Are you craving Mexican food? Then look no further than downtown West Palm Beach, where Banko Cantina will open their doors tonight, May 12. Located in a landmark building – previously occupied by American National Bank – Banko’s interior blends together elements of the original design with hand-painted artwork by Chicago artist, David Bozic. Think – fine art with street-style, making for a hip, yet sophisticated setting.
On the menu, created by Corporate Chef Manuel Briseno and executive chef Seth Kirschbaum, expect flavors of Northern Mexico (smokey with a hint of spice) in the form of tacos, mesquite-skewers and traditional entrées. Eddie Estevez, formerly of Cantina Laredo has been brought on board as general manager.
While the doors haven’t officially opened yet (they open today at 4 p.m.), we did get a sneak peek and here are some of our must haves:
Guacamole is a staple on every menu, but at Banko is truly stands out. Made with Haas avocados, Serrano pepper, tomatoes, cilantro and salt (to bring out the sweetness), the guacamole is a perfect pairing for the lightly salted tortilla chips with a hint of lime. If guacamole isn’t what you’re craving, perhaps one of their salsas (they serve six) will do the trick. Our favorite salsas were the roasted tomato salsa and the chimichurri habanero.
Forget a basic margarita, it’s time to live on the edge so may we recommend Passion Fruit sangria? While it’s well-balanced and brings together sweet and spicy flavors, the process of drinking it, is all part of the thrill. Start with the pepper, which is filled with tequila, and do a quick shot. Then give your tongue a whirl on the chili-pepper rim. While feeling the heat, take a sip of the sangria and you’ll have a little party going on in your mouth.
If you’d like to go the taco route, the Langosta (or Lobster tacos) should be your number one pick, actually this was our favorite dish of the night. Take grilled lobster tail, tuck it inside a lightly grilled flour tortilla, top it with a tangy, pickled red onion slaw and you have what’s set to be a customer favorite.
After dinner, be sure to check out the 3rd floor rooftop bar and stay tuned for their tequila tasting dinners, coming soon.
Banko Cantina is located at 114 S. Olive Street in West Palm Beach; . Doors open at 4 p.m. daily. For more information, call 773-348-8899.