I read the other reviews here and was told by a number of friends that this is a great restaurant with good food. I wasn't impressed and actually very disappointed. The place is cramped and hot and dirty. I can imagine if it were packed to the rafters with people it might be a fun place with a group. As a strictly dining experience the food was over cooked, bland and boring.
(2)
Ash M.
Not the best place for Mexican food. I have had better. One thing worth trying is fried jalapeno stuffed with cheese.
(2)
C. M.
Good quality Mexican food and very friendly service.
(4)
Janice A.
Chips were warm, crispy, and solid accompanied by a mild non-chunky salsa that I'm pretty sure I could drink I liked it so much. They also have some green stuff that comes in this special "we had to put this in glass cause it'd melt a whole in plastic" container thingy that you have to ask for but the boy, who loves him some spicy, seemed impressed - though after the initial solo taste test he mixed it in with a whole buncha red salsa (pretty sure it was spicier than he thought). For entrees I ordered a single chicken enchilada ($5.50), added sour cream ($.75) and guac ($2 for small). At the first bite I immediately regretted the basket of chips I had scarfed down as I knew I would be too full to finish the most delicious red sauce I've had in a very, very long time. Possibly the best red sauce I've had... but it's been a very long time since my favorite place closed (and I'm far, far away anyhow). The ala carte enchilada was plenty for me with the chips and is rather thick for a simple chicken enchilada. The outside was ever so slightly crispy and had melted cheese all over. The chicken was juicy and well flavored and though I know some people really like grilled, I was pleased it was shredded. The boy had a beef burrito grande (or whatever it was that comes with guac on top). He was also pleased. He did say he'll opted for the chicken burrito next time, but that's just his personal preferences. The guacamole is just mushed up avocado I think, which personally I like cause then I can mix in the level of salsa I like (and add a dash of sour cream to keep it from being too healthy). Service was delightful for a Mexican restaurant, pretty waitresses with slight accents and bright smiles. Ours was attentive and friendly and didn't treat us as though we were stupid tourists which is always a plus. Even if we were stupid tourists. They do take-out (not delivery) which is both good and bad news - good that I can get a delicious enchilada a stone's throw from home and bad that I can get a delicious enchilada a stone's throw from home...self control is so hard to exercise when it comes to enchiladas...mmm just thinking about it makes me wanna order another one. Oh, and don't even think about ordering a hamburger. You do know Mexican restaurants only add that stuff for 1. super picky whiney eaters and 2. children (who are super picky whiney eaters), right? And really, if you're dumb enough to order teriyaki from here you deserve whatever mystery sauce is coming to you.
(5)
Erica G.
We started our girls trip off at Mexican Cantina, which was highly recommended by the staff at our hotel. We arrived at happy hour. There was not a lot of customers there yet but every customer had a huge drink and smile. This decor and interior of the restaurant is a little dated but I can't eat decorations. The food was good. The guacamole was outstanding. The drinks were off the chain. Huge and full of liquor. We all ordered the chimichanga burrito which was huge. It was very tasty but nothing to scream from the rafters about. None of my friends could finish their food. For less than $20 each we were all full and tipsy. This was not the best Mexican food I had but it wasn't bad. The drinks are the best deal at this spot
I wasn't sure what to expect due to the mixed reviews on yelp. My experience here was not the best. The chips were actually the best thing I've had here today and the margaritas looked pretty good. I ordered the shrimp veracruz. The shrimp was very very over cooked, the rice was dry and tasted like it was made a couple days ago and then microwaved. The beans weren't very great either. We definitely won't be coming back.
(1)
Erik S.
Avoid this place like the plaque. Food is horrible. Sit at the bar and drink margaritas instead.
(1)
Kim K.
Ok, only stopped here because too many people were hitting me up for money as I tried to walk from the DoubleTree to the Thai place on the beach. So, I turned around and went here. Big mistake- should've had dinner at the hotel. It was a dark & weird experience. Lots of old people, maybe locals who didn't know any better? I don't know and I don't plan on speculating but I can say this place was horrible! The entire space was pretty dark with salsa music playing, which would be fine in a more upstanding establishment. Instead of putting all of my eggs in one basket, I opted to get guacamole, tortilla soup & shrimp quesadilla. The guacamole was dark and gross- seriously! The soup was bubbly like soapy dish water, with less taste! The quesadilla was awful, too. The side of guacamole didn't even resemble the appetizer version! No joke! If I worked at Doubletree, I couldn't recommend this place. Hands down.
(1)
Erik B.
Best part of the meal was the chips and salsa. I've eaten at every Mexican restaurant in ft Lauderdale and this was the worst. Taco meat was dry and unseasoned and the Mexican pizza was cardboard covered in cheese. We requested all of their sauces to try and make the food edible.
(1)
Dallas C.
This isn't a fancy place but wow the food is amazing. Best burrito I have ever tried. Also the fajitas are huge and so well seasoned. Grilled chicken quesadilla was awesome. Their salsa and hot sauce were amazing.
(5)
Lacey C.
Funny story. So my girl, Ariel, asks me "Hey--do ya'll want to go out for margaritas on Friday?" Since Ariel is a social camel (she can live for months off the social interaction others might need in a day) I was both stunned, and immediately excited. "Hooray!" I thought. It was supposed to be a shitty work week anyway, and I would likely need something to start my weekend off right. If only. We stopped by Casa Frida (a four-star Yelp establishment) where they tried to seat us in a parking lot. We left. We stopped by Canyon (a five-star Yelp establishment) where the wait was an hour, with no standing room at the bar. We left. Sadly, we ended up here. They only have canned Budweiser-brand Mango-rita crap. When I requested a Corona (the literal lesser of two evils) with lime, she came back with lemon. What kind of Mexican place doesn't. have. limes? I was furious. The food was simply awful. My husband literally found three (huge) bones in his burrito. AVOID.
(1)
Jenny N.
Definitely a lot more on the Tex-Mex side than the authentic Mexican style. But what Mexican Cantina loses in authenticity, it makes up for with it's fabulous kitzchy decor and the 42 OZ COCONUT MARGARITA!!! At least I think it was 42. The bowl of the glass was the size of my head and after one of these things I was rightfully silly. Fresh hot chips are brought directly to your table with salsa. We had some guacamole and the shrimp fajitas. Both were delish and the service was good, too. The place was slow because on tis particular night everyone was out to watch the boats go through the intracostal with their lights on. I've seen lit up boats before, but never a margarita as big as the one at Mexican Cantina. This is the sort of place that you take a huge group of friends for a drunken birthday party and do the Mexican Hat Dance in the middle of the room. I'll be back the next time I'm in Fort Lauderdale.
(4)
Matt J.
Food tasted alright, but I got sick afterwards. Heard from some of the locals that this is a common experience there.
