Mexican street food gets an upgrade

A new North Side restaurant near Stone Oak has brought the flavors of Mexican street food to San Antonio.

Panfila Cantina opened this month near the intersection of Bulverde Road and Evans Road. Co-owner Charlie Gonzalez said the new spot serves upscale dishes inspired by the street stalls and snack shacks found across Mexico.

Gonzalez is joined in the effort by his fiance and coowner, Gaby Hinojosa, a fine dining veteran who previously served as executive sous chef at the restaurant Signature in La Cantera and has cooked at the famed Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark, under celebrated chef René Redzepi.

Gonzalez and Hinojosa hail from Aguascalientes and Monterrey, respectively, and travel to Mexico regularly seeking inspiration for new dishes.

Panfila Cantina is open daily, with brunch, happy hour and dinner menus supported by a full bar, serving beer and wine, with a craft cocktail option, Gonzalez said.

The restaurant can seat about 90 customers across its dining room, bar and outdoor patio.

Early birds can find breakfast tacos on the menu, but don’t walk in expecting a San Antonio-style bean and cheese or egg and chorizo tucked into a flour tortilla. Panfila focuses

on family-style service with taco fillings prepared in a large clay cazuela for a stuff-yourown experience on corn tortillas. Other breakfast offerings include chilaquiles and an open-faced sandwich version of huevos ahogados with fried eggs over bread that gets

drowned in a fiery chile sauce.

The happy hour menu includes light nibbles such as housemade potato chips served with pickled pork skins, jalapeños and salsa.

Dinner offerings include heartier fare such as garlic mojo shrimp in a pungent and

creamy sauce with rice or a rack of pork ribs flavored al pastor style.

And instead of chips and salsa, every table offers a dish of Mexican street corn inspired by the version Hinojosa’s grandmother raised her on in Monterrey.

Panfila Cantina, 22250 Bulverde Road, Suite 114, 210-4550702, Facebook: @PanfilaCantina. Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

Panfila Cantina A selection of cazuelas is among the Panfila Cantina offerings inspired by food served in Mexican street stalls and snack shacks.