Every mountain town has a place like this. It doesn't show up in glossy magazine spreads, nobody gets dressed up to go there, and the locals would secretly prefer you didn't know about it. In Vail, that place is La Cantina, and to find it you'll have to do something many visitors never do: walk inside the Vail Transportation Center on purpose.
Tucked beneath the main deck of the transportation center, next to the Colorado Snowsports Museum, Vail's cheapest meal sits in a fittingly quirky spot, sandwiched between a staircase, day storage lockers, and a pedestrian access point to the Village parking garage - it is the proverbial hole-in-the-wall.
One visitor noted that you'd never stumble on it unless you were using the transportation center, and there's no sign on the outside of the building. Let's be honest about the setting: you're eating in a bus station, next to the restrooms, with skiers, shuttle riders and seasonal workers streaming past. Nobody comes here for the ambiance.
They come for the food and the prices. La Cantina has been serving San Diego–style Mexican food in the Vail Valley for more than 25 years, and the restaurant makes a bold claim that few in town would argue with: it's the cheapest place to eat or drink in Vail. In a village where lunch for two can easily run past $80, that's no small thing.
How it works. It's an order-and-pay-first, pick-up-your-food-later setup. While you wait, hit the salsa bar, which is free with any food or drink purchase. A word of warning from a repeat customer: don't fill up on chips before your food arrives, because the portions are serious.
What to order. The menu is classic Southern California taqueria: burritos in more than a dozen variations, crispy and soft tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, combination plates, and carne asada and carnitas platos. House favorites include the Macho Burrito (carne asada, beans and rice smothered in red enchilada sauce) and the California Burrito, the San Diego staple stuffed with steak and french fries. For the truly famished, there's El Gordo Grande, which the menu cheerfully describes as being for people who'd rather eat the whole day's food in one sitting. One reviewer reported that his friend's four-pound burrito arrived and even a big eater couldn't come close to finishing it. The chile relleno also has a devoted following: one couple wrote that a server at another restaurant sent them there specifically for the rellenos, calling it the spot where all the locals eat.
A friendly tip from the regulars: stick with the Mexican food - there are better options elsewhere for burgers! Vegetarians are well covered too, with bean burritos, veggie quesadillas and a sautéed veggie wrap, and anything taco-based can be made gluten-free by ordering corn tortillas.
The bar. Here's the secret that turns La Cantina from a quick lunch stop into a local institution: there's a small bar where you can enjoy adult beverages. The margaritas have a reputation, and one reviewer noted that they don't skimp on the alcohol. Vail Daily readers apparently agree. In the paper's Best of Vail Valley poll, La Cantina took top honors in 2024 for margarita, après ski in Vail, burrito and happy hour in Vail, following wins in several of the same categories in 2023.
When to go. It's the ideal quick bite after a ski day or before catching a bus down valley, and service is fast. If you're in a group, order a spread and share plates, then walk next door to the Colorado Snowsports Museum & Hall of Fame to round out the outing.
La Cantina won't impress anyone looking for white tablecloths or a wine list. But if you want to eat like a local, spend like a local and maybe learn where the best margarita in Vail Village really lives, head downstairs at the transportation center. Just don't tell too many people.
