Pattaya Cantina Mexican Food?

[bubba1]

Anyone tried this place? http://www.thepattayacantina.com/

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The Pattaya Cantina Mexican Food Menu

Appetizers and Sides

Corn Tortilla Chips

Made fresh to order deep fried corn tortilla chips and served with side order of freshly made salsa.

Salsa

Fresh chopped vegetables, onions, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, bell peppers,

Cilantro and freshly squeezed lime juice.

Guacamole

Fresh avocados, onion, jalapeno pepper, tomato and cilantro. We only offer guacamole when avocados are in season.

Refried Beans

Imported Pinto beans cooked and prepared fresh daily.

Rice

Mexican rice, pan cooked, not from a rice cooker!

Flour Tortillas

Served hot off the comell.

Chili Colorado (Red Chili)

Homemade using Pasilla and Ancho chili’s, rib eye cut beef with additional spices.

Served with cheddar cheese topping and chopped onions.

Nachos

Cheese and bean

Freshly made tortilla chips topped with Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, baked and served with fresh salsa on top.

Hot Plate!

Beef or Chicken Your choice

Freshly made tortilla chips topped with Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, homemade pinto beans, baked and served with fresh salsa on top.

Quesadillas

Cheese

Toasted flour tortilla, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, served with fresh salsa topping.

Chicken or Beef Your choice

Toasted flour tortilla, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, your choice of added meat, served with fresh salsa topping.

Taquitos

Chicken or Beef Your choice

We roll corn tortilla with your choice of meat. Deep fried, served with Avocado sauce on top.

Salads

Mixed

Mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumber.

Choice of dressing: Oil & vinegar, 1000 Island.

House specialty Salad

Caesar Salad based on the original 1924 recipe of Caesar Cardini an Italian restaurateur in Tijuana Mexico.

Made with romaine lettuce, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, fresh garlic, parmesan cheese, Tabasco and Worchester sauces and Extra virgin olive oil. Anchovies by request!

[travelerjim]

Great website...Great location...love Mexican Food

Have driven past your new business...very inviting!

But NO prices are posted on your website...for anything...

Food, rooms, drinks..???

Please post your prices...more interest might be shown.

Good luck in your new business...

tough time to be opening...but do hope you succeed!

Thank you.

tj

[rmicheald]

Could you add some more reference points to your map. You only show one soi, third road and soi yensabi. Those of us who are directionally challenged need a little more reference points to know which direction we are supposed to go.

Thanks.

[Ulysses G.]

You better hope that Jingthing likes the name of your place. He is kind of funny about that.

[Jingthing]

The name is fine. The restaurant isn't. They don't live up to the hype on their menu. Its one of those half arsed kind of places that isn't really committed to being a restaurant yet. "We don't have that, sometimes if the right person is there, we have this ..." Maybe some day.

Any recent reports? Review away?

[craigt3365]

Can't wait to give it a try!

[toenail]

Could you add some more reference points to your map. You only show one soi, third road and soi yensabi. Those of us who are directionally challenged need a little more reference points to know which direction we are supposed to go.

Thanks.

I agree, I thought soi Yensabi ran into 3rd RD-??????

[lonewolf99]

The name is fine. The restaurant isn't. They don't live up to the hype on their menu. Its one of those half arsed kind of places that isn't really committed to being a restaurant yet. "We don't have that, sometimes if the right person is there, we have this ..." Maybe some day.

Any recent reports? Review away?

Eating Out...so many choices in Pattaya and Jomtien....I agree with Jingthing - if they want the punters back time after time - you have got to get it right first time.

At another eatery in Jomtien last week I had spent 3 days salivating over the thought of "Roast Turkey every saturday night" advertised on a chalk sandwich board....Sat down with the GF at 19:30 hrs on the saturday night, didn't bother to open the Menu.

"We"ll have the Roast Turkey please".

"No Have....Mai Mee". Was the feeble response..............................talk about stretching my Jai yen yen to the limit........???

Hardly any Tourists in Thailand - so if a business is to survive - the last thing it needs is a bad critique on Thai Visa.......IMH unbiased O :jap:

[Jingthing]

Sounds like you are talking about The Ritz restaurant, Jomtien Complex. Turkey or no turkey, they offer a deal on three course roast dinners and some other stuff as well. Their blueberry cheesecake dessert is really nice too. They probably haven't changed that blackboard in years.

