This is a nice welcoming restaurant. They have dining on the main floor and also on the 2nd floor. It's cozy , not a large restaurant. I ordered the chicken tacos which were very good. We also ordered chips, salsa and guacamole. My daughter ordered the shrimp tacos which she loved. My grandson ordered the steak tacos and a quesadilla. read more

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I've wanted to try Jalisco Cantina for years after skiing Whitefish almost every season, and I finally stopped in. Overall, this place was a mix of really impressive food and a few frustrating misses. Ratings * Food: 4.2/5 * Service: 4.5/5 * Atmosphere: 3/5 * Value: 3.5/5 * Overall: 4/5 The Bad First: Chips & Salsa I have to start here because it honestly bothered me. You simply do not charge for chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant. I don't care how modern eclectic and edgy you think you are. Chips and salsa are basically humanity's welcome gift from Latino culture. Charging $6.50 for them immediately sets expectations high -- and unfortunately, this was the weakest part of the entire meal. Both the regular salsa and the tomatillo salsa were muddy-looking and lacked freshness or brightness. The dominant flavor was artificial smoke. No heat, no freshness, no punch. Honestly, even if they had been complimentary, I still would've thought they missed the mark. Please -- forget the pineapple infusions and overthought concepts. Just make a fresh pico de gallo, a great roasted salsa, and a genuinely good hot sauce. Make THAT your signature and your gift to Whitefish. The Good Stuff Now the good news: the actual entrées were excellent. The Chile Relleno was fantastic -- honestly one of the best I've had anywhere. Perfect texture, rich flavor, and clearly made with care. The tacos were also exceptional. I believe the beef taco was the barbacoa, and it absolutely stood out. I was dining with my parents, both in their 70s, and every entrée at the table was a hit. Service Our waiter Jake was excellent. He was juggling several tables at once but stayed attentive, friendly, and accommodating the entire evening. The hostess was also terrific -- greeted us warmly and seated us immediately. Most of the staff seemed genuinely kind and professional, although one bartender came across noticeably cold and uptight. No smile, very little interaction beyond taking orders and dropping off drinks. Atmosphere & Music I usually avoid reading reviews before posting my own, but afterward I noticed many people mentioned the music -- and I completely agree. It's not just that it's too loud. It's the wrong vibe entirely. The music selection feels more nightclub than relaxed cantina. Good restaurant music should create warmth and energy in the background, not dominate the room. The place itself is attractive and lively, and I was impressed by how busy it was for a Monday night. Bonus points for having hockey on during the playoffs. Final Thoughts This isn't traditional Mexican food, despite some of the branding language about authenticity and traditional ingredients. It feels more like someone's modern interpretation or fusion-inspired version of Mexico. That said -- the kitchen clearly knows how to cook. The entrées were genuinely impressive, and the service was very solid. Fix the salsa. Stop charging for it. Improve the music. Do those three things, and this place goes from "good" to "destination-level." I'll absolutely give it another try this summer. And yes, my mother was Mexican. I grew up on this stuff and have traveled the world having various Mexican concepts. read more

Jalisco Cantina is one of the few Whitefish restaurants that we've not been to over the years because we just weren't sure about "Mountain Mexican"... We decided to give JC a go (finally) and unfortunately we were not impressed. To start, it's got a great feel to it (nicely designed/decorated place with that "Montana Cool" feel) and the service was excellent, but the food on the other hand was simply not good. The chips and salsa were alright, but the beef birria was terrible (entirely too much cumin made it inedible) and the chile rellano was just ok. JC has a ton of potential because it's such a cool place, but the most important thing being the food is simply not good... It's far from authentic, way over priced (especially the drinks; $26 for a top shelf margarita is laughable), and exactly what you think of when you hear "Mexican food where Mexicans don't eat." Dave Portnoy 6.2 read more

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The salsa was very good. My chicken tacos and my husband's Cesar salad were pretty good. My passion fruit martini (maybe 1/4c worth) was good definitely not worth 14$ (YIKES) When asked if we wanted chips, salsa (6.50) & guacamole (which I would never pay 10$ for) we said yes not realizing there was a charge I thought it was complimentary like most Mexican restaurants, I was wrong. Waitress was efficient not very personable. Husband not impressed with place at all. The inside was very clean & organized, looked pretty fancy. read more

Our server was great. Food choices were very limited for a Mexican restaurant. My chicken burrito was all dark meat. The shredded cabbage/ coleslaw had no dressing. Strange music played. Drinks were ok. $13. For a tiny margarita. Prices avg.$20 a plate. Chips n salsa must be purchased. I would not recommend read more

