By far the BEST short rib burrito!! Would recommend this restaurant for a little twist on Mexican read more

Meh. Nice atmosphere but the drinks are terrible, Stale chips and salsa from a can. (Or so it tastes) the guacamole was tolerable. We decided not to order food as everything else was substandard. Bartender was nice and attentive tho. read more

First up: I felt weird when I realized that there were no people of color working here. I got the pork and duck tacos, which were just too rich and unlike actual Mexican tacos- one of them came with blue cheese, for example. Should I have noticed that they said 'blue cheese' on the menu? Maybe. But it's still a pretty strange choice for a taco. Both of them were really, really rich and I couldn't finish them. The sangria only came in flavored versions (I went with strawberry) and it was small, tasted watery and the wine they used clashed with the strawberry flavor. I always like queso and ordered the queso fundido. It came with a microscopic dollop of chorizo and pineapple salsa on top. A vegetarian in our party got straight-up queso and they brought out something that looked almost exactly the same, just minus the chorizo- they didn't have chopped chilis or tomatoes or anything, unlike what most people expect in a queso. There were some people in our party who complained that the queso was made from processed cheese. I guess at a place that tries to be gastronomic it would be nice to get a queso made from cheese and cream. This place calls itself 'chef-driven', and feels like they're trying to put too much of a 'spin' on Mexican food. I'd have preferred it if they respected their source cuisine more and just did good Mexican-style street tacos. I'm sure they could stay 'chef-driven' and do that if they wanted to. As I was leaving there was a lady sitting on the patio who was just STARING me up and down (I'm a trans woman). I gave her a puzzled look and when she didn't stop I told her "it's rude to stare" which sent her and her husband into a hushed tizzy. It wasn't a member of staff, but I would definitely keep this in mind when thinking about what kind of clientele this place attracts. read more

Cantina 18 - Pork and duck confit tacos! Not authentic, but promising! - Tex-Mex Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Good atmosphere but the food is pretty bland. I don't recommend the mushroom and corn enchiladas.

New favorite spot! When we first entered for lunch there were two men at the hostess stand who were so excited to greet us and immediately tell us about their special of the day (it was a meatloaf that I still regret not ordering!) The service and food were delicious. The waiter even brought out a new queso dip they were testing for us to try. I'm a total hot sauce addict so when the waiter told me they had a housemade hotsauce I knew I was in the right place. It was habanero and absolutely delicious! If you like spice and flavor, ask for it! All of the tacos were good, but you have to try the buffalo cauliflower taco! I crave it everyday and can't wait to go back for more. read more

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I recently ate lunch here and really enjoyed it. It was crowded, even on a Monday! My mom and I shared a "create your own" salad and the ACP, and both were delicious. The complimentary chips are addictive! The service was friendly, and I remain a fan of the 18 Restaurant Group! read more

"Super fresh" - those were our words after our first bite of the chips and salsa. I had the ACP minus onions, my wife had the chicken quesadilla- both really good. Service was quick and friendly. We'll come back soon. read more

Cantina 18 - ACP with Chicken - Tex-Mex Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Sat at bar tonite and was virtually ignored by the staff Folks came in after me and were taken care of Awful read more

The best part about Cantina 18 is the chips & salsa. The service is always great but the food never wows me. I've had the Grilled Chicken Burrito, Southwest Salad & most recently the Beef Nachos- overall, it's very meh & not worth the money. I'd recommend if you want to sit outside & grab a drink read more

First let me start with the positive: the customer service is amazing! Both bar tenders were very helpful, nice, and quick. The hostess was friendly with a great smile, EVERYONE spoke and thanked us for coming in. The prices are also very good! And the decor is beautiful and clean and neat. Now the food.... it just wasn't Latin/Mexican/cantina/Spanish at all. The Spanish rice was bad, the avocado paste is an odd color and didn't make my food look very appealing. The flour tortilla for my tacos were too soft/uncooked so it made my taco taste gummy. I wish the food was better because everything else was great. read more

Love this place every time we go. It's wonderful that there is a menu from 18 Seaboard available in case you don't want Mexican. Connor was our waiter and he was Exceptional. There is a reason we keep coming back and that is because food and service is top notch. read more

