My family and I were on Captiva trying to go the the crab races (where the food is horrible, but the kids love the races). We couldn't get in and the wait at Mucky Duck and Bubble Room (equally average food but places one must go while on Captiva) were both 90 minutes. So, we randomly picked Captiva Cantina b/c it was the only place that had a parking spot. Were we lucky or what? We all loved our food. My wife got the chicken burrito - very happy, and I had the fish tacos - some of my very favorite. Their guacamole was solid. The margarita was not great, but my wife loved the frozen mango margarita. The service was very personable and accomodating. I really liked the guy waiting on us. We plan to go back next time we are there. read more

Is this place still in business. Based on my lousy dining experience after they had been open a few months, I would never return. Guess they sucker in visitors for one over priced, mediocre meal. Service was awful. Stay away!!! read more

Not only were the food and drink fantastic, but the people, especially Jose and Luis, were incredibly good and out of this world kind to us. 5/5 stars, definitely coming back for a second visit during our week vacation! read more

I saw the other reviews and was worried. They were wrong. We had good service and the food was way better than expected While it it is not the best Mexican I have ever had, it is of quality. Drinks were good but a bit expensive for a pitcher (no deal over individual drinks). Gotta like a Mexican place that has a Bob Marley picture on the wall and plays his music. While we did not have our kids, it would be a place I would being them. read more

My fiance and I went to the Cantina Captiva after watching the sunset on the beach. The place was a little hard to find. I passed it twice. Very small parking lot, maybe 7 or 8 spaces. Lucky for us the restaurant was less than half full of customers so parking wasn't difficult. We got there around 6:30pm on a Saturday in mid December. I was really really surprised at how slow their business was. As soon as we walked in, we weren't sure if it was "Wait to be seated" or "Seat yourself". There was a pile of menus, but no host. After waiting for a minute, I noticed a "Wait to be seated" sign facing the wall. It was an uncomfortable moment. So after a few minutes some guy came over. We asked if we could sit at one of the booths we could see, he said they weren't available. Really??? This is Saturday night and you have a closed section? He pointed to a table we could sit at and said he'd be over with menus in a minute. I later noticed there were other customers sitting at one of the booths. :( Reggae music playing in a Mexican restaurant is a little funny to think about it, but it works. I'd rather listen to chilling reggae rather than some hokey pokey cheesy Mexican music, which is what I would have expected. They let customers sign $1 bills and staple them to the walls. This is kind of interesting as you find yourself reading all the stupid things people have written. Overall, it makes the place look like they really don't care how their restaurant looks. Or it is supposed to embrace the "who-gives-a-shit attitude" of the beach lifestyle. We had the Cantina Queso Blanco Dip for appetizer. It came with a big bowl of chips and a bowl of salsa. It wasn't the best in the world, but it was good. I enjoyed it. The salsa was made fresh. You could really taste the cilantro. It had a little spice to it, which was a good thing. She had the Three Cheese Enchiladas. They were good. A lot better than my tacos. I ordered the Mexican City Tacos (one beef, one chicken, one pork). The pork one was really the best. The chicken had a seasoning on it that I was unfamiliar with. I wasn't really sure if I liked it or not. The taco shells were really light, which I liked. Both dishes were served with a very plain boring yellow rice and black beans, VERY disappointing. I was very grateful we had left over queso and salsa I used to give life to my tacos. When it came time for dessert, we were confused because the desserts didn't have any description. There was no way to tell what a "Chocolate Sombrero" was. We asked the waiter, and he honestly had never even heard of any of the items on the dessert menu (not a good sign! lol). After he went to ask someone else what they were, we ordered the Sopaipillas. It is kind of like fried dough that you would get a fair or circus. It was served with vanilla ice cream on the side. When it was served, my fiance noticed that it didn't have any honey on it (not how the waiter described it would come). He replied "...yea we ran out of honey, sorry". Now, I can understand running out of certain supplies, but honey doesn't expire. And it's not something you would use in large quantities. So, it's just laziness on their part for not having it. I would have expected him to tell us they ran out of honey before actually serving it to us. It had just cinnamon on it. Some powdered sugar would have been really really nice. It was a little difficult to eat without the sweetness of honey or powdered sugar. Overall, it was an okay experience. Certainly not the BEST Mexican food you can find, but it's probably the ONLY Mexican food you can find on the island. Yes, it is over-priced as is with any restaurant on the island. read more

