Anyone else feel like the quality has gone down over the years? I used to love this place but every time I go back recently I have been disappointed. My friends and I got a pitcher of margs cause they said it would be cheaper than each of us get a margarita. There was 4 of us and none of us even got a full glass worth, and the pitcher was 75% ice. I used to think the food and drink was worth the price, but not anymore read more

Go here!! Yes it may be a little pricey for a Mexican restaurant but the quality is unbeatable! Anything you get will be great!

Nice little spin on Mexican food. Fresh, delicious, and amazing food. The staff and manager were super nice and very knowledgeable about their products. They even have amazing mocktails which is a huge plus in my book. I no longer drink, but sometimes I want something more than a water or coke. These folks definitely did a cool spin on all their non alcoholic beverages. Will definitely return read more

These days, I think it is exceptionally rare to find a restaurant with all three of these: good atmosphere, attentive service, and delicious food. La Cantina scored a 10/10 in all three of these areas. I had heard good things, but didn't believe the hype until I tried it myself. My boyfriend and I came here for date night and had some of the best margaritas in town. Our waitress, Allison, was great and we had several other wait staff check on us throughout the night. The guac was fresh and huge portion. We ordered the Carnitas for our main portion which could have fed 4 people. It was HUGE and so delicious. The fish taco was the best I had ever had. Needless to say, we will be back. read more

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We absolutely loved this authentic little Mexican spot downtown. We were really pleased with the atmosphere, service, cocktails, and the food. The guacamole might be the best I've ever had (quite a compliment from me). We each had a delicious tequila cocktail, then we split a taco. For dinner my wife had the enchiladas and I had the chicken mole. Everything on the menu is scratch made in-house and it paid off. This dinner was fantastic. The portions were quite large. I was expecting small portions like many upscale places. We could've easily shared our main entree. read more

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I wanted to love this place, but I couldn't. The food is subpar at best. Everything was extremely spicy, so be warned if you're sensitive to spice. For how expensive it is the portions are very small and honestly not that great. We won't be back, but hopefully the experience is better for others. Service is pretty good! read more

My husband and I love the food here a lot. We have had some inconsistency in the drinks & the outside patio was definitely a let down. It's a completely different vibe than the inside and almost all the tables are squeaky and wobbly. But all things considered, if you go here I would definitely sit inside & get the guacamole read more

Okay, I REALLY debated about this rating because I think it's important to look at all aspects of the experience. But the food was overpriced in my opinion, even for upscale Mexican food. Our server was AWESOME, and I wish I had gotten her name! My friend and I sat at the bar, and it was a great place to sit, although the other people working the bar didn't seem as attentive or personable and we did have to wait a bit for our food. But she gave us the whole rundown of the menu, recommendations etc. Everything is made in house, locally sourced and such, and it's a gluten free facility, so I know that plays a part in the price. I ordered the regular margarita, and it was nice, but very small. The side of Mexican rice was excellent! I ordered two tacos and the first was the Lamb Barbacoa. It came with a lot of meat, but it was a little gamey. The second taco was the Suadero and I liked it best! Good mix of flavors. Both had a very strong cilantro taste because they had a bunch of whole leaves on there, so it would have been nice if they were chopped. My friend and I shared a side of guacamole which was great because there were lots of things added in there (something was very spicy, so just be aware). But that one side was the cost of two tacos, so again... If you plan to go, definitely get a reservation because it's small and fills up fast. I think it's worth trying, but don't be shocked by the bill when you're done. For one appetizer, 5 tacos, one side of Mexican rice and one margarita each, the bill was almost $100 with tip. Unfortunately it was not good enough for me to feel the need to return. I don't mind upscale Mexican food, but this place went a little overboard in my opinion when it came to the price. read more

