El Chapin Restaurant

5/30/24—- I decided to take my friend to this Guatemala restaurant.
She’s from Guatemala.
As we began our apartment hunting, I thought it would be nice to have dinner before our scavenger hunt.
This was my third visit to this restaurant in the 28 years I've lived in the area. I ordered hígado encebollado, but they brought me bistec encebollado instead.
I didn’t return it, though; it was still good.
The first thing you notice when you walk in is the loud music, which continues throughout your meal.
I hesitated to order coffee since I know these types of restaurants aren’t known for their coffee skills.
I was right: they had decaf, which was a plus, but it was instant coffee, which was a minus.
However, my expectations weren't high to begin with.
If you're a coffee lover, this isn’t the place to expect great coffee. Despite this, our dinner was good, and the service was excellent.
Leslie, our server, was accommodating, pleasant, and courteous.
Parking can be tricky if it gets busy, but we arrived early and found a spot right in front of the restaurant.
Be prepared for two things: outrageously loud music and instant coffee.
Everything else was great.
I plan to return someday to try their breakfast. Interestingly, besides my favorite Colombian restaurant, this is the second place I've seen that serves hígado encebollado.
My friend had a wonderful time and said her drink, Jamaica, was very good, as was her meal. I enjoyed seeing the local Guatemalans eating at this restaurant.
I am usually around either white Americans or my fellow Colombians.
So, it was a pleasure to see the local Guatemalans coming in after an exhausting day at work to sit, eat, and enjoy themselves while choosing their music at the jukebox.
I didn’t bring my decibel meter but I tell you it’s loud .
This takes away from a completely enjoyable experience.
There is research done on loud music and eating such as : Research published in the journal Food Quality and Preference which found that loud music has an Impact on Taste Perception.
Eating speed : Research indicates that loud music can cause people to eat faster.
A study published in the journal Appetite found that louder music increased the speed at which people ate their meals. Overall Experience: A study by Cornell University researchers found that loud environments can lead to a less enjoyable dining experience.
Patrons often feel more stressed and less satisfied with their meals when exposed to high levels of noise. I don't write this to criticize the place but to help improve it.
In the wise words from the Key and Peele sketch "When Megan Meets Andre": "Don't be sorry, be better."

The food is always good and fresh.
The service is always good.
The atmosphere is usually good…except for those time when other patrons are checking out your hot wife.
Allot of men like to eat here because of the beer.
You will usually find one drunk guy on an average visit.

Their mojarra frita is genuinely the best I’ve ever had :)