I had SUCH an amazing experience at Cantina Mexican in Ocala!! From the moment we walked in, the vibe was fun, welcoming, and super clean. The staff was beyond friendly and made us feel taken care of the entire time. The food... WOW. Everything came out fresh, hot, and full of flavor. You can tell they actually care about quality and presentation. The drinks were just as good!! perfectly made and strong enough to do their job Service was fast, attentive, and just genuinely kind, which is hard to find sometimes. You don't feel rushed, but you're never waiting on anything either. Honestly one of the best Mexican spots I've been to in the area. 10/10 recommend. I'll definitely be coming back!! read more

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Again, we have lived here in Ocala for almost 4 years and it took over 2 years to visit here. We have been here 3 times in the first year, twice for just drinks and once for dinner. We stopped in spontaneously for drinks due to walking around for an event downtown. It is usually really crowded every time we pass by but decided to finally make an attempt and sit at the bar. Our first two times we sat at the bar inside and the third time we were finally able to sit at the bar outside. All three times we were served by the same bartender. We recently stopped in for a drink on our way home and also sat at the bar, dealing with the same bartender. There was only 1 time visited where she was pleasant, friendly, and attentive. Our most recent visit, we stopped in an hour prior to closing just for a drink at the bar. We were met with "we are doing last call" instead of hello. Even my husband noticed and commented on it, which is rare for him. We only ate here once and the food was pretty good. I was skeptical because many reviews were not positive but I think that was due to the speed of service. Hubs and I have been wanting to visit for one of nights that have specials, like Taco Tuesday but many reviews talk about not being able to take full advantage of the specials. There is a Wine Wednesday special as well. Maybe next time we go, we will sit at a table for a different experience. read more

We saw a 'Tex-Mex' themed restaurant in downtown Ocala, FL, Cantina, and tried on Wednesday afternoon arriving at 3:45pm Upon entering we saw a sign posted that customers were free to seat themselves which we did. On the table were menus and we started looking the menu items over. At the time there were two other patrons, a mother & child. Once done we waited to be approached by any staff member. We waited 10 minutes so I went to the bar and asked someone behind the bar if anyone was working the dining area. After a surprised look I was told that someone would be with us. 'Brenda' came to the table with glasses & a carafe of ice water then left. She returned to take our order...I ordered the chimichanga & my wife a beef enchilada plate. It was another 8-10 minutes until we got a basket of corn chips & salsa - after I asked for one! When our meals arrived both looked good...however both were spectacularly underwhelming! While the flavor of the chimichanga was good due to the ranchero sauce & queso on top, the inside was composed of LOTS of rice, a few bell pepper slices & minimal pulled chicken breast. It was also nicely fried & crunchy. The side of black beans was simple - open can, drain juice & serve. No attempt to add any spice or flavor to them. My wife's four ground beef enchiladas had flavor only due to the same ranchero sauce & cheese as the ground beef was totally under-seasoned, if at all. Her side dish was refried beans - again out of a can to the bowl and top with some queso. All in all we could find no reason to rate the restaurant with anything positive. read more

Cantina - Flavorless enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

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I feel like I'm being very generous by giving 2 stars. We tried to like it...but after 2 times that's it. This place should be killing it given the location but OMG...this has got to be worse "Mexican food" we have ever tried. And again OMG...the house margarita is straight up sweet and sour mix. My husband ordered enchiladas and it looked like they dumped a whole can (because I know it wasn't fresh) of sauce over them...it was dripping off the plate. I ordered fajitas and I have NEVER seen fajitas come to a table with no sizzling...they didn't even have a smell. They had absolutely no flavor. I feel like this place has so much potential given the location but it clearly needs new management and definitely new cooks. We thought we would salvage the dining experience with a piece of chocolate cake to go...again OMG the tiniest sliver of cake for $10.00. There are too many great restaurants in Ocala to waste another penny on this place. read more

This was very good. I was in Ocala, with some friends and we have gift cards for Harry's Seafood, but when we got there, the line was out the door with an hour wait. Right across the street, is Cantina. We decided to give it a go. They have specials every night. We went on a Thursday, so the special was 3 tacos and a house margarita or Mexican beer for $15 dollars. It comes with unlimited chips and salsa also. They exclude a few taco types but almost all of them are included. I had the birria, shrimp and asada. Other people at our table had the ground beef and chicken ones also. They were all delicious. The house margarita was yummy and not watered down. Really hard to beat $15 for a meal and a drink. Also, our server was fantastic and highly attentive. When we were getting ready to leave, live entertainment was getting started. They had a wonderful performer singing Christmas music. The decor is modern, dimly lit with a wall of windows, looking out on the center of downtown Ocala. Bathrooms were clean and well stocked. My only minor complaint was that the bathroom was really dark, but still no real problem. I will definitely go back and check out some of the other specials. Honestly, I should have bought a gift card here instead of Harry's. The food was delicious and the restaurant wasn't nearly as loud and frenetic. read more

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My husband and I brought my 85yr old father for dinner early Saturday evening before Father's Day. Waited far too long after being seated for a server to appear. I did notice another staff member trying to get her attention and send her over. We were brought a carafe of water AFTER we ordered. They were OUT of ICED TEA. And AVOCADOS, so NO GUACAMOLE. At a Mexican restaurant. We had to ask for silverware and napkins after we were brought chips and salsa. We were told they were OUT! When we expressed our astonishment at their being out of silverware and napkins, she explained the setups weren't rolled up. We said we didn't care about the presentation, just needed utensils and napkins since there was food in front of us! My taco salad was just okay. Got the carne asada and it wasn't very flavorful. Dad enjoyed his pollo tacos. My husband's quesadilla barely had anything at all inside. They were kind enough to serve my Dad a complimentary piece of tres leche cake since it was also his birthday, but overall, the experience did not meet the minimum expectations. read more

My husband and I dined here on our way up to Gainesville for the weekend. Cantina is located in downtown Ocala near other shops and restaurants. The interior of the restaurant is adorable and has a great vibe. We enjoyed being able to sit outside as well. On Fridays, they run a special on fajitas. We both ordered the chicken and shrimp fajitas and they were to die for. Of course, the chips and salsa were great too. The service was just mediocre, as we didn't hear from our server our entire meal, but no worries. We would come back! read more

Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

This review is based off of three of us dropping in to get an appetizer and a couple cocktails on a Saturday afternoon after the market downtown. I noticed the reviews weren't that great. This place was very much dead, but the service was good. We sat at the bar inside that was facing the bar outside. I was definitely intrigued when I saw the endless mimosa sign.. because obviously that's what I ordered. I wasn't hungry so I just ordered the corn nuggets which were 10 out of 10. My friends shared a taco dish that had an egg on it. That looked pretty damn good. Neither one of us had any complaints. Looks like a fun atmosphere for a nighttime outing. Overall, I would come back. read more

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Hands down one of the best afternoons we've had in Ocala! We grabbed a table on the patio overlooking the Square on a perfect cool day, and everything was spot-on. Lauren was our server--super attentive, fun, and knew the menu inside out. She steered us toward the house margaritas, and wow, they're fresh, balanced, and dangerously drinkable. But the real star? The Cantina Bowl--out of this world! It was packed with flavor, fresh ingredients.. We will definitely be back! If you're in Ocala, this place is a must. Great vibes, killer drinks, and food that delivers. Lauren and the team made it unforgettable--see you soon! read more

Cantina - Cantina restaurant on the Square in Downtown Ocala! - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Too bad. Nice place. Nice location. Whatever you do, don't sit at the bar. Bartender started out ok but went downhill with her attitude fast. We asked for chips and salsa when we sat down...had to ask again after a 15 minute wait. I guess that's where we went wrong. Asked the bartender for more salsa and by her reaction you would think it was coming out of her paycheck. Did everything but stomp her feet while she was going to get the other little pathetic portion of salsa for us. . Had to interrupt the bartender to order food. " Oh are you ready?" No, we came here to sit and watch you make drink after drink right in front us and ignore us for another 15 minutes. Food was ok. Edible, but definitely had better. Fajitas are a joke. 1/4 cup of vegetables with them served on a luke warm iron skillet. Had to ask for silverware and then they brought one set for two people. LOL. Pathetic. The bartender must have had friends and family show up because all of a sudden she perked right up and stood at the end of the bar chatting with them. Never once asked us if we needed anything else or checked on us in any way. Had to interrupt her little visit to ask for our check. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place. It's a joke. read more

