Santo Cantina & Cocina

Santo Cantina & Cocina - Review - Avondale Estates - Atlanta - The Infatuation

"Santo Cantina & Cocina, the only spot in Avondale Estates serving Mexican food, is more useful than it is delicious. They've got a shaded patio where the lived-in vibe of the place feels more natural than it does inside the bright yellow dining room. There's a full bar and bartenders who whip up decent margaritas, and the restaurant shares a (free) parking lot with The Little Hippo. For all of these reasons, the casual Mexican restaurant works just fine if you're nearby and in a taco mood. As for the menu, expect the usual suspects of enchiladas and towering plates of nachos to go along with your free chips and cilantro-filled salsa, but also a burger that tastes like it uses a frozen patty. We usually stick to the tacos, which are the safest bets. So what if the fish taco is a little dry? It has a little sweet mango slaw with chipotle crema that makes up for it—especially with the backdrop of a cool breeze and the hum of overhead fans. Food Rundown Fish Taco Two flour tortillas filled with a slender tender of fried white fish. The sweet slaw with mango and cabbage—plus a bunch of chipotle crema—helps you avoid the potential choking hazard of the dried-out fish. photo credit: Juli Horsford Street Tacos Choose from eight different options to slap between your double corn tortillas, onions, and cilantro. The shredded chicken is moist and has a nice smoky flavor. And the cochinita pibil has a subtle hint of citrus. photo credit: Juli Horsford Nachos De Santo This massive dome of tortilla chips comes with shredded chicken. Don’t even think about swapping it for steak or shrimp because the chicken’s smoky flavors work best with the melted cheese, pinto beans, habanero sour cream, and literal pound of lettuce on top. photo credit: Juli Horsford Mexican Style Burger It’s a wild card dish and not worth an order. The patty tastes like it was frozen and thawed. And the melty cheese, onion, and poblano chili rojas should bring a little heat and richness, but somehow they combine to not taste like much of anything. photo credit: Juli Horsford" - Juli Horsford