(1)
Bryan P.
The food Was pretty good for tex mex. I had dinner at 6:30 on a Saturday night. The place was very quiet an empty. A few more people arrived by 8:30. Staff was very attentive. They seemed as if they were all family and friendly. The older bartender was a nice guy. The big margaritas were strong. Two did me in.
(4)
Mel S.
I am so surprised by the mixed reviews for this place! We were staying in the resorts and ended up finding this place on a whim. The food is delicious and affordable. We enjoyed our meal, but the star of the show is the homemade dressing -- You must order it! A special shoutout to Jessica for the great service.
(5)
Amy S.
While traveling for work, I wanted to stick close to my hotel on my last night in town. I love authentic Mexican food, so despite mixed reviews, I figured this was worth a try. If I was basing my review on margaritas and service, I would have given four stars. I should have stopped there. Sadly, I ordered food. The salsa was meh. I thought I would enjoy my chips more with some queso dip. Terrible idea. It was so burnt it was not palatable. Fluke? Perhaps. Then my chimichanga also came burnt. So disappointing. Maybe I caught the cook on an off night? I hate to leave a 2 star after one visit, but this was downright awful. Walk a little further, head to Primanti's for some pizza or a sandwich or spend the extra cash and go to Trulucks.
(2)
Suzanne B.
Had the golden grand margarita, which was pretty good($9.95). Started with the jalapeños, stuffed with cream cheese. The were okay, but wouldn't order again. The chicken fajitas were average but definitely a large portion for your $$. Serves was great. Will probably just visit the bar if I go back.
(3)
Kristine D.
Bad food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! everything about the place is old, dated, dirty, poor quality of food and service! Went there 20 years ago and had the same experience I had this week. What a shame!
(1)
Bernadette D.
Soooo good!!! Great waiter Luis who always made sure we had enough chips and salsa. Very friendly and never missed a beat with anything and everything we asked for. I orders steak fajitas which was more than enough for two, while hubby ordered shredded steak burrito which he love as well!! Amazing restaurant and so excited to have found this place. Will definitely not be our last time.
(5)
Emma B.
Came here for dinner with my mom and stepfather basically due to its proximity to home and the fact that we had already had a few afternoon cocktails. I had been here once before, but years ago, and remembered it to be decent, but I got kind of an "ick" feeling about the place. I suppose if they want you to feel like you're in Mexico they hit the nail on the head, just not in a good way. We ordered some large house margaritas which ended up being huuuge but not especially strong. I watched the bartender make one and a large percentage of the drink came out of a container that looked like some sort of cheap pre-made marg mix. I ordered the chicken enchiladas and they were good - but bland. The chicken was cooked fine but there wasn't really much flavor that stood out. My stepfather got the fajitas and they looked pretty good, though he ordered chicken and beef and only got chicken. My mom had the beef burrito but she didn't give me much feedback due to her indulgence of wine that day and the fact that she is not much of a foodie. Overall, not terrible, but I've had much better Mexican food in the area - still not as good as in California though!
(2)
Mariam D.
Warm chips and fresh delicious salsa and a jumbo strawberry margarita started off our visit to Mexican Cantina on a caliente Friday night. Delisioso!! Then our entrees: a Chimichanga and Enchiladas. Both were served with rice and beans, and while tasty, they were overcooked and a bit. Service was friendly and fun, and the atmosphere was festive. The private parking lot is a convenient plus in an area dominated by metered and valet parking. I would recommend a try if you're in the area or if you haven't been to this landmark establishment on the East side of the Intercoastal Waterway on Sunrise Blvd.
Great margaritas! You get warm chips and the wait staff is helpful and friendly! Parking is in the back of restaurant. Good for families or a casual friends night out.
The beans were really good! Rice was so-so. Red sauce does taste like marinara but chicken is great. Shredded beef was salty. Prices r very affordable for the area. I wld stick to chicken tacos or burrito.
(3)
Sarah M.
I had a really great chicken burrito here. Decent prices on booze.
(4)
Mark B.
The place smells like mold/mildew. The salsa was reasonably good. But the crispy taco shells were over cooked and the ground beef was dry and tasted re-cooked. We wouldn't return.
(1)
Erica H.
Happy Cinco de Mayo! So the nearest mexican place to our hotel happens to be this little gem. It is completley disorganized from seating to ordering to paying for your meal. Having to flag down a waiter for service/to get refills/for your check when the place isn't even full is not a good sign. There was a large enough staff there however, instead of assigning areas for each person to attend to it was like 'you're free-you grab it'. Que Benny Hill theme song. I followed other yelper's tips and stuck with authentic mexican food here instead of the americanized dishes. Welp, the food was overcooked and they used frozen peas in their meat/rice to lessen the cost to fill your tacos/enchiladas/etc.
(1)
Kyle O.
I had high hopes for this restaurant. The outside looks like a promising authentic Mexican joint. Unfortunately I was very disappointed. The tacos were not even close to authentic. The chicken and ground beef were both extremely dry and flavorless. On the other hand the atmosphere was cool but that alone is not enough to get me to go back.
(2)
Leah T.
Awesome large margarita's great service delicious food!! Def will be back! Great prices too! Feels authentic inside!
(5)
S. G.
My favorite Mexican place in Ft Lauderdale. I love that it's not overcrowded and that it's a hole in the wall. Prices are great- food is fantastic- and drinks are huge! Where else can you get silly for $10? Will continue to come back again and again. And I hope those people who complain do stay away. It's for locals anyway ;)
(5)
Victoria N.
This place was a joke! We noticed a sign that this place was ran by the same owners since for 20 years! So me and my friend were thinking "okay, this is gonna be really good and authentic" totally not!!!! Definitely disappointed! This place had us fooled! Decor felt very authentic for sure. Menu looked great...my friend ordered a chicken taco a la carte. I wanted to order just a steak taco. (Carne asada taco) this wasn't even an option! Just ground beef and shredded beef. Yuck! Fine, so I chose shredded beef. I also wanted just corn tortilla instead of flour tortilla. But that wasn't even an option. Ok, so my taco came out....largest most overstuffed taco I have ever seen, and it wasn't even very attractive. But here's the kicker....the shredded beef was like beef stew beef! It wasn't even shredded! And the gravy (yes,gravy in my taco) seriously tasted like meatloaf/beef stew!! It was way too salty and over stuffed like crazy! If this place wants to be called a Mexican cantina...they should be ashamed of themselves. The meat looked like it just came out of the can! We also order tamales. Now who can mess this up? Omg the tamales corn was just falling to pieces! Didn't even stay together and didn't have that firm bite to it with the right filling. It was almost too wet and soupy. I am a huge fan of authentic Mexican food for sure, and this place was disgusting. Such a let down. If you guys know good Mexican food, don't waste your time here. Oh...and for 2 guests....the waitress adds 20% gratuity onto the bill. What a joke.
