Cuisine:

• Others
• Tex-Mex
• Mexican

Iron Cactus Description:
The atmospheric Aztec Theater, restored and touted to tourists and locals alike, struggles to find an audience while its downstairs neighbor, the Iron Cactus, appears to be thriving. Could 80 tequilas have something to do with the restaurant's superior drawing power? We suspect so and suggest starting with a flight of silver or reposado tequilas paired, perhaps, to seared tuna tacos. The main menu, however, is somewhat hit-and-miss. Chicken-stuffed chipotle poppers are better than they sound, but somehow the kitchen has managed to make most chilies relatively mild---a trick they have perfected in the chipotle-glazed salmon. Sticklers for truth in terminology will disdain Iron "carnitas" made with chicken, not pork, but the bitter-hot red chile sauce packs an uncompromising wallop. We think we'd prefer to take our Patron añejo neat, not as a glaze for a 12-ounce rib-eye, where its charms are diluted. But we find Yucatan fish tacos entirely appropriate waterside; they're tequila-marinated and served with lime-butter sauce. Outdoor seats in the shade of stalwart cypresses offer prime people-watching possibilities, and tequila dinner cruises are available.


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