Cantina Los 3 Hombres

Cantina Los Tres Hombres
926 Victorian Ave. | Sparks
775.356.6262
www.cantinasparks.com
Hours: Mon-Sun 11am-11pm
Happy Hour: 4-6 pm. ½ price appetizers and $1 off all drinks

Summertime dances through Victorian Square’s long evenings to undertones of warm music while crowds swarm local farmers’ booths piled with fresh produce. The sun stays up later than a disobedient child at bedtime and casts its slender rays on smooth skin and laughter. Then the sun sets like my reminiscence, and it’s February. Victorian Square is specked with snow and Aschley and I, bundled in sweaters and scarves, enter Cantina Los Tres Hombres.

In those hot summer memories, I see these seemingly hundreds of tables packed, a band blaring on stage, and margaritas being distributed by the tray load. But today, it’s mid-afternoon. Quiet. The Cantina is impeccably clean, tables orderly, Bob FM, or an equivalent, plays in the upper reaches of my consciousness. Angela, our server, greets us and we take a large booth. The day’s special is Mesquite Grilled Mahi Mahi with a Tequila Lime Sauce ($11.99). We are brought complementary chips and salsa. Behind our table a leopard stares at me from deep within a green glass mural.

This month marks the two-year anniversary of Cantina Los Tres Hombres ownership for Justin Quinton and Shawn Plunket. The entrepreneurial focus is on entertainment and providing value to the customer. These factors keep business up and diners happy through Nevada’s long winter. In the years since their purchase, the duo has seen a substantial increase in sales, due to (I would surmise) exactly the value and entertainment their business provides. Value means multiple things here. It may be the $1 Mexican beers all night long on Wednesday or the all-you-can-eat tacos every Tuesday for $7.99. But value also means providing excellent food, service, and musical entertainment for a quality experience.

I order the Pablo ($9.99), which is “special carnitas (sweet roast pork) rolled with rice and beans in a flour tortilla, topped with carnitas salsa and melted jack cheese.” Aschley opts for the Leah ($9.99), a similar burrito, but with shredded chicken and enchilada sauce. Each comes beautifully presented with a dollop of sour cream (guacamole is extra). The carnitas is a wonderful blend of spicy and sweet, and the salsa topping adds just enough moisture to keep me eating practically nonstop. Alongside the expected Mexican fare, the menu also offers expansive seafood options such as paella ($14.99) and calamari steak ($12.99).

Happy hour starts as I scrape my plate clean. More patrons shuffle into the Cantina. When the dark completely douses Sparks, the Friday night music will start. Live music is just one more valuable factor the Cantina has implemented. Acoustic acts take the stage Tuesday through Thursday, and bands perform most Friday and Saturday nights. Wednesdays after 8, tables are cleared and dancing couples can swing across the floor. This month the Cantina features the folksy blues of Whitney Myer and singer/songwriter Kate Cotter on February 19, plus Lake Tahoe artist Neva will perform on February 26.