My family visited this restaurant during our vacation and we were pleasantly surprised! The service was great with enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff. The food was amazing. I had the enchilada's and they are on par with some of my favorites. We also had a unique and tasty dessert (the sopapilla is a must try!)
We will definitely come here again when we are in the area!
Don't go there for drinks, the bar sucks! No service was given to us, that were standing there for 10 minutes. After complaining to the male manager, nothing happened. We went there in a great mood and left feeling upset. Where is the customer service? And, their food didn't look like it was worth a 35 minute wait. Don't bother with this place. Don't waste your time or money.
Review Source:We came here on Cinco De Mayo hoping to celebrate with some Mexican and Margaritas. When we sat on the open patio and relaxed with the awesome view, we had high hopes, which were unfortunately quickly dashed. Â First of all, no one saw us for at least 20 minutes, even to take drink orders. Â We finally asked the busboy to grab someone and we saw him tell the hostess who then told the waitress . . . basically no one remembered we were there. Â Then the cute little waitress came over but didn't offer any apologies for the wait. Â The food was substandard Mexican food and the margaritas weren't that good either. Â Also, I think it is owned by the same people that own several other nearby restaurants so you know it's not authentic. Â Meh, ok if you need some sort of Mexican fix but don't expect greatness.
Review Source:I used to love you Javelina Cantina but then I experienced real Mexican food. Sure, I've been here plenty of times with my parents, friends, and my husband. But each time the experience steadily went downhill.
My favorite meal - whether lunch or dinner - was the chicken chalupa with red sauce (no lettuce or tomatoes on top). I have tried other items - the quesadilla, fish tacos, fried ice cream, etc. but hands down I loved that dish. However, when I stopped by for dinner recently it just wasn't the same. Maybe my taste buds had changed or maybe the sauce changed - who knows. Even my husband, who used to like Javelina, thought the meal was just mediocre.
The inside is nice - I like the high-back booths. The patio is pretty decent too. I love looking out at the lake, but sitting outside we got drenched by the misters. Even our food was becoming water logged.
Something is just off...
Date Night! JR was our server, and what a terrific guy! He reads his customers well, and goes with their mood! Great guy delivered a great experience ! Food was as expected and did not disappoint! By husband had the Super Burrito and said it was great, I tried something different..the Lobster Tacos...yum! A terrific meal! Thanks for being a very dependable establishment!
Review Source:This was my second and last time eating here. Â The food is not fresh at all. Â The guacamole was horrible it tasted sour. I had a scallop salad, the whole thing was just wrong, the scallops smelled bad and were like rubber, the iceberg lettuce was drenched in dressing and looked like it had been sitting in it for hours. Â I also had a taco the meat tasted like last weeks left overs. Â The first time I ate here I had the fajitas YUCK!! Â They had at least half a cup of oil on them and another cup of sauce??? Â The service was ok. Â What a waste of a restaurant with a great location!
Review Source:It was pretty crowded here, even for a weekday. We hung out at the bar first and ordered the tie-dyed margarita and the house margarita. Drinks were decent. The tie-dyed margarita was pretty, but I didn't think the taste was amazing or anything. My friends enjoyed it though. The $1 taco special was okay. It was decent but not incredible. Service was friendly, but a little difficult to get ahold of.
Review Source:The salsa was delish! The views were lovely on the back deck, great location right on the channel by the London Bridge. We closed in the evening enjoying the breeze and sipping a margarita.
The food was also good, a little pricey and not great quality. The music out back was awful! Made us giggle all night long!
I was visiting Lake Havasu for the first time. Â I assumed that since its known as a Spring Break spot that the restaurants would be open until at least 10pm. Â I was wrong! Â Fortunately, Javelina Cantina was still serving. Â The bonus? Â It was dollar taco night! Â So, I ordered up 3 chicken soft tacos and a Corona (also on special) and my night was saved. Â For dollar tacos - they were excellent. Â Large and well stuffed with chicken plus lettuce, tomato - gringo style. Â Not much more to say because they were closing as I finished up my grub.
