Dave's Cantina on Soi Regional Land

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

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 that 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 find 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 it 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.

This pic is from the Facebook page of Dave's Cantina.

Dave's Cantina punches above its 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. It's hours are 1.00 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.

Evil

Some more pics from Dave's FB page, just to give you a better idea of the types of dishes that are served.

Edited November 10, 2017 by Evil Penevil

[halfaboy 31]

Really appreciated all details in your review.

 

Thanks for the efforts....

[BeerBelly 1,026]

I have to be honest, "A well stocked bar" is a bit of an exaggeration. At the moment I STILL don't have margaritas on the menu. I am just using the bar to hold the makings until I find time to come up with the right recipes and pricing.

 

I'm hoping I'll have time over the next couple of days to do just that and stock the bar (for margaritas). In case anyone wants to know why I STILL don't have them on the menu, it's a matter of staffing. It's terribly difficult to find good reliable staff prior to Songkran. I want to be sure I have the staff available take care of customers while I take the time to make margaritas.

 

Thanks for the kind words Evil. Looking at the time you posted this, it explains why I had a call today asking if I were open.

[cbrib 354]

Nice review Evil. I need to try this place as it is close to my house. The atmosphere inside looks so sterile i keep passing the place and head to Mikes which is usually hit but can be miss at times. I like the idea of the take away burrito too

[short 215]

BeerBelly, make sure you are on maps.google. I'm sure that a lot of people that knew you from FLB and bar crawls will want to visit. I know I do.

 

Also, what is the status of your iced tea?

[BeerBelly 1,026]

BeerBelly, make sure you are on maps.google. I'm sure that a lot of people that knew you from FLB and bar crawls will want to visit. I know I do.

 

Also, what is the status of your iced tea?

Brewed, not canned. Already on Google Maps. Facebook page is accurate as well.

[MeGoDanceNow 4,281]

I'm there! Is that the same soi as Tigglebitties? Is it closer to Third Road than Tigglebitties is?

 

Got a few friends coming in from Japan, they like Mexican food so I'll try to bring them along.

[BeerBelly 1,026]

I'm there! Is that the same soi as Tigglebitties? Is it closer to Third Road than Tigglebitties is?

 

Got a few friends coming in from Japan, they like Mexican food so I'll try to bring them along.

Yes, same soi as Tiggs. Coming from third road, it's about 100 m passed Tiggs, but on the left side.

[MeGoDanceNow 4,281]

Yes, same soi as Tiggs. Coming from third road, it's about 100 m passed Tiggs, but on the left side.

 

 

Got it! Will check it out soon.

[MeGoDanceNow 4,281]

Dropped in at Dave's Cantina last night with a couple of visiting friends. We all had a great time and the food was delicious and beautifully presented.

 

My friends had the tortilla soup while I had the chili soup, both pronounced great. At the table there are three kinds of hot sauce, so we mixed and matched, trying them variously on our tacos, burritos, quesadillas and refried beans.

 

The joint is a bit out of the way so you have to look for it, but with directions we found it easily. Tell your driver it's on Soi Kruptidin, enter from Third Road and keep going till you see it on the left side.

 

Since Dave's is just up the road from Tigglebitties, you can have a bit of a Tex-Mex pub crawl in the area. Prices are reasonable too, so come on down.

Edited May 7, 2017 by MeGoDanceNow

[Bullfrog 2,224]

I have to be honest, "A well stocked bar" is a bit of an exaggeration. At the moment I STILL don't have margaritas on the menu. I am just using the bar to hold the makings until I find time to come up with the right recipes and pricing.

 

I'm hoping I'll have time over the next couple of days to do just that and stock the bar (for margaritas). In case anyone wants to know why I STILL don't have them on the menu, it's a matter of staffing. It's terribly difficult to find good reliable staff prior to Songkran. I want to be sure I have the staff available take care of customers while I take the time to make margaritas.

 

 

Hi, has the cocktail menu been added yet.????

[BeerBelly 1,026]

Hi, has the cocktail menu been added yet.????

We have margaritas. Choice of neat, on the rocks, or frozen.

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Dave's Cantina now ranks as #23 out of 901 restaurants on TripAdvisor's popularity index for Pattaya. That's quite an accomplishment for a small Mexico-focused restaurant in a location that's a bit out-of-the-way and has only been open eight months.

Of course, it's a popularity index and not a quality index, so there can be some odd results. The highest I've seen Dave's Cantina on the list is #19.

Dave's also does well on the five-bubble quality index with a top score of five, meaning excellent. So to Dave, a big and

Well done, Dave!

Evil

Edited November 11, 2017 by Evil Penevil