I understand being disappointed about no turkey if you wanted turkey. I have also walked out of places if I had something in mind and they were out of it, etc. However, I don't think it's wise to be dogmatic about these things, some tolerance is need for restaurants here or anywhere.

In the case the Mexican cantina in question, my impression is that they weren't a real restaurant yet and may never be. In the case of the Ritz, they are a real restaurant and have been operating to a satisfied crowd for years now.

[craigt3365]

I was impressed with our first visit to Mike's. Not cheap, but not super expensive. Great food. Can't wait to get back there again!

[Jingthing]

I was impressed with our first visit to Mike's. Not cheap, but not super expensive. Great food. Can't wait to get back there again!

That's good to hear, but just in case any readers are confused Mikes is a different restaurant than Pattaya Cantina.

As long as you mentioned Mike's, what specific dish did you try that you liked so much? Previous reports here on that restaurant were that their salsas were pathetic.

[lonewolf99]

Sounds like you are talking about The Ritz restaurant, Jomtien Complex. Turkey or no turkey, they offer a deal on three course roast dinners and some other stuff as well. Their blueberry cheesecake dessert is really nice too. They probably haven't changed that blackboard in years.

I understand being disappointed about no turkey if you wanted turkey. I have also walked out of places if I had something in mind and they were out of it, etc. However, I don't think it's wise to be dogmatic about these things, some tolerance is need for restaurants here or anywhere.

In the case the Mexican cantina in question, my impression is that they weren't a real restaurant yet and may never be. In the case of the Ritz, they are a real restaurant and have been operating to a satisfied crowd for years now.

Looks like you know Jomtien as much as I do.......JING Dude I avoided as much as I could the restaurants name and you go and blow their cover.

In their defence you are correct, the food I did eat was excellent, BUT when you have set your mind on Turkey and eat a steak instead it can mess with your head...

If we are going to start reviewing good food and service.....Try "Maggs" Thrappaya Road at the Jomtien end. IMHO:jap:

p.s. I am dogmatic, pedantic and also very cynical...but it does not make me a bad person ..I think...I also procrastinate ....a lot....maybe.

[bubba1]

i am not the owner or related to this place in any way, never even been there but I am looking for decent Mexican food and asking for reviews of this place.

I think the Blue Parrott is the best IMO in Pattaya.

[Jingthing]

I ate at the Blue Parrot once years ago and I found it atrocious. Have they improved? I find that hard to believe, but anyway ...

I don't understand how anyone who has had experience eating good Mexican food in the US or Mexico could feel the Blue Parrot has good food. Maybe a European thing?

[bubba1]

I ate at the Blue Parrot once years ago and I found it atrocious. Have they improved? I find that hard to believe, but anyway ...

I don't understand how anyone who has had experience eating good Mexican food in the US or Mexico could feel the Blue Parrot has good food. Maybe a European thing?

i think the Blue Parrot is better than Mike's to tell you the truth for a basic plate, not sure about Fajita's, etc. . You should give it another try.

Been to Sam's once in Jomtien, not value for the money IMO. Al's little stands are the worst IMO, some kind of Euro style Mexican food.

Bob's BBQ has a decent buritto.

[Jingthing]

I also didn't like Jomtien Sam's. Once was enough to make a judgment -- piss poor effort. I don't like any Mexican restaurant in Pattaya. Still waiting for some smart person to start doing it right here, like has happened in Bangkok and CM.

[bubba1]

I also didn't like Jomtien Sam's. Once was enough to make a judgment -- piss poor effort. I don't like any Mexican restaurant in Pattaya. Still waiting for some smart person to start doing it right here, like has happened in Bangkok and CM.

so you don't eat Mexican food in Pattaya?

[Jingthing]

I try places once. If they are crap, I stop. I don't believe in supporting the bad Mexican restaurants here. I don't think that helps our chances of getting a good one someday. I love Mexican food but I would rather have nothing than what's on offer here. I realize I have an extreme position on this. Hope for decent Mexican food here springs eternal.

