Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Little Water Cantina

    3.0 (624 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Bars
    Closed • 11:30 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Little Water Cantina Takeout or Delivery

    Little Water Cantina Photos

    Business Info

    LITTLE WATER CANTINA ATMOSPHERE

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

    You might also consider

    More like Little Water Cantina

    Recommended Reviews - Little Water 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

    Charley B.

    Fun spot on a nice day to sit outside. The service is all online now, which is interesting, but the food is always really fresh and the margs are delicious!! Good vibes for a sunny Seattle day.

    Erik H.

    Great place to hang out overlooking the lake on a nice day with a few cervezas and margaritas. Came her after a UW graduation before flying out of town. Meal took an hour which was perfect. Ordering is done via toast tab. Had quesadillas, nachos burritos tacos, salads, etc and everyone was pleased.

    Bonnie G.

    The food was fresh, though I wanted the salsas to be spicier. Loved sitting on the back deck. Great view. Especially on a sunny day. Odd menu/ordering system: You scan the qr code to see the menu and order. No one appears that you can ask questions. We ordered the chips and salsa. Enjoyed the mixed corn and flour chips, obviously house made. The salsa was nice, but very mild. Id lije ut spicier. You get a nice sized portion of chips, without enough salsa to eat them with. We flagged someone down to get more salsa, and were advised we'd need to buy more salsa. So for $7, you get chips and salsa, but if you want more salsa, you gotta pay. We tried the elote corn and appreciated the knife to cut it off the cob. It was ok, but would probably not order again. Very mayo heavy. The grilled fish tacos were tasty but very messy to eat. The green salsa it came with had little flavor and no heat at all. The rice and beans were great! Loved those flavorful beans. I'm sorry I paid online when I ordered. I would have tipped less after the meal. The service was barely there.

    Fresh watermelon margaritas - very tasty.
    Natasha R.

    I just got back from Tulum and was still craving tacos - when I walked outside and saw they were serving fresh watermelon margaritas I decided to stop. I came in for a late lunch (3pm) and there were about 5 tables taken. A friendly waiter greeted me - I was able to seat myself on the patio and enjoy the view. I learned while I sat here that they have a free parking garage - I walked so I didn't require it, but that's great information to give my friends who drive down (I'll be back). The watermelon margarita was so fresh - the refreshing cocktail I was hoping for on this sunny day. The fish tacos hit the spot - great flavor and appropriately sized. Unfortunately - I found a few bones in one taco. I was fully intending to make this a 5 star review before those unfortunate few bites. Stuff happens - it didn't ruin my experience.

    Chips with Salsa and Guacamole
    Candace W.

    This place has pretty decent Mexican food for prices that are a little high, but makes sense for the location. Definitely ask for an outdoor seat here because the view is amazing, you can even see Gas Works Park from their patio! The service was decent, you get your menu from a QR code and order on your phone so you're not personally tended to. The chips with salsa and guacamole was a great starter. They had 2 different types of chips which I liked. The salsa is very spicy though (and I like spice)!!! The tacos were good with not much meat on them but enough to satisfy me. The quesadillas were thin and plain, so probably wouldn't order those again. Overall: AMAZING location because of its clear waterfront view. The food was average for a Mexican spot, and the service was mainly through a device which didn't bother me.

    ... it's time to ditch the single use plastic cups
    Stacy S.

    5 stars for ambiance and food... service and sustainability make this a 4 star review. If you're lucky enough to get an outside table in the summer, grab it. And then try a spicy margarita which is delicious and served in an actual glass. (For some reason, water comes in a single use plastic glass, despite this being the 2020s.) Tacos and elote corn are very good.. sharing food is easy but requires a lot of coordination through their ordering system (especially if you want separate bills). Maybe just have one person order everything and then use venmo.

    $18 chicken burrito. Cold, bland and full of rice.  No bueno.
    Lisa S.

    $18 burrito. It was cold, super bland and full of rice. The food has been mediocre the last few years. Drinks are always good and they have a great deck.

