I wasn't originally planning to eat here. We had intended to go to Hook Fish at Proof Lab, but the wait was over an hour, so we ended up at The Cantina instead. Because of that, my experience may be influenced by expecting a bit higher quality, especially given the other food options in the area The Cantina in Mill Valley is a pretty standard Mexican spot with a Tex-Mex lean. I usually enjoy this style of food; I was a big fan of places like El Torito in SoCal, but this one didn't quite land for me. We ordered two burritos. The portions were generous, but the flavors were very mild. I love bold, spicy food, and these were lacking seasoning in my opinion. I ended up taking half home and adding avocado, lemon, and salsa from my own kitchen to give it the punch it was missing. We also tried the queso fundido, which was interesting. I hadn't had it prepared quite like that before, and it definitely leaned more Tex-Mex. It wasn't bad, just different from what I expected. Unfortunately, the service was a letdown as well. I had to find menus myself, and the only ones available at the bar were happy hour menus. Later, the server told us that happy hour isn't honored on holidays, which was disappointing. If that's the case, those menus shouldn't be out at all--it sets expectations that weren't met. Overall, if you're looking for a basic Tex-Mex spot and aren't big on spice, this might work for you. For me, between the bland food and the service issues, it's not a place I'd rush back to. read more

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The food here is always fresh and tasty. It was lovely to sit next to the fireplace on such a cold damp day. Lovely and accommodating waiter. Hard to choose from such an extensive menu. Great bar too. Today I had a crunchy salad with a piece of skirt steak. My friend had a huge enchilada platter. Couldn't have been better. read more

The Cantina - Fiesta Salad Steak - Mexican Near Me - Mill Valley, California

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Love this neighborhood tasty treat for tapas to shrimp tacos to specials you'll delight in trying. As a regular who loves good Mexican cuisine I'm here often & recommend highly! Buen provecho! read more

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I've been coming to Cantina for over 30 years, and not much has changed -- in the best way. They still serve some of the best chips and salsa around (though they do charge for them now). The menu has remained consistent, with plenty of options for both steak lovers and vegans alike. Service can be on the slower side, and you might have to ask more than once for water, but the food and the familiarity keep me coming back. Also, they're open when other places are closed such as 4th of July. They have a nice patio that you can bring your well behaved dog. read more

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Great Service and ambiance! Will definitely go again if I'm in there area. Food was amazing! read more

The Cantina - TREVOR SPECIAL - Mexican Near Me - Mill Valley, California

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Cantina has lost its magic. I had many good experiences for many years. Over the last few years the food is average, the service inconsistent. The place use to be packed, and with good energy. It's sad, I come back now and then to see if anything has improved but still disappointing. read more

came here yesterday to celebrate our friend's birthday who lives over in Mill Valley. One what a beautiful place this restaurant is very cozy and welcoming. The waiter was wonderful very attentive with a smile on his face. The food was excellent. I'm Vegan and he helped me to ensure that I had a vegan meal. We never felt rushed they allowed us to stay in. My husband and I that we will definitely come back here when we're over on this side of the. I love how many options there are to choose a table. From the fireplace inside or near the open door. Will definitely be back, and have already told friends. What a great experience we had here. read more

This restaurant has been around for a long time and it is well known in Marin County as a place to come for decent Mexican food. There is a bar area with TVs going so you could do that or you could bring your family here and sit in the restaurant. It all works. Carlos Santana bought this restaurant years back and converted it into a more upscale Latin restaurant, but it didn't work and the restaurant went back to the way it was before. The restaurant menu is big with all the usual favorites, combinations, etc.. read more

The Cantina - Shrimp fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Mill Valley, California

Very good. Lovely people, and charming decor. I was impressed by the very good service.

