Cantina Leña

Best nachos ever. Get them Cadillac style and they’ll change the way you look at nachos forever.

I’m Mexican. That was not authentic (or good) Mexican food. Salsa variety was decent. Drinks fairly good. SERVICE: awful, I’ve never had such bad service and attitude before. My worst experience in Seattle so far…
PS Don’t go in large groups, just find somewhere else!

Stumbled upon this place and glad I did. Great service and atmosphere. By far the best chips, salsa and pumpkin seed dip I’ve ever had. Great combination and loved the spice! Can’t wait to go back and try other items on the menu.

Food came out Luke warm, rice underdone, and too much money for a very small plate. Presentation was nice though.

Catina Lena was suggested to us by a local. Considering we both like Mexican food we decided to try it. Honestly, I liked some things and didn’t like others and felt it’s expensive and not worth the money. They over charge and only give you small portions. It’s like lunch portions with dinner prices. For chips and dip, 2 chicken plates, 1 soda and a water it was $ 40.55.
WHAT I LIKED: My husband and I ordered a starter which was the chips and dip. It is served with two types of dips. A red dip (not your typical salsa) and a green dip that was a little spicier than the red. Both the dips were very good and flavorful. The chips were also cooked perfect and salted well. I don’t like over cooked chips or chips you can see the grease seeping out.
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: my husband and I both ordered a spicy chicken plate. A plate included meat of choice (we choice chicken) (onions, fried chicken skins (very good, added the perfect crunch), and seasoning), seasoned brown rice, a side (we choice black beans), and tortillas. I will give it to them they did a good job seasoning the brown rice. The beans weren’t anything special and just served with chopped onions on top. The chicken bothered me bc it had areas of pink on it. The chef said it was from the brine they cook it in but I was a little hesitate to eat it. I had him remake me another plate but the chicken came out the exact same way. I just picked around the pieces that were fully cooked. I have had pancreatitis before caused by food poisoning and had to stay in the hospital for 10 days. I am also pregnant so I did not want to take any risk with pink areas of chicken. I also thought the portion of rice and beans was small. I just didn’t think for the portion size and pink chicken that it was worth $ 40. The chicken flavor was ok, not anything that totally stood out. The fried chicken skin pieces added a nice crunch to the roasted chicken.
Overall, to me the best part was the chips & dip. It was a nice experience but in my opinion not worth $ 40. I’ll let you be the judge on whether or not you want to try Carina Lena. Lol.

Love this place. Great drinks, delicious small plates… try the quesadilla, so good.

What happens when you miss your bus and have a 50 minute wait until the next one? You follow your stomach. You stumble into the restaurant closest to you, not expecting much.
BUT HOLY FRICK.
Every now and then, a restaurant reminds me of why I write about food.
Cantina Leña is that restaurant.
I don’t remember the last time I was so enraptured by every bite of the dish up until I finished. I don’t remember the last time when the waitress didn’t have to fill my water. The food was just that good here.
My server, Lily, was extremely friendly and helpful in helping me decide which entrée to order. I went with the achiote rubbed pork shoulder — sour orange, pickled red onion. The dish also include your choice of side. I ended up choosing the pinto beans — olive oil, garlic. The dish came also came with a helping of brown rice and three tortillas.
These were the best tacos I’ve ever had. The pork shoulder was extremely flavorful, juicy, and melt-​in-​your-​mouth, and the pickled red onion served as a good sharp flavor to complement the pork shoulder.
What’s even more interesting was that the pinto beans were the real star of the show. They were cooked so that they were slightly crispy on the outside, but still «beany» on the inside. Deep-​fried, perhaps? In short, they were delicious, and I absolutely piled them on my tacos.
Also included with the entrée are two salsas: 1) the guajillo — chipotle, and 2) the charred serrano chile with cilantro and orange.
The guajillo was a fun sauce, nice and sweet — yang.
The serrano was awesome with a great kick of spice with a touch of citrus — yin.
I sprayed both of those all over, because I know how to play with my food. Let yin and yang duke it out for the crown that is your ecstatic taste buds.
When I opened my bill, I noticed that it was a Tom Douglas restaurant. At first, I was surprised, but then, I wasn’t.
I look forward to missing many more busses in the future.
5

This place is super funky fresh. The staff is friendly and ready to help, and the décor reminds me of a San Diego taco shop, meets a Seattle hipster bar.
This place is pretty much order at the counter and take to your table kind of place, but they do offer seating at a full bar if your heart so chooses.
Please note, I love ceviche. If you are like me, order it! It’s the best I’ve ever had. Ever. The lamb is incredible as well!
The cod was fried a bit over, and sometimes things fall by the wayside, but overall this is definitely a cool little place to visit.

