Cantina Laredo

The restaurant is located within Mall Of America on 3rd Level. The restaurant has enough indoor and outdoor seating. There should be focus on cleanliness in restaurant as the food crumbs were scattered on the chairs and also all over the carpet. It’s little annoying to see such a messy area. We pointed out to the staff. The best part of our experience was the service/server and food. Even though we were the last customer at the closing time, the server was absolutely helpful, kind and happy. He was delightful. The service was prompt. The food quality and quantity both were great. Salsa was fresh. The food was amazingly tasty and fresh. We ordered various food plates and each one of them was fantastic. Absolutely amazing food. Kudos to kitchen staff. They have separate vegetarian menu as well. The five start solely belongs to that server and kitchen staff. Well done. Namaste 🙏

Excellent food and service. I love chicken fajitas. Huge portion and good taste. Better to eat here then some fast food. You will pay sam money but food will be much better. Very recomend.

The chips and salsa arrived immediately and are far better than average. I recommend the mahi mahi grilled tacos. They excel at beverages.

loved it! They have a vegan menu, which was such a nice surprise. I ordered the Enchiladas de Aguacate and they were absolutely delicious. The flavors were fresh and satisfying. Service was great too — friendly and attentive. Definitely recommend!

We come here once in a while and the food has always been consistently good. The menu has a nice variety, and everything we’ve tried so far has been fresh and flavorful. The service is usually quick, and the staff are attentive and make sure we’re taken care of, which is always appreciated. One thing I like is that they have an “outdoor” seating area right outside the restaurant. It’s a nice option if you want to enjoy your meal in the open air, though it’s in a public spot, so people walking by can see you eating.

Ordered the Fajita style burrito, a taco plate with beans and rice and (2) VERACRUZ Enchiladas with peppers, purple cabbage, onions, red crispy chips and stuffed vegetables. The peppers and sauce is quite spicy for the Veracruz. If you don’t like spicy, ask for less spice for that dish. Also ordered a Margarita. Overall, food was delicious and very filling.

My family’s vegan right now and oh my gosh, they had amazing vegan options! We told them and they brought out a whole separate vegan menu (with a vegetarian page on the other side). Although there were already a few vegan and vegetarian marked dishes on the default menu, having a separate one made things so much easier. The Impossible burrito bowl was so delicious. Also, the service was amazing! And what beautiful decor. Overall, it was a great experience.

This place was my saving grace when visiting Minnesota! The Poblano de Cameron was wonderful! The shrimp was fresh and the combination within the stuffing was just perfect! The entire staff was efficient & fun! Special thanks to Felipe (Bar) for his kindness, laughs and the kick-ass drinks!

Food came out quick! Lunch portions were much bigger than we were expecting but no complaints. Not pictured, but their skinny margs are great and you are able to add flavors or spice!

Update: I've updated my star rating to reflect the wonderful customer service I received after posting my initial review. The manager responded immediately and thoughtfully. I appreciate his efforts! I can't wait to return to Cantina Laredo next time I'm at MOA. That salsa is calling my name! Original Review: Food - The food saved the day. The salsa was wonderful, as always. The nachos were yummy. The quesadillas were delicious, and the tacos were fabulous. My steak chimichurri was okay. Service - Terrible, and I hate to say that. The server seemed inexperienced, which wasn't the problem. It was that he seemed uninspired to find out answers or information. When asked to do so, he then seemed annoyed. He told my friend that the tacos could not come gluten-free. She asked him to double-check to see if they could accommodate a gluten-free request, and yes, the kitchen was able to put the taco filling in corn shells. I asked if the steak chimichurra was spicy, and I was told no, but it was a bit spicy. Also, everybody's meal at my table came out, and everyone in my party had finished eating before my steak even arrived. I actually think the server forgot to put my steak in. While waiting, I watched the server dance at the hostess stand. He ignored our table and paid no attention to checking with kitchen. After a while, he came to our table and stated that steaks take a really long time to cook. I was no longer even hungry, and told him that steaks don't actually take that long. Throughout our meal, our server stood at the front hostess stand with other servers the and rarely checked on us. We had to ask another person clearing tables if she could bring a glass of water and silverware for our fourth guest. Overall, service was inattentive and unfriendly. It was just lacking. He definitely needs more training. The service was 1 star, the food brought it up to 3 (but should have been more).

