This place has some serious rich molé for all you molé lovers out there! I can't remember which dishes we got, but both were serious business. One deeper, one sweeter. It was suggested we try El Milagro in Seaside as well (by Oaxacans), but we'll be back to Copal for sure! read more

Copal - Mole! - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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We come yo Santa Cruz quite often and drive by this place all the time. We decided to give it a try. What a great find! I would call this refined Mexican food. Everything is presented beautifully on the plate. We ordered the taquitos and they were nice a crunchy with shredded chicken and sour cream and cheese on top . On the base was a bean sauce that was delicious. I ordered the camarones and they were cooked to perfection, serviced with rice , beans and tortillas. My boyfriend ordered the enchiladas mole that was rich and a bit sweet. Delicious ! read more

Copal - Taquitos (gf / veg option) with chicken - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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A place that claimed to serve Oxacan cuisine, we were intrigued to try it out. A cozy ambience with indoor and a dog friendly outdoor patio dining option. Service was excellent - with our server bringing us samples of their mole sauces when we explained that we had never tried Oxacan cuisine. The moles were distinct with a complex depth of flavor that differentiated each one. They also brought us complimentary chips and salsa. They have a good selection of cocktails and mezcal flights. We ordered an espresso martini and a non alcoholic drink which was delicious and complex. Feeling adventurous, we ordered the fried grasshoppers - crispy, salty and with a hint of heat. We also ordered the ceviche that was served on crispy tostadas which was well balanced and refreshing. The chorizo quesadilla was delicious served with black bean sauce - also well flavored and deep topped with cheese and guacamole. The guacamole was the only item which was lacking in flavor and rather bland in comparison with everything else that we'd sampled. Overall, a good meal with friendly and quick service. read more

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Holy Mole Locally owned Oaxacan restaurant that prides itself on everything being scratch-made in-house, from the tortillas and salsas to their black mole (Mole Negro) that takes three (!) days to make. The Good: * Private parking lot with some street parking available * Reservations via Resy * Daily Happy Hour 2:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. * Dog-friendly covered outdoor seating * Indoor decor is beautiful, and we loved their branding. * Lots of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options * Full bar with local beers and ciders on draft * Complimentary chips and salsa! $3 for each additional refill, FYI. * Margarita was very strong but delicious. * The Tostada de Mole Amarillo was a delicious appetizer, but man, was it gigantic and hard to eat. * Their Mole Negro was delicious and might be the best rendition of this timeless sauce I've ever had. So much depth of flavor and very well-balanced with the umami, sweet, and savory. * Their Oaxacan rice was fantastic and full of a pleasant garlic flavor. The Meh: * No reservations between 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. * 3% credit card processing fee * Empanada de Mole Amarillo was bland and lacked seasoning. * This seems to be a trend lately with us, but the service always starts out strong and then ends on a whimper as we're ignored for long periods of time, especially at the end when you're just trying to pay and leave. The Ugly: * Outdoor space is adjacent to the main thoroughfare (Hwy 1) and can get noisy. Conclusion: Fantastic Mexican restaurant with elevated Oaxacan cuisine and a great bar program. Reminds us of a more affordable LUNA Mexican Kitchen. read more

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Pro Cute spot Super casual Great for large crowds Kid friendly Parking in the rear Tortillas are freshly made very tasty Drinks were good Nice service Con - Guacamole is pre-made Chips felt store bought/cold read more

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Good Oaxacan cuisine with Moles and a fun selection of mezcal and mezcal cocktails. We stopped in with a big party of 16 including toddlers and were able to be sat immediately on a Saturday lunch. Convenient parking in the back with plenty of spots. The service staff were super helpful with getting high chairs and children water cups for our kiddos and were very helpful with explaining the menu items for the people who were not familiar with Oaxacan cuisine in our party. We had the mole negro with costillas and an order of mole negro with tempeh. Loved how unctious and smooth the mole was, I finished my whole plate. Also had the bartender make a mezcal negroni which also hit the spot. Great option for bigger parties if you are in the area. read more