Cantina Captiva - Logo - Mexican Near Me - Captiva, Florida

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Hands down, my BEST meal during my stay in Sanibel/Captiva. We drove past this little place on the way to the beach, I looked it up on Yelp, and decided we had to stop there. And the rest is history. Our server was adorable and super nice and accommodating. Gave us great recommendations regarding their margaritas. I enjoyed a frozen mango margarita, which was outstanding! Not too much alcohol, but that's okay, since I was driving. We got a big order of guacamole which was SO good. My mom and I split an order of steak fajitas - we got the single order, which was enough for two fajitas each. We had some leftover meat, peppers & onions when we were done, so I started making little "fajita nachos" with the leftover chips from the guac. Also ordered were the enchiladas, and some steak and chicken tacos. The ladies who ate those raved about them as well. Everything seemed fresh, food arrived quickly, and 4 of us ate and drank for around $20 a person. If you like mexican food, you must try this little place out! read more

Never yelped but compelled to. Sat down, no drink order for 20 minutes...finally get drinks and 4/8 were incorrect. Also ordered cheese dip for an appetizer, never came. Ordered food and waited 45 minutes...and of course they forgot mine. Everything we asked them was in one ear out the other - silverware request, waters, anything - we couldn't get. The absolute WORST service I've ever had. Not to mention once we finally were finished with this terrible place, we waited another 20 minutes for our check to come back! We will never be back and I hope anyone reading this never wastes their time at this dump. Total waste of time, and on top of that, very below average Americanized non authentic shit Mexican crap food. I'd have rather had chipotle, would've been much tastier and worth my time read more

Pleasant surprise! Very nice waiters, excellent food and very fast delivery. The dollars bills hanging around are from people that have came to eat that can leave their mark. They give you chips and salsa, but the salsa is pretty spicy. If you order nachos, they are huge. They understand good English and they have paper straws! Our waiter was Alado, he was great. Very kind, fast and funny. Beautiful outdoor seating with umbrella. Highly recommend. read more

Cantina Captiva - The dollar bills hanging on the walls - Mexican Near Me - Captiva, Florida

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Food poisoning! My wife and I split the chicken nachos, and became deathly ill for 48 hours. It completely ruined our vacation. Steer clear of this place! read more

Wished this place was better Table outside was sticky and had a big hair on it. Bad start Salsa guacamole and queso blanco dip were good The sangria was tasty except for the big dried something on the pitcher Ordered the mini burritos one steak one chicken Tasteless and the forgot the chicken in one. They did remove it from Bill Tamale was heavy and unseasoned Stay away better food a few steps away T read more

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By far one of the worst restaurant I've EVER ate at..The service was fast but the food was terrible.There was feces smeared all over the Men's bathroom, tables were dirty then the rag they cleaned up with was dirty.‍No silverware was given until 5 minuets after our food was out. Three things that we had ordered was told to us once the food arrived that they were out of them. Like really, wow...So three people in our party went without food then once they got theirs the rest of us were finished eating. They should have told us from the beginning..The food was expensive but yet tasted horrible. I love Mexican food but Taco Bell is better than that place. I wouldn't even give it a up but I couldn't post this review.... read more

Excellent Mexican food on the island. For us it's hard to mess up Mexican food but this was a good place. Friendly people, good service and good food! Love the place also because you can place your dollar bill on the wall with where you are from. Visited back in July 2018. read more

Cantina Captiva - Mexican Near Me - Captiva, Florida

I was in captiva for a week and tried a different restaurant every night. The cantina was recommended by someone who reported that it was recently under new management (the owners of Sunshine Cafe, which is one door down), who were rehabilitating the food and reputation. I was not disappointed. The house made salsa was spicy and fresh. And the chicken fajitas were exactly what you'd expect from any solid East Coast Tex-Mex staple. The servers and bartenders were very accommodating, making me a chavela off-menu. Be advised that the house margaritas are about 75% tequila, with a splash of margarita mix on top. Is that a pro or a con? You decide. The dining room is small, so timing is key if you want to sit inside. They also have picnic tables with full service outside. The vibe is "weathered Florida beachside", with the main decor element coming from dollar bills stapled to every available surface, inside and out. It's worth looking past the older reviews and giving this place a shot: the food deserves it. read more

