We all know Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue is known to be one of the most prominent shopping, dining, and entertainment destinations in southern California. Durango Cantina made its grand debut on Melrose Avenue in May 2023, giving the iconic street “Fuego Flavors of the Wild.”
The masterminds behind some of Los Angeles’ other most popular establishments (including Adults Only and Kodo) opened the doors to Durango Cantina. They brought Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand Chef Alex Carrasco, whose background includes prestigious experiences at places like Bee Taqueria, Osteria Mozza, and Once in Las Vegas, to curate a mouthwatering menu.
Cuisine
For Durango Cantina, Chef Alex Carrasco created a menu inspired by the dishes from Durango, which includes traditional recipes with an exquisite Californian touch. A surprising fact about Durango is the commitment to using only fresh ingredients, as the food prepared in this north-central state of Mexico is handled with care and expertise.
At Durango Cantina, a charcoal oven is used to ensure delightful and freshly prepared meat dishes. The menu features dishes such as a mouthwatering Lamb Shank, savory Beef Ribs, and “Discada Estilo Durenguese,” which is a meat lover’s paradise since it is topped with bacon, chorizo, steak, linguica sausage, cherry tomatoes, and onions. The Lamb Shank “Guisados de Bodas” is known as a stew for weddings in the State of Durango; it is prepared with chile ancho and dried chipotle followed by a braising process consisting of 6 hours and served with 3 kinds of handmade corn tortillas. The Lamb Shank is best described as a “mixiote,” which is a traditional pit-barbequed meat dish where the meat is cooked inside a wrapper, traditionally in the outer skin of an agave leaf. As for the Beef Ribs, they are braised overnight and glazed with an in-house chipotle then charred, served with frijoles charros, cilantro salsa, crispy tortilla, and onions.
Of course, you can’t go wrong with a sweet ending. Durango Cantina offers dessert options such as Crispy Buñuelos with Arroz Con Leche and Natilla/Mango Ice Cream topped with strawberry powder. Lastly, you could quench your thirst with the wide assortment of tequila and mezcal cocktails, along with other spirits and beers to compliment the dishes.
The Space
When entering Durango Cantina, guests will go through swinging saloon doors attached to a frame made out of hand-carved antique pieces imported from Mexico and adorned with gorgeous custom glass windows all around it. The walls are lined with cactus and hand-painted art. Attention to detail went into creating this fresh space from the antler chandelier to the traditional Mexican clay dishes, as the BHG Group was aiming to create a cozy, casual, campfire, Old Western space culminated with a little bit of modern design utilizing a variety of bright earth tones and lighting. In addition, you’ll even spot a hand-carved pool table and pinball machine with a backdrop of the desert. Overall, every facet of Durango Cantina is a masterpiece waiting to be explored, as an authentic, comfortable, and flavorful experience embraces art, culture, and cuisine.
Want to experience a taste of Durango and feel as if you were in a fantasyland of rugged mountains, pine forests, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, fertile valleys, and yucca-strewn deserts while eating north-central Mexican delicacies? Durango Cantina is the spot to visit! To learn more, follow Durango Cantina on Instagram over at @durangocantina.