The Cantina is a place I make sure to visit whenever I'm in The Bay, solely because of Jackie. Being from LA and having Mexican food at my disposal, customer service is what makes me revisit an establishment. Aside from great customer service, Margaritas, guac & chips with friends by the fire pit is a girls fav pastime. Vibes are always great here. Parking is easy and outdoor seating in the summer is always a must. read more

Friendly staff, nice decor very extensive menu. Good selection of margaritas! The black beans were tasty. read more

The Cantina - Menu cover - Mexican Near Me - Mill Valley, California

Well, once again, even during an extremely busy Friday night, the service and food were, as always amazing! And priced right! Marilyn had the Shrimp Tacos, as usual. She says, "Why try anything else when the shrimp tacos are soooo good?" For the first time, I had the New York Steak that comes with a cheese tamale and your choice of beans. I typically have the Cantina refried beans and that's what I ordered with my steak tonight. I wasn't sure thst I should order a steak at a Mexican restaurant, but I'm sure glad I did! I asked for it to be cooked medium, and that's exactly how I got it. The menu says Angus Beef, and I now believe it. The Cantina $35 New York Steak was cooked perfectly, with a wonderful grilled flavor, and I could actually chew the steak bites, they were so tender! At two other restaurants recently, I ordered a steak. One charged $45, and neither were tender or had the grilled flavor of the steak I had tonight at the Cantina! Looks like I've got a new favorite restaurant for a great New York Steak! Thank you, Jackie! And thanks to all of your wonderfully professional and well trained staff for providing us another winner dinner at the Cantina! See you soon! read more

The ENCHILADAS SUIZAS! Amazing food and service! The atmosphere was relaxing, a perfect end to a busy week! Our server Friday evening was so attentive and thoughtful, we had a big party, the restaurant was super busy, and she still made sure we had everything we needed! read more

The Cantina - ENCHILADAS SUIZAS - Mexican Near Me - Mill Valley, California

After a few months off and really missing this place we came back with a friend and her daughter. They sat us at the same table and my daughter ordered the kids nachos. My PTSD set in and I asked the waiter to please ensure it was not on a plate that's been sitting under a broiler. He immediately knew who we were and apologized profusely letting us know that was not their standard practice and that it should have never happened. He gave us amazing service and ensured we had a great time. The other manager Jackie came over to introduce herself and apologize as well saying she had hoped we would return so she could talk to us. Everyone was so kind and we were so glad to be back. I'm really thankful they've changed their kids nacho plating and we've been back 3 times now and not seen the awful manager that yelled at us and that others have had rude interactions with. read more

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Excellent service, nice table outside , food was awesome, very enjoyable! Was visiting and nice to find a good place to dine. read more

A friend and I were driving home from the city, and she said "let's stop and have dinner on the way back" and mentioned that her husband loved The Cantina; and I hadn't been here in a few years, so we pulled in the parking lot and noticed a lot of out door dining IN the parking lot. Yes, that's right!! The Cantina has set up several sections out in the parking lot with fake grass, umbrellas and even heat lamps!! We were promptly seated; our server was Mario and kudos to him for wearing a mask, and appreciating our gratitude; YES even outside, Mario was masked up. These days, this is very important to me. I appreciate servers who regardless of employers not having a mandate (or the county) that they protect themselves, and others from this ongoing pandemic. Things have changed, first it was the outdoor dining areas (two of them) and then NO CHIPS AND SALSA! No SALSA with your meal either. My friend order a taco/enchilada combo and there was no salsa, not even pico for her taco; it was extra; which we declined. They now charge for chips and salsa; it's kind of sac-religious for a Mexican restaurant to charge for chips and salsa; chips and guacamole - ABSOLUTLEY, but because of this, we will not be giving five stars. Not today. One more shout out to Mario for being an excellent server, and being pro-active in self care and caring for others!! read more

The food at The Cantina is incredibly mediocre in every way. I take that back - the overpriced margaritas were good. But the food was close to awful. My husband and I had dinner there last week and ordered fish tacos and enchiladas. Neither meal was very hot, and both were barely edible. It's pretty hard to mess up Mexican food, but somehow they manage to do that. When the bill came, we saw they had tacked on a 3.5% charge for "living wage." Seriously? Your food is bad and you have to charge your customers extra in order to provide a living wage for your staff? And what Mexican restaurants charge $4 for chips and salsa?? I'm guessing the issues are poor management, but in any case, we won't go back. read more

