Syracuse, N.Y. -- Modest is not a word you would use to describe Margarita's Mexican Cantina.
It certainly doesn't apply to the decor. A brightly lit floor-to-ceiling cabinet filled with tequila bottles greets you at the host's station, while tables and booths are adorned with brightly-colored murals.
And there's nothing reserved or unassuming about the food.
The Rio Grande burrito ($18) was a 12-inch flour tortilla stuffed with carnitas, rice, black beans, guacamole and sour cream, and topped with queso. Rich and juicy, the shredded pork retained its flavor, standing out when forked with the other ingredients that spilled out of the fork-and-knife burrito. This massive burrito reminded me of the show-stopping version that used to be served at The Mission -- a long-departed favorite near Columbus Circle.
It was our second visit to Margarita's, having dined outdoors on Walton Street during the pandemic summer of 2020. Since then, owner Alejandro Gonzalez has doubled the size of the restaurant, expanding west on Walton Street to unite the former Ambrosia and Tavern on the Square with what once was Daisy Duke's. The five-year-old restaurant has thrived as a dual threat. The Cantina is open seven days a week with a lengthy, family-friendly menu of familiar Mexican dishes and potent margaritas. And on weekend nights, it becomes Margarita's After Dark, a lively dance club featuring nationally-touring DJs.
Not unlike Italian-American restaurants, most Americanized Mexican restaurants offer a fairly standard lineup of tacos, burritos and enchiladas. As a challenge to ourselves, we ordered items marked as house favorites or dishes we didn't think we could find at other Mexican spots in town.
The only food item we ordered that you will find at other restaurants was the guacamole dip ($9). Served in a small tortilla bowl, it tasted fresh with a good blend of salt, onion, lime juice, tomato and avocado.
Cancun dip ($18) seemed like a good place to start our quest. Loose Mexican chorizo sausage and shrimp were sauteed and blended with the house queso and served as a dip. The greasy chili pepper-infused sausage added a red tinge and spicy bite to the gooey, salty dip, while the smallish shrimp maintained their snap. A side of warm flour tortillas were good vessels for the dip, as were the tortilla chips on our table.
The botana ($18) sampler platter delivered chicken-filled flautas and mini chimichangas, and cheese quesadilla wedges over a base of jalapenos, queso and pico de gallo. Guacamole and swirl of sour cream topped the sampler, which was served in an oversized molcajete. Deep-frying took its toll on the flautas, drying out the shredded chicken. Conditions were much better in the chimichangas, which were juicier, and more tender and flavorful, inside and out. They and the quesadillas were a vehicle to scoop the variety of dips served as part of the platter.
La Vegeteriano ($16) best represented the kitchen's abilities. A spinach and cheese burrito was paired with a cheese enchilada, baked together, and smothered in a smoky - but not too spicy - chipotle-based red sauce. The sauce enhanced everything it touched, punching up the cheese enchilada and complementing the earthy, creamy spinach burrito.
The sides merit attention, if only because they were housemade and not generic foodservice heat-and-eat products. The refried beans were silky and soft, with a gentle, starchy bean flavor, while the rice was fluffy and had some life to it.
We skipped dessert, not wanting to trip over the line separating just full from uncomfortable.
The service team at Margarita's is impressive. Managers were present and visible, while waiters, runners and bussers were numerous and moved effortlessly throughout the dining room.
Portion sizes are larger than you might expect, offering terrific value. The $18 Rio Grande burrito stopped me in my tracks and its leftovers served as lunch this week.
That said, there are two issues worth mentioning. Margarita's menu is a double-sided laminated behemoth printed in impossibly small type. My slowly failing Gen X-era eyes struggled to read the menu descriptions without help from my phone in the low light of the dining room. My bigger issue comes with the gluten-free labels on the menu. I understand it is difficult for restaurants to devote dedicated prep space to prevent cross-contamination, but it's disingenuous to call an item like flautas gluten-free when they are fried in the same oil as gluten-containing items, as was noted by the staff.
In an era when restaurants are closing, Margarita's is thriving. It's evolved from a smallish Mexican restaurant to occupying nearly half a block on Walton Street. It's also livened up what has traditionally been the more sedate side of Armory Square by introducing a high-energy dance club. It's the type of success story you root for and leaves you wondering what they will do next.
The Restaurant: Margarita's Mexican Cantina, 203 Walton St., Syracuse.
Takeout/Delivery? Orders can be placed by phone and on all of the major delivery apps.
Noise level: Moderately loud. There was a lot of chatter mixed in with the overhead music.
Access to the disabled: The large dining room is at ground level and has plenty of room to move. The restrooms are spacious.
Parking: On-street parking, if you can find it, or pay to use one of the surface lots .
Special diets? I addressed gluten-free concerns above. Vegetarians and vegans will find special sections on the menu. Dairy-free options should be easy to find.
Children's menu? Yes.
Hours: Restaurant hours are Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost: A 20% gratuity is automatically added to any bill of $50 or more. Dinner for two with starters, entrees, beverages, tax and 20% gratuity was $130.56.