New face, new space but same old food is where my head is at with Cantina 18. Offering up Southwestern-styled flavors, I had only made it a couple of times to the old Cantina 18 even though it was right around the corner from home for me. This new and renovated version throws the interior design book out the door going with a much more modern, open and airy space with a second floor. My lunch visit last week was on a busy Tuesday afternoon and the place was well filled. Seated up on the 2nd floor bar, I like the space even though it doesn't have any sort of a Southwestern or Mexican feel which is an early hint of what's to come. I order up the short rib burrito and start off with some comped chips which is ok but there's no heat to the salsa. The burrito shows up and it's smallish and while packed with short rib, is put together unevenly with all the jalapenos on the bottom. Also felt the beef and rice were both over-cooked resulting in a blandish burrito lacking texture. Service was mixed but the place is pretty new so fingers crossed there. In the end, Cantina 18 looks much better but still serves up the same ol food that I ran into before. Southwestern-styled but lacking the pizazz and flavor of what I expect for this regional food. I'm ok with spun Southwestern food (see Rick Bayless) but Cantina 18 falls short for what I want. A safe comfortable meal with sort of Southwestern flavors... read more

I am stunned that I apparently haven't done a review of this place. I could have sworn I did, but I don't see one and pics I took are certainly here, so I must not have. Anyway, been here several times and very much like this Cameron Village spot. The last time we were there we were pleasantly surprised by an amuse bouche (something delicious on a chip...can't remember the specifics and it obviously went bye-bye fast enough that there was no pic of it). LOVE the salad dressings here...side salads involve jicama which is a fave of mine...coupled with a tasty fresh dressing and I'm in love. Fish taco was a huge hit for me last time we were there (grilled, but you can opt for fried). Have also enjoyed the chicken tinga. Husband likes his burritos and has been very happy with them. Also loved that last time we were here they surprised us with a small (and perfect) complimentary ice cream dessert. (see pic) For a casual place to treat its guests like we were fine dining on a Saturday afternoon? Well, I say that is awesome! Big fan here! Oh, and I can also recommend the Ginger Pear Sangria! read more

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I hadn't been to Cantina 18 in a couple of years so when my boss suggested this place I was excited to try it again because I couldn't remember what it was like. The restaurant is inside of a shopping center. But the parking can be difficult Cameron village is always packed so prepared to walk a short distance if you can't find a park near the front. When I first arrived the hostess seemed kind of checked out so I walked pass her and found my boss. She was sitting in a corner in a booth which was great because my son was with me. Our server was okay too. He didn't seem very enthusiastic. We ordered immediately. I had the shrimp tacos (we both did) with rice and one with salad and my son had Mac and cheese with fries. Those tacos were phenomenal. My sons Mac and cheese was good too. I was pleasantly surprised. I would definitely be back. Overall great food, okay service. read more

I came with a party of 5 close to closing time -- we had planned to just get takeout as to not be annoying for the staff. The hostess went to the back to ask if they could seat us and they were more than welcome to having us. The complementary chips and salsa that they bring out to the table was fantastic. The chips were salty and warm -- they were clearly just made fresh, I made myself full on those before my food was even ordered. I dream about that combination still. We also got some orders of queso for the table which was really good but SUPER liquidy-- it was like milk. (Not complaining just letting you know in case you like a thick queso) Brooke was our waitress and was super sweet and accommodating the whole time. I got the pork and pineapple quesadilla. I thought it was ok. I wouldn't order it again but would definitely come back next time I am in town. The rest of the tables food looked delicious and everyone was satisfied when we left. The prices were affordable nothing on the menu was over $20-25 from what I saw. read more

