Restaurant Review: La Jolla Mexican Restaurant, Indianapolis, Indiana

They say location, location, location. In the case of La Jolla Mexican Restaurant, Indianapolis, Indiana, location is pretty much all they've got going for them.

La Jolla is located in Broad Ripple - to be more precise, La Jolla is located in what just might be one of the best locations in all of Broad Ripple. I say this because relaxing on the deck of La Jolla as the sun goes down in the late spring is one of the most pleasant experiences Broad Ripple offers....except for the food. You see, everyone I've talked to who has ever been there (and more importantly, who's gone back a second time) has gone for the location and the ambiance. Everyone agrees without reservation: the food at La Jolla stinks.

From the moment they set a basket of stale chips on your table, you pretty much know that your culinary experience isn't going to be good. The salsa's bad, the entrees are bad, heck, even the water is bad. Now, I myself haven't tried the drinks at La Jolla, but just to give you an idea of how this place is run, I have it on very reputable authority that the margaritas are made by the bucket and individual glasses are merely dunked into the bucket when a drink is ordered. Yuck.

Don't bother complaining about the food or your drinks at La Jolla - your server doesn't care. The service is bad, too. I've heard a lot of rumors about La Jolla, most of them about the owner, who has been trying to sell the place off and on for years, which could explain why the staff acts like they don't care. If your staff doesn't know from one day to the next if they're going to have a job, that can have a big impact on how they do their jobs.

Bottom line: if you're in Broad Ripple and you're looking for great Mexican food, stay away from La Jolla and go to La Piedad instead. On the other hand, if you're looking for a pleasant outdoor cafe to have a (non-margarita) drink and some stale chips, La Jolla fits the bill.