Copal - Entrance - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Fantastic! Great tacos and great service. Lovely dinner on the patio. Excellent taco Monday special. read more

Copal - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Oaxacan cuisine has become my favorite type of Mexican food so whenever I see an Oaxacan restaurant, I want to try it out.  Was looking for a dinner spot after a day in Santa Cruz and decided on Copal.  I tried to make a reservation but for some reason it kept saying nothing is available even though I chose an available time.  It finally worked right when we pulled into the lot and good thing too as the walk in line was quite long.   We ordered an Azucena and horchata Aqua Fresca, I liked the horchata more.  I was excited for the memelitas as I fell in love with it when I had it for the first time in San Diego, but these were too dry and tasted nothing like the ones I had previously.  The Molotes were pretty solid although the stuffed ones at Taqueria El Zocalo in Oakland were better.  We tried the Tlayuda since it was listed as a Oaxacan specialty and it was the size of a pizza so definitely enough for two.  We did overorder since we like trying new things, although I was not adventurous enough to try the Chapulines grasshoppers ordered. read more

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Outstanding food and service! We visited the area eager to try their mole dishes and were pleasantly surprised by the fresh ingredients and the deliciousness of the various moles. Be sure to ask for a sampler; each one is exceptional. Pair them with mezcal drinks, and you have a slice of heaven. Their white rice, lightly cooked with Epazote, was SO flavorful. This restaurant is definitely one of my top choices here in Santa Cruz. You will not be disappointed! Give it a try. If you are lucky, meet Chef Ana Mendoza. Incredibly humble, and kind to share her talent. Server Angilica took great care of us and we truly enjoyed a meal here! read more

Copal - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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just stop in for a quick lunch and was really craving ceviche GUYS ^o.o^ THIS IS SOME GOOOD CEVICHE flavour so balance they also give u a chip and salsa for ur table and our server was very sweet. loved the interior and the cute garden patio the fish tacos were so tasty and came with a fantastic salsa verde ( *w*)b i wanna go back NOW read more

Copal - Ceviche - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Simply. Incredible. Food. Went 2 times on my weekend visit- it's that good. Staff was so present and kind. I am in love with this place! Try the mocktails! Exquisite read more

Copal - Divine taquitos, excellent mushroom tacos! - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

3% fee for using a credit card. - 5/5: The mole negro sauce is fantastic. I have had it with the chicken and ribs. The flavor is complex and multi-layered. You can buy the mole negro sauce for take-home: $6 for 6 oz - 5/5: The Oaxacaloha cocktail is great, and holds up to ice melt. rums, curacao, orgeat, juices, lime. read more

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Came in on a rainy Santa Cruz night and they were still offering HH - got a couple of cocktails, started with guac chips (guac was really good). Taquitos' shell was a little hard, short rib mole was amazing and the quesadilla was pretty good. Flan was the star! Noticed that there's water dripping from the ceiling that dropped on my shoulder and we informed our server and they said they knew. The thing is why would they seat us where there is a leak from the ceiling? There was also already small water puddles forming. Mind you there were plenty of other tables open. Service was friendly so that helped. Also while dining, we saw something crawling on the ground and we informed our server as well. My husband stepped on it (since it was moving fast on the floor and not sure what it was exactly) and showed it to our server. Long story short, they took off 10% of our bill, but not sure if we will pay another stop, after all, it's quite a drive. read more

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If your visiting Santa Cruz you and enjoy Oaxacan food this place is a must. We had the mole verde and the negro, both were great. Service was great. Drinks were also good. Great ambience and drinks were also great! read more

Great authentic Oaxaca food, I for one can vouch because I am Oaxacan myself. I had dinner here and I was blown away by the service Chase gave me, he was taking care of the whole bar section(completely full) and was making rounds to check in on everyone and to see how they were doing, getting refills for everyone topping off they salsa and chips and even labeling the wine bottle he just opened to ensure freshness. Amazing and top notch service from him! Will 100% come back and highly recommend. Only thing good luck getting a table it gets full fast and good luck on parking. read more

