Stopped in here with coworkers before a WBUR event. Friday at 5:30 and the place was pretty empty. Our waitress was very attentive and consistently available and checking in -- perhaps helped by the barren dining area, but still appreciated! We started with margaritas which were just so-so. My spicy marg was not spicy and generally we found them to be a little on the sweet side. Fine, but to me it was more like drinking some nice juice. We ordered the nachos to share (you must get these) and a variety of entrees. Food came out so quickly! There was also SO MUCH. I made another two full meals out of leftover nachos and fajitas and could have stretched to a third. It's definitely Americanized Mexican but it really hits the spot! I'd probably just stick with water for my drink next time. read more

We went to Boston to go to a concert and had some time to kill. We could hear Spanish music from across the street, noticed where it was coming from and decided to stop for a bite and a drink. The place was bustling with people at the bar, at the tables. There was a DJ playing music with an MC giving away tickets. The hostess greeted us right away and informed us it was a 30 min wait for a table but that we could sit at the bar, We got lucky and sat at the bar, even though it was packed we didn't wait extremely long for our drinks nor our food. The bartenders were super nice. This is a good spot to kill time before a show or if you're just strolling by. I could tell there are some local regulars. Loved the rotating welcome sign at the entrance. My only complaint would be the ladies room could use a makeover. A nice paint job and new doors as one stall had no lock.. read more

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Only had chips and drinks but the service here is great!! Kelly made us feel so welcomed and kept checking in on us!! Fun place for drinks and hangout. The mango chile mojito is a must! read more

A cross between a sports bar and a Mexican restaurant. We were headed to Agganis Arena for a concert and chose this. I thought it was smart that they were partly playing music of the group playing at the arena across the street. Our waitress was both knowledgeable and friendly. We ordered a margarita and a Guinness Dip Trio Burrito Bowl with Chicken Birria Tacos Churros for dessert Everything was awesome. Their Braised beef tacos with consommé was absolutely ridiculously good. This is definitely on my list to revisit next time we come to Boston University!!! Since I am a college hockey fan it will definitely happen. read more

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Went out with a friend for dinner before a concert and I am so beyond glad we went to Sunset Cantina! I typically am not a huge fan of Latin food of any type BUT the cantina changed my mind!! We started with the Carne Loaded Fries and they were beyond delicious! I had birria quesadilla for my main and my friend had the taco trio and again everything was delectable. We finished with the churros and my only complaint was they were so hot but absolutely outstanding. I'd like to add that our waiter was extremely attentive and I would love to have him as a waiter again! I will definitely be back soon! read more

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Fun vibey spot for Mexican food and drinks. Came on sat night had fun music going. Nachos and drinks were solid read more

Sunset Cantina-Boston - House Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

6 dollars for chips and salsa that tasted like they ran out of salsa and improvised with spicy marinara sauce. THEN when the check came we found out it wasn't free refills on a cup of Diet Coke that was filled to the brim with ice and about ... 4 inches tall. 10 dollars for about 3 sips of soda. read more

Beware of auto gratuity (20%) and kitchen fee (3.5%)! I always tip at least 20% when I go out but I don't like to be forced to, it should be the customer's prerogative! read more

Hidden and fraudulent fees. Untrustworthy restaurant that just tacks fees on to your order without disclosing so beforehand. Check your receipt to make sure they aren't scamming you too. Really deplorable. read more

**Sunset Cantina Review** **Location & Vibe:** Tucked away on Commonwealth Ave, Sunset Cantina promises an experience that's vibrant with a casual, sports-bar atmosphere. Known for its history as a gathering spot for BU students, my boyfriend and I ventured there hoping to relive some fond memories of nacho-filled evenings. The ambiance is laid-back, perfect for a lively game night. **Drinks:** The bar at Sunset Cantina remains its stronghold. With a robust selection of cocktails and beers, the drinks are crafted to kickstart any gathering. We found the cocktails to be particularly well-mixed, adding a refreshing twist to our afternoon. **Starters - Chips & Queso Dip:** Our meal started on a shaky note with the chips, which were unfortunately stale, detracting from the overall enjoyment. However, the queso dip provided a slight redemption with its intriguing mix of grilled corn salsa and a dash of tajin, offering a zesty flavor that partially made up for the lackluster chips. Rating: 4/10 **Main Attraction - Beef Empanadas:** The highlight of our dining experience came in the form of their beef empanadas. Filled with tender, slow-cooked shredded beef and creamy Monterey Jack cheese, these empanadas were flavorful and cooked to a delightful finish, standing out as the most memorable dish of our visit. Rating: 7/10 **Salads - A Healthy Twist:** We sampled the Mexican Caesar and steak & avocado salads, aiming for something on the lighter side. While both salads were generous in portion, featuring a decent amount of meat, they lacked a certain flair and were generally average, failing to impress beyond their wholesome presentation. Rating: 5/10 **Birria Tacos - A Missed Opportunity:** As a fan of birria tacos, I was eager to dive into this dish, but it fell short of expectations. The tacos lacked the rich, deep flavor typical of birria, and the meat was scant, leading to an unbalanced bite where the taco shell overshadowed the filling. Rating: 4/10 **Overall Experience:** While the drinks lived up to the festive spirit of the place, the food struggled to match up, delivering a mixed bag of hits and misses. The setting and price point make it a reasonable choice for casual dining, especially if you're in the area to watch a sports event and enjoy some drinks. **Final Scores:** - **Food:** 5/10 - **Affordability:** 7/10 - **Ambiance:** 5/10 Hoping my feedback is seen as constructive. I love capturing and sharing food experiences and always root for places to thrive. If you're looking to watch a sports game with a good drink this might still be your spot! read more

