Vida cantina hit the spot for me, as someone who just moved here from southern CA and has been missing the Mexican food we get down there! You walk in and the vibe is fun, colorful, and eclectic. It reminded me of a classic Mexican restaurant with a tasteful, funky modern touch. My watermelon margarita was incredible and we got the salsa trio that had a good mix of spicy mango salsa, a mild but flavorful green salsa, and fresh pico de gallo style. The chips did taste homemade but if not still enjoyed the thicker corn style chip you don't usually find in restaurants! We each got 3 street tacos and all were great, even the sweet potato taco! The chicken was chopped a bit thick for street taco style but it was still great flavor, and rice was a bit salty but not unbearable. The service was also incredible, I love a restaurant that boxes up your leftovers for you and our server was super super attentive and friendly. We will be back!! read more

Vida Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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The food was satisfactory, although the menu options were limited. Considering the price point, I would not choose to return. The service, however, was good, and the establishment was clean. read more

Vida Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Ambiance is great! Lively interior with a wraparound bar and lots of booth seating. In terms of service, the host was not very attentive. We (parents and a toddler) arrived hungry after driving two hours and had a hard time getting his attention at times. We arrived before 6pm on a Friday but still there was a wait. Once we were seated, the server was pretty prompt and really friendly, though generally service was somewhat slow with a wait for food. We were waiting almost an hour for entrees and about to change our order to to-go because of stress with our exhausted toddler, but of course that's when the food arrived. We had to shovel it in and leave. The food was the most disappointing part. The chips are clearly not homemade. The salsa didn't have much flavor, and the guacamole was a huge letdown. It had a dull green color and very "slop" style texture (think sour cream texture, not chunky like real guac) that all pointed to store bought / not fresh. I had the chicken enchiladas, and the sides of rice (so salty) and beans (very soupy) brought down an already undesirable dish. The enchiladas were cooked nicely but far too cheesy. The green sauce was nearly tasteless, the red sauce is what made it all edible. Wouldn't ever really come back here. I wish I could say something more positive! read more

My friend and I went in on a Sunday afternoon around 2. It was pretty slow, so we were seated immediately. I would by no means call this place authentic Mexican food, so if that's what you're looking for, well... keep looking. This is certainly a Mexican-inspired kind of restaurant -- a glorified Chipotle with a bar inside. We started with the goat cheese fundido. While it's not my personal favorite, it's a solid choice if you enjoy the tangy finish of goat cheese. For my entree, I ordered the carnitas enchiladas. Unfortunately, the mole sauce was a bit too heavy on the chocolate, which overpowered the dish. The rice was dry and lacking in flavor, and the black beans weren't worth mentioning. My friend ordered the chicken al pastor tacos, which she really enjoyed. However, the tortillas tore after just one bite, which was disappointing. Doubling the tortillas -- as is traditionally done with tacos -- would improve the dish considerably. The service overall was inattentive, which was confusing since there weren't very many people inside the restaurant to serve. You'd think it would've been a little easier to handle, but it looks like they're hiring kids with no prior experience in the service industry. Save your time and money, and go to La Carreta in Downtown Portsmouth. read more

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I used to love this place. I recommended Vida Cantina to everyone and used to think it was one of the best taco spots around. I went back yesterday, July 5th, for my birthday with a whole group, and it was honestly a complete letdown. The fish tacos that used to be incredible were just bland and forgettable. Definitely not worth $9 each. But the pork belly tacos were the real disaster. Dry, burnt, and borderline inedible. I genuinely don't understand how a place manages to ruin pork belly that badly. I hyped this place up to everyone and chose it for my birthday, and it completely backfired. It was actually embarrassing sitting there knowing I was the one who picked it. I usually don't leave reviews, but this was bad enough that I felt like I had to say something. I'm a big foodie, and my friends and family usually trust me to pick great spots. This time I got it completely wrong, I won't be going back. read more

