So, this place came to my attention when I was doing my usual... watching food shows on TV or Facebook, and something came up about Cuban Sandwiches, so I instantly go to Yelp and look around. Enter Cafe DeSoto. I saw many good reviews online, so when the wife and I had an errand to run in Alexandria, I wanted to give it a shot. When I approached the restaurant it had the cafe ambiance you would expect from a small food shop. Few tables and chairs outside, and a few more places to sit on the inside. The food was really really good. The wife ordered a steak taco, and I ordered the Cuban Sandwich with the cilantro lime rice and 3 street steak tacos. The tacos were amazing, very simple, and small, but the flavor was definitely there. The cilantro lime rice was out of this world, great by itself, or toss it on the tacos, either way you won't be disappointed. The Cuban Sandwich was good, unfortunately I'm not a huge horseradish fan and that is exactly what the cajun mustard tasted like to me. Other than that, it was small in comparison to what I was expecting, but the flavor and construction was there. You got a bite of pickle, pork and cheese in every bite. If I make it back out there, I will definitely go again, either for the tacos alone, or the Cuban again, but without the mustard. One thing I did notice though, this seems to be a lunch only spot, from 1100-1400 on weekdays. So not sure how likely I'll be to be able to make it back, but I definitely would go back. read more

Cafe Desoto - American Near Me - Alexandria, Louisiana

Favorite locals spot in downtown Alexandria. Super cute with local art on the walls. Everything is fresh and delicious here. My craves are the Cuban and the the street tacos. A side of slaw is a must. So Good! read more

I had high expectations after learning of the chef's excellent cooking background but even so it far exceeded my expectations. I'm exited to have a place this good in Alexandria. I'm looking forward to trying the entire menu. The taco's I tried were all phenomenal and the Cuban may be better than the one at City Pork in BR. read more

Cafe Desoto - American Near Me - Alexandria, Louisiana

See all

Cool new lunch spot downtown offers "street tacos" Mexican style as well as pulled pork tacos steak tacos, sandwiches burgers and salads. I had a house salad with chicken on top. It came with crispy real bacon, red onions, cherry tomatoes and a spring mix that included spinach. The chicken was good quality roasted and sliced- plenty of it too! All was very flavorful and well served. Service was friendly and super quick. The ambience is lively with contemporary/ industrial vibe decor. Lots of local art on the walls- so come for a rotating art show that includes abstracts, landscapes and goat portraits- yes goat portraits! read more

See all

Good value and great food. The Cuban with black beans was fabulous. If you stay at the Hotel Bentley it's a very short walk from it.

Driving across the country with my husband and we stopped here for a bite! I got the shrimp taco and mahi taco and they were both absolutely delicious. My husband got the burger with an egg on it. He enjoyed it very much! We're lucky we stopped while they were open, as they have short hours. The owner and his son are the sweetest! Highly recommend this spot if you're in town. There's also a coffee shop next door! read more

Gumbo for lunch today from Café Desoto. Mr. Brad has all kinds of yummy stuff. My favorites are the Gumbo and the Philly. There's something for everyone! You won't go wrong with anything on the menu. Working downtown a lot this is a Quick, Friendly, and Delicious place for lunch when your downtown for any reason. We also spend the weekend 2-3 times a year a few feet from his door running sound for IndieVillage activities. read more

Cafe Desoto - Gumbo, Chips, and Drink! - American Near Me - Alexandria, Louisiana

Came here to eat 03june2021, it's a nice spot inside, very clean even the bathroom. I love fish tacos and this satisfied me enough. I just wish they knew better to put it on more than one tortilla because my taco fell apart. Cubano sandwich was good, sweet potato without all the extra added sweetness made the meal healthier. read more

Cafe Desoto - Cubano sandwich with a side of sweet potato and Mahi Mahi fish taco - American Near Me - Alexandria, Louisiana

Food is good but prices much too high. Limited hours. Service too slow for a lunch place.