Jalisco Cantina - Chicken burrito - Mexican Near Me - Whitefish, Montana

Visited here in early October and I still can't get over how bad the food was.. :( Genuinely the worst Mexican food I've ever had. The server was absolutely amazing and he provided us with a good experience but the food was seriously lacking We got a quesadilla and a burrito. My burrito was filled with rice and beans which were DISGUSTING. Just a mushy mess and there was like 3 pieces of steak in there. The chips and salsa were straight out of a can. If you're from the west coast don't except the same Mexican food that we're used to read more

Jalisco Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Whitefish, Montana

We made a dinner reservation here on a Tuesday evening, and I'm glad we did since it was packed! The parking lot is large, but it filled up quickly. The restaurant is also huge and they have indoor and outdoor seating. We were seated promptly, but it took a long time (at least 20 minutes) for our entrees to arrive. The food wasn't bad, but nothing was that memorable. We got chips and guac/salsa for the table, and I really liked the brown salsa (the guac could have used more salt). For my entree, I ordered the fish tacos (all taco orders come with four, so I ended up sharing my dish since the portion was big). We also got french fries for the table which I thought tasted just okay. read more

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My husband and I recently came here for dinner after a long day of hiking - we came on a weekday around 630PM and it was packed. They quoted us almost an hour long wait - however, we were able to grab some bar stools within 15 minutes. The margs? Delish. For food, we started with the salsas and the tuna - we devoured the tuna. It was truly so delicious and flavorful. For the salsas, we both preferred the red, but both were still great. My husband ordered one of their nightly specials - a steak - which was cooked to his preference. I ordered the burrito and it was MASSIVE; I truly was not prepared. While it was delicious, it was mostly rice and beans - so it felt the ratio of ingredients was a bit off. However, it truly could have been three meals for me (if only we weren't staying in a hotel with no fridge!). Service was great and attentive, even with it being packed. read more

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Great vegan burrito. Caesar salad was delicious. Great service. Strong mixed drinks. Great ambiance read more

Jalisco Cantina - Yummy Caesar salad - Mexican Near Me - Whitefish, Montana

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Ordered the shrimp burrito and goodness was it massive in size and flavor. The way they layer all the fillings is awesome. I only wish my tummy was bigger read more

Jalisco Cantina - Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Whitefish, Montana

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Arrived late 8:40 ish. Nearly half hour past reservation time. Hostess graciously said "All Good" . April at bar helped me move to Fireplace coffee table to watch Thursday night football. Margarita, Salsas & Chips, Blackened Shrimp Tacos. It just doesn't get better than read more

Jalisco Cantina - Dinner by the fireplace - Mexican Near Me - Whitefish, Montana

We stopped in here during our travel to whitefish Montana looking for some good Mexican food especially a good chili relleno. The atmosphere was laid back with outside seating and inside. Even when it was crowded it didn't feel like it. Our waiter was fantastic and remembered all of our names and gave us great suggestions with one single exception recommending a top shelf Margarita that was way too expensive out until after the game. Aside from that, it was absolutely the best chili relleno that I've ever had and will definitely be back here. read more

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The food was good, had to buy chips and salsa...what cantina doesn't give you chips and salsa ? Also, this "cantina" is yuppy and expensive, I know it's whitefish, but still. The whole ambiance of this place doesn't say "cantina", don't like the vibe here, would prefer any other Mexican cantina in Flathead over this one. Hated the high top chairs, very uncomfortable and high hard sides, hard to get out of. Burrito was served with a bowl of coleslaw style cabbage for some reason, no dressing, oils or anything just bitter dry cabbage. Service was good. Menu is small. read more

Ok, to start, don't come here as a party of two and not expect to go home over stuffed! Who can resist ordering chips and salsa and guacamole? We should have stopped there. But no, we kept going. Oh, and we started with a cilantro margarita, yes, in said cilantro! And my partner got a 'brown' cocktail (sorry, can't remember the name, and I'm not a brown liquor drinker...). If you like cilantro, the margarita is great. And my partner loved her cocktail. Back to the chips and salsa and guacamole. Home made chips. Thick. Crunchy. Lightly salted. Two salsas, the tomatillo salsa was a bit sweet for our taste, we fought over the tomato salsa. The guacamole was fresh and simple, the way I like it. Next we shared fish tacos and the 'charred corn' salad. Home made corn tortillas. I was worried the mango salsa would be too sweet, but it wasn't. The salad was huge, we should have listened to the waitress who suggested a half salad. We added carne asada to the salad. It was delicious. Cut in pretty small pieces, so no way to get it medium rare, but still delicious. We ate everything--we were stuffed. Come with more people and don't eat a whole basket of chips between the two of you and you will be very happy. read more

