This was our third visit to this Cedar Rapids and I think it'll be awhile before we go back. The place has promise, the decor leans to a southwest flair but not over done. All three visits had some glimmer of hope but fell short on the whole each time. The chips and salsa seem to be legit and those have been consistently good. The Barilla Burrito tortilla was done to perfection but what was inside fell short. It could have been outstanding but with tons of rice and very little beans and more importantly, very little Barilla meat it fell short. Service was faster this time but being that it was a Friday at lunch time and we were two of about five people in the place it should have been. read more

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I am baseing this review on one visit, I will probably come back and revisit it after I go back because I will be back. The chips and salsa were actually thick not really to my liking but some people do like it that way. The salsa was really good and flavorful with just a hint of spice but beware the first one is free any additional basket of chips is an extra $1.50. I tried the sample platter of dips which was a queso A meat queso and guacamole. All three were very good. On Tuesdays they have a dollar special for tacos, my son had one of each, the chicken and beef and he liked them both. The atmosphere was very nice, very clean with helpful and friendly service I really enjoyed my time here it looked like a nice place and I will come back I advise you to do the same. Updated: I have now been here a few more times and still like this place. The chips are better and the food is really good. Service has improved since first coming out. This is quickly becoming a favorite place to visit. read more

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Sat out on the patio. Was not busy at the time. Server was very nice and helpful. Food was really good. read more

La Cantina Bar & Grill - Patio - Mexican Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

If you like guacamole- their table side guac station is LEGIT! Reminded me of the guac I had in Troncones, Mexico! The arroz con pollo was delicious too and Dallas, our server, was very attentive. Will definitely be back! read more

La Cantina Bar & Grill - Arroz con Pollo, Demon Hawks margarita - Mexican Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Good, fresh tasting food and a convenient pickup system. Many say they have the best fajitas in town so we always get one order of those. Queso is good - order a large if you want more than a single serving. read more

So many delicioso dishes. The best campechanos in town-burrito, taco OR my favorite, nachos campechanos. Margarita on the rocks with Tajin on the rim. Gotta try it. They get busy and service slows down a little, but it is worth the wait. read more

La Cantina Bar & Grill - Margarita with Tajin - Mexican Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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I took my parents to La Cantina when they came to town because they *love* Mexican food! We were not disappointed. The chips were warm, the service was so good even though they were packed and my parents told me that this is the best Mexican food they've ever tasted! If you're not sure what to order: get the arroz con pollo, add fajita vegetables and onions if you love bell peppers and onions! It is to die for and i get it every single time! read more

Their guacamole used to be super good when they made it at the table. Last night we went and it was $8 for guacamole that was the consistency of mushed up baby food. It was also way SPICY! Not sure what happened. I really wanted to enjoy my food but it wasn't that great, sad to say! read more

We have been here a few times and things seem to be consistent as far as service and quality of food. I get the steak tacos almost every time and I've never been disappointed. We had the sweetest server last night on the patio! He was super funny, very attentive, and took good care of us as we were celebrating a friend's birthday. They even served her a fried ice cream dessert for free! read more

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Mojito was as close to a virgin drink as one could get. The queso was quite literally white, milky soup. The beef enchilada was absolutely horrid (that beef had to be weeks old!). Then... for a Mexican restaurant to serve me store bought chips was the icing on the cake. Store bought? Do better. We will definitely be spending our money somewhere else next time. Gross! read more

My wife and I have made this our "Friday night, date night" go-to! Fron the friendly, wonderful staff, amazing food and tasty margaritas, we highly recommend this to all our friends and family! read more

This review is for Center Point location. Take Out review was told 20 to 25 do I arrived 30 minutes after I called. it took 15 minutes to actually have someone ask me anything. there is no room at all in there. it took 30 more minutes to get take out. Food was very very bland and beef was extremely tuff. medium prices. will never go back to bad as it replaced a excellent restaurant this is not and seems poorly ran. read more

This location is terrible. We've been sitting in the restaurant for over an hour now. Ordered our food at 6:45. Waitress said food would be right out at 7:26... it's now 7:42 and still no food. This is fucking ridiculous for a restaurant. After complaining to the manager the food for our table and the others around us who also waited forever finally came out. All at once. When we received our food it wasn't hot, they put in a new order for a chimichanga and it was out at the table in less than 10 minutes. In the main dining area tables were turned over and new people had food while we were still waiting. Not a good experience. read more

I don't know why this place is not rated better. I travel a lot. Saw this place near my hotel. I didn't have a lot of time, so I slipped in for a quick lunch. After I had lunch I looked on Yelp to see how it was rated. The food was great and the service was outstanding. I was happy I stopped in. read more

Fajitas were good. Queso was terrible, no taste and consistency of water. Margarita was decent. Worst service I have ever had. Took at least 10 minutes to just get water. 15 minutes after that she finally came to take our order.Took another 20 to get our food. Didn't see her again until I asked someone else if I could pay my bill so we could leave. I would understand if they were busy,but they weren't. Will not go back. read more

Boy do I love some good mexi food and La Cantina really hits the spot! Cedar Rapids has plenty of Mexican restaurants to choose from these days but I seem to find myself wanting La Cantina when the craving hits. For starters, this establishment is large. I hate feeling cramped or like my dining neighbors can hear everything I'm talking about. LC can always accommodate groups as well. This spaciousness carries over to the outside patio where you can dine al fresco under very large umbrellas that provide the perfect amount of shade. I tend to have a rather robust appetite and the portions here are ample, even for us big eaters. The chips and salsa are yummy and always fresh, the service is fast and courteous, the drinks are cold, the food is hot and the restaurant is clean (yes, even the bathrooms). My last visit to La Cantina included some impromptu salsa dancing on the patio, a hug from our server, and the bartender (who we didn't interact with at all during our visit) hollered a friendly goodbye with well wishes for a great rest of our day. I mean... how sweet is that? La Cantina has the whole package and I have yet to be disappointed by the food, service or cleanliness. I will joyfully continue to give them my business every time I need a little spice in my life. read more

La Cantina Bar & Grill - Yummmmmm - Mexican Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Easily one of the best Mexican spots in CR. Not sure why all the negative reviews but maybe since 2019 they've stepped up their game. Each dish I've tried has been very flavorful and tastes made from scratch. The chips and salsa is always on point and service has never been an issue. Go eat at several other places in CR and then come here and compare, it's on a different level. read more

It honestly pains me to write this. The last 3 times we have been in here it's not been great. I'm writing this in hopes of some constructive criticism. If you sit at the bar and order a homemade marg it's great. The house marg is very sour and lime green which is why took a sip of my spouses when he didn't like it. I ordered a jalapeño one which said it was homemade and she told me she just muddles jalapeños in the house it wasn't great I didn't finish it. But I love the space in the building. They also have igloos for outside on the patio which is great for covid. But my huge issue here is the restroom the third time in over a month the bathrooms have one out of 3 stalls working. The toilet paper is on the back on the toilet which is pretty disgusting , and the paper towels on the counter which end up being wet. The food is good no complaints but we haven't eaten again after using to restrooms. read more

La Cantina Bar & Grill - Mexican Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

wait staff is super friendly! drinks are made quickly, margaritas are strong! they are always coming up with new menu ideas and have never been disappointed with anything I've ever ordered. recommend 10/10 read more

My wife and I went here for the first time last night. We had a great meal and the service was great! Our new "go-to" Mexican restaurant in CR. read more

La Cantina Bar & Grill - Mahi Mahi Tacos. - Mexican Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Waited over 10 minutes for server. We ordered water with our drinks and had to ask a second time. Worst margarita I have ever had... Couldn't even drink it. Noone at table could put their finger on what it tasted like. Server never even noticed it sitting full on the table or asked about it as others ordered second round. Food was average at best thus the 2 stars as that drink eas a big ZERO. Then waited for check....Tick tock....we won't be back. read more

La Cantina has it's food truck open, which I greatly appreciate as access to food right now is at a premium. I stopped to night and ordered two walking tacos for $7 each. It was good in as far as I paid $14 for two bags of Doritos. There was barely any meat included. When I was handed my two walking tacos. I was like damn. Did they remember to put the meat in. I should have walked them back to the truck but I headed home anyway because I was tired, hot, and hungry. Won't be heading back for sure. read more

My fiancé and I came here on a Monday evening for the first time and were amazed with the service that Kyle "turbo" provided! We will be back and we will be telling all of our friends! Great service! Great menu! Great food! Great prices! Amazing experience!! read more

