Cantina Del Sol

What a nice addition to the street. We have needed a comfortable Mexican restaurant on Solano forever. We stopped in for happy hour and we were very happy with drinks and snacks. I usually expect happy hour tacos to suck but the carnitas tacos were overstuffed and tasty. All together we had tacos, chips and salsa, and queso dip. Along with a couple of beers we got out the door for under $25 😁

First, the place looked nice going in, and the wait staff are nice. Second, the chips and salsa were good. That's where the good stuff ends. I was with my wife, son, and two grandkids. We all ordered different items on the menu. I'm almost 60 years old, and I love Mexican food. I've been eating at Mexican food restaurants all of my life all over the country, and I have to say this was the worst Mexican food I have ever eaten. It had no taste to it, and the food was just outright bad. Everyone in my party agreed, and we won't be going back here again. I can't imagine this place will stay in business very long. My only suggestion to the business is find new chefs who know how to prepare Mexican food. Yikes, it was bad!

Tasty shrimp. Complimentary chips & salsa were good. Rotating red wine was good. Rotating fieldwork was good. Host was nice & one of the servers. Other server was fine, but not as warm. It was pricey & for the mains, 2/3 of us were not very happy. Super burrito was weird with guacamole served on the side & not in the actual burrito. It was odd having the veggies in the burritos, the corn was sweet & I think burritos should be savory. Also, I didn't enjoy the chicken tortilla soup. It was really thick, not much flavor & I don't know what was really in there except shredded chicken (this was fine). I was thinking it would be a clear broth with lots of flavor, onions floating around, black pepper, a bit of oil on the top with really crispy tortilla chips on top. Nope. Well, it was definitely not what we expected.

We'll definitely be going back. They still have to work out a few things, e.g., service, food presentation, ambiance, drinks, BUT surprisingly those kinks didn't ruin our time there. The good was tasty, and they have complimentary home made tortilla chips and salsa, which were delicious. The salad we got needed a bit more dressing, so if you're like me, and you like some salad with your dressing, make sure to ask for extra! The black beans were definitely tastier than the pinto beans, but that may be just my personal preference.

The chips and guacamole were delicious. I ordered the the enchilada and taco combination, and really enjoyed it. The Cadillac margarita was so so. This time i gavr it 4 stars. I returned 2 weeks after my first review and had a really delicious beef taco and veggie enchilada, and also the strawberry margarita. Everything was spot on, and this time around they deserve 5 stars.

A Chevy's wannabe comes to Solano Ave. This is what the owners of Little Star Pizza and Eugene's have in mind for a successful restaurant in our Gourmet Ghetto?! Really?! Upon entering, the atmosphere reminded me of Chuck E Cheese with dirty tables and spilled drinks on the floor. Service was extremely sub par and we waited at least 10-15 minutes before placing our drink order. My wife, who is Mexican, was excited to have the Posole since not many restaurants serve it. It was totally bland (like the pork was not cooked in the broth as the traditional recipe calls for) and she ended up sending it back. She then had the Chilaquiles which appeared to be made with chips versus tortillas and had tons of crema drizzled on top, basically ruining the taste of the red sauce, which was good on it's own. The Cantina Benedict was decent and while the Margaritas we're okay there was way too much ice and not enough drink for the money. If the the owners want this place to be a success, get your service in line, making your customers feel like they give a damn and want you to come back and make the cuisine authentic, high-end Mexican by heeding customer feedback and listening to your Mexican chef. Fonda is just up the street and it's light years better than this Southwest Tex Mex mediocrity. Heck, Gordo's, Cactus and Talavera are all way better food wise at a fraction of the price. Needless to say, we have no plans of returning.