Best Night Ever at the Cantina!" We threw a party last night at the Cantina and honestly, it was a blast! The atmosphere was so laid-back and fun -- perfect for just kicking back and having a great time with friends. The fajitas were insane (seriously, get the carne asada ones), and the drinks are amazing good ...the get fresh maragarita are the best in town . Big shoutout to the staff too -- they were super chill and made everything easy. If you're looking for a spot to party without any stress, this is 100% the place. Can't wait to do it again! Thank you so much to our server Luis He was super friendly ! I'm visiting my family from Germany Thank you again to the cantina for the amazing experience. read more

GREAT neighborhood spot! Beautiful evening out on the front patio with fire pits and 80's hits playing. I've enjoyed: chicken wings, tacos, enchiladas & highly recommend the cheeseburger and fries! Stronggg margaritas, so good. Love this local gem, I hope they're doing well read more

The Cantina - Front patio fire pit. Beautiful February day! - Mexican Near Me - Mill Valley, California

Our server was super nice, and that's where the nicety ends. The food totally sucks. My cheese quesadilla was missing some cheese. And it has green onions? Thank you, next. My GF ordered the chicken burrito. The chicken burrito tasted as if it had a dream of flavor. It required a liberal dousing of cholula. It was also served with a salad...who would have asked for that? The 3% living wage surcharge doesn't go to any of the staff, it just goes to the restaurant. That's pretty deceitful. Like, what? I would not come back here again. If you like dry, bland, overpriced food, come to the cantina. read more

The Cantina - "Cheese" quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Mill Valley, California

over priced , 2 tacos ,1 burrito for 70$ . yeah right i shouldve gone to a taco truck, food was dog shit , no flavor on the burrito or taco , "mexican" yea right , straight dog shit. i shouldve gone to safeway and made myself a burrito the Real Way. read more

Nice place. High quality food. Had the fiesta salad Really good food !! They have indoor and outdoor seating and draft beer. read more

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Ok, let me start with how amazing David (bartender) and Joel (server) are.Shoutout to Piña too lol. Excellent customer service and very friendly. Kudos to all of them. Gracias Muchachos for your hard work. You guys are amazing. By the way David makes the best Pińa Coladas. Perfect mixture. I was in town for some training courses and I Goggle the restaurants near me. I came across The Cantina. I decided to try it. I was NOT disappointed. I had the combination plate of the Chile Relleno and cheese enchilada with rice and beans. All I can say is that I will definitely be back next time I'm in town. read more

Everything was great! Our server, Ruby was stupendous! She done a magnificent job for us! I got the California Burrito that was super solid. Must say! Can't complain! Had a great job read more

Unusually good ambiance for a Mexican restaurant. This restaurant has been in business for decades at the same location.

Mill Valley is a beautiful city and the Cantina is a popular restaurant in the area. The atmosphere is very nice and the food was delicious. They serve great enchilada dishes and the service was exceptional. read more

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Came in for lunch. It was an okay Mexican spot. Food came out in a really weird order with my husbands burrito out even before the chips and salsa. Our server was friendly. The restaurant is really big. I like all the fireplaces and the decor. I don't live in this area so I probably wouldn't come back but it was a sentimental spot as it's where my parents got engaged way back in the early 80's. It was fun to see where it happened. read more

Everything about my Cantina experience was, and always is, average. Weak margaritas, no chips and salsa this time (I was dining alone and wasn't asked if I wanted it...even though families around me were served), and a rather tasteless Chili Verde burrito. Chipotle has better tasting food. Probably my last time dining there. read more

Well, The Cantina has run it's course. Over the past 40 years the occasional get-togethers with friends, a lunch, or drink after was always enjoyable. Whatever it coast, I felt was fair or a value. But now? What a ripoff... Mediocre food. $5 chips and salsa. Adios! read more