Review Source:We've been here several times and haven't yet hit on that perfect dish but it is a good restaurant. Â You can sit outside under misters or in the cool indoors. Â Service is usually very good. Â House margueritas are bland but the speciality ones are very good. The mojitos don't have any mint leaves in them...wierd. Â I really like the Chile con Queso and the Queso-Bean appetizers. Â Tacos are always good. Â What I don't like is the VERY heavy, carmelized sauce on the Fajitas. Â It's so strong it steals the flavor of whatever kind of fajita you ordered. Â I'll keep going back but no more fajitas for me.
Review Source:Prior to writing this review, I have dined at this restaurant over the past 2 years, approximately 10 times. Â Each time my party and I received great service. Â The food comes out looking and tasting great. Â It is located in a perfect spot. Â For dinner, we walk from the Hampton Inn and during the day we beach the SeaDoos and walk up. Â cannot say enough great things about this place. Â Hope they keep it up. Â :)
Review Source:We spend most our summers in Lake Havasu and Javelina's is a must visit for us. I love their ceviche which they now call shrimp cocktail. TONS of fresh tasting shrimp! I add a touch of spicey sauce as it's too mild for my taste but it is always fresh and full of flavor. Their salsa is also good.
I would give them 5 stars but I believe their margarita prices are just too high and there's no excuse like view... you can hardly see anything! There's trees to the right blocking the Channel, you can see the bridge but hey its a bridge! After you've seen it once big deal. The Heat hotel and its new bar outside blocks the water view.
I used to always order a Tie Dye Margarita the BEST marg I've ever had hands down however at those prices... and I'll admit calories, I now have 2 reasons to not order anymore. I still recommend them to others! You must try one if you like all the flavors margs come in and can't decide which one, then the Tie Dye has you covered!
Staff is always friendly, food no matter how busy they are comes out quickly which after being in the sun all day and your starving this is 5 star service!
When I want Mex food with a low key atmosphere and better prices I head to Casa Serrano but their service is not very good and the waitresses are very slow so its one of those predicaments which to choose. Dress up and cooler people... Javelina, dress down, exhausted but not starving, Casa Serrano.
Huge portions. I mean HUGE! We had (fried) fish tacos (good), steak fajitas (good), sides of veggies and chillie dusted fries (both great), bean burrito (ok), chicken chillie relleno (way way too much cheese), and a very salty veggie platter.
The salsa was super fresh and yummy. Be warned their habanero salsa is five alarm hot-you'll feel it the next day!
Havasu is not known for it's culinary achievements but Javelina's is one of the better spots if you are in town. I got the carnitas and it was good. Nothing out of this world but better than I expected. The margaritas are good as well and everybody was pleased with their food. Salsa was fresh which was nice and the jalapeno poppers were a good choice to start.
Review Source:Although not a chain restaurant per se, this restaurant is just one of several local restaurants owned by one family. All the restaurants have daily happy hour specials. So for tonight, I came here for the $1 tacos. Having had the $1 tacos at another Shugrue-owned restaurant, Mad Dog's, I was expecting something similar, but strangely enough they weren't as good.
There are only three choices of tacos here: ground beef, shredded pork, shredded chicken, either hard or soft. The ground beef was definitely forgettable, while the other two were just okay. My order took a little longer than I expected, but in fairness, the restaurant was pretty busy with spring breakers. Â
Service was below average, the bartender who took my order never specified hard or soft shell, he just entered whatever he thought I would want. Â The waitress at the bar seemed more preoccupied with getting off work. Overall, this location is more suited for people viewing , especially during daylight hours, than their happy hour specials.
Great view of London Bridge, but unfortuneately, it's on the wrong side. Â There is a parking lot in between which sort of kills the view a little bit. Â Still, it's a visible. Â The service here was good when I came. Â The food was decent too. Â I had a lunch special and it was a good deal ($5.99 for a big taco, rice and beans) plus chips and salsa. Â The inside of the place looks really nice too, much classier and upscale than the name implies. Â I do like the logo and name though, and even considered buying a T-shirt.