    Grilled fish tacos.  Where is the fish?
    Jason H.

    I couldn't imagine a Mexican restaurant being worse. To start with the good, patio seating and homemade tortillas. It ends there. You order from a QR code and food is delivered. Hate this. No interaction. No human connection. We ordered tacos, grilled fish and chicken tinga. They were stingier with their meat than Chipotle...on a bad day. There was plenty of cabbage and crema. So much that you could not close the tortilla to eat the taco. The tortilla was so thin, everything fell through the bottom. This was not a taco. I ordered corn tortillas and received flour. Not a big deal but one of the little things that made this experience one I would not want to repeat or recommend. As a visitor to Seattle, this might be the best Mexican restaurant available. If so, I'm so sorry. Don't eat here. Don't waste your money. Pass on Little Water Cantina.

    Salsa & Chips
    Rebecca Q.

    No reservations, so we waited about 25 minutes at the bar for a seat on the beautiful outdoor patio. The watermelon margs were as fresh as advertised and the chips and salsa were bold and spicy (skip the flour chips). It was $17 for 2 largely stuffed fried fish tacos, but they were delicious and service was kind.

    Bar area

    Traveling through Seattle and stopped for a quick drink before my reservation. However, stopping here quickly turned into cancelling my reservation at the other place and hanging out here. Absolutely great conversation with the bartender Chris - he is so down to earth, and served prime drinks the entire time. The views are amazing. Overall, I highly recommend this place and will always make a stop when I am in Seattle!

    The patio view
    Greyson S.

    Maybe it was a magic moment, being right at opening on New Years Day, or maybe they've taken some of the feedback left here by others to heart. Regardless, my partner and I had a great time at Little Water Cantina, which was our first time, and we'll absolutely be back. Are you paying for the view on top of the food? Absolutely! But I've paid twice as much for half as decent food at other places with views around town. Honestly, I thought their barbacoa was amazing and the salsa that came with the chips was stellar. I didnt find the staff cold at all. Granted, we were the only ones there. We were provided with all the accoutrements for the table as expected and we didnt find the QR menu experience cumbersome at all. The food came fast and was very tasty. I def will be ordering extra tortillas and splitting the tacos up next time. I scoffed at the price at first for two tacos, but they were so full that they were more like 4 tacos at other places. The experience of paying without interacting with anyone was a little disconcerting, and I could see how that part of the experience could come off feeling cold to other folks. But I appreciated the simplicity and we were well-wished warmly on the way out. I suspect some of this gets lost when they fill up, which is why I'll likely continue to try going at odd hours. Oh and for those concerned about the location, theres decent parking on site if they arent busy. A whole little parking level underneath the building.

    Queso Dip

    See all

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lisa S.
    0
    10
    25

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Great food, great view. Perfect spot for lunch, especially with the underground parking.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of A P.
    0
    1
    0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    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

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Emmy F.
    0
    17
    16

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of K K.
    0
    3
    0

    1 year ago

    22% automatic tip but you have to order from kiosk? Then they ask you to add tip on check out?

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 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

    Page 1 of 16

    Ask the Community - Little Water Cantina

    You might also consider

    Koko's - Guacamole Chips & Salsa

    Koko's

    4.4(204 reviews)
    2.4 mi•First Hill

    Incredible food, beautiful interiors, and extra friendly service! The prices are very reasonable,…read morethe fancy plating makes it look like high dining. Impressed with all the dishes at the table all around, can't wait to come back and try everything. Thank you!

    Overall, we had a nice experience. Our server, Jadin, was wonderful! Jadin was very kind,…read moreattentive, and especially patient with our party while we waited for one of our guests to arrive. We really appreciated the hospitality and never felt rushed. As far as the food, for the price point, I do feel we could have gone somewhere else and received better quality. The food wasn't terrible, but it didn't quite meet our expectations for what we paid. The biggest disappointment was our interaction with the bartender on 9/4 around 8:30 PM. Our group approached the bar simply trying to order a round of shots. From the beginning, her attitude came across as unnecessarily rude when she asked whether we had a table. She then looked at our group and said, "First of all, we can't have you up here." We genuinely did not know that guests seated at tables were supposed to order through their server. Had she simply explained that to us politely, we would have apologized, returned to our table, and ordered from there. The policy itself wasn't the issue. It was the way it was communicated. Aside from that interaction, we enjoyed our time and really appreciated Jadin for making our experience a positive one.

