Dave's Cantina Mexican restaurant (muy sabroso)

[just hanging]

oops

[Madzar]

 

20 hours ago, MM said:

FYI, the enchiladas at Dave's Cantina look like this.. Along with the tortilla soup and the quesadillas which are full of meat and cheese.

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20 hours ago, Pattaya_Brian said:

Well, I wasn't hungry until I saw this. Damn! That's almost perfection.

Not wrong how fucken good does that look my oh my

[just hanging]

going for lunch today now that I know where it is...cant wait

[Uncle-V]

11 hours ago, just hanging said:

going for lunch today now that I know where it is...cant wait

how was it? These pics are making me salivate....

[napacwc]

Has quesadiila's about a week ago. Heard some visitors rave about them. Appearance was great but taste was pretty bland. Had better but nice change of pace and Dave was a good host. 6/10

[just hanging]

13 hours ago, Uncle-V said:

how was it? These pics are making me salivate....

it would have been great if they were open at 12 for lunch.  several of us showed up and they dont open till 1 for lunch.   that sucks.   I am gonna try today at 1, but opening that late will make us go less often, I like to eat at 12

 

I know evil warned to check teh website first but hard to believe someone is not open at 12 for lunch.

[just hanging]

well finally made it with my friend.   I was so excited getting Mexican again that I forgot about the pics and too some late

no guacamole but the chips and dip were good

not really into that kind of soup but really good

really wanted cheese enchiladas but the chicken were good.  a little dry which cheese would have fixed

rice and beans were good

quesadilla good

had two deserts, was good

next time I will try to take pictures before eating, I am starved by 1pm

[Evil Penevil]

EP note:  Dave's Cantina is closed for Songkran April 17, 18 and 19, open again on April 20.

 

I'll join the chorus of those singing praise for Dave's Cantina: it serves the best Mexican-style food currently available in any restaurant in Pattaya.

 

I said Mexican-style because it's difficult to pin an all-encompassing label on the items served at Dave's. The menu is a mix of modern Mexican, California Mexican and Tex Mex standards, sprinkled liberally with Dave's own ideas and recipes, then whipped to a peak by meticulous preparation. Dave knows contemporary Mexican cooking and has put a lot of thought into the Cantina's menu.  But it doesn't really matter how you categorize the food at Dave's; it's the taste than counts.  Dave's gets full marks on that score.

 

Dave's Cantina has only been open a couple of months and the menu is still relatively limited. That's a good idea, as it's much better to offer 10 great dishes than 20 mediocre ones.  So far he has tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos and chimichangas on offer, plus two kinds of soup (chile con carne y frijoles and tortilla) and dessert (apple chimichanga with ice cream and deep-fried ice cream). Pico de gallo (aka salsa fresca) and freshly dried tortilla chips are on the menu as a starter, while red rice, refried beans and pinto beans are the sides

 

The tortilla soup is something of Dave's signature dish.  Tortilla soup in it's original version is a clear chicken broth flavored with epazote, a Mexican herb, and topped with strips of fried tortilla. The soup served at Dave's is much thicker and filling, with a spicy kick. It has plenty of flavor and not just heat.  It's better than a lot of the tortilla soup you find in North America.  If you're going to taste one dish on Dave's menu, tortilla soup would be it.

 

 

 A cup is great as a starter and a full bowl would be meal in itself.

 

 

I followed up with two soft corn tortillas filled with shredded pork, pico de gallo and cilantro. 

 

 

Again, there was plenty of flavor and just enough heat to keep it interesting.  For those who want more burn,  there are several types of chili sauce on the table.

 

 

 The sides were red (Mexican) rice

 

                                                                          

 

and refried beans 

 

 

In and of themselves, they are pretty unassuming sides, available on combo plates in thousands of Mexican restaurants across the U.S.  They function in part to function as belly-fillers, in part to balance the spiciness of the main dishes. They tend to be very bland, but not at Dave's.  A lack of heat in the sides doesn't mean a lack of flavor and the rice and beans add real accents to the meal.

 

This goes back to Dave's passion for finding the right flavor profile. then using the best ingredients available and preparing them properly. That's what elevates his food above the majority of Mexican-style restaurants you ind outside Mexico.

