Jimmy the owner is not only a narcissistic individual but a poor owner. He is ill prepared for situations and new hires staff. I received 0 actual training days, yet when things weren't done due to his standards he would throw a fit. He acted as if being fun fusion made him a unique bar yet while being there I actively heard multiple patrons say they will not be returning due to jimmy the owner yelling at his staff front of house and back of house. But again doesn't train and doesn't give a handbook so basically if you can't read his mind then you will get yelled at by a 50 year old queen. if you plan on spending your hard earned money I would suggest and advise you to go to a mom and pop shop where not only will it benefit a family who not only earns and deserves it, but has a place where the owner doesn't feel the need to belittle his staff to feel powerful. there are plenty of LGBTQA+ bars and restaurants who not only deserve your patronage but also aren't fake. any owner who puts on a front around guest and then is nasty to their employees when staff isn't around isn't worth your hard earned cash. the fact that most all the one star reviews are against the owner speak volumes about a restaurants reputation. read more

Have been here a few times, not really a fan of the food which is mediocre and there are definitely better Mexican places in the area. This place is great for a late night drink though and the bar staff is really friendly. Haven't been to drag bingo or brunch yet but definitely would like to in the future. A great option for cocktails and a fun atmosphere in crystal Lake. read more

Amazing Guacamole, margaritas and so many vegetarian options! Something for everyone and I love coming here whenever I can!

Service is always slow. Salsa tastes like jarred from the grocery store shelf. Lackluster chips. Sever didn't offer to refill either. Fish taco short on meat, heavy on sauce. Table too high for chairs. Water served in plastic cups. Won't go back. read more

Decided to try this place on a Saturday at 5:30. There were 4 of us. My husband and I arrived first. Brie (not sure I spelled that correctly), was our server. She brought us waters and I questioned a drink on the menu (a Miami Vice)- I asked her if it was what I thought it was- half strawberry daiquiri and half pina colata- to which she replied she did not know so I asked her if she could please find out. When she left to go find out, my husband turned to me and we both said at the same time "she's sick". She had a VERY obvious stuffy, red nose and she kept sniffling. So right away we were turned off and should've left, just at the fact that a manager would even allow her to work while she was ill, is apalling. But, we didn't leave, we stayed and decided to try to not let her breathe on us. Hoping maybe it was possibly allergies. Our Miami Vice drinks arrived (because they were what I thought) and they ok. However, they were pretty small. They were in a glass the size of a juice glass. A fellow diner told Brie she would like to have a Miami Vice also, Brie came back and said it would be just a little bit because they had to clean the blender out. Seriously?? Are we not in a "bar"?? The chips and salsa they give you was fine except my husband commented they didn't seem fresh. The 4 of us ordered a Charcuterie board, which Brie told us was a big combination of all the small plates and apps on the menu, a fish taco( which our fellow diner said was good), a quesadilla(ground beef I believe which our other fellow diner said was good) and my husband ordered 2 tacos which he felt like the corn tortilla wasn't even really a real corn tortilla. He said it was ok. We also ordered the Mango Guacamole, which was fine. We had asked Brie for more chips while we were waiting for our food and she replied "oh your guacamole comes with chips". Ok, that wasn't the point. Why should we have to wait for our meal to get more chips? So we asked a different server as she walked by and she happily gave us more chips. We were "wowed" at how big the Charcuterie Board was, however, it was like 90% chips! See attached photo. And the mini tacos were definately frozen with 1 tiny piece of brisket in it. Awful. I had ordered another Miami Vice and to my dismay, looked up and saw Brie making my drink behind the bar, touching my straw with her bare hands and the garnish as well. So, that straw got switched out as soon as she brought it to the table. And about that drink- they dont even mix it with real Pina Colata. Strange, for a bar. And then right after we had just eaten, I see Brie walking extremely fast through the bar, holding her hand under her nose. Apparently, her nose was dripping and she ran to go blow her nose at the side of the bar. Then, about 10 minutes later, I looked up, she was waiting on a different table next to us, I saw her nose run!! Needless to say, we were all disgusted. So when it came time to leave this place, Brie came over and handed us the check and we reluctantly gave our credit card and what do you know??? Her nose dripped again! We couldn't wait to leave. I know, I know. We should've said something to a manager but we were afraid of getting our food messed with. We should have left the moment we sat down and we didn't so that part is clearly our fault. We just can't believe she would be allowed to work while sick. We will NEVER be back! We also felt it was overpriced. What a disappointment! read more