What an amazing find. The table side guacamole had just the right texture. Fish tacos were just right with the just amount of spice. Loved the skinny margaritas too

We decided to visit the mall mid evening and of course got hungry. After a great search, we finally found Cantina. It was getting close to the end of their service time, but we got in in time to have dinner. We started with the guacamole, which was very good. The chips are delicious and freshly made. Also, the salsa is slightly spicy but very good. I had the fish tacos, which I thought were very tasty. Guest had the tacos which she was not a fan of. Our server was friendly, but quite absent towards the second portion of our experience we waited quite some time to have plates removed and for our check to be processed. I think they were getting ready to close and were working on side work. The restaurant is beautiful and the location, once you can find it is great.

The dining experience at this establishment offers a mix of delightful surprises and minor disappointments. The ahi tuna crunchy tacos stand out for their flavor and presentation, yet there's an unexpected twist--they are served as mini tacos, which comes as a surprise since the menu does not make this clear. This surprise was made more noticeable by the lack of the usual rice and beans sides that came with my husband's steak tacos, making the meal feel a bit incomplete. Despite this, the culinary journey redeems itself with its appetizers and desserts. The tortilla chips, described as light and airy, alongside a salsa with excellent flavor, set a high bar for starters. The hot apple pie, however, steals the show with its melt-in-your-mouth crust, enhanced by a buttery stickiness that introduces a unique texture to the dessert. While I personally do not eat ice cream, my husband affirmed that it serves as a perfect complement to the warm, comforting apple pie, rounding off the meal on a high note. Service at this restaurant is commendable, with our waiter Johnny providing not only efficient service but also contributing to the overall pleasant atmosphere with his charm. The restaurant's ambiance during our late afternoon visit was notably energetic and fun, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to our dining experience. In summary, while the unexpected miniaturization of the ahi tuna tacos and the absence of traditional sides might momentarily puzzle, the overall quality of the food, especially the commendable desserts, combined with the excellent service and vibrant atmosphere, ensures a memorable dining experience. It's a reminder that, in the realm of culinary adventures, sometimes it's the surprises--both pleasant and less so--that make a meal truly unforgettable.

Cantina Laredo is kind of overrated in my opinion. There's nothing super good about it and their food tastes mediocre. I ordered the Relleno De Camarones which is a shrimp dish with cilantro rice, pepper, avocado and mushrooms. It was delicious but spicy. The portion sizes for every dish are huge. Each dish is at least 2 meals. I wish they had more shrimp dishes, or shrimp tacos. Overall rating: 7/10

We stopped for lunch right at open. We had our two young kids and stroller. We know that most places at MOA require you to put the stroller elsewhere. However upon arrival; the person who greeted us told us we should sit outside the restaurant since we had our stroller. We asked to sit inside (as we preferred that) he said ok then you have to sit at this specific table since you came too early and the servers section included where he sat us. While that is fine; I felt unwelcomed. The server was just fine; when we went to order our food; we ordered queso. She did share there were two kinds and that they were both really spicy. We picked one; it had no heat but believed she didn't mean ill intent. The tortillas were amazing! Wish my pollo asada came with more salsa. It was somewhat dry. The fajitas were good but not enough pico or grilled peppers. My son's chicken fingers and fries were perfect!

I didn't have any expectations when trying Cantina Laredo last week for lunch, but I was very pleasantly surprised! It had been 5+ years since I had been there last. I had the lunch combination fajitas and they were excellent - and so much food! We really enjoyed the chips and salsa too. Service was quick and attentive. We spend a lot of time at MOA in the winter, so we'll definitely be back soon!

The pomegranate cantina mojito was the best part- pretty strong and tastes great! The burrito was ok- nothing great. The service was a little slow but it's understandable for how busy it is. The ambiance is loud but that's how MOA is.

I've been here a few times and it's a sizable place with usually short or no wait times. Perfect after a long day at the park or shopping. Their chips and salsa that they will keep bringing is delectable. Their house made poblano salsa with homemade chips are a nice break from the standard salsa most Mexican restaurants give. I've had several dishes here with my favorite being the mole. Both the entree and enchiladas are very good. The pulled chicken with that sweet heat is always a good choice. This time I wanted to try something new so I ordered one of their combo options and although nothing beats mole for me it was very good. The nachos and their unique take was also nice. Instead of your typical pile of chips covered in all the toppings they make sure every bite has beans, meat, tomatoes, cheese, and spices. I really loved that as I like nachos but never liked that once you get through all the toppings you have chips and it can be hard to get that perfect bite. They apparently felt the same way with this lovely take on a classic. My wife ordered a salad and it was large she had an amazing mango vinaigrette dressing. They also have a nice kids menu with selections even your pickiest child will love. Overall of your at the mall shopping, at the park with the kids, or just looking for a nice dinner with a margarita this is a great place to go.

