I'm torn with MexCantina. Sure, it is better than Mesa Loca, the former occupant of the space, but there are still other Mexican restaurants in the area that I enjoy more. I do think the space is well-appointed, brighter than it ever has been, and inviting to anyone passing by. Plus, the patio is the best in the area! The made-in-house tortillas and the included maker space are really awesome! This might be the highlight of the restaurant honestly. The chimichanga from the specialties menu is a ton of food ($16.99 for chicken)! It includes two deep-fried burritos topped with housemade cheese sauce. But most of the plate was occupied by a large serving of both rice and beans. The chimichangas themselves were a little bland aside from the cheese sauce. Fortunately, some guacamole, pico, and sour cream were provided on the side to add some flavor complexity. Chicken fajitas came out sizzling with bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes ($20.99). On the side is a plate with lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, pico, beans, rice, and of course a container of fresh tortillas. I thought the price was actually a little high for this dish, but it was split between two family members, thus making it a good option for sharing. I think the overall sentiment was that it was a good dish, but nothing out of the ordinary. The trio enchiladas is a pretty-looking dish of grilled chicken enchiladas topped with cheese, ranchera, and verde sauce ($14.99). After having this dish on a return visit, I think I can say that what I think is lacking is much of any flavor on the grilled chicken, thus making any of the dishes a little underwhelming. I think if the chicken was shredded and cooked with some other ingredients, it could be a better filling for many of the dishes. read more

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First time here. We took the MIL here for lunch. The place was empty. We all ordered tacos: Pescado, Carnitas and Carne Asada. Place was clean. The person who severed us was nice and prompt. The complimentary chips and salsa good and flavorful. The other tacos were being eaten before I could get a picture. Guess they were good and flavorful. The fish tacos had flavor with the sauce provided. I did expect optional onions and cilantro with my tacos a little disappointed but every place is different. Definitely worth coming back to. read more

MexCantina - Pescado Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Updating based on a recent visit. We had a couple visits that were not awesome on the overall food flavor. The most recent visit, I got the trio of enchiladas and the flavor overall, the presentation and overall dish were an improvement from previous visits. This spot is a solid 4 stars. It doesn't amaze me, but doesn't let me down. read more

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The food was amazing, personal is friendly. The ambiance is great, the restaurant is spacious We've got steak fajita and veggie quesadilla. I don't want to jinx, but it was the best quesadilla I've ever eaten, and I live in Miami. Highly recommend read more

MexCantina - Steak Fajita - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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A sunny, warm day and a clean bill of health called for lunch on a patio. I'd only been to Mex Cantina once during their first week and it was unremarkable. Today was a different story! Service was fast and efficient. Fresh, crunchy tortillas and mild salsa arrived with the waters. My husband had the steak burrito and I had an avocado quesadilla: both were excellent. Our only complaint was that when the bill arrived, we learned that the two lunches and two non-alcoholic drink deal (half-off one entree) applied to the lunch menu which we didn't see and not to the dinner menu from which we selected. Still, it was worth it and so delicious, we didn't mind. Plus, now that we had our main meal of the day, I'm not cooking tonight either! read more

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Legit Mexican food, totally recommended! Great food, Good service, Nice Ambiance, Handmade Tortillas, Wide variety of tequila, indoor & outdoor seating. What a treat! read more

MexCantina - Hand made tortillas! - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Meh. Service is SUPER tho. House margs are watery. Guacamole was watery. Salsa was thin and watery. Handmade tortillas were cool. Decor is cute. Alert alert! There's a 3% service charge to the customer if they use credit. :( read more

This is a sweet restaurant! Good food , drink and service! Restrooms are very clean! Will be back soon! read more

MexCantina - Chicken Pollo Pepe! So good!! - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

My daughter and I went there on March 15, 2025 for dinner. We ordered margaritas and our server/bartender, Roberto, brought us fresh, warm chips and homemade salsa. The chips and salsa....AMAZING!! We ordered chicken fajitas and the chimichanga dinner. I decided on one chicken and one steak chimichanga (the chicken was grilled!). The chimichangas were topped with a delicious queso and the rice and beans were outstanding. They topped the beans with some shredded cheese and the portions were very generous. Roberto was very attentive and provided to-go boxes and a nice container of the salsa to take home with our leftovers. The manager checked on us as well. The staff was warm and welcoming and we will definitely be back soon!! My daughter and I talked about getting chips and queso and some appetizers next time. Excellent service and excellent food!! 10 stars!! read more

MexCantina - Chicken fajitas and chimichanga meal (one grilled chicken, one steak), rice and beans. - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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The carne asada and pollo tacos are delicious - add avocado sauce and sour cream - mmm mmm. The Skinny margarita - Don Julio Blanco / was a solid pour the second time. The first time the pour was on point. This place is underrated. read more

MexCantina continues to improve based on customer feedback, and it's great to see. We popped in here on a Saturday night just for drinks. They now have happy hour 3-7 everyday, including weekends, which is a great deal. They now serve free chips and salsa, which is a new enhancement. They also completely redid their menu, complete with pictures, it's much easier to read than the previous version. Every seat in the house was full, so looks like the new improvements are working. Go check it out! read more

We had a lovely and delicious dinner here! I'm glad this spot has re-opened! The food was plentiful and tasty. We convinced our son to try the refried beans and he's a fan now. My margarita was just as it should be! Two minor points of concern: I didn't realize the 3% service fee for credit cards until I got my card back. Might have been nice to have that on the menu or something. Also, the window sign said happy hour was everyday but the table cards said just Sunday to Thursday. read more

It was so good!! Service was fast and super accommodating!! My friend and I got margaritas and the triple appetizer which had salsa guac and queso and it was so good!!!! The margaritas were amazing and relatively cheap!! The sunlight was shining and everyone was super nice!! Ambiance was amazing read more

Here for taco week but they lacked options and flavor. I had a shrimp taco. Literally with iceberg lettuce and purple cabbage. I has to request cilantro and onion. The drinks are fine and well priced. If you work you may miss happy hour, it's from 2-5. It wasn't busy so staff were attentive . The server Za was very helpful. It will take a wow to get its bearings if it's going to stay in Hyde park square. Here's to room for growth. read more

I have been the past 2 weekends and it is sooo good. Try the skinny margarita and the chicken fajitas - you won't regret it! read more

Great food! We tried the shrimp dip and chicken bowl and loved it all. If we lived in the city we would definitely return.

