Daiquiri Deck a draw at Sergio's in Geneva
Outdoor seating has always been a hit at Sergio's Cantina in Geneva, with crowds willing to wait extra long for a patio spot during the summer. In May, the bar opened the Daiquiri Deck, a space that lets more customers enjoy the weather with an updated menu of Mexican food and drinks.
Motif: The huge shaded deck features multiple bars to make sure your drinks come out fast and cold. Palm trees strung with lights line the space. The umbrella-topped tables on the second floor provide a view of the action below. The interior has a mix of booths and bright wood and tile tables, plus a long bar with TVs tuned to sports. The rafters are decorated with pottery, and flowers, fish and pictures of palms line the walls.
Crowd: Weekends are the busiest time and the outdoor space was full when we visited, packed with a mix of couples, big groups and seniors.
Service: Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu, able to recommend both popular dishes and her own favorites. She checked in regularly to take fresh orders and update us on when our food would be coming out.
Food: Mexico City native Sergio de los Santos' friends urged him to open a restaurant after he cooked for them. As co-owner of Sergio's, along with his wife Lindsey, Sergio does some of the work in the kitchen and his brother serves as head cook. They originally planned to offer a separate menu for the Daiquiri Deck based on recipes from Chicago chef Rick Bayless' restaurants, but found many diners wanted to sit outside while still ordering from the original menu. They wound up combining the two, adding tacos and tortas to their selection of light, made-from-scratch fare.
We started with the pineapple bacon guacamole, which sounds weird but was delicious. Segmented into the three components, you can choose to just eat what you want, but the mix of sweet and salty works really well. The coconut shrimp were also excellent, very crispy and served with a light red pepper and mango salsa. Serious Mexican food fans can enjoy the combo platter, where you can get a choice of two or three dishes like the crunchy tostadas and super popular fish tacos.
Liquid consumption: Sergio's added plenty of summery drinks to its menu to go with the new space. Made for two, their fish bowl features coconut rum, blue Curacao and Swedish fish. It's fun to look at, but doesn't have much flavor. We much preferred the refreshing coconut mojito and the new 3 x 3 margarita. The blend of Tres Generaciones Anejo and Reposado tequilas provides plenty of kick without being overwhelming. Their classic margaritas are also great, and servers were doling out free samples of the refreshing sippers.
If you want to save some money, stop on Tuesday or Thursday for half-price margaritas or Mondays and Wednesdays for half-price fish bowls.
Music: Sergio's hosts acoustic guitarists on Fridays. The bar has brought in full bands for festivals or other Geneva events and hopes to expand on that now that they have more space.
Parking: Sergio's doesn't have a parking lot and finding street parking can be quite difficult during busy nights in downtown Geneva. Be prepared to drive around looking for an opening.
Overall: Take advantage of the hot summer weather and cool off with a frozen drink at Sergio Cantina's Daiquiri Deck.
Sergio's Cantina
30 W. State St., Geneva, (630) 845-9200, <a href="http://www.sergioscantina.com">sergioscantina.com</a>
<b>Hours: </b>11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday