Shekinah S.
Yelp
3.5 Stars
I was dubious about Los Ocampo. The online photos make it look like just some fast food joint. I doubted it could actually be open until 4am. I kind of doubted it could be good. But a friend who has lived in the hood for years said it's his fav Mexican place, and it has surprisingly good reviews so mi amiga y yo headed down to Arcade Street on Sat night.
Good signs -- When we walked in, everyone working and dining at Los Ocampo was speaking Spanish. In fact, we were there for about an hour and only saw maybe three or four white people during that time. Authentic, si si!! Also, while we were waiting to place our order, the line behind us grew to reach the door. And business was pretty steady the whole time we were there.
The menu -- Dios mio. I was overwhelmed at first but then I realized it's mostly solo items (eg tacos, tortas, burritos, enchiladas) that can be turned into a combo meal (with rice and beans) if you so desire, and then a long list of the proteins (including some vegetarian options) to choose from. There are also pictures and descriptions (in English) of almost everything to assist us gringos. I got a sope combo meal and my friend got a torta. I was also very excited to order a Jarritos Pineapple soda.
The service -- When we arrived the girl at the register was on the phone. It seemed like she was taking a to go order. This was fine at first as it gave us time to take in the enormous menu. But then we were standing there for what felt like forever as the girl continued to take the call, but didn't acknowledge us in any way. So that was a bit annoying. And there's not a clear system for delivering food to the tables. The receipt has a number on it, but the number wasn't called out and we weren't given table markers either. The woman bringing food to all the tables was super nice but it seemed like she just had to wander around the dining room until she matched the food to the person. I feel that they could adopt one of the systems successfully implemented by every other restaurant out there and get this figured out.
La comida -- Exceeded my expectations. Especially considering I was eating with plastic utensils off a styrofoam plate. Not fine dining but still good food. I was also pleasantly surprised that the (slightly creamy, not usual chunky tomato) salsa offered to me was actually spicy. I am rarely impressed with rice and bean sides, but I finished these! My friend enjoyed her torta, which had no sides but was a large size on its own. We didn't have dessert, but there is flan, fried plantains, and tiramisu.
The atmosphere -- The fluorescent lighting, color scheme, and table setups made me feel like I was at a Mexican McDonalds. But we enjoyed watching Mexican television, and the place seems reasonably clean. Several families were here, as well as couples, and people picking up food to go. According to the Los Ocampo website, there is a fancier restaurant with a bar on Suburban Ave. I'd definitely like to try more of the menu, so maybe next time I'll head to the version with a less fast food - like environment. But if in and out is your style, there are also three more locations like this one on Lake Street in Minneapolis.
I am no longer dubious about Los Ocampo. It is tasty, and perhaps even authentic Mexican fare. And they are indeed open until 4am on the weekends. If they would get a proper ordering system in place and stop using styrofoam and I'd give them 4 Stars.