My Food Review of Cantina Del Rio in Gruene, Texas (Who Knew... It Was National Margarita Day)

Saturday, February 22nd was National Margarita Day; I did not even know this until after the fact. Thankfully since my morning random weigh in made me delightfully happy I landed at a cantina that served food with melted cheese over refried beans and fajita meat. Oh thank you, Jesus, for my weight that morning!

That morning, my family piled in the car thinking that we were going to a neighborhood garage sale and then to Sonic for a drink. Little did we know that we were going to drive 30 minutes and end up in Gruene, Texas at Cantina Del Rio!

This was our first actual visit to Gruene and let's just say it was bustling with people; tourists and locals. At first we wanted to eat at one of the restaurants that overlooked the river but as we were trying to park we spotted a brightly colored building with oranges, blues, yellows and greens; it was beautiful! As we passed it I saw a sign that read 'tacos, burgers, and ritas'. Stop the car, pull on over, this is our kind of place; something for everyone!

As we were walking into Cantina Del Rio I saw another sign that read 'Voted Best Margarita 2012 & 2013'. So I had to give it a try: 

I have to tell you that this margarita was awesome, amazing, refreshing and so good! It only took three gulps and I could feel the 'happy'; now that is when you know a margarita is great. 

If I have not been to an eating establishment, I will admit that I panic when I get to the big board with all the food items that you can order. I am someone that has to study and think and then decide what my taste buds are hungry for. On this day, I knew my buds were wanting some type of Mexican food that consisted of refried beans and cheese, so I ordered the first thing I saw that fit that description; fajita nachos. My husband does not panic, quickly scans the menu and orders what  he knows will be good; on this day he ordered the fish tacos. My children are simple and ordered plain nachos and french fries. 

We sat on the patio and enjoyed a nice breeze, a bee or two and a view of the town. The girls really enjoyed the open air. 

Our food came out at the right amount of time; not to quick and not too long. That is a good sign of a restaurant. The food looked great, especially my husband's; he always picks the best meal to eat. 

The oldest child chose to eat plain cheese nachos; there was nothing special about them because they were plain but she enjoyed them. My other two split a side order of french fries and let me say that these french fries were amazing! They were hand cut french that were perfectly fresh with the right amount of seasoning. We all enjoyed them. 

My fajita nachos satisfied my taste buds, my tummy and gave me the Mexican food fix that I needed. They were piled with refried beans, tons of cheese, fajita meat, pico, guac, and strips of jalepenos. On a side note I gave the guac, pico and jalepenos to my husband, but ate the rest and only shared one nacho. The great thing about these nachos is that they did not skimp on the meat. The meat was falling off the nachos! 

My husband's Fish Tacos were breathtaking! Not only were they pretty on the plate but they were good. The freshness of the fish and the slaw was more than one's taste buds could handle. In addition, the slaw had a great taste to it and a wonderful crunch that made you wanting more. On a side note I was only allowed one bite, but I most likely will order this dish the next time we visit.

I am thankful that my husband took us on a mini road trip this morning and that the numbers on my scale made me happy during my random weigh in, because if these two things did not happen then we may not have landed in Gruene at the Cantina Del Rio! Thank goodness I got to drink a margarita that was voted the best margarita in 2012 & 2013 on National Margarita Day. 

If you visit the San Antonio, New Braunfels, or Austin area you should consider stopping at Gruene, it is a great place.

Written by: Aimee Fauci