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    El Cantarito

    4.2 (802 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Open 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?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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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.

    Al mojo de ajo
    Kelly Z.

    First time coming here and OMG everything was amazing. Let's start with the café, nice and rich. I ordered the combo plate. My husband ordered a breakfast burrito and my mom ordered camaron al mojo de ajo. Everything was delicious. My kids got a special treat at the end.

    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!

    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.

    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

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    10 months ago

    Old town type of vibes .. food was definately filling .. michelada was also great .. waiter was on point .. will be coming back

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    10 months ago

    Excellent food and service and beer and a jukebox!aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

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    Page 2 of 21

    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 11 Questions

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    Que Vida Tacos Yorba Linda

    4.4(270 reviews)
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    Holy smokes, this is the best Mex in town! We ordered the El Grande sub Asada, Que Rico plato, corn…read moreesquites, birria tacos, a pineapple margarita, and Pacifico on tap. Everything was absolutely superb! You can really taste the quality of their house-made tortillas and house-marinated meats. Plus, the portions are huge! The restaurant was packed, and it is easy to see why. The vine is super cool with lively high energy social atmosphere! Since it was so busy, we initially ordered our food to-go because there were no open seats. However, the coolest guy at the register (I forgot to ask his name!) went above and beyond. He asked us to wait a moment and personally got a table ready so we could dine in. His phenomenal service, knowledge, and great personality truly topped off our experience. All the servers were outstanding!! Watch out Que Vida, your new regulars!! See you tomorrow!!!

    Best tacos in town. Staff is very friendly…read more Food is very fresh. Draft beer and bottle beer. Limited bar. Limited wine options. Multiple kinds of Margaritas They make breakfast options all day. Their desserts are a special treat! No wait staff. You have to order at the counter and then they bring it to your table. Fresh churros. Veggie options. Salad options. No alcoholic options Bar counter Able to accommodate small to medium groups

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    Que Vida Tacos Yorba Linda - Chips/guac calabacitas taco with a DELICIOUS grilled pepper and salsa.

    Chips/guac calabacitas taco with a DELICIOUS grilled pepper and salsa.

    Que Vida Tacos Yorba Linda - Long beautiful lighted bar to the right of the register.

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    El Farolito - Arroz con pollo

    El Farolito

    4.3(2.9k reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    THE BEST! This is…read moreone of those if you know, you know; kind of restaurants. The food is absolutely amazing. No other Mexican restaurant compares in my opinion. Even the rice and beans are better than other places lol The rice is so fluffy and soft! I've never had rice that good. The chips are better than other places lol You can tell that they make them fresh. I got the shrimp enchiladas with extra cheese. It was delicious. The shrimp enchiladas came with shrimp and pico de gallo inside. It was topped with cheese. Very good! I scarfed it down. Next time though, I will order the cheese enchiladas. Those are my favorite! The flavors are just great. The food is freshly made and great service. They get you in and out quickly. We did have to wait for about 40 minutes, ambiance was crowded. There were people lined up outside! Worth the wait!!

    Food is great!! It is, but service and speed of food is pretty bad. We came here on a Saturday…read morenight and got seated right away, we heard it's usually packed on the weekends. I got the 2 combo plate with the chile relleno and the shredded beef taco, subbed for fries, my partner got a chicken enchilada with taco. My friends got a carnitas plate, and we also ordered drinks for the table. Their margaritas are pretty strong and the michelada is good! However our server wasn't on the friendly side. Although she was quick, every-time we needed some thing after she stopped off at our table, she would already be off to do something else. At the end of the night their POS didn't work and she just came back to the table saying card declined, when other customers experienced the same thing. She could've said do you have another card or something else, but she just said card declined. I also don't like have for substitutions you have to pay extra like for green sauce. Food is good, but hopefully next time we get a better server and food doesn't take forever to come out.

    Photos
    El Farolito - 7/2025

    7/2025

    El Farolito - Shrimp fajitas

    Shrimp fajitas

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    Mi Casita Restaurante - Perfect in a hot day! Just walking by and stopped in for a ceviche tostada and ice cold beer. AMAZING

    Mi Casita Restaurante

    4.4(264 reviews)
    0.1 mi
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    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.

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    Mi Casita Restaurante - Ceviche Tostada

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    El Cantarito - mexican - Updated September 2026

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