La Cantina garners mostly positive notes for its flavorful Mexican fare and well crafted cocktails, with many reviewers praising meatier options like beef fillet, arrachera and brisket tacos, as well as ceviche and chicharron, and margaritas described as excellent; the ambiance is frequently described as nice and the staff friendly and attentive, especially during slower visits. However, several opinions mention small portions and occasional bland or underseasoned dishes such as some tacos or bowls, and prices that feel high for the size. Service quality is described as variable, with times of slow service, billing mistakes or miscommunication about promotions, and occasional delays during busy periods. Some reviewers note gluten free friendliness and a generally authentic vibe, while others feel the kitchen could improve consistency and focus on fresh flavors. Overall, La Cantina offers a solid, authentic Mexican dining experience with strong drinks and many tasty dishes, but results vary and improving portion size, consistency, and value would enhance the overall impression.
La serveuse a oublié nos bières, à oublié de faire le last call drinks (donc nous n'avons pas pu avoir une deuxième bière lorsque nous avions demandé) & nous n'avons pas eu les plats en même temps malgré le fait que nous ayons insisté sur ce point (nous n'avons donc pas pu manger en même temps car le guacamole est arrivé seul en premier service). On nous a aussi servi un plat que nous n'avions pas commandé.
Malgré cela nous sommes restés patients & courtois car nous avons l'habitude de venir ici & que nous travaillons en restauration, ce n'est pas dramatique. Toutefois, juste après avoir reçu les factures alors que la musique avait été coupée, les employés ont décidé de jouer une musique en mettant le son EXTREMEMENT fort, qui disait dans les paroles qu'il était temps de partir. Nous regrettons de ne pas avoir plutôt été avertis de vive voix. Un simple « excusez nous nous allons bientôt fermer le restaurant » aurait été plus apprécié que cette méthode de sauvage, d'autant plus après avoir reçu un service d'une qualité très discutable.
Nous avons trouvé cela choquant & sommes déçus de l'expérience de ce soir, malgré le potentiel de cet endroit.
Jul 29, 2025
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This is a truly Mexican Restaurant. We were a party of 7 & shared entrees of chips & guacamole, chips & Salsa & chips & bean cheese all three were excellent. I had the deep fried Brisket Tacos(4) covered with Cheese & slaw. I am sorry I did not take a photo of all the food as they all looked delicious & there was no complaints from anyone😀
Great atmosphere, but this is not the pinnacle of great tacos.
The guacamole was flat, lacking salt & any lime. The salsa fresco tasted like it was made from canned San Marzano tomatoes, it tasted very reminiscent of uncooked marinara sauce.
The cocktails are quite well made & honestly beyond reproach!
We came from Toronto & were looking for food.
I would say they need to focus on their recipe more. I was with a Latin American chef yesterday & we are disappointed with the food taste. The guacamole first of all needs to tone down with the onions. It is better to serve a smaller portion with proper ratio of the ingredients, rather than serving it with more onions. The avocado should be the main palette & the tomatoes, onions, lime, salt, pepper, etc are the enhancers. Second of all, the shrimp ceviche, it was not fresh at all. The'chicharron' looks like it came from the premade from supermarkets. The price point should have added more quality to the food they are serving. The server & busser are quite pleasant but the food definitely needs to upgrade. They are serving easy to make Mexican food, it should have more effort.
Came in late after a game with 6 other girls & we were just really hungry & they were closing the kitchen soon, but the staff was lovely & kind enough to let us order since we already knew what we wanted. Ordered guacamole & chips, & tacos al pastor & it was extremely delicious!!! A must try, amazing food, amazing staff, amazing ambiance. Thank you again so much for being so great & patient!!!
Lovely hidden gem right in the heart of downtown. If you love tacos this is an amazing spot!! They have a great lunch menu during the week you can get a soup or salad, your choice of 3 tacos & churros for dessert. The food was amazing & I would totally recommend the fresh guacamole & chips. Prices are reasonable for the downtown area & the decor is super cute! You have to try this place, trust me you won't be disappointed!
Oct 5, 2024
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La nourriture était bonne, mais sans plus. Mes tacos de poisson étaient vides & très sec. Pour le prix il n'y avait pas de sauce ni de trempette pour les accompagnés. Le goût était là par contre. Je recommande les chips avec la guacamole & les drinks. Les deux sont vraiment top. Beaucoup d'options végétariennes.
