Absolutely horrible service. Disrespectful, inattentive and not worth the time and certainly not your money. We asked to speak to a manager and they laughed and never sent one. One drink in an hour and a half. Don't waste your time. read more

This was my worst tex mex experience ever!! The food was bland & the carne was hard!! read more

Blanco Cantina - The corn bread was the only edible thing on that plate! The carne burrito was chewy & tasteless - Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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After the Russia vs Canada rugby match I came here with some friends. As we walked in we were asked would be be finished by 8.00pm. This put us of a bit because what it is really saying is the money that might show up later is more important that the money we are spending now. We then ordered a we drinks and the nachos. WARNING DO NOT ORDER THE NACHOS. When the order arrived it had sour cream all over it and I someone that does not like sour cream was a bit confused as to why this was done and why we were not told. The sever then point to the order form saying that is how is comes. Again thank you for being so polite. The wording they use does not say we will smear sour cream on top and if you don't like we really don't care. I was then told if you don't like it you can talk to a manager a guy by the name of Jess came over very helpful but this had gone on to long and as a group we decided to leave. Note if I was offered new nachos with no sour cream I would have been happy and would have spent more money. read more

Service was not great.... drinks took a long time and were meh, food orders taken. My food arrived wrong, I asked for the pork tacos with no tomatoes and no cilantro, chicken tacos arrived with tomatoes and cilantro... rather than apologies both servers blamed each other and went back and got me new tacos....The new tacos were crazy spicy.. which was not advertised, like inedible spicy, so the server brought me some sour cream... when i told her I could not eat them, she brought me a take away box. . . . .thanks? I'll stick to Anejo read more

So I love Mexican. And the food here was pretty good. But I have to give a 1 star because the waitress was so terrible that it left a disgusting taste in my mouth. She started off service with complaining about the previous table she had. She ended off service with arguing with me when I didn't tip her. She was missing most of the evening we were there and I had to repeatedly order my drink from the bar and bring it to the patio myself. When I brought it up with one of the other staff members she came over and began another argument with me. I paid for dinner, not a show. read more

This was stop number 2 for my Calgary Taco Fiesta crawl. Their taco offering was a "chipotle confit pork belly" with apple slaw and I figured out I was officially Team Pork Belly. Service was friendly and my order came out very quickly. With the description, I wasn't expecting pulled pork but that's what I got. The pork was well cooked and they didn't pull any punches with the heat. It was spicy hot! I normally expect the slaw on a taco to balance or compliment the meat. This slaw did neither and I wasn't pleased about that. The slaw seemed to have been mixed with the same sauce as the pork so it didn't have an independent taste of its own. Decor was pretty cool. While I have no major complaints, I also did not have any wow moments and a return trip is doubtful read more

