Moe’s Cantina- River North; Great food and a show that is “kind of a drag!”

[rating=4] If you are looking for some authentic Mexican food, great drinks and a fun evening, Moe’s Cantina is the place to be. Jane and I visited Moe’s Cantina River North on Kinzie. They also have one in Wrigleyville, BUT it is Thursday and on Thursday , in River North, they have something very special “Baddie Bingo”. I will get to that after I talk about the wonderful menu and the treats to eat!

The restaurant is part of the Third Coast Hospitality Group, and as the weeks go on, we will get to each and every one to tell you about these wonderful spots. I can tell you from our first stop on the trip, we were very impressed. We started our evenings with a cocktail. They are known for their margaritas which is what Jane decided to get. I , on the other hand ,prefer Old Fashioned, so I tried the Oaxacan Old Fashioned ( instead of whisky, tequila and chocolate bitters have been added to the drink) Perfecto! So good, I had two!

Our server Anna is from the Ukraine and loves being a member of the Third Coast family. She assisted us with our selections explaining the menu and the evening. ( remember they do Bingo)!

We began our meal with Guacamole (made to order with avocado, red onions, serrano peppers, salt, cilantro and tomatoes. delish and the chips were wonderful as well. Another item from the “starters” that we loved was Platanos Maduras ( plantains as I have never had them before). By the way, the chips are house made and you can tell. The plantains are a golden brown, and taste wonderful!

The menu has a great number of starters, and some great looking salads and the skewers are beautiful. The selection of tacos is amazing- if you can’t find one to your liking, you just are not paying attention!

The traditional plates are where we spent time. After speaking with Anna, we opted for the Carne Asada (flavorful with just a little extra zing) and the Quesabirria ( three quesadillas with shredded beef and a side of consamme) these were amazing!

The dessert that I wanted to partake of, Mango Cake, was not on the menu tonight, so we enjoyed the Churros (topped with 2 scoops of ice cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup_ and a cup of coffee.

Our dinner was complete and we were handed bingo cards and a marker. Thursday night ( February) is Baddie Bingo night where the hosts ( a special “Drag Show”) play with the guests. The cards have song titles, music is played and we, the audience are in the game. I must tell you that I only recognized one song. As it turns out, that doesn’t matter. After each song, they do tell us the title and if it appears on our card, we mark it and wait for the next song. When someone gets five in a row they win- that is it, but the Hosts are a show in themselves. If you have never been to a “Drag Show” this is a great way to start. Watching those in the audience is as much fun as going to a play and here you get a great dinner as well. The Baddie Bingo is every Thursday at 8p.m.(thru Feb.)

Moe’s Cantina is located at  155 Kinzie in River North and their phone number is  312-245-2000- they are open Thursday and Fridays 5 p.m.-  a.m.

                                                                                                                                                                                   Saturday  5 p.m. -3 a.m.

Parking is often a problem in the River North Area, so when you go to their website, look in the upper right hand corner for parking and you can get discounted parking right across the street  at MartParc Wells with entry on Wells as well as Kinzie

In Wrigleyville ( we will be there in the near future) 3518 N. Clark Street (773-248-0002 they are open Friday 5 p.m.- 1:30 p.m. ,Saturdays til 2:30 a.m. and on Sunday noon- 9 p.m. with the noon opening for Mimosas Brunch ($35) and they close at 9 p.m.

For more information, visit www.moescantina.com