enchilada are excellent. I can’t give the carnitas a thumbs up rating, but I would be willing to order it again to see if it improves. Try out Uruapan some time.
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