One of the best places to get a bite to eat on the island of Captiva- i've been coming here ever since my first visit in 2016 and now it's become one of my favorite spots whenever i'm in town. Some of my favorite dishes are their tamales which are very tender and delicious, their chicken burritos/entrees, and plantain. Definitely recommend. read more

Not as good as an authentic Mexican restaurant but not as bad/bland as an Americanized one. Worst of our order was the mixed drinks. Super weak. Weak to the point of it being safe to serve to children. Service was fine and the food came out hot. I honestly don't remember what I ordered but that could have been all the rum and xanax in my system. I think people are particularly hard on Captiva Cantina due to the weak drinks and exorbitant prices. So if you have to drink, and sometimes you have to, order a beer. If you're loaded with excess cash or needing a mexican fix while on vacation, like me, it's worth a look. read more

Cantina Captiva - Mother Schanie says, "Go with the flow" - Mexican Near Me - Captiva, Florida

Amazing. Never expected this quality in a resort/tourist setting. Garden Burrito best burrito I ever had, veggies cooked but crisp. Salad fresh, guacamole and hot sauce fresh made and delicious. read more

First of all, this place has a very eclectic feel to it. I like that! The food was delicious, from the chips and salsa, to the cheese dip, to the burritos and tacos. The margaritas are outstanding; order the pitcher, you'll want more! The servers are very efficient and welcoming. Will return every time I visit Captiva! read more

Food was awesome and the restaurant has a lot of character. There are dollar bills with writing on them all over the walls. It can get busy and crowded though. read more

Cantina Captiva - Mexican Near Me - Captiva, Florida

We are late 50s traveling with a small dog. They let our dog in in the colorful patio. YOLO! I'm shocked by reviews. It's a simple Mexican restaurant with a great menu! We were there twice in one week. Our waiter Daniel did interact. The nachos and salsa were great! So was my drink. It was March. Our food came out quickly. The folks at the next time were friendly! Nice portions. Delicious! Hit the spot! I loved the dollar bills decorating the place. Sorry to those who don't! I went in got some markers and stapled mine on an upper wall! YOLO! Lighten up folks! The bathroom was cool also! read more

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Watch your credit card statement after you eat here....they charged my credit card $120. I ordered a pitcher of margaritas and a taco dinner so I know that's not correct... read more

Stood outside 25 minutes with no acknowledgement of how long it would take for us to get a table and then they sat us at a table outside that had been open for 20 minutes. Took another 15 min for the server to bring us chips and salsa and then another 5 min before he took our order. Got our food 20 min later and then didn't see the server again until we were nearly done eating and had to ask for water a second time. Ten minutes after we finished eating we finally got up and went inside and asked for the check. Only consolation was the fajitas were fresh. Chips were chewy. Won't be back. read more

I've eaten here about 4-5 times and I'm generally a big fan but last time we went I would say it was okay. I got a side of queso and the cheese wasn't melted well and it was really chunky like cottage cheese. The salsa seemed a little spicier then normal which was fine for me but not for my fellow diners. We prefer to sit outside as the inside has a light musty odor, it might be just because I'm pregnant and have sensitive smell. Would eat here again but if it was another subpar experience maybe not. read more

If your are looking for a casual, fun, yummy dinner than Cantina Captiva is perfect......Walked over from south seas (there is a trolly that runs as well as having some parking) for an awesome scrumptious authentic Mexican meal. 4 dollar drafts, kids meal options, and really good good food! We were tickled to death with the experience. The self decorated dollars on the walls from thousands before us offered endless entertainment and kept the kids super busy while they prepared our contribution for the wall. We did the strip/steak fajitas which was the bomb but i would like to try just about everything else on the menu. Great affordable, quick, fun, dinner. read more

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We hit the cantina just before the dinner rush. On Captiva Island, the dinner rush is everyone else's early bird special.... JBear ordered queso for the table, 2 tamales as an appetizer and the most delicious margarita I've had in a long time. He also ordered his usual-a chimichanga with ground beef, wet with queso. The junior roommates had cokes, a quesadilla and a taco with rice and beans. I ordered the house special, fish tacos. The queso was a little bland, the pico de gallo was freshly made and had a fair amount of kick , the tamales were a winner. JBear said that his chimichanga was tasty. The fish tacos were flavorful, with a little kick! The rice and beans were well seasoned and perfect. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. The junior roommates left their ipads at the restaurant so we had to go back and get them and when I walked in, our server nodded at me, grabbed them from behind the bar and said, "I knew you'd be back". Next time we visit Sanibel, we'll definitely be back. read more

Mexican is my favorite cuisine. With that being said the pico was the best I've had in a long time. The margarita had little tequila in it but still good. We did not get any offer for extra chips and silverware was requested upon getting our food. The enchiladas were delicious and the best part of the meal was your traditional black beans with yellow rice. I highly recommend going earlier in the evening. We found the atmosphere kind of tricky. You need to be laid back to deal with the local clientele and their large families. Otherwise it is worth going to if you get a hankering for Mexican. read more

Ehhh. Mediocre. The chips and salsa/guacamole were pretty tasty. My food was pretty bland though and the margaritas tasted like someone mixed white wine, lime, and ice in a blender and tried to pass it off as a $9 marg. The inside was pretty grungy and bathrooms were not great. Redeeming qualities: no wait, nice patio, friendly waiter. read more

This was my family's favorite spot to eat while staying in the area. Food was delicious. Funny decor with dollar bills everywhere. Good options for vegetarians. read more

Fun environment. Wine was cold and Sangria had great flavor. The pork nachos had great flavor and we didn't leave anything behind.

I sat outside and enjoyed a delicious basket of chips and homemade salsa. I ordered their kabobs along with a lime margarita on the rocks. It was everything I had hoped for. The shrimp melted in my mouth as well as the beef and chicken. I have eaten here a few times and I have always had a great meal. O yes, the service also great as well. Exactly what I would have expected. they really made sure that you were comfortable and that everything was to your liking. read more

Cantina Captiva - Mexican Near Me - Captiva, Florida

We decided we wanted to try this place after overhearing a positive conversation about it earlier in the week. We drove over from Sanibel just to eat here. It was wonderful!! My husband had the steak and chicken fajitas and I had the lime shrimp fajitas. The veggies and shrimp were cooked to perfection! And the favor was delicious! We love Mexican food and eat it often. However when dining at Mexican restaurants away from home, you don't always know what to expect and sometimes leave a bit disappointed. But not this time! One of the best Mexican dinners we've ever had away from our favorite place at home. They were super busy when we got there but we were seated fairly quickly and our food was delivered quickly too. All of the wait staff were all moving super fast to accommodate their customers and they were definitely handling it. We'll be back when we're in the area, for sure! read more

Cantina Captiva - Mexican Near Me - Captiva, Florida

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We were not expecting to come here... Walking to the Bubble Room for appetizers, bubble bread and orange crunch cake.... Smelled this place, and we stopped in! Prompt, attentive service. Yummy queso and homemade salsa and a tasty enchilada plate. We'll be back if we crave some Mexican! read more

Cantina Captiva - Dollar bills lining the walls - Mexican Near Me - Captiva, Florida

Came to Captiva for vacation Fourth of July weekend. Made a reservation for a large group and when we showed up they said our table wouldn't be ready for another hour!! Was wayyyy too hot to stand outside and wait for an hour so we had to leave. The other time we ate here it was super awesome. Cool decor and a lot of fun. No AC so prepare to sweat but we still had an awesome time. Definitely a Captiva Island staple. read more

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Simply yummy! Our family had a variety of dishes. The salsa served with chips is amazing and spicy, it's a pico style. I had the shrimp lettuce wraps, great healthy no carb dish or as an appetizer. My husband had the surf and turf burrito he said it was good, he is a man of few words. My mother in law had the poblano chicken she said it was real good and had a little bit of heat. My grandma had the Navi's and they were nice enough to add shrimp even though that was not a meat option. My mom has the chicken enchiladas and the chicken was shredded and she said it was flavored nicely. All in all a great meal for lunch. They also have outdoor eating if you are still in your swimsuit. Maybe I will get drinks here one night. The rice side options include yellow rice. The cheese dip was good and kid friendly not spicy. read more

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After a beautiful day in Captiva with my wife, on our honeymoon, we were excited to give this spot a shot. We stopped in for lunch and were very much satisfied with the experience. The walls create a bit of reading material with the signed/artistic dollar bills. The fried white fish tacos and the nachos were fantastic. The margaritas tasted like margaritas and were refreshing. The one downside is the lemonade, which I would not recommend. Overall, I would recommend stopping in and having a drink. read more

Gotta be honest, i was expecting much more than we got. The guacamole tasted like it was right out of a jar, the sangria (red, ordered a pitcher), was mediocre at best. I got chicken fajitas, they were ok, nothing phenomenal, my boyfriend got the enchilada special (1 chicken, 1 steak and 1 shrimp) he said they were great. Our sides of yellow rice and black beans were straight out of a can. Portion sizes are great. But the taste leaves something to be desired. read more

We love eating at Cantina Captiva!! Vanessa was the most attentive and fabulous waitress! We have 2.5 YO twins and were able to sit outside to eat and she took great care of all of us! The margaritas are delicious and they will make them to go! I wouldn't recommend the fajitas but the fish tacos, shrimp tacos and cheese dip are amazing. This is the only restaurant we ate at twice during our week stay. Can't wait to come back!! read more

