Ian Duke and David Hilty, two well-known Hamptonians who own the Southampton Social Club, are the moving force behind Union Cantina, a restaurant that takes Mexican cuisine to the next level. And did we mention, a cocktail menu with more than 100 kinds of tequila?
Executive Chef Scott Kampf, who’s been featured on the Food Network’s “Iron Chefs of America,” oversees Union Cantina’s kitchen. He’s well known to local patrons. He also heads the Social Club’s kitchen.
Union Cantina opened in 2016 in Bowden Square in a site previously occupied by the Southampton Publick House. It’s a great spot for locals because it’s open year-round, every day of the week.
Chef Kampf blends modern and traditional Mexican cuisine that ranges from Mexican Pizza topped with black beans, heirloom tomatoes, black olives, a Mexican cheese blend, sour cream and pico de gallo, to a full taco menu.
The Baja Tacos feature negro modelo beer battered cod, with spicy mago slaw, picked radish, key lime aioli and avocado crema.
The Huevos Rancheros is offered on the Brunch menu including crispy corn tortillas, eggs over medium, pico de gallo, cheese blend, yucca home fries, sour cream, and fresh made guacamole.
The featured dish is its signature Deconstructed Enchilada. Diners have their pick of skirt steak, spicy shrimp, adobe chicken and seasonal vegetables.
When they designed the restaurant, Duke and Hilty set out to combine the feel of Hampton’s summer social set with rustic Mexican culture. The dark wood interior is offset by bright cerulean colored walls, decorated with Mexican artwork.
The restaurant’s 400 Rabbits Tequila Bar is a destination in itself. It harks back to the days of 1020s prohibition-era speakeasys. The tequila bar carries more than 100 types of tequila producing a unique signature cocktail program and an extensive tequila menu consisting of sangrias, punches and frozen drinks.
Popular cocktails include The Classic Margarita, featuring Espolon Tequila; Frozen Margarita which features fruit flavors such as mango, strawberry, passion fruit, pineapple and prickly pear. Their premium margarita is the Warren cocktail, a blend of Don Julio 1942 tequila with Grand Marnier’s 100th Anniversary Centenario liqueur.
The 65 Mustang cocktail is a bold combination of Bulleit Bourbon, pressed cider, cinnamon syrup, fresh lime plus bitters and mints. The drinks are also served at Union Cantina’s outside bar and café space.
Union Cantina is year-round hotspot for festive dining, live music and A-list celebrations. Check out all it has to offer at the restuarant’s Web site.
Union Cantina
40 Bowden Square
Southampton, NY 11968
Facebook: Union Cantina
Phone: (631) 377-3500
Monday – Friday: Lunch is served 11:30am – 4:00pm
Saturday & Sunday: Brunch is served 11:30am – 4:00pm
Sunday – Wednesday: Dinner is served 5:00pm – 11:00pm
Thursday, Friday & Saturday: Dinner is served 5:00pm – 12:00am