 

I rounded out my meal with a dessert that is as Mexican as an apple chimichanga.  A rich apple filling, heavy on the cinnamon, was wrapped in a flour tortilla and deep-fried.  It came with two scoops of ice cream.  It was delicious and the flour tortilla is a great "container" for a fruit pie filling.  The dessert is actually Dave's own invention and I say, "well done!"

 

 

Total damage for the meal was about 500 baht, including a Coke Zero, which is  a bargain for the quantity and quality of the food.  I also ordered two burritos- one beef, one pork- for takeaway so I wouldn't have to brave the Songkran water-tossing for lunch the following day.

 

 

I chose the 8" burritos for 150 baht because they warm up well in a microwave.  Very tasty and strong on flavor but light on heat, exactly as I like them.  

 

 

I didn't take pics of the day-after burritos and have lifted the two pics above from Dave's Cantina's Facebook page.

 

 

I like the decoration at Dave's, simplicity itself but colorful and attractive.  I didn't have occasion to sample the bar, but bit looked well stocked.

 

 

I'm very pleased there weren't any sombreros, guitars or Day-of-the-Dead masks on the walls.  The air conditioning works very well and there' are outdoor tables if that's your preference.

 

 

Dave's Cantina punches above it's weight when comes to the food and in just two months has gone to the top of the list of Mexican-style restaurants in Pattaya.  I just hope its location on Soi Regional Land won't prove too much of a hinder in attracting customers.  The restaurant s not hard to find, but a pain in the butt to get to if you don't have your own wheels.  Of course, it's just a short haul by moto from Tuk Com, but otherwise, customers face a long walk or taking a taxi to get to Dave's.

 

 

Bottom line:  Dave's is an excellent choice for anyone who enjoys the type of Mexican food found in restaurants outside Mexico,

 

Evil

[Kreggerz]

Lots of consensus here. Dave's is the best Mexican restaurant in town and you're muy loco en la cabeza  if you don't try his famous tortilla soup at least once.

 

 

[just hanging]

evil, your burrito looks good and thats what i wanted.  mine looked like an open taco.  there was no closing it or making it pretty.

 

 

 

 

[Uncle-V]

Food looks great gentleman. Thanks for you nice reports. I will find some time to get out there and check it out next trip. 

Consistency is what bedevils these places in Patts. It looks like Dave really know his stuff. But will the Thai staff and cooks be able to absorb that knowledge and deliver in the future? Just hanging's Burrito pic gives some reason for doubt. But let's just hope its a snafu. 

[Evil Penevil]

3 hours ago, Uncle-V said:

Consistency is what bedevils these places in Patts. It looks like Dave really know his stuff. But will the Thai staff and cooks be able to absorb that knowledge and deliver in the future? 

Exactly right.  Inconsistency has always been the hobgoblin of small restaurants in Pattaya.  But Dave is insistent that his staff gets it right.  The potential problem is labor mobility.  It's very common that Thai staff who know how to cook Western food are, uh, "poached" by larger restaurants.

And Dave mentioned to me the other night that one of his waitresses had quit with 10 minutes notice.  It's not easy to be a small restaurant owner in Pattaya.

Uncle-V: next time you're in town, maybe we can share a taxi to Dave's?

Evil

[jiz]

18 hours ago, Uncle-V said:

Food looks great gentleman. Thanks for you nice reports. I will find some time to get out there and check it out next trip. 

Consistency is what bedevils these places in Patts. It looks like Dave really know his stuff. But will the Thai staff and cooks be able to absorb that knowledge and deliver in the future? Just hanging's Burrito pic gives some reason for doubt. But let's just hope its a snafu. 

Dave is on site and aims to please. Good stuff. 

The 1PM lunch opening is questionable. 

[lfc4dp]

love this idea with the apple pie burrito!

You guys should toy with a proper burrito combo using sticky rice or even creamy rice pudding? Just something to consider. definitely visiting on my next trip!

