Waterloo’s New Mexican Restaurant La Cava Is Worth the Hype

A New Restaurant Opens in Waterloo

A friend of mine insisted that I tried out a new restaurant that just opened in Waterloo, and it did not disappoint!

Over the past year, one location in the Cedar Valley has been home to a few different businesses.

The History of 126 E Ridgeway Avenue

From Mersim’s Kitchen to a Short-Lived Steakhouse

First, it was Mersim's Kitchen, a Bosnian restaurant had called the spot on Ridgeway Avenue for a few years. Then in March of 2024, the restaurant announced its closure.

A few months later, a steakhouse opened in that same location.

Elena's Steakhouse & Bar opened for business on Monday, July 29th of last year. Just under four months after its grand opening, this eatery located at 126 E Ridgeway Ave in Waterloo closed its doors.

Read more about that eatery here.

Elena's closed in November after an online auction took place, where interested parties could bid on 297 pieces of equipment, furniture, kitchen utensils, service trays, etc.

All of these items were from Elena's Steakhouse in Waterloo.

Now, just a few months later a new restaurant has opened up in this location.

La Cava Mexican Bar & Grill Opens in Waterloo

La Cava Mexican Bar & Grill opened in Waterloo on February 8th at 126 East Ridgeway Avenue.

This new addition to the Cedar Valley restaurant scene is a "contemporary family-friendly Mexican restaurant" that offers classic Mexican food with a bit of a twist.

Of course, they have some delicious margaritas and classic cocktails too!

La Cava Mexican Bar & Grill Menu – Must-Try Dishes

This modern Mexican spot offers so many great options for you to choose from. My friend jokingly pointed out the Burrito California which includes: steak, chicken or mix, French fries, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole.

Any time there are fries on the menu, I'm absolutely getting them.

This was a fun combo of two of my favorite things, fries and steak.

The burrito was HUGE! I ate half and saved the rest for later. It was absolutely delicious and hit the spot!

While this was yummy, next time I'm going to probably give the fajitas a try. One of my friends ordered them and we were all pleasantly surprised by just how big the portion was.

This Spicy Margarita Is a Must-Try

No Mexican spot is complete without talking about the margaritas. The friend who told me about the place and suggested we check it out for dinner ordered herself a spicy margarita, and OH MY GOODNESS...

That thing looked absolutely scrumptious!

I had a bit of a drive ahead of me so I couldn't risk it but look how MASSIVE it is!

My Honest Thoughts on La Cava in Waterloo – Great Service & Huge Portions

Overall, this was a great meal!

At the end of our time there, the waitress apologized for the "long wait" since there were only two servers on the floor at the time.

To be quite honest, I hardly noticed since the service was so exceptional!

La Cava is definitely a new spot that you have to add to your typical dining rotation.

La Cava’s Hours of Operation

Sunday: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Monday: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Tuesday: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Wednesday: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Thursday: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Friday: 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Saturday: 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM

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