Quality food here. Had the roasted pork shoulder and Kale side. Excellently cooked and flavorful. Also had the veggie quesadilla which was big and amazing. Nothing to complain about here. Only nit picky thing would be smaller portion size on the plates. Service was good. Tons of top shelf Tequila options if you like that as well. Pretty quiet and some tables are family style but good atmosphere with an open kitchen so you can watch the cooks.

I went here yesterday for lunch to order a salad. NEVER ORDER THE SALAD. I should also note I never give bad reviews, but in this case… I was so incredibly aggravated I felt the need.
The location seems nice enough and the service is friendly.
The salad, which was on their menu: $ 12 Romaine Salad supposed to come with romaine, avocado vinaigrette, mint and queso. (I know, this is a taco place, but if you offer it on the menu how am I supposed to know it’s going to be literally the worst salad I’ve ever had.) I’ve had plenty of delicious taco salads.
I asked them to add chicken… a $ 6 charge, which wasn’t mentioned until I received the receipt.
Fine whatever, this salad better be good. At least mediocre. Because at this point I’ve paid $ 20 with tip and no drink.
Then I get the salad, in a huge box and it’s kind of heavy, so I’m feeling good about it.
Until I get back to work…
I open it up. and there’s some slimey chicken, random cooked peppers also incredibly slimey. And SEVEN romaine leaves. SEVEN? Drowning in salad dressing… now I know why it was so heavy.
Who would pay $ 12 for 7 leaves of romaine lettuce? Disgusting. $ 6 for slimey chicken?! no thanks.
Why was the chicken slimey? No clue, it looked like slow cooked, but was super salty. and coated in this gelatin like substance that looked like snot.
I ended up throwing it out and going back out to get lunch.

Excellent! Glad we stopped here! Had nachos and chicken quesadillas with jalapeño cream cheese!

Atmosphere: modern looking, but welcoming
Service: very attentive. It’s a place where you get your own water but she saw my glass half empty and she still came and filled it
Food: portion was mediocre, it was just enough
Price: a little too much for what you are getting but the food is really good.
Would I come back: yes, the food quality/​taste/​presentation was all prepared well.

My second Tom Douglas restaurant tried and if I lived here, I’d be a regular
Perfect meal for a blustery evening. Sat at the bar & started with a nice cocktail, then went with the Pork Verde Stew with hominy, radishes, jalapeño & kale. Ordered a side of homemade corn tortillas to go with.
Warm, delicious & wonderful! I’m glad a friend recommended I try the restaurant. Can’t wait to return!

I’m only givin it 3 stars because I only had the breakfasts burrito so far… Heard about the nachos but I’m not gonna have that this early… anyways the burrito was FANTASTIC!
hopefully I’ll be back again for The Nachos!

I’m pretty sure Tom Douglas dreams up a new restaurant concept and only awakens for long enough to describe the new space to his assistant. 2 weeks later a successful and fresh restaurant is open within a 5 block radius of his secret underground HQ. Or something like that.
Cantina Lena is the perfect concept for Amazonia. The menu is concise, everything can be whipped up in a few minutes and it all packs up perfectly for those «bored» meetings.
The Three Amigos is a phenomenal appetizer if you are dining in. I always forget how amazing Bean Dip can be and their Queso is the best in the business. The Chorizo Wrap was flavorful but fresh and light, a tall order for chorizo. The Cantina Steak was delicious but very pricey for the small portion.
I also highly suggest the Leche Punch it is dairy free, but so creamy and complex.
Well Tommy D, you’ve done it again. I’m looking forward to what you dream up next.

Pretty pleased with happy hour! Drinks were fun (slushy margarita! alcoholic horchata!) and our server was extra awesome. We shared the carnitas nachos 3 ways — very filling and great for ruining that new year’s diet resolution (mmmm… queso!). Welcoming and tasty, I’d certainly return here.

