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| Cantina Laredo in Branson Landing |
Originally Published In the Branson Courier on Dec.20, 2006.
The Cantina Laredo, located in Branson Landing, is billed as a “gourmet Mexican food” restaurant. If the experience Lois and I had at the Catina Laredo is any indication, it is all that and more.
The Ole Seagull and his lovely bride of 42 years, Lois, went in for lunch recently. It was on a Monday, shortly after 11 a.m., it was not crowded yet and we were immediately seated. Our server, Vanessa showed up promptly and took our drink order. While we were waiting for our drinks to arrive we were served some of the freshest and crispiest tortilla chips we have ever tasted, along with two salsas, one mild and one hot. The flavoring in both was very tasty and the hot sauce was hot.
Based on Vanessa’s recommendation we decided to try their “Top Shelf Guacamole.” It was made fresh at our table by James Craig, a.k.a. Skinny. It is a subtle blend of avocado, onions, lemon, cilantro, jalapenos, and “secret spices,” with just the right amount of tomatoes delicately folded in. It was delicious and is big enough to feed four as an appetizer. Lois, who is a Mexican food aficionado, said it was some of the best Guacamole that she has ever eaten. The “Top Shelf Guacamole” cost $6.99 and is something that we plan to have every time we dine there.
One of the house “Especialidades” is Carnitas, “fresh pork roast with chipotle-wine sauce. Based on the fact that we both love Carnitas and Vanessa’s recommendation we decided to try the Carnitas Soft Tacos from the lunch menu. There were two good sized tacos, served with rice and a choice of beans, refried, black, or borracho. The pork was fresh, moist, and just plain delicious. Lois had the borracho beans which she said were great and I had the refried beans which I enjoyed very much. We both took half our food home and enjoyed it two nights later. At $8.79 per plate for the amount and quality of the food, we thought the price was very reasonable.
As I was writing this piece I talked with Maggie Reiter who had eaten there recently. She had one of the enchilada combinations, cheese and beef, with rice and beans. She said it was excellent, and she was very impressed with the service, ambiance, and overall quality of the food.
The dessert presentation by Vanessa kind of edged us into trying the Mexican Apple Pie and boy were we both glad we did. It is sizzled in Mexican Brandy Butter table side and topped with your choice of cinnamon or vanilla ice cream. We split one and went with the cinnamon. Normally I like to split a dessert with Lois because she doesn’t eat much dessert. This time she did and said it was excellent. At $4.49 it’s big enough to split after eating a meal like we did.
One reason why everything is so good is that from tortilla chips to the desserts, it’s all prepared from scratch on premises The combination of atmosphere, food quality, ambiance, and the excellent level of service not only met our expectation but exceeded them. The Cantina Laredo was a delightful dining experience and we will return again.
The Cantina Laredo is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p. m. and is open from 11a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 1 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. It is located at 1001 Branson Landing, right across from Sullivan’s Steak House. The telephone number is 417-334-6062.