So disappointing. Menu looked fantastic yet failed to deliver. Cold blobs of guac and salsa on the tacos, undressed cabbage slaw, oddly sweet tortillas, lackluster and undersalted chips. Everything lacked salt and acid, actually. Salsas were OK but again, lacked salt and acid and heat. Service and drinks were decent, vibes of the place were nice. read more

Vida Cantina - Lamb birria special - Mexican Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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This place has gone seriously downhill. What used to feel fresh and made-to-order now feels lazy and low-quality. The guacamole was shockingly bad squishy, overly processed, and nothing like the fresh guac they used to make in front of you. The chips tasted like they came straight out of a grocery store bag, which is pretty unacceptable considering how good they used to be. My partner's pork belly taco was almost inedible. It was tough, dry, and bizarrely similar to overcooked chicken with a gristly texture...definitely not pork belly. We ended up leaving most of it behind. We came back specifically for the mushroom taco we'd loved before, and it was a huge disappointment. Instead of something thoughtful or flavorful, it was just a massive pile of chopped fake meat with no seasoning and no balance. The vegan avocado taco was just as bad basically a bland grilled slice of avocado with zero effort put into it. Honestly, it feels like the kitchen has completely given up. The only saving grace was the bar, the bartenders were great and the margaritas were genuinely excellent. That's the only reason this isn't a 1-star review. read more

Sundays still mean Vida's Huevos rancheros--with red AND green sauces. Found some older photos on my phone, too. Funny how each chef's palette is a little different in how they paint these. Sometimes the rice hides underneath, sometimes not! Eggs always poached perfectly. Happy they now serve great coffee from La Mulita in Rye. Longtime waiters here are the best. read more

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Super cute place, but the service is sooo slow, we saw people come and leave and while they barely took our food order. We didn't even get offer a water refill. It Took over an hour just to get fountain drinks and chips and salsa. No sazon here, for a Mexican restaurant, the food didn't have the seasoning. It might be just a place for cute drinks. We read more

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Overall we like Vida Cantina, the food always seems fresh and tasty. Others have commented about poor service, and in that regard we've been lucky I guess. We have not explored the menu too deeply, and usually start with the chips and salsa, which are not complimentary as they are at most Mexican restaurants. The chips are thicker than many places, lightly salted and the salsa is more like chunks of tomato than a sauce. We enjoy it. Cocktails are a nice treat here, and we always enjoy what we order, whether it be a paloma, margarita or something else. Service from the bar tends to be slow and our waitress forgot to bring our drink, until we reminded her what was missing. For entrees, we usually get the tacos, as you can mix and match whatever you like including how many you want. Rice and beans can be added for an additional charge. I always get the carnitas and while good, I just wished the restaurant would be a little more reserved with salt. They were just shy of too salty to eat, something I can't recall on previous orders. The other tacos were properly seasoned. For dessert we had the chocolate tres leches, it had a coconut sauce and peanut clusters so all my favorites. It was tasty, very rich and a generous portion which I could not finish. Overall a good restaurant with a talented chef. Things seemed a little off this time as compared to prior visits, but anybody can have a tough day. read more

Vida Cantina - Chocolate tres leches - Mexican Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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I went here to meet a local friend (around Halloween). This is clearly a hot spot, even with Covid. Every table was full and the waiters were constantly on the move. The chips and trio of dips was a fun appetizer to start off, and the tacos were delicious. It was great to be able to mix and match instead of having to get just one kind. Parking wasn't too bad; they have their own lot and we were able to exit back onto the main road at a light. read more

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Was visiting family & came here for dinner & drinks. They had a good cocktail selection & we all enjoyed the food, better than average.

