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    El Don Cocina & Cantina

    3.9 (519 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Open • 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, 4:00 PM - 11:00 PM

    Order El Don Cocina & Cantina Takeout or Delivery

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    EL DON COCINA & CANTINA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Classy

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    Elisa A.

    Great drinks! We went for a country night. The food was great the service was slow it was like they only had one waitress for most of the restaurant. The chef came out to our table and brought us our food which is unheard of nowadays! It was such a great experience and a great vibe!

    3 Tacos Quesabrilla
    Joi L.

    Ok, so we were looking for a nice restaurant to celebrate a birthday dinner. Not too many options in the area but this place stood out for their decor and vibe! We had a server named Julian, thats the name on our receipt. Julian wrote nothing down (used his excellent memory!), serviced all the tables and also cleaned the tables as folks were done. Ok, five stars for Julian, he was amazing and super friendly! We had a party of six ppl and we set near the entrance. I have to say, one does not get the full vibe of the restaurant sitting at those front two larger tables. But the vibe past the planters was super cute, honestly I would have asked to be moved but didn't feel like asking. Recommendations- try to get a table in the back! Food was good! We ordered many option and it all came out pretty quickly and none of us had complaints. Chips and salsa was bomb! Drinks were good. We ending up getting a flight and for some strange reason the bartender said they poured too much of the other shot and so gave us a barely filled shot glass, again was not in the mood to complain so we accepted. But despite the minor annoyance of the shots and the seating, I think we'd come back if we were in the area! Side note: y'all water the plants on the wall, they are wilting. But I love the vibe and all the plants are gorgeous! If you are in the area, I recommend this place! Good food and good times!

    Flauta bites are off the chart. The salsa is homemade, and both were probably the best I've ever had.

    The food was amazing, and the service was great. We would definitely come back here again. They also have great happy hour deals. .

    Skirt steak
    Reylene N.

    Called an hour prior to reserve a table for 3 for 6pm 5/30/26. Nice decor and ambience! Did have to ask a waitress for us to place our food order, but after that we were tended too promptly. Food and drinks were good.

    Rhonda R.

    I came strictly for the R&B brunch!!! we did order our tickets in advance, and we waited in a small line before we got seated. When we sat down, our waiter did greet us right away and gave us menus.. what's not on the menu is how they have bottomless mimosas so people were ordering drinks separate separately when the whole time they had bottomless mimosas. I did end up getting the bottomless mimosas and I did feel like it was pulling teeth just to get a refill. But overall, I still do feel like I got my moneys worth. You only get to enjoy the event for two hours and you have to leave immediately as they have another group of ticket holders for the next scheduled R&B brunch. I wanted to stay a little longer and dance, but it was a really good time the DJ was amazing. They played as many classic R&B hits as you can in two hours. I say this should at least be a three hour event because people were just slowly starting to get a buzz before it was time to go. But overall still a fun event !

    Aaliyah R.

    The decor is nice with lots of plants, but they're clearly neglected and dying-which turned out to be a metaphor for the whole experience. The service was sub-par. Our server had to ask for our order multiple times, didn't know the table numbers, and wasn't familiar with the menu. But the wait time was the real dealbreaker: we were seated at 11:05 AM, got drinks at 11:20 AM, and by 11:59 AM, still had no food. The server blamed a 20-person table, but no one in the entire dining room had food-only drinks were coming out. After waiting nearly an hour with no food in sight, we walked out. If they only want to serve drinks, they should drop the food menu and just operate as a bar. Or make the drinks a reasonable price so I can forget about the wait!

    Hai N.

    Everyone is extremely nice but service is a bit slow. You have to constantly flag some down to follow up on drinks, food or check. There is a 2 hour limit which is very good time frame to enjoy your time here. Prices felt like I was in the Sf drinking scene to come prepared for that. The shrimp tacos were good and big. The tropical ceviche was okay but way better when we added their spicer red dressing. Shrimp was soft and large. The enchiladas were a good proportion and tasted very well. The chips they served seemed a little burnt or maybe used old oil.... All in all there's ample parking in what seemed to be a small spot but it goes further deep inside the on the bar side. A nice addition for this the area for sure.

