Jalisco Cantina

I pretty rarely travel to Oceanside, as I live in San Diego city proper, and it's a bit of a drive from my house to town. I really should go more often though -- it has a beautiful pier, lovely scenic beaches, and quite a few great places to eat.

One of the newest additions to the food scene is Jalisco Cantina, a cute place right on Coast Highway serving up any kind of tequila you could want with sensational Mexican bar food.

Relax in the airy dining room with one of their signature margaritas and some chips and salsa. I don't think that there is a better pairing than a good margarita with some delicious chips and homemade salsa. We started with the Blackberry Margarita, which was so sweet and refreshing -- wonderful for someone just getting into the world of tequila and margaritas. I could drink way too many of these on a hot summer day.

I chose the Mango Serrano margarita, with Serrano pepper liqueur, tequila, and mango puree. The mango did a great job of tempering the spice of the liqueur, because it was just a tasty drink, not too fiery, and was really refreshing.

Some chips, salsa, and homemade guacamole were just perfect with the drinks. The chips and salsa platter comes with both red and green salsa, with homemade chips.

I can't resist ceviche when it's on the the menu, so I had to try out the fruity, spicy fish and shrimp ceviche. Served with two large tostadas, it was packed with avocados, seafood, spicy pepper slices, and pineapple for some interest. The sweet pineapple made for a surprising flavor with the lime-y, slightly salty flavors of the fish and shrimp pieces. It was a lovely, delicious dish, and of course, paired well with the margaritas.

Jalisco Cantina might be a tequila bar, but it's plenty kid-friendly with the perennial kid favorite -- a cheese quesadilla loaded with melting, luscious Monterey Jack cheese.

When I said that Jalisco serves bar food, I meant, of course, tacos! Pretty much the best thing that you can eat is a taco, made simply, with fresh, homemade ingredients. Pictured is the slow roasted birria, which is a slow roasted beef with loads of smoky, savory flavor. The tacos were huge, and served with all of the fixings.

Another item that is great to try, especially for lunch, is the Tijuana style Caesar salad. Yes, the Caesar salad actually originates from Tijuana, and is not at all Italian or Greek. This version spices it up a bit with chili pepper slices and a zesty dressing.