Mexicali Cantina Grill - Swampscott

Family-owned & operated

Kitchen open late

Last day of vacation and again just driving around seeing the sites. Susan was a great server!…read more Kept it simple today. I had the Nikki salad. Husband had the clam chowder and haddock sandwich with onion rings. The food was great and exactly what we were looking for. The clam chowder was one of my favorites from all we sampled this trip. The addition of dill put it over the top! Seems to be another hot spot in Swampscott. Very busy place and a lot of locals. Glad we found it!!

Excellent drinks. Ordered a manhattan and espresso and they were very good. Typical pub menu…read moreserving sandwiches, pasta dishes and entrees. Haddock sandwich was very good, fish tacos decent. Upcharge of $4 for what are standard sides (fries/onion rings). Spot is on the smaller side that has bar, indoor and outdoor seating. The space was always packed but moved through tables pretty quick. Service was friendly and quick. Street parking was not an issue.

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Cafe Avellino

4.5(78 reviews)

•$

This is one of the best places I've been to in MA. The owner is incredible and hilarious. She…read morehandles everything and you get a homemade Italian meal (5 courses) for $35/person. She makes everything on the spot but will tailor it to your preferences/dietary restrictions. We got bruschetta, then meatballs, then a salad, then the eggplant rigatoni, and a delicious desert at the end. I can't rave enough about this place. It really shifts the traditional eating-out experience in a spontaneous and creative way.

Honestly can't believe this is a real restaurant. Wouldn't be surprised to see it on Kitchen…read moreNightmares with Gordon Ramsey. First red flag was our check-in host was also our waitress. But we didn't realize until later...she was also our chef, sou chef and prob dish washer! It's a one man show lol! The next weird thing was the menu. There was a "surprise" course where you don't know what you'll get. I'm adventurous so went with that. What I didn't know was it just means she'll throw together whatever is leftover in the pot from yesterday and heat it up for you. The food was 90% awful, not fresh, reheated leftovers. Then we were leaving, no desert thanks. She insisted we have desert, cannolis. We tho if he they were comp lol, but when the bill came...there is no bill! She just gives you the total lol. Pretty sure we paid for desert and the awful food. I don't know how this is an over 4 stars.

Molasses cake, cannoli, & ice cream

Vegan arrancini and caprese salad

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Avocado toast

G Bar & Kitchen

4.0(162 reviews)

The food here is amazing and service is always exceptional. Definitely on the expensive side but…read moreyou get your money worth.

Quite possibly one of the top 5 meals I've had in my life. The Beet "carpaccio" was exquisite, the…read moresalad also had one of the top 5 salad dressings I've ever had, I should add that I'm a salad dressing psycho and I could drink dressing and I sometimes do. (My all time fave being the Villa in Wayland dressing which is a town cult classic, the salad itself sucks though). The dressing was so lemony and fresh and I could tell it was made in house. I was surprised when our server said the plate was hot for a beet salad and delightfully it was because the goat cheese was melted onto the beets... yummmm ugh I wish I was eating it right now. The main event: THE TUNA My partner and I took one bite of the mashed potatoes with the miso sauce and both literally got chills and a tear came to our eyes. The texture of the tuna, the crunch of the sesames, the bok choi added a perfect fibrous element and the potatoes in the sauce all melded together in perfect harmony. Texture, flavor, presentation, all five stars I want to scream like the teacher in "a Christmas story" when Ralphie writes his theme and the teacher screams "A++++++++++++++++++++!!!!!"

Chocolate soufflé

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Pomona Cafe & Wine Bar

3.9(37 reviews)

We had an excellent dinner at Pomona Cafe this past week. The food set the tone, particularly the…read moreChicken Milanesa, Pollo y Limón and Chicken Violet. Each dish was thoughtfully prepared, beautifully plated and full of flavor without trying too hard to impress. The room is just as appealing as the menu. Warm lighting, striking artwork and a polished atmosphere make it feel special without feeling stiff. Best of all, the noise level allows for actual conversation, a feature that can be cocktail. The cocktails did not disappoint. Service was equally strong. Our server was prompt, knowledgeable and attentive without hovering. He answered our questions clearly and offered recommendations that proved well worth taking. The owner also stopped by to ask about our experience, a thoughtful gesture that made the evening feel genuinely welcoming. Pomona Cafe is a terrific addition to Swampscott, and we'll gladly return. Highly recommend!

Tried this place two times, both times was really disappointed. Also while we were here we saw them…read moresetting up for a graduation part or event of some kind, during this process we saw either the owner or manager take a rag that one of the waiters was using to dry clean plates, she sprays it with cleaner, wipes down the tables and seats then after she was done we see her start to finish wiping the clean plates with the same rag... and of course since she did that the waiters continued to do so with the same rag after she started doing something else?!? Disgusting. Apart from this.. if you can get over that, the food was really meh for the $, the chicken was dry and hard to chew and it just seemed like something I could cook on my own at home and I'm not even very good at cooking. Also got an espresso which was acidic and 1/2 cold. (This we've tried twice and both times just as bad)

Beautiful place!

Ham and cheese quesadilla - very good!

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Outside view!