Wow! Found this place on our drive from New Orleans to Fort Worth. The food is super fresh, healthy, and delicious. So much better than fast food or the usual chains. I had the avocado burger -no bun- on a bed of spinach and the citrus slaw. Amazing. It was so good that I really wanted to finish it all, but I just couldn't. My husband had the steak burrito. The steak was moist and flavorful, the avocado was sliced to order, and the beans were black, not refried. As lagniappe, they have the best selection of diet drinks and serve beer. read more

Cafe Desoto - Bunless avocado burger on spinach. Citrus Slaw. - American Near Me - Alexandria, Louisiana

Overpriced average food. $13 for a burger(just the burger). Paid over $16 for a steak Quesadilla. The Quesadilla had what appeared to be beef roast and not steak as well as white American cheese. This is what you would expect from Taco Bell. read more

I stopped here with my boyfriend for lunch and it was delicious. There's a very friendly, artsy atmosphere and the food is phenomenal. 10/10 would recommend. I'll definitely be coming back ! read more

Delicious little lunch spot! Small dining area but should be sufficient to service our small downtown lunch crowd. Service was excellent - timely and friendly. So far I've tried mahi-mahi tacos, pulled pork tacos, chicken quesadilla, and chicken enchiladas. I would recommend any of these! Will be back! read more

See all

This restaurant is a gem! Fresh, vibrant flavors and so many options! Our family stopped in for lunch on a long road trip. We all found something delicious! Highly recommend the Mediterranean Chicken sandwich, Capri sandwich, and steak burrito with fresh salsa! The citrus slaw with carrots and cabbage was amazing--I found myself wishing we lived closer to Alexandria so we could eat here more often. Brad, the chef, is charming and friendly. We'll be back! read more

Overall great... we had cilantro-lime rice (a little bit too much lime), blackened shrimp taco (awesome good), cheese only Capri panini (not true panini-possibly usually made in grill). The inside dining was cozy, but we decided to dine outdoors at one of the two tables. read more

See all

Found this little gem via Yelp. Glad I did. My family and I arrived minutes before closing after the lunch hours but staff graciously welcomed us in. The menu was surprisingly large/varied. The food was fresh and thoughtfully prepared. The service was congenial and hospitable. We will definitely be back. read more

Its good. Nothing to really write home about. Kinda pricey for something basic like chicken tacos. None the less glad we've got it as an option read more

Stephen who took my order was very friendly. The burrito I had was fresh and delicious. I will be back soon to try a panini.

The staff is very friendly.The street tacos are delish! And, the salads are good. But, the best surprise is the butternut squash! Oh my gosh!!! Do yourself a favor and order it! read more

Great filling tacos! Both the shrimp and pork were great! And the butternut squash on the side!

Went to desoto after work on a Friday and was pleasantly surprised. Another hidden gem in the downtown area that definitely needs to be visited by more people in Alexandria. The menu is simple, straight to the point, and full of flavor. Had shrimp, pulled pork, and chicken all of which were awesome! A definite must read more

See all

The food was exceptional and service spot on. Such a nice and easy place to enjoy great food and relax! Well done!!!!!!

First time to eat here. Got the "low and slow" pulled pork street taco. Best street taco I have had in Alexandria. Very friendly owner and excellent service. Kitchen staff was very accommodating when informed about my girlfriend's gluten allergy and offered to prepare her food accordingly. Will definitely be back to try more! read more

Two for lunch on Friday, The shrimp taco, advertised as blackened, had neither blackening spices, nor any recognizable spice on the lone shrimp. A pulled-pork quesadilla was a soggy mess, all but inedible - even with a knife and fork. Considering Chef Blackwell's credentials, we expected better. We need new eateries in Alexandria, but the $17. 50 we paid for this lunch would have been better spent a block or two away. read more

Dropped in here for lunch recently with my wife. Not sure why I did not spot this gem before now. Lunch only and only weekdays. Tall ceilings, local artist works on the walls, a few tall and short tables and chairs scattered about. Friendly staff. Ordered four tacos; shrimp, pork, chicken and steak. All delicious with different accompaniments (see menu on website). Will be back soon to try a salad and/or burrito. Highly recommended. read more

Absolutely wonderful! Exceeded my expectations. Delicious and fresh food. Service was wonderful. Extremely nice people. Wonderful atmosphere. read more

Food was underwhelming and took way to long to come out!! Pork in Cuban was bland and over done. Ham to Pork ratio in Cuban was pretty poor. Quesadillas were okay but not could've used more cheese. Pork taco was okay but again pork was bland. Shrimp taco was good, but the wait for such a small establishment was a big negative. There was only 6 people in cafe when we ordered our food. read more

Amazing food! Great tacos and the Cuban sandwich is yummy. We will definitely come back.