(1)
Lena L.
The place looks authentic from the outside. Inside the restaurant is quite large. To start we ordered a giant margarita and a 1/2 carafe of sangria. The sangria was too sweet and overall lacking. My husband enjoyed his margarita. I was very impressed with the salsa and guacamole. I also love it when restaurants make nacho's by the chip rather than a huge pile. The nacho sampler was quite tasty and filling and I could have stopped there. I really should have because my meal wasn't that great. I read other reviews about how things were overcooked and dried out. I think this is because they put the food under a broiler or heat lamp before it comes out. It creates a film on most items and dried up the sauce on the enchiladas. The entree looked less than desirable and could have tasted better. I would rate this as "eh" mexican food and probably wouldn't return.
(3)
J C.
Great spot! The shrimp fajitas are so good and fresh. We have had the same server twice now and he is so great and very friendly. Also, they has amazing house margaritas! My boyfriend and I love this spot
(4)
Bill B.
This is one of our favorite restaurants. We live here year around and have about 10 restaurants on a regular rotation. Mexican Cantina is one of the favorites not only because it is just a mile away from the beach house, but because the service, food and drinks make a great combination. Through the years we have gotten to know the waitresses fairly well. They and the owner make us feel as if we were at their home and we are their best friends. The wait staff is among the friendliest in town. When we walk into the restaurant it is usually the case that our Margaritas are being made at the bar and are brought to us without even having to order, always with extra limes and tequila. Served in a mason jar mug, the margaritas are consistently good and refreshing. The chips and salsa are always crisp, fresh and spicy. You can add some of the "green" hot sauce for even more spice. I usually order the Enchiladas Del Tultecas, a Mexican sausage enchiladas. But the Tamales and tacos are great along with the grilled chicken Quesadilla. This is all arouind just a good place to go, have a nice meal and drink, and know you are going to have great service. If you are lucky like we, it is always just around the corner.
(4)
Crystal M.
I just called this place and asked if I could place an order for pick up. I called at exactly 10:11pm and they told me they closed at 11. So I asked if they had a menu online and he said I'm sorry we're closed. I told the guy it was only 10pm and he said if I looked at the menu I wouldn't call back until 10:30 and the kitchen closes at 10:30. Since I hung up the phone I've placed an order with another restaurant and written this review it is now 10:19pm.
(1)
Charlie T.
They have a pretty small menu, and the burrito I ordered had very dry chicken (may benefit from some marinating). The portions were good and the waitstaff was fine.
(3)
Jim S.
I didn't find the service here all that great. Their chips and salsa need work too. Stop pushing the drinks and focus on your food.
(3)
Coquito O.
My first time here and hit the spot for Quesadilla and margarita. I went on a Monday, so it was kind of dead, but the service and food made it for it. I recommend this place if you want a small taste of real Mexican cantina would look/feel like.
(4)
Sal G.
You will not like everything here as this restaurant MUST cater to MANY tourists. Stay away from any of the "American" fare as it is no good. DO NOT get the Cheese dip with chorizo as this would fall under "American" fare! The true Mexican food is actually very good although some items may require some subtraction to get to the truly good portions -- I had to remove the excess meat and onions from my tamales! All of the food is amazingly fresh -- except the cheese dip -- and it shines through in the flavor. Those people not sporting a 70 year old tongue that is easily burned will want to get the home made green tomatillo salsa to go along with the red salsa. The flavor is amazing.
(4)
Patrick O.
Went there during the day on a Tuesday I was really surprised that the place was package. And after eating the food I understood why! It was great! I highly recommend The cantina!
(4)
Miguel A.
Great mexican food, fresh, tastefull and delicius with fast service. But the place stinks and very dirty. Need a renovation ASAP.
(3)
Alyette K.
The salsa was watery, the guacamole had no flavor. I asked for jalapenos to try and spice it up and when the bill came I was charged for them without being told in advance. The Mexican pizza was completely greasy, cold and missing a few ingredients that were listed on the menu. Although the margarita tasted good it was weak. Went there because of an advertised coupon and when it came time to pay we were told we could not use it because we partook in happy hour. I honestly don't know how this place stays in business. The food was awful.
(1)
Casey Ã.
As a San Diegan born and raised 5 miles from the Mexican Border, I know good Mexican food. While Mexican Cantina is not 100% Authentic, it is pretty close and is certainly the best South Florida has to offer. The Chips & Salsa are great and Margaritas are awesome as well. I've had most things on the menu but what stands out are the Mexican Burgers, Enchiladas Rancheros, Chicken Tortilla Soup and Larger Than Life Soft Tacos. Very friendly staff and great prices. Check it out and you will be hooked!
(5)
Jim J.
This place hit the spot. We were looking for a Mexican place more like a west coast style. Chips and salsa were great, tacos were good. Great prices and super friendly waitresses.
(4)
Trisha P.
I went here with a group of friends last week for the first and last time. When we walked in, the host asked to seat us, but we declined and went to the bar. That was just before 10pm. We ordered margaritas and the bartender talked us into ordering the giant 46 oz size. After serving our drinks, the bartender told us the kitchen closed at 10:30, and we said that was fine because we were not planning on eating. At about 10:15 we were told the kitchen was closed. The bartender dropped empty plastic cups on the bar next to our drinks and said it was last call and we said we would finish our drinks and leave. (They close at 11) About five minutes later he picked up our margaritas from in front of us and dumped them into the plastic cups and said it was closing time. After that happened, what must have been the entire staff was sitting around us, looking bored and irritated that we were still there...even though it was still 30 minutes before closing time. It was so uncomfortable, that we left without finishing out drinks. On the way out, the bartender yelled, "come back and see us again" and then said a little quieter, "next time come at 7." It goes without saying that I won't ever return.
(1)
Sandra Y.
We went here despite several bad reviews. The place does smell weird when you walk in and I don't know why because it's a mustiness I'd normally associate with carpets but there were none on the floors. Other than that I liked the goofy decor. This is not authentic Mexican but it's also not as bad as Taco Bell. The salsa seemed to be fresh (not Tostitos) ... So if you don't like fresh made salsa ... Which is made with fresh tomatoes and looks watery ... you won't like this ... It was not spicy or even hot ... I personally didn't care and you probably could spice it up with some jalepenos but I didn't. I had a strawberry margarita which was refreshing because we had been at the beach but couldn't tell there was much alcohol in it. I had the seafood burrito and it was decent but a LOT of cheese, which is not very authentic and there were things inside it that I normally wouldn't expect in a burrito but it was tasty. My 7-year-old got a cheese quesadilla which she loved. I'd say this was not bad given the convenient location and decent prices. We had good service too.