I've heard so many great things about Cantina 18 that I couldn't wait to try them out myself. My friends and I came on a Saturday night expecting a long wait time but only had to wait 20 minutes till we were seated. I think that's pretty awesome for a Saturday night! The food is wonderful. I ordered the taco platter and was pleasantly surprised that they allowed us to order different tacos. I ordered the duck confit, crispy shrimp and the short rib tacos... all of them were so delicious! Just writing about them makes me want to come back and have them all over again! They were all so flavorful and not at all dry. My least favorite would be the crispy shrimp but that is because the other two were just so delicious. I also agree with the other reviewers who enjoyed the salsa, I had to stop myself from eating the chips and salsa so I would have room for the tacos. But overall, the portion of the three taco platter was perfect! Not too much or not too little, just right! The decor is a bit confusing for a "Tex-Mex" place as it has a more contemporary (slightly more upscale) dining feel than I was anticipating. I do like the large booths in the back of the restaurant although it seems like that could have utilize that space a bit better. Overall, the ambiance is pretty lively with a diverse crowd (families, couples, older and younger folks). It was our server's first night serving but she seemed to hold her own. I did run into an issue as I ordered the jalapeño pineapple margarita and was told I could have it made with "less pineapple" which worked for me. However, when I received the drink it was in a glass half the size of my friend's who ordered the same drink without the modifier. It seemed really unusual that the pineapple made up half the drink so I asked our server about it and she brought over our manager who tried to explain that it actually was the same drink and the juice did make up that difference due to more ice. I get that less juice means less of the drink but I'm really put off by the size difference and may just not ask for any more modifiers in the future. Overall, I enjoyed my experience here and cannot wait to return and try out their other entree items... okay, I'll actually just order the tacos platter again but hey, if it's delicious why not enjoy it again? read more

Cantina 18 - Taco platter and black beans - Tex-Mex Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

The staff was pleasantly and friendly, the food being bad wasn't their fault. I ordered wood fire steak and it was so bad I couldn't eat. It looked and tasted like it was expired. Highly do not recommend. read more

Cantina 18 is my absolute favorite restaurant. The best dishes are the Chicken Tacos with the side salad, queso for an appetizer, and the margaritas. I also love the Sangria! I have brought so many friends and family members to Cantina and it never disappoints. The staff is friendly and the restaurant has a great atmosphere. read more

They did a great job spacing everyone out as well as wearing masks. We were sitting outside and had plenty of space. Had a margarita as well as the quest with chorizo. It tasted great. My wife and I order 4 different tacos (forget which ones) and they were very good. read more

Cantina 18 - Menu - Tex-Mex Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

My family and I had a taste for mexican and headed to Cantina 18 in Cameron Village for lunch. We were greeted and seated right away into a comfy booth, which is always a favorite of my little one. She was given a kids menu and we received their drink menu along with food menu. While making out plan of foodie attack, warm chips and freshly made salsa arrived at the table. If you are a savage for chips and salsa, dont worry because they bring more to the table when your run out. A side of guacomole topped with pico de galo is a must! According to my daughter ..it was Aaahhhmmaaazing! We also ordered chicken tortilla soup (which was a lil bland for me, I wanted more flavors and spice HOWEVER that made it perfect for my daughter to enjoy) . It had alot of chicken in it, bits of avocado, some tortilla strips on the side to add to the broth. They have a nice drink menu and serve refreshing sangria and margarita cocktails. At the recommendation of a friend I had rhe strawberry sangria and a margarita. So good! Since this was my first time, I ordered the tacos because I was able to mix and match 3 and try a variety of what they had to offer. Between the shrimp, short rib and pork belly, the pork belly was my fave but they all were very good! I will definitely come here again. read more

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This is a favorite of my family and friends ! Service is always great !The food is wonderful Love to eat outside !!!

My friends were actually trying to go to The Village Drafthouse across the street but were not treated very kindly over a forgotten mask. This really put a strain on the vibe. We decided to try across the street at Cantina 18. The service INSTANTLY improved the mood and we were treated so kindly the WHOLE time. They worked together to get us the wifi password so I could finish working there and the food was amazing! Their interior is also very comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. It's like a tex-mex menu with twists but the interior kind of reminds me of like being on a yacht or something. It kind of makes you feel like you are at a seaside restaurant. Can't wait to go back! read more

