I think of Cantina Barba as more of a bar, but it really is a restaurant. They serve food all day and are open late (2 am during the week, 3 am on Fridays and Saturdays). I've been a few times and honestly had no idea that they have burgers and wings. I also didn't realize that they serve breakfast tacos all day long! My friend and I like to come here before going to shows at White Oak Music Hall because we can get a quick bite to eat and a strong drink for a reasonable price. I've had the Al Pastor, Smoked Pork, and Chicken Tacos. I've enjoyed all of them, but I really enjoy the Al Pastor (the pineapple really elevates the flavor). The tacos are pretty filling. One is plenty if you're not that hungry. They have some really good margaritas too! I've had the Cadillac Margarita and Frozen House Margarita with Tajin. They're boozy and refreshing. They also have flavored margaritas like Spicy Cucumber, Watermelon, and Pineapple Hibiscus and the best part is that you get a choice of tequila or mezcal. If you're not in the mood for tequila or mezcal, they do have other cocktails that are vodka and rum based. They have minimal seating inside, but two patios with plenty of seating. One patio is covered, while the other is not. If you happen to be there after 7 pm on a Thurs, Fri, or Sat, go check out their Speakeasy (Mijo's Mezcal Bar). The one downside is the parking. Their parking lot is small and it is hit or miss with getting a spot. If the lot is full, there is free street parking in the neighborhood. This is a great spot on the Northside. The staff is friendly, the wait is never long, and the food and drinks are on point! read more

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Order at counter and enjoy a laid back vibe. Always great food. The burger is ranked as one of the best in Houston every year. Service is counter but friendly and prompt. I continue to go back for the great burger. read more

Cantina Barba - Inside. Order at counter and enjoy a laid back vibe. - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

I walked here for a quick bite to eat. No frills, neighborhood place with good food. Counter ordering with a good patio. Prices are reasonable and service was fast. They have a weekend brunch menu as well. read more

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What we ordered: Breakfast burrito barbacoa Carne asada burrito Michelada with Pacífico Margarita (hh so less than $10) 10/10 for everything. Great service too, an example being that we struggled turning on the outdoor heater and 2 servers spent almost 20 minutes trying to get it to work for us. Was futile but the effort did not go unnoticed!!! Affordable food that's great quality. Will totally be back!!! read more

I visited this taco spot right before an event and it was decent. It was a small taco shack with indoor and outdoor seating. The indoor seating was very tight and confined so we decided to sit outside on the patio. However, when you arrive, you place your order inside at the register and they will give you a number and your food will be delivered to you at your table. once we sat at our table, we did not wait long for our orders to come out. It took maybe 5 to 10 minutes for the food to come out. I was really surprised at how quick the food was prepared. I ordered the chicken quesadillas and fried plantains with a frozen watermelon margarita. The plantains I did not like I think it lacked a little sweetness, but it was decent. The chicken quesadilla was good. It was fresh. It was hot. I have no complaints about the chicken quesadilla and the frozen margarita was also good. It was strong. You didn't realize it was strong until it was done. Overall, this was a decent place to come for tacos to sit outside and to enjoy the weather. read more

Cantina Barba - Plantains - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

Right when we walked in it was very dark inside you could barely see tbh, there's only 1 table and 3 bars you can sit on limited space. We got 2 asada, 2 pastor, and 1 barbacoa taco but they got our order all wrong. Instead they gave us like 1 barbacoa taco, and the rest were asada with two having mango on them ... the meats were pretty dry with barely any seasoning on them. The tortilla was cold. The ranch water was okay nothing special and the pineapple hibiscus was very sugary and sweet did not taste good. For 5 tacos and 2 drinks it was almost $50 not worth the price AT ALL go to your local taco truck they have way better food for a fifth of the price would NOT recommend. read more

Cantina Barba - pineapple hibiscus cocktail and ranch water - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Open til 2am on a Sunday? Yes please. After a night out, this was THE nightcap. Lover of all things carbs and queso, this spot well...hit the spot. The parking was intimate, and the venue small, but it was nice to see they serve alcohol, and additionally offer all of the carbs you need to soak it up. Queso, 5/10, BUT 8/10 after a night out. Tacos? Well I'll take a street taco any day and these did the trick. Would I rate this spot differently if I came for lunch, completely sober midday? Maybe, but for now it's a pretty nice, chill, post outing meal! read more

Cantina Barba - Street tacos...at night - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

Well after seeing a few items on menu, i stopped to give this a try. I love Barbacoa.! However this is ok, just not overly flavorful. The queso- just needs some work. Again just melted cheese with not much flavor or anything. The chips were actually good, too bad the queso wasn't. However the worst tasting drink I was looking forward to trying. The Horchata tequila drink was awful. Didn't even taste like horchata. Not sure if the guy actually made this correctly but it wasn't good. Service was friendly and inside offered very little seating. I'm sure regulars like this place, for me it was good to stop, but nothing I ordered gives me the reason to go back. read more

As often as I'd visit the area, I overlooked stopping in to Cantina Barba and hate that I have been missing out on one of the best micheladas I've tasted, along with some delicious, well seasoned and packing flavor food all at budget friendly prices. Located on the corner of N. Main, across from O'Reilly's, the spot doesn't seem like a big deal, but it is. I thought it was only a bar but they offer some good food. The parking lot is small, so you can park along the street if you can find any. As you walk up, the building is small with limited seating inside, but plenty of seating outside. Walked in and capacity to sit inside is maybe 15-20 people. Simple set up walk up to register and order. They have specials on certain days, we went on a Monday and it was Birria Special. So we got that. After placing our order, we looked around to find a seat inside as outside it was cold and the heating lamps weren't on. In the time that we were waiting, a group of 10 bikers came in and placed their order. Ours didn't take but maybe 10-15 minutes to get. The Michelada with Pacifico - let me tell you, if I would've know they were that flavorful and just the right balance of spices and savory goodness, I would've been coming here long ago. The birria tacos with consume packed the right amount of flavor for both the tacos and consume (broth). Can't go wrong with that. A la carte we ordered the elotes and plantains... again all bursting with flavor. This will now be a regular rotation spot for me as my mouth is watering as I write this. Thinking of the miches and also to try, as I was told, their delicious burgers. read more

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Limited inside seating but we came during dinner time and there was a good amount. Lots of outdoor seating. Parking was available but also it could fill up fast. Ordered to go and food was delicious. The carne asada tacos were so good. Rice was tasty as well as the elote. Birria was delicious and so was the burrito. Will definitely back because the prices were right. Agua Fresca were on point too. Top notch service. read more

Cantina Barba - Birria tacos only on Mondays and Wednesdays - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

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We placed an order online and picked it up. I had the burger and carne asada. Both items had good flavor. I especially liked that it was not a grease fest. read more

Stopped here for a snack on the way to Austin. I had the carne asada & pollo taco . Both were good. I prefer flour tortillas they only serve corn. The pineapple hibiscus margarita on the rocks was really good. Ramiro the bartender was pretty cool. The outside of the restaurant has a rustic look. There's plenty of outdoor seating (too hot for me). read more

Cantina Barba - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

Late night eats definitely saved the night ! Service was great i love the atmosphere it's homey and chill great vibes to go on a date or hang out with friends and the food did not disappoint. read more

Cantina Barba - Elotes, beef fajita tacos, rice, beans - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

Awesome tacos. Awesome atmosphere. Awesome service. Let's say I liked the place, it happened to be a nice evening in Houston and the food was great. read more

Great spot Open late cold beer Fast service Only thing they needed is some more places to sit read more

Best tacos I've found on DoorDash in the heights so far just kind of pricey. Everything was so delicious tho. I got Al pastor and fajita beef and he got chicken. We also got salsa and the salsa was very good. read more

I visited here late one night after an Astros game. It wasn't super busy, maybe because it was a weeknight...and it was fairly hot outside even at 11pm. Thursdays are the first night the speakeasy is open, and to access it one must exit the door to the north patio, and there you will see a converted shipping container. Luckily, it has cold ac inside. The bad part is it had only about 5 seats at the small bar inside. I ate inside the regular ordering area by the window and ordered a double cheeseburger, subbing for Oaxaca cheese and added bacon. I also added a michelada. My buddy just has a couple of tacos. While he wasn't exactly thrilled with his tacos, I really liked the cheeseburger. The Oaxaca cheese really makes this burger something special and I can see why it was voted one of the hottest burgers in Houston for September 2024. read more