(3)
Maureen B.
I agree with another reviewer who commented the best thing about this restaurant are the chips and salsa. We had enchiladas with chorizo which were mediocre. The margaritas are made from a mix and taste like it. Don't waste your money. The waitress was very nice but choose another place for decent Mexican food.
(1)
Angela M.
I had never been here before so I yelped the reviews and they seemed decent. I was disappointed from the start with the Bland salsa. I ordered beef flautas which came with rice and refried beans. Cheese and sauce were on top just about everything on my plate and the beef tasted like shredded roastbeef with NO flavor at all! I could barely eat it. I will not return to this again.
(1)
Eileen C.
Great service, food and great Margaritas.......thanks Maria! Definitely going back!
(4)
Curtis F.
I was laying on the beach down the street, and decided to hop on Yelp to look for some nearby grub. So I found this place. It was a Saturday afternoon around 4pm, and there was absolutely no wait. In fact, there were only 4 other people in the restaurant. That's ok, we'll eat in peace. When I go to a Mexican restaurant, my first line of judgement is the quality of the chips and salsa. Well, the chips were stale, and the salsa was not the greatest. Maybe it was the time of day, I don't know. But if we are the only people in the restaurant, you'd think they would have time to make us a fresh batch of chips and salsa. Mexican food is my favorite type of food, so I expect nothing less than the best. As for the entrees, they were nothing special. Same old tex-mex you can get at any other boring Mexican restaurant. I ordered a chicken chimichanga, and it was just not cooked well. The chicken was really dry and tough. Anyways, I really don't think this place should be a 4 star on Yelp. I've had ALOT of Mexican food in my life, and this place just doesn't cut it. Well, at least the service was alright, but it better be when there are only 6 people in the restaurant.
(2)
Laur T.
AWESOME AWESOME MEXICAN. I don't care if this is tex-mex or authentic mexican, I LOVE IT. We were so excited to visit this joint that we came BEFORE they were open for dinner. Yep, we were done with sightseeing (of whatever of it you can do in Ft Laud) and headed here starved. They were nice enough to serve us drinks and awesome awesome guac and salsa with the chips. I ordered a shrimp burrito and my friend went for a veggie one. The shrimp burrito was MIND-BLOWING. It came with this creamy sauce and was nothing that I've ever tasted before. The combi makes for a most amazing end product. Needless to say, I finished the entire thing and left me craving for me (even till this day) despite the fact that I was stuffed way before I was even done with 1/2 of the mega serving. Oh and I recalled a 15% discount coupon in one of the tourist guides but as mentioned above, we were so excited about coming to this place that my friend was raving about that we didn't realize this was a place that also offerred the above discount. The server was nice enough to take that off our bill despite us not having the physical coupon. Nice guy... really. If I ever head back to Ft Laud, this is the place I wanna go to. In fact, this could possibly be THE reason why I may head back to Ft Laud!
(5)
Monica R.
We were the only customers there, service was very slow. Food was not so good. Place was very run down and smelled dirty. We will not return.
(1)
Tom L.
I've been coming Here for 15 years. This is a 20 year old Mexican restaurant that was here before the Yolos and Roccos and other clubbing typed discotech restaurants (which is this generation's fad). It's just classic Mexican and Margaritas. That's all. The menu is well priced and the atmosphere is cool. Don't come here dressed to kill with a gallon of cologne or perfume on with a whole tube of gel in your hair and be looking to pick up babes. It's not that kind of joint. You are also treated with the same respect as you treat them. If you come off a an arrogant prick, thinking you can be rude to other people but they still have to be nice to you because you're the customer and the customer is always right, you've got another thing coming. This aint that type of joint. That's the way it should be everywhere. But these days people think they can be assholes and still expect red carpet treatment. Perhaps this restaurant no longer fits into its surroundings. But, it was here first. So, for the people that posted below this review...........go back to Yolos or Mizner Park and snob away.
(4)
Kate S.
We were visiting florida and wanted some basic good food. I went on a Monday and Wednesday night. The place is huge, but only a few tables were taken. Both times we had very good service. They bring you chips and a very mild fresh salsa, both were very good. For our meals we had the chicken burrito, quesadia, beef fajitas and chicken flautas. Everything was fresh. The fajitas come out sizzling... and they sizzle for quite a while! The flautas had sauce on top which killed the crisp a little, but they were so stuffed with meat that I didn't care. Our meals came with rice and refried? beans. Good simple food that leaves you stuffed and satisfied.
(4)
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Address :2870 E Sunrise Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33304
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Steven D.
I read the other reviews here and was told by a number of friends that this is a great restaurant with good food. I wasn't impressed and actually very disappointed. The place is cramped and hot and dirty. I can imagine if it were packed to the rafters with people it might be a fun place with a group. As a strictly dining experience the food was over cooked, bland and boring.
(2)Ash M.
Not the best place for Mexican food. I have had better. One thing worth trying is fried jalapeno stuffed with cheese.
(2)C. M.
Good quality Mexican food and very friendly service.
(4)Janice A.
Chips were warm, crispy, and solid accompanied by a mild non-chunky salsa that I'm pretty sure I could drink I liked it so much. They also have some green stuff that comes in this special "we had to put this in glass cause it'd melt a whole in plastic" container thingy that you have to ask for but the boy, who loves him some spicy, seemed impressed - though after the initial solo taste test he mixed it in with a whole buncha red salsa (pretty sure it was spicier than he thought). For entrees I ordered a single chicken enchilada ($5.50), added sour cream ($.75) and guac ($2 for small). At the first bite I immediately regretted the basket of chips I had scarfed down as I knew I would be too full to finish the most delicious red sauce I've had in a very, very long time. Possibly the best red sauce I've had... but it's been a very long time since my favorite place closed (and I'm far, far away anyhow). The ala carte enchilada was plenty for me with the chips and is rather thick for a simple chicken enchilada. The outside was ever so slightly crispy and had melted cheese all over. The chicken was juicy and well flavored and though I know some people really like grilled, I was pleased it was shredded. The boy had a beef burrito grande (or whatever it was that comes with guac on top). He was also pleased. He did say he'll opted for the chicken burrito next time, but that's just his personal preferences. The guacamole is just mushed up avocado I think, which personally I like cause then I can mix in the level of salsa I like (and add a dash of sour cream to keep it from being too healthy). Service was delightful for a Mexican restaurant, pretty waitresses with slight accents and bright smiles. Ours was attentive and friendly and didn't treat us as though we were stupid tourists which is always a plus. Even if we were stupid tourists. They do take-out (not delivery) which is both good and bad news - good that I can get a delicious enchilada a stone's throw from home and bad that I can get a delicious enchilada a stone's throw from home...self control is so hard to exercise when it comes to enchiladas...mmm just thinking about it makes me wanna order another one. Oh, and don't even think about ordering a hamburger. You do know Mexican restaurants only add that stuff for 1. super picky whiney eaters and 2. children (who are super picky whiney eaters), right? And really, if you're dumb enough to order teriyaki from here you deserve whatever mystery sauce is coming to you.
