beware, they charge extra $1.50 for sauce. its the most American-Mexican I ever seen. its an upscale Chipotle basically. read more

Cantina 76 - $1.50 extra for that much sauce!!! the fish tacos are just plain, are they saving $$ on tomatoes and lettuce? - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Sawyer and Jim, world renowned foodies traveled many miles to dine here. Fantastic tacos!! read more

Cantina 76 - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I'm a Mexican food fanatic. This place had a 40min wait on a Friday night so I figured it's gotta be good. I saw they had queso on menu so i asked if it was white or yellow. White I was informed. Phew...bc we allll know yellow means velveeta. No thanks. It arrives and well, I've gotta ask...is velveeta making a white cheese block now bc that's what it tasted like!!! Yecccch! Huge bummer!! I also ordered two tacos--bbq pork and jalapeño shrimp. Both nothing to write about. :-/ Bland, nothing special. Disappointing!! What did the restaurant do well? Super fast service (I think all my food took maybe three minutes to arrive after I ordered it) and friendly wait staff. Oh and their chips were solid! Mmm! Hope this helps you make the right choice! read more

Easily the worst Mexican I've ever had. I ordered cheese and chicken enchiladas, which came out cold - the cheese enchiladas literally were unmelted grated cheese wrapped in a cold tortilla. The queso and verde sauce was congealed. It was almost as if they served me a plate that someone stuck in the refrigerator the day beforehand. My partner's meal was much the same. The fish in his fish tacos was cold. We took two bites and went to leave. Our server brought out a manager who, rather than apologize for serving us unacceptable food, proceeded to point out their "best Mexican food" awards on the wall and complain to us that we were being rude. If anyone suggests eating here, my recommendation would be to run in the other direction. read more

Biting into a Cantina76 taco is like holding your firstborn child for the first time. It's like seeing a rainbow after a thunderstorm. It's like coming home to a bouquet of flowers. Biting into a Cantina76 taco is like eating what happiness tastes like. 10/10 would eat 100x again. read more

I'm super glad I ate here. My fiancé and I came here on a whim. It was a lovely day outside and we decided to sit outside. We started off with the dirty Queso and they allowed us to make it vegetarian. I got the verdes enchiladas with a side of rice and my fiancé got the chicken tacos. Food did not disappoint and we will be back. read more

Vibes here are cool and uptown feel! Tacos are at a relatively good price, not too expensive. Most are $3/taco. Fried chicken taco is the bomb! As well as their fish tacos read more

Restaurant is small and service is so so, but the food is great! If you've never had the Baja fish tacos (they are only on special), then you're missing out!!! Stay away from the shrimp tacos as they hardly fill them. read more

Cantina 76 - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Not impressed. I'm from Houston and have eaten at many Mexican places and I will not come back here again. Maybe good Mexican food is not a thing in Columbia. The tacos were very Americanized but not in a good way. BBQ brisket tacos were super sweet and the chicken in the other taco I ate was dry. We had 2 different types of margaritas and they were both too sweet or sour. I gave my feedback on the tacos to the server, (which I could only manage eat a bite of each because they were disappointing to me) and the server didn't even offer to comp them. I'm surprised by the high rankings this place had, and chose to eat here based on the reviews. Won't be recommending this place to my friends. read more

Visited Columbia today and stopped into Cantina 76 for lunch. The restaurant was pretty spacious, and there were plenty of seats available inside and outside. I had to fish tacos, one fish taco and one shrimp taco. Both tacos tasted really good, and the shrimp and fish were seasoned well. They didn't use too much breading on the fried fish or shrimp, and the sauce on both tacos was really good. The price of the food was very affordable and I didn't have any drinks but those seem to be pretty affordable as well. The only drawback was the service wasn't that great. It wasn't really busy when we got there, but it still took a long time for the orders to be placed. read more

Cantina 76 - Fish and Peruvian shrimp taco - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

The only reason I've ever come to this restaurant is because my friends have dragged me to it against my will. If you enjoy stomach aches, over priced food, and small talk with your waiter you'll love this place! Not to mention the basic menu items. read more

This was cute little place in town. The tacos were okay. Our waiter sat her boyfriend or guy friend at our table and really completely ignored us until he left. I thought it was hilarious, but she seemed to be comfortable doing it, so we just ate and didn't make any complaints. The margaritas were good and affordable, but I probably wouldn't visit there again. read more

