Overall, reviews describe La Cantina as a vibrant Mexican spot with flavorful, authentic dishes, generous portions, and a lively atmosphere, where ceviche, guacamole, tacos, and margaritas receive many accolades while the staff are often friendly and attentive and service can be fast, though some visits note small portions, dishes that are overly salty or underseasoned, occasional slow service or billing mishaps, and price points that feel high unless visited during happy hour.
I always find myself coming back to la cantina. The tacos are really good & I've never tried quesadillas that tasty anywhere else 🤤 the staff is really nice & the place is cozy.
We had our annual staff party dinner here & everyone had a blast. The food was all super yummy & didn't take too long to prepare, even for a fairly busy Friday night. I couldn't decide between the Al Pastor Quesadilla & the Brisket Tacos Dorados so I split them with a friend & honestly just buy both, they're both so good! I still can't pick. The chicharron app was another favourite. For cocktails I liked the Mezcal Mule & the Paloma. Lastly, OMG the churros!
May 19, 2026
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We ordered the Tacos al Pastor & I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw they put CANNED PINEAPPLES on them. If you can put that aside, the service was good overall.
Had a fantastic time, food was incredible, service was very good! Had the brisket, shrimp & fish tacos, as well as the Al Pastor quesadillas. The shrimp tacos stole the show, absolutely divine would definitely get these & the brisket tacos again.
Been here twice now & this place never misses. The food is incredible-easily one of the best Mexican spots in Montreal. The drinks are authentic & delicious, & the service is fantastic & super fast. I'll definitely be back. The deep-fried brisket tacos & the ceviche are a must-try!
To be honest after reminiscing on this recent experience i felt compelled to write this review as it left just as bad an impression as taste in my mouth. I went to this restaurant a while ago & left a decent impression with a small group of friends. Upon returning with another to this restaurant I was left very disappointed in the way this restaurant went downhill in my opinion. First of all I found the server to be disengaged with the attentive service given to my table where the water was not given until the meal was almost finished & the limes i asked for when the meal arrived showed up shortly after the tacos were finished. I also found the avocado dip was bland & nachos were whatever & quite expensive for what it was at $19.00 additionally there were no complementary nacos & salsa given which from what I remembered were given the first time i went here. Then lastly the brisket tacos were soggy & tasted & smelled slightly off but didn't think too much about it. Until I woke with slight stomach pains in the middle of the night. Thankfully it passed, however I now link the oddly tasting tacos to the stomach pains & burps of that slightly odd tasting taco & meat. I found that for what this place is save your money & the risk of feeling or getting ill, it's overly priced & there are better quality taco spots around than this in Montréal.
Apr 20, 2026
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Food was fantastic, I highly recommend the deep fried chicken tacos or the Al pastor. Both were phenomenally made & the portions are good size. I left feeling full & happy! The vibe is nothing to rave about. It's a fun looking bar but compared to other restaurants in Montreal, the atmosphere is nothing special. They also have great specials like happy hour & weekend tequila shots for only $3.
Our server was very kind & the food came out correct & warm! Check it out - it was worth the stop!
Good food & a nice time! Visit on Fri/Sat evenings for their 3$ tequila shots. Highly recommend their cauliflower & chickpea tacos that are vegetarian & gluten-free.
The quality of the food was impressive. We tried the chicharon, sopa Azteca, tacos dorados & churros. The meat of every dish was great & juicy! The decoration is nice & the ambiance is good.
Rather disappointed. We needed a quick stop before heading out of town. Ordered fish tacos, chicken quesadilla & a 330ml beer. Food positives: juicy chicken quesadilla. Food negatives: very small portions, bland tacos, minuscule fish (mostly batter). Value: prices are high for what it is (e.g. beer was $10). Ambiance: cute little place, but do not expect privacy. Service: slow, we were charged twice for one beer --- bill was voided & reissued after calling attention to the mistake, but not even an'I'm sorry.' Overall, I wouldn't recommend it.
Délicieuse cuisine mexicaine! Nous avons été bien surpris par les tacos cactus tempura. Une savoureuse découverte. Nous avons commandé pour emporter & sommes passés récupérer notre commande. Simple & rapide.
As regular guests at La Cantina, we always appreciate the friendly staff & relaxed ambiance. The food is consistently good although the quesadilla dish is a bit meager - a small quesadilla with no sides, so you must order salsa or beans, etc. It would be amazing is they would add fried veggie tacos to the menu. Our server, Gigi, was absolutely fantastic. This is a solid neighborhood restaurant.
Nov 20, 2025
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Visited a few times & will definitely be going back to ensure I try everything on the menu! Tacos are very spot on. Duck carnitas + steak de Arrachera is a must!
It was okay.
I understand the effort into bring true ingredients to the table. With a tortilla that isn't.
For the pastor tacos I could name them differently so I couldn't get disappointed.
Regarding the food, it was rather disappointing. The shrimp tacos tasted quite bland & one-dimensional; the sauce was the dominant flavor, yet it wasn't even particularly robust. I could also faintly detect a frozen, refrigerator-like taste from the shrimp. As for another appetizer, despite being deep-fried, it was somehow served cold & had an unpleasant fishy odor… How does that even happen? If I hadn't had the chance to enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine elsewhere, I might have mistakenly believed that this is what Mexican food is supposed to taste like…
A really good lunch experience. The Ceviche was with fresh shrimps & the Tacos delicious. Service was generally friendly. Prices very reasonable. I can recommend the place. A good choice as well for people with gluten sensitivity.
Went for dinner, we had a nice time, the atmosphere was good, the sound levels were good so talking was easy, but the service was slow & underwhelming. I had to ask for plates, no extra napkins were given with messy food, when our drinks were empty there was no ask if we wanted more or something else, I had to catch her attention, the fish tacos & brisket were both okay but lacking depth.. that being said the margaritas, beef taco, ceviche, Huitlacoche quesadilla & Aztek soup were delicious & can't go wrong with churros, overall delicious food & nice atmosphere but service was lacking.
