The Vegas Cantina — Restaurant in Paradise

TLDR; Some of the best Mexican food we have ever had, and we are from Southern Arizona, and have a large Hispanic family. The birria is the best we have ever tasted, the flavors are very distinct, and we are now spoiled and birria will never be the same. Be sure to try the birriaqueso nachos, but everything we had was excellent!

Backstory: My wife needed a pedicure, so she found a salon only a few minutes away from our hotel. Afterward, we were hungry and saw The Cantina at the end of a whole row of restaurants. So glad we stopped in.

Lunch - We got there around 1:30. The restaurant was not very busy. They have the Mexican Coke in the bottle, we ordered that, and the birriaqueso nachos appetizer. While we were waiting, we were discussing that the restaurant looked new and had probably been remodeled, it turned out the restaurant was on its second week. There is a decent amount of seating, several booths and 8-12ish tables (sorry, didn’t count), a well-stocked bar, and a stage area for performers. The atmosphere was nice and the seats were comfortable.

We ordered the baja shrimp tacos and the tri-blend cheese quesadilla with chicken for our entrees. My wife really liked the tacos and I got a birria quesadilla instead of chicken, but they corrected it, and it was very good. They brought a couple of complementary glasses of horchata, which tasted perfect, and I am not a big fan of horchata. The standout here were the nachos though, the explosion of flavor from the birria brought these nachos to a whole new level. They even looked great (see pictures)!

Our server was excellent, friendly, and came by frequently to check on us. We also got a visit from the owners and one of the executive chefs. They told us about the restaurant and the food and how they were turning it around and it seems they are off to a great start. We let them know we would be back for dinner.

Dinner - We came back two days later around 5PM. The restaurant was a little busier. We ordered the Coke and nachos again right away as we were craving the birria. The nachos looked a little different this time, but the flavor was there and they were excellent. We had a different server who was also very attentive and friendly and there was also a busser that helped clear our table and made sure we were doing okay. The chef and another owner also made an appearance when we got our entrees. I ordered the double birria smashburger and my wife ordered a combo plate of ribeye aguachilles with the ponzu sauce and camarones al mojo de ajo, which was not on the menu. The chef reduced my double burger to a single, since it was a pretty big burger and I appreciated that. The combination of the birria with the perfectly cooked burger was a different, unique taste that I had never experienced before, but they worked together and it was amazing. My wife’s entrée took a while and we were starting to wonder if we were going to get our food, but the chef had let the ribeye rest for 20 minutes, then delivered our entrees, and explained the dishes. The ribeye was full of flavor, a perfect medium, one of the best steaks that we have ever tasted. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, not greasy, and very good with the butter sauce. For dessert, we ordered the churros, and they tasted good, but were a little hard and crunchy. Overall, fantastic service, excellent food, and the price was great.

Conclusion - When we go to Vegas, we are always looking for great places to eat and have found a few gems hidden away around the city, and this is one of them. This place will most likely become one of our go-to restaurants since it is close to our hotel, the food is phenomenal – especially the birria, and the staff was great. They are just starting out with the restaurant, but they are off to a running start. The restaurant was remodeled, so everything was new and clean, including the restrooms. The owners, chefs, and staff seem to have a real passion for food and it shows. Be sure to try them out, we will...

I didn't get more photos because the plates were demolished before I could snap a pic! This is a definite must see, taste and feel when in Vegas. Came to visit family for the weekend and they brought me to this new GEM in Vegas. From the gorgeous and comfortable design, to the welcoming and friendly staff to the talented chef and mixologist....everything was remarkable. Coming with a big group made it easier to try so many different menu items 😋 but I still have to go back for lunch to try a few more entrees I couldn't fit....I don't even know where to start with describing the journey my taste buds took through the night. For starters, I highly recommend trying this pairing: the Paloma Cantina with the ceviche which had a delicious twist on the traditional ceviche. The Grilled Cotija Cheese Bites are so crispy and perfectly cheesy and don't forget to add the chips and salsa flight but don't eat too much so you can save room for the main and dessert! For mains I absolutely LOVED the rib eye steak (so juicy and tender and perfectly cooked and seasoned), the beef birria tacos and consumé, the fish tacos and the Pulpo which was surprisingly delicious and well beyond my expectations. Oh man, and the desserts....I am a flan lover and I loved the flan brule and how the chef and owner came out to put the final touches on it in front of us, the pastel de horchata cake was sooooo good paired with my horchata espresso martini and everything else that I tried was perfection! But I don't want to give it all away! Just go see for yourself, you will NOT be...

Wow, the Cantina, wow!

I heard about this new restaurant from my best friend. It’s tucked away in the plaza on Paradise and Harmon. That plaza is a foodie haven. You’ve got Spring by China Mama, Gangnam Korean BBQ, and 888 Sushi. It’s so exciting to have a Mexican fusion restaurant join this foodie lineup!

Ambiance: The space is beautifully decorated and well designed. It gives off a high end bar vibe while still feeling casual and welcoming. I love the live music on weekends. It definitely adds to the experience, making it perfect for a weekend date night or girls night out.

Service: I had the pleasure of meeting the owners since they just opened. They’re such a warm and friendly couple. The service we received was attentive and efficient.

Food: We enjoyed everything we ordered. • Ceviche: This version was unique, with ginger and Peruvian corn. The flavors were excellent. • Ribeye Aguachile: The steak was cooked to the perfect temperature and marinated beautifully. I might ask for the sauce on the side next time. • Pulpo: The whole grilled squid was delicious. We’re definitely ordering it again, next time with a bit more char. We also got the Spanish rice, cilantro rice, and black beans. All of the sides were fantastic. The cocktail was super delicious too. I got the pineapple and kiwi mojito. They use real kiwi in there. So good!!

I highly recommend checking it out for a date night, girls’ night out, or weekend brunch. We’ll be back soon for more live...