    A delicious Mango Margarita!
    Seretha G.

    Service, ambience, drinks and food were fabulous! Our family was visiting the area and was blessed to find El Don... we will be back!

    Nicole M.

    I went to El Don specifically to try their Enchiladas Suisa. Eating those brings back a favorite childhood memory. A restaurant my family used to go to had them, and I always wanted to order them. My enchilada dish was excellent, but it wasn't suiza. It was enchiladas in green sauce. I was mildly disappointed. However, the portion size was huge, the enchiladas were chock full of chicken, and tle flavors were good. Irounded out my meal with a mocktail and chips and salsa. Their salsa is thin, slightly spicy, and slightly smokey. I liked the flavor. Since I eat chips with my salsa, I wish it had been thicker so it had more cling. I ordered the appetizer sampler (yes, I planned on leftovers), but the y were out of the shrimp. Since that was one of the main reasons I chose it, I decided to forgoe it altogether. Maybe next time. The mocktail was fine, but not quite complex enough to be interesting. They had some appetizing seafood options, so I will probably give them a try again. Service was fine and the space itself is nice. They have their own parking lot so parking is not an issue.

    Menu as of 6.21.26
    Jo C.

    We came here on a weekend right as they opened, we were the first customer. But we didn't get our food until 40 minutes after. The customers who came in after us got their meal first. We would like to have flagged down our server but she was gone most of the time or preoccupied with other tables. We finally got our food but it didn't come out all at once plus we were missing the sauce that it should have come with. Presentation for the churro de canela was good and the streak and huevos was chewy. The guava margarita was ok. The bar was unable to make mocktails, which was surprising. I understand if it's a busy time but we were the first customers. The restroom is located outside the restaurant past the elevators. I don't know who manages the restrooms but it should have been more maintained. It was missing toilet seat covers in both stalls in the women's restroom. The menu was also minimal for breakfast. We'll probably try this place again for lunch or dinner service. The interior is aesthetically pleasing. The two hour dining is redundant when service takes a long time.

    Sofia B.

    I have been wanting to go for some time. It was busy but we were able to sit at the bar. The bartenders were extremely busy but still very attentive. The drinks were well made and delicious. The food also was amazing. The tortillas are freshly made and to die for. Now I just need to go back for brunch! Highly recommend.

    Greg S.

    It's cool, it's sexy and vibrant, and it's in Lathrop? Well, that threw me off... Located in an office building next to the freeway and tucked in next to two fast food joints. I was a bit skeptical, but the other reviews and photos had us interested. We made Sunday reservations on Open Table which I highly suggest doing. When we arrived at noon the place was packed, and people were in the hallway (remember it's in an office building) waiting for their tables. We only had to wait about 6-8 minutes before they had our booth ready for us. The staff here are excellent, super upbeat friendly and well/cleanly dressed. The decor is sexy and inviting with tables, booths and high tables too. Plus the bar where you can imbibe and or dine. It was clearly hopping on this Sunday afternoon. The only true negative, and I will state here that it may have just been on this particular day, it was EXTREMELY loud due to a very large party of about 20 plus that were pretty out of control loud the entire time we were there. We noticed that other tables were super annoyed and I way one family come in, and then left because they were visibly disturbed by the extreme noise level. We could not hear our servers at all and so we were pretty much guessing and pointing at our menus to get our orders in. The servers were very apologetic so I will assume this was not a normal situation. On to the food - we ordered the traditional plate which comes with eggs, potatoes and a meat of choice. I ordered the chilaquiles. The chilaquiles were exceptional! Probably some of the best I have ever had, and I am a chilaquiles "whore"..? Highly recommend them here. I think we will come back another time to see if the noise level is less than ear shattering. The atmosphere, food and service are worth it.

    Horchata
    Monique M.

    Came here during the week. Put our names on the waitlist and provided our phone number. They told us wait would be about 45 minutes. We waited in our car. We could see that the people that came after us ended up getting seated before us. So we went back in (our car was parked facing the entrance), the lady said she called us, but we never got a call. She seated us right after because there were a LOT of seats available. Pretty disappointed but whatever. The restaurant definitely had a vibe, but we were disappointed. Music was so loud we couldn't hear each other having a conversation sitting right across from each other. Its more like a lounge that serves food. Not a restaurant. Food was good. Prices were a bit high. But it was worth trying. Probably wont be coming back though.