There is something I love about this space and then in equal parts somethings that totally threw me off the love. Here are the hi's and low's to help you decide yourself. Service was very prompt and quick. Considering how quickly they filled up on a Saturday night feel we were lucky to come when we did and get a table without a wait. Server was very friendly but not too pushy, giving us time to catch up with a drink before deciding on food. One of the ladies at the table has this weird drink order she loves and the server took it in stride and produced as requested. One star for that alone. They also have a board with 50 tequila and 50 rum choices on it - you will not be disappointed if you like either one. Menu notes Halfy Hour has having some pretty awesome deals daily from 3-5pm. Love that the weekend made it into these times, even if we missed out being there just after 5pm. Food wise... She had the 1/2 Carne (pulled beef) burrito with side choices of coleslaw and fries. Was warned the beef is a little spicy and had no problem with the heat on that one. Beef was deliciously tasty and tender. Fries were crispy and still hot coming out. Said the coleslaw was pretty good. For 1/2 size it is pretty big so she was happy not to have gone the whole 1lb size. The boy had the Jefe Pable burger with side choices of fries and guacamole. For a side portion the guacamole was pretty massive - I have seen smaller sizes as an extra charge with nachos at some places. Was big enough for the boy and friend to share. Burger comes with 3 different chillies on + chilli gravy + queso (cheese sauce). Thought it could have been hotter for the amount of chillies but he is crazy that way so figure if you like heat this one is a winner. Downside? The burger was super salty. Now we are people that love the salt. So if he could only get 1/2 way though before it got to salty there is a problem,. Not sure if someone got seasoning measurements wrong or if the ground beef just wasn't mixed well enough but had one sad boy who couldn't finish his burger. - note the burger and sides were still big enough that he was 90% full - second note, when we told the server she was very apologetic and promised the tell the kitchen. No discount on the bill but as he was 1/2 way though I can understand that. I went with Pollo Loco Fried chicken, cause who doesn't like fried chicken? Sides were corn bread and refitos (re-fried beans). Normally I am the biggest fan of re-fried beans, but these were spicy. now I get that we are in a Mexican restaurant but why the spicy beans? They are there to be mild and delicious and cool the mouth as you eat chillies. Or is that just me? Chicken was tender and most with a lovely crispy outside, with chopped up jalapenos scattered over it. Asked for the chilli gravy on the side, had great flavour and was completely devoured with the fries. Queso sauce kind of looked like melted Velveeta on top. Corn bread was quite tasty and thankfully not spicy so that helped with the heat. All in all tasty but started getting too hot mid way through, but I don't like too much spice. No space for dessert, and of the 3 options none grabbed us enough to share either. Food gets us to 3 stars. Not blown away by anything and not entirely disappointed. kind of left somewhere in the middle. Love the decor though so would maybe rather just come back in for a drink or 2 next time. Also appreciate that they had the music on but low enough we didn't have to shout to hear each other. read more

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Quick service, delicious margaritas, awesome happy hour options, and wonderful seating and scenery. Make sure to grab a spot on the patio - excellent people watching read more

Another place on 17th that allowed my little guy at lunch. Lots of complaints of poor service, but we came during the week at lunch time and it was dead so hard to say - the service was obviously good since there were only a few couples in the whole place. I had the quesadilla and a beer and it was very tasty, the flavours were great, I loved the salsa. Will definitely return. read more

Third visit and below mediocre. Drinks are acid like bar lime mix is over used. Nachos were burnt on top, uncooked in the middle. Fish tacos deep fried to almost charcoal. Can't tell it's fish. Server even commented on nachos, shrugged and walked away. Such a fan of Anejo but can't give Blanco a 4th chance. And just realizing that for Halfy Hour we got charged full price. Damn it. read more

I went to Blanco for their Taco Tuesday half price tacos. The tacos were delicious but what really stood out was the service. My friend and I were hoping it wouldn't take too long as we were both tired and hungry. We were quickly greeted by a very friendly server named Thomas. He intuitively brought us waters upon greeting us. Our food came out perfectly and very timely. Thomas was so kind and really made our experience a great one! We will be coming back because of his exceptional service. Thank you Thomas! read more

In the old Brava Bistro location on 17th Ave (single tear) sits Blanco Cantina, a fairly authentic Mexican place. On a sunny day this spot has a great patio for a casual lunch. Good food in Americaesk style portions will leave you feeling full. Service was a touch slow and the 'people watching' area of the patio is right at street level with little to no barrier (ladies watch your bags) but a decent enough place in an excellent location. T. read more

I went into Blanco on Monday afternoon,April 8th,2019.The restaurant was empty with only myself and my wife as customers.At first we decided to sit on the high tables and then later changed our minds and wanted to sit in one the booth, we then politely asked the waitress if it was ok to switch tables and surprisingly she visibly snubbed at us, showing signs of being seriously bothered by our inquiry.I immediately asked her if she was ok and she said she was completely fine!To me her attitude was uncalled for and very unprofessional. A few minutes later, our food finally came and the coleslaw salad was stale and the burrito appeared to have been sitting in some unknown place. I picked on the fries which were tough to swallow.I then paid $60.00 for the two unpleasant meals coupled with the worst service ever experienced in a restaurant. BLANCO is in my books the WORST place to eat Mexican food, save your hard earned $$$$$! read more