I've worked in many many restaurants over the years and I have never had the luck of working for an owner who genuinely and truly cares for his employees and guests the way Jason does at Cantina. As an owner he goes out of his way to be present and available for anyone who may need him at anytime. The food is amazing and the staff is equally as fantastic. If you choose to support any business in the Raleigh area make sure you chose Cantina 18 read more

Horrible service being a tourist here ! Dead for lunch yet i get no attention hardly when I walk in and Salad was super lame for 7 . Lettuce , croutons and barely no dressing yet they charge for extra dressing . Bartender doesn't pay attention to you but walks around talking to coworkers . Very disappointed ! read more

Cantina 18 - Manager or host ignoring me when I walked in not knowing my whereabouts , standing there with wanting attention to get a menu . Sad! - Tex-Mex Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Ugh! Just bad. Came for a late lunch. Ordered Calamari and Pork Belly Quesadillas. The calamari was fried in one big clump. I had to eat it with a fork and knife. No flavor or kick. Just breading and a fishy taste. Pork belly tasted like it was boiled and went from the hot water to the plate. No season. No sauce. Quesadillas didn't have any lettuce, pico or any toppings. Just bland meat, cheese and pineapple. So disappointing. read more

One of my favorite spots for tacos. I always make sure to get the guacamole and Queso with chips. Their guac always tastes super fresh and the queso is addicting. This time we got the Chicken Quesadilla and a mix of all their great tacos. I got the Buffalo Cauliflour, Grilled Chicken, and Short Rib. They were all so good, and everything is super fresh. Love to sit outside here on a nice day. read more

Cantina 18 - Tex-Mex Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I tried this place for the first time this weekend and let me tell you, it's was Soo good. I was enjoying the patio. Not very hungry so decided to go with 1 taco -- buffalo cauliflower. It's the best one Ive had so far. The cilantro sauce was so delish and the . Everything was perfect. They also serve skinny margarita so in case you are super calorie conscious this place is the best for you haha. read more

Cantina 18 - Tex-Mex Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I am writing this review to share my EXTREME DISAPPOINTMENT AND DISSATISFACTION with my first and last dining experience at CATINA 18. My good friend and I were super excited to find a restaurant which could accommodate her gluten sensitivities and severe food allergies. The afternoon started off great with an absolutely lovely waitress Logan who was very warm, professional and inviting. After placing our initial order my friends order came out from the kitchen incorrect, no worries we sent it back and patiently awaited the corrected order. To our surprise shortly after a few fork fulls of the now corrected salad my friend discovered a piece of wire which looked to have come out of some type of pot scrubbing utensil. (see picture attached) When this situation was brought to the attention of the manager (Simon) he indicated he would make a new salad for her to take with her, but would have to charge her since he was sending it to go with her. Now let's be clear we were prepared to enjoy a great evening of ambiance and good food, not looking for a complimentary meal, just a nice dining experience as we dine out quite frequently. I myself have dined at restaurants all over the world, but have never experienced an adverse restaurant incident in which case management has not gone above and beyond to apologize and rectify (indemnify) me for the gross inconvenience of the mishap. It's the bare minimum of excellent customer service and appreciation. We however were insulted and very disappointed at the establishment's response to such a situation. Clearly management could use a crash course in restaurant etiquette in terms of customer appreciation and satisfaction their response was sub-par to say the least. Needless to say, I would say ones monies might be spent at a more customer service focused establishment. Only receiving 1star is because our waitress LOGAN was amazing! read more

Cantina 18 - Found in Salad - Tex-Mex Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Came here on a Friday night during what I believe was NC States homecoming weekend. Had high hopes given that I love Seaboard 18 which is owned by the same company. Was quite disappointed. I want to start off by saying that our waiter was not the problem, he tried his best to make our visit a satisfactory one apologising profusely in between handing our late appetizers over/ other dishes. But it was clear the restaurant may have been understaffed that evening. Our waiter was running around doing the best he could but all of our drinks and food came out very late, we didn't have any utensils on the table until we asked for them after our entrees had arrived. We also had to continuously ask for refills on our chips with the several bowls of guacamole and queso we ordered. There were dirty dishes left on all of the empty tables around us and they stayed there for quite some time, making it somewhat unappetizing. The taste of the food itself was good, the portions were also decent for the prices. The margarita pitchers were a hit with our group. Would recommend ordering them one a time to pace yourselves! Overall was hoping for a better experience. read more