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Was there for the rocket league event and the food was great! Service was quick and had an amazing sense of humor lol Will come again! read more

We stopped in for lunch and it was not a good experience. First there was no server. The bartender tried to help us while the server was MIA. He took our order and tried to help after we waited for over 15 minutes for the server who eventually surfaced without explanation. She never came to our table while the bartender helped us and his own customers at the bar. Thank God he was somewhat helpful. We did not enjoy our food. As for the ambiance the music was so loud and the decor was busy. I felt like I wasted my money. read more

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The ambiance when entering is very nice but as you move to the sides (right) it's sort of an odd setup with a very wide space. We are seated at the very back table and they began setting up for music or some sort of performance, not sure what... anyhow that causes for a decent amount of commotion. Just found out it was for the male stripper at 8pm you must be kidding Service: SERVER himself was very friendly. Service overall needs work. Drinks; just sodas, took longer than one would appreciate and before the food even came I requested boxes. Our server was very kind. I highly doubt he can control how SLOW the food comes out. We each got very basic entrees, nothing that should have taken so long. The food was good, nothing memorable. If you eat here, ask to sit up front because the back feels like where they send castoffs. & male strippers apparently. ADDED a star because the owner was so professional in addressing my review. Much appreciated! read more

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I love sunset cantina. Amazing nachos and great service! Super fun vibe and great music.

This place is so good!!! The food is always superior to any other cantina in Boston!!! Service 10/10, quality 10/10. Ambiance was amazing!!!

I love sunset I always get amazing service and perfect food ! Decor on fleek so fun vibes so perfect ambiance up.

Very friendly service and the drinks are delicious; so are the nachos. I got the birria tacos and a passion fruit marg. read more

Sunset Cantina-Boston - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Disappointing. Service and food not as good as I expected. Hard to get our servers attention and the place wasn't busy early on a Friday night. Of note they told us the latest reservation available was 6:15 and at 7 pm they still had 5 large tables empty. Our food came in 6 minutes well before our drinks and the chicken in my enchiladas was undercooked and sauce was bland and minimal - I would've preferred to have my food cooked through. Another friends food came later and was cold. read more

This is decent drunk college Mexican food. It's overpriced but the empanadas were good and the quesadillas were decent. The nachos and salsa were bad, but the queso was good and it is weirdly one of the better diet cokes I've ever had in my life. It has a nice sports vibe with lots of tvs and cool decor, is a nice place to get drinks and watch game for college students. Our silverware was a little dirty/ it's prob not the cleanest place. Waiters are very nice! read more

Great service and awesome drinks! Highly recommend. I got a coconut marg and some nachos. read more

Sunset Cantina-Boston - Coconut marg - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

the staff are always so helpful and kind, and the appetizers, main course meals, and drinks (especially the classic margaritas with a sugar ri'm) is delish. I would recommend this establishment to any and all! read more

Waiters were nice, but way too much ice in the drinks and when we asked for less ice they gave us less ice, but also much less drink. Seamed cheap overall read more

I was here recently for an event. They had the event in a separated space, with a DJ and lots of lights, which definitely created a festive mood. There was food too, but I didn't try it since I had already eaten. I had a cup of horchata (sweet rice drink) that was tasty though! My boyfriend liked the spicy shrimp. We got a ticket as a part of the event, so I decided to try the margarita- which the bartender mixed in a cocktail shaker to order and put a lime wedge on top of. I can see people getting pitchers of this for a night of dancing- on that night there was a lot of bachata and some reggaeton playing. On another occasion I might try their michelada (which I was psyched to see on the menu)- it's like a Mexican version of a Bloody Mary, using beer as a base alcohol. Loved the basketball shooting game option. I like having other fun options at a bar. read more

Stopped by before the BU hockey game- conveniently located across the street from Agganis Arena. Lot's of seating indoors plus a large bar and outside patio. I enjoyed a house margarita and chips and salsa which were good but not amazing. The birria quesadilla was very good and filling. I would order again. The service was friendly and efficient. I noticed the menu advised that 20% gratuity may be added to parties of 6 or more- there were several large parties. That's pretty standard. I was surprised to find 20% gratuity added to my check- for a party of 1. I almost missed it because it was unexpected. I tried to ask about it but they got very busy right as I was leaving. I sent an email asking what the standard is so I can update my review. I usually tip at least 20%- the way it was added made it an effort to calculate additional tip (no subtotal without tip). Update: the restaurant got back to me via email and apologized for the error- they had not intended to apply automatic gratuities for a party of 1. They offered a refund of the gratuity and a complimentary appetizer on my next visit. I intended to leave at least 20% gratuity so I won't request a refund or the appetizer- I just wanted to understand the policy and know what to expect on my next visit. I appreciated their response and apology. read more

Sunset Cantina-Boston - House margarita - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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delicious food great, is a lot of fun, so this restaurant is perfect for a night out and has great music that gets the crowd hype.

