The one good thing about La Cabana was the service---but the worst thing was the food!
After reading rave reviews we were very excited to eat here, but were incredibly disappointed. The chips, salsa, and queso were all fine (although the queso had that gooey film on top from being left sitting out too long before being brought out), but things quickly went down hill. The guacamole was absolutely store-bought--certainly not "authentic." It tasted like sour cream with green food dye.
I go the shrimp tacos. Not only were they completely flavorless, the shrimp were those small frozen kind you get in the grocery store freezer. They smelled fishy, and were not even cleaned properly--many still had that black intestinal line down the back. Ugh.
Like I said before, the people here were wonderful. If they used authentic ingredients, seasonings, and cooking techniques, this place would be great!
After reading all the wildly enthusiastic reviews on Yelp, my husband and I decided to give La Cabana a try on a recent Friday night. We arrived around 7:30pm and only a couple of tables were occupied. I ordered the Enchiladas Supremas (4 enchiladas: ground beef, chicken, cheese, and refried bean), my husband had a shrimp chimi. We ordered cheese dip for the chips and it was good, but the same as every other Mexican Restaurant in town.
The enchiladas were all very bland. I have made better at home. My husband thought his chimi was quite good. Refried beans very ordinary. Rice was edible.
Service: friendly enough
Prices: very good
Food: meh
Now let me tell about the ladies' restroom. It's for one at a time, which is fine. The seat on the toilet is too small and shaped wrong, so the rim of the bowl sticks out in front. Apparently, the toilet can not be flushed twice in five minutes - or maybe ten minutes (I was not going to wait around to time it, but after flushing for the previous user, I was unable to flush for myself). I think I used the last of the tiny bit of hand soap available. The paper towel dispenser was clogged and unusable but fortunately I was tall enough to use the roll of towels placed on top of the dispenser. Now, I do have to say that the cleanliness was ok.
But I doubt seriously that we will return.
It took forever to find a really good Mexican restaurant in Evansville, but this one is definitely it.
La Cabana is one of the few places that actually serves real tacos (as in, the corn tortilla isn't crunchy and the taco comes with cilantro, onions, and limes). If you're craving the hardshell taco though, the option IS available to you, but you'll really be missing out on something way more delicious!
As other patrons have suggested, go for the tripod of salsas. I actually like the smokey orange salsa so much that I bought an entire container of it to go. It's just... I want to eat it on everything. The other salsa are good too-- the tomato salsa has a tiny kick to it and the tomatillo salsa is spot on.
Another item I really enjoyed was La Cabana's tortilla soup. The broth is thin, but very tasty and full of treats. It's got a good onion taste and has bits of melty white cheese swimming in the broth. Strips of corn tortilla are also in it and diced avocado floats on top waiting to melt in your mouth.
Final words: My only regret is that they don't have draft beer, only bottles; however, they make up for it with nice strong margaritas. The price is also a real winner too.
This is by far my favorite Mexican restaurant in Evansville. I noticed that the restaurant also is directly connected to the Latino grocery store next door. And you may notice that all of the televisions are playing Spanish speaking soap operas (or something in Spanish)--could be a sign that the food is going to be a little more authentic than the other franchise "Mexican" restaurants. Anyway, the salsas are excellent (a spicy cheesy one, a tomato cilantro one, and a green salsa). They've got tamales and tacos and burritos and fajitas. They have an excellent seafood soup (highly recommend if you've got a cold). They also have a Cubana sandwich (which is next on my list to try). And the frozen margaritas are yummy. And the service is good.
For the quality of the meal, the price is right.
This is a 2 star Mexican restaurant, but since I'm in Evansville I'll give it a 3!
Ask for the tripod of salsas that includes a hearty, moderately spicy tomato salsa, an orange corn salsa, and I believe a green salsa.
I was impressed by the truly Mexican tacos on the menu. Including tongue. Served with onion, lime, and cilantro if you choose (mmm) and wrapped in small corn tortillas.
The food was very cheap!
My main complaint: the fajita beef was bland. :(
Here's what I look for in Mexican restaurants:
1. Chips
--Temperature (chips should be served hot)
--Flavor (no artificial flavors, please!)
2. Salsa
Green, red, mango, whatever.
Runny tomato sauce = unacceptable
3. Tortillas
Nothing beats homemade!!!
4. Fajita Meat
IS IT MARINATED?
I can't stand cardboard fajita beef and chicken!!
5. Extras
How're the beans, cheese, and guac?
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