One thing I don't understand. There are now multiple serviceable or better Mexican places in Bangkok. So there is competition there now among decent places. Here there is really no place that meets the decency standard of Bangkok. What's stopping someone from bringing good Mexican food to Pattaya? If all these bad places can stay open, imagine what a gold mine a really good place would be.

I realize a lot of people think Mike's is OK. But I can't imagine calling a Mexican restaurant that can't offer decent salsas OK, unless we are talking about a more formal kind of Mexican place doing things like huachinango veracruzana (which it isn't).

[bubba1]

I try places once. If they are crap, I stop. I don't believe in supporting the bad Mexican restaurants here. I don't think that helps our chances of getting a good one someday. I love Mexican food but I would rather have nothing than what's on offer here. I realize I have an extreme position on this. Hope for decent Mexican food here springs eternal.

One thing I don't understand. There are now multiple serviceable or better Mexican places in Bangkok. So there is competition there now among decent places. Here there is really no place that meets the decency standard of Bangkok. What's stopping someone from bringing good Mexican food to Pattaya? If all these bad places can stay open, imagine what a gold mine a really good place would be.

I realize a lot of people think Mike's is OK. But I can't imagine calling a Mexican restaurant that can't offer decent salsas OK, unless we are talking about a more formal kind of Mexican place doing things like huachinango veracruzana (which it isn't).

Blue Parrot's food is like a cheap place in Texas or California selling combo plates. Two kinds of Salsa, based on spice level as well and it is decent. i adapt to my surroundings to get a fix.

You can make your own Salsa, can buy this at Friendship.

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[Jingthing]

No Mexican place in the areas of California I used to live in would dare to serve food like Blue Parrot, sorry. It was more like Mexican food you would find in a town in Kansas with no Mexicans 30 years ago.

The thing is we now know for a fact it is possible to do decent Mexican food in Thailand, so the excuse settle for crap we are in Thailand, does not cut the mustard anymore.

[Ulysses G.]

No Mexican place in the areas of California I used to live in would dare to serve food like Blue Parrot, sorry. It was more like Mexican food you would find in a town in Kansas with no Mexicans 30 years ago.

it would be better in Kansas, but that is not meant as a compliment to either place.

[craigt3365]

I was impressed with our first visit to Mike's. Not cheap, but not super expensive. Great food. Can't wait to get back there again!

That's good to hear, but just in case any readers are confused Mikes is a different restaurant than Pattaya Cantina.

As long as you mentioned Mike's, what specific dish did you try that you liked so much? Previous reports here on that restaurant were that their salsas were pathetic.

Seems you are as screwed as we are...being use to great mex or tex mex food in the Southwest USA! I lived in San Diego for about 12 years. LA for about 6. Vegas for about 5. And traveled extensively all over the SW due to my work, including many months in Mexico. I MISS IT!

First thing we do when we go back is to eat at our favorite hole in the wall Mexican restaurant...washed down by an original marg (no mix).

We thought Mike's was pretty good. Even comparing it to what I am use to. Fairly expensive for what you get. We did not try the salsa, but the guac was really good. Ate every bit of it! Two of us had chicken enchiladas, one had a burrito and I think my wife had fish tacos. Everybody was quite happy. The other couple are both farangs who love Mexican food.

I am lucky my Thai wife learned how to make tacos, enchiladas, salsa, guac, etc. We had great tacos yesterday and tomorrow she is promising to make chicken enchiladas. Now if I can just get her to learn how to make good refrieds....

[timekeeper]

Sounds like you are talking about The Ritz restaurant, Jomtien Complex. Turkey or no turkey, they offer a deal on three course roast dinners and some other stuff as well. Their blueberry cheesecake dessert is really nice too. They probably haven't changed that blackboard in years.

I understand being disappointed about no turkey if you wanted turkey. I have also walked out of places if I had something in mind and they were out of it, etc. However, I don't think it's wise to be dogmatic about these things, some tolerance is need for restaurants here or anywhere.