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Fresh and flavorful food. Very kind, friendly, and quick service. Ambiance was clean and colorful. Would return read more

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Came here as part of a party of seven. As previous Yelpers have noted, there is a great selection for vegetarians here. They offer both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages. My friend had the NA smoke drink and it was delicious. Starts off smelling and tasting smoky, but ends rather smooth and sweet. Great balance. Make sure to check the menu online ahead of time. I wanted to order the Oaxaca salad and when I checked the in-person menu, I couldn't find it in the section I thought it would be in. When I asked the server, he was able to show me where it actually was on the menu. If you see something online that you like but don't see it in person, don't hesitate to ask your server and they'll help you navigate. read more

Copal - Cute vessel the guac is served in - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Noemi was a hostess or a busser, but she was the sweetest person I encountered here. She dropped our drinks and was so lovely. I'd love to see her again if I return. What a lovely energy. read more

Copal - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I can't remember the last time I ate somewhere where everything was really good and the service was great. My fiancé and I came with our dog and were seated in their patio. The patio is covered and there's a pathway leading to it from the parking lot which is helpful if you have a dog with you. The server immediately offered to bring us some water for our dog in a to-go container. The table already had a water carafe and clean glasses. We ordered our coke zeros, the antojito platter, ceviche, two mole negros and lechecilla for dessert. The ceviche was fresh and the tostadas were crispy. We marveled at all that came with the antojito platter. It came with taquitos, memelitas, molote, quesadilla with epazote and mushroom, chapulines, some queso fresco and a small serving of guacamole, salsa and pickled red onions. Everything was delicious. I even worked up the courage to have a chapulin and it actually tasted good! Perfect portions to share and still feel a bit full off of it. I've had mole negro before and each time was forgettable. When we tasted our mole negro, we immediately knew that what we were having was legit. So many complex flavors coming together beautifully. We already stuffed ourselves with the appetizers, so we had to take the rest to go which pained us because it was so good. We wanted to finish it right then and there because it was warm and tasty. It was still great the next day as leftovers. The dish came with big tortillas and some rice which had some slight flavor to it. I told my fiancé that if all this food was this good, we couldn't leave without trying their dessert. We got the lechecilla. It tasted like a Mexican chocolate panna cottage but creamier since panna cotta uses gelatin. It came with strawberries, whipped cream and I think a dusting of chocolate or cinnamon. We devoured it quickly. Servers were attentive and very patient. Like I said, we brought our dog with us. We kept having to readjust her so she wasn't laying out in the servers' way (she's a German Shepherd and Husky) but she still decided to lay down in their path numerous times (we tried!) and even then the servers were very kind. They checked on us frequently too. We know we will definitely be back. read more

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A beautiful resturant with indoor and outdoor covered patio! They give you free chips and salsa. Super friendly service. Tried the mole negro and it was a very fair portion with a chicken thigh and leg with rice and 2 corn tortillas. The chicken was cooked very well, falling off the bone and super easy to eat! read more

Copal - Mole Negro (veg option) - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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First time coming to Copal, I have to say the food was amazing great flavors and a variety of selections of food, great service and great recommendations since it was my first time friendly and attentive customer service, Family ambiance they have inside and outside seating I love the decor everything was great. read more

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We eat A LOT of Mexican food in the Sacramento area. This place was BOMB. The food is absolutely amazing. It's fresh, clean, flavorful, and has roots in Oaxaca, Mexico. I wish we had one in Sacramento! read more

