BBQ brisket-bacon nachos? This cantina is worth the trip to Weatherford
The name is Downtown Cantina, referring to “downtown” Weatherford.
Downtown amounts to the courthouse, and maybe one block each way.
But don’t be fooled. Downtown Cantina would be a hit in any town.
The owners of Whistle Hill Cafe have taken the popular tacos-nachos-and-beer concept and refined it with upgraded tacos, more flavors and a full bar.
Taking over a former burger grill, Downtown Cantina offers nachos any Texan love: topped with brisket or pork, barbecue sauce, bacon, black beans and onion strings. It’s topped with cheddar-Jack cheese and another Downtown signature: a Sriracha crema.
It’s $10 worth of joy on the Parker County square. Or order the brisket on a quesadilla or taco, or on the tacos with Sriracha slaw.
Downtown’s tacos are larger than street tacos, and more complicated. The chicken and pork tacos come on flour tortillas, the brisket, fish and veggie on corn (unless you ask).
There are combinations like a surf-and-turf taco with steak, shrimp and pepper Jack; a Parker County pork-and-peach taco with cotija and peach salsa; a blackened shrimp taco with bacon and cheddar-Jack grits; and a fried cauliflower taco with sweet Thai chili aioli, or a fried-plantain taco with mango-pineapple vinaigrette.
Even the chips-and-dips combo shows a little extra care. The chips are completely different than with the nachos: thicker, crunchier and more dip-worthy, dusted with chile powder. You’ll have trouble slowing down on the chips when your tacos arrive.
For dessert, there’s a “cheesecake chimichanga”: cheesecake rolled in a flour tortilla, fried and served with white chocolate sauce or honey. I have no idea how anyone can eat dessert after a plate of these tacos and salsa, but the “chimis” are worth saving room.
Don’t expect Tex-Mex or enchiladas. Downtown Cantina is strictly about tacos, nachos, quesadillas or bowls, with sauces like serrano (or the ubqiuitous buttermilk ranch) and sides like elote.
With Topo Chico and a full bar, and Austin-based Yellowbird habanero or ghost-pepper sauce on the table, it’s like going to Austin but closer.
Downtown Cantina is open daily except Monday for lunch, dinner and late night; 105 College Ave., 817-341-6810; facebook.com/DowntownCantina.
This story was originally published January 23, 2019 at 9:30 AM.