Cantina Barba - Michelada with dos equis. - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Stopped by for happy hour this evening along with tacos. I had the hibiscus aqua Fresca. I thought it was a bit tart. But overall better than some of the ones I've had lately. The service left a lot to be desired. It was counter service. The girl didn't seem overall excited to be there. The margaritas were good. Frozen for five dollars isn't bad. I liked the pastor with the pineapple pico on it. The fresh hot sauce had a nice amount of heat. Very enjoyable. The chips fresh. The queso lacked flavor. The barbacoa wasn't greasy which is refreshing. The beans didn't have much flavor. Overall I feel it was overall a hit or a miss. I feel I'm glad it was fairly dead evening when we first got there. read more

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Northside spot and on a list for Top 10 Burgers in Houston. Outdoor seating/patio much larger than rustic indoor so has that outdoor vibe going for it. Cocktail Bar known for their Mezcal selection. Ordered the Double Cheeseburger with Bacon/grilled onions. Juicy, a bit messy and tasty Burger. Top 10-yes! Carne Asada, Pollo and Barbacoa Tacos were simple and delicious. Loved the Elote-rich and creamy with Chipotle Mayo and Queso Fresco taking it over the top! Service was quick and friendly. As they've posted "Forget the Flowers, Bring the Tacos" & don't miss the Cantina Cheeseburger! read more

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It's in the Northside of town, there's a spacious patio, some indoor seating, a great happy hour menu and delicious food. It's counter service but the line moves quickly and the bartenders are experienced and keep the drinks flowing. I got a michelada, it was tangy and spicy just how I like it. We came for the burgers, I had a bite and it was juicy, hot, the patty had a good crust. Just delicious. You know it's good when a bag of burgers is one of the menu specials. I would like go return to try other drinks and menu options. Great spot for drinks and delicious bar food. read more

Cantina Barba - Michelada - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

Best cheeseburger in Houston! The wings are crispy and flavorful and the tacos 10/10. This place is an amazing gem and our go to. read more

Cantina Barba - Cheeseburger, fries, tacos - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This place is a hidden gem! We stopped by here after a long day. The food and drinks were fabulous. Great flavor, fast service and super nice people. It is a very small restaurant but I swear it is worth the trip. Thank you Cantina Barba! read more

This place is deceiving! Street tacos?! Negative! Nothing to do with a good street tacos. Flavorless meat, dry and simply bland. Ordered tacos al pastor and just were not it. Found the location as "top rated" but it just was not. Pretty disappointed in the food. read more

Cantina Barba - Tacco al pastor - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

Stopped by for a late night snack with a few friends. The staff was friendly and gave good suggestions. Food came out hot and quick. Loved the red salsa it was spicy and added the right amount of kick to my taco Watermelon margarita was refreshing. It was made with in-house Watermelon agua Fresca it was not too sweet, and the tajin was a nice addition Chicken taco 7/10 I added grilled onions, avocado, queso fresco Carne taco 9/10 added grilled onions, queso fresco Inside is a little small, but they do have patio seating and warmers. Overall, it hit the spot for a late night snack. I nerd to come back and try the birria. read more

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Just ordered from this restaurant on Uber Eats! Bad idea! While the tacos de asada were delicious! I paid $20 for two tacos! I was under the impression that I was getting more. If I patronize this place again, it will not be online. I will go inside. Two tacos anywhere should never cost $20! read more

Food on the limited menu was fantastic. The service is top notch. And it's has a divey ambiance. Limited indoor seating but plenty of outdoor/patio seating. read more

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Came here after a workout with a friend and was pleasantly surprised! She mentioned it was a taco shop and of course tacos are good but these were really good! I got the pork and the beef and the elotes. everything was so well seasoned and it was a decent size for the price. They had margarita specials on Wednesday but I didn't get one because I was trying to be good. Lol The establishment is a little small inside but they do have a patio outside that you utilize as well. read more

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This place is great. Started off as a food truck, moved to brick and mortar. Have grown and added a deck (and don't forget to hit up the mezcal bar speak easy in the shipping container) The food is very good. The burger is great (add grilled onions and jalapeños). The tacos solid. My favorite is the quesadilla- they use Oaxaca cheese but throw it on the grill until it's crispy... yummmmm then throw the tortilla on there an it's fantastic. Service is on par for the place. Order at the counter and they'll bring you your food. Nothing fancy. Ambiance is what you expect. Cool neons and classic taco stop decor. Really depends on the crowd that day but never have I complained about it. Always a good time. Also a perfect spot to wait out the Uber surge pricing after catching a show at White Oak Music Hall. read more