Always a go-to when I'm in town. Brought my brothers and father last week and demolished a large plate of nachos and amazing entrees. Surprised to find some great whisky and bourbon hidden among the extensive tequila selection, take the time to look over the shelves, you'll be happy you did! Server was awesome, can't remember her name but she had my brothers laughing - even the next day. read more

Very poor customer service. My friend and I went there for the first time to check the place as it has good reviews ( And we love Mexican food) the waitress was super rude because we got there close to the last call, around 10:20p.m. She acted very aggressive and had a rude tone and unhappy face for the whole time she was serving us. I asked her a question about the tacos we were ordering for starters she told to my face with a tone that the answer was in the menu. So I had to go back to the menu while she waited very impatiently. My friend wanted to ask for someone else to take care of us, but we decided instead not to be as generous with her tips. Ambiance very nice, and food. However, definitely not going back there! read more

Went there Friday evening, had the Fish Tacos, they were so good, went back Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon. So, Friday I ordered Fish Tacos, my wife had the beef tacos, we swapped one of our three with was other to get a taste off going. The beef tacos were superb, but the Fish Tacos were out of this world, Breaded Basa, perfectly cooked with fresh, zesty topping and a side bowl of salsa. Three delicious tacos for $15, or "Haffy Hour" between 3-5 is half price. It's really nice inside there, it's around the corner from home, but I would travel without hesitation to eat here GIVE IT A TRY!!!!!! read more

Came here for some nachos, wasn't expecting much, but damn were they delicious! The serving size is crazy big, definitely worth it! The chicken was good as well! Only thing that was wrong was that we chose to not have olives in our nachos but unfortunately there were olives... Server was nice and friendly! read more

The service and drinks are so great here that I wish I could give it a higher rating. Unfortunately, the food is underwhelming. When I think tex-mex, I think sizzle and flavour- not so at Blanco. Unless you order something coming out on a flat iron, the food is lukewarm or down right cold. Their meats and fish are void of any spice blend to awaken your taste buds. Go on Tuesday for half priced tacos and give things a try if you are tempted! read more

First time to this new establishment! I would say the ambience is great, great for all occasions but the food ok not great. The waitress we had was awesome! Definitely would come back for the good service we had! read more

Blanco Cantina - 1lb burrito - Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Good service, I had ordered the chicken burrito (half one) and paired it with Mac and cheese and coleslaw. Both sides and the mains were really good. The chicken was not dry at all like you find at most other places. Will definitely dine here again read more

We've walked by this place so many times while spending time on 17th ave, we decided to give their taco Tuesday a try. First, the hostess, can't crack a smile, not a good start. Server comes along, wow stone cold, we've never had a server so unfriendly. It was like it was a nuisance for her to be serving us, hello, it's your job. Obviously it's not just us as other's have described a similar experience on this place. I was hoping the food would make up for this extremely poor display of customer service, sadly it did not. The tacos, although it had a lot of toppings, it was so bland that the side of salsa and hot sauces couldn't even save it. It actually worked out with how bad the food was because we had lost our appetite from the service and just wanted to leave. It's clear that it's not just the one server and hostess, but overall management. Time to clean house! read more

Had a great time here. Love the coconut margaritas sooo much- I actually crave them. I also really enjoyed the poke bowl and the fun music. Keep it up! read more

Great place, went to eat here during a short stay in Calgary. I recommend the Beef Burrito, it's delicious !

