Cantina Laredo

07/23/09

Pretty good food, delicious salsas

by CLH at Citysearch

We happened into Cantina Laredo on Sunday evening, after hearing about it around town. The bar area was beautiful and the waitress/bartender and host were very nice.

While the frozen margarita was nice and strong, it was quite pricey ($9, I believe) for its size. We loved both the cold and the warm salsas along with the very crispy chips, and their queso was absolutely delicious although nothing fancy.

We both ordered combination plates (mine was cheese enchiladas and his was taco/enchilada) and while they were good, they were nothing special. The $9+ cost on the plates seemed expensive for just two items, beans, and rice. The beans were plain boring refried beans and the rice wasn't anything to write about either. My enchiladas actually tasted better the next day as leftovers, although the grease seemed to double overnight.

While Cantina Laredo served its purpose to feed us on Sunday, I doubt that we'll return. There are many other places with better food and better prices that are much more convenient to visit.

• Pros: Warm and cold salsas, crisp chips
• Cons: Food and margaritas are overpriced

01/09/09

Best Salsa

by ZoeLynn at Citysearch

My husband and I have lived on the north side of Austin for 2 years now and we looked for months before we were able to find a Mexican restaurant in this town with a lot of flavor and spice. We eventually found Cantina Laredo and now it's our favorite Mexican restaurant ever! It's well worth the drive into downtown. There may not be a place to park for free during the day, but on evenings (after 5:30) and weekends, you can usually find a metered spot (which are free during those times). Their warm salsa has a unique, smokey flavor, but it still has a spicy-ness that goes well with Mexican food. If you like a more traditional salsa, you may prefer their cold salsa. Both are brought to the table, but we usually ask if we can get some of the warm salsa to go. We haven't tried their guacamole yet, but we've seen others have it prepared at their table and it looks good! The portions are large and I'd recommend the quesadillas (on the appetizer menu), any of their salads, or the fajitas (my favorite). Their rice is a little bland, but it doesn't taste loaded down with butter like some restaurants. I also love their sizzling apple pie/ice cream. Try it out for yourself!

• Pros: Excellent Chips & Salsa, entrees, and desserts
• Cons: Parking, and it's a little pricey for Mexican food (but worth it!)

10/03/08

authentic mexican restaurant in classy and welcoming environment

by ashleysheffield at Citysearch

This is by far my favorite authentic mexican restaurant in Austin. Whenever I have family or friends in town I always bring them to this restaurant. One of my favorite things about this restaurant is that have amazing homemade salsa. They also will prepare guacamole right at your table to your liking. I would definitely recommend the carne asada! That's my all time favorite dish that keeps on bringing me back for more.

The only problem with this restaurant, as with any restaurant down town, is that there is NO parking. They do however have valet parking available right in front of the restaurant if you are willing to pay.

• Pros: tasty salsa, wonderful food, great service, fun happy hour, clean and classy, beautiful bar area
• Cons: parking