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Pedro's Mexican Cantina, Con Gusto!

Clearly identifiable as excellent food, Pedro's Mexican Cantina packs sheer goodness into its Latin flavors.

Overview:  Mexican Cantina finds its roots in the flavors of Veracruz, Mexico. The complex flavors of cumin, cinnamon, citrus and chiles, paired with fresh regional fruits and vegetables like pineapple and plantain sing on the tongue. But it is the smoke-dried jalapenos, called chipotles, that make the cuisine. The sauces are transformative and a simple blend can provide a zesty mouthful.

Décor: Pedro’s is a huge restaurant; it has sunroom, an enclosed patio, a bar area, and large dining room with booths and tables. It's hard to imagine the place full if you arrive early for lunch, but give it time and you will soon find every nook and cranny filled with patrons clamoring for its meals. The space contains exposed roof beams painted in a friendly blue. Along the tops of the wall you will see shelving containing unique baskets, pottery and metal work. Bright artwork, depicting musicians, women with fruit-filled baskets and animals, cover the walls.

Drinks: One of the nice things about having Mexican food is ordering a Margarita ($6.00 to $10.00) to sip on while enjoying the meal. However, there are other drinks available that accompany the food nicely, like Pedro's signature Martini, which includes interesting combinations like El Pepino ($8.00) a cucumber martini made with cilantro and lime and simple syrup; and lemon ginger martini ($8.00) made with Bombay Gin, fresh ginger, basil, lemon juice and simple syrup garnished with cucumber. There is a large selection of bottled beers and beer on tap. The draft selections consist of XX, Tecate, Coors Light, Sierra Nevada and Modelo Special. If you wish to do some tequila tasting there are more than 20 varieties ($6.00 to $20.00). Looking for spiked coffee drinks ($8.00)? Consider offerings like Mexican coffee with tequila and Kahlua and café caribbean with Bacardi and Amaretto. There is a full bar and soft drinks and coffee are available.

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Appetizers: Pedro’s offers a great selection of little whims that tickle your taste buds and prepare you to move on to something more substantial, items like Sweet Corn Tamales ($7.00), made with freshly ground sweet corn, steamed in a corn husk and served with sour cream and tomatillo sauce; Taquitos ($8.00), crispy bite-size tortillas stuffed with shredded chicken, guacamole and sour cream; and Camerones Cancun ($10.00), grilled prawns dressed with cilantro vinaigrette sauce. The Nachos ($7.50 to $10.50) are a favorite with the patrons. They feature tortilla chips individually layered with refried beans, jack cheese, sour cream, and cotija queso. It’s the layering of the chips that people go wild about. You can choose to add grilled chicken or beef to make the dish more potent. Do you like calamari ($12.00)? Then the fried calamari with pickled serrano chile and a basil chipotle aioli will charge you up and the Verde Quesadilla ($7.00 to $10.00) with melted Monterey cheese over a large flour tortilla, served with a side of verde sauce will be the start of a celebration in your boca. The quesadilla is another item that can be powered up with a protein.

Entrees: The menu at Pedro's is extensive. The Pollo en Rollo ($15.50) consists of a rolled chicken breast with ham, cheese, and mushrooms, served with mole poblano and julienne vegetables. It is Pedro’s take on a chicken cordon blue. Carnitas ($12.00) is a classic and is prepared with marinated roasted pork inside two soft corn tortillas, served with salsa cruda, guacamole, frijoles de la olla and Spanish rice. For the vegetarian, there is the Chile Relleno de Quinoa ($13.00), which features crispy Chile Relleno filled with creamy quinoa, served with a roasted tomato chipotle sauce, cilantro, crema, and pico de gallo. It is accompanied with vegetable rice and olla beans. The Tacos De Alambre ($14.00), cumin cilantro marinated skirt steak served with corn tortillas, bacon, guacamole, salsa cruda, and melted Chihuahua cheese, are complemented with refried beans and Spanish rice; and the Enchiladas Chipotle ($13.00), sautéed chicken wrapped in corn tortillas covered with a chipotle chile, pineapple, and brown sugar sauce, topped with sour cream and avocado slices, has a regional flare. Seafood is a mainstay of Veracruz and throughout the menu you can find delicious preparations. Great examples are the Pescado Veracruzano ($14.00), citrus hachote-marinated tilapia, with sauce veracruzana, served with green beans and fingerling potatoes; and the Enchiladas De Las Hadas ($16.50), Snow crab and bay shrimp wrapped in two flour tortillas covered with avocado slices and paprika, served with Spanish rice.

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Sides: Pedro’s mirrors its peers in providing options with a slight Mexican twist like Chopped Salad ($7.50), fresh romaine lettuce, onions, tomatoes, cucumber, roasted corn, chile poblano, cotija cheese, olives, jicama and cilantro; Grilled Salmon Salad ($13.00), filet of grilled salmon served over a bed of mixed greens tossed with walnuts, mandarins and red vinaigrette; and the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad ($12.00), grilled chicken breast served over fresh romaine lettuce in a creamy Caesar dressing, garnished with slices of avocado, topped with parmesan cheese and croutons. The Carnitas Tostada ($11.00),  a crispy tortilla topped with tender marinated roasted pork shredded lettuce, salsa fresca, jack cheese, guacamole and a sprinkle of cotija cheese; puts us back on track with the Mexican flare. Tortilla Soup ($5.50) features tender chunks of chicken, fresh vegetables and rice in a rich broth topped with tortilla chips.

Desserts: Flan ($5.75), a velvety cream custard with caramel; Cheesecake ($6.25), a classic dessert served with raspberries and a lemon sauce ; Mexican Fried Ice Cream ($5.75), a scoop of vanilla ice cream quick fried in a light batter and dressed with cinnamon and caramel sauce; Platano Frito ($5.50), fried plantains served with ice cream and strawberries; and Chocolate Mousse ($5.50).

Service: Extremely friendly staff who cater to your culinary needs with great detail. 

Signature Dish: Filete a La Pedro ($19.50), marinated medallions of filet mignon, sautéed in a white wine, garlic, and spicy tomato sauce, accompanied by fresh vegetables, Spanish rice, refried beans, and your choice of tortilla.

  • Pedro’s
  • 316 North Santa Cruz Ave.
  • Chef: Enrique Godoy
  • Cost: $15 to $35
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