Cantina 52 - Dance Clubs Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

Very pricey for terrible food. This was our 3rd attempt, hoping things had gotten better since they opened. Sadly it was the same. The atmosphere was the only reason we are giving this a star. It was a nice day and being able to sit outside or at least close to the open window was the reason we tried it again. The food appears to be all packaged with no flavor. Which is very surprising due to the limited items offered. We will not return. read more

Worst food ever. Great if you love potatoes. Not great as potatoes didn't seem very Mexican to me. We tried tacos and a pizza, both were mainly potatoes, and that was pretty much all we got out of the food. I guess of you're to drinks to notice it would be great. However, our experience was not up to the Jude's and Cottage expectation. read more

If I can give a 10 star I would, just had lunch with my husband for the first time. WE LOVE LOVE THIS PLACE. We will definitely be back. Workers very welcoming. And food is just PHENOMENAL! We will be back! I will also make a reservation for Tuesday night bingo night the bartender recommended. Thank you so much! read more

The elote is perfect spicy just like my amazing bartender Mayra! Great vibes and great conversation! Will be back! Try the Paloma!!!!

Best guacamole ever! Extensive menu - I enjoyed the lobster quesadillas very much! The server was new and very eager to please. He did a great job - the atmosphere was lively and very welcoming. I am already planning my next trip with friends and am going to have a catered party! The manager was on the floor and very involved in a very supportive way. Too bad that 5 stars is as high as it goes! read more

Food was pretty bland so it was disappointing considering how exciting the menu looks. The traditional margarita was extremely sour so we couldn't even drink it. read more

Have stopped bye twice following their participation in a recent parade. Had I not seen this might have missed This gem in downtown CL. Located right across from large parking lot so easy access to a city like vibe. Food has been above average including some amazing custom guacamole. Tacos are unique but delicious. Can be made into various Mexican entrees for additional dollars. Ex- taco becomes quesadilla or pizza. Server has been the same individual each time and she is friendly, helpful and prompt. Stop by this unique restaurant! read more

Great food. Great service. Good atmosphere. Food specials on select days and evenings.

Six employees don't notice a new guy at the bar when their are only two people at the bar to begin with. Correction, 4 looked at me like I was invisible. I forgot, checking phones and internal socializing more important than customers. After a few, one guy who I'm assuming is the bartender makes his way over, order, and my choice happens to run out at the tap. Can't suggest anything like it as an alternate. Nuff said, wont be back until it changes hands which looks to be shortly. read more

I had lunch here today and have to agree with a couple of other reviewers. The drinks were light on booze but the tacos were very good. I shared the flight of margaritas with a friend, and while they tasted great, it was hard to detect any tequila in them. I had the fish taco and the pork belly and both were yummy. The fish taco was pretty substantial but the pork belly was pretty skimpy. The biggest area for improvement is the service. Our waitress was friendly and attentive, but we were literally there for 48 minutes before our drinks arrived and an hour before our tacos arrived. If you're on a lunch hour, this isn't the place to go until they work out the kinks. read more

Can't say enough wonderful things about this restaurant! Stopped in with my hubby and his buddy and we were totally blown away! The decor is amazing and so welcoming! If your looking for the Best Margaritas around this is definitely the place. The owner Jimmy is the bomb and his staff is amazing! We ordered a appetizer ( Mango Madness guacamole) with chips. OMG to die for! We ended up ordering another after we demolished the first serving and tried the (peach jalapeño) once again absolutely delicious! Will definitely be coming back for their main dishes, live music, Dj and Drag Bingo. If you haven't visited this place its absolutely a must go to in downtown Crystal lake. read more

Food is hit or miss. Some things are great others are not at all. Margaritas and drink choices are fantastic. Ambience is great. Love the open window and outdoor tables for fresh air on nice days. Service is always good and the people are always pleasant. read more

Zero stars. Was kicked out by owner/ cook bc the server spilled a drink on delivered pizza as food was shoved out of the way for her to set it down. We asked for food to be remade. He said he'd make it for 1/2 price. So I can pay 1.5 the amount for 1 pizza. He grabbed the ruined pizza in a tantrum and kicked us out. The server ignored us for 15 min after the spill. Wouldn't refill any drinks and went to 'tell' on us when we originally asked her to have the food remade. Owner is a bitch. read more

