Cantina Laredo, Sand Lake Rd - Closed

I had dinner at this "gourmet" Mexican restaurant in Via Dellagio complex (the one closest to Bay Hill) on Sand Lake Rd last Friday. I had the Fiesta Grill for $26. It was a sizzling skillet of shrimp (2), costillas (pork ribs) (2), quail (1) and little piles of carnitas (pulled pork shanks), grilled beef and grilled chicken. It came with rice, beans, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and soft tortillas. The shrimp were mushy and over cooked. The worst of it. They really need to be cooked separately and placed on top later. The ribs were tender (not much meat). They came with a sweet barbeque sauce on top. The quail was fine. A little dry, but, I'm not a fan of the wet and rubbery texture of undercooked poultry. They seemed to have removed the rib cage from the bird for you. The carnitas had a wonderful sauce. I have never had it come "on the bone" like osso buco. A great idea. Maybe the best thing. The little shank was so cute. The grilled beef was really grilled. We're talking jerky. But, I was in the mood for competing textures. It had a nice flavor. The chicken was also overcooked. It needed to be hidden under salsa, guac and sour cream in a fajita. The guac was ok. Let's hope their table side and house recommended guac is superior. The salsa was old and rubbery. Regarding salsa, they provided two types of salsa to begin with. A very sour one served cool and a smokier one served hot. I've never encountered a hot (as in temperature) salsa before. It was a novelty, but, I found myself gravitating back to the cool one. The service was great. Everyone was well dressed. I couldn't stop people from bringing me things. The soda alone was refilled with a fresh glass three times. It would have been more if I hadn't declined. They even changed the TV channel for me. My main server had a great attitude and didn't hide from the dining room. The place seats over 100. There is an outside patio (near a giant water fountain) that must seat 40. There is a large bar that must seat 20. There is a ring around the bar that must seat 20. There is an ante dining room between the bar and the patio that must seat 20. There is a main dining area that must seat 60. The main dining room and the ring around the bar have booth options. The main dining room has a central fire place. It was about half full while I was there. It was a mix of families and people on dates or celebrating as a group. The dress code was all over the place. The decor is modern. The place itself doesn't seem like it was constructed with a Mexican restaurant in mind, but, it is clean and new. My dish was the most expensive on the menu. Most are around the mid teens. Apps are few and close to entree prices. They have desserts around $6. Lunch prices top out at $13. The menu is a pretty good mix of old favorites and things we gringos should be moving on to by now. I suggest you give it a try. They seem to be happy to have your business and deliver good value for a place that will qualify as a fine dining experience. I almost assure you that you can find a good a table here without reservations at any time of the day.