As if spring temps and sunshine weren’t enough of an excuse for an al fresco margarita, Red Mesa Cantina is making it a downright must. The downtown hotspot recently released a new “Mercado’s Most Wanted” menu that brings outstanding Cali-Mex street food to the Cantina alongside a new build-your-own margaritas menu.
We’ll come back to the margaritas, as it’s the new food menu that has us particularly excited. All three of the Red Mesa concepts have been St. Pete favorites, and this menu incorporates some of the most popular menu items from Red Mesa Mercado, the fast-casual EDGE District and West St. Pete spot serving up fantastic Cali-Mex street food.
L to R: Chipotle Chicken Burrito; Cali Burrito; Puffy Tacos
We’ve long had a soft spot for Mercado, and now some of those stars are getting the Cantina treatment, showcased in their tropical outdoor and indoor digs alongside one of the biggest tequila libraries in the state of Florida. Cantina is slowly rolling out the new additions over the course of the spring, with more unveilings teased for April and May.
So far, they’ve debuted three all-timers: the Puffy Tacos, the Cali Burrito, and the Chipotle Chicken Burrito. The Cali Burrito is what first got this writer hooked on Mercado. The hefty delight is a house-made flour tortilla stuffed with ground beef, refried beans, cheddar jack cheese, guacamole, crema, pico de gallo, and that ultimate Cali touch – skinny, crispy fries. As we’ve opined in this space before, it’s the kind of burrito they write songs about.
The Puffy Tacos have quickly made a name for themselves since their debut, too. Exactly what they sound like, the house tortillas are fried into a puffy, crunchy taco and then loaded up with ground beef, cheddar jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, and crema. You’ll want a napkin for these. They’re worth every crumb.
We got to try all three new additions on a recent visit, and you can’t go wrong with any of them. We’ll be keeping a close eye on what they unveil next.
Meanwhile, it’s 80 degrees, it’s sunny, and the Gulf breeze is flowing. It’s outdoor drinks season in St. Pete. This time of year, there are few things more enjoyable than a refreshing cocktail or mocktail in the Red Mesa Cantina courtyard, and it would appear the bar staff anticipated that demand.
Cantina just rolled a new mocktail menu and a build-your-own margarita menu that perfectly cater to our seasonal needs. We tried three of the new mocktails when we went for lunch, and found all three to be refreshing. With options like Dragonfruit Lemonade, Blackberry Basil and Mango Breeze, you can find the one that fits your tastes.
The margarita menu makes Cantina’s margarita experience everything you could want, and we mean that literally. The three-step extras menu lets you customize your margarita however you want it, from fruit juice to specialty rim and everything in between. You can’t go wrong with their featured menu (the Downtown Cadillac is a classic), but it’s nice being able to flex your creative muscles in the name of tequila and lime juice.
Follow Red Mesa Cantina on Facebook and on Instagram to keep up as they roll out new additions to the Mercado’s Most Wanted lineup.