My friend and I stopped in for dinner since we were at the Cinerama next door. Our experience was just OK, not bad and not great. I might stop by again if in the neighborhood but won’t go out of my way to return.
Cantina Lena specializes in Mexican food with a small food menu and a long, long alcohol menu.
I ordered the nachos that required an extra $ 4 for guac, sour cream, black beans and beef at the already steep $ 14 price. I thought they better be the best damn nachos ever at that price. Well, they weren’t. They were just OK and the $ 5 nachos during happy hour that I get at Matador are way, way, way better. These were served in a tin bowl on a tin charger with a pile of chips but just a dallop of guac and sour cream, a small sprinkling of beans and chives, some beef and not enough cheese. Half the chips were left because there was nothing to eat them with. The only salsas they provide are both hot per the waitress, nothing mild or medium.
My friend got the black bean wrap at $ 11 which was basically a burrito — why the hell call it a wrap? — that came with cabbage, jicama and some other veggies with chips on the side. It’s extra to get salsa and he didn’t bother; he wasn’t into the chips and he’s a chip-​a-​holic.
I ordered the horchata and discovered it had zero milk, one of the main ingredients in horchata. It still tasted good, just not what I was expecting.
The seating involves hard metal chairs or benches. They have a bar area. There’s a lot of orange and brown and it’s pretty bare bones. The kitchen is right there in the dining area. We could see the chefs cooking. They had a good playlist going.
Our waitress was pleasant but forgot us after serving our food. I went 45 minutes without water and flagged another person down for more. It looked like there were just two waitresses working.
I am not knocking them at all, just don’t think we got the best food for the buck and don’t really for us. I think if you’re in the area and want a drink or a taco, try them out.
Food: 2.5
Service: 2.5
Ambiance: 3
Parking: 2

I have been to Cantina Lena several times and I admit they have improved greatly with some new menu items as well as what they call a breakfast burrito. The staff has always been amazing and knowledgable on the food and mescal if you want to indulge.
Pros: Staff
Cons: Price $$$ for $$ food and drinks
Do not go expecting cantina or Baja style food.
Not a first choice destination for margarita and chips and salsa

While the food was tasty the portions were tiny. My friend paid $ 18 for what looked like 2−3oz of steak and a 1oz side of black beans. I had a bowl of soup for $ 12 that was worth $ 8 at most. I know T Douglas does all the «right» things, scratch made, locally sourced etc but it wasn’t worth it. The charred broccoli salad was tasty but there was barely any char to it, just call it broccoli salad or char it up some more. Waitstaff very gracious when I mentioned it and comped the dish.

A little pricey for lunch but great flavors. Had the carnitas and loved the roasted garlic. The carrot side dish is also very good. May not be Mexican, but it’s good and counts as veggies.

amazing nachos — cadillac style was worth it. I’m not big on adding beans to my nachos so I think I got extra pork and guac… that was the right move for me.

First time impression: The food and drinks were great. Ordered Three Amigos for a starter (light chips, guac, queso with jalapeño, bean) and it was delicious. Enjoyed entrees of Ling cod and steak. Served with homemade tortillas and choice of side. We chose braised kale and that was wonderful. Steak and cod were also great, but the portions look pretty small because they’re crammed into little ramekins. Suggest they add a little rice and more sauce and salsa and serve on a real dinner plate and it will support the premium price. We sat at the bar for dinner and the service was very good. So are the Margaritas. Frozen is served in a very small glass, but shaken is larger. Still, everything was delicious and now one of my favorite Mexi places.

I would have given a good review, but my wife ordered the calamari, and she spent the night sick in the bathroom. Unfortunately, I won’t give this place a second chance.

Standard to goodish food. But over priced and service isn’t the friendliest. Definitely expect the «Bro» attitude. Probably gonna take my money somewhere for friendly.

I love it when I have an impression in my mind of what a restaurant will be like before going in and am surprised and delighted when the place exceeds all expectations. This is one of those places.
DON’T expect lame limp tacos or run of the mill interpertations of Mexican food or TexMex — they have some really great fresh twists on traditional fare going on here.
— The roasted pork achiote is as good or better than I’ve had anywhere else in the world.
— Chips and salsa included a red salsa (a neuvo interpertation of pico de gallo with fresh radish, cucumber, and garlic chili oil) and a fantastic green salsa (tomatillo and satsuma).
— Their made from scratch bottled salsas included a roasted chipotle (with the smokiness you would expect with just a touch of sweet) and a roasted serrano tomatillo sauce that was my personal favorite.
— Fresh corn tortillas made on premises daily. They are not the thick chewy yellow corn tortillas you expect from some places that make their own. Instead they are made from freshly ground white corn masa and lighter/​fluffier than the ones I see around here normally. Reminds me of the stacks of fresh tortillas we’d buy daily from little old ladies in Baja.
Service was great! We sat in the bar section to have table service, but you can also order at the counter and eat in open seating by the front windows.
Drink menu was really interesting with a large selection of tequila, mescal, cane liquor, and some interesting looking cocktails. We opted for just a beeer this time, they have a few interesting craft choices in addition to the expected lagers and Mexican faves.

