Fantastic Cali-Mex made from scratch with fresh ingredients and healthy options. The fajitas were especially impressive, beautifully presented and flaming hot. Service was attentive and friendly, making for an all-around excellent dining experience. We'll definitely be back. read more

Had a very nice visit today. TBH, I want this place to work for me, as the location is perfect for me. I had the Big Sur margarita & was very pleased with it. Right amount of alcohol.. Tasted great! I got the 3 pastor tacos with cilantro lime rice & barracho beans as a free side. I would get this again.Theus encouraged, I got the guacamole, bit of an disappointment for me. No taste to it at all, even some onion taste would've be okay. The service didn't knock my socks off, but I entertained myself by watching the tvs. Perfect place to linger over your food & drinks, without being bothered. Not loud, customers chatting enjoying themselves. Again, this place worked for me. read more

Stopped by for a quick lunch. They were very busy when we showed up. Service was decent, considering how busy they were. We had a larger group and 3 kids. The food arrived pretty soon after we ordered. Their menu has many offerings. They also have a good brunch menu. Wished they opened earlier for brunch. Lots of loteria and day of the dead decor. I didn't have any of their margaritas this trip. However, they have some delicious choices. read more

Bigsur Cantina - CaliMex MiniChimis - Mexican Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I've always liked this place, but I ate here yesterday, and the food was amazing. Even the service seemed to stand out. I left wondering why I don't eat here more often. As always, the place was very clean. read more

Bigsur Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Amazing chicken nachos for lunch! I would definitely recommend this to anyone, nice and fresh, ty!! read more

Bigsur Cantina - Chicken Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Always amazing service and even better food! Can't recommend this place enough! Good size portions, locally owned and operated, cute and well decorated! 10/10 read more

Great to see a new non chain restaurant in this area. Driven past and happy we finally got to try it out. Love the California Mexican vibe. The drink towers were intriguing and could picture that being hysterical but it was lunchtime so had to pass. Inside was eclectic in such a fun way. I could picture this being a great after work drink spot. We were here at an off time about 3:00pm. Early early bird time. Order was taken quickly, food arrived quickly. You pay for chips and salsa which is fine it's $2.50 and you can get more. Honestly I don't know how restaurants can still give them for no charge. I ordered the small tacos, the shrimp and mahi mahi. Favored the shrimp and mahi was a tiny fishy but that's mahi for ya. They were plated beautifully and the side of rice and beans was delicious. I do not eat cheese and didn't read but it is sprinkled with a little Mexican cheese so if you do not eat cheese say no cheese. I had that omitted from my tacos. The burritos my family got were humongous I had to keep looking back because I was in dis belief. It reminded me of Jalisco in Milwaukee years ago. Anyways I was rubbing my eyes to try to figure out what the long things were in there as they were eating. French fries. Not the first time I have seen this but was perplexed. I tried a little of the burrito and am happy I went taco route. They are $19 but keep in mind if you like a ridiculous amount of food this will be your happiest day. As for service it was great! read more

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Margaritas were ok. The nachos were fire. Got the birria nachos and there was so much meat that we could have made like 2 tacos with the leftovers. Can't wait to come back and try more stuff. Staff was amazing!! read more

Bigsur Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The vibe inside was very interesting; I don't know how else to describe it. The service was friendly but extremely absent. We ordered the chips and salsa as an appetizer, which was small but advertised as free refills - but when we asked for a refill, our server only brought out chips, no salsa. Weird, we thought. The food we ordered was good and filling. We got enchiladas, trash can nachos (which felt like a total rip off of Guy Fieri's), and the San José. The drinks were a bit overpriced, imo. There is also a 3 lb burrito challenge, which you can read about on their website. Overall, a solid 3.5 - the service could be improved. read more

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Solid 3.5 for the drink tower, flavorful cocktails, and happy hours. Minus for sub par elotes, paying for chips, and okay food. I've been twice and the second time the elotes were much better, so maybe it depends on the night, but still holds my rating. This place will be on the list for convenience, if I'm meeting someone for a movie or it's a local Thirsty Thursday kind of week. But overall, not a huge fan. Happy eating. read more

Bigsur Cantina - Drink tower, chips, and a drink! - Mexican Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I took on the BigSur Cantina burrito challenge in Madison, Wisconsin. The restaurant just recently opened in September of 2022. There had been around 11 non-successful attempts at the challenge. Contestants have 12 minutes to finish the burrito. Otherwise, you must pay $30. If you win, you receive the meal for free, a tshirt, & a spot on the wall of fame. I finished in 10:39. The wall of fame is right in the entryway of the restaurant, which I thought was neat. The wall of shame is located right next to the bathroom entrance! The burrito includes fries, queso oaxaca, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, Mexican rice, queso dip, black beans, & marinated carne asada. The burrito was tasty! The staff was fantastic & very supportive during the food challenge. I'd like to come back to try their other menu items! read more

