Taco Cantina
Nestled on the quaint and quiet End End is Taco Cantina, the fantastic new Mexican restaurant from the inspiration of restauranteur Chef Ron Hargrave.
Don’t let this modest Mexican eatery fool you, Taco Cantina has a lot to offer any foodie, and is full of Mexican fun! Chef Ron, an Aussie, would not have it any other way. Many years ago he moved to Cayman, and subsequently opened his first restaurant on East End, known as Tukka.
Now, after many successful seasons with the popular Tukka, then more recently the addition of Eagle Ray’s Dive Bar and Grill (also on East End), Ron has gone Mexican with his third venture, Taco Cantina! As this month’s Passenger Pick of the Month, we wanted to learn more about the story behind Taco Cantina, so recently we caught up with Ron Hargrave.
PP: Chef Ron, why a Mexican restaurant?
RH: I felt the East side of Cayman needed a fresh new cuisine that’s never been here before. I have always enjoyed Mexican food and I appreciated the fun factor and challenge of creating something new on the East End. And who doesn’t like tacos and tequila?
PP: We sure d0! All of your restaurants are family friendly and fun! The atmosphere at Taco Cantina is like a Mexican Fiesta every day!
RH: Fun certainly is a goal of ours. I want everyone who comes to Taco Cantina to have an awesome experience and enjoy great food with friendly service. When I hear that our guests have had a fun night out and had a great meal! I’ve done my job as a chef!
PP: Chef Ron, how did you find so many talented staff members to launch your Mexican dream?
RH: Staffing is always a challenge for a restaurant, but we’re so fortunate to have attracted such a talented staff. I really like their attentive nature to our guests.
PP: Where are they from and do any of them speak Spanish?
RH: Our staff are all authentic Spanish speaking from Mexico, Cuba, and Honduras.
PP: Who is your primary Chef?
RH: Chef Scott is our head chef. He is from Honduras he is an amazing chef. He understands the taste and palette of what folks are looking for when it comes to authentic Mexican food.
PP: Is it true he grows his own peppers?
RH: Yes, he does grow his home-grown chilies to perfection.
PP: Impressive. Ron, tell us about the development of your facility.
RH: Thank goodness, we found an existing building and land. Taco Cantina is located just yards down the road from Ocean Frontiers and Eagle Rays. We renovated the old Chef Remy’s Bombay Chopsticks location. It took many weeks of renovation but fortunately, there was a Margarita at the end of the tunnel. And we were able to launch it last year on May 5th with a big Fiesta bang!
PP: We really like the atmosphere you have created here. Your tequila bar is spectacular. We did a little research on brands of tequila and were amazed how many there are and how many different kinds of Margaritas you can order. How many kinds of tequilas do you have in your famous tequila bar?
RH: We have over 100 different brands of Tequilas and Mescals. All are imported. The assortments of the blue agave plant beverage are show cased behind the margarita bar, which is small but cozy. The vibe is definitely “south of the border”. Many folks love to be served their drinks or shots right from the bar.
PP: What is your top tequila brand and what are your specialty Margaritas?
RH: My top Tequila’s are Don Julio & Herradura. The specialty Margaritas are Guava, Blood Orange and Local Mango. So picture yourself listening to our favorite song Margaretville and the bar tender blending a tart lime frozen concoction to be poured into a salt rimmed glass. Yes…Island Mexican, bliss. Now add farm to table fresh made guacamole and crispy tortilla chips to that amazing combination. What a way to mellow on the East End!
PP: Great vision. We can picture it! All my passengers talk about your Taco & Tequila Tuesday and Thursdays! They said you’d better make reservations as it gets crowded fast! I know you started out doing it just on Thursdays, why add Tuesdays?
RH: Yes, we started off just doing the special on Thursdays, but the demand was so high and Thursdays had such big volume we added Tuesdays. So every Tuesday & Thursday now. You can order Two for One standard tacos, two for one standard or flavored Margaritas or Two for One Mexican beers. And last but not least Two for One Tequila shots! You cannot beat that for one special on a Tuesday or Thursday Night!
PP: We’re hearing good things about your Mexican street corn and fried ice cream.
RH: Yes, both our grilled street corn and our fried ice cream are some of our guest’s favorites. We’ve been overwhelmed with the positive response to Taco Cantina!
Folks, You don’t want to miss the great food, fun and vibe at Taco Cantina. Open Tues-Sun from 12 noon – 9 p.m.