Mexico's "La Cantina" brings something fresh to Epcot counter service dining

Sep 17, 2010 in "La Cantina de San Angel"

Posted: Friday September 17, 2010 8:32am EDT by WDWMAGIC Staff
"La Cantina de San Angel" is back at Epcot, and is bigger and better than ever. The completely rebuilt Cantina now features two outdoor dining areas built onto piers over the World Showcase lagoon. The covered outside dining area seats almost 200 people, and is complimented by the indoor seating of the table service location "La Hacienda de San Angel" from 11am until 2:30pm. The restaurant opens at 11am and serves until park close, typically at 9pm. The dining areas offer great views of the World Showcase lagoon, and in the cooler months will be a really nice place to be. During the summer, even with the overhead fans and cover, your better option may be inside.

The counter service restaurant operates like many Disney locations, with a register to place your order, and then a pickup window to collect the food. The menu is simple, offering Tacos, Nachos, Churros and Margaritas. Don't let this put you off, because where La Cantina excels is delivering this simple menu. (view menu)

The food at La Cantina is so much better than the previous Cantina it's hard to even think it's from the same company. The new food is fresh, vibrant, and I'm told by the Mexican Cast members, it's authentic. The color of the food is outstanding. My Chicken tacos came with very fresh house-made corn tortillas, corn chips in a variety of flavors and colors, Pico de Gallo on the side, a fresh lime segment, and a spring onion. Have a see for yourself in the photos of the food below, but the food here has to be some of the most attractive of all of Epcot's counter service offerings. I sampled the beef tacos, chicken tacos, and the nachos, and all were excellent. With all three dishes the freshness really stood out. Gone was the old, colorless, unidentifiable food of the previous Cantina, and in it's place is now real fresh food. Even more refreshing was that the restaurant was handing out comment cards with every order - great to see them looking for feedback from the diners.

Perhaps the only criticisms I had was that the quantity of meat in the tacos could be greater, and that the outdoor seating area be larger. Once word gets out about how good the food is, the Cantina is going to be very busy. The value of the offering is comparable to other Disney offerings, with prices being around $10 per entree.

Next time you are at Epcot looking for some fast food, forget the chicken strips and burgers and head to World Showcase and have some real fresh food, "La Cantina" style.

La Cantina de San Angel menu

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