Restaurant Review: Calico Jack’s Cantina in NYC

* Name: Calico Jack’s Cantina
* Location: (2nd Avenue at 42nd Street, next to the Irish place)
* Open For: Lunch, Dinner
* Under Review: Lunch
* Price Range: Medium
* Fare: Cajun and Mexican (seriously)
* Full Bar: Yes
* Food Score (out of 10): 7
* Service Score (out of 10): 7
* Reservations: Yes
* BT Blog Recommends?: Yes
* Booking Information:

800 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10017
(212) 557-4300

* Website: http://www.calicojacksnyc.com/ (which features people dancing to horrid 80’s music - just warning you)
* Review: I’m one of those people. I can barely find Central Park (the subway, in particular, messes with my sense of direction) but I can find $3 margaritas in Manhattan. And good ones. I had a few hours to kill today waiting on my expedited Chinese visa (more on that later) so in my vast wanderings I happened upon Calico Jack’s. I was immediately drawn in to the restaurant by the sign outside proclaiming “$3 margaritas - bar only.” And it was lunch time, so I decided to grab a bite to go with my frozen, no salt. I ordered the vegetarian quesadilla, which is about as Mexican as I am (meaning not Mexican at all). It contained fresh spinach, goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes and it was pretty darn good. Other cheeses were present as well (and I’m a big cheese fan) which kept the goat cheese from being too much. About three quarters through my second margarita, I struck up a conversation with the bartender to find that the $3 margs are available EVERY DAY. What a bargain! I mean, I’m not going to take the train over from Jersey just to go back to Calico Jack’s, but if I find myself in the neighborhood again I’ll definitely stop in.

P.S. I don’t know about the Cajun part. Pretty weird combo, though.

If you don’t believe me, it’s Zagat Rated as well.