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The food was really good, with generous serving sizes. The mole taster was essential so make sure to ask about it for your first visit. I got a mole dish which was delicious and I went home with leftovers. Another person at my table got the tacos and was very happy with those as well. The menu was a good size-- not too big or too small IMO. The drinks menu included cocktail, low alcohol cocktails, and mocktails which I appreciated. The service was really good, our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable with really good timing. Couldn't ask for more. The atmosphere was pleasant but was the weakest area and is the only reason I considered 4-stars. The decor is nice, but it was too loud. We specifically asked for a quiet spot and it was still too loud to comfortably converse. I heard from a friend that it's quieter outside, so I'll give that a try in the future, but I would hesitate to recommend Copal to someone with hearing difficulties. There is some parking out back but not a ton, I can easily imagine it filling up, so be prepared to park around the corner and walk if necessary. read more

This is an Oaxaca restaurant located in Santa Cruz. The vibes feels mid-American however the menu looks Mexicanish. We ordered guac, taco and a dish that looks like nacho. However the guac tastes so salty and spicy that's not kid-friendly at all. The waitress confirms that the taste shouldn't be different than other Mexican restaurants except the citrus flavor. So she offered to make up by adding a plain avocado. We accepted. The other foods are ok, the shrimp taco is fresh and juicy. However this experience turns out surprising as we found the plain makeup avocado do was charged $8... we didn't ask for that and only accepted as a make up. And now we need to pay for the mistake on the taste as well as something we didn't initially want that much.. we feel tricked and also unsatisfied with the food. Probably won't come as there are better Mexican restaurants that don't do such things. Thanks. read more

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Delicious food and ample portions! Since I have a nut allergy, the mole was not on the list for me, but everything I got was hearty and tasty. The margarita was also refreshing. Can't wait to go back! read more

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We've passed Copal many times, each time we say let's try that place next time we're in Santa Cruz. We finally made an evening of it. We found "The BEST" authentic food we've ever had. The food was delicious, The cocktail menu creative and tasty The staff was overwhelmingly helpful and friendly. This is now a "must stop" location any time we're in town. We had the Tlayuda and the Mole Negro. Pro tip: you're supposed to eat the Tlayuda with your hands, kinda like a pizza - but better. I've had a lot of Mole. Nothing measured up to this Mole. So many flavors. read more

Always a favorite spot to dine when in Santa Cruz. Arrived early and had a beverage at the bar while working for our table. The house marg did not disappoint! Lovely and lively night as graduation is in full swing at UCSC We dined on Mole Negro (20/10) read more

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I was not expecting to find a restaurant with authentic food from Oaxaca in Santa Cruz! The presentation was absolutely stunning. There are a lot of different mole options, so it may be limiting in that aspect for some. I was going to try to Chile rellenos, but I ultimately decided on the mole negra-- delicious! I'm glad I branched out. I was not a fan of the nopales. The Michaela I got was good but nothing notable. Service is very friendly. A must try in my opinion. read more

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service was stellar, timing was terrific, & the food was fabulous. i will be coming back

*Vegetarian Foodie Review* Celebrated my husband's new job offer here with family. Ambiance was really great, perfect for special occasions, but service was okayish. Lots of Vegan and Vegetarian options. Complimentary chips and salsa were yum, but the salsa portion was very less. We had to ask multiple times for more salsa, signature sauces, also basic utensils like straws and forks. Our host was distracted and inattentive most of the time. Before ordering, we asked our server about the mole dishes as we had never tried them before. She kindly offered us small portions of the Mole Negro and Mole Coloradito sauces to try out before ordering. The Mole Negro had a strong chocolate flavor, reminiscent of cocoa, with a rich and complex taste and texture. However, it was too intense for my liking. The Mole Coloradito, on the other hand, was a subtler version, with the tomatoes helping to balance out the flavor. If you are not fond of sweet flavors in your main dishes, you might want to avoid the mole options. As a mole newbie, I feel it is acquired taste - you will most likely not love it on the first try! Here's what we ordered: - Tropicana (non-alcoholic drink): unique and tasty. My 4 year old finished it all. I hardly had a sip. - Mole Coloradito (Vegan): rich, complex flavor, but too strong for my liking - Mexican Coke: a new favorite! - Guacamole with chips (vegan): ABSOLUTE FAVE! 5/5, huge portion, and delicious - Kids Burrito: disappointing, too big and tough for my 4 year old to eat Highlights: - Our server was knowledgeable and helped us navigate the menu, especially with the mole dishes. - This restaurant offers rice cooked in vegetarian broth. Most of the Mexican restaurants have rice cooked in non-veg broth. Lowlights: - Expensive - Inattentive service - Some dishes were a miss Overall, a decent experience, but not without its flaws. Maybe we will try again to explore more of the menu. read more

