A taste of Mexico awaits at Madero Cantina in Murrysville
It's easy to miss Madero Cantina.
The Mexican restaurant is tucked into the corner of Murrysville's Creekside Shops along a busy strip of Route 22. The warm, comfortable atmosphere and food inside make this cozy eatery a stand out on a cold winter's night.
Chef David Montanez says he got to know the community years ago when he worked at a nearby Eat'n Park restaurant and watched people head to Greensburg or Monroeville for something different. That convinced him the area was ready for the kind of menu that made his first restaurant, Las Velas, a hit in Pittsburgh's Market Square. When a previous Mexican restaurant at the site opened and closed quickly, he jumped at the opportunity to launch Madero Cantina in the same space.
Montanez of North Huntington grew up in Mexico City and honed his culinary skills at restaurants on the Yucatán Peninsula.
“Everything on the menu is something I had in Mexico,” he says.
He patterned his fish tacos after the tacos he loved from a street vendor's cart where he'd stop after work. And the steak marinade, “that was my grandmother's,” he says.
On a recent weekend visit, a mix of multi-generation families, couples and a friendly wait staff gave the restaurant the feel of a well-established neighborhood eatery.
A children's menu includes cheese quesadillas ($5), taquitos ($5.50) and the ever-popular chicken and fish fingers ($5.50).
But let's get down to business.
We would go back just for the chips, which were served warm and crisp with a delicious queso blanco ($4) studded with tiny pieces of tomato and onion and just the right touch of cilantro.
Patrons at Madero can wash down those chips with any of a dozen Mexican beers, a wide selection of tequilas or one of the giant strawberry-cucumber margaritas that have drawn rave reviews in multiple online comments.
For the more adventurous, or just another trip to Madero, the menu offers a wide variety of appetizers ranging from seviche ($12), a traditional cold citrus marinated seafood choice, to fried jalapeños ($9) and huitlacoche dip ($8), a Mexican truffle dip with corn and mushrooms.
When it comes to entrees, the selection is broad. There's ample opportunity to sample from an array of tacos, burritos, fajitas and more traditional Mexican fare including en mole poblano ($15.50) and chiles rellenos ($16).
One caution here: come hungry. The entrees are generous.
Mahi mahi tacos ($13) were loaded with large portions of mildly spiced grilled fish, complemented by avocado pico de gallo and a creamy chipotle sauce. A side of margarita slaw, a delicious red cabbage slaw in a lime dressing with a hint tequila, was the perfect accompaniment.
We got a taste of Montanez's grandmother's marinade on tender spicy filet fajitas ($19.50), delivered sizzling with peppers, onions, refried beans, chunky guacamole, cheese, sour cream and lettuce.
Longing for a taste of the tropics, our most intrepid diner gave the velada ($19.50) four stars. Served in half of a fresh pineapple brimming with pieces of chicken, steak, fish, shrimp, pepper, onions and served with cheese, sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo on the side, we all agreed it was almost too pretty to eat. The combination of sweet pineapple and spicy fillings made for the ultimate happy marriage of tastes.
On a cold winter night, we couldn't ask for more.
Deb Erdley is a Tribune-Review writer. Reach her at 412-320-7996 or derdley@tribweb.com.
