Oya deserves way more attention than it gets. Every time we've been, it's been efficient, spotless, and consistently excellent. The tacos are damn good, but don't sleep on the beans, rice, and guacamole -- everything is fresh and well done, and there's something for everyone. We came in with our kids, who were... not at their best , and the staff could not have been kinder or more understanding. That alone makes this a place I'd recommend to other families. They also have a 99% health rating, which shows in how clean and well-run the space is. If you're a family looking for a relaxed, genuinely welcoming spot with great food, this is one of those quiet gems that's easy to miss but absolutely worth supporting. read more

O’ya Cantina - Pastor Tacos Grilled Shrimp Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

I'm a fan. Typically if I'm craving tacos I'll just head over to a Mexican restaurant, but my friend had great reviews about this place so we decided to come here. Everything was delicious. We got all different kinds of tacos, crab empanadas, and the Peruvian half roasted chicken. You can really taste the quality in the meat and flavors of the food here. If you even look at their google photos- you can see how good the food looks there as well. It did not disappoint at all. I feel like you could get anything here and be happy with it. You order at the front, then find a seat. Everyone inside was super kind, and the restaurant was cute with both indoor and outdoor seating right next to Town Hall. read more

See all

Raw jalapeño hasn't been available for online ordering for at least 3 years, but probably like 4-5. It used to be a $0.50 upcharge, which I was happy to pay. Either you're lying, or you don't have a great grasp on your online ordering system. read more

O’ya Cantina - Burrito modification menu - Mexican Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Way better than I was expecting tucked in this little plaza halfway between Chapel Hill and Pittsboro! I had the roasted chicken with beans, green rice, and plantains (think Alpaca but way better). My son had a Quesadilla that was delicious. The place had a good feel, and the food arrived quickly, but it wasn't very busy. We will definitely return! read more

Wow! Just, wow! I'm visiting my brother and family and he suggested we give O'ya a try, because, love dragons, I also like tacos. We arrived late afternoon and were greeted quite friendly. After taking our order to go, he offered us complimentary iced tea. So thoughtful. Our first visit, we did the 10-taco platter with carnitas and Peruvian chicken. It came with pretty good tortilla chips, pico de gallo, rice and beans. The taco meat had so much flavor!!! Carnitas can be flavorful or boring, and O'ya has nailed it. Chicken can often be dry or flavorless, but again they've ensured a delicious and moist flavor. Mexican rice and black beans also super well done. Everything tastes amazing. The next night we weren't sure what to eat and decided to do O'ya again. I looked over the menu and floated the Weekend Special platter of roasted Peruvian chicken, Tinga taquitos, and a carnitas tamale. Did O'ya nail it again? Most definitely. Delicious, crispy skinned chicken with a chimichurri sauce. Everything also amazing and this time we tried the cilantro rice. This place definitely deserves five stars, even with take out which as you know is never as hot and fresh as food served one site. We can't wait to eat in soon. read more

New to the area, stopped this evening for dinner. Nice ambience, excellent staff service, great tacos, interesting menu. Def in B barely worth a return. read more

O'ya has a good mix of entrees and sides on the menu, and it is definitely not just another riff on latin american food. If you are looking for typical Mexican, this is not that. This is a counter-service restaurant, but they do have a good amount of indoor seating (bright and clean, and a step up from the typical strip center space) and there is a patio with plenty of outdoor seating that they appear to share with Town Hall Burger. The guacamole bowls were very generous, as were all of the sides - plenty of rice and beans, and really good plantains. The tostadas were really good, and the tamales were also good. The ropa vieja was a bit disappointing (too fatty for me). In general, everything was a bit light on spice, so if you like it spicy, order accordingly. read more

