Crocodile Cantina Dotes on Its Theme

It used to be that margarita-pumping Mexican restaurants rarely served anything more exotic than an enchilada-chile relleno platter. But in the ‘80s--as smaller, independent restaurants experimented with Southwestern and regional Mexican cooking--the Red Onions and El Toritos of the area had to modernize, which means they started serving black beans and blue-corn tortilla chips. In the mid-’80s, El Cholo even opened a Southwest showcase spot, the Sonora Cafe.

The new color-drenched Crocodile Cantina, not quite 2 weeks old, seems to have evolved from its nuevo Cal-Mex predecessors. Southwest-style art is on the walls and the crocodile theme is played to the hilt--in papier-mache statues, and peeking, steely-eyed out of fake windows.

The menu is extremely ambitious--quesadillas come with smoked barbecue duck; instead of nachos, there is queso fundido, topped with bits of chorizo. There’s not one Mexican dish on the menu that would have been served in a restaurant of its type 10 years ago. There is a hamburger, and there are pastas (red chile linguine, herb fettuccine). Most of the entrees come with sauteed vegetables. The Crocodile Cantina, the latest from the people who own Pasadena’s Parkway Grill and Crocodile Cafe, covers its bases.

For all its hard work, though, the Cantina seems to try a little too hard: The food is not as sharp as its ambition--its too junked up. Border Grill has been serving better and more delicious versions of this stuff for years.

But Crocodile Cantina is designed to sell huge quantities of margaritas and make tons of money. I’m sure it will.

* Crocodile Cantina, 626 N. Central Ave., Glendale. (818) 241-1114. Entrees $5.95-$9.95