In the case the Mexican cantina in question, my impression is that they weren't a real restaurant yet and may never be. In the case of the Ritz, they are a real restaurant and have been operating to a satisfied crowd for years now.

i am not sure about whether it was Cafe Ritz or not, i don't think i have ever looked at the board but can say this, if it was and you were disappointed then John would be upset about it

however he was not there to be upset as he has been very ill for five days and has been in Bangkok Pattaya hospital..

his wife does a sterling job in the kitchen but to many its not the Ritz without his presence

i am sure those who frequent the premises will be happy to hear that he has clawed himself back from deaths door and will be back in action soon

those who know him well will also know that he will be happy to tell you every gory detail if you ask, maybe with a few bad jokes thrown in for good measure

get well soon man.......

[timekeeper]

cut out of another thread, a darkside mexican review by Tomster

Posted 2010-08-05 12:58

Also - had food at the Red Palm Mexican bistro place on Khao Talo last night.

Very loud and bad quality speaker covering the outdoor area drove us inside, there you only had Thai TV blaring out to try to ignore. Atmosphere was a bit clinical, they could do with a few more plants and softer lighting.

However, best Mexican food I have ever had - it was superb. Portions were ridiculosly big, couldn't finish half of it and would have prefered to pay a less and get a bit less, but with quality like that not bothered.

The owner and chef walked straight past us from outside when the food was ordered to go to the kitchen and cook it, no eye contact or smile - considering we were the only people in the place it came across as a bit arogant.

Total bill for 8 beers, nachos, burrito and fajitas was 1300.

So overall a mixed experience and not one i'd repeat until they make a few changes to the layout inside (or remove they bloody great speaker outside) - but if you like mexican food then you need to check it out, the food itself is awsome.

Tom.

Google maps location here :- http://maps.google.c....01089&t=h&z=17

This post has been edited by tomster: 2010-08-05 12:59

[Ulysses G.]

I would care less if the owner ignored me if the food was the "best Mexican that I ever had".

[rgs2001uk]

cut out of another thread, a darkside mexican review by Tomster

Posted 2010-08-05 12:58

Also - had food at the Red Palm Mexican bistro place on Khao Talo last night.

Very loud and bad quality speaker covering the outdoor area drove us inside, there you only had Thai TV blaring out to try to ignore. Atmosphere was a bit clinical, they could do with a few more plants and softer lighting.

However, best Mexican food I have ever had - it was superb. Portions were ridiculosly big, couldn't finish half of it and would have prefered to pay a less and get a bit less, but with quality like that not bothered.

The owner and chef walked straight past us from outside when the food was ordered to go to the kitchen and cook it, no eye contact or smile - considering we were the only people in the place it came across as a bit arogant.

Total bill for 8 beers, nachos, burrito and fajitas was 1300.

So overall a mixed experience and not one i'd repeat until they make a few changes to the layout inside (or remove they bloody great speaker outside) - but if you like mexican food then you need to check it out, the food itself is awsome.

Tom.

Google maps location here :- http://maps.google.c....01089&t=h&z=17

This post has been edited by tomster: 2010-08-05 12:59

Thanks for the heads up, however until this place gets the JT seal of approval I will view this as of being nothing more than for information purposes only.

Note to JT, nice to read your no nonsense style of reviews here.

[Jingthing]

The location of this Red Palm Mexican bistro is well off my radar. I am more likely to visit a Mexican restaurant in Paris France before I get out that way ...

All I can say about it based on the list of dishes in the review is that it is some kind of gringo-Mex, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (burritos rule), just saying ...

If the chef is so good (who cares if he's rude!), why not locate more centrally and give the masses a taste of this reported good stuff?

[buddy]

I was impressed with our first visit to Mike's. Not cheap, but not super expensive. Great food. Can't wait to get back there again!

Can anybody provide me the location of Mikes restaurant?

[Jingthing]

I was impressed with our first visit to Mike's. Not cheap, but not super expensive. Great food. Can't wait to get back there again!

Can anybody provide me the location of Mikes restaurant?

http://www.mikespattaya.com/

[ACMIKE]

I tried Mike's a couple of week ago and it was not very good, the best I have had is Tequila Reef and I know some people didn't like that. One thing for ceratin, you can get a jar of salsa at any grocery store better than what they have at Mike's, also the refried beans tasted like cardboard. There were a lot of customers, but none were of Mexican descent that I could tell.