Review Source:The chips are hot & the margaritas are cold...the food is good and the view is great!!! Â We are usually at least a pary of 10 when we go here, so sometimes the service perfect & sometimes it just ok. Â Please note in my party of ten or more we are typically 6 kids & four adults....the last two times we were 4 kids, 6 adults & 5 teenagers- would you want to be our waitress? Â The service was good, especially considering the customers & everyone got their food as ordered and hot. Â Nothing was forgotten & the drinks were continually refilled as were the chips & salsa. Â It is tasty food but definatly designed to appeal to a broad clientle not to Mexican food purest. Â I love this place & my family always asks to go back and the staff always tells me they are happy to see us so it's a great relationship!
Review Source:Great Magaritas, Decent Food.
The margarita selection is very good, catering to both the fruity drink crowd and somebody looking for something hand shaken with a decent quality tequila in it. Â Â In my group we had more than a few of both and people were not dissapointed.
It was very refreshing to have a frozen one outside when it was 114 out there.
The food is decent, its not authentic, but it does cater to the Tex-Mex style of taste and it was prepared and the quality of ingredients was good. Â The salsa was not spicy but was very fresh tasting.
Service was very response and the wait staff very friendly.
The place makes a better bar than a restraunt, but its good for getting a few ritas and some decent Tex-Mex.
After having pretty decent expectations about this place I am EXTREMELY saddened to say that I suggested this place for dinner. The location is nice and so is the environment. The service is pretty average seeing as every once and a while the nice waitress came by to check everything was okay. For starters, I found the chips and salsa VERY average. Nothing special that couldn't have been served straight from a La Victoria Salsa bottle, boo! We ordered the guacamole which was absolutely disgusting, of which i wanted to spit out but didn't out of courtesy. After sending that back I hoped our dinner would at the least be better. I ordered the Steak Fajita's Caliente, which definitely were no where near "caliente" by the way, and found the steak to taste as if it were two day old reheated meat. The onions, tortilla's, bell peppers, and other various veggies were delicious though. Throughout the entire time I was battling flies and attempting to eat at the same time, which I found to be an extreme nuisance!
Overall, if you're looking for a place to drink and hang w/ friends that has way overpriced food, this is the place to go. I'm sure if you're just throwing back a couple drinks in the bar and enjoying their dollar taco's on certain days it might be worth the trip. Otherwise I'd definitely steer clear of this despicably called "Cantina." YUCK!
Javelina Cantina never claimed to be authentic Mexican food. Javelina Cantina serves Sonoran Style Mexican food, always has and always will. Calling Javelina's food Authentic Mexican food is the same as calling Tex-Mex  style food at  Chevy's authentic, both are wrong. In both restaurants defense, they never claim to be authentic and why would they, there style of Mexican food is much better.
In response to the complaints about the margarita prices, I read them and I compare it to someone complaining about the price of a beer at a pro baseball game. You usually pay around $9.00 for that beer at a baseball game, which is high, but think about it you are paying for the atmosphere. This is what you are paying for at Javelina when you purchase a 27 oz $18.00 margarita with top shelf tequila ( details others left out ). Also not all of the 27oz Margaritas are 18 dollars they start at 11 dollars and work there way up to 18. The prices at Javelina are what they are because you are paying for the best view of the London Bridge and the lake in town, yes there are cheaper ways to get a burrito and a margarita, if you are looking for that, might I suggest a taco truck and a liqueur store.
Javelina is one of the best restaurants in Lake Havasu, they have the numbers to prove it, if you don't like the prices they have 1/2 off fajitas Monday, 1/2 off margaritas Tuesday and $1 tacos on Wednesday. The Javelina Cantina in Lake Havasu is always a great place to eat. Â
P.S. the Javelina in Sedona has the same menu.
Way too expensive for generic mexican food. Â I had a Chimi that reminded me of something you might buy at Costco. Â Tasted like it was heated up in a microwave. Â Salsa also tasted like it came out of a bottle. Â We have been to the Cantina in Sedona, and the food there was completely different. Â There are other Mexican Retaurants in Havasu that far outshine this place.
Review Source:We always make sure we eat at Javelina Cantina every time we visit Lake Havasu and have been eating here for over five years.
