Garcia's Cantina & Cafe

03/20/08

Dont be fooled

by Astrodientst at Citysearch

I worked at garcias in eagle river alaska two years ago, i was a dishwasher and all i have to say is that the food is good but in the back there is mold growing on the walls, when your working the floor floods half way to your ankles becasue of a drain that has never been fixed i have confirmed it has never been fixed becasue of the main dishwasher that works there now is one of my freinds. in the evening they spray the mats off with a hose next to all the dishes and lots of water flings of the mat geeting the dishes dirty and the still get put away. Rod the owner is an arsehole, Ron is cool hes the gm, they have an em,plpoyee menu that excludes things like taco salad shells from your taco salad you cant have sour cream, guac. and it stinks back there like something died,.... When i worked there there was alot of employees that would come to work drunk and on other durgs.. I believe that if the state came in there they would get closed down for the lack of cleanliness in the back.

09/10/09

Avoid At All Costs

by JGreenwood at Citysearch

This is hands down the most unfriendly atmosphere for families that I've encountered in a long time. Very unprofessional in the use of profane language in front of children. There is no excuse for the words that came from a man that identified himself as the !@&$!@ owner. My family will never frequent this place again and I'm passing all information on the incident word of mouth to hopefully save some other children from the encounter ours had.

** If you don't have kids, you shouldn't eat here because the food just isn't good. Make the drive to Anchorage or try Jalapenos. They have good flavor!! :) ****

• Pros: None come to mind
• Cons: To many to list

07/19/09

Don't blame the booze

by terrylou56 at Citysearch

If you want to eat good Mexican food in Eagle River go to Chepos or Jalapenos. Taco Bell is better than this dive. My kids dragged me there two years ago, and the server was a loss. It took 30 minutes to get her to take our drink order. It wasn't busy. Three out of eight pieces of silverware were encrusted with some form of crud. We left at that point. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I thought I'd try it again. Never judge a place by the amount of cars in front of it. It was crowded, but it's dark in there for a reason. Again, slow service, but clean silverware this time. I ordered a combo plate that came out lukewarm. But the main attraction was the hair in my chili relleno. Was the server apologetic? Was she concerned? No. After two requests for a refund or new plate, she offered to see what was going on in the kitchen/talk to the manager, and NEVER CAME BACK. I'm not joking. I'm assuming she left

town. If you want to drink and shove crappy food in your mouth this is the place. If you want good food without body parts in it, good service, and clean silverware, any place but here. The star is for the bar...it's always packed.

• Pros: Location and Bar
• Cons: Food, service, and cleanliness

05/05/08

good drinks

by trioka at Citysearch

I must disagree with the dishwashing comment. I worked as a dishwasher there two years ago and its not as bad as he made it out to be. When the job is done right, everything is bleached down and scrubbed, which includes the walls. Spraying the mats is done away from any of the dishes and glasses. The management goes through every night to ensure that it has been properly cleaned.

The actual restaurant isn't bad. Its nothing like the Mexican food down south but nothing is in Eagle River. The best part about the joint is the environment and the friendly service.

04/18/07

The Best!!!!

by mcstyles at Citysearch

Garcia's in Eagle River is hands down the best Mexican restaurant in Alaska, period. The atmosphere is truly distinctive, with an odd collection of antique bicycles hanging on the walls, muirals of their cartoon logo bandito character in various situations (being dragged off by police ETC.) an old Bul-Taco dirt bike and even the front end of a vintage school bus crashing through the wall, and the bandito behind the wheel. The food however is the real star attraction. I live over 20 miles away from Garcias and regularly make the drive to Eagle River just to eat there. For starters you MUST get a basket of chicken "mini chimis" a deep fried miniature chimichanga served with a seasoned cream cheese dipping sauce (I don't know whats in it but its good). Then I ALWAYS order the Pollo Fundido, a full size fried chicken chimichanga smothered in melted cheddar cheese and sour cream (I'm getting hungry!). Garcias also has a great bar serving some really good margaritas. So whether you're visiting Anchorage or just a local who's never eaten here, you absolutely must try it.........I'm not kidding when I say its the best!

• Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Everything
• Cons: None, but sometimes it is crowded and you might have to wait for a table.