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    Cantina

    3.2 (164 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Desserts, Salad
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Cantina Photos

    CANTINA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Cantina

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    Reviews With Photos

    Chloe T.

    My husband and I dined here on our way up to Gainesville for the weekend. Cantina is located in downtown Ocala near other shops and restaurants. The interior of the restaurant is adorable and has a great vibe. We enjoyed being able to sit outside as well. On Fridays, they run a special on fajitas. We both ordered the chicken and shrimp fajitas and they were to die for. Of course, the chips and salsa were great too. The service was just mediocre, as we didn't hear from our server our entire meal, but no worries. We would come back!

    Erica J.

    This review is based off of three of us dropping in to get an appetizer and a couple cocktails on a Saturday afternoon after the market downtown. I noticed the reviews weren't that great. This place was very much dead, but the service was good. We sat at the bar inside that was facing the bar outside. I was definitely intrigued when I saw the endless mimosa sign.. because obviously that's what I ordered. I wasn't hungry so I just ordered the corn nuggets which were 10 out of 10. My friends shared a taco dish that had an egg on it. That looked pretty damn good. Neither one of us had any complaints. Looks like a fun atmosphere for a nighttime outing. Overall, I would come back.

    Cantina restaurant on the Square in Downtown Ocala!
    Jamie W.

    Hands down one of the best afternoons we've had in Ocala! We grabbed a table on the patio overlooking the Square on a perfect cool day, and everything was spot-on. Lauren was our server--super attentive, fun, and knew the menu inside out. She steered us toward the house margaritas, and wow, they're fresh, balanced, and dangerously drinkable. But the real star? The Cantina Bowl--out of this world! It was packed with flavor, fresh ingredients.. We will definitely be back! If you're in Ocala, this place is a must. Great vibes, killer drinks, and food that delivers. Lauren and the team made it unforgettable--see you soon!

    Fajitas
    Dawn H.

    Cantina is next door to my hotel and I decided to give them another chance after a couple of years. I sat at the bar and the bartender Danielle was very friendly. I ordered the chicken and steak fajitas. My food came out pretty fast and was a huge serving. I wish it came with more than 3 tortillas for the amount of meat and veggies. I basically made my own fajita bowl after using the 3 tortillas. The food is ok but nothing memorable. They are a solid option when in downtown Ocala if you don't want to drive a few miles away.

    Reshonda S.

    We came to sit in the bar area on a Thursday night. We asked in advanced if it was okay to sit in the bar area at a table and then the hostess informed us that it was okay. A waitress came over to serve water and was polite. Then, a gentleman came over a few seconds later and told us that we need to leave, in a rude manner, because we were in an area that required reservations. Honestly, the disrespect without communicating with us was a shock; especially after we asked permission first. We didn't feel comfortable enough to order food after this, which is unfortunate, because we would have understood a reservation requirement. Another random guest at another table apologized to us but did no employee seemed to care. Unfortunately, we left before being able to try anything that we were excited about.

    Ceviche
    Jonathan R.

    My wife and I stopped in for a mid afternoon date. The atmosphere is trendy/modern Mexican. The food was good. We ordered guacamole (loaded) and ceviche. The guacamole was fresh, the chips look and taste store bought. The ceviche had good flavor. Heavily lemoned, but not much fish or seafood. I also had the red wine sangria. In short this is standard Americanized Mexican food. For less money you will eat much better Mexican food in Ocala. Don't get me started on the service. Our waiter Ruben disappeared on us several times and had to request things through the manager. Huge note: we walked in at 3:15 and were the only customers. So these issues were not due to a packed house!

    Grilled Shrimp Tacos

    My experience was okay. My shrimp was salty and my rice was overcooked but the beans were good. I also got chips and guacamole no flavor. I love me a good drink not gonna lie the drink was the best part of this restaurant.. MY BIGGEST PET PEEVE WAS THE GNATS FLYING AROUND... So means this place is not getting a good clean.. Well yup that's it.

    Eva A.

