Red Crown Cantina

I don’t know why somebody would have dared them to change their menu from Mexican to the most unappetizing food I’ve ever been served. The fish and chips were like a microwaved kid cuisine, the tacos were a mix of boiled, unseasoned chicken chunks and tomatoes. The service and ambiance was good as always but there’s truly no way anyone would ever return to this place with the current menu. I’ve never even written a review before but I felt i needed to warn others.

I have seen the negative reviews saying that’s it’s “not real Mexican”. I think it is a fusion type of Mexican. It’s not the processed American style Mexican. Which is why some people don’t like the more fresh and healthier taste of their food. But I love it because the chips are fried and fresh compared to other places where the chips are stale and dry. And the tacos are smaller but still full of meat and flavor not making it too overwhelming. And they have a pretty good horchata. And also btw the patio is dog friendly. If you are looking for a fresher Mexican food experience definitely worth the try. Edit : I do not like how they changed the menu and didn’t keep any of the special tacos that I loved. If you’re going to try to fit in with every restaurant around fine. But you could at least still try to have a taco menu on the side for people like me who just want some tacos and chips.

So bummed that the menu has changed. Menu before was yummy, well priced, unique for the area Mexican- changed to really average, mostly American style options with increased price. $23 steak frites with maybe 4-5oz of steak and cheap, undercooked diner fries. Was a favorite, likely will not be back unfortunately, sad to write this :(

Can’t say I love the food here. Certainly wouldn’t show up for it. The chips are homemade, meaning extra oily. Drinks are par for the course, in that they arrive quickly and cold. Outdoor seating is a nice way to enjoy GP Park and the staff is attentive.

Phenomenal!! Everything was fantastic! Family came over for brunch on a Saturday and literally this couldn’t have been better. Thank you thank you!!

Why change the menu?? Loved loved the taco menu and all the delicious variety! The chips, salsa and guacamole are addictive! Unfortunately recently they seem to have changed the menu to a “me too” menu like all of the other bar restaurants around. Not sure how often I’ll be frequenting with the change.

Updated review: The new change is a big change. The tacos was just okay to me. It reminds me of a limited menu Bakersfield. The churros were not fresh. The Margarita was great and so were the beans and rice. I probably won’t return again except maybe for drinks. Loved the new decor post pandemic. Brian and Gianni were amazing. We loved the service here. The happy hour was great. The mulled wine with smoked cinnamon stick was perfectly spiced and very smooth. The beef slider was my favorite of all the items (and we tried them all). The cheese with the pretzel was good, but the pretzel didn't seem very fresh. I would absolutely return again.

El Cocinero. A smart casual Mexican inspired restaurant with a chef’s flair to food presentation and quality. It’s not a place for getting huge amounts of food for cheap but rather a much nicer meal experience. Although I sat in the dining room of this former vintage Standard Oil Service Station, the bar seating looked great. The food was excellent and nicely spicy 🌶️ with slightly different spins on traditional Mexican-American dishes. I think my favorite thing was the overall atmosphere of this vintage space.