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Four stars for the food, parking lot and other misc drops it down to 3.5 Let's get this out of the way: the parking lot needs a resurfacing, the spots are tight, and there simply aren't enough places to park. Don't park in Taqueria Vallarta next door because they tow. In full disclosure, I've only ever eaten/drunk in the bar -- somehow never made it into the restaurant itself despite multiple visits. There can be a long wait for a table and I prefer the bar anyway. On to the food, which is excellent: Taquitos: freshly fried, tasty and moist, not like the fast food crap you are as a kid. Filled with of pork, chicken, or potato - you can't go wrong. On special at happy hour. Memelitas: sort of like a sopa but not as thick. Topped with black bean paste and cheese -- add protein if you want. Decent but not craveworthy. Quesadillas: Wut? Unexpectedly outstanding. Maybe because I added chorizo. Generously sized and filled. The flavors hit. And surprise! The side of beans were also excellent. Definitely get this again. And again. Moles: Negro - they claim 30 ingredients slow roasted for three days. Its tastes rich and a little less spicy than some variants. Verde - not your garden variety green sauce but rather a subtle mix of herbs with a jalapeño kick. Strong. Amarillo - a pleasant surprise with subtle overtones of chiles. Many of the bar drinks are premade and come out a tap. Tasty but... bartenders use a ton of ice so you're get a half pour. Once I asked for no ice and got a custom drink served in an old style 4 oz glass. Bartenders seem happy and engage in banter with the guests. Copal is the place to come if you want authentic well crafted Mexican food and strong drinks read more

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Great cozy vibes! Came for happy hour (offered daily) and sat at the cute patio. We tried the tostadas and sampler platter with beers -- everything was delicious! The fun highlight was the chapulines in the sampler platter, which I highly recommend if you're brave! By the time we left it was packed so you know it's a great place. I'm definitely coming back! read more

Copal - Antojito Platter - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Outstanding! Excellent food. Solid service. Unique concepts. I recommend the Mole Negra (top three I've ever had) and Tlayuda (improved tostada, in essence). Can't sing its praises highly enough. read more

Came on a Saturday around 3:30pm. Place was empty. Our server was the manager and was unbelievably rude. We ordered cocktails and chips to relax after 8 hours of fishing, and the manager was mad at us for not ordering entrees right away. Refused to serve us and take any orders while going to every other table next to us 4+ times and ignoring us. Meanwhile every table she went to she was serving white people and we were Latin. Never experienced racism toward my own race in a restaurant that is filled with my cultures food/drinks. She even sent a different server to give us the check. We wanted to order food and ended up leaving because of her rudeness. Very disappointed as we wanted to enjoy this place. Stay away from the manager with the atrocious fake eyelashes. Would leave 0 stars if I could. Sad. read more

Beautiful food from Oxcaca comfortable indoor and outdoor seating with a full bar. Our waitress made sure to steer us toward the most popular items for customers which is really helpful if you're not familiar with the regional food. Our food came right after we order and drinks and chips makes it our new Santa Cruz favorite. read more

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The best authentic Oaxacan food! This restaurant is a gem! We dinned here last night and most likely will go tonight. We waited ten minutes to get a table but there is some seating outside and if you wanted could get a drink while you wait. There was a Margarita, Monday special. Two tacos and a margarita, that's what I ordered and it was plenty of food. Portions are good. The margaritas are not from a mix and fantastic Our waiter was attentive. The place is clean and comfortable. I highly recommend this restaurant for a great dinner experience. read more

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Lovely Oaxacan food. Great atmosphere and good service. Interesting drinks and appetizers

