Candelas on the Bay has had a “temporarily closed” sign in its’ window since mid-January as they undergo renovations to their kitchen and deck. Last week they reopened under new management with a limited menu, limited hours and a limited staff in an effort to please their regular customers as they finish up the renovations.
They will be open every day from 11am-8pm with a Happy Hour Menu all day [unless the renovations are expected to be loud and disturb customers, in which case they will close during those timeframes].
While the menu is limited, they added an all you can eat taco bar that includes street taco corn tortillas, shredded chicken and beef, rice, beans and salsa. They also added burritos to their menu, but kept local favorites like Huaraches, fish tacos and fresh salads to please their guests. The manager shared that they also lowered some of their prices.
With the limited staff, Candelas now requires you order at the bar and take a number to your table for the entrees to be delivered. As we entered Candelas, the manager directed us to where we should order and was very friendly as he explained the new process. There were only three of us dining that night and I must admit ordering at the bar made it fast and easy. It also let us peruse the cocktail list and see their happy hour special ‘Happy Pitcher’ of Margaritas or Beer for $10.50.
The food arrived quickly, looked beautiful and tasted delicious. I asked the manager for recommendations and he suggested the Huaraches, I had never had Huaraches before and it did not disappoint. I ordered Carnitas Huaraches which is a thick corn tortilla with a black bean spread covered by carnitas, salsa, lettuce sour cream and crumbled queso fresco.
My son tried the fish tacos and enjoyed them, but would ask for the chipotle mayonnaise on the side next time as he thought it was a little spicy. I tried the fish tacos and very much enjoyed the chipotle sauce so I shared my carnitas huaraches with him and stole a taco. There was more than enough food, along with the chips and salsa, that we all left happy and satisfied with full stomachs.
I look forward to the grand reopening that is expected sometime next month or April depending on the renovation timeline. The deck is to be expanded and the kitchen will be renovated so we will see how they improve upon an already top-notch experience.
Candelas is located in the Ferry Landing at 1201 First Street, Coronado. 619-435-4900 x7005
