Tacos & Tequila?

Tequila and Tacos? Yes, please!

It was a very chilly Monday night in Naples. Well, it was in the fifties, but we all know that is considered cool for South Florida. My Fiancee (Em) and I decided to venture out that night for a bite at a local taco spot, Tacos and Tequila Cantina. I should mention that we both come from Culinary backgrounds, and have been in the foodservice industry for over 30 years combined. So you can imagine that we can be slightly critical when it comes to going out to eat. So we set our expectations to a medium that evening and headed out the door.

When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised to find that the place looked warm and welcoming in the slightly cooler weather, with heating lamps glowing outside, and a very vibrant atmosphere for a Monday night. We tend to sit at the bar when we go out. It gives us a complete perspective of how the restaurant operates from a bird's eye view.

We were quickly greeted by a very friendly bartender who handed us menus, and asked if we would like something to drink. Em quickly gave me the side- eye, as we both knew what was about to happen. She ordered a margarita, the TRUE test of any bartender in our eyes. I wouldn’t say we are tequila/mezcal/margarita snobs, but that would be a huge lie. It was when he sat the margarita down in front of her two minutes later, that we knew this place was a great choice. It was a perfectly balanced mix of lime, agave, and tequila. Oh, what did I get to drink? Tequila, on the rocks, with a wedge of lime.

Next, time to order. We sat there for a long time reviewing the menu. The options for tacos are endless, with even more classic tex-mex options to choose from, we needed some time to digest the menu. We settled on four different tacos we would share; The Veg Out Taco, Baja Fish Taco, Firecracker Shrimp Taco, and last but not least South American Taco. We also ordered the Veggie Enchiladas.

Time to eat! The food came out rather quickly. We took our first bites. Let me begin by saying that the soft corn tortillas were warm, slightly sweet, and did not fall apart, excellent start. Taco #1: The Veg Out taco was filled with very flavorful fire-roasted veggies, avocado crema, and a blend of cheeses, excellent. Taco #2: The Baja Fish taco, grilled Mahi with jalapeno cilantro slaw and avocado crema, another great choice. Taco #3: The Firecracker Shrimp Taco, fried shrimp with sriracha mayo, green onions, and peppers. It seemed as though we had made all of the right decisions up until this point. Then came Taco #4: The South American taco, braised short rib with sauteed onions, chimichurri sauce, rocoto crema, and cotija cheese. Let me say this, when we took our first bites of taco #4, our eyes met one another, and we knew we would be back specifically for this taco. How do you describe perfection? It was a brilliant blend of all of the flavors that make a perfect taco. Perfectly braised short rib, the chimichurri was on point and cotija cheese sealed the deal. Of course, I cannot leave out the enchiladas. They were good, not off the charts in our perspective, but decent enchiladas if you are in the mood for them.

Let me wrap this experience up in one of those soft corn tortillas. Tacos and Tequila Cantina, a warm and welcoming environment, a decent selection of tequila and cocktails, and tacos that do not disappoint. We will be back to visit another night. Most likely Tuesday or Sunday, 2for1 margaritas all day long. Judge us.