Taco Star

Taqueria Cañonita

A A A Comments (0) By Mark Stuertz Thursday, Dec 21 2000

Pyles constructed the menu around "small plates," so that each of the categories, from tacos to tamales, can be sampled "as you would a sushi or tapas bar." But in addition to petite plates, there are also large plates harboring various combinations plus chicken, pork, seafood, and steak productions.

It wasn't crisp, but the dark chili herb-glazed skin on the oven-roasted half-chicken was exquisitely seasoned, though not enough to compensate for the rest of the bird. The interior was overcooked, dry, and chewy--so parched that it was difficult to finish without a liberal wash of margarita. A side of cilantro rice was astounding--moist but not mushy and flavored with lively herbs and lime. Clay-pot black beans embraced firm, supple elegance.

Stephen P. Karlisch

Dining with the dead: Figurines celebrating El Dia de los Muertos decorate Taqueria Canoñita.

Location Info

Map

Taqueria Cañonita

4001 Preston Road
Plano, TX 75024

Category: Restaurant > Mexican

Region: Plano

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Details

Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday & Saturday (469) 467-8655 $-$$

Ceviche: $9.50
Chicken Tortilla Soup: $4
Tortilla Salad: $6.50
Black Bean and Avocado Tostada: $5.50
Fish Tacos: $6.25
Grilled Mushroom Empanada: $5
Tamale/Taco Platter: $10
Oven Roasted Half-chicken: $11

Closed Location

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Fish tacos, slightly soggy corn tortillas filled with whitefish and a fruit salsa, harbored pieces of tender, moist fish that flaked when bitten. But a tortilla salad with roasted vegetables was ho-hum, slathered as it was in a jalapeño-lime vinaigrette that surged with overachieving lime flavors. The roasted vegetables, added for an extra buck and a half, proved anemic, posing more as a garnish than as a salad staple, with small specimens of onion, squash, and red and yellow peppers. The dish was topped with Mexican white cheese and a few tortilla strips.

Taqueria Cañonita is a simple fare-ground with a superb feel and excellent margaritas to help take in the view. The food isn't spot-on, and some of it is even flawed. It needs a little tweaking. The question is, How will this happen now that the Pyles are gone?