    Photos
    Koko's - Mocktail Marg

    Mocktail Marg

    Koko's - Chorizo Guacamole Burger

    Chorizo Guacamole Burger

    Koko's - Happy Hour Koko Margarita

    See all

    Happy Hour Koko Margarita

    D' La Santa - Flan & Tiramisu

    D' La Santa

    4.5(564 reviews)
    0.5 mi•Capitol Hill
    •$$

    So excited to see more Mexican places open in the Seattle area! Such a cute brunch spot with…read moredelicious food. Ordered the cafe de olla and absolutely loved it. It was sweet, as expected, but not overly sweet. We got pan dulce with the coffee and both the concha and puerquito were fantastic. Both of the green and red sauces for the chilaquiles were tasty, but I think I ended up liking the red just a tad bit more. They were pretty equal in taste! My absolute favorite dish from this experience were the chicharrones. They cooked the pork amazingly and it complimented the salsas perfectly. Great spot! Can definitely see the hype behind this place and am excited to come back at some point again!

    I've always wanted to check out D'la Santa. I always heard that Fri and Sats are always busy and…read morethey do not take reservations but walk-ins only. However, I just found out you can put your self on the waitlist on their website if it's busy. Sundays are the best days to go as it's not as busy and they were able to accommodate a big party. The restaurant also has a parking lot for people to park at as well, so that is a plus! The drink menu is very limited, they don't have a full bar. I ordered the skinny margarita and it was good. The food is authentic and if you are looking for authentic Mexican food, D'La Santa is the spot. We ordered the queso and the rajitas. Both appetizers are really good, came out super hot. Highly recommend. I got the carne asada plate and added an extra mini quesadilla. The carne is very seasoned so you have to eat it with the tortilla to balance out the saltiness. The service was fast and our waiter was very attentive.

    Photos
    D' La Santa - Really cool inside, with a faux lantern tree that makes it a special place to eat. But quite noisy at peak hours.

    Really cool inside, with a faux lantern tree that makes it a special place to eat. But quite noisy at peak hours.

    D' La Santa - D'la Santa Parrillada

    D'la Santa Parrillada

    D' La Santa - Tacoarte

    See all

    Tacoarte

    La Chingona

    La Chingona

    4.6(248 reviews)
    5.8 mi
    •$$

    This Goblin swears on all dark magic, that this spot has one of the best fish tacos in Seattle…read more Period. The salsa is fresh, the coating on the fish is crispy and light. The tortillas are fresh and full of corn flavor. The aguas frescas smack like my spiked club into your face. I first tried La Chingona on the road pillaging in Bellevue. I'm so glad I stepped away from the village burning for a second to try their delicious tacos. Is it more expensive than your typical Mexican Plato? Si. Does it taste better than your typical Mexican Plato in Seattle? Si. One other crucial detail. That taco will be buckling under the weight of the toppings. These are not skimpy servings. My shrimp taco was heavy enough to do curls with. Their service is friendly, and precise. To this date, I have never received the wrong order, cold food, a missing drink, etc. Expect hordes of people on the weekends, because you can count on one hand how many Mexican places taste like this in the PNW.