Stopped in for lunch at this little spot on captiva ! So glad we found it, added it to our local spots to visit when we are in town. The food was super fresh and the service was awesome . The Margaritas were a hit too, not too much mix and just enough tequilawe will be back every time we are in town! Keep up the good food read more

Fun laid back place! Food is excellent! Everyone can decorate a dollar and hang it on the wall! My family goes here every time we are visiting! Salsa is amazing. But, They don't have very many GF options and they are NOT knowledgeable about Gluten. Bring your own chips for the salsa. The place is very small and HOT, I don't think they have A/C and some of the wait staff can be down right cranky! With all that said we still love it! It's a Captiva must! read more

Good food I just had chips guacamole and salsa since I already had eaten, but the beans and rice and guesadilla(kids) where good. Just need music to keep people want to keep drinking read more

Cantina Captiva - Mexican Near Me - Captiva, Florida

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Quite possibly the best Mexican food I've ever had! We were seated immediately on the patio, and our server quickly brought us our drinks. The chips and salsa came after we ordered. The salsa was so fresh I think the chef may have picked the tomatoes after we ordered. And the spice on the salsa was perfect! I couldn't decide on an entree so I chose the Mexico City Enchiladas. The enchilada sauce was amazing, and each of the three meats was done well. Definitely worth the drive, no matter where you are on the island! read more

Great little Mexican restaurant! The salsa is more like a freshly made pico de gallo and delicious! I had the fish tacos which were very good and fresh tasting. Very good and fast service, our server was very nice. I'd make this a regular spot if I lived here! read more

Just stopped in for a quick bite. Friendly, efficient staff. Great food - Mexico City Tacos and Mexico City Enchiladas. We will definitely be back. read more

We almost didn't go here after reading the reviews. We center our vacations around food and restaurants. We took a chance and tried it out - We had so much fun here and the food was great . The severs were attentive and fun . Don't pass this restaurant up when you visit Captiva . read more

Cool Place, Food Was So-So! I don't want to say anything Bad, I guess if you are in the end of Captiva, you are limited!

The margaritas had no flavor. The shrimp in the Diablo was tough. The salad had Diablo sauce on it. Who wants spicy sauces on their salad? The service was great. read more

It's aight. Fish tacos where good. The classic beef burrito 13" (more like 7" lol) was ok nothing wow just ok. Ymmv

Cantina Captiva is a little, "hole in the wall" type restaurant. If you're expecting Doc Ford's culinary vignettes, you're at the wrong place. But, if you love real authentic Mexican no frills food, then this is your place. I've been eating there for 13 years - and yes, sometimes the manager is a little grumpy. I just pay a little love forward - I know I wouldn't put up with the abuse from customers. What to order? Well; shrimp taco's with extra queso - and we like catch of the day. I'll admit the Margaritas are punch bowl quality, but that just makes the whole ambience work. Besides, a smile and a polite request for a little extra Cuervo in your glass goes a long way at the Cantina Captiva read more

Everything was amazing! From the guacamole, to the queso, the chips and salsa, the tacos, and the strong homemade margaritas! The service from Aldo was second to none. He kept the chips and salsa full and added more tequila to the margs... Every aspect was outstanding! So impressed!!! read more

I'll let others criticize the food (for which much criticism is warranted) but let me just point out that this must be the only Mexican restaurant on the planet that does not have a single authentic tequila available. They carry only a single brand (which can not even be found with a google search) and it is a mixto (not 100% agave) with food coloring to provide it's gold hue. Pretty ridiculous. On behalf of all Captiva residents, may we just wish this place would die a quick death so we can get something decent to replace it. read more

Yummy margaritas Had the Mexico tacos love them all although the chicken was my favorite Love visiting while in Captiva Always a must go for my family read more

My husband and I tried this Mexican restaurant after hearing about it from people at our condo pool in Sanibel. We have now been there twice in 1 week. This might be our favorite Mexican restaurant that we have ever found. My husband lived in San Antonio and he thinks it's as good as any he ate in there. The guacamole is fabulous. I had steak fajitas both times. The steak was perfectly marinated and so tender. Lots of peppers and onions too. My husband had the steak tacos a and the steak enchiladas. He said they were outstanding too. This is our new favorite restaurant in the area. We have 2 more weeks here in paradise and we'll be back a few more times. Ole' read more

Yummy queso Blanco dip! We had fish tacos & enchiladas it was all great! Plus delicious beans & rice for sides! read more

Mediocre food, dumpy decor and AWFUL SERVICE. Had three servers during the course of our meal all of which were rude and uninterested in doing a good job. (The worst was some moron named Eric) We were never offered refills, asked how the food was or checked in on. Eric also had the nerve to add a 15% gratuity to our check... understandable for a party of 8 or more but not 5. Needless to say we didn't leave the tip. read more

Cantina Captiva - Mexican Near Me - Captiva, Florida