Food is decent and the ambiance is great! I got the chorizo wrap and it was pretty solid. Just wish there wasn’t that much slaw in it and more chorizo.

Nice cozy place. Good food. Ordered the salmon… fajitas… My sister insisted on taking ALL of the chips home. There were a LOT of chips.
Great staff!!!

I once attended a work party at a major league baseball stadium and not only did they not serve nachos, but there wasn’t a single drop of melty sportball-​style cheese on the premises and to this day I still have regrets about not burning that b*tch to the motherf*cking ground.
The punishment fits the crime.
This parable is needed to illustrate just how serious I am about the sanctity of nachos and the stadiums from whence the so often come.
So take it as no lite proclamation when I declare Cantina Leña’s nachos THE BEST GOD DAMN NACHOS IN THE WHOLE MOTHERF*CKING WORLD.
First off, they happily amended our order to be sans meat but I’m sure they’re wonderful with meat or whatever, too. But know that they can do them vegetarian style and they’re f*cking incredible.
Second, when you don’t get meat, they’re all like, ‘do you want more of anything else on them? Beans?’… and that’s when you say Yes, but not beans– make it extra cheese, please, because I want to be a different kind of farty when I leave here.
And then they come and you don’t even car if your horchata cocktail is maybe just ok because the nachos are enough food for 3 people, not to mention the stuff dreams are made of. Legit cum in your pants good, which is sadly not a phrase I get to use towards a lot of food these days.
So while I’m sure the rest of the menu features a wide array of notable dishes, you’d be a dumdum for getting anything but the heaping mass of tortilla chips, fundido, green chilies and pickled. And have some self respect and be sure to get them Cadillac style for an extra 3 bones with tapatio sour cream, black beans and guacamole. No one likes a cheapskate when it comes to nachos.

I’m disappointed to see 3.5 stars as the average; I think there were a number of issues that got worked out after the first few months of business. Most items I have had here have excellent flavor and high-​quality ingredients, two very important traits for food I consume.
My go-​to is the charred broccoli salad with pulled pork, no corn nuts (delicious, but my body doesn’t like grains/​corn).
Horchatabus good, ditto to the margaritas.
Glad this joint is within walking distance of my office and apartment.

I may not be Tom Douglas’ number one fan, but I was blown away by Cantina Lena. I have been craving a breakfast burrito for the 2 years that I have lived in Seattle and although I have had some good ones, this one for sure set the bar.
I added pulled beef to their breakfast burrito and I am not sure how I managed to eat the whole thing, but I regret nothing. Now for the details. The fact that they were able to keep the potatoes inside crispy, totally blew my mind. The beef was seasoned perfectly and was incredibly tender. The way they cooked the egg so it wrapped itself around all the other ingredients was genius. They sauces they served along side it were so different from one another (one red and one green) that you could make each bite different. I loved that I didn’t need a knife and fork to eat it and it was sturdy enough to be picked up.
I thought it was a great value for the amount of food I got. I can’t wait to come back and try other things. Well done!

Holy pork nachos!
If you look under the monorail tracks and between all the construction cranes, you just might find this little corner cantina and, once you’ve been inside, you’ll be wondering why you’ve never been here before. This is yet another example of why Tom Douglas is pretty much the man when it comes to Seattle restaurants and also a bit of a departure from what you might expect from him. The décor and design is a little more understated than his usual offerings, I’m guessing to put an emphasis on the food and the fun you will have while dining and/​or drinking here.
I mentioned the pork nachos which I could eat all day every day if I could and should definitely be the first thing you try when you get here. When your server says hello and asks how you are doing or if you would like a drink to get started, your immediate response should just be «Pork Nachos!» I’m sure they will understand.
Believe it or not, they do have other stuff on their menu and everything I have tried, or watched my friends devour, so far has been really good. The torta was very tasty and I thought I remember someone ordering a burrito the size of a small country although I don’t currently see it on the menu. Maybe it changed or maybe it was something else. Anyway, I can imagine just about anything on their menu will be worth trying and I am looking forward to checking out their brunch menu at some point as well.
When you walk in, the place seems a little small although there is actually quite a bit of seating and only once have I had to wait for a table although maybe that’s just thanks to good timing. When it comes to location, I personally could not think of a better place for this restaurant to be as it is just steps away from the one and only Seattle Cinerama movie theater making for a perfect date night or gathering of friends.
Thank you Mr. Douglas for once again proving why you are «Los Hombre de Seattle» when it comes to creating exactly what we as diners and drinkers needed before we ever even knew we were looking it.