I absolutely love love love this place...so much so that I've been going there since 2013. I live 2 1/2 hours from Captiva Island and since the pandemic has started I have not gone. Today I called to see if they were open and if they offered inside dining and the gentleman that answered the phone said yes. I then asked if they were open tomorrow since I am making a 2 1/2 hour drive (I just wanted to make sure that they were open on Sundays) and he said yes we're open seven days a week. I said thank you so much....have a beautiful day and he just hung up on me. A simple you too would've been nice. It's not gonna stop me from going there because I love the food so much but I was just a little disappointed with him hanging up on me. read more

One of the few mexican places on Sanibel and Captiva. We ate in the open air outside patio, which I thought was lovely enough to persevere thru some passing sprinkles. The inside looked sort of dark and dingy to me - but maybe being on vacation and wanting to be in the sunshine made it less appealing than usual. They let you decorate and hang dollar bills everywhere which gives it a fun look and kids love it. As for the food, I liked the chips and salsa a lot - very fresh and spicy. I had the tamales, which were good but different than I'm used to - huge and wrapped in banana leaves instead of corn husks. Big chunks of pulled chicken inside with an interesting, almost mole-like sauce. The rice and beans was delicious - my toddler made an entire meal of them, sharing some from each of the adult's meals. Others in my party enjoyed the shrimp enchiladas and shrimp fajitas. The house margarita got a just OK review from my husband - but I enjoyed my draft dos equis! My four year old had a bean and cheese burrito which was just the right size (initially declared to be too small, but then barely able to finish) and came with the choice of applesauce, fries or beans/rice. I'd definitely recommend this place if you are in the mood for mexican on the islands. Check out the various coupon books around the shops - I scored a 10% off coupon which helps offset the island pricing :) read more

We went here while honeymooning on the island. We went before the dinner rush, or so we thought. There was absolutely no parking. Maybe we missed where their parking lot is? Only a few spaces for a restaurant and not to mention, people were parking horribly and taking up more than one space. But, to each their own, I guess. We walked in and stood there, alone for 15 minutes while the waiters just walked around and ignored us. Finally, a guy came to us, shuffled menus at us and we told him, we'd like to sit outside. He said for us to go find a seat and he'd come find us. We waited for another 15 minutes before he even came outside. Workers were coming out for a smoke break and yet, we couldn't get waited on. Eventually, he came out. He was extremely stressed out and flustered. We decided on the chicken nachos and decided to place our order immediately for fear of being there forever! The nachos were very good. The chicken was just how I like it - shredded! That made me happy! They were really good. My husband got the steak and shrimp burrito made into a chimichanga. He said it wasn't the best he's ever had but, it was good. I got the carnitas enchiladas. They were very good. The carnitas were so juicy and tender! I got a piece of key lime pie to go. Definitely not homemade nor the best I have ever had. But, it wasn't horrible. The 3 stars are for the horrible service we received. The food was good but the wait staff needs to work on their stuff. We'd give it another try though. read more

Mexican food is sort of my thing. I eat it, I cook it, I grew up around tamale pots and enchilada pans. So I consider myself to be a good judge of both flavor and authenticity and I was more than satisfied with Captiva Cantina. With a more yucatan, island influence, it's definitely not the street tacos I grew up on in LA, but make no mistake, this place is good stuff. The tamales come served in banana leaves as opposed to the corn husks so many land dwelling Mexicans have come accustomed to. The beans and rice are far from bland and the margaritas are pretty damn good (wine strength only, so order a double). Definitely on our Captiva culinary map for the future. read more

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Food fantastic. In Mexico a ton and thought this was amazing, not greasy, etc. Server was wonderful too. Only downside is margaritas - they do not have a 'full' liquor license so it's wine based. At $30 for a pitcher- they should tell you ahead of time that it's not real liquor (not tequila). Would go back every trip but will stick to a beer. read more

