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    El Cantarito

    4.2 (797 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order El Cantarito Takeout or Delivery

    El Cantarito Photos

    Business Info

    EL CANTARITO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - El Cantarito

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    Chilaquiles
    Matt H.

    There are several Mexican restaurants in old town Placentia and this is one of them. We arrived and the place was busy. We found a table and sat for a brief time before a very nice lady came by to greet us. I'm guessing she was busy and that might have been the reason for the slow service. She was very nice and friendly. She brought chips and salsa. The chips were thick and unsalted. So the crunch was heavy. The salsa was tasty and was pleasantly spicy. I had chilaquiles. They were covered in a red sauce and cheese. They weren't crunchy but more chewy. The rice and beans were delicious. And the plate covered with 2 well fried eggs. The place was clean and the tables spaced to give room for each without being crowded. For me, the food was good but not very memorable. The service a bit slow although the 2 ladies were very nice but busy.

    Menudo

    They serve menudo every day and today was delicious and lots of it too. The woman that helped us was super helpful and friendly.

    Cute, quiet little neighborhood
    Yvonne C.

    We were in the mood for Mexican food. Our usual place was closed so we looked for another Mexican restaurant close by. Ended up here. We were greeted by Marlene who was out front closing up the patio. She ended up being our server too. The food was good. I got Chile Verde. The sauce was delicious, very flavorful. The corn tortillas were handmade and fluffy. Husband got Shrimp Diablo. He said it had the right amount of spice. Loved the little street this place was on. Reminded me of areas we'd been to I. Mexico.

    Salsa is slightly chunky with a little bit of heat
    Angela B.

    El Cantorito is located on Santa Fe Ave in Old Town Placentia. It is one of MANY Mexican restaurants that are independently owned and operated. It's pretty easy to locate; there's limited street parking and a public parking lot in the back of the building. The inside of the restaurant is clean and well maintained and very casual. Seating consists of wooden tables and chairs. No music was playing, but there is a jukebox available to get some tunes going if you please. I'm always on the look out for a good chile relleno and a friend highly recommended theirs. Today I opted for the make-your-own-combo for which I chose a chile relleno and a carnitas crunchy taco. Well, my friend was right! The chile relleno was delicious! The cheese was melty, just the way I like it, and the sauce was unlike any I'd had before. It looked very unpretentious, but the flavor was amazing! The taco was equally tasty. The shell looked too perfect to be freshly made, but it had a nice crunch. The carnitas were oh, so tender and flavorful! Finished off with the right amount of lettuce and tomatoes, it rounded off the meal perfectly. I've mentioned before that the chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant ara a big part of its overall rating and both the chips and the salsa here are on point. There only seemed to be one person doing everything (taking and delivering orders AND doing the cooking), but she did a fantastic job of keeping everything running smoothly. El Cantorito has taken a spot in my top 3 favorite places for chile rellenos and chips & salsa!

    Navid S.

    El Cantarito is a great spot. Customer service is 10/10. Food was delicious. It's currently Fall season in Cali and so I ordered Caldo De Pollo, Pozole, and Chile relleno. Felt like homemade food. Very comforting and hearty. I highly recommend you check this spot if you're in the area!

    Chilaquiles con Pollo
    Diana N.

    Stopped by for Sunday lunch and the weather was perfect so, we sat outdoors. They have about three tables with several seats to each table. We got greeted right away and they brought us chips and salsa (my favorite!) We both ordered chilaquiles with chicken. It comes with eggs, rice and beans. So delicious and not very spicy, but that's okay. The service was great, definitely coming back!

    The proof of the best menudo!!

    The best "Menudo" in all Orange County is here at el cantarito. I highly recommend it as a proud Mexican.. The customer service is always amazing..

    Chile Chile-Verde con Huevos

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    7 months ago

    Excellent food and service and beer and a jukebox!aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

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    Page 2 of 20

    El Cantarito Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - El Cantarito

    Can we still get tacos at the special prices on Tuesdays for take-out orders?