Came here for lunch after a sight seeing tour and before we did some window shopping at the Mall of America. I did not expect much since it was a food chain type restaurant. Service was quick despite it clearly being very busy lunch time hour. I could tell our server was a little stressed with the large parties he also was had but he kept a smile on his face when he interacted with us. The food was okay but kind of lacked spices/ flavor.

I traveled to the restaurant because I was staying at the Mall of America for business. My husband had gone for lunch and said it was good. It was really busy for a Tuesday evening but we got seated quickly. We got some chips and salsa delivered to our table. However, we waited at least 10 minutes for someone to take our drink orders so when the waiter eventually came we just ordered our food too. I ordered the ahi tuna tacos and my husband ordered the steak tacos. I didn't expect the ahi tuna tacos to be so small. A trio of small tacos with very good taste. The guacamole was good too. Again, we waited for refills and then our bill. We watched other waiters/waitresses pass by our table even looking at our empty glasses. Oh well, we were only visiting and the food was good. However, not sure we would return due to the service.

The food and service was great here. Pretty impressive for a restaurant in a mall. The atmosphere was much fancier than I was expecting.

We had walked by this a million times, but were hungry this time and were pulled in by the Enchiladas Seizas billboard posting. I had the Cameron Poblano Asada: shrimp, mushroom, cheese stuffed poblano pepper with chimichurri sauce, charred street corn and cilantro rice. Can we say every bite was heavenly? Yes, we can! Creamy, warm, unique flavors. My boyfriend order the Enchiladas Seizas which were ok, but a little dry. This is not a cheap place, $27 for my entree alone, but the service was wonderful and we were just steps away from Nordstrom Rack. What's not to love?

I was amazed by this Mexican restaurant in the Mall of America. Their brunch menu was not only delicious but also reasonably priced, and it even included drinks. I particularly enjoyed the Crab Cake Benedict, the combination of the crab cake and poached eggs was mouthwatering, although a bit more crunch on the crab cake would have been perfect. The ASADA Y HUEVOS with steak was cooked to perfection. The only disappointment was the Mimosa, which wasn't as refreshing as expected. The restaurant's spacious and bright ambiance created the ideal setting for a leisurely brunch. The service was fast and efficient, making the experience even better. It's a fantastic place for a family hangout while shopping at the mall, and I'll definitely be coming back, perhaps for dinner, given its perfect location.

I really wasn't expecting much, going to a Mexican spot in the mall, but I was proven wrong. Upon sitting down, our waiter promptly brought over lots of chips and salsa and took our drink orders. To start, the drinks here were delicious and strong. They had tons of options on the drinks menu. I particularly enjoyed my Tajín Watermelon Rita, which had a fun rim and a piece of watermelon in the drink. For food, two of us got the Carne Asada and two got the Camaron Poblano Asada. The Carne Asada was cooked perfectly. My coworkers enjoyed the Cameron Poblano Asada dish and said it was a very unique entree. The portions were sizable and all the food was seasoned well. I was fairly impressed. Overall, the vibes here were great and the food was top notch!

Really really good Mexican food in the mall of America! We were seated right away and had great service. The restaurant was cozy and clean. The complementary chips and salsa were tasty and our drink orders were taken quickly. I ordered the carne asada and it was phenomenal! The steak was tender and flavorful. I loved that it was served with black beans instead of pinto, yum! My date had enchiladas and said they were delicious. Overall I highly recommend this place if you're looking for a nice Mexican meal when shopping.

Food wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. Plated fancy, but that's about it. I'm from CA, so maybe I have a biased opinion on what Mexican food should be. The staff were friendly though.

Very flavorful food, the chicken burrito had grilled chicken inside that was seasoned excellent with nice choice pieces of white meat

Cantina Laredo is, as of November 2022, one of two places in the Mall of America to get vegan Mexican food (the other is Bussin' Birria Tacos). Cantina Laredo is a proper sit-down place, however, and also has a bar. It's a nice ambiance. We started with the top shelf guacamole ($11) which can be made vegan if you ask them to omit the queso fresco. I thought it was excellent, with superb chips, and a spicy, fresh red salsa on the side. You can't go wrong. The Impossible tacos ($18.25) are vegan by default. I thought they were fine, but not amazing. The Impossible meat was under-cooked but the taco shells were a touch above average. If this were a restaurant in Minneapolis or St. Paul proper, I would have given it 3 stars. But given that it's in the Mall of America (in other words, in the suburbs), it gets an extra star for being extra creative and extra fresh.