(5)Erica G.
We started our girls trip off at Mexican Cantina, which was highly recommended by the staff at our hotel. We arrived at happy hour. There was not a lot of customers there yet but every customer had a huge drink and smile. This decor and interior of the restaurant is a little dated but I can't eat decorations. The food was good. The guacamole was outstanding. The drinks were off the chain. Huge and full of liquor. We all ordered the chimichanga burrito which was huge. It was very tasty but nothing to scream from the rafters about. None of my friends could finish their food. For less than $20 each we were all full and tipsy. This was not the best Mexican food I had but it wasn't bad. The drinks are the best deal at this spot
(3)Sherry W.
Went on a Tuesday night and we were a group of 6. They sat us at a table in the bar area. They promptly delivered chips with fresh salsa. Ask for the green salsa if you like spicy. They allowed us to do six separate checks after a little begging. They brought out two entrees and then waited a few minutes to bring 3 other entrees. One entrée was not brought out until we were about finished. The manager apologized and said she would offer 1/2 off that one entrée for the mishap. I think the meal should have been free for the hassle. One fajita came out sizzling and the other one didn't. Aren't fajitas always suppose to come out sizzling and smoking? Fajitas are not served with rice and beans. I ordered an a la carte enchilada. Very happy that they allow this so you don't have to get three enchiladas with rice and beans like at most restaurants. The enchilada had shredded beef and a red sauce. They use cheddar cheese here. It is an Americanized Mexican restaurant. After five of us received our meals our waitress went missing. We needed waters and my friend's entrée. After about 10 minutes she appeared and apologized that they messed up her order and then we had to ask for water refills. The menu is typical like you would find at other local Mexican restaurants, however, I don't remember seeing Cuban dishes on the menu. There is parking in the parking lots on the east and west side of restaurant. Parking is free. The restaurant has good ambiance. Overall, it is okay but if you want ethnic Mexican food this is not the place for you. If you want American style Mexican food at affordable prices it is a good pick.
(3)Sara S.
I wasn't sure what to expect due to the mixed reviews on yelp. My experience here was not the best. The chips were actually the best thing I've had here today and the margaritas looked pretty good. I ordered the shrimp veracruz. The shrimp was very very over cooked, the rice was dry and tasted like it was made a couple days ago and then microwaved. The beans weren't very great either. We definitely won't be coming back.
(1)Erik S.
Avoid this place like the plaque. Food is horrible. Sit at the bar and drink margaritas instead.
(1)Kim K.
Ok, only stopped here because too many people were hitting me up for money as I tried to walk from the DoubleTree to the Thai place on the beach. So, I turned around and went here. Big mistake- should've had dinner at the hotel. It was a dark & weird experience. Lots of old people, maybe locals who didn't know any better? I don't know and I don't plan on speculating but I can say this place was horrible! The entire space was pretty dark with salsa music playing, which would be fine in a more upstanding establishment. Instead of putting all of my eggs in one basket, I opted to get guacamole, tortilla soup & shrimp quesadilla. The guacamole was dark and gross- seriously! The soup was bubbly like soapy dish water, with less taste! The quesadilla was awful, too. The side of guacamole didn't even resemble the appetizer version! No joke! If I worked at Doubletree, I couldn't recommend this place. Hands down.
(1)Erik B.
Best part of the meal was the chips and salsa. I've eaten at every Mexican restaurant in ft Lauderdale and this was the worst. Taco meat was dry and unseasoned and the Mexican pizza was cardboard covered in cheese. We requested all of their sauces to try and make the food edible.
(1)Dallas C.
This isn't a fancy place but wow the food is amazing. Best burrito I have ever tried. Also the fajitas are huge and so well seasoned. Grilled chicken quesadilla was awesome. Their salsa and hot sauce were amazing.
(5)Lacey C.
Funny story. So my girl, Ariel, asks me "Hey--do ya'll want to go out for margaritas on Friday?" Since Ariel is a social camel (she can live for months off the social interaction others might need in a day) I was both stunned, and immediately excited. "Hooray!" I thought. It was supposed to be a shitty work week anyway, and I would likely need something to start my weekend off right. If only. We stopped by Casa Frida (a four-star Yelp establishment) where they tried to seat us in a parking lot. We left. We stopped by Canyon (a five-star Yelp establishment) where the wait was an hour, with no standing room at the bar. We left. Sadly, we ended up here. They only have canned Budweiser-brand Mango-rita crap. When I requested a Corona (the literal lesser of two evils) with lime, she came back with lemon. What kind of Mexican place doesn't. have. limes? I was furious. The food was simply awful. My husband literally found three (huge) bones in his burrito. AVOID.
(1)Jenny N.
Definitely a lot more on the Tex-Mex side than the authentic Mexican style. But what Mexican Cantina loses in authenticity, it makes up for with it's fabulous kitzchy decor and the 42 OZ COCONUT MARGARITA!!! At least I think it was 42. The bowl of the glass was the size of my head and after one of these things I was rightfully silly. Fresh hot chips are brought directly to your table with salsa. We had some guacamole and the shrimp fajitas. Both were delish and the service was good, too. The place was slow because on tis particular night everyone was out to watch the boats go through the intracostal with their lights on. I've seen lit up boats before, but never a margarita as big as the one at Mexican Cantina. This is the sort of place that you take a huge group of friends for a drunken birthday party and do the Mexican Hat Dance in the middle of the room. I'll be back the next time I'm in Fort Lauderdale.
(4)Matt J.
Food tasted alright, but I got sick afterwards. Heard from some of the locals that this is a common experience there.
(1)Bryan P.
The food Was pretty good for tex mex. I had dinner at 6:30 on a Saturday night. The place was very quiet an empty. A few more people arrived by 8:30. Staff was very attentive. They seemed as if they were all family and friendly. The older bartender was a nice guy. The big margaritas were strong. Two did me in.
(4)Mel S.
I am so surprised by the mixed reviews for this place! We were staying in the resorts and ended up finding this place on a whim. The food is delicious and affordable. We enjoyed our meal, but the star of the show is the homemade dressing -- You must order it! A special shoutout to Jessica for the great service.
(5)Amy S.
