I grew up in California and miss real Mexican food and I found it here. The food is great and home made. I highly recommend.

Food was amazing like eating at grandmas! Ordered chiliquiles and it was made to perfection. Javier took care of my son who wanted just shrimp. Definitely will be back for great food that took me back to my childhood. Great friendly service. The atmosphere was friendly, clean and a touch of grandmas house. read more

Always hits the spot ABSOLUTELY LOVE the food customer service is always good would recommend anytime. The atmosphere is just perfect can bring kids it's quiet and relaxing. Keep up the great service and food love it #1 for my wife and I!!!!!!! read more

Food is great but it is a hit or miss if they are open on time. We usually go Tuesday or Fridays because Lupe was there but since they cut her hours you can tell. They don't open on time and service is definitely not the same. We went today and called before going just to be sure they were open. Again, food is good. But hopefully the owners understand customer service is key and keeping their good workers that care about the customers is even more important. read more

I was craving enchiladas for an early dinner so we decided to come the El Cantarito since I've been here before to have their breakfast and that was pretty tasty. We arrived around 4pm. Super dead. Zero wait. There's indoor and outdoor seating. We opted to sit inside and got a window seat (great photo lighting). I ordered my enchiladas and they were exactly what I was craving. The red sauce was delicious and all the cheese I could ask for. The courtesy chips are nice and crunchy and the salsa had a nice kick to it too. Our servers were so polite and attentive. This was one of my favorite things coming here. Parking looks slim on the street side in front of the restaurant but there is a lot in the back the offers plenty of open spots. read more

El Cantarito - Two Cheese Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

There are several Mexican restaurants in old town Placentia and this is one of them. We arrived and the place was busy. We found a table and sat for a brief time before a very nice lady came by to greet us. I'm guessing she was busy and that might have been the reason for the slow service. She was very nice and friendly. She brought chips and salsa. The chips were thick and unsalted. So the crunch was heavy. The salsa was tasty and was pleasantly spicy. I had chilaquiles. They were covered in a red sauce and cheese. They weren't crunchy but more chewy. The rice and beans were delicious. And the plate covered with 2 well fried eggs. The place was clean and the tables spaced to give room for each without being crowded. For me, the food was good but not very memorable. The service a bit slow although the 2 ladies were very nice but busy. read more

El Cantarito - Chilaquiles - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

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Very overpriced. Got 2 bean and cheese burritos and they were about $12 EACH. It had so much cheese it wasn't even melted and made the burrito cold. I wouldn't come again. read more

My mom and I came here for a quick breakfast and let me tell you it did not disappoint. The food is so fresh and it is homemade. So if you want to try authentic Mexican food, this is the spot. The service was amazing. Shout out to our server she was great. And the ambience is most definitely there. It feels like you are at home. We will most definitely return over and over again. read more

Service: 4 stars Food: 3 stars Pricing: 0 stars (see below for explanation) My friend and I have a "tradition" where we try a new restaurant in Old Town Placentia for each person's birthday and always finish with coffee from Golden State Coffee Roasters. It's been a few years now, so we have almost tried every restaurant on W. Santa Fe Ave. We love to support local businesses and where else to go, except W. Santa Fe Ave (and its nearby surrounding areas). Receipt: Breakfast Burrito $12.93 (menu is $7.99) Make Your Own Combination $17.07 (menu is $11.99) Chile Relleno, Taco Dorado Due to the extremely "warm" weather lately, the flies were swarming around in El Cantarito, especially as we had a window seat. We ended up moving to another table, inner of the restaurant, to avoid the constant flies swarming our delicious food. For a small mom and pop restaurant, the service was wonderful and the servers constantly checked in throughout our meal. The food was good, but I cannot say it was excellent, or even great. Our meal was served with chips & salsa as a free appetizer. I will say... I think they charge tax twice.. because when does an entree equal to $12.93 and $17.07 (before tax)? And then have CA sales tax also on the bottom of the receipt. The more I think about this, I could not recommend this restaurant to anyone due to the switch in pricing/charges. Nothing in our orders was a "special" ingredient. So unless there is a new menu with updated pricing, there is no transparency in the prices. read more