Anthony's Pier 4 Cafe & Hawthorne By The Sea Tavern

2.7(222 reviews)

1.3 mi

•$$$

Such a shame the restaurant closed. It had very good food and an outstanding location.read more

I have been here a handful of times now and especially since hearing they are going to be closing…read moresoon, my family wanted to check them out. As it is a large establishment, there usually isn't any problems with getting seated. Therefore, large parties are easily accommodated for including my part of 10 for my sister's birthday. For starters we have tried their lobster bisque and cream of mushroom soups. Both are very viscous and usually on the blander side. Using the fresh and hot popovers to dip make it better as well as the complementary marinated mushrooms. By the time the entrees come out, were already almost full. Entrees have included their fish and chips, chicken tenders and french fries, prime rib, 6 hour roast beef, salmon, haddock, stuffed shrimp, scallops and pan-fried crab cakes. Like the soups, everything appears to look decent, but the flavor just isn't really there. I did, however, really enjoy their plain white rice as it was lightly salted. We ordered a side of broccoli which came with hollindaise sauce as the only sides available with entrees are french fries, white rice, and a baked sweet or regular potato. The broccolis were massive and cooked to still have a crunch. But the hollindaise sauce was disappointing tasting mostly of butter. Prime rib was very salty which may be good for others. For desserts we tried their chocolate cakes with raspberry sorbet as well as the creme brulee. Chocolate cake may have been flourless because it lacked any sort of substantial chewiness to it. The creme brulee itself was very good having a perfect custard texture with the crystalized sugar on top. Overall, the service has always been exceptional as well as the view. The food itself could use some enhancements but you are paying for the other two reasons above. Although this isn't my first place to come back to, I will still most likely come again at some point.

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Njord Haven

4.8(84 reviews)

1.0 mi

This was our third time visiting this restaurant with my family, and since it's right here in…read moreSwampscott, we've really grown to enjoy the intimate and cozy atmosphere of the place. One of my favorite touches is that you can always see the chef hustling in the kitchen--it gives the restaurant such a personal and authentic feel. The ambience is lovely, and the staff is consistently attentive and professional. The service has always been excellent. As someone with a background in restaurant management, I do sometimes feel that the restaurant may be slightly overstaffed and could possibly benefit from a little more operational strategy. That being said, it never negatively affects the guest experience--the service is always seamless. We love the variety of the food, the coziness of the space, and the overall experience. I would definitely recommend this restaurant, and we will absolutely keep coming back!

Njord Haven is amazing! I had my doubts before arriving; two vastly different categories of cuisine…read moreon the same menu and somewhat blended? However, I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised with everything we had. The National Dish of Denmark (stegt flæsk) was incredible, the dumplings were jam packed with meat, and the Chinese Churros hit the spot. We came in about 50 minutes before closing and stayed long after, but the service was fantastic the whole time. We were thanked by the owner for coming in and were told that staying late was expected and well welcomed. The restaurant itself is gorgeous and the music was a lot of fun. The restaurant faces the shore, so expect lovely views, especially around the golden hour. Overall, this place is an absolute gem. It's worth the trip from Boston or anywhere within a 50 mile radius, honestly.

Swedish Meatballs

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Brick Yard Bar & Grill

4.1(57 reviews)

3.1 mi

If i could give a zero i would. The cook was drinking while "working" she seemed absolutely…read morehammered. We waited 2 hours just for our "bartender" to tell us our ticket was lost. Mind you there were only 4 tickets. We could see the grill and ticket line. As an experienced service person i know when shits not working. I will never ever go here again. The bartender seemed overwhelmed and unaware with maybe 15 ppl in the place. I can't not stress enough DONT GO HERE!!!!!

Contrary to how this place looks from the outside, I was surprised to find zero needles anywhere in…read morehere. I even tried looking but all I found were keno tickets and cocktail napkins beneath the barflies feet. It is most certainly a place to overload yourself with a couple handfuls of Heineken before rolling the dice on 1A. I suggest you head towards Revere to cool off a bit before heading back up towards Swampscott.

Double Cheeseburger!

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Little G

3.3(15 reviews)

The food at little G is awesome! The garage doors open so there's fresh air throughout the…read morerestaurant which makes the ambiance so enjoyable. Isla and Maria are the best!!

First night of vaca, one of many soccer game nights. The vibes were high, the lighting was cool,…read morethe food was tasty! The pizza had a nice little kick & we loved the lighter sauce on the Brussel sprouts. I love a good popular Catchy meal - the girl dinner.

Bar area

Burger + fries

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Outside

Tony's Pub & Grill

4.3(67 reviews)

3.1 mi

•$

New chef , I hear from the old Lynnepesaki. The steak tacos 3 per order (new to menu)were packed…read morewith delicious steak and fresh ingredients. Everyone else ordered the salmon which I hear was a great portion and cooked to order. See ya soon

Very happy with everything a true pub and grill with good food. What else can you ask for better…read morethan a lot of other places around that are noted for their state tips these were great with a nice burn on them.

Chicken Caesar wrap

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Lazy Dog Sports Bar

4.2(128 reviews)

3.0 mi

I can recommend this place all day long though in the evenings you have to get there early. It does…read moreget busy now. Let's get down to the food. There's nothing on the menu that I haven't tried, but I am a big fan of the mustard, honey chicken wings. My wife does like the clam chowder. My son enjoys the chicken breast dinner myself. I always get the Ruben enough said give it a try.I'm

I used to always go for their marinated steak tips, but for some reason I think they did something…read moredifferent in the past year or so because now they're smaller, tough, and just not the same. Sadly, I don't think I'll be back.

Chicken wings sweet chili and Skewered Vegetable

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Garlic Pepper

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D W.

5 years ago

Excellent Mexican, and I'm born an raised in Arizona. See for yourself, go.

Mexicali Cantina Grill - Swampscott - mexican - Updated September 2026

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