rev:text
| - Canteen took over the location of Nostrano and therefore had big shoes to fill. They are a new Mexican style restaurant and are a part of the bigger Food Fight restaurant company, serving trendy, flavorful tacos, tortas, burritos, etc. They have a few unique options that may be difficult to find in Madison like street corn and churros.
I've been here a few times now and I leave satisfied every time. The interior is colorful, lively, and awkwardly shaped. Food is a simple combination of complex flavors and textures, leading to a great tasting experience.
Mistakes that should not be dismissed, however, are apparent. For example, every time I come, some of the meats aren't properly heated. I highlight the word heated, as it is clear some of the filling are cooked in advance and then refrigerated. Bottom line is the center of the meat shouldn't be cold still. The second time I came in, Canteen ran out of Horchata. On the most recent visit, they no longer had churros for the evening. It's not like I am coming in at 11 pm; these foods that are out of stock are during reasonable hours. Service seems to be quite variable based on who you get; some people are overly courteous where as others barely do the job to earn their dollar. Finally mistakes have been made on multiple carry out orders where luckily I catch the mistake before leaving the restaurant. It is details like these that sort out mediocre from excellent, and things that should not be an issue months into being open, especially for a restaurant in a prime spot around the square.
Overall a great place that I would give four stars if there was consistency across the breadth of experiences.
|