Altos Cantina offers first rate customer service, traditional Mexican fare
Situated in the heart of West Sacramento, Altos Cantina offers a delectable array of culinary bites and carefully crafted beverages.
Taking over the old Jefferson Bar & Grill location, Altos Cantina officially opened its doors in early September 2023. Owner Jorge Andres Romero, who owns the restaurant with his brother and brother-in-law, said it had always been a goal for him to open a full-service restaurant.
No stranger to the Mexican food industry, Romero and his brother also own Taqueria Tapaltos in the Arden area and have been involved in the industry for the last 15 to 20 years. Romero's brother-in-law owns two other restaurants as well.
“We always wanted to have a full-service restaurant with a liquor license and all that,” Romero said. “We pretty much saw this place was for sale and we liked the place. It was kind of unique. So we spoke to the owner and just decided to give it a try.”
With all three of the owners born and raised in Mexico, Altos Cantina's menu specializes in traditional Mexican fare including crispy tacos; burritos stuffed full of rice, beans, meat and cheese; green or red enchiladas or the Altos nachos which are piled high with carnitas, poblano cheese, jalapeños and roasted corn. However, Romero said one of the restaurant's main draws is the birria, which he described as “a beef stew cooked in a very rich, flavorful sauce and spices.”
“Usually, in other restaurants, they only offer it on weekends, if they do offer it, but we have it there pretty much every day,” Romero said.
According to Romero, their chile verde and chile relleno are also made by hand each day.
“It's quite a process because you have to roast the chile poblanos, stuff the cheese, butter them and fry them,” he explained. “It's quite a process, but the result is very, very good. A lot of people will just buy the chili from the store frozen, so we always want to make them from scratch because it's a very, very popular dish in Mexico.”
In addition to all their delicious dishes, Altos Cantina also offers carefully crafted cocktails, beer and non-alcoholic selections like freshly squeezed orange juice and agua fresca. While more of a beer guy himself, Romera said the most popular drink is their classic margarita which is always made with fresh lime.
Since opening their doors, Romero emphasized how kind the community has been and how much he loves being located in West Sacramento, so much so that he's moving to the area from Arden in the coming months.
“I didn't know West Sacramento was kind of like a small community,” Romero said. “I was really surprised when we opened because people were so welcoming to us and everybody was really trying to get to know us.
“That's something I never experienced in the United States. I've been able to live in like two to three different cities and this is the first time I got to know that part of people. They are just very, very nice and very welcoming. It was a really nice experience on my side that I wasn't expecting at all.”
For their first year in business, Romero said they are focused on cleanliness, a customer-first experience and of course, good food.
“I want to make sure the client is happy and the experience is good, day or night,” Romero said. “We just want to see this place succeed. In five to 10 years, I want to make sure we are still providing the same service as we are right now and I want to be able to see the same people coming back.
“I just want people to like the food, the service and I want them to experience a good dining service. When I see people coming back, that makes me feel great because it means they liked our service, food, restaurant and drinks. It's a rewarding feeling.”
Altos Cantina is located at 1522 Jefferson Blvd. in West Sacramento and is open Monday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information or to check out their entire menu, visit their website at https:// www.altoscantina.com/.