My husband and I stopped by for a Friday night dinner after reading the Yelp reviews, and we were overall really pleased with our meals! O'ya is located in a small strip mall near the Briar Chapel community and I believe it occupies the former Alberello Cafe and Market space. The restaurant feels larger than it is with minimalist decor and an open layout. They share a cute outdoor patio space with Town Hall Burger and Beer, if you prefer to dine in the fresh air. You order and pay at the counter, take a number and your drink, then they bring the food to your table. The menu offers a pretty wide variety of dishes, including a variety of tacos, pupusas, tortas, enchiladas, ropa vieja, and more. A definite step up from many similar fast casual restaurants. They do have several beer options in their drink cooler now, as well as coca cola and jarritos. We ordered a variety of items to share - cheese pupusas, taquitos which are filled with chicken tinga, carne asada tacos, and maduros. We enjoyed all of it, though the maduros were so perfect that they stole the show. I am a huge fan of pupusas and these were very good, though I would have loved to see a bean and cheese option (the cheese on its own was a bit too greasy and heavy so next time I'd opt for a meat filling if beans still aren't available). I loved that the taquitos were perfectly crisp with a variety of toppings, but the tinga itself was a bit more paté like than I am used to. Still, a delicious option. The prices were interesting- the tacos were slightly overpriced, but other menu items such as the pupusas and taquitos were less than what I pay at most places. If I am in the area again, I definitely plan to return to try more menu items. read more

O'ya Cantina is fantastic. We had the plantains which were cooked well and there were 9 or so in the order. We also ordered two pupusas which are filled with delicious cheese. These are like a grilled flat bread but better. And of course we had meat filled crispy empanadas. These were tasty and cooked to perfection. This place is a winner and I see now why it's so popular and always busy. Can't wait to try some other things. read more

Food is always delicious with generous portion size. The service is gracious and helpful. I have been a customer here since their early days and appreciate that they never falter. I'll be back! read more

This place is a gem! I had the breakfast burrito, which was filling and packed with flavor. The chips were also delicious on the side. I ordered the mango and strawberry margarita and it was hands down THE best margarita I've ever had in my life. Why? It was made with real fruit juice and had the right ratio of alcohol to juice. The service was great-- the staff did a phenomenal job getting my order out quickly (less than 10 mins on a crowded day). Inside the restaurant is a vibe as well. Perfect for a group of friends for brunch, especially on a nice day sitting in their outside seating. read more

See all

One really helpful thing to me is that the food looked just like the pictures on the website, so check the menu knowing that it's accurate to what you'll get! We got their Thursday torta special which comes with chips and salsa and a drink for $14. The salsa was a huge bowl of pico, like much more than one person would expect, and it was super fresh tasting! The tortas were also a good size and really delicious. I loved the avocado cream! The service was super friendly and accommodating as well. It's a pretty out of the way for us, but I would absolutely go again. read more

O’ya Cantina - Tinga Torta, and you can see the huge salsa bowl in the back - Mexican Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. A really cool interior. The carnitas taco was very good with the grilled onions, the tomatillo sauce though was thin and watery. The best part of the meal was the tasty black beans and rice. read more

O’ya Cantina - Beans & Rice - Mexican Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Frankly, this place is a little far from our home but we had a discount offer and drove out to check them out. We're glad we did because the food was delicious and the service was very friendly. They are part of the same ownership as Town Hall Grill and People's Coffee, which we are more familiar with. We stopped by on a Saturday afternoon and ordered chips and salsa, carne asada tacos, and quesadilla O'ya. You order at the counter and they will bring your order to you at your indoor or outdoor table. We chose to sit outdoors even though it was a little hot in the full sun. If this place were closer to our house, we'd come more often. read more

See all

Their shrimp tacos was my favorite item that I tried. The carne asada taco was solid and the meat was very tender. The shrimp was that good! I did add queso on my carne as ado tack for a bit more flavor & juiciness & that was great. My second favorite item was the Peruvian chicken. The taste, seasoning, and texture was on point. The Mexican rice and black beans paired the best with it. Not a fan of the green rice but it does taste better with sauce! I wasn't a fan of the enchiladas. It wasn't bad, but definitely wasn't my favorite. I enjoyed the chips and queso over that! I love the drink options they have. I went with a bottle sprite. For the aesthetic, of course! Ranking Order: Shrimp tacos, Peruvian Chicken, Carne Asada tacos, chips & queso, lastly enchiladas! read more

See all

Another restaurant taking advantage of their patrons. So disappointing. They charged us $5 to order pickup plus $.50 for placing an online order plus $15 for a tip! They charged us OVER $20 just for placing an order. No food included. And since when do we get charged a 20% tip on takeout?! And on top of a $5 charge for placing a pick up order? That is STEALING money. They also gave us 1/2 the amount of chips as usual and cut down the food size big time. We were regulars but now will find another place to spend our money. Not a good idea to over charge people when a zillion restaurants are already coming to this area. read more

