Hey Dolls,
I was recently invited to a private lunch at a new restaurant in Mandarin called Cabana Grill! Before attending, I read up on the history of the restaurant and found a few pleasant surprises which had me very excited about lunch! For starters, Cabana Grill was created by the San Antonio based restaurant, Taco Cabana! As some of you already know, I'm from San Antonio and Taco Cabana was the number one spot to go to after high school football games! Oh the memories! I also learned that Cabana Grill is under the restaurant group that also operates and franchises Pollo Tropical! I love me some Pollo Tropical!!! With those two facts in mind, I knew lunch was going to be delicious!
Cabana Grill has fast-casual dining. You can enjoy your meal indoors, out on the patio, take it to go, and even drive-thru! Something I really love is when you can see your meal prepared. All of their ingredients are prepared fresh daily, including the amazing tortillas that are made to order. Quick story...when I was in high school my friends thought I was "weird" because I would order 3 plain tortillas in the drive-thru at Taco Cabana. LOL!
They are good enough to eat alone!
The Salsa Bar features three signature salsas that are handmade with fresh ingredients, daily. They are the Chipotle Lime, Salsa Crema, and Avacado Cilantro. All three salsas complement any dish you may order!
Another feature I enjoyed about Cabana Grill was the artwork! I found out that all of the decor came from Mexico, including this cool picture below which was taken by a photographer sent down to Mexico to capture its essence just for Cabana Grill.
Makes for great ambiance!!!
Ok, so the food was just as amazing as I imagined it would be. Here's what we had...
This taco plate came with a steak and chicken taco, Mexican rice, and refried beans.
Steak Fajita Bowl served in a hard tortilla with delicious grilled steak!
My favorites were the chicken fajitas and street tacos! The flavors are really amazing! You really get that grilled taste and you can truly taste the freshness of the veggies! They also serve authentic beverages including Mexican Fanta and Mexican Coke with real cane sugar, margaritas made with fresh-squeezed lime juice, and a selection of cold domestic and Mexican beers.
Last but not least is my all time favorite Mexican dessert, sopapillas!!! The first time I had a sopapilla was when I took a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico when I was 18. I've been a fan ever since. These things can cause detriment to your waistline, if you're not careful! They little fried pastries, similar to doughnuts, that you dip in either honey or dulce de leche! AMAZEBALLS!
I'm definitely a fan of Cabana Grill! The food was fresh and delicious and everyone that worked there were friendly and knowledgeable! I'm particularly excited because I feel like I'm getting a little taste of home! If you're looking for somewhere quick to dine and are in the Mandarin area, hit up Cabana Grill! You won't be disappointed.
As always, thanks for stopping by!
Be back soon!
~Trice