Mount Pleasant Cantina Adds New Latin-Inspired Food and Drink Features For Happy Hour and Regular Menu

El Camino’s is embracing the return of sunnier days and longer nights by opening its street-side patio and introducing new food and drink features at the popular Mount Pleasant cantina (3250 Main St.)

Available daily starting at 4 p.m., the new Dinner Menu includes such creative Latin American-inspired fare as the vegan Palmito Ceviche (hearts of palms, cucumber, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, lime, Arbol chile furikake); Pipian Verde Enchiladas (three stacked crispy corn tortillas, chicken, mole verde & hoja santa sauce, red onions, cotija cheese); Xinxim de Bacalhau (cod, prawns, red peppers in a creamy coconut milk & dende oil sauce, white rice);and Mole Negro Con Pollo (chicken thighs, almonds, sesame seeds & radish in a mole served with white rice);among others.

The dishes come courtesy of Chef Argelia Diaz Cabral, who was the Head Chef and Co-Owner of El Secreto in Mexico City with her sister for six years before coming to Vancouver and joining the Cascade Group family as sous chef at The Union and then taking the reins of the El Camino’s kitchen in 2022.

Bar Manager Mike MacIntyre has added a bevy of seasonally inspired libations to the Drink List like the Pisco Fever(Pisco Capel, Aperol, grapefruit, lime, sugar, egg white); Rosemary’s Bevy (Altos reposado, cassis, blackberry coulis, rosemary, lemon, ginger beer); and Cacao Loco (Havana Club 3yr, chili, creme de cacao, passionfruit gomme, lime).

El Camino’s street-side patio is now in full swing and (weather dependent) open Monday to Friday from 4 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. and allows guests to soak up the sun, gather with friends and do a little al-fresco people watching over the curb on Mount Pleasant’s main drag.

The cantina also features daily Happy Hour service Monday to Friday from 4 to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 3 to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 3 p.m. to close that offers:

Chips & Salsa (crisp corn chips and classic salsa roja);Chicharrones (Tajin-dusted fried pork cracklin’);Papas Chorreadas (smashed nugget potatoes, red onion, tomato, feta, smoked paprika crema);Pescado Taco (Baja-style cod, cabbage, pickled jalapeño, pico de gallo, burnt onion mayo on flour tortilla);Chicken Wings (full pound, choice of hot glaze, dry rub or Tajin, chipotle crema);El Camino’s Lager;El Tigre Shot (chilled Altos Blanco, verdita chaser of pineapple, cilantro, mint and jalapeño);East Vin Blanc or Rouge;Paloma (Altos reposado, pressed lime, grapefruit soda, pinch of salt, served tall).

Beyond Happy Hour, El Camino’s also offers the following weekly staples: Margarita Mondays ($4 off all house Margaritas), Taco Tuesdays (25% off all taco orders), Wine Wednesdays (50% off select bottles of wine); and Weekend Brunch every Saturday and Sunday starting at 10 a.m.