Cantina 18 - Tex-Mex Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Quick service and good food for a very acceptable price. Quality drinks and nice staff. We came in without a reservation and in casual clothes and it was a good experience, but some were nicely dressed. Only complaint was the bathroom read more

We weren't impressed. The margaritas seemed watered down & definitely weren't memorable. My quesadillas were doughy with too much thick & flavorless tortilla & not enough short rib. My husband's fajitas were disappointing as well. Just basically dull. On the positive side, we brought along our terrier, & everyone treated her well. read more

Subpar food for crazy expensive price. I have never had to pay $7 for a single taco so I didn't even try ordering it. I got the chicken quesadilla and it was just ok. It was with a side so I got rice and the rice was just very bland. Queso also was a very thick consistency which I like more of a runny consistency. Definitely the better of the foods read more

Delicioso!!! I ate every bit of this salad-pulled chicken. Service top notch, drinks delish, guac -nice and spicy! Highly recommend! read more

Cantina 18 - Tex-Mex Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Went here with my wife for date night. We were promptly greeted by the hostess and escorted upstairs where we were seated by the open window wall. Great view of Cameron Village! Nick came right over and took our drink orders. They were promptly delivered and quite tasty! The chip and salsa were delish as well. Salsa had a a fresh taste and the chips tasted like they were just made. Nice and warm. We ordered fajitas for two, which came to us sizzling in a cast iron skillet. They steak was exactly the way we requested and the shrimp was tender. The veggies were seasoned perfectly as well. This place was everything we wanted! I met the chef Jason at a local "tacos and taps" event and it's obvious that he's passionate about putting a quality product on the table for his customers. We'll definitely be coming back! read more

Wow if you haven't been back since the remodel you are missing out. This was by far one of my favorite meals out recently. I actually never ate here before the remodel so I have nothing to compare it to but I absolutely love the space. It's two floors with tons of open air, garage doors and large windows that open upstairs. It definitely reminds me of some of the Mexican joints in LA. Yes it was the end of Dec but it was 75 degrees out so we took advantage and ate on the patio. It's great to have this outdoor seating in Cameron Village plenty of good people watching while you eat. I was even more stoked to see my girl Haley was now back in NC and waiting tables here, so of course the service was awesome. I ordered a bloody mary that was delicious and my dining partner had a margarita, I snagged a sip and it was a good margarita no fake sour mix here. The menu was made up of tacos, nachos, and quesadillas with all kinds of unique toppings and fillers. We went with the short rib nachos and shrimp quesadilla. Holy huge serving size Cantina 18!!!! It looked like we barely made a dent but I was so full I couldn't eat dinner later. The short rib nachos are a must. You know when you have a dish at a restaurant and you just can't stop thinking about it? Well these short rib nachos are it for me and they are the jam, you get a ton of tender meat topped with a queso on like any other, definitely made in house + goat cheese, beans, peppers, and corn. The shrimp quesdilla I would definitely order again too I'm just sad that I didn't have enough room in my belly to enjoy another bite, I'm loving this place and can't wait to get back here. Great spot for drinks and food. read more

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I checked this spot out right when it first opened and was really not excited to go back. On a whim, my boyfriend and I recently returned and I'm pleased with the improvements! The servers and staff are really friendly and helpful. Can't really ask for more in that department. It's moving in the right direction, but the food is still kinda missing the mark as far as southwestern cuisine goes. The tortillas are doughy flavor-killing flour when they would really drive home the SW flavors if they were blue corn instead. Either that or stop calling yourself southwestern...I mean, c'mon guys...your interior is more sports/tiki than SW... Gone are some of the odder-flavored tacos as well. The pesto-duck-pineapple monstrosity has been replaced by yummy fried mahi mahi (my favorite of the tacos!) and seared tuna tacos. The chicken-apple-cran-chevre taco has a lot going on, but it's really a treat! There is also a caddy full of hot sauces for you to play with. I like sprinkling some of the Texas sauce in the salsa for a little extra POW! read more