Cantina Captiva has the best (and only) Mexican food on Captiva. I always get their burrito, guacamole and a Mexican beer when I'm here to have an authentic experience. Their salsa and chips are home made and quite delicious. I am deducting one star because as other reviewers have suggested, this place can get *crazy* busy and the staff may forget about you. But, it's still worth the trip. Tip: Try to go on a weeknight outside of peak dinner hours (before 5pm or after 7pm. You'll probably get better service and be seated more quickly. read more

Pros: Love their salsa and their sangria. The rest of their food is comparable to a bad overpriced Chipotles Cons: Last visit the water was undrinkable. That's right.... the water! Service was horrible - Thursday night and they were missing a busboy and a hostess. Even for island service it was bad. I complained about it so they charged me an automatic 18% gratuity LOL Final verdict: Sit at the bar and order chips and salsa there. Would give 3 stars if sitting at bar read more

COVID safe, friendly waiters, and amazing food. Loved the homemade guac! The food cane out fast and we all liked our meals. I would definitely go back! read more

Wow! Not sure why anyone would give the food a bad review- if you don't want boring food, don't order boring entrées! Guacamole was absolutely as good as mine, salsa was fresh, homemade, & too spicy for me :). My husband's shrimp wraps were "fresh, crisp, & delicious" (his words). Tamales were also homemade and outstanding! My soft pork tacos were boring- but I'm a Southern Lady, not a gringa, and I'm rarely adventurous when ordering Mexican food :) Pricey? A bit. Stuffed? Yes - won't eat for a week! Tons of food, great service! We'll be back! read more

Omigosh! What fresh deliciousness. !! Upon arrival, the unique charm of this place makes you almost wonder if you stumbled into the wrong place... however once you try their homemade guacamole and chips, you KNOW you made the correct choice to stop in for delicious Mexican food! I LOVE fresh Guacamole, there's was so good, I just had to buy more to bring home. I loved the lime chicken! read more

I am writing this review from my toilet - which is where I've spent most of my time since eating at Cantina Captiva. Im afraid to say that this was not good at all!! The complimentary chips with salsa were so stale we could hardly chew them. My wife's sangria tasted like water with a faint taste of some sort of fruit juice - possibly grape. I had the surf and turf burrito - which is a "house specialty". It was filled with over-cooked rice that was mushy when you ate it and hardly any meat at all. I think I counted one half of a shrimp total and the small amount of beef was grizzly and hard to chew. My wife ordered the red-fish tacos. The first order was grilled - which she returned because they were so fishy she was afraid the meat was bad. The second order was fried and those didn't smell any better. I did eat a couple of pieces of the fried fish to see if they were bad - and I'm assuming they were reason I've been on the shitter all night. My favorite part of the night was watching the waitress poke through my half-eaten plate to find food she could feed the bunny that was hopping around the patio. The server was outstanding. A really nice guy who wanted everything to be perfect. Unfortunately, for him (and us) he's got a very tough job given Cantina's very low standards. read more

Had a party of 6 and all was very good. We were served chips and salsa (also very good) right away. Server refliled chips promptly (as they go quickly with a party of 6). Dishes included tamales, burritos, fajitas with carnitas meat, and tacos. Burritos were served in a variety of ways, chicken with no toppings, chicken with queso & sauce, beef, etc. All tasted great. The carnitas were tender, no fat, and flavorful. Dining room is small but worth a wait. We've been to Captiva many times but this was our first time at Cantina Captiva. It won't be our last. read more

We stopped in to get a snack to hold us over till we got home and were delighted with the thin tortilla chips and homemade salsa. Our server had a contagious positive vibe. The atmosphere may not be for all since it feels a bit rustic, kinda like being in Mexico. We will go back! read more

We were there for lunch. Great chips and very fresh, home made salsa. Service was very good, Jose was awesome as our waiter. Food came out very fast. We had the Mexican tacos, and fajitas, very good. read more

Located on Captiva, this Mexican bistro can boast a beautiful setting and eclectic interior. They have good chips and salsa and very good chicken fajitas. Unfortunately, they only give you 3 flour tortillas. If you ask for more, they will charge you. Our waiter didn't even act friendly. One problem with being the only Mexican Restaurant on the island is they act like it. They'd have gotten better marks with a better attitude. read more

The food was good, but wasn't outstanding... My enchiladas decent, the kids nachos were good, and wife's cheese quesadillas were outstanding! The service was poor, the waiter checked on us one time during our lunch. The air conditioner did not work so it was almost as hot inside the building as it was outside the building!!! Which is hot in Florida during the summer time! read more

Really good authentic Mexican food! Good service and very friendly staff! Would definitely recommend eating at Catina Captiva!

