Because every restaurant is more than just what’s on the plate.

Type: Mexican

Price: $$

Location: 4831 5th St Ste 101, Rapid City

From what I’ve read, “Ma Cualli” means good. Some trace it back to Nahuatl, the old Aztec language, where “cualli” is the word for good and the way you’d wish someone a good day. Others say it’s slang from Michoacán for blessings. Either way, nobody in Rapid City can pronounce it right. 

Ma Cualli has grown fast, with a second spot now open in the old Que Pasa building downtown. I went to the original. I figured I give the new location time to find it’s groove.

Settling In

Walk in and the whole place is open. The bar sits right in the middle, the kitchen’s wide open, and you can see and smell everything happening at once. For a column about how a room makes you feel, that’s a gift, because the room hands you the cooking as the main event.

I’ve never worked a kitchen a day in my life. But I’ve been around music my whole life, and you can tell there’s a rhythm to what they do back there. It’s fun to watch.

On the Plate

The salsa came out fresh and bright and full of flavor. It tastes like what’s in it, and you keep going back to the bowl.

I ordered the quesabirria. Birria is sort of the hip thing you’ll find in a lot of food trucks in the area. And I mean no disrespect to them, some are quite good, but this is how it’s done. The consommé it comes with has onions and pepper mixed right in, so when you dip, every bite picks up a little more than the beef alone.

The birria itself is the standout. Tender, and it still holds that juiciness you want in a street taco like this. Rich and a little greasy that makes you messy and you’re glad about it.

Big Plates, Quick Service

The portions are almost too much. Victoria’s chicken fajita could easily feed two people and still leave you with a box to take home, peppers and onion and tomato, a sour cream crema over the top. There was so much in fact she didn’t even get to the tortillas. It was a fajita good enough to just scoop up with a fork and enjoy. 

The food also comes out fast. And I’ll admit, when it shows up that quick you start wondering how much of it’s made fresh and how much isn’t.

Then I watched the kitchen for a minute. The speed comes from organization. Everything they do is well rehearsed and it honestly looks like they’re having fun. And when the food is this good, get it in my mouth as fast as possible. 

What Sticks With You

For drinks, Victoria got the Spanish Sangria, red wine with ripe fruit, and I ordered the Cantarito. From what I’ve read, this is closer to how tequila actually gets enjoyed in Mexico. Down in Jalisco, where tequila comes from, it’s a sipping thing, citrus and agave together in a glass you take your time with. The Cantarito is that idea, grapefruit and orange and lime built around the tequila. Mine was blended almost perfectly. The tequila’s present enough that you know it’s the base, the sweetness sits right, and the tartness rounds the whole thing off.

A lot of locals will tell you this is one of the best Mexican spots in town, maybe the best. The family says they want to be the best in the state. I’m not here to crown anybody. I’m just telling you the salsa was fresh, the birria was right, the portions were enormous and the kitchen moved like your favorite song. (Ok, I knew as soon as I typed that how it sounds. But I’m keeping it in.)

Victoria’s Taste

“I loved every bit of it, the fajita and the sangria both. And the fact that I’ll have leftovers for the next three days again speaks to their portion size. If you leave here hungry, Ma Cualli is not to blame.

Final Bite

A name like “good” sets a high bar. I went to the original to give that promise a fair shot, and the place met it, in a room where you can watch every bit of the work happen. There’s a friendless as well that can’t be overlooked. Smiles and laughter not only in the kitchen, but everyone that truly hopes you have a “good” day. 

Taste the Room pays for every meal we review. We don’t accept comped food, and restaurants aren’t notified of our visit in advance. It’s how we keep our reviews honest and independent.