Strawberry Sparkler and authentic brown salsa was delicious and presented well. Chips could have been from a bag. The staff was not friendly at all. Even when I commented the bartender on how I haven't had salsa that good since I was at MARIA'S in Tuscon, AZ, the compliment went flat. Reccomend for the food but not for friendliness or attentiveness of the staff!

Great atmosphere, SUPERIOR signature cocktails (heavy pour ), fresh food, wonderful waitress, super locale (inside the Mall of America), & spacious/comfortable tables! I loved the added detail of cloth napkins! App suggestion: Queso Laredo Hint: You can get this free if you go to the interactive kiosk within the mall & follow the directions after looking up Cantina Laredo.

Uhh.. honestly I'd skip this place. I thought it was an upscale Mexican restaurant, but was pretty disappointed. Mostly the service was horrible. We asked multiple times for chips and salsa as everyone around us got it upon being seated. We ordered drinks, food and then JUST before we got the bill we finally got the chips and salsa? Food was "ok" but nothing special at all. Drinks were fine, but service was just downright crappy and took forever for anything we asked for.

We stopped at this restaurant during a vacation to Mall of America area, and had a taste for good Mexican food. We asked two security guards for recommendations and this restaurant came up. Our server was Karla and she was very good at making sure the whole meal was good, and our drinks full. The tacos I ordered for my meal were smaller than usual, but very good carne and filling. My wife ordered just guacamole to eat with the chips that were served at table. She really liked the way it was made, but needed to send back after jalapenos were inside. All in all I would eat here again, the service was excellent and foods get four stars.

One of my favorite Mexican restaurants in the city! You will find this location at the third floor of Mall of America so park on the west side of the ramp and enter either near the main doors or Macy's. When you're seated you will be given chips and salsa that are absolutely perfect! The salsa has a little more of a chipotle feel to it than tomatoey... But that's OK because it's still taste fresh and delicious! I ordered the enchiladas dinner and got two cheese enchiladas with one beef enchilada and it was perfect. It comes with rice and beans and it taste fresh and The food presentation is outstanding. My server was great and she greeted me with a smile and everyone there was extremely friendly! I love great friendly service which is hard to find these days, and Cantina Laredo "out-smiled" a lot of my recent visits at other restaurants! The bathrooms at this location are a basic 3 star! *** I grade my bathrooms as a 5 Star Bougie (clean, pleasant, smells great, picked up, in order), 3 Star Basic (like home with the basics and equally as clean) or 1 star Bad (filthy, paper towels on the floor, sink is disgusting, smells like a toilet, etc) ... this gets a 1 star Bad! I will be back but they have a few things to tighten up!

Third floor of the mall near macys. Bar seating is FCFS. Not busy for happy hour on a Monday. Only three of us here. Friendly staff Delicious and well priced food

The chicken/steak fajitas were amazing!! Their steak was actually way better than I thought it would be. We ordered the guacamole appetizer and it was kinda bland but their table salsa was amazing. My daughter ordered nachos and received mini tortillas with large pieces of steak and cheese on it instead of regular nachos...I forgot to take a picture but it did not look like nachos AT ALL. Everything was on the side and even though she asked for no peppers in the guac it was extremely spicy! And we love spicy things, it was just way too spicy. It wasn't that busy and the server seemed annoyed and didn't refill the drinks when they were low. Nice place for a one time dinner but I wouldn't go back.

We stopped in on a Monday night while visiting friends in Minneapolis. We were greeted by a friendly hostess who sat us right away. The margaritas were delicious! For an appetizer we ordered the guacamole which was good; I also had the tortilla soup which was delicious, with lots of chicken! For dinner we had the Carne asada entree (very good), the Carne asada burrito (also good), the chicken enchilada (delicious) and the ahi tuna tacos (loved them!). Service was good, our waiter Santi was friendly and efficient. Would definitely return!

