This Valentine’s Day, I had the chance to dine at Dos Caminos in Las Vegas. It wasn’t with my sweetheart, but with a few people eager to learn and experience 100% agave tequilas. (Dan, Dave, Brad and Phil, you did good and I’ll be happy to drink tequila with you anytime). I’m still jet lag from the flight back to the east coast, so these notes may be a little unorganized – thanks for your understanding.

Dos Caminos greeted us splendidly as we wound through the room settling into a comfortable size booth with good command of the restaurant. Themed from Day of the Dead, there are skulls on the wall and candles everywhere. This may sound eerie, but it is skillfully executed and provides a pleasant setting. Dos Caminos is afflicted with what I call the Las Vegas effect – where the line between restaurants and nightclubs is blurred. The music was a little loud for dining, but shouldn’t keep you away.

Of course we started with the guac which was fresh and the double order was plenty for our group. The chips kept coming and we began focusing on the tequila list.

With newbies in tow, I thought it best to start with the reposados. The smoother taste would get their palates acclimated to the agave taste and show hints of what good tequilas can be. After searching the extensive list, we went with a TTG favorite (Espolon) and two tequilas that sparked my interest-Chinaco and Oro Azul. I love the Chinaco blanco and haven’t had the pleasure of tasting the reposado and the Oro Azul had good notes on the menu. The Espolon didn’t disappoint. It is still one of my top 5 tequilas and I love tasting it because it’s so hard to find on the east coast. The Chinaco and Oro Azul got good marks as well. The Oro Azul really impressed with its smoothness, flavor and nose.

On to the meals - Dos Caminos continued to impress with its traditional Mexican food. The Chilean sea bass was absolutely spectacular and the chile rellenos were very good as well. The skirt steak and enchiladas were good but not the best I’ve ever had. If I (scratch that) when I go back, I’m having the sea bass.

With are bellies filling up, we then started to sample a couple of blancos-Ocho and Trago. Trago got mixed reviews from the group. It is an incredibly smooth tequila with nuances that weren’t appreciated due to our unconventional tasting setting. It’s a great tequila, but didn’t pair well with the food and its unique tasting profile didn’t fight for attention against the other tequilas. The Ocho was delightful. It’s a full-bodied blanco with a burnt orange taste that is lively on your tongue. At this point the newbies were raising eyebrows and questions about how could tequila taste so different and unique. I smiled satisfied that the curiosity seed for tequila has been planted. Enjoy the journey fellas!!

With meals done, we finished the experience with a couple of aged tequilas. The Ocho blanco impressed us enough to try their añejo and I decide to go with another TTG favorite, El Tesoro Paradiso. At this point, my notes are a little light about the Ocho. I remember it was good, but I liked their blanco better. The añejo was a little light in color and the taste was good but not extraordinary. On the other hand, the Paradiso was a wonderful way to complete the dining experience. I’m not sure if we could have finished the meal in any better fashion.

Here’s the take on Dos Caminos
Tequilas 5 stars
Service 5 stars
Staff 5 stars
Food 4 ½ stars
Setting 4 stars

Overall 5 stars


If you’ve been there, let me know what you think.

Enjoy Responsibly,

The Tequila Guy

Post edited by: The Tequila Guy, at: 2009/02/25 19:44