While traveling for work, I wanted to stick close to my hotel on my last night in town. I love authentic Mexican food, so despite mixed reviews, I figured this was worth a try. If I was basing my review on margaritas and service, I would have given four stars. I should have stopped there. Sadly, I ordered food. The salsa was meh. I thought I would enjoy my chips more with some queso dip. Terrible idea. It was so burnt it was not palatable. Fluke? Perhaps. Then my chimichanga also came burnt. So disappointing. Maybe I caught the cook on an off night? I hate to leave a 2 star after one visit, but this was downright awful. Walk a little further, head to Primanti's for some pizza or a sandwich or spend the extra cash and go to Trulucks.
(2)Suzanne B.
Had the golden grand margarita, which was pretty good($9.95). Started with the jalapeños, stuffed with cream cheese. The were okay, but wouldn't order again. The chicken fajitas were average but definitely a large portion for your $$. Serves was great. Will probably just visit the bar if I go back.
(3)Kristine D.
Bad food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! everything about the place is old, dated, dirty, poor quality of food and service! Went there 20 years ago and had the same experience I had this week. What a shame!
(1)Bernadette D.
Soooo good!!! Great waiter Luis who always made sure we had enough chips and salsa. Very friendly and never missed a beat with anything and everything we asked for. I orders steak fajitas which was more than enough for two, while hubby ordered shredded steak burrito which he love as well!! Amazing restaurant and so excited to have found this place. Will definitely not be our last time.
(5)Emma B.
Came here for dinner with my mom and stepfather basically due to its proximity to home and the fact that we had already had a few afternoon cocktails. I had been here once before, but years ago, and remembered it to be decent, but I got kind of an "ick" feeling about the place. I suppose if they want you to feel like you're in Mexico they hit the nail on the head, just not in a good way. We ordered some large house margaritas which ended up being huuuge but not especially strong. I watched the bartender make one and a large percentage of the drink came out of a container that looked like some sort of cheap pre-made marg mix. I ordered the chicken enchiladas and they were good - but bland. The chicken was cooked fine but there wasn't really much flavor that stood out. My stepfather got the fajitas and they looked pretty good, though he ordered chicken and beef and only got chicken. My mom had the beef burrito but she didn't give me much feedback due to her indulgence of wine that day and the fact that she is not much of a foodie. Overall, not terrible, but I've had much better Mexican food in the area - still not as good as in California though!
(2)Mariam D.
Warm chips and fresh delicious salsa and a jumbo strawberry margarita started off our visit to Mexican Cantina on a caliente Friday night. Delisioso!! Then our entrees: a Chimichanga and Enchiladas. Both were served with rice and beans, and while tasty, they were overcooked and a bit. Service was friendly and fun, and the atmosphere was festive. The private parking lot is a convenient plus in an area dominated by metered and valet parking. I would recommend a try if you're in the area or if you haven't been to this landmark establishment on the East side of the Intercoastal Waterway on Sunrise Blvd.
(3)John D.
Wow! The food in this restaurant is incredibly bad. I had high hopes when I walked into the restaurant due to the décor. But it is, without a doubt the worst tasting Mexican food that I ever had in my life. After each of the four of us ate a bit, we all looked at each other as we tasted everything on our plates. Not one of us had anything edible on our plates! Totally bland. It didn't even look good, with the refried beans piled high on the plate like it was slopped on with a giant spoon. The plate itself was room temperature, as was most of the food. Usually, at a Mexican restaurant, the waitress warns of a hot plate. It's that hot. Not here. The beans didn't even spread out on the plate as they do when heated. A disgusting 2" high pile of beans looked like a cow turd, only tan. Actually, I think cow turds flatten out more. The diet coke didn't have much carbonation. For the very first time in my entire life, and I'm over 50, I actually paid for the meal for the four of us and then walked out. We went to another restaurant and ate our complete meal there. What a waste of money. I think the reason that they are still in business, is that they are surrounded by hotels. I did not see a residential area nearby. So everyone must go there once and never again. And for me, it will be NEVER AGAIN! For sure.
(1)Carly B.
Great margaritas! You get warm chips and the wait staff is helpful and friendly! Parking is in the back of restaurant. Good for families or a casual friends night out.
(4)Marqus R.
As this place has been around for decades, I was surprised that I had difficulty finding it on Yelp. The problem seems to be that they aren't even sure what they call themselves. La Cantina Mexican American Café is stated on the front of their menu (see picture), but the wording on the awning and noted in a few other more obscure places lists it as Mexican Cantina as well as in other reviews and in the phone book. Then, again it is noted in some flyers as being Mexican American Restaurant. Hmmmm? Maybe restaurants as well as the elder become so senile they too have difficulty remembering their own name. Now, on to matters more important. As I mentioned, the place has been around for decades and frankly, the interior and décor is beginning to show it. Much of the varnish on the booths is worn, the floor looks dingy and those crappy hanging acoustical ceiling tiles appear to come from the pre-strip mall era. However, the place is relatively clean and orderly. They don't open until 4:00PM and have a number of signs outside indicating so. They don't appear to have much of a weekday dinner crowd but seem poplar enough on weekends. They do have a fairly decent bar crowd following during happy hours with their offering of their 46 ounce margarita; which are actually very good. If you want none authentic, Americanized Mexican food, this is a good place. Their tacos are fairly decent, by Taco Hut standards and their dinner proportions of food are all large generally containing a tiny scoop of bland tasting guacamole, a large portion of refried beans covered with cheese, a big heaping of rice and a fairly good sized main portion of their entrée with very mild, weak flavoring. Every meal is served with the usual basket of chips and salsa. The chips I had were good, but the salsa totally bland in flavor but fresh. Amongst other dishes I tried their Pacifico Burrito, sort of a wrapped combination of sauce, scallops and small sized rather dried out shrimp for $15.00, which was just about the highest priced entrée offering. At best it was OK. The service, however, was extremely good, polite and very professional. I would say it's a nice place to stop by for happy hour drink at reasonable prices but for Mexican food, even Americanized Mexican food, you can do better. I had been in here years ago, and overall feel that it has lost a lot of the luster and glam it once had.
(2)Tina C.
The beans were really good! Rice was so-so. Red sauce does taste like marinara but chicken is great. Shredded beef was salty. Prices r very affordable for the area. I wld stick to chicken tacos or burrito.
(3)Sarah M.
I had a really great chicken burrito here. Decent prices on booze.
(4)Mark B.
The place smells like mold/mildew. The salsa was reasonably good. But the crispy taco shells were over cooked and the ground beef was dry and tasted re-cooked. We wouldn't return.
(1)Erica H.
