Cantina

Reviews 7

BE

Belinda Frisch

Ive been meaning to try Cantina for some time, but as a regular at Panchos in Clifton Park this restaurant didnt measure up. First, the "salsa" that precedes the meal tastes pickled, basically sour, and comes with absolutely no liquid. Its more of a pico-tomato salad. Not my favorite thing. I ordered the chicken chimichanga and found the filling flavorful but texturally off. The chicken was reduced to the consistency of tuna. Again, the dish was woefully lacking in liquid. Other restaurants serve a sauce and/or cheese of some sort on top of their chimichangas. I think this would be a big improvement over a side of guacamole, some sour cream, and yet more of the pickled tomato stuff dubbed "salslaw" from here on out. The wait staff, as others point out, wasnt terrible, but wasnt pleasant or attentive either. Would I go back? There are plenty of other places to eat downtown. Since Cantina fell down on service, food, and hygiene (the booth next to us was splattered with dried something or other that really should have been cleaned up), probably not. Oh, and while Im mentioning seating, the trend of seating customers within a foot of one another isnt one Im a fan of. We ate at Cantina early and there were plenty of open seats yet I had to spend my meal talking over the couple next to us so my husband could hear me. There were tables everywhere else, even one further down the booth. Why when another couple came in minutes after us they were seated inches away is beyond me.

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A

A Private User

I went to Cantina on a Tuesday night, not knowing it was Taco 2sday with most tacos on the menu sold for $2 each. It was fairly busy, we waited 35 minutes for a table for two. The corn tortilla chips and salsa, which were given to each table, and a quesadilla we ordered as an appetizer held us over while we waited quite some time for our entrees to come from the kitchen. While we waited for our food, I witnessed an argument between the host and a guy who had obviously waited too long for a table. I overheard the host telling/yelling at the man to leave if he didnt like the wait. It was very noticable, arms were flailing as each man tried to out macho the other and a line started to form at the door with guests who had come in and had yet to be greeted. This display, along with not-so-quick service at the bar and a waitress who nearly sprinted from table to table could have easily wrecked my first impression. However, they redeemed themselves with the fantastic food. I ordered beef enchilladas which were seasoned just right and were the best I can remember eating. The food is attractively presented on the plate and is not your typical commercialized mexican food we are used to in this area. This place is definitely worth a visit, I will certainly give it another shot - just not on a Tuesday.

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CO

Corey Shaughnessy

Finally made it here a second time and made sure not to look at the extensive and impressive tequila list so I could remember what I had eaten. There were approximately 4 people in the entire place, but I stood at the entry way for a solid 5 minutes before the hostess was completely caught up with her Facebook feed. When I noticed I was there during Happy Hour and requested something off of that menu, I was told I had to be sitting at the bar. After moving roughly 3 feet from the table right next to the bar to a bar stool, I placed my order for nachos and an "SF Mission Burrito". The nachos were fine. They had a bit of spice to them and a fairly mild flavor. The cheese seemed like maybe it had been sitting for a minute and was pretty solid, physically. The Happy Hour price seemed appropriate. They could probably have made for a full meal if someone wasnt that hungry. Certainly not worth a second thought though. The "SF Mission Burrito" was thoroughly bland and flavorless. The shredded chicken tasted like what I would assume water would taste like if it was even more flavorless. The tiny dollop of guac cannot save this black hole of taste. 3 stars because while you might forget what youre eating while you eat it, it isnt necessarily bad.

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A

A Private User

Great Margaritas, Great Food and Great Drinks! What else can you ask for? I have been there a couple of times now and always had a great time. If you go with a couple of people get the Chupacabra. Its a huge frozen margarita with two little Coronas in it. It is surprisingly awesome. The last time we were there we got the Cactus Fries for an appetizer and they were great! They had a little bit of tang and and a little bit of spice served with a great spicy mayo. I highly reccomend them :) Our server recommended the Chicken Enchiladas Mole for the main course along with the Yucatan Fish Tacos. The Mole enchiladas had both red and yellow mole which complemented each other quite nicely. The Tuna tacos were also a great choice topped with a sweet pineapple salsa with just the right amount of spice. This is Mexican food with a nice refreshing twist. I have yet to have bad service at Cantina, the servers are always well informed about the food and are willing to answer any questions that you might have. One of the best spots in Saratoga.

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A

A Private User

Had luch there 2 times already, we always give restaurants 2 chances, but nothing could go this in a different way !! After reading this reviews i really ask my self whos writing it ? Place was DISGUSTEDLY FILTHY !!! The floor by our table had crumbs, chunks of tomastoes, dust and looked like didnt got clean in days... the "cips basket" had old crusty sauce at the bottom and last but not least my beer had hairs around the bottle ! The server probably spoke 3 words to us : "yes" - "yes" - "thank you" !! Thats how much personality he had. Food is below mediocrity, that is why im asking all the others reviewers : "DID YOU EVER HAD MEXICAN FOOD ?" Anyway, the cips were very good !! 2 strikes = OUT !!!!

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JO

Joseph Vogel

The food was great and fairly priced but the blonde bartender working on the night of 8/16/17 had little clue on how to make a margarita. Our group got four blanco margaritas and not a single one had the same amount if liquor nor did they taste the same. I understand the concept of free pouring but the bottle in use did not have a pour spout. She simply dumped the tequila in a glass, each coming out to different heights in the glass. Rule number one in a restaurant: consistency is key. Im addition I saw the bartender make a drink previous to ours then put the shaker on the bar only to use the same shaker for our drinks.

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GE

Gene Colwell

We called ahead and asked about the $2 Tacos....they said they were still doing them ...so we went. We ordered a total of 5 and a house salad. You gotta be kidding me...dark pulled chicken that looked like it came out of a cat food can...about a tablespoon full...with a tiny sprinkling of bean sprouts...in a taco about the size of a sauce jar lid....no lettuce...no salsa...no sour cream ...no nothing ...simply horrible...and the salad? Some spring mix thown is a bowl drowned in a cup of dressing with jicama root piled on top...What are you guys thinking....bad...bad...and more bad...will never go back

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