Most of the food that we call Mexican bears little resemblance to the food that people in Mexico eat on a regular basis. Like many other ethnic cuisines, it has been Americanized into something different. This doesn’t mean, though, that it is in any way not as good as the "real" thing, any more than Italian food is inherently better than Japanese food; it’s just a matter of taste. De gustibus non disputandum est.
Garcia’s is one of several restaurants in the area specializing in "faux" Mexican food. My dining companion and I had previously been unimpressed with their food, but we had not visited since the restaurant was moved to its new location. Since they claimed to have a better kitchen (and kitchen staff) at the new site, we decided to give them another shot.
We were seated promptly—a pleasant surprise on a Saturday night—and began to pore over the menu. It contained all of the standards: tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, etc. Prices were $8-12 for entrees and dinner platters, about average for such places.
About five minutes after we placed our order, our appetizer showed up—we had ordered espinaca con queso, a spinach-and-cheese dip (no surprise to anyone who knows Spanish) for Garcia’s colorful tortilla chips. Besides arriving with impressive alacrity, it was damn good. If you go to Garcia’s, I highly recommend it.
Our meal was also brought out quickly—less than 15 minutes after we placed the initial order. My companion said her veggie taco platter was quite good, and I found that I enjoyed my chimichanga/enchilada platter quite a bit as well. Each came with a bunch of Spanish rice and beans, so the overall quantity of food was certainly plentiful enough.
The service also needs to be praised, not just for speed but also for friendliness. Our waitress was very pleasant, and corrected a small problem with our order quickly and cheerfully. Also, while we were there, the staff serenaded someone a few booths over because it was his birthday. While such things normally annoy me, the words to their tune were quite cute—one example is "The good news is your food is free, the bad news is we sing off-key."
When we left, we both agreed that the restaurant’s change in venue had brought great improvements, and I am now happy to recommend it to anyone looking for a good Tex-Mex meal.
To get to Garcia’s, take Route 7 west out of Troy and on up into Latham. Pick up I-87 (the Northway) south. Take exit 2W for Route 5 (Central Avenue) west—Garcia’s will be a couple of miles ahead on the left.
