where jess ate

Located on College Street between Ossington and Dufferin, Cafeteria is the newest addition to the Playa Cabana (@PlayaCabana) family.

While the name of the restaurant may bring you back to your childhood memories, this certainly bears no resemblance to the cafeterias of your schoolyard days. The space features similar grungey vintage décor like the other Playa Cabana restaurants but the back half of the space feels much brighter.

The restaurant is separated into two distinct spaces, partially separated by these striking metal gates. The dimly-lit front of the restaurant features the bar, counter seating and high-top seating while the back of the restaurant features the brighter dining room.

Cafeteria is open every day except Tuesdays from 5pm and reserves half the restaurant for reservations, leaving the other half for walk-ins.

Executive Chef and owner Dave Sidhu has hired Lucas Perez (previously from El Catrin and Patria) as Chef de Cuisine and together they’ve created a fantastic Mexican-inspired menu. We recently attended a media event at Cafeteria and had a really fun night. Here’s a look at some of their offerings:

Agua Loca – Mount Gay white rum, Mount Gay dark dum, Maraschino liqueur, lime juice, guava juice & pineapple juice 

Ghetto Michelada – Tecate cerveza, Cholula, salsa ingles, lime juice, topped with carrot, jicama, cucumber

The Grove – Single Village Espadin mezcal, Bulleit rye, Fernet branca, agave, cardamom bitters

Chupacabra – Dillon’s gin, Maraschino liqueur, green chartreuse, pineapple juice

Fresh Guacamole & Tostadas

Crab Salad Pastor

Octopus Ceviche

Tuna Tostada

Huitlacoche Quesadilla

Venison Tostada

Chicken Mole

Steak Tempiquena

Corn Cake Dessert 

The highlights of the night were the Crab Salad Pastor, Huitlacoche Quesadilla and Steak Tempiquena. The crab salad consisted of a bed of greens topped with deep fried soft shell crab, sweet pineapples, radishes and a light vinaigrette. I’m a sucker for soft shell crab and this salad didn’t disappoint. It was a great way to whet our appetite. While the quesadilla didn’t resemble a traditional quesadilla (it was more of a deep fried dumpling), it was incredibly delicious and packed full of flavour. The steak was another home run of the night. The skirt steak was cooked to a nice medium rare and was perfectly seasoned. It was served sliced with rajas con crema (a poblano pepper cream sauce) and crispy yucca chips. Definitely a must order!

With a great space, cocktails and tasty dishes, Cafeteria is another great addition to the Playa Cabana family!

*This was a complimentary meal. The opinions in the post, as always, are my own.*