Cantina Alley

Cantina Alley opened earlier this year and quickly became one of the most popular casual eateries in midtown. Situated in an alley courtyard and serving tacos and specialty cocktails, Cantina Alley has attracted a large and enthusiastic following.

But do they have anything vegans can eat? As it turns out, yes they do! After hearing from Aaron, one of their servers, about the various menu items that were either vegan or veganizable, I stopped in at Cantina Alley twice last week.

During my first visit, I tried a couple of tacos. The crispy papa taco sounded good, made with potatoes, cabbage, radishes, and salsa verde. The only thing I needed to do to veganize it was to ask them to leave off the cheese. It was delicious! I also ordered their vegan taco, which is not listed on the menu. Consisting of mushrooms, peppers, onions, cabbage, avocado, and salsa, it was excellent too.

The next time I visited, I received a few orange wedges with Tajin seasoning to enjoy while I looked at the menu. I got another crispy papa taco and ordered the elote, an ear of corn, without the crema and cheese. Instead, it was served with lime wedges and Tajin. For dessert, I could have had one of the many fruit-based paletas they offer, but I couldn't resist the churros, which I ordered without the dipping sauce.

Thanks for the recommendation, Aaron! I'll definitely be back again, not only for the food, but to have another look at the work of artist Ruben Reveles. The piece installed over the bar, pictured at the top of this post, was particularly eye-catching.

Cantina Alley is located at 2320 Jazz Alley, which is between J and K streets and between 23rd and 24th streets. The phone number is 916-970-5588. Their website address is https://cantinaalley.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/midtownscantinaalley/. They are open Tuesday through Thursday from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., Saturday from noon to 2:00 a.m., and Sunday from noon to 10:00 p.m.