100% disappointed with my experience. I live in the neighborhood and come to Blanco at least once a week. I went for a margarita and the patio servers served guests on both sides of me and ignored me for 30 minutes. For more clarity, the patio had open seats and the restaurant was a quarter full. So not very busy at all. When I got up to leave the server noticed me as I asked for the manager. Terrible service and they lost a repeat customer. read more

Pros: Good food, ease of booking a group reservation, location Cons: Got overcharged, then got a condescening attitude when we started questioning what was going on. Worst experience ever. If I could give a 0.5, I would. I wanted to wait a day to write this review. I hoped time would ease the disappointment I felt yesterday for my birthday brunch. Nope. Still makes me angry. We were a group of 14 out for a joint birthday celebration. Reserving was easy, it was a simple phone call and all was sorted. A majority were a little bit late getting there but there were some of us that got there on time (I called to let them know we were going to be late). When we did though, it was very easy to order food, and the food got out on time and was tasty. We did not get our waters refilled (I actually didn't get a water, period, but I was the last one to get in.) The server never checked up on us and how the food tasted or if we needed anything. However, she was nice enough to get us some candles when I ordered desserts. It was a birthday, after all. This is where the pleasant part of the lunch ends. I asked for our bill and got a huge bill for all of our orders, with gratuity already added. That part wasn't mentioned in our reservation or when we got the bill. While it would have been nice to get separate bills, we weren't even given an option but that's understandable because we are a big group. As we were slowly settling our bill, we kept getting new printouts of how much we owed. Which is fine if the totals stayed the same. The total went up by approximately $80 and we had multiple copies of the bill going around. One of my friends took a picture of the original printout and it didn't match with the new ones, but seeing as we were a group of 14, there was another clump trying to make sense of it all. Some of us just resolved to pay more than our share to settle the bill. Throughout all this, our server was nowhere to be found, and we just had the manager telling us how much we owed. When it was clear there was a discrepancy, I asked to cross reference the receipts and was refused, saying the computer accounts for it. One of my friends and I went across the restaurant to find the server and the manager to express our concerns, only to find out another table's orders were put on ours. We asked for the server to come out to our group to clarify things but she would not. When we got wind that some people overpaid, I simply decided to leave along with some of my friends. I felt frustrated, drained and exhausted. Some decided to stay to try and figure things out, but got nowhere. When speaking to the manager and server, I felt irrelevant and small in their eyes - I felt stupid. Way to make a birthday celebrant feel special, Blanco staff. While the food is decent, the service we got was enough to turn us off from this establishment and anything to do with it. Thank you so much for ruining my birthday brunch. I do not recommend this place whatsoever. read more

Went for the happy hour and was very happy. Everything tasted great. Very good salsas. I think at full price I would have been complained a bit about portion sizes etc. read more

Love this place. The atmosphere is very inviting and the service was exceptional. The food was outstanding, I recommend the fish or pulled beef tacos. The flavours were amazing and not over powering. Beef was really juicy and not salty. The fish taco was perfect we were given some jalapeño ranch to put on the fish taco and it was so good. You could taste the jalapeño but it wasn't spicy. All night we were continually asked if we wanted anything else and if we were doing okay. We continually asked about what tequila we should get and kept getting great advice. Our server Cole was fantastic . He knew everything about tequila and was super friendly definitely coming back the next time I come from Edmonton. read more

I am not the type to spread negativity, but I just had to share this experience regarding BLANCO CANTINA (at 17th), hoping that you or your friends won't have to go through it: We came to Blanco today for a joint birthday celebration, a party of fourteen. Our waitress (by the name of Renee) provided zero service, to the point where no one asked us how the food was during our whole dining experience. We were printed multiple receipts, with huge discrepancies in the bill. The first bill charged around $390, and so we started paying separately. As we were getting ready to leave, another staff member came around and said that we owed them another $160. He hands us another bill, and this time, the "new total" was over $440!!! WOW! Fortunately, we took a picture of the original bill. That's when we noticed that they had printed us a new bill with a much higher total, for no apparent reason. We had to approach the manager (Mike) since our waitress had been ignoring us for the past 20 mins, while we were standing around like idiots. He insisted that we still owed them money, but when I asked him to print out the receipts, he said that he couldn't help us. Wow, this guy calls himself a manager? And he can't even settle a simple dispute? He spoke to us very condescendingly, never once apologizing for the confusion. He told us to sit down and wait for our waitress to come back. At that point, we'd been standing around for too long and being stared at by the rest of the diners. I really wish I could say that ANYONE at that place did anything to make us feel like we were being looked after. But after being belittled by the manager himself, we just gave up and walked out. That birthday lunch should have been fun and lighthearted, but thanks to the incompetent staff, it ended pretty badly for us. I wish I could undo this experience but at least I know never to dine there again, and at least share our experience of this unfair treatment. read more