Stopped in for lunch with a friend and we had a great experience. We ordered chips and salsa and cheese dip. The cheese dip was so good! I had the steak fajitas and she had the Huevos a la Mexicana and raved about it! I had a watermelon margarita and I loved it read more

MexCantina - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Love this place! Fun new place perfect location.. the service is so sweet and kind, I love the smiling faces and happiness I was greeted with! Breath of fresh air with service! Can't wait to come back and get some more yummy food read more

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I had the Ocean Bowl, very tasty! The service was friendly and prompt. We sat at the bar...the 2p-7p happy hour every day is a great value! read more

Tasty food with great flavor combinations. Fresh ingredients. Definitely will be going back.

Even though I was more than happy with the service. I can not say the same about the food. Or the beer selection. Mid-grade at best. The ambiance is nice. But the service and ambiance do not make up for the over priced food. read more

It was our first time trying this restaurant. The prices were a bit high, but the food was good. I enjoyed the fresh tortillas the most.

Food at Mex cantina Not as Great as E&O in Hyde Park I'd prefer E&O Over Mex Cantina Food & Drinks at Mex Cantina is Poorly & Not Good Enough to be Almost A 5 Star Restaurant I'd Rate Mex Cantina Food 3.2 Out Of 5 E&O is Way Better then that Overall E&O is Better Vibe at E&O is Way More Better read more

Went there for lunch. Order the Burrito Trio with refried beans. Food was very fresh. Beans were delicious. The green sauce and cheese sauce on the burrito were good. Red sauce just OK. I would definitely go back. read more

The $17 margarita was so bad that I'm not gonna order anything not gonna order a drink or an entrée. I would think a place like this being in a high rent, district would have better food and better read more

MexCantina - This is a $17 margarita with salt. It is incredibly watered down and tastes like lime water. - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

We enjoyed the wide variety of food on the menu. My friends loved the margaritas and other drinks and we had great service. Very nice ambiance too! read more

Really enjoyed drinks at the bar. Great neighborhood spot to grab a margarita and some guacamole.

great food, great service, great atmosphere!! everyone was super accommodating and nice, highly recommend this secret gem!

This was my second visit. Unfortunately this visit was worse than my first. I ordered a chicken dish per the servers request. I could barely cut the chicken because it was so tough. I live near Hyde Park Square and I will not return. It's way overpriced for what you get also. I heard from some other people that they thought it was "the worst Mexican food they ever had". It's unfortunate because it's in such a great location. read more

Great food, fast professional service. Highly recommend! Had the chicken fajitas, chicken was perfectly cooked, amazing flour tortillas! Very homemade and athletic. read more

We enjoyed everything about this spot. It's not trying to be fancy but it's fresh Mexican. The service was attentive and friendly. We will be back! read more

This place takes Mexican food to another level! Ordered the Molcajete Mexcantina bowl and was blown away with all the flavors! Highly recommend you try this place if you want next level Mexican food! Great service and clean modern atmosphere also! read more

I ate here Saturday night. I had the grilled Tilapia and requested that the rice be replaced with vegetables which they did replace with grilled peppers, onions, mushrooms and zucchini. The food and service were fine. I was disappointed to learn they charge a 3% surcharge for credit card payment. read more

MexCantina - The receipt - Mexican Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Great food, service, and owners are wonderful! Best. Mexican. In. Cincinnati. If you are looking for the best Mexican food and a terrific meal go to MexCantina!! read more

we came here after a volleyball game. the food is good, same as other tex-mex places we have been to but it took forever! the service is horrible we had 2 kids with us who begged us to leave and eat at home definitely not coming back read more

Excellent in every way. Very comfortable decor. Enchiladas were great. Polite attentive service. Best I've had in Cincy.

We came to Mex Cantina a week prior to our visit tonight. We could not have given it any more praise. Drinks were on point, food was phenomenal; gave us a real authentic, Mexican experience. So of course we rave to our family & friends about this new Mexican spot in town & how much we should all go back. Tonight however, COMPLETELY different vibes. Nothing tasted like our first experience. Our margaritas that we asked for salt on the rim, literally had a tablespoon of salt in the bottom of the glass. Not sure whose idea that was. The food was lifeless, lacking presentation & flavor. Disappointment & unsatisfied if I could sum it up in two words. I mentioned to our server how different our previous experience was to this evening & she advised a few cooks were out. I need to know this information in advance next time Mex Cantina. read more

First time and we will definitely be back. The salsa was amazing and the California Burrito was big enough to share! Great service as well!

Never make reviews but wanted to share my great experience due to the couple negative reviews that are shown previously. I almost didn't go due to those reviews and i'm very glad I didn't listen to them! Highly recommend read more

I'm sure all the yuppies in Hyde Park think this place is "so wonderful" but it's just another overpriced knock off. Go down the street to the taco truck at BP for better taste for less. Servers and bartenders were great. read more