Happy Cinco de Mayo! So the nearest mexican place to our hotel happens to be this little gem. It is completley disorganized from seating to ordering to paying for your meal. Having to flag down a waiter for service/to get refills/for your check when the place isn't even full is not a good sign. There was a large enough staff there however, instead of assigning areas for each person to attend to it was like 'you're free-you grab it'. Que Benny Hill theme song. I followed other yelper's tips and stuck with authentic mexican food here instead of the americanized dishes. Welp, the food was overcooked and they used frozen peas in their meat/rice to lessen the cost to fill your tacos/enchiladas/etc.
(1)Kyle O.
I had high hopes for this restaurant. The outside looks like a promising authentic Mexican joint. Unfortunately I was very disappointed. The tacos were not even close to authentic. The chicken and ground beef were both extremely dry and flavorless. On the other hand the atmosphere was cool but that alone is not enough to get me to go back.
(2)Leah T.
Awesome large margarita's great service delicious food!! Def will be back! Great prices too! Feels authentic inside!
(5)S. G.
My favorite Mexican place in Ft Lauderdale. I love that it's not overcrowded and that it's a hole in the wall. Prices are great- food is fantastic- and drinks are huge! Where else can you get silly for $10? Will continue to come back again and again. And I hope those people who complain do stay away. It's for locals anyway ;)
(5)Victoria N.
This place was a joke! We noticed a sign that this place was ran by the same owners since for 20 years! So me and my friend were thinking "okay, this is gonna be really good and authentic" totally not!!!! Definitely disappointed! This place had us fooled! Decor felt very authentic for sure. Menu looked great...my friend ordered a chicken taco a la carte. I wanted to order just a steak taco. (Carne asada taco) this wasn't even an option! Just ground beef and shredded beef. Yuck! Fine, so I chose shredded beef. I also wanted just corn tortilla instead of flour tortilla. But that wasn't even an option. Ok, so my taco came out....largest most overstuffed taco I have ever seen, and it wasn't even very attractive. But here's the kicker....the shredded beef was like beef stew beef! It wasn't even shredded! And the gravy (yes,gravy in my taco) seriously tasted like meatloaf/beef stew!! It was way too salty and over stuffed like crazy! If this place wants to be called a Mexican cantina...they should be ashamed of themselves. The meat looked like it just came out of the can! We also order tamales. Now who can mess this up? Omg the tamales corn was just falling to pieces! Didn't even stay together and didn't have that firm bite to it with the right filling. It was almost too wet and soupy. I am a huge fan of authentic Mexican food for sure, and this place was disgusting. Such a let down. If you guys know good Mexican food, don't waste your time here. Oh...and for 2 guests....the waitress adds 20% gratuity onto the bill. What a joke.
(1)Lena L.
The place looks authentic from the outside. Inside the restaurant is quite large. To start we ordered a giant margarita and a 1/2 carafe of sangria. The sangria was too sweet and overall lacking. My husband enjoyed his margarita. I was very impressed with the salsa and guacamole. I also love it when restaurants make nacho's by the chip rather than a huge pile. The nacho sampler was quite tasty and filling and I could have stopped there. I really should have because my meal wasn't that great. I read other reviews about how things were overcooked and dried out. I think this is because they put the food under a broiler or heat lamp before it comes out. It creates a film on most items and dried up the sauce on the enchiladas. The entree looked less than desirable and could have tasted better. I would rate this as "eh" mexican food and probably wouldn't return.
(3)J C.
Great spot! The shrimp fajitas are so good and fresh. We have had the same server twice now and he is so great and very friendly. Also, they has amazing house margaritas! My boyfriend and I love this spot
(4)Bill B.
This is one of our favorite restaurants. We live here year around and have about 10 restaurants on a regular rotation. Mexican Cantina is one of the favorites not only because it is just a mile away from the beach house, but because the service, food and drinks make a great combination. Through the years we have gotten to know the waitresses fairly well. They and the owner make us feel as if we were at their home and we are their best friends. The wait staff is among the friendliest in town. When we walk into the restaurant it is usually the case that our Margaritas are being made at the bar and are brought to us without even having to order, always with extra limes and tequila. Served in a mason jar mug, the margaritas are consistently good and refreshing. The chips and salsa are always crisp, fresh and spicy. You can add some of the "green" hot sauce for even more spice. I usually order the Enchiladas Del Tultecas, a Mexican sausage enchiladas. But the Tamales and tacos are great along with the grilled chicken Quesadilla. This is all arouind just a good place to go, have a nice meal and drink, and know you are going to have great service. If you are lucky like we, it is always just around the corner.
(4)Crystal M.
I just called this place and asked if I could place an order for pick up. I called at exactly 10:11pm and they told me they closed at 11. So I asked if they had a menu online and he said I'm sorry we're closed. I told the guy it was only 10pm and he said if I looked at the menu I wouldn't call back until 10:30 and the kitchen closes at 10:30. Since I hung up the phone I've placed an order with another restaurant and written this review it is now 10:19pm.
(1)Charlie T.
They have a pretty small menu, and the burrito I ordered had very dry chicken (may benefit from some marinating). The portions were good and the waitstaff was fine.
(3)Jim S.
I didn't find the service here all that great. Their chips and salsa need work too. Stop pushing the drinks and focus on your food.
(3)Coquito O.
My first time here and hit the spot for Quesadilla and margarita. I went on a Monday, so it was kind of dead, but the service and food made it for it. I recommend this place if you want a small taste of real Mexican cantina would look/feel like.
(4)Sal G.
You will not like everything here as this restaurant MUST cater to MANY tourists. Stay away from any of the "American" fare as it is no good. DO NOT get the Cheese dip with chorizo as this would fall under "American" fare! The true Mexican food is actually very good although some items may require some subtraction to get to the truly good portions -- I had to remove the excess meat and onions from my tamales! All of the food is amazingly fresh -- except the cheese dip -- and it shines through in the flavor. Those people not sporting a 70 year old tongue that is easily burned will want to get the home made green tomatillo salsa to go along with the red salsa. The flavor is amazing.
(4)Patrick O.
Went there during the day on a Tuesday I was really surprised that the place was package. And after eating the food I understood why! It was great! I highly recommend The cantina!
(4)Miguel A.
Great mexican food, fresh, tastefull and delicius with fast service. But the place stinks and very dirty. Need a renovation ASAP.
(3)Alyette K.
The salsa was watery, the guacamole had no flavor. I asked for jalapenos to try and spice it up and when the bill came I was charged for them without being told in advance. The Mexican pizza was completely greasy, cold and missing a few ingredients that were listed on the menu. Although the margarita tasted good it was weak. Went there because of an advertised coupon and when it came time to pay we were told we could not use it because we partook in happy hour. I honestly don't know how this place stays in business. The food was awful.
(1)Casey Ã.
