This was our first trip to this very attractive restaurant, open only 1 month. Right after we were seated 4 more groups arrived and it became clear there was a need for another server. During our visit, the support staff stepped up effectively and even the bartender helped bring drinks to the tables. We will excuse this less than timely service as the one waitress did a great job and they will undoubtedly get more personnel after they are open longer. We did feel sorry for one couple we observed who had a very long wait, the reason for which was hard to discern. The food was delicious! We had three different enchiladas with rice and pinto beans; the beans were exceptionally tasty - definitely not just out of a can. We also tried the evening's excellent special - grilled steak, chicken, and shrimp with fresh asparagus and zucchini. Portions were generous. We will return in a few weeks by which time they should have ironed out their server needs. read more

Bland food, rice in my veggie burrito was hard and veggies were not even cooked. Minuscule amount of guac/sour cream. Really no seasoning at all and burrito was basically fully of hard crunchy rice with no flavor. Too bad I wanted to like the place and the interior and service was good but for $20 burrito filled with almost nothing but old crunchy flavorless rice I can't reccomend. Wish the owners would read the reviews because there is potential here but not if the food is bland, overpriced and insulting teaspoon on guac and sour cream to go with my massive flour tortilla filled with nothing but rice. Shoreline could really use a decent Mexican place and the drink menu is good but this missed the mark big time. Wish I could rate 2.5 stars but due to nice bartender and clean inside and drink menu I decided to rate up to a 3. Edit to add: I posted this review as we were leaving- owner came out to confront me about it. The review above is unchanged from what I originally posted. Was very a la Amy's Baking Company. Take that for what it's worth- not all are interested in feedback. read more

We came here on a Thursday night with a group and had a reservation. I think they've figured things out a little more since opening.. service was timely, friendly, and attentive. My margarita was good (cantina marg), but my friends was all simple syrup (spicy marg) and had a huge half a lime in it which seemed to be a filler... $16 is a tough price when half the drink volume is because of a like rind. Food was decent.. we had queso, quesadilla, chimichanga, burrito, and fries. No serious complaints.. we liked the queso and chips were fresh! read more

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Not busy at all for a Saturday night. We were seated immediately and the server got our drinks along with chips and homemade salsa. It was more like a thick sauce, and very flavorful. My house margarita just needed a little more taste as I couldn't taste any tequila or Iime at all. I ordered the guacamole app (we didn't realize more chips!) and it was decent. For me, it needed more salt and lime. Then came a chicken burrito, carne asada and a chicken and cheese quesadilla (which came with fries?) The burrito was packed with chicken, rice and came with a side of pico, guac and sour cream. I wish it was smothered in that homemade sauce. The carne was decent he said and the boy child ate half of the thick stuffed chicken and cheese quesadilla. We ended up taking half of everything home as the portions are big. Not sure I'd go back. read more

I really liked this place. There was a pretty big hiccup though which was a bummer. The inside decor is light , clean, airy & has a bit of a modern industrial vibe to it. (Not crazy about the fake wall fireplace image. That was kinda tacky imho - I would put firepits outside on the patio instead. Just my .02). I went the other night around 7:30 pm and it was pretty empty - it's winter in a Seasonal town so to be expected. The host greeted me immediately. I asked to sit at the bar since it was only me. The bartender came over immediately & gave me & menu. I ordered water & inquired about the various types of margaritas. She brought over salsa & chips. The bartender was super nice, efficient & helpful. She recommended the Skinny Margarita. No sour mix which is crucial. Just fresh lime juice. DELISH. The chios were standard corn tortillas but the salsa was very good. It seemed that it was made in house. A really nice blend of spices, tomatoes & peppers at a low spice level. She brought over the Margarita & I settled on the 3 enchilada combo with rice & beans. The margarita was great. Perfect combination of ingredients. Very well executed. I ended up ordering more salsa bc it was so good & the portion was really more like a condiment cup. Shortly after, my enchiladas were brought out. On 2 plates: large plate of rice & beans with a nice portion of guac, sour cream & pico stop a bed of shredded lettuce. The other plate contained the 3 enchiladas (ground beef, pork, chicken) also pleasantly prepared. Half was covered with the salsa & the other side was covered in salsa verde. The ground beef was great. I had 1 small bite of the pork & chicken. I was shocked at how bad the quality of both were. They were either severely subpar quality or spoiled. They both had a very bad gamey flavor so much so I refused to eat anymore. It was pretty bad & extremely disappointing bc everything else was really great. I was pretty bummed out so just focused on the rice which was light & fluffy & the pinto beans with melted cheese & the wonderful side accoutrements. I finished most of the ground beef enchilada. I also ordered another Skinny Margarita. I spoke to the bartender about the pork & chicken & in a very honest but kind way communicated that she should have the Chef check the pork & chicken bc it was so bad. I told her that everything else had been really great but that those were not at all edible. She never reported back to me. Never confirmed she had talked to any kitchen staff & no one had asked me if they could replace it with something else which was a little surprising. They also did not discount the meal which made it disappointing. They didn't even comp one of my margaritas. Pretty poor staff & management decision. So while I enjoyed most of my initial experiences, the obvious lack of concern for the quality of their entrees was a deal breaker for me. Unfortunately, I won't be returning. I don't really recommend this place for 2 reasons: you can't rely on the mgmt to serve good quality ingredients in their food & also to respond to valid customer concerns about spoiled food or subpar quality ingredients. read more