Cadillac margarita was excellent. Guacamole, brisket tacos & chicken quesadilla's were all very good. I would recommend this casual Mexican with limited menu.
Service : même pas assis qu'on nous demande si l'on souhaite avoir du guacamole & des chips, une fois le bol de chips vidée vous êtes resservi sans demande & vous finissez votre repas avec 20 $ ajouté à la note. Reste du service pressant, votre assiette à peine vide qu'on vous la prend, & dans le même temps on vous demande de régler. Nourriture : Rapport quantité prix désobligeant, vous vous rendrez vite compte que votre plat ressemble plus à une entrée qu'autre chose, 4 quesadillas poulet pour 16 $. Il faut noter que au delà du prix & de la méthode frauduleuse de ce restaurants, la nourriture n'y est pas mauvaise, juste insuffisante.
The food is phenomenal, & the decor & restaurant layout is great. It was my first time there, & I was unimpressed with the service, but it could just have been an off night. I will go back again & again though because of how great the food was! The guacamole & the fish tacos were the standouts of what we ordered!
Jul 7, 2024
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Great, cozy Mexican place with a fun atmosphere. Food was wonderful. Enjoyed the guacamole & the tacos, especially the beef & brisket. Would recommend for a nice, casual meal!
Visited here on a whim after my friends & I were just wandering downtown looking for a place to eat. I really enjoyed it! Their deep fried tacos were a new discovery to me. Very crunchy & flavourful. I also got a large order of guacamole to share & it was good! Prices are also on the midrange side. Fast service, friendly, the restaurant is quite big & there's lots of seating but it isn't too loud so you can talk in your group .
Food is so so, service is amateur. The waitress made us pay for what she admitted was her error (extra guacamole). We said we won't pay for her error, but she put it on the bill (19$) & gave us churos (8$) as an apology. Don't make a customer pay for your error. Back room is horrible, echo is unreal.
We really enjoyed our dinner here. Santiago provided great service. I loved the Tacos Al Pastor & we both thought the Guacamole was some of the best we've ever had. The petit size was enough for two (with a few more chips which they gladly provided). The house Margarita was excellent. Our only "even better if" was to have more fish in the Tacos Poisson. It was mostly breading rather than fish. The place is not fancy, rather basic but we enjoyed the foods & the staff & would come back again!
Mar 27, 2024
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Amazing, fresh & delicious mexican food at La Cantina, Montreal. The location is perfect in downtown montreal, especially if you are staying in an Airbnb or hotel nearby. I made reservations about 2 weeks before during the holiday season on a weekend & got it easily on OpenTable. I would recommend making a reservation in advance as it is a popular restaurant! Upon entry, we were politely greeted & shown our seats right away, there were coat hangers as well. Lighting could be a little bit brighter near the seats/table at the entrance. We started with chips & guacamole which was really fresh & creamy! Then we had shrimp tacos, cactus tacos, & fish tacos - all of which were absolutely delicious!! The cactus was a first for us, & surprisingly our favourite. You get 3 tacos each in an order, we were a group of 5 so we ordered 4 orders of tacos (12 in total) which was enough to be shared with all of us. The service was very polite & friendly & I'd recommend this establishment to everyone! Vegetarian options & gluten free (corn tortillas) are available !
The food is quite good & they are definitely service-oriented. That said, they were rushing service so much, we also felt rushed to leave. Within 35 minutes, we had time to order, get 4 plates & pay. I think this experience could benefit lunch-time groups best, but not sure I would return as a couple. Food-wise, the quesadilla was really tasty & the guacamole too, but I was a bit disappointed by the duck confit taco & the soup. Overall l, it was a good experience at an affordable price. I would return with a large group knowing the service is fast, but would hesitate to return with a small party.
Amazing place with lots of exciting options. We got the deep fried chicken tacos & they were delicious! The chips & guacamole could have some more chips but still very good! Churros were good too
Had an early dinner reservation for 3 people. Visiting from Ontario & we love this place. Was nice to see our server, Valentina, again! Husband loves the private selection of tequila. Always fun to try a new one. The guacamole was freshhhhh! Duck confit tacos were excellent. My chicken quesadilla was fantastic. House made hot sauces were good. We tried the churros to share for dessert. Can't believe we have never tried them before. I recommend the Don Fashion cocktail. Place is small, but comfortable. We will be back!