    So, I came to cantina after I left billiards. I sat at their bar which opens to the outside. They have new owners now, who are superior to whoever owned them before. Their chips and salsa slap. Their tacos are better than other places. They have very cold Michelob ultras. They have a big inside area and had live music playing. Everyone was happy and friendly. I'll come back to cantina all the time. Also, their waters are tasty.

    Douglas B.

    The Cantina is located in an old bank building on the Ocala Square in downtown Ocala. Nice little Mexican restaurant great atmosphere the fault is still there. They use it as an event space but if you ask, they will take you in it and you can check it out drinks or price reasonably well And the food is very good. The only problem I had with the food is that they cooked the salmon with the muscles, and some of the shells broke off into dozens of pieces on top of the salmon in the sauce so as a former cook, I would say don't cook the shellfish with the other food Other than that great experience and they fixed the price accordingly would definitely go back again

    House margarita during happy hour.

    The food, the service, the atmosphere, ugh, everything is perfect. The food is incredibly authentic and delicious. When we first moved here a few months ago we needed a place to eat while we waited to get our house keys and we randomly tried this place and now it has become our go-to Mexican place. Love it so much.

    Churro ice cream

    Bad service, long very long wait. food not tasty! made a banquet tried all the menu bad. It's boring on the second floor.

    Roberta H.

    The cantina was good! We had some chips and queso, some taquitos and a few margaritas! The taquitos are AMAZING! The queso was good it was a little cold and had a little kick (which was good) the salsa was good and came to our table pretty quickly! The frozen margarita was big. The other two were served in highball glasses. I went to the bar to order my drink because they didn't have 1800 silver. And the waitress wasn't sure about others. They also ran out of lemonade. The music was a saxophone player he was good. Overall I would try it again and maybe have a meal!

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    Kris Z.

    Thanks Cal for the visit, hope to see you again.

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    2 years ago

    Chris,evan,tina and Marian were so wonderful I highly recommend coming here such nice people

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    You are Awesome!

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    Tenders of bar were amazing, Ryan was fabulous, food was perfection, everything was on. point. Cannot wait to return.

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    2 years ago

    Definitely paying for the low light ambience vibe which is nice no problem. The food wasn't so enjoyable. Service was reasonable.

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    2 years ago

    Great food and atmosphere. Had a great sever Natalie H. Met all our questions and more. Great over all experience.

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    Page 3 of 5

    Ask the Community - Cantina

    Do CANTINA have a live Mariachi Band and what day is the Band?

    Yes, every Tuesday 6-8pm for all you can eat tacos

    View All 2 Questions

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    Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop
    Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop
    Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop

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    After residing in Ocala for 9 months, we finally made it here. To be honest, this business was not…read moreon my list of bookmarks, nor had I even checked it out. We finally explored the square due to one of the art walk events. Since it we visited twice here on Friday evenings, we decided to have espresso. During the events in the square, the businesses usually stay open later than usual. This also means they are busy. I have yet to visit during normal business hours so I am not sure how the traffic is usually. Our first visit was just to check it out and get whatever on a spontaneous decision. I did not know they serve beer and wine so I opted for wine our first time. I picked out some French white wine, which wound up being over $20 for a tiny bottle! The staff member warned me she was unsure of the price and we were both shocked when she scanned it lol. I then switched it for a sparkling wine, which was half the price. The espresso hubs and I split was as good as it gets. We love our espressos and coffee bold and strong so we were happy. The staff member also gave me a teacher's discount, which I appreciate so much because therapists don't usually get discounts! The next time we visited, we ordered another espresso, as well as a cinnamon bun and an Andes cake. OMFG how orgasmic!! I love mint chocolate anything so I was sooooo excited! We saved it for later and it was just amazing! Hubs loves cinnamon buns and he approved as well. Both times we sat for a while, sipped our coffee, and talked. I am definitely interested in checking Soleil out when it is less busy to soak it in. The place was clean and the staff were personable and friendly. They serve a lot of vegan products and honestly, they are so good, you probably could not tell the difference which is vegan or not. They have comfy seating and it does feel very cozy in there.

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    Soleil Bakery & Social House - Yum

    Yum

    Soleil Bakery & Social House - Interior

    Interior

    Soleil Bakery & Social House - Interior

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    Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery
    Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery
    Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery

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