By Roxy de Guzman
Located in the heart of Melrose, Durango Cantina is LA’s newest hub for social gatherings and sporting events. The Mexican restaurant has an exceptionally delicious menu, a unique selection of refreshing drinks to choose from, a pool table to start a few games of your own, and of course, televisions tuned to the best that ESPN has to offer.
As you enter the restaurant, you will be greeted by warm, earthy tones and desert-themed adornments scattered tastefully across the restaurant. The atmosphere effortlessly combines aesthetics from somewhere south of the border with the irresistible energy of a heated sporting event. As the savory spices meet the thrill of the sports environment, Durango Cantina provides guests with a one-of-a-kind experience. Durango Cantina proves that it is a fusion restaurant in more ways than one.
With football season upon us now, a spicy tamarind daiquiri at Durango Cantina is the best way to kick off your Sunday afternoon before the big game. Whether you’re with your best friends or with a sports-loving date, you’ll definitely score points with your company if you order Durango Cantina’s Guacamole for the table. With creamy avocado, punchy onion, spicy serrano, fresh cilantro, juicy cherry tomatoes, and sweet-and-salty salsa macha, rice paper, and tortilla chips, this gorgeous guacamole is leagues above any other guacamole you’ve ever had. For a sweet treat, the Tres Leches with passion fruit sauce, dry pineapple, dry freeze tangerine, and mango powder is sure to exceed your fantasies. I promise: this delicious appetizer will not let you down!
Durango Cantina’s Para Cotorrear (“to share”) Menu offers options that are best to order for the table. The combined effects of the warm Southern California fall season and the baseball games on the flatscreen will have you feeling like it’s spring again. The restaurant’s elevated take on Nachos are so good, you’ll wanna take an extra plate back home with you. With warm refried beans, fresh cilantro cream, gooey monterey jack fundido, spicy chorizo red sauce, flavorful queso fresco, and a kick from roasted jalapeños, the only extra things that these nachos need are a cold beer and a baseball game. During Happy Hour, guests can even get an entire bucket of beers including Corona, Modelo Negra, Bohemia, and Victoria for only $30.
For basketball fans, a few rounds of tacos and taquitos are sure to be a slam dunk! The Taco de Birria con Costilla comes with a birria stew, roasted baby lamb chop, salsa verde, cilantro, and onion. The Taco de Tuetano con Carne, made with roasted bone marrow asada, salsa roja, queso de petate, onion, cilantro, and guacamole, is definitely worth traveling for. There is also a Taco de Squash Blossom with squash, onion, roasted corn, roasted poblano chile, quesillo, squash blossoms, and cilantro cream. These delicious tacos and taquitos can be washed down with Durango Cantina’s Frozen Strawberry Margarita or a tequila shot with beer. For larger groups, I recommend the Patron Signature Margarita Tree with 8 flavors. You won’t want to pass on any of these!
As Melrose’s new sports hub, Durango Cantina is the place to go for delicious Mexican food and high energy sports viewings. The restaurant has done a stand up job in cultivating a welcoming, community-oriented atmosphere, where you can hang around for more than just a meal. As you play pool with strangers, share margaritas with best friends, and watch the big game with your family, Durango Cantina is excited to welcome you.