Startle

The interior design of Taqueria Cañonita has two distinct styles — an airy outdoor area and a lively indoor space. The outdoor area sits on one side of the restaurant’s pillars, where you’ll find a black-bricked patio replete with street lamps near The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino’s Grand Canal. Here, you’ll sit at wood-top tables with wrought-iron chairs as you watch the gondolas drift by. Inside, the Las Vegas restaurant has a lively, cantina style with a central bar and more tables and chairs. Its color scheme complements the authentic Mexican food, with a flavescent palette of reds, oranges and golds. Dashes of South-of-the-Border decorations, such as ceramics and green-leather upholstered chair seats, fill the cozy space, and a proud selection of tequilas is on display behind the bar. The honest décor helps put the emphasis on the food, without feeling ostentatious — and with Taqueria Cañonita’s self-described Mexico City soul food, we think the combination works to perfection.

Taqueria Cañonita has a terrific happy hour, which is perfect if you’re looking for some place to go before you head out for the night in Las Vegas. Head to the Mexican restaurant inside the Venetian hotel daily between 3 and 6 p.m. or from 9 p.m. to close to snag a happy hour special, which includes $3 Modelo Especial drafts, Negra Modelo drafts and well cocktails, and $5 classic margaritas and specialty cocktails.

If you like margaritas, you’ll love the classic and original twists Taqueria Cañonita puts to theirs. Try the signature Cañonita, a mix of Patrón Silver tequila and Grand Marnier; or the fruity Fresca, which is made with mango, strawberry, cactus, watermelon, raspberry or blackberry. For a high-end margarita, splurge ($30 per glass) on the Perfecto, a mix of Patrón Gran Platinum tequila, Grand Marnier and Cointreau. And while you’re at Taqueria Cañonita for happy hour, try munching on one of its Mexican soul food appetizers, such as the Patcuaro Duck Relleno or the fantastic Pozole Verde Stew — they’ll give you a taste of the restaurant’s authentic cuisine and just might entice you to stick around for a full meal.

Taqueria Cañonita has a bar you can’t miss — as soon as you step into the Mexican restaurant inside The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, you’ll see the bar immediately to your right. Your normal well and top-shelf liquors line the wall cabinets, but out on an island display behind the bar, you’ll discover a fine collection of tequilas, Taqueria Cañonita’s specialty. Divided up into plata, reposado, añejo and tequila liquors, the tequila list at the bar offers you more than 60 selections, including popular brands like 1800, Cabo Wabo and Patrón. It also has some rare finds, such as Chinaco Negro and Don Julio Real. If you’d like to stick to the popular varieties, you can opt for tequila flights, which include a sample of the añejo, reposado and blanco from brands Cabo Wabo, Chinaco, Don Julio, Gran Centenario and Patrón. There’s also the Hi Roller Flight, which gives you a taste of the finest tequilas Taqueria Cañonita has to offer, which includes Gran Patrón Platinum, Don Julio Real and Gran Centenario Leyenda. And of course, we can’t forget to mention the restaurant’s numerous margaritas and specialty drinks. With so many drink options, we recommend telling your bartender or server what you like, and they’ll be able to make a tempting suggestion.

Taqueria Cañonita isn’t the most romantic restaurant inside The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino. This is mostly because the Las Vegas restaurant has very few dividing walls, which makes it subject to the noise you’ll get from the Grand Canal that runs parallel to the restaurant, as well as the shoppers strolling about the halls of the nearby shops. The most romantic place to sit would be along the canal, where you can watch the gondoliers pass by as they sing. Though, we personally prefer the bar inside the restaurant, where you can enjoy a more intimate atmosphere and a wide selection of mixed drinks and tequilas. The restaurant has a distinct open, cantina style that lends itself well to a less formal dinner or lunch — not to mention a great happy hour menu that can get your night rolling. We recommend stopping in to check out Taqueria Cañonita for its Mexico City soul food and extensive tequila menu; but if you’re looking for a romantic night out, you might want to head to another restaurant inside The Venetian.

Taqueria Cañonita has four desserts to choose from: Tres Leches, Peach Marmalade, Corn Crème Brûlée and an Ancho Chocolate Brownie. You’re probably familiar with the tres leches (this kind is served with strawberry jelly, raspberry coulis and vanilla ice cream), but we highly recommend the corn crème brûlée, a Mexican spin on the French dish that’s made with sweet corn custard and seasonal berries. Chocoholics will swoon over the ancho chocolate brownie, which is made with vanilla anglaise and cajeta sauce, and topped with chocolate-and-pepita-brittle ice cream. You won’t find these special desserts from Taqueria Cañonita anywhere else — except maybe back in Mexico City, the place that inspires Taqueria Cañonita’s soulful cuisine.

The interior design of Taqueria Cañonita has two distinct styles — an airy outdoor area and a lively indoor space. The outdoor area sits on one side of the restaurant’s pillars, where you’ll find a black-bricked patio replete with street lamps near The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino’s Grand Canal. Here, you’ll sit at wood-top tables with wrought-iron chairs as you watch the gondolas drift by. Inside, the Las Vegas restaurant has a lively, cantina style with a central bar and more tables and chairs. Its color scheme complements the authentic Mexican food, with a flavescent palette of reds, oranges and golds. Dashes of South-of-the-Border decorations, such as ceramics and green-leather upholstered chair seats, fill the cozy space, and a proud selection of tequilas is on display behind the bar. The honest décor helps put the emphasis on the food, without feeling ostentatious — and with Taqueria Cañonita’s self-described Mexico City soul food, we think the combination works to perfection.