We were in the mood for Mexican food. Our usual place was closed so we looked for another Mexican restaurant close by. Ended up here. We were greeted by Marlene who was out front closing up the patio. She ended up being our server too. The food was good. I got Chile Verde. The sauce was delicious, very flavorful. The corn tortillas were handmade and fluffy. Husband got Shrimp Diablo. He said it had the right amount of spice. Loved the little street this place was on. Reminded me of areas we'd been to I. Mexico. read more

El Cantarito - Cute, quiet little neighborhood - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

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The service here us very friendly, everyone is very nice! My husband had the cafe de olla, however it didn't really taste like cafe de olla but regular coffee with a very tiny hint of cinnamon. I have dirtary restrictions due to recovering from a kidney transplant. I had their carne asada plate which I had to request no rice, just the beans and a salad. I was thankful that they accommodated my diet. My husband had the birria de chivo and my friend ordered chicken enchiladas with mole sauce. My carne asada didn't have the extra seasonings, but it just seemed like a cooked meat. The atmosphere is nice, the place doesn't get overcrowded which is important to me as I cannot be around large crowds. read more

El Cantorito is located on Santa Fe Ave in Old Town Placentia. It is one of MANY Mexican restaurants that are independently owned and operated. It's pretty easy to locate; there's limited street parking and a public parking lot in the back of the building. The inside of the restaurant is clean and well maintained and very casual. Seating consists of wooden tables and chairs. No music was playing, but there is a jukebox available to get some tunes going if you please. I'm always on the look out for a good chile relleno and a friend highly recommended theirs. Today I opted for the make-your-own-combo for which I chose a chile relleno and a carnitas crunchy taco. Well, my friend was right! The chile relleno was delicious! The cheese was melty, just the way I like it, and the sauce was unlike any I'd had before. It looked very unpretentious, but the flavor was amazing! The taco was equally tasty. The shell looked too perfect to be freshly made, but it had a nice crunch. The carnitas were oh, so tender and flavorful! Finished off with the right amount of lettuce and tomatoes, it rounded off the meal perfectly. I've mentioned before that the chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant ara a big part of its overall rating and both the chips and the salsa here are on point. There only seemed to be one person doing everything (taking and delivering orders AND doing the cooking), but she did a fantastic job of keeping everything running smoothly. El Cantorito has taken a spot in my top 3 favorite places for chile rellenos and chips & salsa! read more

El Cantarito - Salsa is slightly chunky with a little bit of heat - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

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Been living in placentia for 8 years and I always keep going back to la county where I am familiar with. My pregnant daughter was craving pozole and I looked up pozole spots in oc on TikTok and this place popped up. Needless to say we loved it. And now have brought my fiance to try it out as well. He loved their chilaquiles. We all had them on our second visit. I think we found our weekend spot close to home... looking forward to exploring the rest of the menu... read more

El Cantarito is a great spot. Customer service is 10/10. Food was delicious. It's currently Fall season in Cali and so I ordered Caldo De Pollo, Pozole, and Chile relleno. Felt like homemade food. Very comforting and hearty. I highly recommend you check this spot if you're in the area! read more

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Stopped by for Sunday lunch and the weather was perfect so, we sat outdoors. They have about three tables with several seats to each table. We got greeted right away and they brought us chips and salsa (my favorite!) We both ordered chilaquiles with chicken. It comes with eggs, rice and beans. So delicious and not very spicy, but that's okay. The service was great, definitely coming back! read more

El Cantarito - Chilaquiles con Pollo - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

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The best "Menudo" in all Orange County is here at el cantarito. I highly recommend it as a proud Mexican.. The customer service is always amazing.. read more

El Cantarito - The proof of the best menudo!! - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

Service was friendly from the minute we entered .. Food was on point. Chile verde was flavorful read more

El Cantarito - Chile Chile-Verde con Huevos - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

Still the best authentic tacos in Orange County. Asada al pastor and carnitas have so much flavor. Taco Tuesday is now dine in only. Best prices too. Unfortunately their chips are not the same as they used to be. read more