Cantina is next door to my hotel and I decided to give them another chance after a couple of years. I sat at the bar and the bartender Danielle was very friendly. I ordered the chicken and steak fajitas. My food came out pretty fast and was a huge serving. I wish it came with more than 3 tortillas for the amount of meat and veggies. I basically made my own fajita bowl after using the 3 tortillas. The food is ok but nothing memorable. They are a solid option when in downtown Ocala if you don't want to drive a few miles away. read more

Cantina - Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

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I don't even know where to begin with Cantina, but this was hands down one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. We came here to celebrate a birthday, and instead of a fun night out, we got stuck in what felt like a slow-motion disaster. It took over 40 minutes just to get drinks--not food... drinks. By the time they showed up, we had already debated leaving twice. Then the food finally came, and somehow it was even worse than the wait. Bland, cold, and completely underwhelming. This is supposed to be a Mexican restaurant, but nothing we got had any flavor, seasoning, or resemblance to authentic Mexican food. It tasted like everything was either rushed, microwaved, or just completely neglected. Service was nonexistent. No urgency, no communication, no effort to make up for the ridiculous wait times. It honestly felt like we were forgotten about most of the night. Ruined a birthday dinner, wasted our time, and left everyone at the table disappointed. And just when we thought it couldn't get any worse--when we finally received the bill, we were hit with a mandatory 25% gratuity. Charging that kind of tip for service like this is honestly unbelievable. If you're thinking about going here--don't. There are way too many better options in Ocala to risk a night like this. 1 star is generous. read more

We came to sit in the bar area on a Thursday night. We asked in advanced if it was okay to sit in the bar area at a table and then the hostess informed us that it was okay. A waitress came over to serve water and was polite. Then, a gentleman came over a few seconds later and told us that we need to leave, in a rude manner, because we were in an area that required reservations. Honestly, the disrespect without communicating with us was a shock; especially after we asked permission first. We didn't feel comfortable enough to order food after this, which is unfortunate, because we would have understood a reservation requirement. Another random guest at another table apologized to us but did no employee seemed to care. Unfortunately, we left before being able to try anything that we were excited about. read more

Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

My wife and I stopped in for a mid afternoon date. The atmosphere is trendy/modern Mexican. The food was good. We ordered guacamole (loaded) and ceviche. The guacamole was fresh, the chips look and taste store bought. The ceviche had good flavor. Heavily lemoned, but not much fish or seafood. I also had the red wine sangria. In short this is standard Americanized Mexican food. For less money you will eat much better Mexican food in Ocala. Don't get me started on the service. Our waiter Ruben disappeared on us several times and had to request things through the manager. Huge note: we walked in at 3:15 and were the only customers. So these issues were not due to a packed house! read more

Cantina - Ceviche - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

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The service was excellent. The atmosphere is welcoming. The food, sub-par. We ordered the fajita's. The vergetables were soggy and overcooked. The rice was ice cold. Also ordered plantanas, came out burnt. We ordered the Mexican corn, it was delicious. read more

This was the worst date night. The food was cold. The service was slow. It took 45 minutes for us to even order our tacos. Had the all you can eat and only ate 3 tacos before we gave up and left. read more

We ate/drank at Cantina TexMex in downtown Ocala Fl for dinner and suffered what we suspect was food poisoning the very next day as the symptoms were very similar to what we experienced a few years ago as food poisoning. In our opinion, the food was not authentic Mexican food and tasted a little weird so asked to see a manager and was told by employees that no manager or owner present on duty...not sure this was the truth. Was told there are new owners/managers which possibly could attribute to the downhill spiral in food quality??? We apparently suffered the consequences the following day so would not eat here again as there better tastier Mexican restaurants in the area. read more

