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    Local Cantina Westerville

    3.5 (167 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Bars, Tex-Mex
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Local Cantina Westerville Takeout or Delivery

    Local Cantina Westerville Photos

    LOCAL CANTINA WESTERVILLE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Happy hour specials

    Recommended Reviews - Local Cantina Westerville

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    patio
    Richard J.

    It was a cool place with a lot of cool decorations. I sat there for a long time just watching all those decorations. The food was great too. It just became our newest hangout spot now.

    Brunch
    Jean S.

    Service is always fast and friendly! New items are delicious! We tried the new pot of gold dip. So good! And once again, I have proven I cannot be trusted with unlimited tortilla chips!

    Jeff W.

    Okay place. Free chips and salsa. Went with the Nashville Hot Tacos. Not very hot. They have a lengthy beer list, but of course they were out of the Bad Baptist Stout. Went with the old favorite - Guinness.

    Taco Tuesday
    Marianne R.

    I love this place!! Love the interior with the big garage doors that they open up in the spring/summer to the patio. Tuesdays are a great day to go in and try a variety of tacos. They are $2 a piece dine in only. Think the hubby and I have tried about every one they. Haven't had a bad one but, we definitely have our favorites. And they have a special taco that we always ask about and usually give it a try. And they don't disappoint either. Love their margaritas too. Wish they were a little bigger for their price but, I guess you can't have it all.. Lol.. We have become I would say regulars on at least every other Tuesday to get some tacos and we haven't had a bad visit yet! Very consistent with everything! Oh and always great service!!!

    Draft menu
    Aimee J.

    My husband and I like Local Cantina quite a but. Previously we had been to the Granville and Clintonville locations several times (several years ago). This was our first time at the Westerville location. The feelings is much the same. Warm, upbeat, low key, and friendly. The food is decent, a variety of beer on tap and cans, and the prices ate usually reasonable. We stopped by late afternoon/early evening. It wasn't busy but started to fill up a bit later. It was 614 Restaurant Week ($15 price point). Chips and salsa are self serve. The $15 meal included a dip (1st course, 2 tacos from a list (2nd course), & a dessert (either fried ice cream or an apple empanada). I ordered the corn based dip, it was ok. I think the salsa is better. My husband had the green chili dip, it had good flavor and depth. I ordered the bahn mi taco and the mango fish taco. I loved all the toppings on the bahn mi taco including the picled onion, cucumber, cilantro, and sauce but didn't love the carnitas in it. The mango taco was good. My husband ordered the Farmers Market taco (flour tortilla, refried beans, had corn taco, filled with veggies) and the chef's choice (this location had a spam/pineapple combo). Both were tasty, I think I liked the spam pineapple because it was so flavorful. The apple empanada was solidly ok. Local Cantina has their own lager on tap for $4 a pint. Overall assessment, everything was solidly ok. Giving 4 stars instead of 3 because we've really liked the food (better than ok) in prior visits.

    Mac attack and carne asada tacos
    Mackenzie L.

    The Mac and cheese taco was really good and had a good flavor, the carne asada was too overpowered by the chimichurri sauce and I didn't care for it.

    Bullet
    Tracy M.

    Very nice place. Great music selections. The food was good. My tacos were just a little smaller than I expected. But good nonetheless. Serve yourself chips and salsa was new to me, and we definitely took advantage, lol. We'll be back at some point. Keep up the good work

    Emptied Magnum PI
    Natalie R.

    Sammie is out favorite tender of the bar, and Magnum PI is WHATCHUWANT. Yay Westerville Cantina! Also he reminds us of our dead brothers.

    Guac
    Carla D.

    Decided on Local Cantina for Happy Hour with a friend. Like I haven't had enough Mexican food this week (that's a silly phrase, there's no such thing as too much Mexican food). I've been here a few times and always seem to have a mediocre experience. I decided to give them another chance, more so to redeem themselves. We started with queso and guac. The queso came out piping hot and was good, but as we all know I can't handle spicy food. There were chunks of jalapeño in the queso, but if you like spice, you'll love this queso. My mouth was en fuego people. It was a five alarm fire and the only thing to extinguish the flames was an ice cold Modelo Especial with a lime, which was delicious by the way. The guac was delicious and you can tell it's made fresh. Large chunks of avocado mixed with cilantro, tomatoes, and onion. It's creamy and flavorful and delicious on their crunchy tortilla chips. Please note, tortilla chips are self serve, along with the salsa (if you're not a fan of germs, ask your server if they'll get you some chips from the back). Next up it was time to make a decision on tacos. To my surprise it was Taco Tuesday. You know what that means? Taco deals. Most of their tacos were $2 due to it being taco Tuesday, except a few were $3 and $4. I opted for the roasted carnitas taco with charred pineapple salsa and the crunchweezy taco sin frijoles salsa. Our server was pleasant and attentive, always coming up to us to refill water, or see if we needed another cerveza. Our tacos came out quickly. The roasted carnitas taco was good, but lacked overall flavor. It just kind of tasted like an under seasoned pulled pork, which was disappointing. The pineapple salsa was good, but didn't taste charred. No smokey flavor. I was hoping for a taco chock-full of flavor. Next onto the crunchweezy. I had high hopes for this taco, I mean two different shells (soft and hard), brisket, chipotle crema, guac and queso? Yes please. Unfortunately again, this was lack luster. I was expecting an explosion of flavors, instead it was under seasoned and disappointing. The brisket was cooked great, just lacked spices. Total sad face. Pros: -Taco Tuesday deals are awesome -Big variety on the menu -Drink variety is great, lots of beer on tap and delicious margaritas and handcrafted cocktails -Queso is delish, but spicy -Guac super flavorful and fresh -Ambiance is chill and relaxing, has a nice patio -A good amount of parking lot spaces Cons: -Meat and tacos lacked overall flavor -If you're a germaphobe, serving yourself chips may not be up your alley (although I bet if you ask a server if they'd get you some from the kitchen, that can be arranged). Tips: Get here for happy hour specials and Taco Tuesday if you want a good deal.