Cantina Beach - 3 enchiladas: Ground beef, shredded pork, shredded chicken. Both pork & chix were BAD. - Mexican Near Me - Old Saybrook, Connecticut

Excellent late lunch this weekend at this new establishment. The atmosphere is very nice. We had the Pork Fajitas & the Costa Maya Shrimp. Service was friendly & prompt. read more

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What a great dinner. Chicken was cooked to perfection. Milton was our server and ask for him as he's amazing. The service and good prep and drinks made a perfect evening. read more

Cantina Beach - Chicken taco salad. Quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Old Saybrook, Connecticut

Tacos and fajitas great , people are friendly and mezcal drinks goood Come give a try read more

Just tried this place and definitely will be back. Our server was Milton. He was very friendly and checked on us several times even stopped to chat after our meal. First off I usually skip eating any Mexican rice as it's usually bland. But this rice was delicious. Real pieces of fresh peppers and seasoned !!! We had the carne asaafa and the Berias tacos...would get them both again. The passion fruit mojito had just the right amount of mint and real passion fruit. We finished with this coconut cake with ice cream real coconut pieces and a passion fruit reduction all served in a coconut. Looking for some delicious authentic food with great service and a cool place for an evening out..this is the place. The bartender looked very friendly as well and the rest of the staff were all very attentive. read more

Great service, good food, very happy with the experience. Randomly tried Cantina and immediately upon entering were seated, table was set up with chips and salsa, water was delivered, and the waiter greeted us. All four of us had different dishes and all were good. Drinks were strong and the atmosphere was nice. I'm sure it will be a hit with the summer crowd and a nice addition to the other options in Old Saybrook. Worth the stop. read more

Our family went out to dinner for Cinco de Mayo. We ordered a chimicanga, taco salad and variety of tacos. We topped it off with churros. All the items we ordered arrived promptly, perfect temperature and was delicious. The had entertainment and it was a beautiful atmosphere. Our family all had thumbs up and we will come back soon. Michelle B read more

Came in with a party of 11, three of us got sick. Jalapeño poppers were fried but frozen in the middle, skimpy as hell with the guacamole AND salsa. all the entrees that were supposed to come with guac came with a teaspoon or none. then we were charged when we asked for the guac that was supposed to come with the meals. Just a totally unreasonable ratio to the size of the food. same with the tomatoes + lettuce that comes on the side of entrees. When we arrived there was another customer yelling at a service saying they would not pay for this "shit". we should of left then but wanted to give you guys a fair try. overall the food was bland, had no flavor. the fajitas didn't come out sizzling. I just can't get over how bland the chicken was, it was moist but goddddd it didn't taste like anything. Homemade hot sauce was alright, overall just a disappointment for the price. The restaurant seemed clean, it opened 6 days ago and there's already spiders in the bathroom?? and the BATHROOM DOORS DONT LOCK. it's two little rooms inside the bathroom and the doors. don't. fucking. lock. The restaurant has good potential but the food took so long to come out and there were maybe 3 other small parties with plenty of wait staff for them. idk just seemed ridiculous, maybe a little time to close and regroup then do a soft launch would be nice. I wish we got pictures of the food but we were SO hungry by time it came out nobody remembered. It looked nice though, nothing weird or off about the presentation. read more

Good food and service but way TOO LOUD!!! Must deaden the sound... Cannot hear a thing read more