My experience was okay. My shrimp was salty and my rice was overcooked but the beans were good. I also got chips and guacamole no flavor. I love me a good drink not gonna lie the drink was the best part of this restaurant.. MY BIGGEST PET PEEVE WAS THE GNATS FLYING AROUND... So means this place is not getting a good clean.. Well yup that's it. read more

Cantina - Grilled Shrimp Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

So, I came to cantina after I left billiards. I sat at their bar which opens to the outside. They have new owners now, who are superior to whoever owned them before. Their chips and salsa slap. Their tacos are better than other places. They have very cold Michelob ultras. They have a big inside area and had live music playing. Everyone was happy and friendly. I'll come back to cantina all the time. Also, their waters are tasty. read more

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I've been here once, good food. However, I tried to go tonight and was told that the wait would be ten minutes. I waited more than ten minutes, and when I checked on the status of my wait, I was told that I would now have to wait an hour because "people were seating themselves". Actually unbelievable. Maybe tell the people seating themselves that there is a wait? Anyway, I wont be back. However, the hostess was incredibly sweet. read more

The Cantina is located in an old bank building on the Ocala Square in downtown Ocala. Nice little Mexican restaurant great atmosphere the fault is still there. They use it as an event space but if you ask, they will take you in it and you can check it out drinks or price reasonably well And the food is very good. The only problem I had with the food is that they cooked the salmon with the muscles, and some of the shells broke off into dozens of pieces on top of the salmon in the sauce so as a former cook, I would say don't cook the shellfish with the other food Other than that great experience and they fixed the price accordingly would definitely go back again read more

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The cantina was good! We had some chips and queso, some taquitos and a few margaritas! The taquitos are AMAZING! The queso was good it was a little cold and had a little kick (which was good) the salsa was good and came to our table pretty quickly! The frozen margarita was big. The other two were served in highball glasses. I went to the bar to order my drink because they didn't have 1800 silver. And the waitress wasn't sure about others. They also ran out of lemonade. The music was a saxophone player he was good. Overall I would try it again and maybe have a meal! read more

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The food, the service, the atmosphere, ugh, everything is perfect. The food is incredibly authentic and delicious. When we first moved here a few months ago we needed a place to eat while we waited to get our house keys and we randomly tried this place and now it has become our go-to Mexican place. Love it so much. read more

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Bad service, long very long wait. food not tasty! made a banquet tried all the menu bad. It's boring on the second floor. read more

Cantina - Churro ice cream - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

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I am posting this review while we wait for our guacamole that we ordered more than 45 minutes ago. I guess they are getting the avocados from Mexico right when you order the guacamole. read more

We chose Cantina Tex-Mex to host my father's surprise 80th birthday party. We planned for approximately 75 guests, many of whom would be traveling from out of town to attend. We worked with staff, met multiple times on site to view the facility and discuss needs. Each time, the staff was friendly and helpful. We were originally concerned about the menu, but all of those concerns evaporated when we received the final proposal of what would be offered. It exceeded our expectations. The day of the party went was completely successful - all of the guests were thrilled with the ambiance, the food, and the staff. It was all amazing. The staff that worked that day; Rayanna, Alondra, Christina, Kassandra, and Chef Cooper were wonderful. They were happy to help in any way possible; taking group photos, and ensuring each guest had a wonderful time. I must also note how every single person LOVED the Tres Leches Cheesecake. It was amazing, delightful, delectable, delicious, and any other wonderful adjective you can think of. All of this would not have been nearly as successful without the help of Chris (Kris), the manager who walked us through and made it his mission to ensure we were able to throw the best party. I cannot thank this staff enough for making my Dad's day so amazing. Without hesitation, 5 out of 5 stars. We are so grateful! read more

Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Great place to go to on Saturday Nights (Latin Nights) .. all they need to do is get a better DJ ‍

Great experience with delicious food. Fajitas were amazing and a great amount of meat was served. The tacos were incredible and big! We went on a Thursday and the had live jazz which was lovely. Our server Sofia was also sweet, attentive and made sure we were enjoying our food and had everything we needed. I will come back! read more

Went there a couple of times when visiting Ocala. The margaritas are FABULOUS (homemade margarita mix). Guacamole made at your table is also a winner! Christine was our server on one of the visits and was great! read more