Very pleased with this restaurant and the options they have to choose from! Recently moving to Columbia, I didn't know many restaurants that were tasty or that I really needed to try. A friend recommended Cantina 76, and I have been back multiple times since. Working close by, I even got it take out from for lunch the other day. Sometimes take out is not as good as eating in the restaurant, but that was not the case here, it was just as good! Take out is also super quick too, so that's always a plus. I suggest the quesadilla, guacamole and cheese dip, but everything is good here. read more

I had these tacos yesterday and I cannot stop thinking about them. I walked in starving and needed to make a to go order. I sat at the bar and asked for a menu. The bartender barely gave me a chance to look at it when she asked if I was ready to order. I told her I had never been in and needed a minute. Less than a minute later, she's back again. Feeling pressured, I just ordered some tacos and enchiladas. I had to yell across the bar at her to make sure I got corn tortillas (she failed to ask). Other than the slightly rude bartender, the food was AWESOME! Shrimp jalepeno tacos were BOMB!!! I'll most definitely be going here again. Taco Tuesday, here I come :) read more

Must try the strawberry/basil margarita! Unique soft tacos with combinations you would never expect. Absolutely fabulous! Please save the reg tacos for the kids & try some of their specialties. Expensive but worth it! read more

When we arrived at this location it was lunch time so I knew it would be pretty busy. However it was just a 15 minute wait before we were seated. The resturant was loud and small but clean and modern. We started out with the dirty queso and it was awesome. Next I got the fried chicken and peruvian tacos. Both were awesome and I would definitely get them again! read more

Cantina 76 - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Good tacos and drinks, had the buffalo chicken taco, jalapeno shrimp and Peruvian shrimp which i must say is excellent. I also had a jalapeno margarita and that was very good, overall it's a very nice restaurant and comfortable atmosphere. read more

I visited some family from out of town and they took me here with rave reviews. Overall, I enjoyed the food! I ordered the chimichanga with Mexican rice (SO GOOD); the crispy outside was amazing. I literally could have eaten it by itself with the queso. I'm not a huge fan of pico de gallo, so I didn't even try it. My cousin's ordered an assortment of tacos, as well as a the taco salad, and they both said their food was great. The only thing keeping me from giving this place 5 stars is the service; our waitress was super nice and she had a great personality, but finding her was such a hassle! I'll be back in South Carolina around Christmas and I'll likely come back! read more

Great drink specials & lots of terrific food at Cantina 76. Love the ambiance. It was a little loud with a large college crowd visiting this spot, but once you're there, you'll understand why. Their food was probably the best in the immediate area, as I made several trips returning for more! The long bar made it easy to quickly order up drinks on your own. Their outside seating provided us with comfortable seating (mainly to people watch....lol). The waitress and I shared stories with one another since we were similar in race and background and talked for a while. Really enjoyed the visit here. read more

Poor quality food. Hard to believe you can mess up something as simple as ground beef, lettuce and a tortilla, but they did.

Love coming in and sitting at the bar, always excellent drinks, food and atmosphere! Waitstaff is super friendly and we are definitely frequent customers! Definitely our goto lunch and weekend place read more

Just not that impressed. Food portions were small for the price and the service was mediocre at best.

i've been coming here for a few years now and although it gets the job done, i've never gotten great service here. from the time you walk in you're greeted with awful energy. I am not saying that downtown should not hire younger people, but i definitely feel as though they should be more conscious with those who they hire! read more

All of their tacos were straight bangarang, especially the Peruvian shrimp style. Still dreaming about it a week later. Service was quick and friendly, if a bit impersonal. No big deal. I do appreciate that they weren't mask Nazis when we walked in sans those damned face coverings. Only reason why I knocked off a star was the highly disappointing fried ice cream dessert. I've had this dish many times, and unfortunately the crust on this one was weirdly gummy and grainy, without much flavor. But who cares. You go to a taco dive for tacos, and they nail it here. Highly recommended! read more