    Yes! I do it often!

    Do you serve pozole during the week?

    Yes they serve Pozole Monday-Sunday

    Are the beans and rice beans vegetarian (no lard or animal broth used)?

    No. They are not Vegetarian.

    Are there specific hours for taco Tuesday or is it all hours?

    Lunch and dinner.

    What days do you offer menudo?

    They offer Monday-Sunday

    View All 10 Questions

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    Esther's Taco House

    Esther's Taco House

    3.5
    (560 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$

    The Food was so good! The chips are crunchy and warm. You…read moreget mild salsa and hot salsa. I had the Red Chili Wet Beef Burrito. It was tasty. This is a generous burrito can easily be shared. The Enchilada was also good and cheesy. The Chicken Taco was and is always delicious. The Margaritas were a work of Art, and delicious, and I'm not a Margarita lover. Our waitress Laura was super nice and friendly. The Food was brought out fast. The ambiance is nice. There is a Bar in the back, and The restaurant is Family Friendly.

    We stopped by Sunday early afternoon and sat in the bar area, which turned out to be a mistake. We…read morewere basically ignored. We got chips right away and eventually a beer, and that was it. The bartender seemed far more interested in talking to people at the bar than helping us. At least there was TVs to watch waiting for some service which was nonexistent here. We were about to move to the dining area when the bartender finally came over to take our order. I asked for no onions and ordered a Bloody Mary. The food came out with onions, and the Bloody Mary never showed up at all. Kind of wondered why we even had to order and just let them bring out what they think you want or don't want. We also received some guacamole which we never ordered. WTF???!!!??? couldn't even get our order right. We were just forgotten as the bartender never came around to check anything. She just stayed at the bar area talking to a few people that she knew. If you're not going to provide service than way go to work???? This place is terribly managed, and honestly, it's not surprising that most of the other locations have closed. If you want any kind of service, don't sit in the bar area. The food itself was decent, but it doesn't matter much when they can't follow simple requests--or just don't care. This was my last visit. Good luck.

    Photos
    Hopping on Tuesday
    Hopping on Tuesday
    Chips
    Chips
    Bar Area

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    Bar Area
    Mi Casita Restaurante

    Mi Casita Restaurante

    4.4
    (264 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    My wife and I had dinner at Mi Casita Restaurant in Fullerton, and we had a wonderful experience…read more The service was outstanding, and our server, Katie, was friendly, attentive, and provided excellent service throughout our meal. My wife ordered the fajitas, and I decided to try the Diablo Shrimp. I enjoy trying new and different foods, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Let me tell you--the name is no joke! The Diablo Shrimp was incredibly spicy, truly living up to its name. If you love heat, you'll definitely enjoy it. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was welcoming, and the service made the experience even better. We will definitely be back and would highly recommend Mi Casita to anyone looking for great Mexican food and excellent service.

    This location has been on our list of places to try for quite some time. We had never managed to…read morecatch it during business hours and always ended up at nearby spots instead. Luckily, that finally changed and we caught them open! This is a true family-run business, and if you haven't tried it yet, you should. We ordered a 2-item combo with a cheese enchilada, shredded beef taco, rice, and beans, and it was amazing. We also got the chicken à la diabla, and I can honestly say I've never had an à la diabla sauce that good at a restaurant. Everything tasted homemade and so comforting that it felt like leaving a friend's house after a meal his mom made. The vibe was fun, the service was great, and we were lucky enough to have the son taking care of us, which made the experience even better. Thank you for an amazing meal and great conversation. We're looking forward to creating many more memories here. This is officially our go-to spot because, quite frankly, the food here is on another level.

    Photos
    Mi Casita Restaurante
    Ceviche Tostada
    Ceviche Tostada
    Enchiladas with carnitas

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    Enchiladas with carnitas

    El Cantarito - mexican - Updated June 2026

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