Really use to enjoy this place. We used to go there and also takeout all the time. For the past two years we've visited Captiva, we've tried calling to order takeout but no one ever answered the phone. Recently, we called three times in a 30 minute period before the phone was seemingly disconnected. I thought maybe they were super busy last year when this happened, but to be happening again this year tells a different story. read more

Super fun place. The food was very good, and the portions were quite nice. We sat outside with our three young children and the atmosphere was very relaxed and refreshing. Staff was super nice and welcoming. read more

I don't understand why people that don't like other people work in server/host positions,male server at this restaurant had no personality whatsoever actually came off as rude and to top it all off food and drink were just ok at best.Female server very friendly but will not return. read more

Cantina Captiva saved our visit to Sanibel/Captiva. We arrived out on the island hungry and had a truly comical struggle finding somewhere open and serving. Service was basic, but quick and friendly, food was delicious and reasonably priced (hard to find out there, captive audience and all). Shared a quesadilla and shrimp tacos, all the sauces were delicious, chips were great. Parking was a challenge, but that's hardly unusual for the area. Would eat there again. read more

Decent place for some Mexican food and drinks. We started out with some Margaritas and lemonade. The drinks came out fast. Then the waiter brought out homemade salsa and chips. Then we ordered the guacamole (very good) After that we ordered our Entrees. I had the shrimp tacos at the table we also had the fajitas for two, beef tacos, fish tacos and nachos. Everyone enjoyed their food. The amount of food was well worth the price. We did not wait long for our food and our waiter was great. We did leave our dollar behind. read more

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Great service, food came quickly. Delicious fresh salsa. Fajitas and tacos were great! Only bummer was Tamales were not avail.

Fun place with great food. We were on Sanibel for a long family weekend with teenagers and really enjoyed Cantina Captiva. The walls are decorated with dollar bills from all over world...Everyone is welcome to add to the decorations. Open air patio is nice on warm nights as well. We'll be back! read more

Cantina Captiva - Shrimp were outstanding and spicy! - Mexican Near Me - Captiva, Florida

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Wasn't expecting to be blown away, but really one of the best casual meals I've had in Captiva. I had the steak tacos and my friends had everything else. Nobody was disappointed!!! The shrimp al mojo de ajo was the best!! read more

Cantina Captiva - If I had a dollar for every time.... - Mexican Near Me - Captiva, Florida

I don't write a lot of reviews, so a place has to be either top-notch or bottom of the barrel for me to do so. All I can say is, Captiva Cantina has THE WORST service I have ever experienced. The was no host/hostess to take your name or seat you. You basically had to just sit whenever somenone go up. Took 15 minutes to get our table bussed. Took exactly 48 minutes from the time we ordered until our food arrived. Not once did our server check on us. I asked if they were short-staffed, and he said it is just a busy time of year. Bottom line: STAY AWAY! read more

Should be 3.5. We stayed next door at the rainbow's end house. We decided to eat here and was very surprised. The outside doesn't look like much. You cant see the outdoor seating really and the inside looks old and dingy. We took ours Togo because were next door. Food was good. I had fajitas. Good but only 3 flour tortillas, I guess I needed to cut back in carbs anyway. The rest had burritos and tacos. We got salsa and guacamole and it was fresh and really really good. If your looking just for a snack it's worth just getting that. Portions were good for the money and it was avg $10 per person. They gave use a huge bag of chips we snacked on for days. All in all very good. Lack of 4 or 5 stars due to lack of cleanliness. At my place I know we spend a lot of labor dollars and money on ridiculous restaurant grade cleaning solutions and tools but you have to do it. It's an expense you calculate in and something you just have to get right all the time or it drives people away. Hire a service or go in early... I noticed (since I was next door) that one guy got there at 10am when they open at 11:30am. He liked to sing rodeo Mexican music.... Same song about the same time every morning for 10 days straight. 1 hour in the morn and again at night it not much and if its everyday will suffice. read more