    We came here for my mom's birthday lunch and honestly couldn't have picked a better spot…read more The owner was genuinely one of the sweetest people ever. She was dressed in the most beautiful Día de los Muertos-inspired makeup and outfit, and she brought such a warm, welcoming energy to the whole experience. It really made the meal feel special from the moment we walked in. She took our order herself and surprised us with complimentary conchas on the house, which was such a thoughtful touch. As someone who loves Mexican pastries, that instantly won me over. For food, I ordered the pozole and it was incredible rich, comforting, and full of flavor. My mom and sister got the fish tacos and they couldn't stop talking about them. Fresh, well-seasoned, and just really well done overall. This place made my mom's birthday lunch feel so memorable. Between the amazing food and the hospitality, we'll definitely be coming back for both the pozole and fish tacos again.

    Photos
    La Chingona - Wall mural by Valeria Ortiz

    Wall mural by Valeria Ortiz

    La Chingona - Shrimp tacos

    Shrimp tacos

    La Chingona - Fish & shrimp tacos

    See all

    Fish & shrimp tacos

    Pancita - Beef brisket suadero tacos

    Pancita

    4.4(98 reviews)
    2.0 mi•Ravenna

    This place isn't easy to get to. If you were to walk from the nearest light rail station, it takes…read moreabout 35 minutes - so the only other option is taking a bus from there. Despite the trek, I'm pretty happy to say that this was absolutely worth it as maybe the highest quality Mexican food in the Seattle area. The dishes here are not what you find at your typical Mexican restaurant. There's no chips and salsa, and the menu is small - only around 4 entrees and 4 small plates, along with a few appetizers. It's best to come here with someone else and find things to share - which is what I did with the small plates, since some of them come with two per order. We ended up ordering the maiz sourdough, the albacore tostadas, the brisket tacos, and tetela - finishing with the pan de elote for dessert. I'll start with what is absolutely their signature dish - the albacore tuna tostadas. I'm willing to say that this is the best dish I've ever had at a Mexican restaurant. It comes in two tostadas - each with raw albacore tuna, mayo, avocado, and fried leeks - and oh my goodness is it spectacular. Everything starts from the base of it all - the tostada itself, which is so far and away the best tostada I've ever had it's not even a debate. Years of having tostadas shatter, or even crack on each bite left me fully unprepared for what was to come; a tostada that behaves like an architecturally sound disc. Seriously, you take a bite of this and the entire rest of it remains wholly intact. It's like a miracle. The texture reminds me of a Frito, it's got those slightly raised bumps and a similar thickness. And I haven't even gotten to the toppings yet. The raw tuna on top is perfect sashimi - it's soft, just fatty enough, and absolutely slides through your mouth at the lightest chew. There's also a lot more of it on the tostada than I expected. The kewpie mayo has a surprising spice to it - like the best version of spicy mayo that you've had; except it has a bit of a smoky flavor to it as well. The avocado adds earthiness, chill-ness, and a good level of fat. Lastly, the fried leeks on top provide that extra crunchy layer just to cap it all off. It's simply one of the best constructed dishes I've seen. It took a lot of willpower not to order another set of these. The other two small plates were good, but don't quite match up. The brisket tacos are small, but filled with toppings, including a ton of the dry-aged suadero. This beef was very good, containing a lot of fat and being quite juicy in each bite. I also loved the tortillas, which were some of the best corn tortillas I've had. It's clear they nixtamalize the corn used for these in-house. Still, this didn't feel that much more than a good taco. The tetela was also fine, but nothing too special as mostly just eggplant on the inside. Something else that was amazing though, was the maiz sourdough we ordered. It's easily one of the best bread appetizers I've had. The outside is so crispy without being too chewy, while the inside is hot, fluffy, and so easy to tear apart. I simply can't get over how amazing the crust is on this bread - it wraps all the way around, and is baked to absolute perfection. The included honey butter is also really well salted and sweet, but I do wish there was more of it. For dessert, we had the pan de elote - which is a sweet corn cake with blackberry jam and a whipped cream. I found the whipped cream fascinating; rather than being too sweat, it instead had a lighter flavor that focused more on the soft and creamy texture than traditional whipped cream. The combination of the super-fresh blackberry jam and texture of the whipped cream added a ton of moisture to the corn cake - which otherwise resembled kind of a sweet cornbread. Also, the portions on the cake were crazy good. All that said, this is quite an expensive place. For what we had, per person it ended up being over $60 without any drinks. For the tostada and tacos especially, you're paying 10+ dollars/person for a single tostada or taco. I would say it's worth the price for the tostada, but not for the taco. Overall, it is certainly high-end, but the quality of food here is so high it's an absolute recommend from me. 9.25/10

