Novelty isn’t the main attraction at Redondo’s Coyote Cantina, but newer items are pleasing
by Richard Foss
I try to balance my restaurant reviews between new establishments and classic, local spots, but have to admit I don’t always get that right. Sometimes a reader contacts me about a favorite hangout and my first thought is wait, didn’t I write about that recently?
That question was asked about a local landmark, the Coyote Cantina. I almost dismissed it because I remember writing it up twice. I looked in my archives, and indeed I did – in 2001 when they were serving New Mexico-style food, and again in 2011. Hmmm, 14 years is quite a while between reviews.
The place has changed style, brighter and fresher, with some of the bric-a-brac missing but still a few of the whimsical statues of coyotes in evening dress to lend character. Both the food and drink menus have slimmed down, and the steaks and fresh seafood that had been part of the draw in past years are gone. The drinks menu is smaller too, and though their selection of tequilas and mezcals is still good, it’s not as impressive as it was in days gone by.
As always, your dining experience starts with a warm welcome and a warm basket of chips with a spicy red salsa. It was on the peppery side for the spice wimp at our table, and on request our server brought out another that was extremely mild. Both sauces were pureed and had no texture or flavor of onion and cilantro, so we requested a side pico de gallo to add to make them more interesting.
Standard appetizers like guacamole and nachos are offered along with oddities like the buffalo blue cheese quesadilla, but we picked two relatively recent additions to the menu as starters. I was intrigued by the description of the calamari tossed in chipotle breadcrumbs and served with a chili sauce that our server warned us was spicy. It wasn’t particularly hot but had a complex flavor that paired well with the delicately smoky calamari breading. They don’t fry the squid crisp here, so it has a softer texture than you get when it’s made tempura-style.
The chili-chicken potstickers were one of the hits of our meal, a successful reinterpretation of a fad item with real Mexican flavors. The filling of chopped chicken with vegetables was mild, the sauce zippy, and they were served with pico de gallo and lettuce that made a nice flavor, texture, and temperature contrast. Whoever came up with this idea was having an imaginative day and should keep the experiments coming.
We paired these starters with margaritas that are served in generous portions – the house marg is served in a full pint glass, and they don’t overstack it with ice. They use Jimador tequila in the house special. It’s not a very flavorful tequila, but upgrades are available. On two visits we tried several with our dining companions, and our favorite was with Nosotros mezcal that added just the right smoky overtone.
In the course of our visits, we tried the Mexican lasagna, crab and lobster enchiladas, spinach and salmon enchiladas, a carne asada quesadilla, carnitas, and chili colorado. My favorite of these was the Mexican lasagna, another cross-cultural invention in which the usual flat noodles are layered with ground turkey, roasted corn, black beans, and cheddar, jack, and ricotta cheeses. This is served over guajillo chili, tomatillo, and black bean sauces and topped with pico de gallo and sour cream, so you have a panoply of textures and flavors. It’s offered in half and full-size portions, and unless you have a gargantuan appetite, order the half – you’ll probably still have leftovers.
The crab and lobster and the spinach and salmon enchiladas are smaller portions, but with the rice, beans, tortillas, and salad that arrive on the plate they’re full meals too. We preferred the spinach and salmon version, because the flavors of the crab and lobster were sauteed in chipotle cream and then put into enchiladas topped with tomatillo sauce and lime sour cream. This would be a better dish without the sour cream and with less sauce, because the flavors of the seafood were lost in the shuffle. The salmon and spinach had more flavor so stood out against the tomatillo sauce and jack cheese that completed that dish.
Some at our table liked the carnitas, which was moist and had been finely shredded and topped with onions and cilantro. It had been very lightly seasoned, and I prefer it both more seasoned and in chunks so it has more texture. Carnitas is made in different ways throughout Mexico, and I happen to like a different and more robust style.
The chili Colorado was the only dud of either visit because the sauce was so heavy on clove flavor that you couldn’t taste anything else. When we expressed our dissatisfaction, our server removed it from the bill and expedited a replacement, the carne asada quesadilla. This was delivered quickly and was well made, the meat a little chewy but flavorful the way this is at East LA taquerias.
We seriously considered dessert because they have freshly made churros, but on both visits we left with multiple take-home containers and none of my companions had room. I wasn’t going to eat an order of six churros by myself, so sadly decided to forego tasting theirs.
There are more authentic restaurants around town than the Coyote Cantina, but authenticity isn’t the priority here. They’ve been making California fusion Mexican cuisine for over three decades and have a loyal following for it. I’d like to see more of what they could do if they challenged themselves a bit, but whether or not they do that, they will continue to be a destination for good food at a modest price.
Coyote Cantina is at 531 N. PCH in Redondo, at the south end of the King Harbor Plaza shopping center. Open 5 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Mo-Thu, 4-10 p.m. Fr-Sa, 4-9 p.m. Su, parking lot, wheelchair access good. Noise level moderate, full bar, some vegetarian items. Reservations accepted. (310) 376-1066. Coyotemenu.com. ER