Came back again on a recent, rainy Friday night. My friend and I sat in the bar area, which I think is the key to success here. Our server was on it- she was quick, gracious, and didn't make us feel rushed (as sometimes a bar seat can). The food has much improved. The tortilla soup was exactly what we needed to warm us up, and the bar area felt lively but not suffocating. Glad to have this awesome place back on my list. read more

I've missed this place so much. I use to come here all the time when I lived on Sycamore. Now it is just a long drive from the city but so worth it. Had the fajitas for two (steak and shrimp) and it was just delicious. So tasty. Chips n guac are always on point here. The water was delicious as always with the added cucumber and lemon. We skipped any desert because we were just that full. Soooo good. Service was super friendly and everyone was social distancing. It felt normal amidst the crazy stress of a pandemic with tons of fear in some other locations. Nobody could tell it wasn't just a regular day on the patio with friends enjoying good food. Kudos to the owners and staff for making my day so much better. Cant wait to come back here again with my family. read more

The Cantina - So good - Mexican Near Me - Mill Valley, California

Over the years, quality of the food is third rate pre-frozen premade when you order your food you get it in like two minutes, tells me it's microwaved. The service isn't much better. Cantina has really gone downhill and the prices are ridiculously high. Stay away from this establishment. they are price gouging the customers. shame on you, Cantina. read more

Good food. Nice patio outside. I would go there again. I thought the decor was pretty and staff very helpful.

I have been a patron for 7+ years and often thru the pandemic as well so I greatly appreciate their outdoor dining. One of our favorite bartenders Louis is always a pleasure. I seldom look at $$ anymore, because, well....everything is expensive, everywhere. But I did look yesterday. And was shocked that a combo plate of 1 taco, 1 enchilada, beans/rice was $21. Ugh. Service was friendly and quick, but I think there was the equivalent of zero red sauce on the enchilada. Literally just what the tortilla may have been dipped in, if that is the prep method they use. read more

Truly frustrated. Husband went to pick up food for us and so I placed the order to go. I asked for a veggie burrito and stated "not the kind with vegetables, but as in vegetarian." The woman said "yeah" but as this has been an issue at some spots, I specifically asked what was in it. She paused and (I'm assuming) looked and then read off rice, beans, cheese, salsa. I asked for xtra cheese, onions and cilantro. She had asked me twice to repeat myself but did a great job repeating after me to make sure we were in agreement. Then my husband comes home and there are carrots, there's broccoli, and I think zucchini in it. Like a vegetable burrito. Also, they put it on a wheat tortilla.? It's late and this meal was more than a bummer, and it's too late to do anything about it because it's closed. I've also been in another time and one of the bartenders completely ignored me talking to other guests for a while, to the point I had ask for someone else to assist me. I wouldn't have left a review just for that, but now this is the 2nd time I've had an issue so I'm bringing it up. I am adding another star though because I've been here about 6 times total and 4 other times the other (maybe 3 other bartenders I've come across) are some of the BEST: lively, fun, engaging, and provided great service. The ambience is great, the hostesses were friendly, and the waitresses were very helpful. read more

Basic American Mexican food. This is Mill Valley. The chef should be a little bit more creative and perhaps give this food some pizzazz! Good environment. They need to heat up the plates first because our food turned cold halfway through eating. read more

Not only is the food here awesome, but the service and staff are amazing. I had ordered a meal on Door Dash, and as happens sometimes, they forgot my drink. When I called in, Doc went above and beyond to make sure I got my drink. It's the little things and attention to customer service that just make this place the best. I eat here all the time and will continue to do so. read more

Good food, great service, and many options for all ages. It's a huge restaurant so great for large groups.