Not bad...not great. Overall my experience was good. The service was friendly and our waitress was good. The restaurant decor and atmosphere was a little dull and dark. Not really lit right. Prices I have to say were about average with other places on Main. My kids had quesadillas, which were made fresh and the cheese was really good. I had fish tacos and the fry was fresh on them as well. My wife's soup however was way way to spicy. You can tell that the restaurant used good products and had a good menu, but it is loosing its touch and prep quality. If I'm ever in Columbia again I don't think it'll be my first choice on main st. Tip: if the weather is nice and you just feel like having some drinks, definitely take advantage of the outdoor seating. The inside is kind of cramped and very noisy. read more

Would have loved to try this place but they were not prepared for the teacher rally on May 1st (like many of the other restaurants downtown). Was told there would be an hour wait after we sat at a table outside for 15 minutes without a server in sight. Finally one came out and she told us we had to get up since we didn't see a hostess first. How about putting a sign up saying please see hostess before being seated? This does not sit well with people who have been standing in the hot sun for hours! Very unprofessional and unprepared establishment. read more

Great atmosphere, fast service, phenomenal prices, quality food! The Dirty Queso was delicious!!!

I was not as impressed by this place as I thought I would be based on the other reviews. I had a house margarita on the rocks which was definitely good. The tres hombres sampler comes with queso, salsa, and guac. The queso and salsa were great, but the guac was pretty bad, didn't end up eating it. It was missing some acid maybe. As for tacos I tried the veggie one which okay and then the special surf and turf which was pretty disappointing. It was just a little bit of chewy steak and two shrimps with some feta. I thought it would be more exciting because it's a neat concept for a taco. Maybe I just picked the wrong ones. read more

Cantina is one of my all time favorite restaurants. I probably eat there at least once a week to get my Mexican fix. In my opinion, a Mexican restaurant is only as good as their chips and salsa and Cantina's trio (salsa, guac, and queso) and chips are some of the best I've ever had. The Main Street location has awesome service and a good atmosphere, especially if you can sit outside. My special order: Fried Chicken Salad, but ask for the chicken to be seared instead of fried and for the cilantro lime vinaigrette instead of the ranch!! read more

I've stayed at nearby hotels quite a few times but only just now gave it a try. A coworker recommended that I pass and not bother with checking it out but my curiosity at the constantly packed joint got the better of me. The veggie taco was alright. But I could only handle a few bites of the BBQ taco. The sauce was way too sweet for my taste and the taco was thoroughly smothered & dripping with it. The dirty queso was interesting but I wouldn't order it again. It's not a bad place but I won't be going back - there are lots of amazing food options in the area to choose from. And the vibe is a little young for me, maybe if I was still in my twenties I wouldn't even notice. Every time I've walked by, it seems crowded with college kids; it was pretty rowdy inside. read more

Food was amazing. Found near our hotel. I had the chicken salad with lime vinaigrette. So light and filling. Literally ate the whole bowl with help from my husband. Husband had the tacos- shrimp special, teriyaki chicken, and fried chicken taco. He loved every bite. A must try. If we ever come back to Columbia, we will return. read more

A really really good, but not amazing spot for Mexican food. The atmosphere is casual and had the laid back cantina feel that is great for getting happy hour with friends. We started with chips and guacamole, which was great, but we make guacamole at home that I think tastes better. I got a cup of the chicken tortilla soup, and that was really good (perfect amount of spice and lots of chicken). We then ordered a variety of tacos. I tried the pesto chicken (my favorite, had great fresh flavors from the pico de Gallo and sautéed marinated chicken). I also tried the special turkey taco with fried turkey and a cranberry salsa. This taco was not that great (just had some fried turkey pieces and a cranberry salsa with too many cranberries, which made it overly sweet) all in all a let down. Last I tried the pulled pork tacos and that had a great bbq/ Mexican flavor with fresh pico and a kind of slaw. Also got a side of cold black bean salad, which was great and you could put it on your tacos. Overall a very solid place that I will go back to, but nothing that is stellar. read more

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Tried to have a date night with my wife. Went right to the server stand and asked if we could sit outside. 15 minutes went by and no one ever came out to greet us or help us. Went back to the stand where the hosts says, "oh, that's on me. I never told a server you were waiting". Had she not been standing there chatting with about 4 servers, she may have thought to ask ONE to serve us. And we're great tippers! They'll never know. read more

Great spot for lunch on a busy Saturday. The service was friendly and fast. We loved the menu selection and all our food came exactly as ordered and fast! Looking forward to a return visit next time we are in COLA. read more