For starters, the second I ordered my food they took my credit card to hold onto for the entire meal. Service was horrible, wouldn't respond to me or look me in the eye. Only redeeming factor was the deals and speed at which the food came out read more

Great food, tons of options. Service was quick and music was fun especially on Wednesday nights

always love this place for a group! fast service, cold drinks, good vibes! The service is consistently friendly and attentive. A must for a party. read more

The nachos were good, but I feel like last time I got them they were better. Also the service is not great which is why I gave the three stars. I feel like the nachos have gone a bit downhill but it may have been since it was lunchtime, they were still yummy just not as good as I remember. read more

Sunset Cantina-Boston - House nachos -no pico guac on side - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

great service and good margaritas! not too busy, good ambiance. recommend the passionfruit margarita over the strawberry, good spot to hit after a BU hockey game read more

Amazing tacos! Amazing margaritas!! We love coming here as a group they have awesome service! read more

Sunset Cantina-Boston - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This is so perfect! Fatima is so wonderful. They always have fast service and great quality food

Food was fine but everything else sucked. We waited so long at every step of our visit: 10+minutes at the host stand (I had to nag the waitstaff), almost 10 minutes at the table with no service, drinks took close to 15 minutes. Couldn't order until the drinks came. I was in that stupid restaurant for nearly an hour before I had food to eat. Don't bother with reservations as it didn't help us at all. Our waitress never brought us silverware and barely came to the table. She was nice but also overwhelmed. A second round of drinks simply wasn't an option given the slow service. They seemed crazy understaffed, which isn't the staff's fault, but dinner for two was $85ish and it's not like they discount your food for making you wait. We'll go to one of the pubs nearby next time. read more

The food truck was amazing. We love abby the food was exquisite! We got churros tacos and loaded fries and it was the best we've ever had

Great spot for good food and satisfying sizes! They have specials during the week but if you want to share nachos get the full version. Plenty of melted cheese and condiments ! read more

Sunset Cantina-Boston - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I wish they would just totally rebrand this place. It's the only spot like it close to Agganis for pre games or concerts so it should make a killing but the food got lousy and they nearly never have the beer you ask for and bottled beer is never cold. They've changed hands multiple times but the upkeep of the place is pretty gross. Nothing seems clean - avoid the bathrooms if you can. As far as the food, it's better under the latest management, but still not great. On our latest visit the buffalo wings we ordered had no flavor (or seemingly, sauce), the quesadilla was pretty floppy and not fully cooked and the nachos just aren't what they use to be in its hay day. They could use a big overhaul in general. It's too bad cuz I want to love this place and have a good spot to go before and after hockey games. This just isn't it anymore. read more

Sunset Cantina-Boston - Nachos, Quesadilla, L- Chicken Wings - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I love Sunset Cantina! The food and drinks are delicious and the service from the bartenders is top-notch! If you stop in, please let Sam know that you saw my review. read more

Sunset Cantina-Boston - Nachos with steak (pico on the side) and Island Breeze drink - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I handed the bartender a $20 bill for a $5 beer and my change was $13. Hence, they are tipping themselves 40% to remove a bottle cap.

Used to come here a lot when I went to BU. it was definitely the spot to get good nachos after a game, concert, or class. For one of my friend's 21st birthdays, we came here and even stayed until last call. He was so happy! Over the years, it looks like Sunset has changed, both in physical space (I forgot how long ago, but they expanded a little bit to the right of the bar) and in menu. I remember coming here and laughing about how the nacho toppings were not evenly spaced out (the toppings would be dumped all over the chips and the bottom chips didn't have any toppings). Oddly enough, that was kind of the beauty of Sunset. The most recent time I went was after a BU hockey game this month. My friends and I were really excited to visit our alma mater and feel all the nostalgia. When we got there, it was decently crowded but we were seated right away. We ordered nachos which came out quickly, but they were much smaller than the serving we were used to. The nachos were alright (not bad but not fantastic). I was even excited to share a drink with my friend; however, their blender was broken and she was not able to order a frozen margarita. That was kind of a double bummer. I think I would give Sunset one last shot because of the nostalgia factor... but I'm worried that I might be disappointed again. read more

I'm usually not crazy about Mexican, but I loved this. My server recommended the Birria Tacos, and they were chock full of crispy, tender, and delicious beef, with a smoldering dip on the side. Yum! Service was quick and polite. Ambience: it's a Mexican restaurant, so the music is very loud and the walls are covered in cultural doodads. Interestingly, most of the music and doodads was American? But i liked the antique signs! Very cool. read more

Sunset Cantina-Boston - menu - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts