Cancel

Open app

Search

Javi's Cantina

4.6 (86 reviews)
PriceySeafood, Caribbean
Closed ‱ 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

Javi's Cantina Photos

JAVI'S CANTINA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

Recommended Reviews - Javi's Cantina

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

The devoured flan
Jasmine S.

Everything about this place is excellent. Food was full of flavor and absolutely delicious. The staff was all friendly, attentive, and helpful. But Aza really made all of the difference, he was the best server I have ever had. The desserts were so good we ended up getting three more to go. Get the flan, because OMG it is to die for. I am going to be missing this flan for the rest of my life lol. Definitely go here, you will not be disappointed.

Outdoor patio area with live music stage

Amazing experience! Service was incredible and food was just as good. Was a bit skeptical because the front of the restaurant was empty, but we walked in and they took us to a back patio. That was absolutely amazing. They had live music going which made the experience even better. Would definitely come back here next time we are in I

Ahi entree. So good and fresh!! Tried it on the quinoa salad the second night and wow!

So glad we tried this place during our trip! It was so good we went back for our last night on the island. Everyone was so nice but we had Aza as our waiter both nights and he was amazing. Super friendly, very informed and professional, and super attentive to our large group. The food was some of the best we had on our trip, especially the appetizers and desserts. The asparagus fries, stuffed mushrooms and flan were unbelievable. The only downside is that space is somewhat limited during the rain unless you want to sit on their patio in the rain. Even so the staff were so accommodating and I just recommend arriving earlier if it's raining so you can secure a table!

With the owner Javi
Farrah A.

I had Javi's bookmarked in my "Isla Mujeres" Yelp collection before actually meeting Javi. When my sis and I randomly met him at a local music venue, he told us about his restaurant and we knew we had to pay a visit. First off, it's probably *the* top rated locally-owned restaurant on the Island. For good reason, too. Great food, service, ambiance, live music daily, back patio, and a awesome owner who is happy to share other local spots to check out. My sis and I weren't too hungry on the night we stepped in, but we wanted to have some apps and drinks before, well, having more drinks later that night. The stuffed mushrooms, chips and guacamole, and tuna tower were great. I highly rec those 'srhooms. I wish we had a bigger appetite that night, because all of the photos and reviews praises about the entrees. Don't forget to walk away with a keepsake you purchased from their wall of souvenirs.

Jenn M.

I was told by several people Javi's is a must try when visiting Isla Mujeres. Wow!!! The food, the staff, and the atmosphere was amazing. I had the grilled fish tacos and my husband had the steak tacos. Both had excellent flavor and couldn't ask for a better meal. The owners are sweet as can be. Their tortilla chips, guacamole, and salsa are too good to pass up. Javi's also has live music and a back patio area. If you haven't been, your missing out!! We will definitely visit again!

Pineapple Margarita

Good and Service Excellent! Tuesdays and Thursdays they have a live Hispanic show! So Wonderful. The Food is Excellent. The place is small and Cozy. You definitely need Reservations on Show nights. It is So Worth the Experience!

Fillet mignon and shrimp 620+ MXN Pesos
Josi P.

Posting the menu since I did not see a menu posted. You will need a reservation to sit in the outdoor patio. So be sure to call ahead. The food is more American, with a lot of garlic and butter.

Over done and way too much oil
Crystal V.

I wanted to like you Javi but... it was under flavored, too much oil, and was similar to food you get at a chain restaurant. There are just too many good places on the island with super fresh, well flavored food that is out of this world. The wine is different brands of sutter home, the salad is romaine ice burg, the fish and veggies are saturated in oil. It was really disappointing. That said... maybe they could turn it around. The only reason they got two was because the people were fantastic.

Asparagus Fries
Tom H.

Atmosphere and service were superb. Live music for a Monday night, was very pleasant, and not overpowering the small dining room. Asparagus Fries were excellent, but just a hair overdone. I would prefer they use a hotter oil to cook them faster, and leave the stalks more crisp to the bite. My Beef Kabob was cooked perfectly rare, as ordered, and was nicely seasoned. Javi's may be a bit overpriced for the island, overall, but I was pleased with the experience, and glad I tried it. I would definitely return for a special occasion.

I got shrimp, left is tacos, and middle top and right were the grouper!

Great food and pretty quick! The service we got wasn't the best but everything else was great! So nice to have a air conditioned place for the summer heat.

Javi singing!
Francis K.

You can't go wrong with Javi's! Excellent food, brilliant atmosphere, incredible hosts, and fantastic entertainment! You can tell they, Javi and Marla, make friends with everyone. There are many repeat customers around and it is a very lively and happy environment! I was lucky enough to have Javi serenade us when I proposed a couple years ago and decided to return on our honeymoon. Get any of the fresh fish, but I had steak because I was eating fish all week and it was excellent!

Lisa L.

We've been coming to Isla Mujeres for a decade and first met Javi while he played on Hildago. As the years passed we continued to run into Javi-whether it was playing late night, running around town, or just hanging out. And everytime we saw Javi, he would be full of life- always smiling, humble, hard working, an amazing musician, and his joyful spirit was contagious. After several trips we thought, "hey, if we ever get married- we'll do it on Isla and hire Javi's band to play the wedding!" ...years passed and low and behold- we got engaged and knew- we're going to Isla and we gotta find Javi. We were so happy when we found out that Javi and Marla opened Javi's Cantina! We knew we were not to going to book a cookie cutter hotel wedding package and wanted to piece together our day with local hard working businesses. We reached out to Marla and started planning from afar. Marla and Javi were amazing from start to end! They are very busy and work their tails off, so we appreciated the fact that we met up at the restaurant before our family and friends arrived on the island. Marla is fantastic and her attention to detail is so appreciated and spot on. There were little details my man inquired about that she wasn't sure she had time to make happen, but day of- bam! Marla made it happen. We rented out the back portion of the restaurant and had the dinner served on the roof top patio. Mala and the staff decorated the place beautifully, the food and service was impeccable, and Javi and his band were on point. Honestly, Marla and Javi helped make our wedding reception literally perfect. We will be forever grateful and feel so blessed that Javi and Marla made our old dream turn into a reality. If you are on Isla, Javi's Cantina is a must-whether it's just for a drink, a bite to eat, or for a special occasion. They stay steady rotating local musicians and they are the definition of a local hardworking business on Isla Mujeres. Thank you Marla and Javi!!!!! We will see you soon!

Tikin Xic red snapper

Consistently delicious food and drinks. Highly recommend and have yet to have a less than exceptional meal

Grilled Snapper

See all

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Taylor S.
125
102
34

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Farrah A.
4954
2518
11896

7 years ago

Helpful 9
Thanks 0
Love this 11
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Jenny L.
219
30
1

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Jenn M.
149
7
7

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Shianne S.
152
85
30

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Josi P.
0
22
21

5 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Tom H.
0
14
8

5 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Francis K.
169
29
20

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Walter B.
289
1
13

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Good food wish the menu had more selection but definitely liked nice ambiance and had dancers while we ate.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Very good food and the atmosphere also , we had the chix tamarind and fillet of fish tamarind

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Bob B.
0
110
119

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Hanalei M.
420
26
43

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1
Photo of John K.
0
31
20

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 3

Javi's Cantina Reviews in Other Languages

Verify this business for free

Get access to customer & competitor insights.

Verify this business

Marbella - Marbella sunrise

Marbella

3.9(61 reviews)
4.9 km‱Isla Mujeres
‱$$$

Wow! The biggest ripoff in the island. Overpriced and undervalued. The service started great but
read morethey were not busy, as soon as more guest came, the service became slow and forgetful. Missing items we requested and having to ask a few times. The place looks nice and open with two levels. They are supposedly a "market" but it's a restaurant and a pier stop. People with their boast can come in. They have showers as well. We order the grouper (fish) and 1 dozen of oysters on the half shell. The fish came with the choice of rice, pasta or steamed vegetables. We decided to do the whole fish and get one filet out. I'm originally from an island so eating a whole fish is normal so I wanted to experience it again because back home where we live we don't have it. The fish was ok. It needed more flavor. Rice was hard and cold and not really tasty. The oysters were harder than usual. We ordered two of their Marbella sunrise (drinks) and they were good. Overall the food was NOT good or fresh. It made me sick! I got food poisoning. At the end of our trip in the island I got so sick I was puking on the beach and then walking the streets like a drunk person puking my guts out and not even with a buzz?! No thanks! My final advice? AVOID at all cost because what you will be missing here is your money from your wallet. Nothing special. Save your money and go somewhere else.