Bigsur Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I dined in dinner on a Friday evening. I arrived early, so got a seat right away. When I left, I saw people waiting. Cali burrito was good. It was a huge burrito with a ton of stuff like fries, queso, gaucomole etc stuffed in it. It came drenched in queso, which was a nice touch. Roasted gaucomale was my appetizer. It looked picture perfect, but didnt taste good. I also tried 3 tacos - Big sur, birria and hot Cheetos tacos. All 3 were terrible. This is the first time in my life, I see tacos this bad. May be the hot cheetos tacos was the worst of the worst. read more

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Dropped in for lunch on a weekday. The young man that seated us was also our server. He did a great job multitasking. We started with a basket of chips and a side of guacamole. The guac side was small but delicious. The chips were above average and warm. When the server asked if we wanted more chips (yes!) I asked for salsa. He brought one mild and one spicy. Yummy. For lunch I ordered two different tacos: Fisherman (fried cod) and From The Farm (veggie). I expected to like the fish taco more, but the veggie taco impressed me more. The veggie taco has full of mushrooms, corn and plantains in addition to tasty sauces. Mmmm. My husband had two BIGSUR tacos featuring tender grilled steak. He absolutely loved these tacos. The restaurant is wise to make this taco their namesake dish. It's truly delicious! The decor of BIGSUR is awesome! Beachy, surfing and VW buses.....LOVE IT!! I will be back. read more

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Came with a group of 7!! We ordered Fajitas, tacos, beans, and kid margaritas.... So delicious and service was impeccable! Even for my mom who is the hardest to please! Would recommend to anyone! read more

EXCELLENT !!!! They were so accommodating and on our every need !!! Can't say enough about them and their work ethic and dedication to customer service!!!!!! read more

Decided to give Big Sur a try for dinner one evening and we will definitely return. Had their chips /salsa and street corn for an appetizer. Both were great. We both ordered their three taco meal and had the beans and rice side. Tacos were amazing, as were the beans and rice. I think my favorite taco was the Pastor. Service was super friendly. I highly recommend giving them a try. read more

Bigsur Cantina - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Delicious food, fun ambiance for lunch or quick dinner. Best guacamole in the city, served with colorful chips & a good salsa. Margaritas were refreshing. Fajitas were served on a hot grill pan, table side preparation. Enjoyed my fresh chop salad full of avocado, grilled chicken,.... Our server was fast & friendly. Will return! read more

Been wanting to try Big Sur since I moved to Madison! It was delicious. Fun decor - they really stick to the color theme even in the food :) our service was good, food was good - I tried Birria (but was missing the sauce to dip) Big Sur and carnitas. Big Sur was my fave. Will be back to try the towers! read more

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So glad we found this place!!! Visiting UW Madison and wanted dinner... went in hoping for the best. Was blown away! The food was outstanding- very generous portion sizes, excellent quality great tasting fajitas/burritos... the service was also fantastic! So friendly and attentive. Super cute decor. Will absolutely be back next time we are in town!! read more

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We especially recommend the Farmer Enchiladas--what a pleasure! Guac, queso, and salsa were equally enjoyable. Staff were friendly and accommodating. We'll be back! read more

Bigsur Cantina - Farmer Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

It was good and I'll go again. The chips and salsa was fine. They should bring bigger bowls of it though. The Big Sur margarita was good but I wasn't sure the size vs price was the value I was looking for. The queso was good thick some could say it was a bit thick but it was fine for me. As for tacos: Big Sur- carne asada it was good not better or worse than many others I've had. Birria- the meat was dry but had good flavor and now that I'm relooking at the menu it was supposed to come with dip. It needed it. Carnitas- really enjoyed this one. Good mix of flavor. Pastor - impressive depth of flavor but came across a bit heavy in the guajillo pepper. Could have used more pineapple. Fajitas - the veggies made this. Tied for my favorite. Might even order veggie tacos sometime as a result. Flautas- another surprise. Really liked this. Chicken with the crema was perfectly balanced. Tied for my favorite also. Service was good but a bit off had to wave waiter down for the bill. I recommend and look forward to returning. read more