This place is for sure a 10/10! Lauren our server was so kind and attentive, such great service overall! We had the tacos and they were SO GOOD! Will definitely be coming back:) read more

This place is so cute inside. Definitely had a chill vibe and the drinks were great. My server was very quick and attentive but I didn't catch her name. I got the quesadilla and although it wasn't my favorite the street corn and chips and salsa were great. read more

The aesthetics of this place is so nice! I ordered a hot & smoky which is a mezcal drink and the pastor taco plate. Everything tasted great and the combination meshed really well! Definitely a restaurant to try out while downtown. read more

Cantina - #Cantinas Instagram Room - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

I was served raw chicken today. They didn't have the French toast on the menu and had no potatoes and when I showed them the raw chicken it took 20 minutes to get the correct chicken back.. I don't know what Alexa experienced but you can peel this onion back as far as you want but being served a raw piece of chicken is not OK. Its not the servers fault but they didn't seem to care.. the kitchens response was we get different size pieces so they missed it... OK as a customer I don't care what the issue is but raw chicken was served,.. I go back... would I yes I would bc that is the first time anything like that happened.. the place should be full but isn't.. now I know Y read more

My first time at cantina while visiting Ocala and I have to say this is my favorite restaurant. I live in Los Angeles where I've been to many authentic Mexican spots and a lot of Tex mex spots, and this place fits right in! So cute and trendy inside and all the staff was so nice. Not to mention the food is delicious! Their new chef is awesome! And prices are so reasonable! Definitely check it out read more

Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

We are here all the time. Great atmosphere, fun menu and good service. Kris, Aaron, David, Tiff, Sarah and the rest of the crew always make us feel at home. We have ordered everything on the menu multiple times and we will continue to keep coming back. Whenever chef has some special to try its a must. Theres always live entertainment/music going on. The bar has tons of different tequilas, i think over 100 different ones and counting. They have lockers available to put your favorite libations stocked away. Theres 2 very unique private rooms. This is an old bank so both private rooms are the old vaults. This is two stories with a loft inside. The loft has a semi-private area that opens up to a balcony. Great view to the Ocala DT Square. Currently i hear a Mariachi band playing inside. So much fun. This is worth a stop for sure if you haven't been. Sometimes its really busy so if something isnt right give the staff a shot to fix it, because they will. Keep it up guys and see you soon. read more

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My favorite Tex Mex food in Ocala! Amazing drinks and great service. Sometimes they have live music and a great Latin night! Also really cute aesthetic inside read more

This place is my favorite whenever I come into town. Great Tex Mex food, great hand crafted drinks, and great service. Sometimes they have live music and I love the vibes! read more

The food and ambiance were fantastic! The service was super friendly and attentive. We had Kalei as a server and she was great! Ask about their Instagram room. It's a nice wall background to take pictures. I highly recommend Cantina to friends and family! Worth checking out. read more

After staying in Ocala for the first time and looking for a good place to eat, was surprised by the Cantina. Great atmosphere, services were excellent and the food was great. I ordered the snapper which was perfect, and we ordered multiple tacos and they all came out perfectly. Not greasy and cooked to perfection. A big test came when I send the fish back to the kitchen for them to debone it (well my wife did and I had to go along with it). They politely brought it back and said due to sanitary reason they can't do anything since I had started to take it apart. Absolutely appreciated that, just showed me the level of care to quality and service. Few thumbs up to the service, kitchen and management. Thanks for a great experience (wife the most picky eater in the world, also can't stop talking about the food and it was the first time I didn't see the food explode on her plate instead it was a clean plate) read more

Cantina - Snapper was amazing - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Muy bonito con buen aire acondicionado buen ambiente pero no sé si fue por la hora que fuimos pero nos dieron que era por reservación aunque nos atendieron pero nos sentimos un poco discriminados no sé si era por los niños pero pedimos platos para tres adultos y dos niños el precio un poco alto ora la comida que nos sirvieron bueno por una orden de tostones que solo venían tres nos cobraron $6.00 y eran de congelador no frescos por lo otro estuvo bien read more