The Cantina
Feel the Tex-Mex fun at Baba’s beloved student bar

Photos courtesy of The Cantina

We fondly Remember the days when beer pong with Keystone Light was an everyday occasion. It’s a sad reality that we had to grow out of those carefree drinking rituals after college. But just because we’re living in the so-called “working world” doesn’t mean we can’t (at least try to) party like youngsters.

On a recent weeknight, we trekked off to college town Takadanobaba, where some of our student friends introduced us to The Cantina. It didn’t take us three minutes to find the venue of the night. The Southwestern lodge-like façade, sandwiched by dingy concrete buildings, gave off a welcoming vibe even before we arrived at the main bar in the basement. Knowing that The Cantina is a Tex-Mex pub, we had visions of a venue packed with dudes dressed in cowboy boots and the orange-skinned sorority chicks who love them—or even some truck drivers getting their nightly alcohol fix.
But contrary to our horrible stereotypes, the space was jammed with Waseda kids and young professionals, both Japanese and foreign. The interior is outfitted with saloon-style bar stools, lassos, cowboy hats—and a huge flat-screen TV.

A sign announces that all cocktails and soft drinks are fifty percent off before 7:30pm every day. Also, every 5th, 15th and 25th of the month is Guinness Day, which means you can enjoy the deep taste of the Irish stout for ¥450 per pint.

Though the staff initially guided us toward the table section, we opted for counter seats, hoping to chat up the cute half-Japanese bartender.

We started the night with a chicken quesadilla (¥680), homemade soft-shell tacos (¥550) and onion rings (¥380)—all washed down with frozen margaritas (¥700). Honestly, we weren’t expecting much from The Cantina’s food menu since most other self-proclaimed Tex-Mex bars in Tokyo tend to be disappointing. But in this case the food passed muster, and we couldn’t help ordering seconds.

After filling our stomachs, we continued our drunken shenanigans with shots of B-52 (¥680) and Jose Cuervo Gold (¥430), chased with Long Island iced teas (¥800)—a very quick and practical way to get smashed. As our last train loomed, we felt like everyone at the bar was part of our crew, including staff and customers, which is definitely a sign that we had a good time. The only negative memory of our Cantina experience was the nasty hangover the following day. Unfortunately, being stuck in a morning commute assured us that we are getting old, and sadly, can’t often indulge in college-style debauchery.

4-9-9 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku. Tel: 03-6380-7636. Open Mon-Thu 4pm-1am, Fri & nights before hols 4pm-2am, Sat 11am-2am, Sun 11am-11pm. Nearest stn: Takadanobaba, Waseda exit. www.texmexcantina.com

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