I have never been so ignored by wait staff; not the experience that I remember having here. Very disappointing and I asked for a take home box but they just tossed everything read more

Solid and authentic Mexican cuisine being served in a festive setting in the heart of the tony hamlet of Mill Valley in Marin County, California. The Cantina has piqued my interest for years as I passed their location on East Blithedale Avenue on my many journeys into downtown Mill Valley. Located in the Blithedale Plaza shopping center that has many professional businesses and adjacent to the Sloat Garden Center, the sign underneath The Cantina literally says "A Great Mexican Place" and I have always wondered if this was a true statement or not. On a sunny Saturday afternoon, a friend and I finally got that chance. The good thing is that we didn't need reservations for a simple lunch time visit, as they have both an outdoor patio in front of their restaurant, a makeshift patio taking up parking spaces in the Plaza and a smaller patio to the right of their dining room. By the time we got there at roughly 11:45 a.m. they weren't super busy, as we got to choose the indoor table we were allowed to sit in, but as our meal went on, their indoor dining room certainly filled up. Once we got our menus, my first thought was to head to the Margarita section of their menu. Most of their individual margaritas were on the decently priced side, and thankfully the one I was craving their Margarita de Fruta, which was a fruit margarita with your choice of Strawberry, Mango, Coconut or Raspberry. I opted for a Blended Mango Margarita with my rim salted, while my friend opted for their Margarita de la Casa on the rocks. Upon presentation, my blended margarita was huge, almost as big as my head, but it was a slushy delight and just what the margarita doctor ordered! The food menu at The Cantina is large covering sections including Appetizers, Soups and Salads, Sizzling Fajitas, Specialties, Sandwiches, Enchiladas, Combinations, Quesadillas, Sides, Burritos and Individual Entrée Plates. As always, when looking at a menu, my eyes are drawn towards their Combinaciones Mexicanas section of their menu, as I always feel that it gives a greater overview of their menu, and I had a serious craving for an enchilada and didn't mind if a taco came with it. At $16.95 it was a reasonably priced meal for a taco, with a choice of hard shell or soft shell, and an enchilada covered in a red or green sauce, and you get your choice of meat for both. So I opted for their enchilada filled with ground beef topped with a red chili sauce and a traditional crispy taco filled with shredded beef. The dish is served alongside Mexican rice, a sweet corn cake and a choice of beans, which I opted for refried beans. My friend opted for the same dish but with a soft taco filled with chicken. Before we decided on our entrees, we decided to start off with their House-made Chips and Salsa, and our server did warn us that at The Cantina, they do charge three dollars for what would be a traditionally complimentary side item. But we understood as they have to make up for all of the lost revenue due to the current situation we are all living in, so we decided to order them anyway and were very pleased. As we sipped on our margaritas which were brought out to our table in no time flat, we were surprised that mere minutes later our two entrees were being brought out as well. Piping hot with the steam from our food still rising from our plates, everything was prepared and seasoned well. My favorite part of the large entrée was their enchilada as it tends to be whenever I order a combination platter. I was surprised that our full meal came out in as little as under five minutes. My thinking is either their unbelievably organized at The Cantina, as their servers are ordering from an electronic transponder so no additional inputting needs to be done, or that once the kitchen receives an order, almost everything is already premade the basically scooping your dish's sides preparing your made course, and then fast heating the entire under a re-heater. Not that I'm complaining, as I didn't mind that our dishes came out as fast as they did, it is just a little jarring to be this fast. We had a wonderful time at The Cantina with great drinks, chips and salsa and two huge meals that we barely finished, but somehow managed to, for an overall solid lunch. They even still honor a Yelp check-in deal in which they give you 10 percent off your total bill. With this discount, our total bill was 54 dollars with tax and before tip. After this first experience, The Cantina is a great place for dining in Mill Valley, great service, festive drinks, and quality traditional Mexican cuisine. We never once felt rushed during our lunch and it was really nice to get out and do a little people watching, indoors no less, while we enjoyed a pleasant afternoon with margaritas and enchiladas. After passing The Cantina in Mill Valley so many times on East Blithedale Avenue, I can wonder no more as it certainly lived up to being "A Great Mexican Place." read more

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