Breakfast for two was approximately $40. Waitress was very nice. My husband had the chili verde he said it was good. I had the chilaquiles the sauce wasn't what I expected. The chili wasn't hot and I love hot chili. I wanted to try the tortillas and I struggled with my teeth to bite the tortilla. I probably wouldn't go back, but I try every restaurant read more

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My husband and I used to love this restaurant. It was our favorite little Mexican hole in the wall near our home. We decided to go there for dinner last night and found out the original owner had passed away so two of his sons (bought out the third son) are running the place now. The food was terrible!!! I ordered Vegetable fajitas, which is what I always get when we go there and it arrived with overcooked carrots and russet potatoes in it. Yuck!! Who in the world puts carrots and potatoes in Mexican fajitas? I couldn't even eat it. Also, the refried beans tasted like vinegar. We will not be going back. The only positive was the food arrived hot. On a side note, our favorite part of eating there was when Erick was working. He was always very welcoming and friendly. It was very disappointing to hear his family did him dirty and he is no longer part of the business. read more

El Cantarito - This is supposed to be fajatias. Who the F puts carrots and potatoes in fajitas? NASTY! - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

The food as always delicious. The service was excellent until we went to pay. The menu advertises $17.95 for the Menudo, Carne Asada burrito $11.95. We go to pay and the bill said Menudo $21.22 & Burrito $12.41! This price didnt include tax. I questioned the price and was told the price of tripe increased and since we were using credit card we were charged 50 cents more. Nowhere on the menu or signage reflected the increase. Javier told me they haven't had a chance to change the menu price. Not a good way to run a business. As much as like their Menudo this will be the last time we go there. read more

El Cantarito - Menudo - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

Food is always great here. Real authentic food best in town! Clean. Good service great authentic Mexican food! We have been eating at el c for over 20 years and it just gets better and better ! read more

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The food here wasn't all that good. We got there and it was empty to start the day. The cafe de olla was a little weak. Had to flavor it up with sugar. I eneded up getting the chillaquiles with cheese and over easy eggs. The amount of spice on the chilaquiles made hard to keep setting them, kept adding salt. Then my wife got the machaca which wasn't bad but the tortillas echos a mano were made days prior and kept frozen somewhere. Over all I wouldn't go back. read more

Decided to try something new today. It was early so something Mexican felt right. Checked out El Cantarito today and it did not disappoint. This place seems like a hole in the wall type place but the plates were huge and super good! I like true authentic Mexican food and this was it. First I've never been around this area and it was so cute, very pueblo vibes. The chips and salsa was bomb!! Then our plates came out and it was so big but so tasty. They gave me hand made corn tortilla, always a good hit. I enjoyed both plates the same amount and had to take some home. There was only one server for the whole place but she keep checking in and asking if we were ok. If your looking for some good Mexican food and want to try something new this is definitely it! Will be back soon. read more

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Delicious Cafe de Hoya!! Authentic Mexican food and service was an A+. AlLittle feeling of Mexico

El Cantarito is the real deal. The food tastes homemade and the flavors are rich and comforting. The chile relleno was perfectly cooked with just the right amount of cheese and the rice and beans on the side were flavorful and fresh. The fresh orange juice is a must try Service was fast and welcoming and the place has a laid back family feel to it. Prices are fair for the quality and portions you get. Everything came out hot and you could tell it was made with care This spot is great for a casual meal when you want something traditional and filling. Will definitely be back again read more

I really wanted to like this place, especially since they are one of the few that still do a $1 Taco Tuesday, but I probably won't be returning. It's a large restaurant, good for large groups, but there was no air conditioning. Service was good, we were greeted at the stand and they gave us free chips and salsa. We ordered carnitas tacos, al pastor tacos, and rice & beans. Carnitas was okay, a little under seasoned but nothing that some salsa can't fix. Rice & beans were decent as well. However, al pastor was extremely greasy where the tortilla broke from all the oil. In addition, we had to constantly wave flies away while eating which was also very distracting. 6 tacos, 2 rice & beans, 1 aguas fresca, 1 horchata (no alcohol being served right now) all for less than $24 is a great value but we'd rather pay more for higher quality food. read more