I've been coming to Blanco Cantino for 3 years now and it's all you can ask for in a Cantina. It had TVS and music. Great spot to catch the Raptors game, or hang with friends. Never been huge margarita fan but after watching the bartender make one, I had to try one and.... wow. They're Legit (too legit to quit). The chilli coconut margarita also get the job done. Tons of tequila in bottles, which just adds to the authenticity. Head to the back deck and you can kill a whole day before you even know it. read more

I did not read the review before going, I just went because I had heard this place had Mexican food. Nachos aren't authentic Mexican food as this place is Tex mex I figured they'd have some here. They have mimosas for $5 on sundays for brunch and sol beer for $5 (I think) too. I was really craving nachos these nachos really hit the spot, I have not stopped thinking about them. From there I was just disappointed. They had tacos and a veggie option too, begin vegetarian I was so excited to try. I ordered tacos on a corn tortilla because that's what I was craving. Nothing really compares to authentic Mexican food, but again this is a Tex mex place so you can't really compare. I was told the fish and beef tacos were good by a person I was with. Although giving lime/lemon would've been better. The vegetarian option was vegan chili, and it was good if it was JUST chili. It was seasoned everything like if it was chili, because it was. I personally did not like the seasoning of it, I think maybe different spices on beans and rice but not to have it taste like chili, it just wasn't the best. That is okay because with cooking vegetarian meals you have to know all the spices and how to work with them. I am glad that this place did have some vegetarian options even if they weren't the best I am glad they were at least considerate. read more

Blanco Cantina - I dream About these nachos - Bars Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Not only was this the worst Mexican food I've ever had, but the worst food period. The fish taco I got was a dried out tortilla shell with dried out fish falling out of it. I ordered a taco salad and got a box of lettuce without a shell, however the cardboard box was the tastiest part of the meal. read more

I am not the kind of person to take the time to write reviews but my experience today at Blanco Cantina compelled me to do so. Our party had reservations at for lunch. We were greeted by our server (Renee) who was kind enough to take our drink orders. She did not remember who ordered which drink which is fine, I get it! After all we were a fairly large group. Instead of taking the time to cater to us, she completely ignored us after she took our food orders. I can deal with bad service. Most times it doesn't bother me but it gets worse... Renee gave us 2 bills... Both of which were incorrect. The original bill had items added on to it from another table (she later admitted). She collected payments and gave us a second bill which was higher than the first with the outstanding amount. Which doesn't make sense because firstly, the bill should have been corrected to remove the additional items that we did not order and second, to take account the payments that have already been collected during the first bill. I felt like nobody helped us sort this mess out. Renee passed it along to her manager (Mike Perrin) who was trying his best (to no avail) to hide his annoyance. Even when they finally realized that THEY were in the wrong, we received no apologies but were told (in a condescending tone) to go back to our table and sit down and wait for Renee who kept avoiding us the entire time we were there! Renee was completely unprofessional and rude when she was supposed to try to help US solve HER mistake. In what world do you call that service?! The food is okay-ish and the dessert is amazing but the service will leave a sour taste in your mouth. I will never go back to this poorly run establishment again and I would strongly advice whoever is reading this not to as well. read more

I went with a friend a few weeks ago. To start, we ordered the guacamole, then a variety tacos and drinks. I was surprised when they brought over the guacamole. It literally only had avocado, nothing else. Not even salt! When our waitress came over to see how things were, I expressed my concern about the lack of ingredients and her reply was "this is the same recipe as Añejo's. I pointed out the lack of onions, tomatoes, cilantro, lime, salt, jalapeños and the fact that I'm latina and I know what guacamole tastes like. She did take it back to the kitchen and they added very few things to it. So their guacamole gets a -1 rating. The tacos were good, especially the fish. Drinks good, service good. read more