O’ya Cantina - Receipt with atrocious add ons - Mexican Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

I've dined here a few times and the food is always great! You order at the counter then they bring you your food. Not fancy but definitely a great lunch spot. read more

Finally made it here - always eat next door at Town Hall Burger but decided to mix it up. Food was really good. We had crab empanadas, fish tacos, carnitas pupusas and cheese dip. Everything was great, fresh and hot - was brought out quickly. Lots of crab in empanadas, lots of pork in pupusas. Very flavorful and prices good for what you get. Can sit outside or inside and folks can go to either place if you need variety. The only nit picky thing - they did not give you ice for drinks - the water and tea dispensers are serve yourself, but were not cold. Rather than have to ask for ice, would be nice to just give you ice when you order or put an ice dispenser out. read more

See all

Fast casual vibes with order at the counter and indoor or outdoor seating. Small selection of beer and hard seltzer. I loved their Al pastor taco but felt the shrimp taco lacked flavor. The carne Asada was quite meaty and definitely felt full after a few bites! The beef empanada was a surprise star with the tomato sauce that comes with the empanada being my favorite. The guac is nice and creamy as a side ans if your order chips get ready for a whole big bag of chips! Overall I thought the portions were smaller than expected for the tacos but seeing quite a few other diners other specials or bowls it seems that's what I'll try next!! read more

O’ya Cantina - Outdoor area - Mexican Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Pros +good portions and fair prices +the best South and Central American food you will get around here +service with a smile, very nice seating in and outside, and atmosphere and interior design pleases +very healthy compared it's local competitor, Taco Hell -KETO diet people, you're SOL even the bowls have rice -queso didn't blow me away neither did the tomatillo salsa but they are not bad either read more

The service was not great. We tried to order three items off the menu and they had run out. The flavors in the food was mediocre nothing that made me think I would be back here for a second time read more

We are vegetarians and ordered rice and beans "for 4" for $12. We received an 8 oz cup of beans that was only about 2/3 full. That's "for 4"? I called back, thinking surely a container got left out of the bag, but no, they confirmed they gave us the amount they had intended to. Pretty disappointing. read more

Really good, a little pricey for the serving sizes compared to the other taco places I have been to. I would def recommend this place because it is delicious with some pretty neat decor. read more

O’ya Cantina - Cool decor - Mexican Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

See all

Employees are nice. Eating area is small but clean. Outside area is shared with town hall burger but nice. Food was good! Choco mole is yummy! read more

I've noticed restaurants in this enclave charge a lot for very little which would be okay if the little was actually worth it but it was very average. I got a vegetarian taco for close to $9 and it was mostly potato. Granted it's larger than most tacos it just wasn't appetizing. They were generous with chips and salsa and the guacamole was pretty good but no real reason to go back since there are so many other options if you can make it past the Chapelton captive audience. read more

Based on a takeout experience.... Amazing! Brought it out to my car and all the food was thoughtfully packed. I had the Peruvian chicken special and my wife had the shrimp bowl. Everything held up well during the 20min ride back to my place. The food was really good, sauces were very tasty. Food was fresh, homemade and felt like it was made with quality ingredients. I will be back! If you're stuck between going here or town hall burger next door, food wise, this is the better choice. read more

Finally a restaurant in this building near Briar Chapel. The carne tacos are incredible. I did not enjoy the bowel due to spiciness but some may like it. I love tacoTuesday. Ten great carne asada tacos for $20 , read more

