Very exciting news!! Michael & Kristen Benoit of the Vortex Bar and Grill have opened a new Mexican restaurant, Bone Garden Cantina, located in the Lumber Yard complex in the West Side of Midtown. (1425 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd, off Huff Road). Bone Garden has a Day of the Dead theme -- which pairs quite nicely with the theme we all know and have come to love at the Vortex. The skeleton sculptures and artwork are amazing -- I can stare at the triptych mural for hours finding new skeletal creatures and intertwining story lines. Most of the artwork was done by Michael Benoit himself (the mural above the bar and all the sculptures), with contributions from Ashely Zeltzer who painted the "El Diablito" Loteria card and Nagisa Higashida who painted the triptych depicting morning, noon and night during the Dia de Meurtos celebration.
Now to the food: Authentic and deeeee-licious! The quality of the food is amazing -- you can tell that the ingredients are fresh. You can choose from tacos, enchiladas, burritos, sopes, and more. I haven't tried everything on the menu, but from what I have tried, my ultimate favorites are the Blackened tilapia taco, the Al Pastor taco (marinated pork, pineapple, guajillo peanut salsa. fresh cabbage, cilantro, & finely diced onion), and soup, Pozole Blanco. The chips and salsa are a great complimentary snack once you sit down -- FRESH homemade salsa. And try the Mexican drinks -- the Jamaica was refreshing with a hint of sweetness. I had a sampling of the Tamarindo, which was also refreshing and more sweet.
Here's the best part -- everything on the menu is extremely affordable! The tacos are all $2.75, the enchiladas are all $3.00, the burritos are $6.00, and so on.... You can get a side of beans and rice for $1.50. Being a close relative of the Vortex, Bone Garden has a very nice selection of Tequila, Mexican beers and specialty margaritas. For even more authenticity, I swear I saw Telemundo on the bar TV.
I highly suggest that you make Bone Garden Cantina your next new restaurant to try. You won't be disappointed!