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My husband and I tried out La Cantina for date night last Saturday and we fell in love. The place is small and intimate, definitely recommend getting a reservation. I love the simple decor. The staff were so friendly and helpful, and the cocktails were on point. I happen to really enjoy tequila and mezcal so I feel like I need to come back and explore more of these options. Everything we ate was almost too good to put into words, I'll try. The guac... I know, there's a lot of good guac around this city, this. Is. Different. In a great way. I love their take on it, it actually tastes different, unique, and amazing. The tacos.. we had the fish tacos and the barbacoa, both were outstanding. And then we ended with the carnitas and the chicken mole. Way too much food--which turned into an out-of-this-world Sunday brunch--it's hard to say which one we enjoyed more, they were both so good. The only regret is not having room to try the tres leches dessert, but alas, another reason to return. I highly recommend La Cantina and can't wait to visit again. read more

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Nice surprise. Great service, great food. Brisket Taco is absolutely wonderful. Just a hole in the wall in downtown Cincinnati.

We went here tonight before a play at the Aronoff. Food was simply outstanding. We each tried a taco and shared the carne asada large plate. I don't know how they packed this much flavor into these dishes, but it is incredible. Cincinnati needed a place like this so bad. Service was attentive and the recommendations provided were great. Ambiance was trendy, but definitely not stuffy. read more

Above average Mexican food. The entrees were all wonderful, but the portions are MASSIVE. Apps were meh and service was slow. Would certainly come back, but not in a rush. read more

This is some of the best food and cocktails I have had in the city- and a bonus: the entire menu is gluten free! You can tell that food sourcing is important. The servers were helpful in navigating various food allergies and the atmosphere is very European in vibe. read more

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I absolutely love La Cantina! It's becoming my fav spot for Modern Mexican. I am so proud of the Siteks and Chef Johnny! Crown Republic Group can do no wrong! I love all of their restaurants. They have 4 concepts and this is the 4th. They are killing it! I honestly did not like modern Mexican or Mexican drinks until I started eating here. Their food is soooo good and full of flavor! Oh and S/O to their Beverage Director, Alex! He has an amazing palate and comes up with the BEST cocktails. Also, the staff here is always super sweet and very well attentive. I've been twice now and tried quite a few items. Let's start with drinks. I've had the No. 13, Avocado & Jalapeño Margarita, Margarita de Tamarindo, Dinero Gratis. Again, their drinks are great! Great flavors and taste. My favorite was the two margaritas. They were both slightly creamy but lent different flavors. The Avocado & Jalapeño was well balanced and not too spicy. The Tamarindo was smokey, slightly sweet, and just well balanced. I normally don't like Mexican cockatails because they are heavy on and very tequila forward. These are well balanced! Now let's talk about this amazing food! I've had quite a few dishes from apps, tacos, entrees, to desserts. I'll list what I've had and speak on my favs. The dishes I've had are as follows: Guacamole, Queso Fundido, Wedge Salad, Lamb Barbacoa Tacos, Baja Fish Taco, Pastor Taco, Pollo Asado, Carnitas, Enchiladas Verdes, Chicken Mole, Flan, and Donuts. My favorite apps are the Gauc and Queso. The Gauc is deconstructed. It's Gauc with roasted veggies (onions, tomatoes, jalapeños) and cilantro. Very good, great flavors, and certainly familiar but definitely a modern twist. The Queso is not your typical "dip" cheese. It's cheese, solid, and served with tortilla shells, verde salsa, and a charred jalapeño. Different but delicious! My fav entrees are ALL the tacos I listed and ALL the dishes. The tacos are so good, gourmet, yet simple. The flavors pop in all of them. The fish taco had the perfect crispness and paired well with the other ingredients listed in the taco. The Barbacoa was tender, cooked well, and just good! The meat tasted marinated and homemade. The Pastor Taco is sliced pork with pineapple, onions, cilantro and a sauce! Omg, good! An Al Pastor Taco is my favorite street taco combo and this one wowed! The Carnitas is a pork shoulder that they shred in front of you. It's so tender, simple and flavorful. It is a lot of pork but it's good! The Chicken Mole is homemade and delicious. You can taste the love and effort Chef Johnny put into creating this dish. That Mole sauce is legit. I'm not sure I'd had real mole sauce before until now. Great! The enchiladas verdes is also good. You can never go wrong with a classic Mexican dish like enchiladas. Lastly, we ended with dessert. We've had their donuts and their flan. The cinnamon-sugar donuts are served with caramel sauce. Omg, so good! They are light and fluffy. The flan really wasn't my thing. This is more of a personal preference as I just don't like flan. Overall, I love La Catina and will be coming here a lot! read more