Unfortunately, the $30.00 beef Risotto special had zero beef in it. Very disappointing

Make this 3 1/2 Stars... This place was featured on the TV show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives so my DS asked DH and I if we wanted to go.. and of coarse we never turn down a dinner invitation! Drove over from York, Maine to Portsmouth, NH just a 10 minute drive to the Vida Cantina a kind of eclectically decorated previously owned howard johnson style building. Walked in and were immediately seated in a booth... :-) We ordered salsa and chips served with guacamole very yummy and further checked out the menu. Had to ask very nice server what some of the entrees were... you guessed it I don't speak spanish. I choose $12 Riverside Farm Sweet Corn ( local farm) Esquites... corn crema, cotija, Oaxacan black mole powder, boom!, peanuts... very very good and DH ordered $17 Carne Asada guajillo braised beef, red & green chili sauce, black beans & spanish rice DH thought this was ordinary 3 stars and I rated mine as 4 stars not ordinary but not exceptional so this averaged out to 3 1/2 stars. I wish yelp included a 1/2 star ;-) so when reading my review add a 1/2 star! All n' all we had a great evening as usual and to cap it off leaving the place a little piece of art outside the door... check out my pics... :-) read more

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Fish tacos! Great guacamole and 2 excellent hot sauces! Also had a delish Apple cider margarita

If I could make this 3 1/2 stars, I would. The trouble with Vida Cantina is and has always been slow service. Even prior to Covid. The food is truly delicious, which is why we come back. My last visit was to celebrate my dad's birthday. It's hard to tell if the server was in the weeds or forgetful. It took awhile to get water after being seated. Basically each step in service was slow, which affects the overall experience. The ambiance is great and they've done a good job to create more privacy between booths. Come for delicious food, but don't be in a hurry. read more

Vida Cantina - Trio of tacos - Mexican Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Such a great find! The food, atmosphere, and service were all great! It's a long way from home, but we will journey back. Barbacoa Confit Pork Belly Shrimp Tacos Salsa and Chip read more

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Love this place visit here a lot can't wait to be back in going try the whole menu ! Workers are the best and the place looks amazing read more

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This was our first time and it was decent. We are from out of town and figured we would try this place. The staff was very friendly, attentive and kind. The atmosphere was decent. Nothing super great to report but it was clean and roomy. The food was good but not great, definitely not "we are 100 coming back here because it was best ever" vibe. In my opinion it was almost chain type Mexican cuisine level food. The liquor drinks were decent. Again, good but nothing to write home about. Sorry; maybe it was just an off night. The staff was awesome. That's the biggest thing we took away. read more

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Clearly a friendly place in a former life. The decor is cute but you can still tell that it's a friendly. They should upgrade the tables. The prices are high. The chips and salsa was interesting. It was really diced tomatoes with bites of onion. Very bland. The chips were salty. I have the chicken taco which was bland. The tofu taco had a lot of flavor and was very good. The shells were not cooked . The churros were good. Lots of cinnamon and sugar. The waitress dropped one on our table, said oops and left. Never replaced it. Service was timely. read more

Vida Cantina - Chicken and tofu taco - Mexican Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Everything about this restaurant deserves 5 stars. The service is great. The menu is creative and delicious. And the prices can't be beat. If you are vegetarian, you know how hard it is to find delicious creative vegetarian entrees. The mushroom birria tacos were to die for and are served with house made cashew cheese. The mushrooms were even locally sourced as were a lot of their ingredients. And not to forget the drinks, the El Magico margarita was delicious. Go early - they don't take reservations for parties of less than 5 people. read more

I really like the atmosphere and great customer service, but very disappointed that they do not have their empanadas on the permanent menu and they do not have their quesadillas anymore. Its's a-shame because they are truly amazing. Please put them both back on permanently! Truly delicious! Your staff is fantastic!! read more

My daughter had a serious hankering for some taco's, but not ordinary, run of the mill tacos, she wanted different, delicious tacos. She got the carnitas with pineapple and also a grilled shrimp one. She loved them. I got the Pigs head taquito's with pickled jalapeños on a bed of mole. I'm telling you right now, I could eat these for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the rest of my life. Every bite of crispy pork was like the best pork from a pig roast...... AMAZING!!!! I'm not trying to get all religious here but I'm giving serious thought into becoming born again so I can get baptized in this pig head deliciousness. We also got a side of freshly made tortilla chips with salsa which was scrumptious. Service was perfect and they were pretty busy for a Tuesday at lunch time. One last note.... The house Margarita... best I've had in New England. read more