    Black beans & Rice

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    food was amazing! wait time was bit but the food was worth the wait! Owner was amazing especially her little girl with the greatest service!

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    El Don Cocina & Cantina Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - El Don Cocina & Cantina

    El Jardin - Chips & salsa

    El Jardin

    3.9(867 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    •$$

    This is our go-to Mexican restaurant now. If you're a volume eater, go here!!! They have high…read morequality food at a high quantity (the plates are HUGE). Everything is priced very reasonably, too. Food: Two enchiladas with carne asada: 5/5 -- I prefer the salsa verde, but you can do red or both! Their big plates come with rice and refried beans. Bean dip: 5/5 -- I could come here just for this! Warm refried beans with crema, queso fresco, and salsa verde. Chips & Salsa: 5/5 -- Some of the chips are nice and puffy, which is a fun and different texture as you go through the basket. I always ask for extra salsa to eat with my meal! Service: Our servers have always been friendly and attentive! Ambiance: They play a mix of different Latin music, and they don't blast it through the speakers. The decor is cute and their bathroom is always clean!

    I thought I'd get some lunch to go. Ordered what I wanted…read moreplus the drink. I asked if I can get a couple of slices of Limes or lemons with my burrito that I had ordered at the counter.... The front counter lady said it would have to be an extra cost for a couple of slices of lemons or limes.....I asked her to run that be me again. She said it will coast extra for slices of limes or lemon. She said that Is their rule...it blew my mind That asked for limes for Mexican Food At charge . That was Greed and lacked any customer Satisfaction for 2 slices of lemon or lime. It is common practice that all Mexican Latino restaurants, taquerias, That serve Mexican food will Not charge for 2 slices of lemon or lime Cmon el Jardin you lost a good customer Over charging for lime slices...unbelievable It's the point of them just being greedy . Also on all Honesty el jardin manteca is priced way over the top for average Mexican food. !

    Photos
    El Jardin - Dining room

    Dining room

    El Jardin
    El Jardin - Carne asada

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    Carne asada

    Las Casuelas Mexican Restaurant & Bar - No me gustó porque los camarones no están bien pelados

    Las Casuelas Mexican Restaurant & Bar

    3.0(753 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    •$$

    I've been a regular at Las Casuelas in Manteca for a long time, so this isn't coming from someone…read morelooking for a reason to complain. The food and the spot are why I keep coming back. But the recent changes to the Monday/Wednesday happy hour tacos caught me off guard. The deal now requires everyone at the table to buy alcohol, not just one person -- and the tacos themselves have gotten smaller, too. I don't really have a problem with the alcohol policy itself; that's pretty standard for happy hour. What got me was the service. I sat at the bar for nearly 20 minutes and the bartender ignored me the whole time -- no greeting, no heads-up about the new policy, nothing. Had someone just told me, I would've sat in the dining room from the start. No signage, no note on the menu, no acknowledgment at the bar. All around, a disappointing experience. I'll probably still be back -- back to my usual fajita salad -- but good things can't last forever, I guess.

    Big restaurant plenty of seating for small or large groups our party of 5 adults 2 children were…read moreseated shortly after entering. Service was great we had ordered some appetizers with an assortment of items quesadilla, small bean crispy burrito bites jalapeño poppers not sure what else since they were snatched up as soon as they were placed on the table. We ordered a couple of platters of an assortment of meats like a fajita platter just missing the veggies. It had chicken chorizo carne asada with sides of beans rice salsa and guacamole Everything was delicious nice and hot served quickly

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    Las Casuelas Mexican Restaurant & Bar - Y que siga el mariachi

    Y que siga el mariachi

    Las Casuelas Mexican Restaurant & Bar - They give salsa and bean dip with their chips. We always kill the bean dip .

    They give salsa and bean dip with their chips. We always kill the bean dip .

    Las Casuelas Mexican Restaurant & Bar - Pink lemonade

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    Pink lemonade

    El Don Cocina & Cantina - mexican - Updated September 2026

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