Remember that scene from The Mask of Zorro where Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Bandaras are tangoing acorss the room and there’s that music playing in the background and all throughout the rest of the movie it’s that sound, that mood that seems dangerous but romantic all at the same time?…well, you won’t find danger (maybe romance?) at Cascal but every Friday night they have a live band that definately could have been featured in the movie. This would be an ideal place to bring a date but it’s not so posh and pretty that you can’t come in jeans with a group of friends, order a pitcher of sangria and sit under one of the many heat lamps that dot the outside eating areas. I’ve had some hit and misses with this restaurant in terms of food but the ambiance is always great – lively, noisy, this place is a good way to feel like you’re not in Mountain View, though you really are… just don’t order the spainish tapas platter. It’s pretty and when you see a waiter cruising by with a plate you’ll be tempted but while it’s a eye candy looking dish the individual components of the dish are either too sour or strangely sweet. You’re better off ordering what sounds good to you indivdually on the tapas menu or trying one of the other samplers. Tapas restaurants tend to be a little more pricey. Try not to pick this place if you haven’t eaten all day, they really try to focus more on quality then quanity.

I’ve only been to Cascal once and the one dish I really remember is their fried calamari. I tend to order fried calamari whenever I see it on a menu, and Cascal’s was excellent….perfectly fried and a good sized portion (especially for a tapas place). The rest of the food was good…though pricey as most tapas places are. And I think I left a bit hungry.

I am a vegetarian and was very pleasantly surprised to find that they do cater to us herbivores. The Mushroom empanadas were delectible and the spanish fries were very very good! The spicy salsa complements the fries and adds another layer of complexity and flavor. I found their Sangria a bit watered down but the food totally made up for it! I think this place is far better than Zarzuella in SF that has received plenty of accolades for the food as well as its delicious Sangria!

This is a good place to go to if you are with a group that likes to try almost everything in the menu.
The dishes were very flavorful and very nicely presented.
The mushroom empanadas are definitely something to try.
The dungeness crab and shrimp tostaditos were also very good; the veggies that came with it was fresh and crisp.
We also tried the paella rustica—it was very rich. Good but I was a little overwhelmed by the variety of meats. The restaurant was very nicely decorated, not too dimly lit.
Their sangria was okay—I noticed on the menu that they have a choice of red, white or sparkling but the server didnt ask us for preference.

Cascal has lots of options and many of them are enjoyable, but few are great. I went there for the fifth time tonight and realized almost nothing ever tasted better than it looked. They rely heavily on oils, though the food doesn’t feel oily. Most dishes by their nature are flavorful and enjoyable, but few dishes linger. The cheese and mushroom empanadas are just as tasty as cheese in pastry should be, but if you gave them to me out of a microwave, I’d say they tasted good, but wouldn’t have been shocked by the possibility that they were freezer food. The appetizer plate gives you a huge range of options for $22, but each item is about the quality of a good catered company buffet.

The best tapas are the Eggplant Tian ($8), Grilled Serrano Ham & Date Brochette ($8.50), and the quail ($11) despite being rather skimpy. Its a nice hip upscale atmosphere and a good place for a date.