I'll adjust the review once it is acknowledged. I ordered food at 3:13 Sunday 6/14/20 pm via yelp which passed orders via grub hub. I was supposed to be done in 30-50 minutes. I didn't actually get my food until almost 1.5 hours after ordering take out. I called at about 50 minutes to support number who said it would be ready at 4:11 pm. But When arriving they didn't even have my order. Finally after about 1.5 frustrating hours I had my food. I had cold groceries in my car getting warm as an additional frustration. A total unacceptable experience. The only 'bright spot' was the very nice hostess she seemed very young but who tried hard to fix the problem while her management was just sitting around and laughing with the staff. this young girl and another young girl took my order, Gave me free chips and cheso-dip and brought my food to the car. (When it was ready). She was very apologetic, pleasant, and listed to my complaint. and if I could have I would have tipped her just for being nice I m- I would have but had no cash. She's the only reason I'll consider going back to this restaurant. read more

The service is very slow, unfriendly and not welcoming. The food is very bland with no flavor. I had the fajitas and my wife had the carne asada. We will never eat at this establishment ever again. read more

If you want to remember what it is like eating at the school cafeteria then I recommend this restaurant. I don't believe anything was fresh except for maybe some green peppers and onions. The "from the kitchen" guacamole was filled with sour cream which is a cheap trick to make go further (less avocados) but if you have an allergy to dairy, then you are probably going to be in trouble. (Note- this was not the table-side guac). When you order a Carne Asada, it is typically cut up for you not just a plate of meat with tons of fat still in it. The drinks were definitely watered down with some sort of substance. I'm not really sure what. But it was notable since I make my own drinks at home I could tell that these margaritas were full of water. To make matters worse, our table was completely wobbly and unstable and nothing was done even though we alerted multiple staff members. We were not moved. Also there was a sign in back of my head that was nearly coming loose and falling onto me. It is probably my fault for going to this one. The other one had good reviews. But I read that one and got the two mixed up. Now I am facing the consequences. Good morning...p read more

Never been to another La Cantina location so this was my first experience with the establishment. The first thing you notice when you walk in is the design and layout of the building. What they did to it is truly exceptional. There is a great ambience here. Service was very friendly and pretty quick. We did order iced tea which seemed... really thick and was like a cloudy white color which was really strange. Other than that though, everything was great. The chips seemed lighter and crisper than a lot of places in town. The salsa had a good flavor as well. I ordered the Chile Verde, which is pork marinated in salsa verde and it was awesome! I am a big fan of the green sauce though so maybe I'm a bit biased! The tortillas also seemed a lot lighter and airier than most which I personally liked. I do wish my entree came with the lettuce and maybe even a little pico because it really does add a lot of depth and flavor when you fill up the tortillas but it's not a big deal. Overall a really great new location for La Cantina which you should check out! I will be back for sure and try those famous fajitas and margaritas! read more

Yum, this place was great. Tableside, made fresh guacamole was awesome! I had the quesadilla Acapulco and the burrito camaron (i bought one entree to eat then and the other to eat later!). Both were excellent. They do not chince on the meat that go in these dishes which was a pleasant surprise. The only critiques i would give are: they need to put more guacamole in the guacamole salad that comes with a lot of the meals, otherwise why call it guacamole salad and are there peas in your rice?!? Peas? Maybe they were in the salad part but even if, peas in the guacamole salad? Interesting... I'm definitely going back again though! *Groupon available right now if you want to give this place a try! That's what got me in the door and now I'm going to keep going back. read more

Omg every time I go to la cantina I'm amazed sorry for my user name but I made this a long time ago back to cantina I had a great server named Tara ask for her next time you go she is great and very nice read more

All I can say is Tacos Campechanos!!! (w/steak, pork and chorizo) FIRE!!! People, DON'T SLEEP ON THIS DISH! I've tried other menu items that are good (not excellent) but the Tacos Campechanos... OH MY GAWD... AMAZING! Also love the LA Juana Margarita. The chips are always warm and the salsa is yummy! read more

Pros: my carnitas were about the best flavored I've had. Cons: Took a long time to get our food and had to ask for our bill twice. The server did recognize that we were waiting a lot and took 20% of the bill without prompting so I will give them props for trying. read more