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Food and service were amazing! The fact that everything was gluten free brought me in the door. Wow!!Everyone in our party loved the food and atmosphere. read more

Wow! This place was amazing. We loved the food. The Carne Asada was delicious. We also had the Hamachi app which was also delicious. The Queso Fundido tasted really good but I was assuming it was going to be like a queso dip when I ordered it. It is not. It is a really thick cheese that it served with soft corn tortillas. Delicious, but I probably wouldn't order again. The margaritas were on point. The service was good. Warning: they do try to upsell you constantly. I saw some reviewers didn't like that, but I didn't mind. Our server was nice and attentive. The restaurant is small and decorated very nicely. They also have a nice outdoor seating area. We loved our experience and can't wait to go back and try more items on the menu. Eat at this place! You will not be disappointed! read more

Cantina - Carne Asada- it comes to the table sizzling! - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

We visited La Cantina for the first time tonight and had a great experience! We had the horchata, virgin margarita, queso fundito, Baja fish taco, cochinita pibil taco, tijuanero taco, and carne asada. Everything was absolutely delicious, and the service was great. The food also came out at a good pace--it didn't feel rushed. Our server said that everything is made from scratch in their kitchen, and it's also 100% gluten-free! Overall we had a lovely experience and will definitely be back. read more

Such a cozy, eclectic, and DELICIOUS spot. The service is on point with very honest and well informed waitstaff and food is fantastic! We shared the steak which was so flavorful and cooked to perfection. We had such a wonderful experience and it was lovely for a lovely date night. Pro Tip: make sure you have a reservation, this place is small so a walk in may not be possible if you go during peak dining times read more

This is a truly gluten free kitchen, so perfect for people with Celiac disease. The food was very tasty and flavorful - especially the Baja Fish Tacos and Enchiladas Verdes. They were able to accommodate a dairy free diet as well. read more

Phenomenal food. Best Mexican in Cincinnati. Expensive. Space is small, I hope they move to a bigger space. The carne asada and guacamole was just enough to split for us. read more

We were told by the hostess that we couldn't feed our hungry (gluten lovin) one year old crackers as we waited for our food. We are from out of town and did not see that they were a gluten free restaurant until just now after reading some yelp reviews, as their website surely does not state that they are 100% gluten free. FYI they don't allow outside snacks for kids...even though they don't offer a kids menu and very limited options that are not spicy. The waiter was nice and gave good recommendations but overall we just feel disappointed in the overall experience and not how we wished our family fun day had ended. Would not recommend for families with little ones. read more

Hello. I'm generally a big fan of the Crown group but last night's guest experience was really off. First, the AC wasn't working. Very uncomfortable inside and when asked about it, we were told "the AC is working very hard." Add to that that some of the really smokey dishes served added a lot of smoke and steam in a small space. I watched several people fanning themselves and coughing. It took 30 minutes to get 3 tacos because, according to our server, the printer jammed and all orders were backed up. When sitting down at the bar for dinner and inquiring of the very young man behind the counter as to the differences among some of the cocktails, he couldn't answer because he'd never tried any of them as he was too young to bartend or serve alcohol. Won't be back for a while. read more

The flavor of the food is unbelievable but the air conditioning is non existent so don't go on a warm day.