Bigsur Cantina - Chips and salsa with big sir margarita - Mexican Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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We had a great time at Bug Sur Cantina I ordered three tacos, which came with beans and rice. We also had the flaming steak fajitas at the table We each ordered a lime margarita on the rocks I had cauliflower taco, Pulled pork taco,1 and one other. They were traditional size tacos that you would find at any restaurant in the madison area. I've paid the same at other locations for similar size tacos. All cooked well & flavored well but the hero was my cauliflower taco. I am a big fan of cauliflower, and this was seasoned to perfection. I also used corn tortillas. The steak fajitas came with blue corn tortillas. The meat was lightly seasoned. It was tasty. Adding more thin sliced onion, smaller slices of peppers, and more peppers would add flavor to the dish. The margaritas could come with a salt rim, or with sugar and spice, I chose sugar and spice. It was delicious. The restaurant was dimly lit but well enough to see. I would recommend visiting Big Sur Cantina read more

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Been here countless times. Everything is great. If you're vegetarian highly recommend the farmers enchiladas or any of the tacos.

The service was okay. The food was fine, nothing exciting. The decor is fun. I probably will not return soon.

We came here midday Saturday while craving some Mexican, and this restaurant did not disappoint! The atmosphere is fun and inviting and the food was great. The watermelon sugar margarita was the best margarita I've ever had - and I've had a lot of margaritas! It's the perfect balance of sweet and sour with a slightly spicy rim. Muddled watermelon and lime round this one out perfectly. For food, we ordered the chips and salsa, which are $2 but come with unlimited refills. There are two types of salsa - one smoky, one more traditional red salsa. We each got tacos with beans and rice. The hands down favorites were the flautas and From the Farm - a mushroom based vegetarian taco. They were juicy and delicious! If you're in the area, stop by for a meal that won't disappoint! read more

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Ordered a ground beef burrito. It was quite large! No sides (I guess the sides are INSIDE the burrito). The flavor was good, but I'd probably get mole on the whole thing (versus the three different sauces, including a green one). Service was decent, though I could have used a refill at one point and had to flag someone down for that. Not a huge issue. read more

Great food overall, my fellas ground beef in her burrito tasted like it was sitting in a crock pot for a good amount of time. Prices are up there but not too bad for this economy. I love a Mexican restaurant that hands me free chips and salsa right away... Not here, $2.50 no thanks. The waitress was very nice. read more

I went back to Big Sur with a group of 8 for a pre-holiday dinner and we had a great time. Attentive service and we all enjoyed the tacos, fajitas, and guacamole. Big Sur is hitting their groove now and should continue to grow their customer base if they keep up the good work! read more

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I've biked by here so many times since COVID began and assumed it had been open the whole time. Turns out it just opened 2 weeks ago! The place is Cali-Mex themed, as you can guess from the name. Think Tex-Mex but California, not Texas. I got the cinco cinco burrito. It's smaller than the burrito challenge which is 3 lbs, but I think it still weighs in at around 2 lbs. I ate half and weighed the half I took home, definitely a full lb. The burrito wasn't all that interesting in flavor but definitely a step above some of the other "Mexican" restaurants in town that serve the generic "Mexican" food you'll find in any other city. I think the hippie BBQ would be a better choice for me. Open late, and with the huge portions this could be a good spot at the end of a good night. The music is a bit on the louder side for me. read more

Everything was amazing between the food, service and feel of the restaurant it was amazing!!! We were seated right away, which was nice with a little one! I looked at the menu online and planned out what I wanted, but changed my mind on my main meal choice. We got the guacamole trio to start, and of course chips and salsa!!! All the guacamoles were amazing but the pina was my personal favorite!! The mojitos were amazing! For my main meal, I got three tacos which was served with rice and beans. They have two different types of rice and a few different types of beans!!! I had my son get the type of rice I didn't get so I could try both! And both were so good and flavorful! My husband got a burrito, which he ate half of and we took the rest home! Took home some churros and they were so good!!! We will definitely be back!!! read more

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A perfectly forgettable meal, honestly. Went in for lunch. There was only one other person in the place at 11:30am. The entire time we were there, only one other person came into the place. So, consider that a fairly competent warning. The interior was nice. It was kitschy with a clever theme. It looks almost like a chain restaurant, but it's a local place. I think there's only one location, but with the gimmick and design they had, they could easily make it in a successful chain if they fix the food. The taco and enchilada I had were bland. Bland with a capital B. I mean zero flavor, zero spice. It was as bland as it gets. It tasted fine, but there was no depth to it. It was just ground beef wrapped in a flour tortilla. And the beef was gray and lifeless. My wife had an assortment of three tacos, and all were bland. The birria taco she got was just plain pulled beef. There was no birria flavor. The corn tortillas did not seem to be dipped in the birria consomme before frying. It was just plain, unseasoned beef. The waitress was perfectly nice, but the speed of service left something to be desired. We also had finished our meal for nearly ten minutes before getting the check. Given the prices on the normal menu (some of the burritos were $15-$18!), I would expect more from this place. read more