Checked out this new place. The outside seating is nice. We sat at the bar and the inside was really neat and clean. I loved that the bar is deep and gives you plenty of room for food. Ordered a Michelada, saw them making it in a glass which scared me and was not sure if they knew what they were doing since they are usually served in tall mugs. But to my surprise it was perfect! I ordered the guacamole, salsa, and chips, which tasted fresh and delicious. Also ordered a pastor burrito, a little overboard on the cheese, and definitely not a handheld burrito, but nonetheless, it's very good and also tasted fresh as well as the tacos. I would definitely recommend this place, and this is far better than the cockoos nest down the road. Give them a try!! read more

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Went here for dinner with my fiancée. I ordered a salad. It was very nice with fresh ingredients. There was a beautifully cut piece of avocado on top. It was delicious. She ordered enchiladas and they came with a huge amount of guacamole and rice. The guacamole was fresh and the enchiladas were very good. The room was nicely spaced out. The servers were very attentive and made sure to check in with us. The food came out quickly and we were very pleased. read more

This place used to be very good,unfortunately we visited tonight, it was empty on a Sunday evening, and the service was slow and pretty much nonexistent... Really disappointing... The jalapeno poppers were clearly frozen, not homeade as they used to be and tasted freezer burned, horrible tasting, and the taco salad was half the size it used to be.... Extremely over priced for a mediocre meal... Sadly, this was our last time there will definitely not be back!! read more

Came in for dinner and was very pleased. The food was very tasty and the guacamole was homemade and excellent. I will say that it was a little on the noisy side but it is a cantina (as the name says). The service was decent and was consistent with a place that just opened. All in all it was really good experience and I can imagine that they will continue to get better as they find their rhythm. Let's support local businesses. read more

Food is excellent and our bartender Magi is so nice and attentive! Place is very clean as well read more

Cantina Beach - Mexican Near Me - Old Saybrook, Connecticut

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I've only been there once, on the first day they opened, and honestly, I had a very good impression. There was quite a bit of noise, but it was the opening night. The service was very good, and the margaritas were excellent. We ordered the nachos and liked them a lot. I don't understand why some say they weren't fresh. Honestly, they're the best nachos I've had in Connecticut since I moved from Florida. The fajitas were delicious, the only criticism being the tortillas. (They should find a way to keep them warm.) My friends also agreed that everything was tasty and acceptable. The atmosphere is very cozy, reminding me of some places in my beloved South Florida. It's a new place, and most likely, they'll keep improving. Of course, I recommend it. The location is very convenient, just a minute off Exit 66 on Interstate 95. read more

The service here was wonderful. The restaurant is clean and nicely decorated. The food was meh. The pork carnitas were dried out and tasteless. The chicken tacos were fine. I really wanted to like this restaurant but the food was so underwhelming I just can't recommend it. read more

Such amazing food and amazing service, food came out pretty fast and I was satisfied ! Really enjoyed my burrito ! I really enjoy the place, extremely beautiful decorated, the ambiance is such a great vibe, the plants, hats! read more

Food sucks... go somewhere else!! Will probably be out of business soon... they are serving frozen food out of a box and charging top dollar... portions are tiny and drinks are watered down.. don't waste your money!! Also.. most of the help does not speak English... read more

Place is nice. Service was great. Wait time was reasonable. Food was extremely bland, especially for Mexican. We ordered 2 house margaritas, which were ok, beef tacos, seemed like the beef was boiled and didn't come w/ any cheese, in them nor on the side. Surf and turf tacos, nothing was seasoned. All tacos were just loaded w/ cilantro and onions, for 6 tacos and 2 margaritas, the bill was $77 and we left w/ 4 tacos which we tossed in the trash of the diner we immediately drove to for some food. 2 stars are only because the service was great. Very disappointed. read more

Too far from authentic taste. My wife and I ordered the same dish, a chimichanga, mine came with guacamole and pico de gallo, hers did not - the exact same order. The salsa was terrible and the chips tiny. The chimichanga was huge but the flavor was small. Do you have any Mexican beers on tap, NO, do you have any in the bottle, Yes, Pacifico. One Mexican beer in a Mexican restaurant. Enough, not going back read more

Not impressed. Service was slow and took a long time. Food not served all together and was not correct. I asked twice for the sauce to be on side and it wasn't. Was correct on bill so they just didn't make it correctly or offer to correct the mistake. I had high hopes but was.disapointed. read more

I had driven by a number of times, but never had been inside. I decided to stop by for their $4 taco Tuesday. Well stocked, nice bar. Excellent food and service. I'll be back. read more

My family and I had dinner there this past Saturday evening. The waitstaff was excellent. The fried calamari was excellent. The steak was very good but the authentic Mexican dishes not so good. The Mexican rice had no flavor and the beans tasted like they were soaked it pork fat. The noise level was out of control since the place is all open even into the bar. read more

Great food and service. Went twice now and both times were awesome! They went over and above with my two young grandchildren.

