Vintage Cantina - Green Bay, WI

My husband and I’s first meal out to eat in Green Bay after returning from Cleveland was at Vintage Cantina downtown, a little taqueria and bar combo that I’ve watched from afar with lust. Their weekly taco features, AKA WTF’s, are a delight to see every week on their social media, and more than once I’ve found myself swearing I’d go for them when it just never happened. Christmas shopping left my husband and I hungry, so we drove into downtown during a business lul at our local restaurants to make sure we got in.

We tried to visit once before on a busy Friday evening where every single seat in the building was full, and we were relieved to find that this was not the case at 4 pm on a Saturday. We took a seat by the window to watch the cars go by, and we ordered their smoked chicken and chilis cheese dip to get us started alongside our drinks.

​My husband ordered a Tecate while I opted for their house margarita. Tequila has been an acquired taste for me over the years, starting very slowly during our honeymoon in the Yucatan four years ago. I haven’t ordered a margarita when I’ve been out at a restaurant for quite awhile, but this one hit the spot with a strong citrus flavor to combat the natural taste of the tequila. One worked out for me across the whole meal.

​The drinks were the perfect accompaniment to our appetizer, a beautiful queso with chilis and chicken throughout. The chips tasted like they were fried in house and sprinkled with a spice blend that paired well with the cheese dip itself. A break here and there with my margarita to cleanse my palate made it easy to sit and finish the entire plate before the tacos arrived.

 I ordered their barbacola and carnitas tacos, the first of which is made of a slice of brisket, chipotle cola sauce, pickled corn, and queso fresco on a corn tortilla. The carnitas is relatively self explanatory, pork served on a corn tortilla with cilantro, cotija cheese, and a pickled seasonal fruit depending on the time of year you visit. Early december seemed to be blueberries.

The barbacola skirted the line of almost too spicy for me. I’m a simple white woman with a low spice tolerance, but the overall flavor associated with that heat was pleasant alongside the pickled corn and cheese. The carnitas taught me what carnitas should be. I didn’t really believe people when they told me that the pork is crunchy when done properly, but this was! The crust on the outside of the meat sealed in delicious, juicy strands of pork.

Both of these tacos wound up as part of a leftover nachos plate the next day after I had eaten too much of the queso and chips, and mixing the two meats together on the bed of fresh fried corn and flour tortillas made for a delicious, spicy plate to keep my husband and I warm during the snow day. 

My husband ordered much more simply than I did, opting for two tacos a la mexicana with chorizo and chicken. His most adventurous order was the Korean BBQ taco on the menu served with kimchi and fried rice noodles. This taco isn't on the menu on facebook, but its there. I assure you. Look at his beautiful plate of tacos!

Their variety is large with something for everyone you know, including those with dietary restrictions. Vegetarian and gluten free options are neatly marked on the menu. Like many restaurants in the area, they have experienced staff shortages that have caused some last minute schedule changes, so always check their facebook before you head in for a visit. Lunch services have been cancelled day of a few times since I started trying to plan my own visit. Their menu is also available on facebook, and the weekly taco feature is always posted at the beginning of the week to help you decide what you want.

Thanks to the staff for a delicious, post Christmas shopping meal to warm us back up!Vintage Cantina has proven itself to be one of our new favorites, and its likely we’ll be taking our friends there for years to come.