Really happy with my tacos. It's not fancy but it's not a dive. Really friendly service. Of the three tacos I sampled... I most fancied the fish taco :) I prefer local joints and this place EMS like a local joint. I'll hit this joint up again :) read more

Go to Mexican food joint. Moving up from Texas, knew we'd need to find a solid place for queso, fajitas, tacos, burritos, and we get that here, plus always friendly staff. Love it. read more

Incredible authentic food and range of options. The drinks are fun and go great with the unique apps! Service and music are always a good vibe. read more

Bigsur Cantina - Brunch Specials at Big Sur Cantina! - Mexican Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Pretty good but not great. Taco salad was a bowl of glop with out much lettuce or flavor. The enchiladas were much better with spinach and grilled chicken but the chicken was marinated so a a vinegar taste was present. Chips with salsa was two bucks and good. Chips were the three colors type and fun to see again. Nice servers and very comfortable decor. I would give it another try. Great sound system and cool internet jukebox too! read more

Wonderful service! Food was excellent, Mexican with a Cali twist. Great selection of drinks. read more

Bigsur Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

If you want a giant delicious burrito with incredible salsa, this is the spot. Don't listen to the haters. read more

Bigsur Cantina - Cinco Cinco burrito - Mexican Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Went there for happy hour on Cinco de Mayo. Was told they no longer have happy hour but they had a special for Cinco de Mayo. $10 margaritas. I turned around and walked out . Then a man who just left had a margarita for $5 and he literally left right before I walked in. I walked back in and mentioned the conversation to the "bartender/waiter". After conversing in Spanish in front of me for 5 minutes they decided to make a margarita for $5.00. I know they used to have margaritas at happy hour for $5-6. I used to come here often. Last time today. I swear they didn't put any alcohol in my drink at all!! Then the bartender came to tell me they decided to cancel all the drink specials for tonight whatever that means! I had my mocktails and left! They never offered me a menu or came by for anything and I was the only person at the bar with 4 tables full!! Ridiculous!! And servers everywhere!! WTF!! For a Mexican place I didn't feel one bit of any celebration of any kind!! Terrible experience and will never go back read more

I visited the restaurant at 6PM on Friday and it was very busy. Big Sur does not have reservations so we waited 45 minutes. We were seated at the bar and because they were so busy it took more than 30 minutes to get a drink, 30 minutes to order food, and another 30 minutes for our food to arrive. To drink I ordered the Tropical Storm which is casamigos mezcal, gran gala liqueur, fresh lime, mango, agave nectar, and sweet spice rim which was really good and strong. For an entree I ordered the Trash Can Nachos which had crispy tortilla chips, refried beans, corn, melted queso dip, pickled red onion, pico de Gallo guacamole, crema, pickled red onion, jalapeños, and chicken. There were alot of chicken which was ok but the chips weren't good. There was no corn and very few toppings. I was mostly eating beans, chips, and chicken. I would definitely go back for happy hour but for food I will try again when they have been opened a little longer. The staff was nice and apologetic about the wait time and the restaurant was very clean. read more

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One of the worst experiences I've had. Below is just a highlight. - Waiter messed up our drinks. I ordered a strawberry mojito, wife ordered a Paloma but a Margarita was brought instead. - Waiter brought us the wrong food. Ordered (6) total tacos. (1) Pulpo Al Pastor, (2) Big Sur, (1) Hot Cheeto and (1) Mahi Mahi. Instead he brought us (2) Pulpo Al Pastor, (2) Big Sur, (1) Hot Cheeto, (1) Wabo Cali and (2) Mystery meat tacos. We let him know and he said "Oh I'm sorry.. those are good tacos though" - Tacos themselves were underwhelming. Big Sur tacos had flavorless meat. Pulpo Al Pastor (Octopus was overcooked and was lacking the pineapple salsa. Instead they put a habanero salsa on it), Hot Cheese taco was so wet it fell apart while picking it up. The other selections, were undesirable. I'm unsure how they cook their protein but it was all chewy, overcooked and bland. - Service was bad, bad. The waiter not once asked us if we needed additional drinks and for whatever reason would not provide us our bill. Instead I had to request it from the bar itself (after waiting 25 minutes for him to return) I would not recommend this place for multiple reasons. Plenty of better choices in Madison. read more