As a San Diegan born and raised 5 miles from the Mexican Border, I know good Mexican food. While Mexican Cantina is not 100% Authentic, it is pretty close and is certainly the best South Florida has to offer. The Chips & Salsa are great and Margaritas are awesome as well. I've had most things on the menu but what stands out are the Mexican Burgers, Enchiladas Rancheros, Chicken Tortilla Soup and Larger Than Life Soft Tacos. Very friendly staff and great prices. Check it out and you will be hooked!
(5)Jim J.
This place hit the spot. We were looking for a Mexican place more like a west coast style. Chips and salsa were great, tacos were good. Great prices and super friendly waitresses.
(4)Trisha P.
I went here with a group of friends last week for the first and last time. When we walked in, the host asked to seat us, but we declined and went to the bar. That was just before 10pm. We ordered margaritas and the bartender talked us into ordering the giant 46 oz size. After serving our drinks, the bartender told us the kitchen closed at 10:30, and we said that was fine because we were not planning on eating. At about 10:15 we were told the kitchen was closed. The bartender dropped empty plastic cups on the bar next to our drinks and said it was last call and we said we would finish our drinks and leave. (They close at 11) About five minutes later he picked up our margaritas from in front of us and dumped them into the plastic cups and said it was closing time. After that happened, what must have been the entire staff was sitting around us, looking bored and irritated that we were still there...even though it was still 30 minutes before closing time. It was so uncomfortable, that we left without finishing out drinks. On the way out, the bartender yelled, "come back and see us again" and then said a little quieter, "next time come at 7." It goes without saying that I won't ever return.
(1)Sandra Y.
We went here despite several bad reviews. The place does smell weird when you walk in and I don't know why because it's a mustiness I'd normally associate with carpets but there were none on the floors. Other than that I liked the goofy decor. This is not authentic Mexican but it's also not as bad as Taco Bell. The salsa seemed to be fresh (not Tostitos) ... So if you don't like fresh made salsa ... Which is made with fresh tomatoes and looks watery ... you won't like this ... It was not spicy or even hot ... I personally didn't care and you probably could spice it up with some jalepenos but I didn't. I had a strawberry margarita which was refreshing because we had been at the beach but couldn't tell there was much alcohol in it. I had the seafood burrito and it was decent but a LOT of cheese, which is not very authentic and there were things inside it that I normally wouldn't expect in a burrito but it was tasty. My 7-year-old got a cheese quesadilla which she loved. I'd say this was not bad given the convenient location and decent prices. We had good service too.
(3)Maureen B.
I agree with another reviewer who commented the best thing about this restaurant are the chips and salsa. We had enchiladas with chorizo which were mediocre. The margaritas are made from a mix and taste like it. Don't waste your money. The waitress was very nice but choose another place for decent Mexican food.
(1)Angela M.
I had never been here before so I yelped the reviews and they seemed decent. I was disappointed from the start with the Bland salsa. I ordered beef flautas which came with rice and refried beans. Cheese and sauce were on top just about everything on my plate and the beef tasted like shredded roastbeef with NO flavor at all! I could barely eat it. I will not return to this again.
(1)Eileen C.
Great service, food and great Margaritas.......thanks Maria! Definitely going back!
(4)Curtis F.
I was laying on the beach down the street, and decided to hop on Yelp to look for some nearby grub. So I found this place. It was a Saturday afternoon around 4pm, and there was absolutely no wait. In fact, there were only 4 other people in the restaurant. That's ok, we'll eat in peace. When I go to a Mexican restaurant, my first line of judgement is the quality of the chips and salsa. Well, the chips were stale, and the salsa was not the greatest. Maybe it was the time of day, I don't know. But if we are the only people in the restaurant, you'd think they would have time to make us a fresh batch of chips and salsa. Mexican food is my favorite type of food, so I expect nothing less than the best. As for the entrees, they were nothing special. Same old tex-mex you can get at any other boring Mexican restaurant. I ordered a chicken chimichanga, and it was just not cooked well. The chicken was really dry and tough. Anyways, I really don't think this place should be a 4 star on Yelp. I've had ALOT of Mexican food in my life, and this place just doesn't cut it. Well, at least the service was alright, but it better be when there are only 6 people in the restaurant.
(2)Laur T.
AWESOME AWESOME MEXICAN. I don't care if this is tex-mex or authentic mexican, I LOVE IT. We were so excited to visit this joint that we came BEFORE they were open for dinner. Yep, we were done with sightseeing (of whatever of it you can do in Ft Laud) and headed here starved. They were nice enough to serve us drinks and awesome awesome guac and salsa with the chips. I ordered a shrimp burrito and my friend went for a veggie one. The shrimp burrito was MIND-BLOWING. It came with this creamy sauce and was nothing that I've ever tasted before. The combi makes for a most amazing end product. Needless to say, I finished the entire thing and left me craving for me (even till this day) despite the fact that I was stuffed way before I was even done with 1/2 of the mega serving. Oh and I recalled a 15% discount coupon in one of the tourist guides but as mentioned above, we were so excited about coming to this place that my friend was raving about that we didn't realize this was a place that also offerred the above discount. The server was nice enough to take that off our bill despite us not having the physical coupon. Nice guy... really. If I ever head back to Ft Laud, this is the place I wanna go to. In fact, this could possibly be THE reason why I may head back to Ft Laud!
(5)Monica R.
We were the only customers there, service was very slow. Food was not so good. Place was very run down and smelled dirty. We will not return.
(1)Tom L.
I've been coming Here for 15 years. This is a 20 year old Mexican restaurant that was here before the Yolos and Roccos and other clubbing typed discotech restaurants (which is this generation's fad). It's just classic Mexican and Margaritas. That's all. The menu is well priced and the atmosphere is cool. Don't come here dressed to kill with a gallon of cologne or perfume on with a whole tube of gel in your hair and be looking to pick up babes. It's not that kind of joint. You are also treated with the same respect as you treat them. If you come off a an arrogant prick, thinking you can be rude to other people but they still have to be nice to you because you're the customer and the customer is always right, you've got another thing coming. This aint that type of joint. That's the way it should be everywhere. But these days people think they can be assholes and still expect red carpet treatment. Perhaps this restaurant no longer fits into its surroundings. But, it was here first. So, for the people that posted below this review...........go back to Yolos or Mizner Park and snob away.
(4)Kate S.
We were visiting florida and wanted some basic good food. I went on a Monday and Wednesday night. The place is huge, but only a few tables were taken. Both times we had very good service. They bring you chips and a very mild fresh salsa, both were very good. For our meals we had the chicken burrito, quesadia, beef fajitas and chicken flautas. Everything was fresh. The fajitas come out sizzling... and they sizzle for quite a while! The flautas had sauce on top which killed the crisp a little, but they were so stuffed with meat that I didn't care. Our meals came with rice and refried? beans. Good simple food that leaves you stuffed and satisfied.
(4)