Cutest little speakeasy Mezcal place for fun food and beverages . Bartender is always cool and the food is always good. So it's a plus. Restrooms are cleaned often read more

I hesitate to write this because the lines are long enough...i love cantina barba so much. (If there is a line, they move it quickly) Cheeseburger add bacon & just get it like it is Fries are skinny/crispy/ shareable for 2 strong drinks- spicy mezcal margarita please ! Some people don't like the dark interior and minimal seating. I do -It's a vibe. It's great. And there is a huge outdoor seating area read more

I saw this place on Instagram and also while driving to a friends house and it looked cool so I finally went and the burger hands down was the best thing. We also got a quesadilla that was pretty good and I ordered a Margarita which wasn't the best but was strong. The place isn't big in the inside but lots of outdoor seating. They also have a good happy hour as well. If you want some happy hour drinks and good food to relax and chill on the patio check this place out. It's perfect for the spring/summer. read more

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It's a decent cantina. The food and drinks are alright. The service from the bartender is usually excellent.

Fantastic food and margaritas.. Service is excellent. The place is very small inside with a few seats at the bar but a bunch of covered outside seats. read more

This review is for Mijo Mezcal Bar! I got the horchata colada and was obsessed! Look at that presentation! Drinks are soo good, and I don't even like mezcal. The bar is super cute and tiny, very intimate. Love that the music is always the top reggaeton. Great little unique bar. read more

Cantina Barba - Horchata Colada - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

Came by after a concert at White Oak, ordered the quesadilla and taco, the flavor was good and the sauce was great, the tacos are slightly overpriced given the smaller size (mostly $4.5 and carne asada was $5). However, a nice place to hang out for some late night snack as they open till 2am and have plenty of seating inside and on the outside patio. read more

Cantina Barba - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place is counter service. You order, take your number and they drop off your food. They have great tacos and a good variety of beers and mix drinks. We had 4 tacos, a beer and a margarita and it was about $50... they have limited indoor seating and plenty of seating out on the patio. Super chill pace, very casual. Definitely recommend stopping in for a taco & drink read more

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Decided to try this place with a friend after leaving a concert. It was one of the few places I could find that was open late on a weekday. I ordered the plantains, a potato taco and a chicken taco. The chicken taco was the best thing I had, the meat was well seasoned. The potato taco was just okay. The plantains were disappointing, they came served covered in a cream sauce and cheese on top. I initially thought these would be served on the side. I didn't order a drink from the bar but I did order horchata and that was also disappointing. I have had much better from other places, this one tasted old and wasn't as rich in flavor as I've had before. The positive things about my experience are that the staff was nice and there was a small parking lot so I was able to park there but I'm not sure if you'd have the same luck on a weekend. read more

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Came here because Eater Houston has been touting the burger for a while. And it's... ok? B-tier smash burger, unobjectionable, entirely forgettable. Good price point, $7 for a quarter pound patty, another $3 for a second patty. Happy hour margs alright for $6. Queso was melted velveeta without any kick; tacos were mediocre; chips and guac ok, but wouldn't get them again. Cheap and open late as pluses, left without finishing any of our food because the place reeked of nauseating pot. You might like the place better than I did if you have a tighter budget and a tolerance for stink. Ambiance is a patio on a busy road just off 45. read more

I have driven by this restaurant so many times and finally swung in to give it a try! Amazing margaritas - we came on Wednesday during HH for $6 margs. The chips and queso were just okay - a little overpriced for what we got. We tried a variety of different tacos while we were there - barbacoa, Al pastor, papas con raJas, and carne asada. Al pastor is normally my favorite but the meat was super dry and tough. Maybe we just got a bad spot in the batch. The barbacoa was incredible though and will be coming back to have this again!! read more

Cantina Barba - Margherita, chips and queso, tacos - Tacos Near Me - Houston, Texas

Excellent cheese burger , quesadillas , and tacos (Al pastor & fajita are favorites) Fast service Good late nite ambiance read more