Vida Cantina - Pig head taquito's - Mexican Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Vida has always been my favorite for their pork belly tacos and seared fish tacos. Throughout the years, the salsas were also my go to. Yesterday, I went there with my friends. The bottomless salsa was quite upsetting. Usually it's small chunks of tomatoes, onions, garlic. What we had was flavorless huge chunks of tomatoes. There was also a full sliced of tomato in that bowl. Hopefully they fixed this. I'd love to bring my friends and family here again for Mexican food. read more

Vida Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Really wanted to love this place, saw it on Food Network and went a little out of my way to stop here on my way home from Vermont. I ordered the app and tacos. App was flavorful but a the texture was a little mushy. Tacos were okay but had a lot of flavors going on that didn't necessarily go together. Staff was friendly and attentive and inside was clean and decor was nice. Would give this place another shot, maybe it was just an off day. read more

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This place is SO cute!! It is absolutely great for a fun night out for drinks, has a large bar area and lots of seating. The food was decent, I did not find it to be as authentic Mexican food, but it had great presentation and they had a large variety of options. The tacos were a bit pricey, they were $6 each, but they were stuffed with filling. They have interesting options for the tacos, I chose the fish and a fried avocado one, had never tried that before! The albóndigas appetizer was pretty good, it was very spicy as it had a chipotle broth. I didn't actually try any of the drinks this time around, but I will surely be back to try them! read more

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Fun and friendly place but the food was very hit or miss. Half our party enjoyed the food and half were somewhat dissatisfied. The chilaquiles was a bit bland and desperately needed some lime, salsa or herbs. read more

Vida Cantina - Chilaquiles (brunch menu) - Mexican Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Incredible and inventive tacos, and such fresh mango, you'd think we were in Miami! The portions were also pretty impressive, for such a good price. The ceviche and blue cornbread were total winners here, I would get them again in a heartbeat. My favorite taco was definitely carnitas, with pork belly and barbacoa coming up close (the barbacoa was a tad too greasy for my liking). The fish taco was also pretty good, but not as good as the rest. The tacos came with plenty of other toppings, so no need to add them unless you really want. The mango salsa was so good, but also so spicy, watch out. The entire order survived takeout and driving home, which is amazing, can't wait to eat on their cute patio once it's warm enough! read more

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I checked the restaurants visited by Guy Fieri in the area and it brought me here. I saw the episode with the pork belly and knew I had to try it. I saw they use fresh corn and mass flour for the tortillas, and you can taste the difference between their tortillas and store bought. The flavor of the tacos was out of this world and I was blown away. Service was fantastic and the online ordering was very easy. Definitely something to try! read more

Vida Cantina - Pork belly taco, barbacoa taco, carnitas taco - Mexican Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Have been to Vida at least ten times. Never disappointed and a regular stop whenever traveling from Boston to Maine. A bit more elevated mexican food, in a very nice and casual environment. Although simple, chips and salsa and guacamole are great. I don't know what they do, but the salsa (which is more of a pico) is fresh and great every time. Tacos and enchiladas are always good, and the house made sauces are terrific. Where the chef really shows why he keeps getting nominated for best chef New England and James Beard recognition, is in the specials. Did a mexican take on french onion soup that should always be on the menu, a fajita platter that was cooked and served in a cast iron crock, and recently tried fish and chips tacos. Only complaint is that the specials are only around for a short time once you are hooked and craving. Staff is always friendly and nice, overall a well run spot. Highly recommend. read more

We ordered a beef taco, pork taco, beans & rice, chips & salsa and carne asada enchilada and we were really dissatisfied. A very odd take on Mexican food. My son and I didn't eat the beef taco and the carnitas taco has a really odd sweet sauce on it. read more

Vida Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

My husband and I just moved to the area, and we stopped at Vida Cantina as our first restaurant to try in Portsmouth. There was a little bit of a wait, as expected for a rainy Friday night. The food and drinks were delicious! Our waitress was very attentive and sweet. We asked for recommendations for the area, and she kindly gave us a list of places to try. Great food and great service- we will definitely be back! read more

Vida Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Great Margaritas and I love the chicken enchiladas verde. Not the cheapest, but worth it for me.