Cantina Beach was very good during my second visit . Great service and great food. Still, the menu is Tex-Mex. I wished it was more authentic. But that's what sells. The ambience was cheerful and somewhat noisy. read more

The food was decent. More of a run of the mill Mexican restaurant. Nothing special. The salsa was very sweet and lacked an authentic punch of freshness. The desserts left much to be desired. We tried the Tres Leches and I would not recommend this dessert at all. The Coconut ice cream dessert was not at all good. Very pretty presentation. The service was prompt and the atmosphere was very pretty. read more

Had a wonderful time on Monday night. The food was delicious, and the staff was engaging. Highly recommend giving them a try. We will be back. Thank you! read more

Great food and great service in a comfortable atmosphere. This is a new business and worthy of a look. We tried it for the first time yesterday and were impressed. The burrito was really good and the churro was amazing. read more

The food and the service were excellent. I would recommend this place if you're looking for good quality Mexican food.

This is a reborn Mr. Jalapeños. The food is the same, in a different venue. The salsa was blah, the chips tasted as though they were out of a grocery store bag - I've had better out of a bag at the grocer. The Ceviche was a soup, almost inedible. Even though they seemingly did a decent job updating a tired, old, Japanese restaurant, they forgot to pay attention to their food. Perhaps they want to be a sports bar or something else. The ambiance was a noisy cement floor dining hall. It would be a better choice to go up the road to the Cuckoos Nest. read more

First time trying this new place. Well worth it. Hope they stick around awhile. Bartender was the best. My Moscow mule was the best I ever had. It's the little details that truly make a place they excel. The food was fresh and tasty. 100% will be back. read more

10/10 for Mexican and cocktails in the area!! Went for the fist time this evening and will not be the last!!! Highly recommend if you live on or near the area!! Sat at the bar and the bartender was extremely friendly and accommodating I unfortunately do not remember her name but her drinks were definitely the l best in town!! read more

My son and I recently had dinner at Cantina Beach and it will be our last time eating at this restaurant. The wait time was fine but the service was slow and servers were inattentive. The food was overpriced and bland. I ordered beef fajitas but what I mostly got were overcooked and slimy peppers, hardly any meat, My son was also disappointed in his tacos. The bill was way too high for such an awful meal. I was really hoping for better because there are no good Mexican restaurants in the area, but we will not be returning. read more

It's definitely like eating in a real cantina, with the low ceilings and wide open space including the bar so wear earplugs if your brave enough to go after reading these reviews. Prices though are NOT cantina prices! $16. Margarita's for regular 12 oz size is the minimum! No $10. house margarita's or any other grand opening specials as you would expect to see. The complimentary chips and salsa were cold, stale and minuscule portions. Not good. Place had maybe 10 customers, yet we and everyone else waited a good 30+ minutes to get our simple dishes. We had Fajita's which were mostly peppers, onions and tomatoes. Both Carnitas and Pollo proteins were way over salted and flavorless. Total portions were OK. They have plenty of wines available from a wall rack, but no wine list, and the server had no idea about wines or what was available. Bathrooms tiny and atrocious. We were informed that owner and family from the old departed Tequila's down the street were now part owners and running this place, so don't expect a winner here. At least the food at the old Tequila's was good and decent value, with correctly priced drinks. They just could never be consistent or keep help and eventually after a few make over tries went under. I expect the same here. read more

I'm giving this a high rating for being the Best mexican for this town. Queso fundido is great, classic tex mex/ southern Queso. The Chimichanga was solid. Service was significantly better than other places around. Its really loud inside so don't go thinking you will have any substantial bonding moments. I would definitely go again. Make reservations. read more

Feels like they put a lot of effort into the exterior and entrance and that's about it. felt like dining in a cafeteria. very loud and bright. needs some better ambience for sure. all of the food was mediocre (we ordered enchiladas and chimichanga), rice and beans were cold, tortilla chips were stale. the cheese sauce on the chimichanga was excellent though, maybe they should put that on everything. service was fine, our drinks took awhile to come out and also weren't great, but rest of food came out within a good amount of time. should have just gone down the street to cuckoos nest. read more