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Staff is lovely, food sucks. I went with my two friends, I got the veggie burrito, and they got the tortilla soup and tacos. My veggie burrito sucked, it was so bland and tasteless I'm surprised its even on the menu. My friend who got the tortilla soup said it just tasted like a failed chili. And then the two tacos were apparently just "decent." Honestly was so disappointed with the food lmao won't be coming back read more

I visited Cantina 18 last week for dinner. I was excited because it certainly didn't seem like your run of the mill Tex-Mex restaurant. Our server told us that the special taco of the night was duck confit which I thought was pretty impressive. I started with a Beer Margarita. I'll come back to that. I ordered four tacos because I simply couldn't decide between some of the offerings. Adobo Braised Chicken with Apples, Cranberries, and Goat Cheese: This was really delicious. The chicken was moist and very well cooked. The flavors combined well and I've already admitted that I'm a sucker for goat cheese. Shrimp with Pineapple BBQ Sauce: yawn. It lacked flavor and the shrimp were rubbery. Short Ribs: gross. They were burnt and almost inedible. Carnitas: The best of the bunch. Absolutely fantastic. Well spiced. I wish I had ordered three of these instead. The side items (black beans, rice, and southwestern slaw) were bland. I smothered them in the hot sauces available at the table and eat as much of them as I could stand. Now, back to the Beer Margarita. The menu describes it as Beer, Tequila, and Lime. The taste didn't match the description (you couldn't even taste the tequila) so I watched as the Bartender prepared it. The recipe appeared to be slightly different: ice, sour mix, beer. I asked our server if there was indeed liquor in the beverage and she assured me there was. She stated that the tequila was premixed with the sour mix. Umm. . . no. I can't believe I paid $6 for half a glass of beer mixed with sour mix. The service was good otherwise I suppose. The interior was like a tiki hut which I didn't completely understand. I'll be honest, the chicken and carnitas tacos will probably bring me back to Cantina 18. But I'll will be much more cautious in my ordering next time. read more

Having now eaten here, I think I understand why the people you see eating lunch here tend to be senior citizens. The food couldn't be less spicy or more bland. I can't imagine any foodie types coming here more than once. We ordered burritos which were nothing great. The rice tasted instant. The meat was not flavorful. The side salad is bizarre, it was comprised of greens, green apples, some pickled jalapeños and some finely grated white cheese. I guess better than just lettuce. The chips were good, tasted fresh - but the salsa was watery and flavorless. Queso wasn't even as good as the stuff at Costco - it was literally melted white cheese with no spices or anything special. The bright spot here was the friendly and efficient staff. You can be in and out of here in no time! read more

I experienced Harvest 18 before trying Cantina 18. Let's just say, Harvest 18 set the bar high! My boyfriend and I went to Cantina 18 for dinner at 8pm last night. We were relieved that there was not a wait. At first, we grabbed a table outside but decided to move inside because it was getting chilly outside. Inside was just as chilly! Brrrr. To start, our server brought out chips and salsa. The salsa tasted very fresh but bland. We also ordered queso. The queso portion was huge! Would've been perfect for 4 people. Honestly, I filled up on the queso. My boyfriend ordered a margarita which I tasted. It was average at best. For entrees, I ordered the Grilled Steak Chimichanga and my boyfriend ordered the Housemade Chorizo Tacos. The Grilled Steak Chimichanga is one huge chimichanga! The habanero bacon jam was intolerably spicy! Also, the chimichanga was primarily filled with rice. I took one bite and I knew that this dish was not for me. My boyfriend can tolerate spicy a bit more than I can so we traded dishes. The chorizo tacos were better, but still no WOW factor for me. Our server noticed that we had traded, and she asked if we would like to order something else or talk to a manager. It was a nice notion, but I did not want to wait for another entree and I was already full from the queso. Overall, I just wasn't feeling it. In general, the flavors were off. It was overpriced and there are much better Southwest/TexMex restaurants in the area. read more

Cantina 18 - Steak Chimichanga - Tex-Mex Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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