[Uncle-V]

On 4/19/2017 at 2:03 PM, Evil Penevil said:

Exactly right.  Inconsistency has always been the hobgoblin of small restaurants in Pattaya.  But Dave is insistent that his staff gets it right.  The potential problem is labor mobility.  It's very common that Thai staff who know how to cook Western food are, uh, "poached" by larger restaurants.

And Dave mentioned to me the other night that one of his waitresses had quit with 10 minutes notice.  It's not easy to be a small restaurant owner in Pattaya.

Uncle-V: next time you're in town, maybe we can share a taxi to Dave's?

Evil

Still a master of the pun. 555. I love it.  

As for dinner at Dave's it sounds great Evil!

[expatdude]

I enjoyed my food at Dave's, but won't be back often. I found the portion size too small for the prices charged. It's the best Mexican place in town, but he won't get much business from me.

In one sense, I really think he's making a mistake. The Mexican rice and the refried beans are cheap to make, and the portions I got with my enchiladas were, I felt, very small. A missed opportunity to give value for your money. As it was, I was hungry again very soon.

For 300 baht, I can have a couple very filling and tasty meals at other farang restaurants of many different nationalities, German, French, English, Chinese. I can have even more filling and tasty Thai meals. Pattaya is a tough restaurant town. I hope Dave finds enough customers, as I would like to visit say once a year or so.

[jiz]

54 minutes ago, expatdude said:

I enjoyed my food at Dave's, but won't be back often. I found the portion size too small for the prices charged. It's the best Mexican place in town, but he won't get much business from me.

In one sense, I really think he's making a mistake. The Mexican rice and the refried beans are cheap to make, and the portions I got with my enchiladas were, I felt, very small. A missed opportunity to give value for your money. As it was, I was hungry again very soon.

For 300 baht, I can have a couple very filling and tasty meals at other farang restaurants of many different nationalities, German, French, English, Chinese. I can have even more filling and tasty Thai meals. Pattaya is a tough restaurant town. I hope Dave finds enough customers, as I would like to visit say once a year or so.

Dave is open to feedback. When speaking with him, you can tell he really is a foodie type. He's likes a quality product but he may have overlooked the bean/rice portions as mentioned.

The portions are fine for me but he should keep an eye on the diners and perhaps spoon out a bit more on the hungrier types.

 

 

 

[just hanging]

hope they open at 12 soon, really want to go at my lunchtime

[Kreggerz]

3 hours ago, iluvasians/latins said:

I'm from Texas.  I'll pass on this.  

Pass on anything but people should be clear that those pictures are not from Dave's Cantina. They are from Pattaya Cantina. Different restaurants. 

[Evil Penevil]

8 hours ago, iluvasians/latins said:

I'm from Texas.  I'll pass on this.  

 

5 hours ago, Kreggerz said:

Pass on anything but people should be clear that those pictures are not from Dave's Cantina. They are from Pattaya Cantina. Different restaurants. 

That's a really important point:  the pics in post #14, which have been ,repeated several times, are NOT from Dave's Cantina but an entirely different restaurant.  There are plenty of pics of the food that Dave does serve. 

Evil

[just hanging]

I am good with the mods taking down the pics from the wrong place, didnt know it was the wrong place till posting

[Kreggerz]

1 hour ago, just hanging said:

I am good with the mods taking down the pics from the wrong place, didnt know it was the wrong place till posting

Great idea but I think you might need to contact them directly. I doubt they read everything here. 

[Skalliwag]

Friend of mine ate there and said it was excellent.He has eaten there a few times.

his pics.

[BeerBelly]

18 hours ago, Skalliwag said:

Friend of mine ate there and said it was excellent.He has eaten there a few times.

his pics.

I'm Dave, of Dave's Cantina. These are pictures I posted yesterday on my page. Unless you happen to be a friend of mine (not unlikely), these are not his pictures. I am sure there was no malice intended, but just wanted to point this out.

[Skalliwag]

3 hours ago, BeerBelly said:

I'm Dave, of Dave's Cantina. These are pictures I posted yesterday on my page. Unless you happen to be a friend of mine (not unlikely), these are not his pictures. I am sure there was no malice intended, but just wanted to point this out.

Oh he shared them then.

sorry.Thought they were his.

I messaged him asking about your digs.He likes the place.Thumbs up.