Yikes. We were so excited to try this place but I wish I read reviews first. The salsa is definitely from a can. The food was super overpriced and not good. The staff didn't greet us although there were 3 of them behind the bar. And only two tables occupied. Not busy (for many reasons I guess). Stood there awkwardly. Service was slow. Learned our lesson. Never again. read more

The weekday bartender (Moria?) is the BEST, but- if you go on a weekend and expect anything beyond totally crappy service (even mid-afternoon when it's not too busy) from the bearded bartender with the ball cap on backwards, then you're mistaken. I had one drink, then sat there with an empty glass at the bar, under this guy's nose- for 20 minutes until he finally asked if I wanted another drink. I just paid for my one drink and left. My time and money are too valuable to be so blatantly ignored. May not go back. read more

Recently had spicy shrimp taco, BBQ Jack fruit taco and seasoned fries all of which were Outstanding. Nice outdoor seating too.

Amazing food and drinks. We ordered three items off the specials and each one was better than the next. Also, my teen and her friends love to get dressed up and go out to eat. They don't always get the best service and sometimes servers are rude to them. The Cantina 52 staff was so nice and courteous to them. I think we have found our new favorite place! read more

Mayra was amazing!!! The margarita flight was perfect, I highly recommend the watermelon margarita, soooo good! And the pineapple cod pizza

Love this place! Fun menu! Great drinks! Super friendly staff! Definitely will be going back! read more

Had the brisket tacos. They were a bit chewy. Tried the flight of margaritas. That was good. Also, had the berry guacamole. We enjoyed the guacamole. The atmosphere and service was good. I want to give them another chance and try something other than the brisket. Full disclosure, I had the brisket from Franklins barbecue in Austin, TX last fall so my standards are high for brisket. read more

They had us ramen burritos but not only were they terrible but the service was even worse. Walked in and waited by the front not wanting to seat ourselves even though there was no sign that said not to. A bartender/server waved at us to sit at a clean table (there were multiple dirty ones).We did. No one payed any attention to us or even brought us menus for about 15 min and then finally I went up to the bar to a server sitting and foldin napkins and talking to someone behind the bar. After saying excuse me a couple times they finally looked at me and I asked if someone could wait on us. The lady then asked me if someone had sat us. I told her someone behind the bar told us to sit. Again there was no sign saying "wait to be seated". Finally she gets up and brings us menus. Place was not big and there was maybe 3 tables sat inside and 2 outside. They knew we were there and/or just did not care. The server that took our order was clearly not in a good mood. Heard him say he wasnt supposed to even be working. Seemed fustrated, unhappy, and not friendly. Got our drinks and apps and then after waiting 30 min or more I had to flag him down to order the rest of our food. He gave me the hold on finger. At this point we had already been there like an hour an a half. Place was not busy. There was atleast 5 people we saw working and place was not even half full. We saw one couple leave because no one brought them menus or acknowledged them. One table left after getting their apps and waiting forever for someone to take the rest of their order. Our server spent most of his time chatting with the people at the bar mostly complaining about his day. It seemed very unorganized and no one was utilizing their time well. Place has potential but their food was bland and their service was the worst I have ever experienced. I work in the service industry and l understand that there are bad days but this was beyond a bad day. No sense of good custumer service or multi tasking or time management. I could say a lot more because there really were a lot of issues with this place. Hope they get it together and please add some some flavor to those ramen noodles. read more

It's lit and everyone is nice. Gotta love bingo nights, great time for the fam. Would definitely recommend. Good drinks too! Our server was very funny and quick. Had an awesome time. read more

Food was horrible. Brisket was all fat, no meat. Breaded cod tasted like it had gone bad. The salsa tastes like it came from a jar. Sushi bowl was completely inedible. horrible experience. read more

My husband and I love this place. He is a margarita aficionado and has declared the Mango margarita at Cantina 52 the best in McHenry county, and that is saying alot since he has tried just about every Margarita in the county. It is our every Thursday night place since we like to take advantage of the Happy Hour on Thursdays. We pair that with awesome tacos. I always have the spicy shrimp and they are simply wonderful. Just the right amount of shrimp and a touch of spice with the yummy sauce they put on them. My husband has the gringo and the brisket taco and raves about them every time. Since we are there every Thursday night, you can imagine that we love this place and it is a wonderful addition to the downtown Crystal Lake area. read more

The drinks (Margaritas and Old Fashioned) were fantastic. The tacos were yummy and unique. I will return.

