Mexico Cantina

A new Mexican restaurant opened up in the place where there have been a bunch of Mexican restaurants before in Ward next to Ryan's.  We headed down to check out how their nachos stack up!  A few of us headed down early to grab some happy hour and scope out the place.  Our bartender was incredibly friendly and awesome.  At 6:30pm we moved over to the couches on the lanai.  At first they had us set up on a long table inside, but I went back to the hostess and confirmed that we had reserved the couches and they happily moved us.  The set up was really lovely with tables and ample seating for our group.  It was like we had our own little area out there.  Our server, Drew, was a bit new so the large group did seem to overwhelm him.  And it took a bit long to get our drinks but we occupied the time catching up with old friends.  Then the nachos started coming out. They looked awesome!  Lots of fresh cheese and piled pretty high.  Unfortunately there was some misunderstanding and they tried to bring out the carne asada plate instead of the carne asada nachos.  Doh!  And then it rained on us a little.  We squished under the umbrellas and made sure to keep our margaritas covered to not let them get watered down.  The group had a great time and enjoyed the food as well as the atmosphere.  Our checks were a bit of fiasco at the end, but I helped our server get them split and taken care of and all was well.  Amidst all the stress, he was still super friendly and good to us.

 

Nacho Granny (3) – PRESENTATION: My order was incorrect but they fixed it.  But they just removed the salsa so my quesadilla is soggy on one side. RAD: Beef is tasty! Good friends! LAME: Our group was too large for one server.  They should have taken a team approach.  Kudos for his efforts! TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, lots of meat and lots of cheese.  Love the atmosphere, rain not so great.

Jenna (3) – PRESENTATION: Described as a mountain, it looked more like a hill. RAD: The guacamole wasn't extra!!!! Hallelujah! LAME: The chips were soggy though I appreciated the immense toppings.   TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: Need more chips or stronger chips.  Awesome chill atmosphere.  Lots of space, great outdoor area, friendly stafff, AWESOME MARGARITAS.

Melynne (4, yummy!) – PRESENTATION: Huge Nachos!  Looks cheesy!  Maybe the toppings are hiding. RAD: Carne asada!  Meaty nachos are the best! LAME: Not enough salsa refills!  Rubber glove pieces in my food near the end…no bueno. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, got a whole mouthfull of olives so should be spread out.  Great friends and my Hawaiian ohana!!!

Cameroondo (3.5) – PRESENTATION: Good.  Lots of toppings, crunchy chips, some unmelted cheese. RAD: A lot of toppings. LAME: NOt a lot of meat.  Kinda blah flavor, bland. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3.5, a bit too much toppings.  Good atmosphere.  Service wasn't the best but overall I am full and happy.

Denton (3) – PRESENTATION: A tad messing.  I prefer the toppings more evenly spread if it's that messy.   RAD: CRAB on nachos.  CRAB!  I love crab. LAME: I feel like I want something salty after these. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, guac is nice, lots of cheese, onions, tomatoes, lots of CRAB!  Service was lacking, atmosphere was nice save for a brief shower.

Logan (3.763) – PRESENTATION: Your standard fair! RAD: Outdoors! Waitstaff is caliente! LAME: Waiting! TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, immense.  I like the place for the beer and outdoors.

Carl X (4) – PRESENTATION: The colorful ceramic plates are a plus.  The meats were too buried leaving the toppings depleated when found. RAD: Pineapple on kalua pig nachos. LAME: No jalapenos on carne asada nachos. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4. Atmosphere very nice but service a little slow.

Shananigans (2.5) – PRESENTATION: Decent sized plate, fresh ingredients. RAD: Lots of options of meat, love the crab. LAME: No spice whatsoever. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, lots of toppings.  Atmosphere was beautiful and the company was wonderful.  Probably won't be going back though for these nachos anytime soon. 

Nacho Libra (3, there was a lot of food, but not enough flavor to make me love it) – PRESENTATION: Good sized portion!  I like the real cheese, guac and sour cream. RAD: The beef was tasty.  mmmmm….margaritas. LAME: Lots of unmelted cheese.  There is a variety of toppings, but not a whole lot of flavor. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4.5, lots of toppings.  The queso was pretty awesome!  Loved seeing everyone, what a great nacho night group!

Don Frijoles (3) – PRESENTATION: Meh!  Not super impressed.  Medium. RAD: Great atmosphere. LAME: Great guac walk out of 2015. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: Meh!  You can't afford cheese with that.  Only because I love these muchachos.  At least I am eating it.

Nacho Libre (2.5) – PRESENTATION: Good, large portion, standard look. RAD: Lots of toppings. LAME: Lackluster. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 5, at first it looked like there weren't enough chips but it ended up being enough.

Calzones (3.5) – PRESENTATION: Looks pretty delicioso!  Big! RAD: Good guac!  When we got it.  Good beans. LAME: Waited an hour for guac.  Needs more pico and some spice! TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3.5, too much cheese.  EJL needed some of our cheese on his plate.  Service was disorganized but our server was a trooper!

Matt (2.5) – PRESENTATION: A little flat, looked like it sat for a bit before serving. RAD: Able to do half pork and half beef.  Tongs tongs are great for dishing out the nachos. LAME: Soggy chips, possibly from juicy pork. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 2:1, needs more chips.  Good margaritas, atmosphere is good, lots of space.

Tom (2.5) – PRESENTATION: Average nachos aesthetics, messy.  Sloppy scoops of ingredients. RAD: Rooftop seating, free chips and salsa, good margarita. LAME: Slow service (our fault, big group), no spiciness to speak of, boring flavors. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, crab meat interesting but cold!  No nacho magic.  Usually a plate of nachos is greater than the sum of its parts, but these taste boring.

LaSexxxxy (3) – PRESENTATION: Lots of toppings, but chips were soggy. RAD: Margaritas muy bueno! LAME: Only a small scoop of guac and sour cream. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 5, more toppings than chips.

James (3.5) – PRESENTATION: Looked pretty good to start. RAD: Excellent carne asada. LAME: Fragile chips. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: All in all it was good but the meat was always in one area.  Surprised by the quality of the crab.

Tequila Cat (3) – PRESENTATION: Where da toppings?  We asked for chicken and sour cream on the side, but no japs, no pico???? RAD: Outdoor seating. LAME: Another nacho nite light drizzle. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 5, we had lots of cheese, beans and olives.  Server tried hard, but we were spread out because of rain.  Felt bad for the guy, left decent tip.

Bryan (3.5) – PRESENTATION: Huge Nachos!! RAD: Carne asada LAME: Waiting. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: Perfect ratio.  Loved the lanai.

Cowabunga (4) – PRESENTATION: So much cheese…but only on the top.  Once you get under, there's not enough cheese. RAD: Seasoned chicken breast…worth the wait…so good like I knew that it would. LAME: Beans are too moist and soupy.  All mildewy down there.  They are damp like a cellar. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3, too many toppings, not enough chips.  Left with a plate of black beans.  It wasn't scantily clad chips, but decent.  The one in Kalihi is actually better.  This is a close second.  Bartender is awesome.  The atmosphere is super chill!  Love the vibe!

Kim the first timer (an enthusiastic 4) – PRESENTATION: WHAT'S UNDER ALL THAT CHEESE? RAD: It felt like "fajito" nachos - bell peppers, lettuce, blackbeans subbed in.  Rocked. LAME: Barely lame, but…had to work/special order an exciting veggie filled dish.  TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3:2 And I am a math teacher.  Bartender was awesome and suggested more veggies for this vegetarian.  MAJAH ELAY but it was worth it.  Red, yellow, green bell peppers.  RAJAH THAT.