    Listen, I'm vegetarian and can't enjoy all the bites on the menu -- and I can tell you right now,…read moreI'd wait outside in the rain to eat the veggie bites, drinks, and desserts they offer. Legitimately that good. I honestly came by Pancita from an Eater article and Instagram post and jokingly suggested it to my friend when we already had dinner/drink plans. We both collectively lost our minds and decided, it was DOUBLE DINNER night and made 8:15 pm resys at Pancita. I do highly recommend reservations by the way, esp on weekend nights. We thankfully found street parking just outside and were seated promptly. Truly loved how simple and charming the interior was. I'll be honest, we were dying from 1st dinner even though we only ate a few bites but being gluttons, we got the tomato salad (my favorite bite of the entire evening), my friend got the suadero tacos for herself, and I ordered the enfrijoladas (mushroom) with a side of tortillas -- I couldn't resist! Everything I tasted was delicious and I am honestly planning my next trip back ASAP. We, of course, couldn't resist dessert cause WHEN I TELL YOU THAT CORN CAKE HAS MY ENTIRE HEART. If the capslock wasn't apparent, the dessert was incredible, giantly sized, and lives rent free in my head 5ever. Do yourself a favor and go to Pancita; it is one of the rare spots that deserves every bit of the hype being sent its way.

    Photos
    Pancita - Interior

    Interior

    Pancita - Grilled pork chop with pipian verde, salsa macha, trumpet mushroom, beech mushroom, charred onion, scallion, garlic scrape and cilantro

    Grilled pork chop with pipian verde, salsa macha, trumpet mushroom, beech mushroom, charred onion, scallion, garlic scrape and cilantro

    Pancita - Earl Grey Horchata

    See all

    Earl Grey Horchata

    Maiz Molino - Dip sampler

    Maiz Molino

    4.4(130 reviews)
    2.3 mi•Denny Triangle
    •$$

    I was lured in off the street by the beautiful mural and decor. I normally forget to take pictures…read moreof restaurant interiors but I liked this place enough that it was the first thing I did! The staff (owners? Not sure, I know there's another location in Pike's Place) were friendly and seemed like they wanted to be sure that we enjoyed our food. Definitely not the cheapest Mexican restaurant around, but you're paying for the attention to detail and carefully sourced ingredients. My food was really tasty. The way their ordering works for most menu items is you pick your antojito and then your guisado (the "vessel" and "filling," I guess). I went with gorditas with chicken. All the antojitos are made with hand-made masa (nixtamal corn dough) that uses carefully sourced heirloom maize (corn), and the gorditas were no exception. The masa was really tasty and the texture was perfect. The chicken guisado was good, and I think I'll try another type depending on what they have available the next time stop in during lunch. The refried beans were really tasty and might've been my favorite thing on the plate besides the masa. My tamarind agua fresca was also delicious, but it could've been less sweet. My friend ordered tamales with pork, which I'm told were also delicious and very tender. Both dishes were also plated very beautifully.

    Really lovely people working here! They were able to accommodate our group of 5 kind of last…read moreminute. The menu has a variety of good options and everyone cleaned their plates. The inside is really fun and has a lot of pretty mosaics and murals and nice touches like the little jars of different corns.

    Photos
    Maiz Molino - Taco plate

    Taco plate

    Maiz Molino - Elote risotto at Maíz Molino in South Lake Union.

    Elote risotto at Maíz Molino in South Lake Union.

    Maiz Molino - Three Tacos plate with chicken, pork and veggies

    See all

    Three Tacos plate with chicken, pork and veggies

    Little Water Cantina - mexican - Updated September 2026

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