I first decided to try Belair Cantina with my family a couple of years ago shortly after it had opened up in the Corners of Brookfield, the new outdoor mall that was a 20 minute drive from my house. I’ve always been a fan of mexican cuisine, so trying this new place was something I was excited for. I had heard many good things about this restaurant from everyone who had eaten here, so I had high expectations as to how this restaurant would be. I was looking for a new favorite place to eat with family and friends, and I was hoping this would be it.

When we entered the restaurant, my eyes were pulled in all different directions. The fun-colored and unique decorations reminded me of a vacation to Mexico. Surfboards, pictures of people on the beach, and various alcohol advertisements covered the walls, and I instantly thought of the ocean. The smiling faces of the staff greeted us as we entered the restaurant, and the kind-eyed hostess listened intently as we gave our name and the number of people in our party. We were then quickly whisked away from the entrance and squeezed past the large bar area to a booth where we would sit for our meal. The server was cheery and introduced himself, joking with us and making us laugh and feel comfortable. 

We ordered drinks, and our server brought us a basket of chips and small bowls of salsas in three varieties. The only complaint I could possibly have here was that there was definitely not enough salsa in the first round! While each of the three salsas had various unique flavors, each most definitely made my top 5 list of best salsas I’ve tried. My younger sister and I both adored the tangy, bold flavors of the orange salsa, my dad appreciated the smoky, intense flavors of the brown salsa, and my mom and older sister loved the earthy, fresh flavors of the green salsa. Between the five of us, the salsa and chips went fast and we were immediately refilled by our friendly server.

While eating our chips and salsa, we looked over the extensive and creative menu and began picking our favorite items from the array of yummy options. I decided to go with the three taco special, which allows you to pick three tacos, each ranging in price from $3- $5, and comes with beans and rice. Even though there were many options to choose from, I settled with the spicy pollo, carne asada, and zihuatanejo shrimp tacos.

After ordering, we enjoyed the friendly atmosphere of the restaurant and continued to munch on our chips and salsa. However, this was acceptably interrupted by our server bringing out our food shortly after it was ordered. The plating of our food was fun and colorful, and the taste of the tacos matched the plating style perfectly. Each taco had its own unique flavor, which were all much different from any other tacos I’ve had before. The flavors popped and lingered in your mouth, and I always craved more, even after stuffing myself with the three tacos. The beans and rice that came with the tacos tasted good mixed together or on the tacos, although were a little dry and flavorless by themselves. 

That being said, the food was delicious. The bill came when we were finished and although it was a little expensive, it was absolutely worth it. The atmosphere was welcoming and fun, the people were kind and friendly, and the food was nothing short of excellent. All in all, Belair Cantina exceeded my expectations, and I've been back several times over the years to try new combinations of tacos.