Awful. Definitely not worth $221.00. The stone crab was so tuff you couldn't eat it. My husband
read moresent it back and they still charged him $21 for the 1 piece he tried to eat. The other 2 items we Ordered were sub-par fried rice and 6 shrimp. Not worth it at all! Very disappointed in this place.

Photos
Marbella - They have a big fan to help with the heat.

They have a big fan to help with the heat.

Marbella - "Fresh" oysters

"Fresh" oysters

Marbella - Food

See all

Food

Lola Valentina - Stuffed pancake

Lola Valentina

4.6(480 reviews)
0.3 km‱Isla Mujeres
‱$$

I dined here on Valentines day last month with my granddaughter and her partner. It was packed but
read morewe managed to get a table right away. The hostess was nice and got us in the door. She was walking us a little towards the back, but since it was my first time to Isla, I wanted to people-watch, so I asked about a table up front. As soon as we headed over, I saw why she passed it - it was right next to the saxophone player! Thank goodness his volume level was perfect! Just loud enough to be heard over the crowds walking down the 'lane' out front and the restaurant diners' chatting. But not so loud that we 3 couldn't chat. We loved it! Now these two can EAT - and love to try everything on the menu, whereas I tend to eat smaller portions. I ordered the shrimp tacos and they were fantastic - huge pieces of shrimp, so good! The lobster mac n cheese is so good, I would have loved to bring a big container of it home with me! The restaurant is very busy but very clean and tables are well organized for maneuvering a quick trip to the restroom before leaving. Our server, Maylen was attentive and pleasant. The bar area, facing the street, looked like a lot of fun, I'll have to try it next time!

There was a saxophone player while I was there. I tried the chicken tacos. They were good. There
read morewas a table with a birthday there and the staff brought a dessert with a sparkler on it. And the saxophone player walked up to them played for them. That looked pretty nice. We sat next to the bar and there were some obnoxious gringos at the bar while we were there... which is common on the north side of the island.

Photos
Lola Valentina - Cute decor

Cute decor

Lola Valentina - Octopus

Octopus

Lola Valentina - Lights out. But fun.

See all

Lights out. But fun.

Picus

Picus

4.0(54 reviews)
2.0 km‱Isla Mujeres
‱$$

This place was recommended by the locals, it's an affordable restaurant with great food. We were
read morepleasantly surprised with the food since most of the food on the island isn't that great. I ordered a shrimp cocktail and "camarones a la diabla" which I forgot to take pictures of but they both were really good. I asked for medium spicy and that was good enough for me! My fiancé said this "huachinango" if I'm not mistaken fish was the best he had had in a long time. He kept saying how good it was until he finished it, which made me very happy. We hadn't stumped upon good food for a while. The staff members were polite and helpful. I would definitely come back here! It's also very budget friendly.

This place came highly recommended by a friendly local when asked about the best lobster dinner on
read morethe island. When we asked the host about the prices, he stated anywhere from $60-$90 based on the catch for the day. Unfortunately, when we were seated and started our order, the waiter stated that all lobsters were about $120 that day. (Now, mind you that these are lobsters that they literally swim out & catch for free). We opted to just get chips & guacamole which was pretty good. The host was so friendly, but the waiter was actually very rude & unfriendly. The vibe of the place was pretty cool. Somewhat of a shack, but literally right on the water.

Photos
Picus - Dining area

Dining area

Picus - Coconut Shrimp

Coconut Shrimp

Picus - Menu January 2023

See all

Menu January 2023

Javi's Cantina - seafood - Updated June 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...