Vida Cantina

Vida Cantina is a chef-driven restaurant serving modern Mexican food, built around signature tacos, pig head carnitas platters served with 20 tortillas, and a long tequila list with 40-plus bottles for margaritas. Chef and owner Dave Vargas draws on his Mexican heritage and uses locally grown ingredients, and the restaurant has drawn national attention along with a strong local following.

The menu covers lunch, dinner, drinks and dessert, with lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Takeout is available, though it is not offered on Friday and Saturday evenings starting at 5 PM. Gift cards are sold, and the restaurant also does catering, offsite game day catering and private dining. The restaurant is on Lafayette Road in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, along Route 1.