I had to visit Vida Because I hunt Diners Drive in's and dive places. This was my 476th place and the show hype is all true. The interior is excellent, it sets the mexi mood really cool decor especially the ceiling. The tunes were really festive and dare I say appetizing. The staff were really great, friendly and professional, the perfect level of attentiveness, and overall knowledgeable. My waitress, Linda was really terrific she caught the vibe that I wasn't thrilled with my dish upon delivery (although I attempted to hide that) and offered an exchange which I gratefully declined. Onto the menu and my food choice. They had a restaurant week special menu which was truly creative and appealing but I opted out because A) it was too much food and B) kind of pricey for a cantina. I was there during happy hour with some discounted appetizers but again I didn't want to gorge myself and on a biz trip I don't take leftovers with me very often. I tried the salsa flight because what's a Mexican meal without chips and salsa. All 3 house salsa were absolutely fabulous. So fresh tasty and irresistible. I paced myself though to enjoy a special dish the sweet potato tamale. This was a deconstructed tamale in a bowl. Here's the bad part. The dish was a pretentious attempt to spiff up what could have been a good offering. The sauce on the bottom was lack luster after tasing such fresh and delicious salsas earlier. The tamale was just a wad of masa de harina and lard, not bad texture but a dense ball of dough. Covered by a roasted sweet potato and the meat filling on top which was so finely ground Wylie couldn't tell it was meat. And the mead topping was cold. With here's the worst part, the moderately sweet/savory dish was ruined by the fishy seaweed crisp I. An attempt to get that umami sensation. I'm super experimental but not every idea flies. I fished out the seaweed and ate the bowl and told myself I will try this place again if I had the opportunity. Just don't get the sweet potato tamale. Other than that I'm chalking that up to making the worst menu choice because I watched other dishes come from the kitchen the really looked appealing. I do recommend this place bring friends because there is a bar and share dishes to get more whacks at what looks like a fun and tasty menu. read more

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Saw this on phantom. Service was good. Food was pretty bland. Fish, carnitas and avocado tacos along with the rice and beans were blah. I wanted to love the place but I just couldn't. Clean. Great atmosphere. Just blah. 3 tops. read more

The tacos are good. Not authentic but delicious nonetheless. Rice and beans need some work. The three star review is for the travesty that is known as Jamaica. There you a no sugar in it whatsoever. While many may enjoy this healthier version of it, this drink is not intended to be unsweetened. Other than that, the food is alright. It's good for the area. But, if you're Hispanic and want good Mexican food, just stay home and make it yourself. read more

9.5/10: The James Beard award doesn't lie. Nestled in a nondescript outskirts of Portsmouth along a stretch of strip malls is one of the best restaurants in New England. The chef, David Vargas, works magic. He brings together locally sourced NH produce with rich Mexican-inspired sauces. The beef tacos were dosed in a southern BBQ-like smoke. The haddock hit that fine balance of char and tenderness. And it was complimented with an earthy potato nestled in a rich umami sauce. The salad was a bit light and overpowered by the rest of the meal. A nearly perfect meal at a reasonable price. read more

Solid Mexican food. Nice service. Love the smoke show margaritas. Also the tacos are fantastic.

Great food also fresh flavors. Price for all budgets. We avoid a lot in Portsmouth in the summer because parking is always an issue so it is nice to have a good restaurant outside of the downtown area. Service was awesome!!! read more

Four and a half stars. I had the mole enchiladas. Amazing. In fact, all the entrees and tacos we got were fantastic. Definitely the best Mexican in the Portsmouth area in my opinion. The tortilla chips are also great. It's mildly frustrating that you have to pay for chips and salsa (I think it was like $8)--didn't like that, and the salsa is chopped up tomatoes and onions. I prefer mine more of a sauce than a chunky bruschetta, but I'm sure some people will dig it. read more