So I came here for a dinner one night here at the Mall of America during my short trip to Minnesota. And I wanna start off with the reason this place is five stars instead of four stars, their free salsa. You know how free Mexican restaurant salsa is. Well, this place was literally five times better. It was deeper, darker, tasted like it was made with chipotle peppers. I think we went through six little bowls of the stuff. I'm not kidding. Remember that I said this. We jumped right into entrees. I got the fajitas (On a bed of caramelized onion and bell peppers. Garnished with roasted red pepper and cilantro. Served with guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, rice, beans and fresh flour tortillas). More specifically the off-menu mega combination of the steak, chicken, and AND shrimp. I asked, and they delivered. I got some shrimp. But, they were not good shrimp. They wrapped the shrimp in the saltiest bacon they could find. I do not recommend this pro-tip. It was honestly bad. But the steak and the chicken were excellent. Cooked well, charred just enough, tender. With their lovely flour tortillas, I made many taquitos and had a great meal, with that perfect salsa. I also got to sample the Enchiladas Veracruz (Two pulled chicken, spinach and monterey jack enchiladas with tomatillo sauce, marinated vegetables and queso fresco). These were just so good. Very well seasoned chicken, a little kick of the jack cheese with the coolness of the tomatillo sauce. I was a fan. Overall, if you like Mexican food, and if you happen to be at the Mall of America, I recommend you come here. I recommend you put that amazing salsa on everything you eat, and I recommend you ask them to not wrap anything in bacon.

Food: Great food (especially compared to most places in the Mall of America) but lacks a variety of Gluten Free options. Service: Good but nothing special Ambiance: Good but nothing special Definitely a good place to check out if you ever go to the MOA

Good staff, good service, mediocre bland non-authentic Mexican food. Mall Food. What else is there to say ?

Best restaurant I visited while in Minnesota! We came towards the end of the night with a party of 11 and they happily sat us down. Our service was phenomenal...Hairo was amazing! We ordered several appetizers, entrees, and desserts...all delicious. I still dream of the chicken enchiladas and I can't wait to come back!

The manager Matt made our visit memorable for my son's high school graduation. Food is always good, and he helped me out with being able to get items to use to take back to our hotel for making more meals... The espinaca enchiladas were good and my other son liked the nachos...the salsa is still the BEST!

The food and drinks delicious. My favorites are guacamole, mole chicken enchiladas and the grilled peach Rita. If you enjoy modern Mexican food, you'll love this place. I've never had bad service here.

Decided to stop in while walking through the mall. Jax was my server at the bar. The bar was slammed and she provided excellent customer service. I had a skinny rita which was tasty. Even though I was sitting alone I was still offered chips and salsa. The salsa was super flavorful. I had the chicken enchiladas. Rice was super flavorful. The chicken is what lost the star for me. It was bland and flavorless. The enchiladas were covered/smothered in sauce.

Do not go to the chain restaurants near this place for a Margarita, go here! I great vibe, nice food and drinks, great service. Don't be fooled by the Margaritaville nearby, come here.

There's nothing wrong with the food but there's also nothing great. The complimentary chips and salsa was great. Tres leches in mango with mango sauce!!! I'll have it now. Unfortunately it tasted like something out of a grocery store and for tres leches it was a touch dry. We had the signature dish of camaron poblano asada. The steak was a perfect medium rare and the cilantro lime rice was distinctive but the shrimp was almost tasteless. The tacos and chicken enchilada were ok.

The ambiance was nice. I liked the decor. The food was pretty good but nothing crazy. Standard Mexican restaurant food. A little different queso, no queso blanco for example. It was tasty but different. I loved the handmade tortillas. Fajitas were delicious but next time I won't get the combo. The bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with cheese sounded good in theory but in practice was too much. None of the flavors were there.

Delicious food, great service! Our server was very attentive, even in the middle of the dinner rush. For being a restaurant in the middle of a crowded mall, it was a gentle retreat from all the bustle. Food was served hot and fast, and I thought it was a good value for what we paid. My friend got a vegan option, of which where were a handful. I ordered the pollo asado tacos for the mango-pineapple pico de gallo, and it did not disappoint!

I hadn't visited the mall in probably a decade so it was important for me to hit each floor and see what there was to see. After all that hoofing, one really works up an appetite! We did a lap around the top floor where all of the restaurants are to see all of the options before making a decision. I wanted something my friend--a local resident--had not tried already, but also not a chain that I have back home. We settled on Cantina Laredo as an option that checked both boxes. The hostess recommended we sit at the bar as there was immediate seating and just two of us. My friend, an avid sports fan, was all about that as he would watch the baseball games while we ate. We grabbed two chairs and were served relatively quickly. After ordering the food came pretty fast as well. The chips and salsa were above average as well. We both enjoyed the food and service was good, but my tacos were haphazardly-prepared. Not saying I wanted fancy presentation, but it was obvious that a large handful of cheese was just thrown on the top of my tacos, which meant two of the tacos had almost no cheese on them and one had an obnoxious amount of cheese on it. I'd try this place again, but would maybe try a different dish.