El Cantarito - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

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This restaurant is in a quite little area of Placentia, CA. On a Friday afternoon there was not anyone walking up and down the street. We found this place on Yelp with great reviews so we decided to have lunch here with couple of old co-workers from a previous job. We ordered the Cantarito Platter to share, which came with re-fried bean nachos, jalapeño poppers, cheese quesadillas, and buffalo wings. The whole platter had no flavors. I had the Caldo De Res (Beef Soup), it had no flavors. The persons who had the Chicken Soup and Carnitas said they were good. The service was a little slow, looks like only one server working. She did a great job. read more

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The food is very good! And also good portions. The problem is that on line the prices are about 2/3 of the real price..... and when you look at the menu the prices are lower as well, but you pay more! what is going on? So when I placed the to go order on line was about $50, but I ended up paying almost $90!!! Is this even legal??? I clarify, the food is very very good! Please just charge what you advertise the food for!!! Even the mente price is lower than your bill...... read more

My husband and I visited this restaurant with high expectations after seeing it featured on social media and reading positive reviews on Yelp. The photos and feedback made it seem like a great spot with excellent food and service -- even though it's about a 45-minute drive from our home, we decided to make the trip. Unfortunately, our experience was far from what we expected. When we arrived, there was no one at the host stand to greet or seat guests. After standing awkwardly in the middle of the restaurant, we were asked how many people were in our party -- we said two. A few minutes later, someone else asked again, and then a third person asked if our table was for three. We clarified once more that it was for two. It took about 10 minutes before we were finally seated. Once seated, we waited another 15 minutes before a server came by to take our drink order and mentioned he'd bring chips and salsa. Another 15 minutes went by -- still no drinks, no chips. A different staff member eventually noticed us and asked if everything was okay. I mentioned that we were still waiting for our drinks and chips, and he apologized. Ten minutes later, the drinks finally arrived, and we placed our food order. We received the chips and salsa shortly after, but then waited another 25-45 minutes for our food to arrive -- and even then, it came without the tortillas that were supposed to be included. The beans tasted microwaved, and the food overall was overly salty. Service: 1/5 Food: 2/5 Experience: 1/5 We will not be returning to this establishment. I would strongly recommend better organization, communication, and customer service training. We genuinely felt forgotten about multiple times during our visit, which was disappointing given how much potential this restaurant seemed to have. read more

Wow, great spot, great food, Francisco was awesome, very attentive! Breakfast burrito was extremely flavorful and perfect size. Chilaquiles were delicious and even the kids pancakes were on point! As soon as I tried the beans I knew it was one to come back to but then I tried the salsa and lost my socks, AMAZING! Gracias Francisco and crew! Coming back real soon! read more

Absolutely amazing vibes authentic and the service is top tier. They make you feel like family as soon as you walk in the restaurant. I had the chile relleno, crunchy tacos, and a breakfast burrito! Every item was on point especially the chile and the tacos would go back for those items alone! Highlight recommend you go and they shave been running the restaurant for 22 years! read more

El Cantarito - OG Vibes! - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

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Excellent service food is delicious staff is always friendly welcoming environment I always feel at home here read more

El Cantarito - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

Old town type of vibes .. food was definately filling .. michelada was also great .. waiter was on point .. will be coming back

Everything we have ordered here is delicious. But my favorite is their menudo! The best I have ever had! read more

El Cantarito - Coffee del la olla! - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

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Their Chili Rellenos are awesome!! Service was great. I have been going to El Cantarito for about a year and love their food and service. Their Chili Rellenos are the best I've ever eaten! read more

El Cantarito - Chili Rellenos - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

They have delicious food ‼ I love how they make their fajitas on a bed of crispy rice . They also used to have Taco Wednesday with great prices. Hope they still have Taco Wednesday. read more

Best soups in town! thank you for cutting the beef and vegetables small for my 93 year old father in . Your small gesture meant a big deal to us! read more

El Cantarito - Best caldo de Res! Best soups in town! Thank you for your small gesture that meant a big deal to me for my father's soup - Mexican Near Me - Placentia, California

Delicious food and friendly staff, very cute Lil spot, happy to support and small business read more

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A great hole in the wall restaurant. Great customer service! Fast and friendly! We ate everything off our plates! read more