Went in this past Tuesday for free Drag Queen Bingo, food and drinks with some co-workers. We had such a good time! I split the Margarita flight with a girlfriend and it was amazing!! We had our server pick their faves and none of them disappointed. My personal fave that I WILL be back for is the cucumber margarita. There was free chips and salsa on the table when we got there. That salsa was so damn good! I think some of the ingredients were fire roasted. Tasty!! For dinner we shared the tequila infused fondue. For dipping it came with pretzel bites, bagel chips, fresh red peppers, carrots and waffle fries. Waffle fries and pretzel bites were my favorite! Cheese was meaty and thick and delicious!! I do wish the cheese would have at an element that kept the cheese warm but it was still good. Now for drag bingo. Crystal Ball was amazing! So much fun! Lots of energy. Great atmosphere! We were all laughing and having a great time!! It did get pretty busy so the owner Jimmy was helping out. What a genuinely nice person. Made sure our table was never out of drinks and did it all with a smile. Overall sooooo good and we will definitely be back!! read more

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Tonight we tried the $22 margarita flight. The house margarita was weird. Tasted like they used seltzer water and soap. Other margaritas were heavy overly sweet syrup. Yuk! Drinks left a weird aftertaste. Nothing stood out. Chips and salsa were okay. Expensive menu but is it worth it? Don't think so. Don't believe we'll ever be back. read more

Cantina 52 - Margarita flight. - Dance Clubs Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

So we've been here twice, the food the first time around was very good, but the wait was forever - 45 minutes. The waiter was apologetic and came by several times to check on us. We looked forward to coming back and hoped it was just one of those nights.....same story 2nd time, loooooong wait for food ( ordered 4 tacos and queso ) and waiter barely checked on us because he was helping the bartender who was snacking, checking his phone and talking to customers. most of the hostesses were busy eating chips and talking near the back of the place. had to ask another waitress for our check as we sat there for 20 mins after we finished eating. this place seems to be run by kids with little experience running a restaurant. good place to go if you have 2 -3 hours! read more

A lot of people are complaining that it's not authentic but it's not supposed to be. We had the peach jalapeño guacamole, Texan brisket sliders, and Baja fish tacos with pineapple, jalapeño salsa. Also had a basil strawberry margarita. Everything was super good and the service was great. read more

Loved everything about our meal. Margaritas were excellent, food fabulous, server friendly and attentive.

We were super excited to have a new taco place in the area. If they were around longer this would be a one star review. The staff were great and tried really hard but the service was really bad. Waited a good 10 minutes for our drinks. Expected crafted margaritas. Tasted like the pre-mix chi-chi's mix. The tacos were sloppy. Tried 6 different kinds and all were just ok. The worst part is that the tortillas were stone cold and fell apart as soon as you touched it. I felt bad for cheating on el cochino.- never again! read more

Great place with a fun atmosphere. The tacos were ridiculously amazing. Love the Mexican infusion concept. Mayra who was bartending when I was there took care of me and his super friendly. See her when eating at the bar. Oh and I'm so in love with the Tequila selections they have. Check this place out!.... read more

Cantina 52 - Dance Clubs Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

Tried Cantina 52 for the first time tonight for drag bingo and taco Tuesday. The food was fabulous but more importantly the atmosphere was amazing. The entire space was filled with joy. I'd come back every Tuesday for Crystal Ball read more

I keep hearing great things about this place so I finally went and loved it! The owner was so kind and helpful. The drinks and food are amazing I highly recommend! read more

Cantina 52 - Wild berry margarita - Dance Clubs Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

A very unique & enjoyable restaurant, We ordered the quesadillas and they were fantastic. Cocktail were delicious & the staff was very friendly & welcoming. They had two drink menus and 3 food menus plus a long presentation helping you navigate the options & menus. I think they should bring down the options so there aren't a hundred choices to choose from & skip the long formal speech about the menus & drink options. They have some core foods that they do really well and other overpriced imaginative & overpriced creations that taste of regret. The ambiance is fantastic, the entertainment is amazingly spectacular, & the owner is friendly & greets all his customers with genuine charisma & charm. Finally I think that the lights needs to be turned off when the show begins to avoid the ambiance from being spoiled by the interrogation lighting. I will return to the Cantina52 because it has far more value, culture, ambiance, character, warm hospitality & potential than any other restaurant for miles around. In conclusion Cantina52 might not be everyone's cup of tea & I completely get that, there are some that would be more comfortable at Chucky Cheese, McDonalds or Chick Fil A. It's a wonderful world with something for everyone! read more