One of my top 5 favorite restaurants in Santa Cruz! Delicious food, high end cocktails, and good service. The parking situation is rough since there are only around 10 spots dedicated to the restaurant. Also, they changed up the mezcal used in their Mezcal Margarita which is disappointing because it isn't as smokey as it used to be. Our server was so nice to have the cocktail remade with a more smokey mezcal which made it much better. The inside has a cool aesthetic which makes it unique and fun. My go to dishes are the Enchiladas de Mole Rojo and the Tlayuda. read more

Copal - Enchiladas de Mole Rojo - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Copal is a great restaurant. I have been here many times and I can say everything on their menu is outstanding. Top order would be Mole Verde chicken. The drinks are outstanding, staff is always nice, and a great place to enjoy dinner inside or on their outdoor patio. read more

A bit conflicted as I write this as I wanted to fall in love with Copal. I loved the idea of a restaurant with mole highlighted all of the menu. Unfortunately, it fell short in a few places which made it, all in all, just okay. Dined here as a party for two on a Thursday night. The place was not too busy, and there was one waiter for indoor and outdoor seating. We chose a table for two outside under the heater. It was perfectly warm and comfortable on a mild winter evening. Both inside and outside were nice/cute/well decorated. When our food arrived, we quickly realized the tables were not quite the right side. I'm short but my friend is taller and we both struggled to move our arms and fit the food, plus drinks, plus glass water bottle, plus water cups (you catch my drift) on the table. Plus, the table was wobbly. We didn't bother asking to move because when we arrived, we were told that indoor seating was full (except for bar) and the other tables in the back were on reserve. It was also a bit challenging to figure out where to place our purses given that the chairs were round back (kinda like metal folding chair style) so the bags kept sliding down. We were attended to promptly and I can say over all service was good. I like that it's not a QR code where you never see the staff. There's actually a human experience and exchange. On to the food...the complimentary salsa left something to be desired (so I ended up ordering an $11 guacamole to scratch the itch). It looked and tasted like a Pace picante jarred salsa, and that was disappointing. Empanada en mole Amarillo: Flavor wise this was on point once we figured out the hack. The dish was on top of a light bed of mole sauce so initially was dry. We end up using our hands to eat it and rubbing it all around the mole sauce and that's when it came together. Also worth noting, don't expect an empanada. It's more like a cheese-less quesadilla. I would highly recommend that Copal serve the dish with much more mole sauce to bring the flavors together nicely. Mole Negro (pollo and puerco): they did end up making a mistake on our order and instead of giving us two meats had only given us one; they were so kind and gracious about this and brought out an entire second plate of mole. Their serving sizes are pretty decent. The pollo (chicken plate) had about three drumsticks. The puerco seemed to be a little less hearty tho and not my preferred meat choice. Overall, I enjoyed the flavor of this dish, and would choose the chicken over the pork. However, I did notice that there was a slight flavor of burnt sugar that kept coming through the dish. Also, did I mention they serve the mole with FRESH HOT HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS. These were excellent For dessert...again, conflicted. We tried the churros and the flan, but I really wish there was a dish that brought together the churros, flan, and plantains. Because I wasn't going to order three desserts for the two of us, we were not able to try the plantains out, and that was a bummer. The churros were served with a chocolate sauce, which seemed unnecessary. The churros themselves were incredibly delicious, but could have used a caramel or vanilla ice cream, and maybe a dulce de Leche dipping sauce instead of chocolate. The flan was just ok (I like mine wetter with the sugar juices from caramelization process). I do hope that Copal can make some minor modifications to take them from "okay" to "oh my gawsh wow". One thing I wish they offered was an ability to pick from the different mole. For example, It would be great to be able to pick my protein and my mole sauce. I would have selected an entire plate of pollo with mole rojo, for example. However the mole rojo only comes prepared as enchiladas. I love the menu, and generally enjoyed the flavors. I would go back and try the Mole Rojo Enchiladas. read more

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