Do you need reservations for Cantina Laredo?

T

TheFied

2,500+ Posts
Going there this weekend. Most Austin restaurants don't require or even take reservations. But the downtown/convention center area, I don't know.

Never been to Cantina Laredo obviously. What should I order?
 
Ive never needed reservations in the past. I usually order the enchiladas because Im boring. Ill let somebody else handle that. Margaritas are good.
 
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I've had the worst food I've eaten in a long time at this place

the margaritas tasted like cardboard as well

there are about 1000 other restaurants you should eat at.
 
Only been once almost exactly a year ago and it was terrible. Not terrible food per se, but nothing special at all. So terrible, given expectations.
 
I don't think they even take reservations.

I work nearby, so I go there for lunch and happy hour from time to time, once for dinner. It's OK, nothing special. Tortilla soup is good. Some of the chicken and beef dishes are OK. Here's the real problem: dinner prices are at or approaching the price points for Fonda San Miguel. Get reservations there, pay maybe a few dollars more, and get a vastly superior meal.
 
I would not eat at any restaurant that advertises "gourmet" Mexican food. That just does not compute.
 
I haven't been the the Cantina Laredo in Austin, but have had good experiences at one in Grapevine and one in Dallas. I didn't remember the prices being anywhere near Fonda San Miguel's so I pulled up their menu.
The Link

I then pulled up Fonda San Miguel's menu and Cantina Laredo seems to be almost $10 cheaper for the average cost of a meal. (NOT comparing apples to apples per se, just average meal cost per person).

My father in law tooke me to Fonda San Miguel and my expectations were very high. The service was OUTSTANDING, but the food wasn't that impressive to me.
Having been to the two I wouldn't compare them at all really. Cantina Laredo doesn't have nearly the level of service of Fonda San Miguel. I did appreciate both places, but I would rather eat the food at Cantina Laredo if I were paying.
 
Theu--

Yes, prices are higher at FSM. I went back and looked at the prices -- beef definitely more at FSM. If you order chicken at FSM, you'll pay about the same (or slighly less) than the beef prices at Cantina Laredo. If you want beef, yes, you'll pay about $10 more per plate.
If you really think that Cantina Laredo food is better than FSM, bon apetit. Maybe you should try Taco Bell next.
 
Basketball Jones,
I don't think the food is better at Cantina Larado. I said I would rather eat the food there if I were paying. Fonda San Miguel is more expensive. I really can't justify eating FSM priced meals very often so that is what I meant. I should probably state that there are OTHER places I would rather eat than Cantina Laredo too. I see now where it seemed like I was making a direct comparison in food. That was not my intent.
I am not really a Taco Bell fan, but I do like Taco Bueno. Sometimes cheap food tastes as good to me as gourmet food. And I imagine I'm not the only one.
 
I live/work downtown and used to go to this place a lot when it opened.

I have never seen the quality of service in a restaurant go downhill so quickly. It's like they just stop caring about customer service. Rude bartenders....slow waitstaff....pick-up will only be "10 minutes" but you will wait 20 mins more when you get there, etc etc.

I stopped eating there b/c of the service. And the food also got worse, IMO.

Other than all that, the nachos are okay.
 
Been there once. It sucked horribly. Absolute waste of gas to drive downtown to eat at that place when there are 1000's of flat out awesome restaurants within a mile of Cantina Laredo.

I'm with unpainted... I hope you aren't set on this place and are willing to change your mind.
 
****, didn't expect reviews this dicey. what do you recommend downtown then? i haven't downtown in a while. we were going to parlay dinner into hitting some bars on west 6th or 4th street.
 
Cafe Josies - Seafood/Caribbean, probably my favorite "reasonable" restaurant downtown.
Castle Hill Cafe
Moonshine
Ranch 616

There are more but I'm drawing a blank.
 
Cafe Josie, Ranch 616, La Traviata and Moonshine are all great choices. You could also try the Belmont. If youu're wanting to hit West 6th, I'd go with Ranch 616.
 
Castle Hills is in my top 5 easily for restaurants in Austin. Might do Ranch 616. I was thinking Cantina Laredo b/c I've never been.
 
You can do online reservations atThe Link

I booked McCormick and Schmick's downtown for V-day since it was one of the few places left at a decent hour. The seafood there is decent, nothing special, but the atmosphere is nice, and it's down the street from my apt.
 
edit - I misread LTSpider's post. Taverna is the place I am referring to.

Spider - I've only been there once for brunch, but **** what a pretentious place. You're CRAMMED in *** to *** w/ your hipster neighbor at the next table and the food is hit or miss. Some folks had great dishes, some sucked.
 
Not to cross the streams, but La Taverna is great. Food is tasty and fairly reasonably priced, although the drinks can get pricey (they have decent happy hour specials before 7).

Never been to Traviata so no comment there.
 
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