A1 Cantina - We Tried It!

Hey guys! Today’s post is an exciting one especially if you love TACOS! The girls and I have been crazy obsessed about a local restaurant here in Calgary called A1 Cantina located in Britannia Plaza. They are a casual Mexican restaurant and taqueria with mouth-watering dishes and the friendliest staff you’ll ever meet. Every time we dine in, the service is always a 10/10. The staff are very warm, kind and treats you like family the moment you come in.

On top of that, their tacos are amazing! Especially their Birria tacos. Wow! That is all I can say.

Anyway, we have a list of items we have tried from their menu and what each of us has to say about them. These are the dishes that we highly recommend for you to try when you visit the restaurant. Please do visit them because you will not regret it at all.

All of these items are available on their website so you can prepare ahead of time to pick what you would like to order. All of the items we mentioned has a description of each dish that we took from their menu, just so you can picture the delicious goodness.

Breakfast tacos

3 fried egg tacos with frijoles, onion, cilantro, queso fresco and salsa morita

These tacos are an incredible twist to traditional breakfast tacos, since the “tortilla” part is actually eggs. You get 3 in an order so it will definitely fill you up for breakfast. If you love salsa like I do, I would ask for extra salsa on the side because you only get a good dollop on each taco. This is best enjoyed with coffee, and you are ready to get on with your day. This meal is filling but it won't leave you feeling heavy gross which is good.

However, it's only available on the weekends from 10 am to 3 pm as part of their Weekend Brunch Specials.

Birriamen

rich birria broth, ramen noodles, topped with white onion and cilantro

This might sound kinda weird to some people as it's an odd combination. But, if you're some who's adventurous with food and has an interest in fusion food, you've gotta try this! You would think that the consistency of the ramen noodles wouldn't mix with how flavourful the broth is, but surprisingly, it works really well. The broth is flavourful and the noodles are nice and chewy and adds a hint of freshness to the broth. The broth might be too overpowering for some people, so the ramen noodles make a great pair for it. It's not for everyone, though, as some people think this is too unconventional to work. But I vouch for this with my whole life. It's a really hearty and comforting soup to have especially on colder days.

Birria tacos

Fresh corn tortillas, seared in Birria Fat, making them just the right amount of crispy vs chewy, filled with our slowly cooked beef brisket and topped with the traditional onions & cilantro

Erika and Carmel have been on the hunt for the best Birria tacos in Calgary (we might make a list soon if y'all are interested) and this one is definitely up there! The meat is so juicy and flavourful --the juices just ooze down your chin when you take a bite. Because the tortillas are lightly seared, it has a slight crunch to it that's just perfect. It's the perfect balance between a soft chewy tortilla and a nice slight crunch. You have to get the Birria broth to dip it with. It's just the perfect addition to what is an already delicious taco.

Pollo Asado

Grilled Chicken Thighs, pinto beans, cabbage, white onion, salsa taquera, salsa aguacate, cilantro, lime

Erika and Carmel are a sucker for good Birria tacos, but this one just got bumped up the list of Erika's favourite tacos. The meat has a really good and rich flavour. The grilled chicken pieces were tender and juicy. The salsas add more oomph to the already flavourful chicken and all the flavours just come together so perfectly!

Carne Asada

grilled chuck flat, pinto beans, cabbage, onion salsa taquera, salsa aguacate, cilantro and lime

Much like the Pollo Asado, the Carne Asada deliversssss! Carne Asada is basically the same thing as Pollo Asado but with pork. If you prefer pork over chicken, we recommend you try this one. It's got the same juiciness as the grilled chicken with the same great taste. For some reason, the meat reminds us of our favourite barbecue dish --sinugbang baboy-- the Filipino take on grilled pork. Paired with the birria broth, it’s a game changer. Highly recommend!

There's so much more we can talk about, but we'll stop there and let you try the other dishes to for yourself. If this post doesn't convince you how good their food is, I don't know what will. We also recommend getting the salsa tasting and guac and chips for appetizers.

A1 Cantina also has happy hour every day starting at 2 pm until 5 pm where you can get $10 margaritas (Erika recommends strawberry pomegranate) and $3.99 tacos! On Taco Tuesdays, tacos are also $3.99 each and on Margarita Mondays, margaritas are $10 each all day long.

Thank you for taking the time to read today’s post! We do hope that you visit A1 Cantina when you can. I know because of the restrictions at the moment, we are not allowed to eat inside. But they have a fairly wide patio set up that is able to seat customers (which is now, unfortunately, closed due to recent restrictions). However. they also have an incredible pick up service available that is very convenient if you want to take something to go. They will set up your meal so it can be enjoyed at home as you typically would in the restaurant. If you prefer it delivered, check them out on Skip the Dishes and Doordash.

Please let us know what you thought of our recommendations and if you have tried A1 Cantina, let us know what you think we should try next. Tag us or send us a message on Instagram @themeprj and follow @a1cantina for updates.

xo,