My favorite Mexican spot in Portland! I've never had anything but the best service, the tastiest margaritas, and delicious food. Granted, I've only been in for brunch and light snacks. But the breakfast burrito is to die for! I usually get bacon in mine, though my companions always get the chorizo which I hear is also delicious. The papas fritas that come on the side are plentiful and sprinkled with a garlic aioli that is just delightful. The Cantina burger is small but packed with a lot of flavor- the fried jalapeños really add a certain something- and is paired with their amazing homemade potato chips. Because of the relatively small size of the meal, there is plenty of room for churros. Delicious, light, sweet and perfect for dunking in the warm side chocolate. If you prefer to drink your dessert, try the Dulces Sueños made with Kahlua, tequila, chocolate bitters, cream and cinnamon. It was a little rich and sweet for my taste, but everyone else loved it.
The only complaint I have about the Cantina are the bar stools. They are really difficult to climb onto and get comfortable on. Oh well. They won't stop me from returning for more food and drink.
We had a very pleasant experience here. The food was outstanding and the flan desert that I had was out of this world. The only real issue I had was the tables were so close together. I heard the entire life story after of the woman sitting next to me like she was at my table. Typically I can handle this sort of thing but due to the tightness of the tables I had a hard time having a discussion at my table. Maybe it was just a loud Saturday night and perhaps another night would be more chill. The waitstaff was excellent and the food was higher than average mexican style.
Review Source:Pros: beautiful space, outdoor seating
Cons: meals have gone downhill rapidly, ranging from average and oversalted to downright inedible, and food is very expensive-I was charged $12 for one of the worst salads I've ever had (iceberg lettuce!) and $9 for a crappy plate of chips and dips. Â The "guac" is thinned out with tons of onions and something like mayonnaise. Â For such a beautiful bar, the tap selection is undistinguished and the cocktails don't live up to the descriptions or pricing.
The food here was very authentic and the margaritas were great too. Â They have an extensive Tequila selection. Â The atmosphere is very nice, but the seating is very tight and loud. Â I found it hard to hear my dinner guest. Â I will definitely go back to try some new things. Â I look forward to checking this place out in the summer where it appears they will open up the outside where they have a fire pit and deck!
Review Source:Good drinks, good service and my wife's Tostado was fresh and tasty. However, we're in Portland Maine and if anything should be fresh and flavorful, it's fish. The fish fillet menu item smelled bad and had the taste of a stale week old shoe. A mango style salsa accompanied the fish fillet , but it couldn't cut threw the foul taste.
The atmosphere is great and if you avoid the fish fillet, it's probably a top notch addition to the Portland restaurant scene.
Food was pretty great. Recommendation of sangria very off. I guess my issue was the service. Knowing the difference between attentive and obtrusive is one thing. Approaching the table 15+ was beyond annoying. We decided not have dinner (just tapas and drinks) because of it and walked elsewhere. I have never done that before.
There is simply no need to interrupt conversations that many times. Does it look like we are done? No. 5 minutes later? Still no. Different server-brunette-yes we are fine, thanks. Regular server-still fine. Felt like we were being hounded or rushed, and there was an empty table right next to us so it didn't make sense. We left laughing at the bizarre experience. Hope it improves, I really like the first El Rayo next door and had been looking forward to trying the cantina.
This is a very cool little Mexican place. Â
It's a bit out of the way, you probably won't stumble across it while wandering the streets, but its well worth seeking out. Â
The restaurant is fairly small but it can get a bit loud. Â The drinks menu is mind blowing, with more tequilas than is probably advisable for a single person to drink. Â The cocktails are all innovative and delicious while still being firmly Mexican influenced. Â I personally loved La Ciudad, but I'm a sucker for anything with St. Germaine in it.
The food is what I would call Maine influenced real Mexican - sounds like an oxymoron but what can I say, I like what I like.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
