Holy smokes I had a great time here last night. If you are not familiar, Las Palmas Cantina opened up in the old Vintage 95 location in DT Chandler on Boston St. It is prime location and they did a great job renovating and opening the space up. We were greeted at the door by who I think was the owner who also owns the Pedal Haus Brewery in Tempe. He was very warm and welcoming as was the entire staff in the restaurant. I met two of the managers and they sat and talked to us for a while and were really cool and fun. As the night progressed it just kept getting better as we dove into some of the food after a few rounds of Pedal Haus IPA.
The Hot Queso Dip was so damn good that I ordered another. The flavors of corn and the mix of high-quality cheese were unlike any other I've had. We then jumped into a shrimp cocktail which was served in a glass and was also perfect. The shrimp was very tender and flavorful and the goodies mixed in with them made the whole thing perfect.
We were offered a few "mistake" drinks and I got to try the house Margarita and a sangria - both were again.... perfect. Enough so that I continued on with a few more Margarita all of which were consistently wonderful.
I really have to mention how friendly, happy, bright, and wonderful all of the staff were. We talked to so many of them and they were all tons of fun and we always had exactly what we needed. I'm not sure how you find such good people in the restaurant biz here but the hiring manager has a good eye for talent.
The patio was not open yet but they said it would be ready today (5/17). It again is open with standing tables, decking, and a smaller area with seating. It reminds me of something you would see near the shore and they did a great job decorating it.
The "official opening" is this Sat 5/19 and if their soft opening is any indicator, they will be ready and well oiled.
Las Palmas - great concept - great service - great food. Check it out.