El Barrio Cantina - Review - Long Beach - Los Angeles - The Infatuation

El Barrio Cantina is a self-described modern Mexican restaurant on Retro Row that reimagines traditional dishes without getting too carried away. There’s a fantastic carne asada-style ribeye with roasted tomato salsa (ask for a side of the homemade Sonoran flour tortillas), fresh Peruvian scallops on the half shell in spicy aguachile, and crunchy fried potato tacos doused with crema and salsa verde that are simple and straight up delicious. Don’t overlook the clever “Sea(Sar)” salad, which ups the umami with seaweed and a cilantro-anchovy dressing. The high-ceiling dining room is breezy and bright, but as the sun sets the place becomes moody enough for date night. Cocktails mix tequila and mezcal with lots of fruit and spice, plus there’s a solid list of affordable wines by the glass. - Garrett Snyder