Xalapa ended up being "not bad". I had some chicken enchiladas with a red sauce and white cheese on top. The chicken was fairly moist, the sauce actually had some flavor, and I would consider going back. Of course I would bring my Tapatio sauce that I bought in LA as well as my pepper grinder.
POSITIVES: My chicken enchiladas were decent and Mike's beef tacos were filled with beef. They had Corona & Negro Modelo (or was it Bohemia?). Their guacamole has fresh ingredients, but needed some spice. (I'd put some Tapatio & pepper in there and maybe some lime and/or salt & cumen.)
NEGATIVES: If you like spicy food, but don't have spices to bring with you, you could be in trouble. They said that their salsa was "picante"... um, no. It definitely had tomato in it and maybe onions and/or something else. I can't say for sure. What I can tell you is that it (A) Is not cooked like Pace, but (B) Is pureed so much that it is a Pink Sauce with no discernable ingredients. Solamente a pink liquid.
I'm considering trying "Guadalajara de Noche" @ Gurruchaga 1881 next. "Tapatio" is slang for a person from Guadalaja, so there is a possibility that if you let the waiter and/or kitchen know that you are from the States and love REAL Mexican food, they might doctor it up for you.
The problem is that if a restaurant served REAL Mexican food, they would have to rely 100% on extranjeros for business, because locals don't eat spicy foods. Period. In fact, they pretty much stay away from any food with flavor that isn't "carne" or "queso".
