[Sacramento, CA] - Midtown's Cantina Alley

August 05, 2017

Nestled between Rick's Dessert Diner and Biergarten (two of my Sacramento haunts), is the relatively recent newcomer to the Sacramento bar/dining scene, Midtown's Cantina Alley. They advertise as offering a cantina experience similar to those found in Mexico. I can't speak for all of Mexico, but it definitely did remind me of the cantinas I went to in Guadalajara. Open, airy, great beer, and great food. The biggest difference would be the price. I ordered a good portion of the menu and it added up. That said, everything I tried was pretty fantastic. The ingredients seemed very fresh and care was taken in the plating.

Tostadas de Ceviche - huachinango/red snapper marinated in lime juice, pineapple, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and topped with sliced avocado on crispy tostadas. The tortilla shell was loudly crispy, the fish fresh and cold. This one was one of my favorite items. At the end, there were a few pieces of fish that had fallen down and I happily scooped it up and ate it.

This pozole is hella good. Hot and super fragrant, it's a big enough of a serving that you don't need much else. In case you aren't sure what pozole is, it's a hominy based stew with chicken, poblano, tomatillo, cabbage, and some pickled red onions. I ended up taking this home because it was so much food and still tasted as good as it did at the cantina after heating it up on the stove.

Sacramento definitely has a lack of eloteros, but Cantina Alley provides a $4.00 a pop solution. While kind of pricey, it is delicious. If you are only ordering one and there are two of you, they can cut it in half. Or you could do the smart thing and get one per person.

One of each taco - Taco Arrachera (skirt steak with a cilantro soy sauce marinade and topped with salsa verde), Baja Fish Taco (battered fried huachinago/red snapper with white sauce, mango avocado salsa, and cachanilla salsa, Al Pastor Taco (pork marinated in a house made spiced achiote salsa, sauteed onions, and a pineapple rojo salsa, and finally, Crispy Papa Taco (a potato taco with cabbage, salsa verde, and cotija cheese. The potato one was different. My favorite was, surprisingly, the fish taco. I'm more of an al pastor person, but this fish taco was one of the best I've had. The fish was freshly fried, while the mango and avocado packed on some extra flavor.

Taquitos - five shredded chicken taquitos with salsa roja, green tomatillo salsa, and spiced achiote salsa. Sprinkled on top is cotija cheese. I also found myself really liking these. But, as my eyes were bigger than my stomach, I took a few home and threw it in the toaster oven for a very tasty late night snack!

Michelada Puerca - house made spice mix, corona, and a big piece of chicharron. Stayed crispy even though it was sitting in there! It was really good, but to finish all of the food, it probably would have been better if I didn't drink so much liquid. I don't know! It was all just so good!

The bar area. It stayed pretty busy over there. I really liked the artwork and the bright blue walls. I am hoping the next time I go, I can sit at the bar.