We have never had a bad meal.
Service is usually very friendly.
Like the other post complain about be up selling to a bigger margarita, it has never happen to me and I always order a margarita.
The fajitas are by far, some of the best out there. No matter if it's chicken, steak or shrimp you won't disappointed.
Tacos are awesome.
Chili rellano -my wife says it the best she ever has and must be true because it's the only thing she ever orders.
The best view in Lake Havasu overlooking the bridge and channel.
Try it once and you will be back for sure.
I too was upsold on the margarita and it was awful. Very disappointed as this was the whole reason we went there in the first place.
I would say go for the fresh salsa and chips and maybe a beer, but avoid the greatly overpriced food. While the food is tasty, it's not authentic and it is expensive.
Tim W. is absolutely right, there are so many really great Mexican joints in Havasu. There's no real reason to go to Javelina's.
Nice outdoor patio and view.
Over hyped restaurant with overpriced drinks, average food and average service.
I was up-sold on the larger margarita too and was shocked to see the $19 price when I got the bill. The 'larger' margarita is in a beer schooner. Sure doesn't seem like a $19 drink.
One thing Havasu does NOT lack is Mexican restaurants. Skip the Shugrue's chain and eat at one of the better, cheaper places in town!
Here you are paying for the spectacular view. I'm really paying. I let the waitress up sell me (i didn't ask how much? dumb!) to a "large" premium margarita. It was $19.00 when I got the bill and it wasn't THAT large! I'm sure just ordering two regular ones would have been a better deal. The food was good and the service was just OK. You can get better Mexican food in Havasu for less $, easy.
Of course the restaurant here makes it on location alone but for me that's not enough. This place is part of the Shugrue's Restaurant Empire and I really feel like they can do better across the board.
A really good authentic-tasting Mexican restaurant, even though it's part of the Shugrue's chain. Â The menu is pretty extensive There are big yummy margaritas and the misters Dominic mentioned outside to keep you cool, even when it's 114 degrees out.
My family has been to most of the restaurants around these parts, and I'm pretty sure this one's a keeper.
Lisa's Taco plate is my favorite - I get the hard shell shredded beef tacos. Â Half of the appeal of the place for me is sitting on the patio with the water misters blowing down on hot days - just enjoying being outside. Â I don't drink much - but usually have to order a Pacifico to go with the chips and salsa and enjoy the view of the London Bridge. Â Great location, friendly staff - consistent food.
Review Source:Lake Havasu, city of rocks, cacti, old men on Harleys with braids, rocks, the London Bridge (yes, really), desert, tons of fast food places, Â more rocks, and Javelina Cantina.
My mom and I recently returned from Lake Havasu. No no, this trip was not for pleasure, it was to take care of some unpleasant family business. My mom discovered Cantina during her last trip here, as she was with her nephew who is a vegetarian. Love the outside seating- It was only 80 degrees around 7pm, so we decided to eat outside. Upon sitting down, the staff brings homeade, thick, tortilla chips with fresh salsa. The salsa is SO FRESH- tomato and pepper based, with onions, and cucumber- my mom tasted it and her palate is professional so I go with it. She ordered the seafood cesar salad, while I ordered the grilled shrimp cesar salad. Both came in large tortilla bowls, with romaine tossed in a delicious southwest cesar dressing with plenty of sundried tomatoes (always a plus), croutons, and parmesan. And they were not stingy on the seafood- woot woot.
My mom needed a drink- she doesn't drink....ever. But for this trip, a margarita was in order. She ordered their platinum margarita with top shelf tequila. Momma D doesn't mess around! They have an extensive (truly) and impressive selection of tequila....be careful!
Aaaand, we went to Cantina both nights we were there because it was reliable, the service was friendly, and we were too exhausted to search the rocky desert terrain of Lake Havasu for another restaurant.
If you are ever in Lake Havasu, by choice (wtf) or not by choice, eat at Cantina. Enjoy the fresh salsa while you sit outside, gazing at the London Bridge, rocks, large lake, and more rocks. Eating here gave us something to look forward to at the end of the day and I am thankful to Cantina for that.
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