Party time! Excellent!
Had dinner here last night and was pleasantly surprised, given the reviews are all over the place. The vibe is chill and the house margaritas are on fleek. Ya, I just said it.
We started with the three amigos, and added salsa, so we basically got alllll the dips. The guacamole was super bland (i can make better guac at home), the queso fundido was lukewarm, and the mexican street corn dip was the surprise winner. Beware the green salsa. That stuff is HOT.
Pork carnitas nachos, charred broccoli salad, and the cantina steak tacos followed. The steak was super tender and the fresh corn tortillas hit the spot. Also, let’s talk sides. We tried the marinated summer squash and maple chipotle carrots. Both were so good, I could’ve just eaten veggies and been a happy camper. Portions appeared to be on the tiny side, but we were all sufficiently stuffed. Overall, I’d come back again.

OMG, where do I even begin???
I heard that the margaritas here are delicious and hit the spot. Even with high expectations, these exceeded my expectations! I like how they are small but pack lots of heat, if you know what I mean. ;-) the frozen strawberry margarita was clutch.
We ordered the chips and salsa with guac; not free or unlimited but they do come with bottomless chips! Great smokey and spicy salsas and the guac was chunky which I love because it’s all avocado.
We then each ordered a taco platter with pinto beans… too much food! The pinto beans are interesting and deep fried to deliciousness. They offer other sides like black beans and cucumber salad. I got the pork shoulder which was pull-​apart texture, juicy, melt-​in-​your mouth good. Just the right amount of picked onions on top and served with the two salsas on the side. My friend got the chicken and we both finished our platters = stuffed!
Next time I go, I want to try other appetizers and definitely the dessert especially after checking out the Unilocal pictures! Maybe just 1 platter for 2 people and get some extra tortillas.

Dios mio, this restaurant ROCKS! I hate to say that as the TD empire gets bigger I become more weary of each business, but this spot just blew my mind and made me remember that it’s only fair to judge a place once you’ve actually been there and tried it for yourself.
Everything from the convenient location to the food and the decorations is just spot on. The service was friendly, the food came out fast, and even the cocktails and spirits selection were rad. If you like agave spirits they’ve got you covered! For a reasonably small space and a small bar (seats about 15 – 20) they have a really awesome mezcal selection.
What’s more is that they’re located right near Cinerama and my new house. So it’s pretty great to know that I can keep coming back before a movie or just when I have the urge to shove delicious food into my face.
On my most recent visit I was absolutely famished so my fiancé and I ordered entrees and nachos. I don’t think I could ever come here again and not order the nachos! They were sincerely the best nachos I’ve ever had. EVER.
The massive black bean tortilla was great, my Agua de Jamaica was perfect, and though I didn’t have room for one that night, I spied the paletas they had in the little freezer at the counter and wished I’d saved room.
As someone who lived in Mexico, went to college in Mexico, and has traveled to 28 Mexican states in my lifetime, I give this place a big thumbs up. People will want to argue that ‘this’ or ‘that’ isn’t authentic and it’s a bunch of crap. Mexico is a massive and beautiful country with tons of diversity when it comes to dishes and how they’re prepared. Everything here is tasty and that’s what matters most. Just eat here already.

Tommy D’s doing Mexican?! Yes, please! I was all over Cantina Lena when I first heard of it. Especially since it was a block away from my work. Dangerous.
I wanted to treat my co-​workers to a fun Friday lunch so I ordered us each a torta and a «three amigos» to split. The torta — with smoked turkey, ham, pickled pineapple, gold onions, smoked aioli — oh man was that tasty. It was like a Tex Mex version of a Monte Cristo sandwich with the savoryness of the in-​house smoked meats, gold onions and aioli paired with the tangy sweetness of the pickled pineapple, which might be my new favorite sandwich condiment.
The three amigos was an order of chips with three dips/​spreads — guac, queso fundido and brown butter pumpkin seed dip. Each were amazing, especially the brown butter pumpkin seed dip. What a pleasant surprise!
My only complaint (as is with all Tom Douglas Restaurants, especially with the Tom Douglas grab-​and-​go eating establishments) is that its far overpriced for the amount of food you get. And yet, I will still go back and treat myself to this tasty, festive meal. Just not every day… otherwise, I would legit go broke.