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Baja Cantina Restaurant Review

On Carmel Valley Road, about 3 miles east of Carmel, California is a small shopping area that includes a landscaping supply company, several small shops and a couple of great places to eat. One of those places is called Baja Cantina. My partner Lauren and I were recently visiting the Carmel area and went to the Cantina for dinner. We chose Tuesday night because we found out that Tuesday nights offered a lobster dinner as a special. We arrived at about 7:00 pm, it was a chilly, early April night and there were not many cars in the parking lot. I was a little bummed that the outdoor patio was not open since there was a great little fireplace and outdoor heaters to keep the patio warm. It looked like a great place to enjoy a cocktail and some appetizers.

Stepping through the door, we were immediately taken by the incredible amount of memorabilia clinging to every square inch of wall space. Some of this stuff was really old – it was also, oddly enough, not very distracting. The warm glow of a gas fire beckoned to our right and a hostess soon greeted us with a smile and said she would have a table ready in about 5 minutes.

We were led to a table in the adjoining dining room; almost instantly, a basket of warm, crispy tortillas was delivered, along with some excellent homemade salsa. Jeff (I’m sorry I don’t recall him ever having given us his real name; he was a great waiter) appeared and asked if we’d care to order a cocktail. I’m thankful that I selected the medium-sized margarita. The large size was big enough for the entire Stanford football team! Lauren opted for the regular-sized Margarita. We decided to split the Lobster Special and ordered it “Mexican Barbeque” style. It was grilled with Spanish spices and accompanied by 2 dipping sauces, a half ear of corn, rice, beans, a cheese enchilada and a salad. We also asked for a half order of Guacamole.

The salads were delivered first, followed shortly by the lobster. I would guess it to have been 1 ½ to 2 pounds with giant claws, and the two plates (one with the enchilada and one with the lobster) covered almost the entire table. Had we ordered one of these apiece, it would have taken a crane to remove us from the table. What a feast! We barely finished as it was.

The ambience was relaxed and casual and the noise level was low – easily allowing for quiet conversation throughout the meal. The food was excellent and the service was very good; our waiter had a full compliment of tables but always seemed to show up just prior to our asking for something. We left the restaurant quite full and also content with our choice of venue. With a modest price of $19.95 for the Lobster Special, it was truly an incredible evening and one worth repeating. If you are in the area, make sure to make a stop at the Baja Cantina. I give it 4 Zins.

Ralph Pancetta
reviews@ralphpancetta.com