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Great food and quick service. We walked in close to close thinking they might turn us away but they gladly seated us. The food was very tasty and got a lot of value for it. The carne asada tacos and the avacado tacos were very good. Highly recommend getting the black beans on the side. The rice was just okay though, nothing special but seasoned rice so I would pass on that. Guac was very good too. Highly recommend this place. The server seemed a little cold but she was quick and I didn't have any problems. The location itself was cool, had good music playing and not too loud. read more

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We were hungry and just looking for a good meal after a day of hiking, so we were a little unprepared for the upscale feel of this restaurant. But oh, we were so glad we chose this place for our dinner. It has a meaningfully minimal relaxed decor in naturals and teals. From the first greeting at the door through our departure everyone we encountered was well-trained and poised. Our server guided us through the menu and helped us choose a dish that granted all our wishes. Top notch in every respect. read more

Not sure we'll be back again. Nothing bad to report, but nothing fabulous either. Ingredients felt top notch, but the execution on flavor for our dishes felt like it was lacking. This place could be something great taste wise, but it's missing the mark. We tried the Barbacoa tacos, Crema poblano soup, and the corn salad with added Carnitas. Ingredients great, but under seasoned/flavor profile a tad weak if you're a foodie looking for foodie fare! Vibe and aesthetic was great. read more

What a lovely restaurant in Whitefish!! I came here with a large group, and we ended up reserving the private room set above the kitchen. We had ample room and a quiet space for our party of 9! The food was all amazing from the apps to the main dishes, and the margaritas were all tasty! While the food and setting were delightful, we did find our server spent most of the time in our room sharing stories about his life. He was very kind, but it took away from the engagement celebration we were trying to have. read more

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Awesome place, good service, food and portion sizes. Reasonably priced for the quality you get. Be prepared to wait, but there is a nice outdoor place to wait and you can get drinks while waiting!!! The interior and ambience was lovely! read more

Lunch outside at Jalisco on a beautiful Whitefish day. Jalisco is a lovely modern venue with comfortable alfresco dining available. We started with quacamole and chips with a couple of draft beers. The quacolome was nothing more than mashed avocado. First time in my life that I've had a single ingredient quacamole. Not even a hint of lime juice. It's definitely easy to make, but way short of expectations. We love avocado, so that did not deter us from eating it all. I had the Carne Asada Tacos, and they were very good. They were robust and flavorful. Jan ordered the Poloze and said it was good and she would order it again, but the recipe is different from what we have grown accomstom to in the Southwest. The service was good and the prices moderate given the fact that all restaurant dining is now signicantly more expensive. read more

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Margaritas were very basic, chips & salsa ok but not great, fish tacos had little to no flavor... for $80 for lunch for 2 i would go elsewhere- ambiance was great/ beautiful but food taste/ and quality- I can make better on my own read more

We had an great experience at Jalisco Cantina. Both our kids have dairy allergies, (1 is celiac & 1 has a gluten allergy)... our server was great & handled our orders well. We all enjoyed our dinner! We will definitely return next time we're in Whitefish. read more

Just OK, the margarita was so so and my tacos were cold with very list fish on them. Not worth it. read more

Promptly seated without a reservation and ordered the guac... crispy chips and cool seasoned avocado. Opted for the carnitas tacos... warm fresh corn tortillas and fresh toppings, but the pork was not crispy and actually came across mushy. Great local draft list, good guac, and my bride liked her Chile relleno, but the tacos were a miss. read more

Jalisco Cantina - Guaaaaaac! - Mexican Near Me - Whitefish, Montana

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Our first time trying out this restaurant found it on Yelp ~ was seated & when we first got in our seats, there were wasps on the windows inside of the restaurant where we had to smack them and kill them with our cloth napkin UGH! Our Server was polite ~ made excuses for them being "inside" the restaurant! Geeze; Owner hired an exterminator! We ended up moving tables twice to get away from the wasps & flies that were all over the windows! The third table, we sat ourselves at was away from the windows and we took our own silverware, as well as the plates, an additional server came up and took and exchanged plates and she was very rude about it telling me well you touched the plates which we had already taken the plates that we had at the previous table!! Guacamole super bland! No spice or anything ~ the tortilla chips were hard & cold ~ carne asada okay ~ just bland, as well The best thing was the Margarita ~ with Cilantro Oh and the music was strange ~ sounded like reggae or.... read more

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The host was very welcoming, but that's where the pleasantries ended unfortunately. We walked past the B health rating in the window (and did look on Yelp to see the business is pretty inconsistent with its A ratings!), waited in the lobby 5-10 minutes before being seated and once at a table we never saw an employee again. No water offered, the normal gratis chips and salsa one gets at a Mexican eatery were $6+ dollars a serving (not that we ever got to order it...) and the menu options offered at 2 in the afternoon were few and expensive. After no contact at all from wait staff after 10 minutes we left. Hope they can improve the service AND the health rating in the near future. read more