I wanted to take my husband to Cantina 76 because he had never been and I know the food is really good. My husband and I walked into the restaurant at 7:35pm on Sunday 6/11/23. There was a sign on the door stating that the restaurant would close at 8pm for bar cleaning. I told my husband that it shouldn't be a problem because we were only getting a couple of tacos, which doesn't take them long to make. As we walked into the restaurant, the hostess looked at us and then walked away. We stood there for 3-4 minutes waiting on someone to acknowledge us. When she returned, she stared at me blankly. I asked for a seat and she continued to stare at me. I asked again and she said "we aren't seating anymore and our kitchen is closing in 5 minutes." At this point it was 7:42pm. I explained that we just wanted to get a couple tacos and she still refused to seat us. A young male walked up and offered for us to sit at the bar to order our tacos. If that was an option, then why was it not offered in the first place? The hostess was rude and disrespectful, did not show any empathy and acted like she didn't want to be there. My husband and I left without food. read more

Food is good. Take out service was lousy. Got half a mile away and looked at my order - part of it was missing. How do you forget the tacos? Anyway, I'm not going to run back to get them. Chalk this one up to check your order before leaving. The kitchen staff cannot be counted on to get it right. read more

We stopped in for lunch while in the area for work...Great customer service from our hostess to our waitress!!!! Minimal wait for us at peak lunch time...We tried 4 different tacos, a quesadilla and the guacamole...Everything was GREAT!!!! We made happy plates!!! Would definitely recommend and go back!!! read more

Three prefaces: 1. I have years of experience in the service industry; 2. I'm not a difficult customer; 3. I like Cantina 76. I have been to Cantina 76 (both locations) numerous times. I like the food and the drinks. But after my experience this weekend, I felt compelled to leave a review in case the owners read these. Sitting at the bar, with empty drinks and dirty plates, for long periods of time isn't cool (especially when the restaurant isn't packed). I wasn't in a rush, so no big deal except I witnessed the bartenders doing shots, waitresses drinking on the job, and the manager and kitchen staff getting drinks as well (all at the Main location). I'm not sure who's paying for those drinks (I hope it's not billed into the price of my meal), but it was really unprofessional to witness. Again, I've been in the service industry and I know the stresses of the job. But when the paying customer's drink is empty, and the staff is openly drinking instead, something's not right. Hope to see improvement, especially since a competitor's coming to the Vista. read more

Tacos were delicious! So glad we left the place down the street after waiting over an hour and still no food. Casamigo's food and service were exceptionally good. Our party of six sat at the bar and was quickly greeted by the bartender/waitress. We ordered fish tacos, Peruvian chicken tacos, loaded tots, and dirty quest. Yes, delicious and we were out of there in thirty minutes. The best! read more

Cantina 76 - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

4:30pm on a Saturday. Nice and slow. We sat outside where the atmosphere is nice - Main Street vibe 'n' all. The chairs are HORRIBLE, though. Hard metal that says, "Do not stay long." My wife and don't drink, because when we do the party comes to a grinding and tragic halt. The server was visibly disappointed by that - which is cool. I worked as a server for 10+ years and know what it means when a ticket doesn't have alcohol on it. Fortunate for her, I'm an awesome tipper. I like to blow minds and turn a day around with my tip. She was good. The order was correct, she was polite, drinks were always full. We started with Bean & Queso Dip. So far so good. Nothing bad to report here. It's hard to screw up Queso and they got it right. My wife is obsessed with the stuff and said she "could drink it". I think that's just about the highest accolade you could give a Queso. Chicken Chimichanga and Jalapeño Coleslaw for me, Traditional soft taco and Roasted Chicken Enchilada for my lady. NOTE: At that point we decided to move inside because of the flies. The joint should consider fans to repel these pesky dinner ruiners. So, yeah...my coleslaw was awesome. Unique, not super mayonnaise-y and flavorful. Chimichanga was on point. Hot, cheesy, satisfying, great presentation. The wife's was delicious, fresh, flavorful. Enchilada was definitely her favorite. Overall, a great experience. There's a reason this place survived in it's other location despite the establishments surrounding it constantly going under. Coming from an extensive restaurant background and have managed/owned several restaurants including a position as the Food and Beverage Director of Sheraton on Main Street, it's clear to me that management is on top of their game here. That's what really matters in any place. I'm giving it 5 stars, even though the chairs outside suck. read more