One of my favorite spots in Cincy! The cocktail menu is smart/creative, and the food is amazing. Highly recommend. read more

Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Honestly was blown away. See sat at the bar and the staff was kind, quick, and effective. We got a little to much food two apps was far to much. But it was so good. Also small but great location read more

Been here a handful of times, including going for special birthday dinners, starting to go downhill. Went there tonight and it was just not what it used to be. The queso used to be next level, now it's not that good, they changed it. The margaritas we got were the same ones we've always gotten and used to be fantastic, now they weren't even what I would call good. Our entrees weren't as good as what we have had there before. The time we went there before tonight it was off but less so, really not that great, and for what they charge it's not worth it. I'm guessing we won't go back. The service was slow tonight as well but I think they didn't have enough servers so I can't blame it on our waitress. Probably going to avoid all the restaurants under this ownership group as it seems like they start focusing more on profit than what they serve. The three stars is giving them credit for how good it used to be. read more

We were greeted by the friendly hostess Sarah, who sat us at a table across from the beautiful tequila bar. The kitchen is open and the food smells delicious. The restaurant decor is bright and light with crisp lines. Our waitress, Marha, said she was new, but we could not tell. She was fantastic, plus was training a new employee herself. I have severe food allergies. La Cantina is 100% Gluten free! She spoke with the chef to double check on everything I ordered. They created a peanut free salsa for my tacos that was the perfect combination of spicy and sweet. The portions are large and shareable. The carnitas were surrounded by salsa, cilantro, pickled cauliflower and carrots, and they were delicious. Spices on point! I ordered the Suadero taco and the Sweet Potato Taco. Both were delish!! Leftovers for breakfast the next day. My other half ordered a smoky HEROE VERDADERO. It's the Mezcal version of a negroni, and the smokiness from the mezcal made it truly unique. We cannot wait to go back! read more

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The food was delicious and well prepared. The wait staff was very attentive and helpful with the menu. Mixed drinks were refreshing. The menu is interesting and innovative. Wouldn't change anything. The only observation is the lack of window treatment allowing a brutal sun to pour though on patrons. That could be easily remedied with some patio shade or window shades. read more

I love Crown Republic, so I was super excited to go to Crown Cantina as Mexican food is my fave and I was looking forward to experiencing an upscale version. While the food was good, I feel like it was overpriced for just being good and not AMAZING. I have been more blown away by food at a lower price point at Mazunte and Bakersfield, and by food at a similar price point at Nada. This was especially evident in the cost of tostada chips. I went with a group of 6 and we ordered 3 appetizers, two of which came with tostadas, so we each got one...about the equivalent of 3-4 regular sized tortilla chips when you break it apart. But we were happy to see we could order more for just $2. But for $2 you get 2 tostadas, so we had to spend $6 for 6 more tostadas. Dudes. There is no way your cost of goods justifies $1 per tostada. No freaking way. The corn can't be that special. Mazunte's tostadas are just as good--literally no discernable difference--and you get as many as you want. Both Bakersfield and Nada have awesome chips that are also made in-house and you don't have to pay for refills. Honestly, this one detail kind of ruined the experience for me because it was so ridiculous, and we had to leave salsa uneaten because none of us wanting to keep paying for more tostadas. This one detail is the main thing that will keep me from returning to Crown Cantina in the future. The food just can't offset the price when there are so many competitors in town who can beat it on both counts. Honestly, same with the drinks...my pina colada margarita was good, but smaller and more expensive than what you'd get at Bakersfield (who makes their marg mix in-house as well). Stuff made "in-house" isn't as impressive as it seems in a urban environment where tons of restaurants do that. I truly wish I could have written a rave review instead. But I'll stick to going to Crown Republic and try out the other restaurants in the Crown Group. read more

My 4th visit went well...just as expected...salad, guacamole, beans, taco...all exceptional, service good as usual...highly recommended for high quality Mexican cuisine, this isn't tex-mex... read more

First time at La Cantina and it did not disappoint! We had the guac, wedge salad, and two tacos (fish and sweet potato for me) and they were all fresh and delicious. Our server Safia was efficient and friendly and made great recommendations. This might be my new fave spot! read more