Cantina Laredo. When dining there request a table near the Bar. There is a professional waiter (Yes, this craft has not died!) named Santiago. He will memorize your name, your order, and deliver all without notes in such a manner that you feel respected in a way that is rare. I have taken to serving the food I prepare at home for others in a manner similar to Santiago's. The Ambience removes you from its surroundings, the food flavors so savory, and the service most unique that we travel to M.O.A. just to eat at CL.

This location, like so many places at the moment are suffering from a lack of waitstaff. That being said the bartender was absolutely working her ass off and I saw the (what I assume to be) manager helping out quite a bit too. Major thumbs up to both of them. Hopefully folks see how hard they are working and appreciate them accordingly. The salsa that is provided is some of my favorite that I have had in a restaurant! Very different from most places. From what I was told they use tomatillos and chipotle peppers. All that I know is I had to ask for more salsa several times. I honestly wish they had it available for sale! 3 of my party ordered the cheese quesadilla, and all 3 people were happy with their choice. Lots of cheese oozing out the sides like a proper quesadilla should be. I got the Cancun plate which is a crunchy taco, chicken enchilada covered in sour cream sauce and a beef enchilada covered in chili con carne. It also came with rice and beans. Portions were good sized, but I didn't really like either of the enchiladas. The sour cream sauce wasn't very good, and the beef in the enchilada wasn't good either. The hard beef taco was great. I should have just gotten a bunch of them and it would have been a perfect meal. I would absolutely come back again! I may even try some of their other locations, so long as they too have the same amazing salsa.

My wife and I went there for her birthday. What a Mistake. Drinks were disappointing, food was ok, but service was terrible. Not a good experience.

I stopped in for lunch after a long morning of meetings. It was pretty empty inside and I sat at the bar. My order was placed and food came out piping hot in less than 10 mins. I started with the queso & guac combination. The queso didn't have much flavor to me. It tasted like processed cheese. The guac was ok but nothing spectacular. I ordered the Cancun for my entree. It was delicious. It included a sirloin enchilada, chicken enchilada, crispy beef taco, rice and beans. I was so stuffed I couldn't finish it all. The service and the food were great. They will be added to my list of places to visit when in the area.

Great spot to stop at the mall of America! Yummy tacos and drinks I got the 2 taco lunch that came with rice and beans. My friend go the fish tacos but they tasted weird so they gladly took it off the bill. I am gonna be honest, it surprised me how nice they were about the issue and resolved it very quickly and understandably. I would probably give this place 4 stars but bc they were so nice- I am giving them 5 stars

We went here with a reservation last Saturday. Our server Anthony was fantastic. Explained the menu, gave recommendations, very friendly and did not make us feel rushed. The restaurant is very clean and modern decor. You do get free chips and salsa and the salsa is delicious! I ordered a prickly pear mojito and it was strong and delicious! Also the chicken fajitas was enough for two people. My husband got a burrito and absolutely loved it. We will definitely be back. Fantastic all around. Wish all service was like this.

Great food have a special menu for all the vegetarian if you love Mexican and vegetarian, this is the place for you in Minneapolis at mall of America next to Macy's on the third floor

The servers at Cantina Laredo really rubbed me the wrong way. First, we were seated in the bar for some reason - not sure why - and there was only the bartender working the entire bar. It took him forever to come wait on us and once he did, acted as if he needed to get back to the bar. He didn't write anything down so screwed up our order. He retreated back to the bar after we ordered. We sat for 20 minutes before our appetizer came out and then another half an hour before our meals arrived. No one checked up on us as our orders were wrong but not overly so that they were inedible. We never got drink refills or anything. The food was really good though. I got the Camaron Poblano Asada which was rich and creamy and the steak tender and juicy. I love a good skirt steak. My partner got the Cochinita Pibil which was good but not spectacular. We ended up eating all of mine and some of hers. Too bad the service sucks!

This is my go to happy hour place in the MOA. The food is good, rich, and a solid deal during happy hour. Do you know they even have one of their restaurants in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates?