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Dinner at Zapata's- a very highly recommended Mexican restaurant on urban spoon. We walked out our little tce, wondered down the main street (Melbourne street) walked past some empty restaurants, an empty mexican resturant, we considered mezze, but decided to avoid the smokers of the traditional Egyptian 'hookah' and were suprised at the line outside the 'elephant walk' coffee bar. We finally got to Zapata and were greeted by a bustling resturant and a line! Good first sign, we were ignored at first because we were thought to be with the first group waiting for their table, however after they were seated we continued to be ignored. A very gay looking man spotted his regulars who were waiting behind us and seated them before the two couples waiting, which is fine, however he then proceeded to ignore us. We finally got seated with alot of effort and menus flung at us. We were stunned - at such a funky , happening and highly recommended restaurant we met our first unpleasant adelaidian. We expected a wait on service and food and were not disappointed. We ordered 2 beers, entree of corn chips with queso con chilli dip and the main of fajitas for two from a distracted and annoyed waiter. The beer came out quickly, and the entree about 15 mins later. We may be untraveled and are certainly not Mexican experts, but the dip was a melted cheese with two extra mild jalapeño's floating on the top of a teaspoon of tined diced tomato. We expected a bit of bite is all. I must say the corn chip: dip ratio was spot on.
After another delay, we were informed 'put your toys away' and a fantastic plate of tortilla's, cheese, sour cream, refried beans, salsa and guacamole was plonked in front of us, the waiter sauntered off. We felt stunned... We knew meat was ment to be comming but we were hungry, do we wait or start? We started! The waiter came back and put a cast iron stand and sizzling meat on the stand. He left without another word. We shrugged and dug in. The only fault was the tortilla: meat ratio didn't match, we were only two tortilla's short of emptying every plate. We did make a 'deconstructed tortilla' of meat and the rest of the condiments and minus the tortilla. We were then ignored.
I did sus out the toilets, and they matched the theme of the restrant, there was a Mexican plant in the corner on the way in and mirrors decorated the short hall. A great historical australian fly wire door added to the atmosphere.
We continued to be ignored, despited every other tables bill being brought to then. so we got up and paid and left.
Although the food was great, the service was appalling. We understood the reviewer on urban spoon who summed up Zapata's perfectly
"continue to go for the good food despite the consistently poor service" however we won't bother again, I mean Adelaide is the city of friendly people and has so many other food options Surely there will be better.
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