4 stars for the killer happy hour special daily. All tequilas and rums are half price making it very easy to make your way through the list and trying some I've never had the pleasure of tasting before. The only food we were able to try were the nachos which were delicious! Note to self- make a reservation because the whole joint was reserved by 6 pm on a Saturday night. read more

The marketing for this place was intriguing so I was hopeful for my experience at Blanco. Upon arrival, the host was very welcoming and kind. But service went downhill after this. Our server did not show any interest in us until we were paying the bill. The food quality was poor for the expensive price. For example, the nachos were apparently supposed to be really good. The nachos cost 30$ and the meat had no flavour, there were way too many chips, not enough cheese and the veggies we asked for had to be dug for to be found. I got the impression they were running out of vegetables but still served us anyway. Just not a good plate of nachos. I do not plan on going back. read more

Blanco is a great spot on 17th! It's expensive, so hit up happy hour! You can't beat the 1/2 off build your own nachos-they are soooooo good! read more

I have been looking forward to coming here for my 18th birthday. I called two weeks ago to book a large group but they never replied and when I came into the restaurant they said they were fully booked. I decided to come back with a smaller group of people on my birthday because I really wanted to try their margaritas but I was rudely met at the door and told I could not have one extra person at my table. Then we had a very rude waitress who acted like she did not care and was mad that there was too many of us. I was very disappointed to be treated this way, especially on my birthday. I was very disappointed with the service but the tacos were very good. Would have been four stars for the food but the waitress took it down. read more

Overall I was impressed with this new place which is in the location of the old Brava Bistro on 17th Ave SW. I think the restaurant is owned by the same group as the Anejo restaurant in the Mission area. This Mexican inspired restaurant is perfect for a casual get together with friends. I liked the laid back feel of the restaurant with the TVs, booths and high top tables. The passion fruit margarita is a must try! It wasn't too sweet which I appreciated. The Mexican poutine was a hit at our table and a friend of mine was also really impressed with the fish tacos . The food and drinks came out fast and perfectly made. The server was friendly and able to answer our questions on the menu. I recommend this place and will be back for sure! read more

The guac was made with brown avos which taste terrible, the service was slow, the food is overpriced and tasteless. The tacos are literally dry battered fish/meat, raw onion and a small amount of cabbage and a few pieces of cilantro wrapped in a dry tortilla. We told our waitress how bad they were and she got us some sour cream which at least made them edible (and admitted she can't even eat them without sour cream). The only pro here is that the margaritas are tasty - although the service was so slow we ended up having to spend more on drinks than dinner. Do yourself a favor take your $75 and buy corn flour, frozen fish, avocados, tequila, a blender and host a taco party at home. read more

This was my first time at Blanco Cantina. I cannot really review the interior and the staff too much as I only ordered for take-out. Although I had no issues with the staff (they were quite friendly) my review is only regulated to the food portion of the restaurant. I ordered the El Demonio 1lbs burrito. It came with two sides so I chose the biscuit and the corn salad. First, the sides; the biscuit was nice and moist and they were nice enough to wrap it in saran wrap for me to keep it warm. It had a bit of veggies and cheese in the mix. The creamed corn salad was interesting. It lacked a bit of flavour but was a nice palette cleanser. And now onto the burrito; it's HUGE. The 1lbs is almost all soft and tender beef brisket. I found the beef to be a bit bland but the texture was all there. Another thing, it had 3-chili symbols beside it on the menu so I was aware it would be spicy. It had A LOT of heat. I can usually handle spice but it was a bit too much for me (now I know for next time). I ended up not finishing 1/5 of the burrito because of how spicy it was. Along with the brisket were fries and a salsa wrapped in together. I didn't think it was that great of a combination and at $21 for the dish I don't think I'll ever get it again. I had a bit of a higher expectation and perhaps it was a case of just ordering the wrong thing. I will be back to try out other items (sans the chilis). read more