The price range for a meal at Taqueria Cañonita spans $18 to $35,an affordable cost that’s in line with the Mexico City soul food the restaurant serves. Appetizers cost between $3 for chips and salsa and up to $16 for the ceviche trio. Soups and salads range between $7 and $12, with options such as a Tarascan Soup and a Manchego Spinach Salad.

The list of entrées presents two sections: platos fuertes and cañonita clásicos. Under the first section, you’ll find highlights such as the Santa Rosa Pork Barbacoa for $19 or the Aztec Bone-in New York steak for $37. The cañonita clásicos section features more typical choices, such as the Mexico City Enchiladas for $18 or the Chicken Burrito for $17. The bone-in steak is actually the most expensive item on the entire menu, so you can easily have a meal at Taqueria Cañonita without spending more than $50 per person.

Taqueria Cañonita also offers group-dining menus for banquets and larger parties, which includes four options ranging in price from $40 to $65 per person. A banquet lunch will cost only $30 per person, and comes with multiple courses; and if you’re interested in holding a cocktail reception at the Mexican restaurant inside the Venetian, it has two packages to choose from, each with three different durations and prices. Package I is $69 per person for 1.5 hours, and Package II is up to $120 per person for three hours; both packages include drinks, a taco station, appetizers and quesadillas, plus a few extra options in the second package. So if you’re planning to just grab a bite or hold a larger gathering of up to 700 guests, Taqueria Cañonita has you covered — all at a reasonable price.

Taqueria Cañonita serves a mix of your favorite Mexican dishes with an emphasis on Mexico City soul food. That means you’ll be able to choose from dishes you know and love, plus a few traditional favorites with new twists. Here’s our list of the five best things to order at the Las Vegas restaurant:

1. Patzcuaro duck relleno. Maybe you’ve never had duck as a part of Mexican cuisine — but here’s your chance, in a canela-and-orange duck confit, served with a savory Manchamantel sauce and Mexican crema.

2. Roasted mussels and shrimp skillet. A great deal of Mexico’s true cuisine incorporates the best of the Pacific and the Atlantic — and here, you’ll get all that prepared with tequila, pasilla Oaxaca and Mexican chorizo.

3. Pozole verde. Plump hominy, which is a dried maize kernel, is served with diced pork seared with green chile, tomatillos and Mexican oregano. It’s all topped off with shredded cabbage and red radish for a more traditional stew that works as a great starter or as a standalone dish.

4. Santa Rosa pork barbacoa. This Mexico City delight comes with cilantro rice, black beans and a chipotle barbecue sauce — and it’s so tender, you won’t even need a knife.

5. Aztec bone-in New York steak. Coated with an ancho-chocolate rub, this hefty, 16-ounce cut comes with blackened Serrano and crab cornbread and a special Huitlacoche-truffle butter. It all mixes together to create a distinct set of flavors you’ve likely never experienced.

The menu at Taqueria Cañonita brings you Mexico City soul food — and this isn’t exactly your traditional Mexican cuisine, but instead, the essence of the culture and food techniques of Mexico City presented to you on appetizing plates inside The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino. Appetizers at the Las Vegas restaurant include chips and salsa and the Ceviche Trio, which has variations like ahi tuna with cantaloupe and chipotle vinaigrette, Veracruzano with capers and cherry peppers, and a shrimp-and-crab ceviche with sangrita sauce. You’ll also have soups, such as a Tarascan Soup, and salads like the Manchego Spinach Salad.

Under entrées, you’ll see lists of platos fuertes and cañonita clásicos. Platos fuertes brings you the Santa Rosa Pork Barbacoa, which comes with cilantro rice, black beans and a chipotle barbecue sauce, and the Aztec Bone-in New York Steak, an ancho-chocolate rub 16-ounce steak with blackened searrano and crab cornbread with a Huitlacoche-truffle butter. The cañonita clásicos section presents the Mexico City Enchiladas, which you can order with chicken or beef, and are served with lettuce, queso fresco, tomatoes, cilantro rice, black beans and the chef’s sauce. This menu also features the Chicken Burrito with sautéed peppers, cheese, salsa verde, cilantro rice and black beans.

Taqueria Cañonita also offers group-dining menus. Order the most basic group package, which includes multiple courses with chips and salsa, salad, entrées and dessert; or a slightly more elaborate one that comes with an additional soup course. A three-course banquet lunch will cost only $30 per person, and comes with multiple courses; and cocktail receptions can accommodate parties of up to 700 people and include drinks, a taco station, appetizers and quesadillas. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the flavors of the Mexico City soul food Taqueria Cañonita serves — and its reasonable price tag.

The best table at Taqueria Cañonita is the second-to-last table on the patio section, which sits center stage at the Las Vegas restaurant. There, you’ll have a vantage point of virtually every part of the restaurant before you, with The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino’s Grand Canal running parallel to your table. At this round table that comfortably seats five, you’ll get a mix of both the inside and outside parts of the restaurant — you can enjoy its cantina atmosphere inside while you still get to observe the gondoliers and their guests as they float along the canal.

Taqueria Cañonita has a casual dress code — so as long as you show up in a shirt, pants and shoes, you’ll be able to eat at the Las Vegas restaurant. You’ll find Taqueria Cañonita tucked within the Grand Canal Shoppes on the canal level of The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, at the far end of the Grand Canal. Most of the tables here run parallel to the canal — between the guardrail and the restaurant’s pillars — with a few inside the pillars. You can enjoy the authentic Mexico City soul food at Taqueria Cañonita for both lunch and dinner, with a number of happy hour specials to keep a few extra dollars in your wallet. Feel free to show up and dress comfortably for your meal at this Mexican restaurant — because here, the story is the food, not the way you dress.