THE TENDERLOIN IS BOMB, the chips and queso is hot and fresh, all the other people don't know what they're talking about, has a lot of TVs meaning you can watch many different things as your enjoying your delicious meal, and it is a Mexican restaurant, of course it's gonna get messy, so to the people complaining about sanitation, go to somewhere else you sassy Kings and queens. Also the best server if had is a girl with twin boys who come often named Tara read more

Chips and queso we're good, pretty good service. But the menu prices are wrong... I got a quesadilla and on the menu it says 5.99, and when my bill comes it's 7.25. 7.25$ for a small quesadilla. Outrageous. And I asked the server why my price was up another 1.25$ than what I thought it was. It was a mess and it had no flavor which was very disappointing. It was really good last time but this time was just very disappointing. read more

these crusty workers are rude and slow. i was seated at a table and the whole top layer was just crumbs. i could've scooped it up with a shovel if i wanted to. then it took the waiter an hour and 70 minutes to get our food. it looked like it was just slopped together and it smelled raunchy. i think the queso was expired. for a table of 1 my bill was $69. and my water tasted like it came out of a well full of wet rats. DO NOT EAT HERE. i would rate this zero stars if i could. not to mention the food looked like cat vomit read more

La Cantina Bar & Grill - Mexican Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Caused my brain injury! In 2012 I was there with some friends for dinner on New Years after work. I was there to just eat and have a couple shots, I was not drunk just a tiny bit tipsy. There was only 2 bathroom stalls and there was a long line so I went into the other stall where the door looked in disrepair, thinking the worst that could happen is someone might see me using the toilet. As I was leaving the stall it collapsed and hit me in the center of my forehead. It was very heavy and the waitress apologized and said it happened before. I felt dazed and a little sick and thought I was ok. I went home and my sons thought I was drunk Because my speech was slurred and I was having trouble walking. The next day my son had to drive me to the er because I could hardly talk or walk. What ensued has been pure hell since then, I am permanently disabled now. They tried saying I (a grown woman) was hanging on the door pulling it down...that was pretty low of them. They ruined my life, i lost everything and because I was up against their fancy insurance all I got was 10k....barely enough to pay hospital Bill's and my sister for taking care of me. 10k is all my life was worth....I want them to know I've not just quietly disappeared, I'm still here. My hope is that your business has complete and utter failure. I curse your business and entire family forever! read more

Food was ok. Margarita was good. Service is lacking. We paid our bills and ended up sticking around longer chatting. Never acknowledged our table again. Just because we already paid doesn't mean you don't check in with us at all. We could have changed our minds or at the least fill up our waters. read more

First time at this location went for lunch figured since it was a slow part of the day thought service would be great far opposite they sat on their asses we sat at 3 different tables every one was dirty the menu is not specific enough I ended up with food I didn't like cause they didn't list everything on the menu and the food was bland and over cooked far from true Mexican food first visit and last visit hated I wasted my lunch on this place read more

This is the place for you if: #1) you like chicken bones in your enchilada #2) you enjoy getting laughed at when pointing out the chicken bone to your server #3) you appreciate neglectful, S-L-O-W service #4) prefer 3 different servers during your meal. Since our server disappeared "out back" twice, we had a second server provide food/bill and a third server handled payment. On this Sunday night, we counted 7 tables of guests and many more empty tables. Can you imagine the speed of service when they're busy? My advice is save your time, money, and appetite for something better! Many better choices in Marion and Cedar Rapids. read more

The first time we went to La Cantina when they were new, the food, drinks and service were outstanding. Our 2nd visit was Saturday night. The margarita I had was awful. I ordered a simple mixed drink instead but they got it wrong twice. Food was pretty good. The worse thing was our waitress. Friendly woman but was a slob. Her dirty hair was put up very messy. Her tshirt had food all over it. She delivered a glass of water by holding it under her arm squished up against her body. She told my husband he was "needy" when he asked for a replacement or had a question. The place had really gone downhill which was sad. read more

Amazing selection of tequila, the absolute worst service. How can you have 10 servers on staff and still not get a beer? Had to ask three times before we got more chips and every time I looked for our server she was hanging out in a booth with other staff doing absolutely nothing. I even witnessed staff ignoring other customers while giving each other back rubs. Save your money and time, go to Super Burrito or El Bajio. read more