La Calaca Feliz
2321 Fairmount Ave - Philadelphia, PA 19130
- $$
Mexico Goes to Fairmount
Highlights
- The spacious outdoor patio is off the street and partially shaded for some of the best outdoors margarita sipping in the city.
- The inventive cocktail list, full of fresh-squeeze juices, homemade mixers, and house-infused spirits.
Good to Know
- Check out the lively weekend late night happy hour, which runs 10 pm to midnight on Friday and Saturday.
- You’ll find a kids menu at this spot in family-friendly Fairmount.
Recommended Dishes
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·Pulpo Skewers (octopus with pearl onion over potato puree)
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·Baja Fish Taco
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·Chorizo with Potatoes and Greens
Beverage Recommendations
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·Garcia Margarita, $11
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·Albarino, $8
Full Overview
The narrow, dim bar area that greets you when you walk into La Calaca Feliz belies the sunny, spacious dining room just beyond it. The walls are alive with vivid murals and the vast windows make it feel of a piece with the open-air patio.
The menu here, too, feels like a fiesta. There’s excellent guacamole, whipped up to order, plus nachos, tacos, and other familiar Mexican crowd-pleasers. But don’t overlook the ceviches—crispy rounds of fried cornmeal piled with lime-kissed bits of hamachi are just one example of chef Tim Spinner’s dexterity with raw fish.
It’s too easy to miss the house-made chorizo, which is savory, rich and tinged with warm spices and the right amount of heat. Hidden on the side dish menu, and served with creamy potatoes and shaved collard greens, this dish deserves at least as much limelight as the crunchy, bright fish tacos. Daily specials should also be seriously considered, especially for those who like adventurous nose-to-tail cooking.
Fresh, citrusy margaritas are a classic with this kind of meal, but if you go for a second round, the inventive cocktails, especially those made from tea-infused spirits, are tempting. Of course, a $3 can of Tecate would be equally apropos.
Affiliated Restaurants
A reservation will now earn you: 200 Reward pts.
For every reservation that you make and honor (you actually show up at the restaurant and have a meal) on CityEats.com, you will earn 200 CityEats Rewards points. If you then write a review of your dining experience, you will earn an additional 200 points. Once you have collected 2,500 points, you can redeem them for either a $25 gift certificate or a charitable donation in the amount of $25.
