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    Lava Cantina

    3.3 (657 reviews)

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    LAVA CANTINA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Trendy
    Live music

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    Recommended Reviews - Lava Cantina

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    Reviews With Photos

    Desperado a great cover band.
    Dan W.

    I had the opportunity to stop in here and watch the band desperado, which is a great Eagles cover band. I got a seat on the balcony right at the bar top. What a great view. no one to block your view of the band and you can overlook the crowd below the venue here is awesome I had a burger and two beers during the concert and the food was really good The beers were ice cold. What more do you want?

    House Margarita
    Rachel H.

    Came here for a concert. We've never been here before. The location is very easy to find. And we didn't have any problem finding a parking place. We first sat inside and ordered food and drinks. The drinks were really good. And the food had amazing flavor. Our server was very nice and attentive. The atmosphere is very fun and laid back. We then went outside to see our concert. Which was awesome. All in all we had a great experience and are looking forward to coming back next week for another concert we purchased tickets for.

    a classic car parked in front of a building
    Erin L.

    Always a great time and shows are amazing and sound quality is phenomenal. We love the bar and drinks and decor is cool. Staff is always friendly.

    Staci W.

    Awesome music Waterloo!!!!! Service was great and we are having a great time! Great weather, great friends!

    a view of a city at night
    Diana D.

    Great place for concerts! They have a really nice outdoor but covered area for concerts and they always have really cool bands playing. Food is ok, I personally don't think their menu is great but their Brisket Tacos and Elote pizza are really good! Staff is always nice. Drinks are reasonably priced. They also have Karaoke nights every Tuesday and that is a lot of fun too!

    Lava Cantina Menu
    Veronica H.

    Great venue for a concert! The drinks and food are good. Small venue, but totally worth going to.

    Another view of the elevated stage taken from the dance floor.
    Sherri H.

    I came to Lava Cantina to attend a private party. The venue was closed to outside customers and the food was probably selected from a catering menu. The welcoming staff at the door was very friendly and well, welcoming! There was a wide variety of self serv food set up that was just alright. I had a frozen mango margarita that was good but not the best I've ever had. The venue was clean and once the band started playing the volume was off the charts! When I arrived, I tried to pick a place to sit that was fairly away from speakers so that one could carry on a conversation. Wrong!! I don't think there is a place available here for conversation. After leaving for the evening, my ears were ringing for hours. I've been to lots of concerts over the years and to this venue several times the noise volume here is always way too loud. I would have enjoyed the live music so much better if the volume was not turned all the way up! The dance floor was spacious and it's set up where the band is elevated from it, which is great. Again, the music was way too loud to enjoy from the dance floor. Maybe I'm getting too old for live music events, but I don't think so! Louder does not make it sound better, in fact the opposite is true. In my opinion, the acoustics go down the louder the volume. I think the rock and roll decor is nice and I was happy to see a poster in the ladies room on how a lady could get help from the bartender by ordering certain drinks. Overall the venue is okay. Just don't expect to have much conversations without shouting and having a sore, scratching throat to go along with ringing ears the next day!

    Bang bang shrimp
    Janet H.

    We stopped in at Lava Cantina for a quick bite. Sorry to say the food was just not that great. The bang bang shrimp were over cooked -way beyond crispy, to the point of being chewy. The salad was lettuce and a ton of tomatoes, very little dressing and you had to ask for croutons! The pizza was so salty! It looks so good but the salt overpowers everything. The crust was really good. Not sure how it was, but there was a band playing and we throughly enjoyed them. We were seated quickly, and our server was very sweet. All in all, may go back for drinks and music but not food!!

    Bar Menu
    Cory H.

    The Sunday soul event is amazing. People of all ages having a great time. They also have food and you can reserve tables if you want for your group ahead of time. I went solo and still met a lot of cool people. Will definitely be back again.

    Ben L.

    This rating is specifically regarding their "VIP" section of their live events. It sucks. The most expensive ticket with the crappiest view. Do not recommend it at all. You end up standing unless you you've snagged a seat on the rail. The rest are crap. May as well save your money and buy a GA tickets Oh, and on the floor, you can see the stage from wherever. In the BS VIP, you can only see if you are at the rail.

    Me sitting pretty in the corner of our booth

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    1 year ago

    Nice venue, decent music, but grossly understaffed. And those working are too busy updating their Facebook accounts. Not worth the trip.

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    2 years ago

    Very good food. Nice selection of drinks and food. Nice venue to check out a show. Service has been great.

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    Page 1 of 17

    Ask the Community - Lava Cantina

    Is there AC in the concert seating area?

    it's outdoors and i think they have fans installed but i'm not 100% ..

    I haven't been to a concert anywhere since this Covid stuff started. How are they handling social distancing? I see that they are having shows now? I'm especially concerned about the GA areas. And does the balcony have tables and chairs in GA?

    They are doing a great job with social distancing. They have far less chairs and tables in the concert viewing area than before covid. Each table per party is separated into sections, so you get basically your own safe space to view the concert if… Read more

    Is it kid friendly?

    Yes especially during brunch

    I'm going here soon for a concert... but I need to know more about the venue/stage. I want to be as close to the stage as possible, but I was wondering if that would be GA or VIP? Before I buy the tickets.

    GA is closest to the stage, but unless you get there early to secure seats at 1 of the 6-8 patio tables, you’ll be standing all night.

    Is it cold for winter concerts?

    A little bit. But if the band is good and with a couple of drinks it can be fun

    How is it for the Dallas Cowboys Meet and Greet events?

    Havent been to those but the space is huge lots of flexibility to be upstairs or downstairs and the staff is great.

    What is the capacity for a concert venue there?

    It's huge. Room for tons of people.

    How is parking?

    Parking lot is huge! And I believe they have valet service too.

    View All 10 Questions

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    Capt Loui

    Capt Loui

    4.4
    (134 reviews)
    5.8 mi

    So good!! The mild house sauce is delicious and not spicy enough to leave a tingle in your mouth,…read morebut full of flavor. The shrimp and snow crab legs were our favorites. The lobster tail was a bit tough and overcooked, which is a waste. Mussels were good too. Garlic noodles were not our favorite. Corn and potatoes are good, but they're a bit stingy about it only giving you one of each. When your seafood boil is $70+, you should get more than one of each. The flavors linger in your mouth for a bit. It lingered for almost 2 days for me, but would definitely return!

    Went to Capt Loui for lunch and had mixed feelings about the experience. The food itself was great…read more The crab was fresh, well-seasoned, and definitely the highlight of the visit. Unfortunately, the service was questionable. Our server had difficulty communicating in English, which led to a costly misunderstanding. When we ordered crab, she never asked what type of crab we wanted and instead assumed king crab, which is significantly more expensive than other options. As a result, our bill was much higher than expected. To make matters worse, a 20% gratuity was automatically added to the bill without it being mentioned to us beforehand. While restaurants may choose to add gratuity in certain situations, customers should be clearly informed so there are no surprises. My advice: enjoy the food, but be very specific when ordering. Confirm exactly what type of crab you're getting, verify the pricing, and check your bill carefully. Also remember that gratuity should be clearly communicated and not assumed. Better communication would have made this a much better overall experience.I'd rate it 2.5 out of 5 stars. Great food, but the service and communication issues took away from the experience.

    Photos
    Capt Loui
    Hot chicken sandwich combo
    Hot chicken sandwich combo
    Capt Loui

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    Lava Cantina - bars - Updated July 2026

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