We moved into town a little while ago and have enjoyed O-Ya a few times before. Unfortunately, this past Saturday will be our last time ordering here. I arrived 15 minutes after my food was supposed to be ready and it still was not ready. I completely understand that happens, but my interactions with the staff at the cashier made me never want to come back here again. After waiting an additional 5 minutes on one last item (now making our food 20 minutes late), I heard another staff member keep asking the cooks to make the last plate we were waiting for, all the while our other food was sitting out on the counter getting cold. After a few more minutes I asked the person at the front desk if he wouldn't mind remaking one of the orders because it's for my pregnant wife and she isn't supposed to eat food that's been sitting out for a while (no less for over 20 minutes, plus we still had a 15 minute drive home). After I explained this he didn't say sorry or even address what I said, he simply laughed at me, shook his head and told the cooks to remake the order. Then to make matters worse, again without responding to anything I had just asked, he takes our bag off the counter, and proceeds to bring it into the back, while nonchalantly kicking the bag. I assume this was some sort of tantrum response to my request. He ended up placing the bag in a temperature controlled container, which I appreciated, but not responding to me and kicking my food bag repeatedly, even if it was nonchalantly is beyond rude. Finally, we are given our food at a total of 25 minutes late. When the food was handed off, there is not a murmur of an apology nor even eye contact. Additionally, when we got home two of the plates were incorrect: either missing items or were made incorrectly. It's rare that I will write a review on poor staff or customer service, but frankly this ruined our night. We won't be ordering from here anymore. read more

Tried to dine in tonight at 6:25 pm. Sign out front said dine in is open. Supposed to close at 9. We were turned away. The guy behind the counter said something like, We had a big rush and can't take any more orders. There were 5 people sitting down eating, several waiting for takeout. I hope the manager has another job lined up and the owner doesn't have his life savings tied up in this business. I don't think the can make it closing 2 1/2 hours early. Unless, it was really due to Covid and they didn't say. read more

Had a great first meal here out on the patio. Ordered Ropa Vieja Platter and Chili Relleno with Tinga (pictured). Friends had Taco Tuesday deal - 10 tacos + chips and salsa for $25. All the food was awesome. Great service and good sized portions. Definitely will be back! read more

O’ya Cantina - Ropa Vieja Platter and Chili Relleno. Yum! - Mexican Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Delicious and fresh. Love the outside eating option. The service and staff are great. You order at the register and seat yourself but they still come out and check in you. The family taco platter was more than enough and priced well. Will definitely be back! read more

O’ya Cantina - Family tacos for Four - Mexican Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Difficult times though I cannot be more supportive. Great service in delivering to the car and the food. Mmmmmm delicious. Thank you we will be back often for a dose of local and high quality Had a couple of burritos, one veggie and a platter of tacos and all were well received. Chips and queso with some guacamole also to give it a go all fantastic (though no one left me any guacamole to try) read more

Great food-- super fresh, fresh, fresh. Superb, friendly, fast service. Can't wait to try everything on their menu! read more

Being new in the area, we were looking for a good place to get Mexican/Latino food for lunch. We picked O'ya based on the reviews here and their diverse menu. The ambiance is casual and they use cafe-type service: you order and pay at the counter and they bring your food to you. The menu is very large and has lots of offerings from Mexico, Peru, and some others I couldn't place. I'd be surprised if you couldn't find something inviting on offer. I got the veggie burritos, and my companion got the vegetable bowl. Many of the menu items are available with chicken, beef, or vegetarian. I love Peruvian purple potatoes and they appear in many items, including my burrito. The vegetables are fresh and plentiful. The portions are quite large and you'll probably be bringing home something for tomorrow's lunch. The person who helped us was very friendly, and patiently answered all of our newbie questions. The prices are moderate and very fair for the quality and quantity of what we got. We'll be back for sure. read more

Great food! Fish Tacos wonderful. Tinga Chicken Burrito excellent. Service top notch. read more

O’ya Cantina - Dining room. - Mexican Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Food is excellent. We loved food, service and place!!!! Taco Plate, Tinga Tostada, Ropa Vieja Platter, kids Quesadillas, read more

O’ya Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Fresh food but little ambiance. It is great for take out. The food is always very good and great for families.

Best fish tacos around. Consistently good quality. Fresh, fast and local. Bowls are also good.

My experience with this restaurant was "takeout". The chicken was moist and delicious. The salad, I loved! Tiny bits of pineapple in the salad just really made it. And the piece that should have done the least important, green race, was amazing. I would love to know what spices they put in their green rice so that I can re-create at home. read more

O'ya is the best restaurant!!!!! We came here for Father's Day lunch and it was the best spot for a quiet meal! The food was so delicious and came out very fast! We ordered the queso, tostadas, guac, empanadas, churros and much more! Every dish was amazing! The staff was also so incredible and attentive! We will be back soon! read more