Published by Angie. Last Updated on February 5, 2025.
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Esquina Cantina (formerly known as Round Corner Cantina) has been a Lawrenceville institution for more than a decade, serving up tacos and other Mexican fare plus cocktails utilizing Mexican spirits and ingredients. The interior bar has a great cantina vibe, but there’s nothing like sitting out on the cozy patio with outdoor bar on a nice summer night.
So whether you’re a regular of the former Round Corner Cantina, or simply want to check out a new-to-you spot in Lawrenceville, check out Esquina Cantina!
Mexican with Cocktails at Esquina Cantina
We checked out Esquina Cantina on a crisp fall evening and enjoyed dining on the patio. Browsing the cocktail menu, several of the drinks caught our eye with their use of different tequilas and mezcals, plus ingredients like jalapeno, tomato, pineapple, and passion fruit. I tried La Marciana with mezcal, chile infused aperol, lime, agave, and vegan egg white. It was light and refreshing with a good balance of smoky and bitter, plus it was a pretty pink color.
Jeremy is always on the lookout for spicy cocktails, and during our visit there were several on the menu. He tried the Furiosa with tequila, pineapple, piment d’espelette, and jalapeno. The light green color hinted at the spice in the drink, which was balanced by the sweetness of the pineapple. If you’re looking for crowd-pleasing cocktails, the menu here definitely hits the mark.
For food we of course had to start out with some queso. Here it is served with mushrooms, corn, and sliced jalapenos on top. The queso itself was creamy and smooth, although it could have used a touch more salt and a more intense cheese flavor. The larger chunks of mushroom were a little hard to eat due to their size, but we liked the spice of the jalapenos and sweetness of the corn. The chips were crispy and freshly fried.
The focal point of the food menu is tacos. They come two per order here and there are a variety of filling options like birria, carnitas, pork belly, and chorizo. We tried the carnitas with braised pork, pico de gallo, queso fresco, and salsa jalapeno. While two tacos may not seem like a lot, they are stuffed to the brim – in fact, it was almost a little too much filling for the delicate house made tortillas.
The tortillas themselves had good flavor but we would have liked a little more salt and flavor in the carnitas (although they were quite juicy and tender).
We also tried a huarache which was topped with beans, lettuce, pickled onions, crema, and our choice of meat (we opted for chorizo). The chorizo had a nice spiciness and the house made huarache base was good, but as with the tacos and queso we thought the whole dish could have used a touch more salt and seasoning. On the plus side, the portion size was monstrous and we took leftovers home.
The service was a little slow and we never got one of the other appetizers we ordered (which was fine since we weren’t charged for it and we had so much other food); there was a large group on the patio during our visit which may have contributed to the issues.
Overall, Esquina Cantina is a good spot to stop if you’re making a night of it in Lawrenceville with friends- it’s perfect for grabbing a tequila or mezcal cocktail and munching on a few snacks. We appreciate that the tortillas are made from scratch, and that the bar has a respectable and extensive tequila and mezcal list.
Esquina Cantina is located at 3720 Butler Street in Lawrenceville.