Best mole chicken ever... better than in Mexico! The standard margarita has a nice fresh orange flavor, and the guava ghost pepper marg was great! Also had the guac/chips and carne asada. Not your typical thin cut carne, but better. I wasn't a huge fan of the guac toppings but my BF really liked it. Also the butter rice was super tasty! read more

Food, drinks, & service was great! The music was really loud, made it hard to hear the server and my partner. However, the guacamole is the best I've ever had. The carne asada is out of this world as well. Highly recommend giving this a try! read more

Cute restaurant, but small! It's VERY loud due to a small space being full of people, so not the most romantic first date spot? I tried the guacamole (yum), the Cochinita pibil taco and split the enchiladas. I would skip the enchiladas next time and get more tacos! My friend really enjoyed the Baja fish taco (with mahi mahi) so that would be top of my list. I'd also totally recommend their margarita tamarindo - so delicious!! read more

So amazingly good I didn't even take pictures. I inhaled it too fast. The aesthetic of this place is absolutely gorgeous. We were fortunate enough to sit outside. The chairs could be more comfortable. The tables could be a bit bigger. We sat at a two seater. But the patio is simply beautiful. The staff is young and fresh faced. They are kind and helpful. Not too pushy. They are simply chill and set a great tone for an amazing meal. Drinks- the avocado jalapeño margarita is actually delicious. BUT I preferred the dinero gratis (or gratis dinero). It's spicy and fresh. All drinks are made to order with juices. No mixes. Which is great cause my tummy can't take those. The guacamole is to die for. I've never had something so flavorful. I craved it the next day. We shared the carnitas. The meat is tender. Even the fat is the melt in your mouth fat not the chewy kind. My husband couldn't get enough of it. I even enjoyed the veggies with it. I don't know about you, but I could not care less for rice and beans when I'm at a normal Mexican restaurant. However, these rice and beans were some of the best I've ever had. There's nothing like having a good drink and a good meal. This is seriously One of the best meals I've ever had. read more

Great food, service and atmosphere. Loved the guacamole, Baja fish tacos and sweet potato tacos. Not a lot of seating so reservation are a necessity. read more

First time here, sat at the bar with my wife. Very nice space. Parked on the street around the corner. We started with the Guac, really good. I had a glass of the Stoplman Red Blend and would get it again. It had a nice spice to it. I ordered the carnitas, she got the chicken enchiladas. Everything was great. The carnitas was too much to finish and I had the leftovers for lunch the next day along with the remaining rice and beans. Service was outstanding. Best Mexican in Cincy. read more

super nice authentic mexican food! the service is so nice and knowledgeable about the menu. the ambiance is modern but still very comfortable and warm. we got the queso fundido, pastor taco, suandero taco, and tijuanero taco. everything was so good and the tacos are very filling! a great price for such good quality and service! everything on the menu is gluten free and they are opening a patio with a bonfire in the spring, which should b very fun! read more

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I was blown away by this place! I couldn't wait to try it since I love all of the Crown restaurants, but it exceeded all of my expectations. This is some of the best Mexican food I've had. The guacamole was fantastic, and every single taco seemed to be better than the last, with phenomenal flavors in each one of them. We didn't have room for an entree, since we couldn't resist trying every taco on the menu. I can't wait to come back for one, as they looked and smelled fantastic. Every single dish was so delicious, but our favorite may have been the tres leches cake for dessert. I am already planning my next visit. The entire experience at La Cantina was wonderful-food, service, and ambiance. I am so thankful to have this new spot in Cincinnati, and highly recommend making a reservation and trying it out! read more

This is the most out of the world upscale Mexican food!! Starting with the cocktails crafted by GM Alex...I don't even like Mescal but they have expertly crafted some of the best! Their margaritas are excellent as well. On to starters...we loved the oysters the hamachi (sp?) and the guacamole. The tacos are unique and have so many interesting flavors. For mains we did carnitas which were soooo tender and carne asada. We love Chef Anthony and the whole Crown family!! (I forgot to mention the wedge salad...it's a must and very shareable) read more