Friendly people, outstanding Caribbean/Mexican food at General Zapata

General Zapata
15 E. 4th Street, South Side Bethlehem
(610) 625-0090

Heading back to Spark after an early-evening meeting, I decided to veer left at the Minsi Trail bridge onto Fourth Street and head through the South Side of Bethlehem to see if any new restaurants had opened. After all, I had 2-3 hours of work ahead of me. Doing it on an empty stomach was unthinkable.

I immediately noticed General Zapata on the north side of the street near Nawab. I peered in a large picture window and saw a handful of tables and tasteful décor. The temptation of Caribbean-Mexican fusion food was too compelling to pass up. The BYOB restaurant has 8 tables and seating for 25. An earthy brown-orange color scheme exuded warmth, as did the wood floors and wall shelves displaying pottery and ornate brown bottles.

Caribbean-Mexican fusion is somewhat of a misnomer. General Zapata offers Caribbean/Hispanic food and Mexican food, not a combination. (Though a “jerk chicken taco” experiment would be worth trying.) Nine combination platters offer a selection of traditional Hispanic foods, such as fried pork chops, onion steak, roast pork and fried chicken, each served with rice and beans or pigeon peas and small side salad.

I made roast pork adobo at home the previous weekend, so to compare I landed on the roast pork with plantains ($10.50). An ample (but not overwhelming) serving of gently seasoned pulled pork was fork tender and moist, yet not mushy. (My roast at home was very good, but I’m obviously lacking some technique.) A mound of rice with beans in a bowl was straightforward and satisfying. The plantains (tostones) were ethereal – some of the best I’ve had. They overcame plantains’ typical starchiness and greasiness and instead provided a crisp-tender and light accompaniment for the meat and rice. Served with a creamy mojito dipping sauce, they were sublime.

General Zapata’s menu exhorts: “Try our famous hot sauce.” I complied, pouring copious amounts on my rice and beans. Good move. The tomato-based sauce had spicy notes and a citrusy, piquant finish that would have been ideal on Mexican food.

Speaking of which, the a la carte menu has nearly two dozen Americanized Mexican options, including tacos, burritos, flautas, tostadas and enchiladas. Considering that the owner, Rick Garcia, cooked at the one-time Mexican standby Zapata’s (hence the name), the Mexican foods are likely to be delicious. Garcia claimed that people routinely drive in from New Jersey for a bag of tacos. (They can save money on Taco Tuesday, when a second taco is only $1.)

A post-meal conversation with Garcia established that General Zapata’s is worth supporting. He and his family cook all the food from scratch and from traditional recipes. They use quality ingredients and supplement the herbs and spices with ample quantities of old-fashioned pride – something you cannot get from a homogenous chain. Restaurants like General Zapata add true flavor to the Lehigh Valley’s dining scene.

Read another review of General Zapata from Susan Gottshall at The Morning Call.