Such a fantastic spot in Whitefish! Even though we couldn't get a reservation, it was quick to get a table for 5 at 6pm on a Saturday. We sat at the bar and ordered drinks first, I got a spicy skinny marg that was fantastic (it's not on the menu, but they'll make it if you ask)! Once we were seated, we ordered the chips & guac. These chips are fresh and extra thick and crispy, which I love. The guac was creamy and the salsas were flavorful without being too hot. Portion size was large - we shared this with 5 people. For dinner, I got the Elote Salad with Shrimp and it was so fresh and tasty, plus the portion was so large! I made it through about half of the salad, and I still dream about how good it was. All portions are very large, so it could be a good idea to share or prepare to have leftovers. My second drink was the Watermelon Marg which was also delicious, I would definitely make this one spicy too! Overall, service was great and the food was even better! read more

Jalisco Cantina - Chips & Guac and Salsa - Mexican Near Me - Whitefish, Montana

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I'm back to say, still one of our favorites in town. Lots of great dishes. Make sure to try all the hot sauce options! Hard to get a reso and often a wait so plan ahead. read more

Food was ok. Wouldn't say it's the best Mexican I've had but it was good enough. Tortilla chips were very thick and the fish tacos a bit dry. Also be prepare cause they charge for the chips and salsa. read more

My friends and I ate lunch at the bar, and had such a delicious meal. I got to try the salsa and guac with chips - outstanding and fresh made in house. One of my friends and I split the carne asada tacos and shrimp Caesar salad. The salad used bread crumbs instead of croutons, which is genius, and had the perfect amount of dressing on it. The tacos were also perfectly compiled, and the tortillas were excellent as well. We also all loved our drinks. Highly recommend this spot! read more

Jalisco Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Whitefish, Montana

nothing wrong with this place. nothing special about it either. imo the guacamole shouldn't be classified as such. it seemed to only have one ingredient: avacado. not trying to be harsh, the food just wasnt great. however the service was fantastic read more

We came in at 7:30 and it was very busy, but we managed to snag a seat at the bar as a couple was just leaving. The service was excellent! The food AMAZING!!! The margarita was one of the best I've ever had and the tacos....well just go see for yourself!!! Big portions and the SALSA AND GUACAMOLE is a MUST read more

Starts out with great chips and sauces. After that it disappoints. Food is cafeteria quality. Everything on the menu comes out of a hot plate. Nothing is oven baked, no enchiladas. It's all about simple food prep and maximizing table turn. Food is not authentic at all. Very over rated and priced. Service is ok, ambiance ok. Been there 6 times different times of the year, and disappointed each time. read more

Food is excellent, waitstaff were friendly and attentive, ambience I would describe as modern upscale Montana! Be prepared to pay a bit more for this dining experience, but with that being said, we will return! read more

High energy place to grab some Tex-Mex food. The service was spot on and the dining rooms are well designed. Music is properly themed and festive. Don't pass on the cocktails - the margaritas are lovely and the mezcal cocktails and spirit selections are great. The food was good. The guacamole and steak tacos were solid. The chili rellenos were our favorite! I'd pass on the ceviche. I would highly recommend making a reservation. They only take phone reservations when we visited. read more

Jalisco Cantina - Cocktails & Guacamole. - Mexican Near Me - Whitefish, Montana

We had the most amazing experience this evening at Jalisco. Do yourself a huge favor and ask for Mitch as your server. He quite simply is a gem of a human being and you will have the best evening. read more

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Great atmosphere. Slow service. Stale chips. Tasteless salsas. Flour tortillas tasted like corn. Elotes were cold read more

Jalisco Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Whitefish, Montana

Some of the best Mexican food I've ever had and I'm born and raised and live in Southern California. Great guacamole, and the pazole was amazing. read more

Moderate servive, food and menu. We went during off hours that might be why it wasn't as good as other reviews

The reviews are right! Pro tip, whitefish Lodge shuttle will drop you off here since it is not downtown- just be sure to ask and tip the driver! This place was banging on a Sunday night- 45 minute wait, no prob! Got a fancy cilantro-Serrano pepper infused Rita and a couple of shots of reposado and boom - table ready. The fresh guacamole and homemade salsa- red or green and fantastic homemade chips filled us up! Another pineapple drink and cinnamon delight later and we had our share of tacos- 4 to an order, shared the carne asada (super duper hot peppers) pork, which was perfection and the barbacoa! Yum read more