BelAir Cantina Wauwatosa Leaves Full Bellies But Questionable Experience

Bel Air Cantina Wauwatosa

6817 W North Ave

Wauwatosa, WI 53213

(414) 988-8533

Hours

Monday- Thursday: 11AM- 11PM

Friday: 11AM- 12AM

Saturday: 10AM- 12AM

Sunday: 10AM- 11PM

Cuisine type: Mexican Fusion

Price per entree: $2-$12

Attire: Casual

Reservations: NO

Payment: Credit Cards and Cash Accepted

Service: ???

Setting: ??

Food: ????

Value: ???

Overall: ?????

As my partner and I walk into BelAir Cantina in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, we are neither greeted nor directed where to go. Several minutes passed before someone comes to take the position of host and direct us to a table. Shortly after being seated, we were greeted by our server who was a nice young lady but seemingly the only waitress on staff. She waited patiently as we decided what to order. 

Bel Air is a Mexican fusion restaurant that is popular for their tacos and margaritas. In their own description, they say it is “Oaxacan meets L.A. food truck” style cuisine.  I think it is best to stick with simply Mexican fusion. Unfortunately, fusion is not always the best solution. 

This location opened up in 2013 after the success of the first location on  Water Street in Milwaukee. The owners- Kristyn St. Denis, Leslie Montemurro, and Scott Johnson- were partners in other business ventures such as Balzac, Fuel Cafe, and Hi Hat Lounge. This is the first time I have visited Bel Air Cantina. The decor inside was bright and sunny. It is obviously made to be reminiscent of being in California. There are many windows and two glass garage doors that may be pulled up in the summer to extend seating outdoors. I was there during the day so I cannot attest to lighting at night. However, the windows give great natural light during the day. I felt it matched the cuisine theme of Mexican fusion with a California tone. I would have appreciated a little more Mexican influence in the decor and music. It seems the only Mexican influences was the word tacos. It was a larger space than predicted from the outside. When I visited, it was not busy at all but, unfortunately, we were sat close together. I presume it is because of the small waitstaff they had on this afternoon. The service started out fast and ample. Our server came around twice before we were ready to order. The first time she brought us complimentary chips with three different dipping sauces. 

The chips were freshly warm which was a nice touch while we scanned our menus. As the lunch rush trickled in, the service began to slow but still got what we needed without too much wait. However, it was obvious that our server was struggling to tackle the six tables she had to do solo. She was pleasant during every interaction and was on top of giving us more chips as soon as we ran out. 

I ordered the guacamole ($7. 27) and one roasted rainbow roots taco on corn tortilla ($4.10). My partner ordered the french toast ($7.95) off the brunch menu that is only available on Saturdays and Sundays from 10AM to 3PM. The guacamole was creamy with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and radish garnish on top. There was not much guacamole given the price tag and this dish being under the section of ‘shareables’. The flavor was mild. The option to make it spicy would have been more intriguing and worth the price. My taco had great earthy flavor. It was filling and loaded with vegetables. It had a black bean spread on the bottom and was stuffed with roasted root vegetables, corn salsa, pico de gallo, avocado salsa, and micro greens. It was quite satisfying as a vegetarian dish. It was very much worth the cheap price tag of $4. 

My partner was willing to share his french toast. It came with four slices covered in dulce de leche crema with a side of maple syrup. On the menu it states that there should be chocolate as well. Unfortunately, our dish did not come with any chocolate to be found. By the time we noticed, the toast was devoured so the chocolate was not sorely missed. Comparatively, the guacamole and the french toast were almost the same price. Overall, the toast was much more worth the $7 than the guacamole was. That is slightly disappointing for a Mexican fusion restaurant. I feel the guacamole should be plentiful and much tastier especially for being over $5. Overall, our experience at BelAir Cantina was satisfactory. However, it is not an experience I would seek out over others again. It felt fast and not completely worth the price or atmosphere.