I have been craving Mexican food for a good few weeks now – but was really skeptical of a lot of the places around Burlington (PSA I live in Vermont now). None of them seemed to be owned by individuals of Mexican heritage which is something I try to note when consuming culturally distinct foods. Alas, I settled on El Gato Cantina to satisfy the craving. It had come recommended by a few friend so I figured it was worth a shot.
The menu was generally pretty appealing – lots of variety in the tacos and they even had vegetable (cheese-free) tamales which was a first for me! Still, the menu lacked some familiar favorites like fajitas and spinach enchiladas. I was impressed by the spread of taco’s so I decided to go for it.
I got the hongos y epazote and Aguacate Con Queso taco as well as the vegetable tamales. I, of course, asked them to hold the cheese and decided to suffer through the mushrooms. I also asked for a side of guacamole – which was left out.
I elected to get carryout as I am still uncomfortable dining in at this point. When I arrived I was uncertain how to pick up my food – there were no instructions on the email receipt and they weren’t answering. When I walked up, the sign outside said “abolish ICE” so I felt like that was a good sign.
Generally I felt like the pick up went easy. The server seemed distracted but we all have those days. She accidentally gave me an extra order of tamales which went to my roommate. Overall I was impressed by the presentation – the tamales looked well coates and the tacos had a lot of filling. The corn tortillas however were falling apart, which I was displeased by. This either meant they were stale or poorly prepared.
The flavor of the fillings was also lacking. The mushrooms were rather plain and the black beans could’ve used more spice. I really enjoyed the hominy in the mushroom tacos – it had a nice hearty creamy flavor. Still, the fact that the tortillas couldn’t hold the filling was disappointing at best.
I did enjoy the tamales though. They were nice and dense and the red sauce was nice and spicy. The filling, again, could have been more flavorful and also more abundant. Still I found these to be a delightful novelty that I rarely encounter at Mexican restaurants.
This review wouldn’t be complete without a comment on the chips and salsa: the chips were great and the salsa as well. Very fresh and spicy with a well rounded flavor.
Generally, El Gato wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either. This is also based only off one visit. It could have been an off night. Still it was pricey so I am unsure if I will go back for another visit.
Here is my ranking – it is lacking the “atmosphere” component as I cannot fully assess that.
- Food: 6/10
- Service: 7/10
- Price: 4/10
- Overall: 6/10
Green and Gluten Free 