    BBQ Nachos & Strawberry Margarita

    LC in Westerville is a great place to hang and chill. Food is always great, drinks are awesome and atmosphere is casual laid back fun. Weve never had a bad experience here. Get the nachos...the best!

    Crunch weezy & corn!!!

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    7 months ago

    Taco Tuesday, tacos half off. Very good. . .

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    2 years ago

    Ordered takeout and this will be a permanent fixture in our Saturday night takeout rotation from now on.

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    3 years ago

    Love Local Cantina! The food and service were amazing as always! Thanks Sammy! We'll see you again soon!

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Local Cantina Westerville

    Can you bring dogs inside?

    Hi Babak! Under Ohio Health Code Regulations, dogs cannot be inside of any food service operation. This rule does not apply to service animals who are protected under the… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Catrina Mexican Cuisine

    Catrina Mexican Cuisine

    4.8
    (87 reviews)
    4.4 mi
    $$

    I realized I eat a lot of Mexican food! Working in the area, I do what I always do...Yelp what's…read morein the area. 4.8 starts out of 82 reviews. Let's go! I pull up and the parking lot is empty. Hmmm. Looks like an old Rax roast beef spot. Inside it had a festive vibe with a Mexican mix tape playing over the speakers. The gentleman takes my order and grab a booth. He takes your order and makes your food fresh! Fajita nachos Al Pastor with a Victoria beer. The Victoria draft came out in a frosty mug and it was cold cold. Yes!! As I'm waiting for my food, more customers start coming in. Made me feel better lol. I swear the music playing is a recording of a DJ at a wedding lol. Out come the nachos and they look amazing. He also brings a little stand for my cell phone so I can eat and watch YouTube. Never have I had that offered to me at any restaurant. His hustle, service and smile was appreciated. The nachos were really good. The marinated pork, cheese sauce, fresh chips, chunks of pineapple, sour cream and salsa verde just came together well. Bonus points for the cheese sauce. Not to mention I watched him prepare everything thru the glass counter. He's back there having fun then brings your food out with a smile. Love it. If it were super busy I don't know how he would keep up, but I appreciate his hustle. Yelp, your recommendation didn't disappoint. This was different than your typical sit down, chips and salsa, margarita special, blah blah experience. This was Cozumel in June, cruising around in the side-by-side, Oh look a cool roadside taco spot with an open center courtyard type of vibe. Minus the open courtyard. Check them out!

    We gave Catrina a try tonight and were very pleased with the service and the quality of food…read more Highlights were the tikka chicken empanada and the shrimp tostada - both delicious. The ambiance was fine , and enhanced by some very enjoyable Mexican music. We will be back!

    Photos
    Plenty of seating
    Plenty of seating
    Al Pastor Fajita nachos
    Al Pastor Fajita nachos
    Fish Taco

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    Fish Taco
    Fiesta Del Rio

    Fiesta Del Rio

    4.4
    (36 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$

    Wow, this restaurant is awesome! Stopped by with my son recently while in Columbus, and I am so…read moreglad we stopped! The wait staff was great, very attentive but not too much if you know what I mean. I think we were there for about an hour total, I had my drink refilled twice, they brought us more chips once, and my son liked his rice so much he ordered again, and the staff was all over it! I had the burrito diablo, and I was surprised that it actually had some heat to it! I am used to places saying something is spicy and that not being the case. It was nicely spiced though, not too hot. The burrito itself was covered in cheese sauce, it came with marinated chicken, and was served with rice and beans. The rice was good, as I mentioned my kid ordered extra, but for me, the beans were great. I don't know what made them so good, but there were really good. The chicken in the burrito was perfect, nice and tender and full of flavor. We also had a side of queso, that was very good as well. My only regret is that we don't live closer, or this place would go in the regular rotation for sure!

    We went here based on a friend's recommendation. The restaurant has a Polaris Parkway address but…read moreis barely visible from Polaris Parkway. It is in the row of shops and restaurants directly BEHIND the Krispy Kreme location. It is best accessed from Gemini Parkway. The decor is much nicer than your typical Mexican restaurant and offers a very nice dining experience. Being my first time here, I ordered one of their specials - a sampler platter with a burrito, taco and other items. My wife went for her favorite - a chimichanga, The food was excellent/delicious. The service was great. The prices were reasonable. We'll definitely be back. In fact, I've already booked a reservation to bring my Dine-Out group here in November.

    Photos
    Interior Lighting
    Interior Lighting
    El 54. Tacos Al Pastor (rice and beans)
    El 54. Tacos Al Pastor (rice and beans)
    60. Enchiladas Rancheras

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    60. Enchiladas Rancheras
    El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant

    El Vaquero Mexican Restaurant

    3.0
    (53 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    Food good Service great…read moreAmbiance very nice They told me they never have fried ice cream but the keep it in the menu.

    Why did we go eat at a Mexican restaurant on Cinco de Mayo? Note to self: Stay home next Cinco de…read moreMayo! Restaurant was overly busy, we had to wait soooo long to be seated and the food took a long time to come out as well. The place was so busy! Busy is an understatement, it was jammed packed! My husband dropped me off to go put my name in because there was no parking. It was raining too; which made everyone crowd inside with no where to stand without impeding the staff. There were at least 6-10 people just standing around by the door and it was a very hectic scene! The phone rang non stop and there were 3 employees talking to 3 different people. This poor girl behind the counter looked like she wanted to quit her job and run out the door. I waited patiently watching the loud chaos unfold and had to finally get someone's attention to put my name in after 10 minutes. A very rude and tall lady who cut in front of everyone was going on and on about a specific waitress she wanted to serve a group. She kept talking and explaining how she wanted her dinning experience to be as if there was no one in line waiting. Everyone was gaving her a mean look, annoyed at her privileged behavior. After she was done, I asked how long was the wait and someone finally gave me an iPad where I was able to put in my name and phone number so they can text me when it my table was available. I was told the wait time was 40-45 minutes. We left and hurried back after 45 minutes. Once again, the place was packed. I was in the same chaotic predicament: pressed up against someone by the front door trying to get to the front; to talk to a staff. I tried to get someone's attention, anyone, and the employees were busy behind the counter, ignoring me. Finally, I asked in my loudest voice "how much longer is the wait?" She asked me my name and said I had 4 people ahead of me, it would have been 6 but 2 left and did not come back. I was floored! 4 parties ahead of me ??? That could mean an hour!!! I decided to patiently wait except It felt so crowded. There was a very large man standing by the door who blocked the whole door. There was really no where to stand and the fact that it was raining made it worse. There was a tent with a few tables they put up that took up 2 parking spots. I'm guessing it's for extra seating. We stood under the tent but it was also crowded and we were still in the way. I felt very claustrophobic! I was thinking in my head " I should have ordered to go", just then a gentleman who was waiting next to me asked how much longer was his to go order. He has waited over 30 mns. That squashed my previous thought completely! After 15 mns. They finally called my name! Yes!!! Thank goodness! We put I. Our order asap. I ordered a cheese dip and I got my usual "pollo à la diabla", and a margarita to drink; my son had pollo chimichangas with a horchata and my husband ordered what I got except he added watermelon flavor to his marg. The food was good. We asked for the secret spicy salsa from the back. The first time we asked the young chip guy and he said that this was the spicy salsa. It was zero inch spicy! We asked the waitress and she brought it out for us. It's very spicy and we love it! It has a smoky peppery taste. Our cheese dip was a bit runny. The pollo à la diabla is always a good solid choice. It wasn't as spicy as usual but still my favorite. My husband ordered a second watermelon margarita and it came out with a cute strawberry and sugar rim. Presentation was on point. It was just way too sweet and undrinkable. We had to send it back. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive. She gave us keychains and my son got a juice box. That was a cute complimentary gift. I gave it 3 stars for the wait and chaos! They need to prepare better next year for a big crowd and a big waiting space: maybe a larger tent with free chips and salsa for the drinking patrons. People who want to come out to celebrate Cinco de Mayo shouldn't have to suffer and have a terrible dinning experience. There's got to be a solution to the craziness because this restaurant is always a 5 star. Well, lesson learned: I will probably not go out on Cinco de Mayo again. It's too crazy and chaotic. I can make tacos and margaritas at home.

    Photos
    The overly sweet watermelon margarita we couldn't drink.
    The overly sweet watermelon margarita we couldn't drink.
    The margarita was good but I wished we had the glassware.
    The margarita was good but I wished we had the glassware.
    Chilies rellenos

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    Chilies rellenos

    Local Cantina Westerville - mexican - Updated June 2026

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