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Riverwalk Cantina

2.8 (374 reviews)
ModerateTex-Mex
Closed • 6:30 am - 9:00 pm

Riverwalk Cantina Photos

RIVERWALK CANTINA ATMOSPHERE

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

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Recommended Reviews - Riverwalk Cantina

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Mikki E.

Good food & Beautiful outdoor seating. My chicken was juicy and well seasoned. Our waitress was really attentive and made a few good suggestion. The food and drinks were were good. I definitely would visit again my only disappointment was they don't serve nachos.

Beans and rice side
May G.

I got chicken fajitas (pollo marinada). The meat was nice and tender. I would say it was pretty good. It had a lot of flavor and it was a big serving. I did not eat the beans and rice provided.

Steak tacos with rice and veggies
Samantha G.

Ambiance: The restaurant is very cute as it is nestled inside the Gaylord Resort. I love the "river side" seating. Plenty of seating available! Parking: Plenty of parking available, but make sure you have your parking ticket validated by your waiter. Service: Our server Ryan was very attentive and friendly! The manager came by to check in on every table dining that day to make sure things were going well. Food: The queso dip was delicious! The cheese was melted in a mini cast iron skillet. It was to be enjoyed with the complimentary chips and salsa. For my entree, I ordered the steak tacos served with corn tortilla, and they were good! The steak was a bit too salty and did not have enough flavor and spice for me in my opinion.

Ravon H.

Staying at the Gaylord for a conference this week. There were several restaurants but most were very crowded with long waits. There was no wait here and I see why. The service was good and attentive. Probably a little too attentive. We chose to get the all you could eat buffet. It was 34 dollars per person. They have a wide selection of food on the buffet. Most of it was so so at best. I enjoyed the Al pastor tacos the most. The had Barbacoa tacos they were not too flavorful. Chicken enchiladas were ok. I guess you can't expect too much from a hotel restaurant. The restaurant itself was very well laid out. It's located in the atrium so plenty to see. The bar area had a few TVs with sporting events on. Not a place a would come back to.

Kimari C.

Truly enjoyed the ambiance, exceptional service and food after a long NYE night - this Mexican buffet was great for brunch ! I really enjoyed all the Frescas and Mexican drinks in the buffet. The salad bar was nice for the vegan in me and the chicken enchiladas and chopped steak were delicious for the heathen in me. Also I recognized my bartender was famous on IG and he was great! so that was cool! Highly recommend!

Robin K.

The ladies at the front hostess stand definitely listened when we requested a table by the water and with a really fun server. Tyson was the perfect choice to help us celebrate my best friend's 49th bday. The lunch buffet was absolutely plentiful, delectable, and offered so many different dishes to choose from along with kids station, coffee, soups, and desserts. I couldn't have chosen a better restaurant. Bonus was the Gaylord Texan was fully decorated and outfitted in all Christmas which truly made selfie pics magical & fun. I Highly recommend Riverwalk Cantina, requesting Tyson and trying out the 3 offered buffets (breakfast, lunch & dinner). Only wish we took a picture with Tyson before we left. We will next time for sure

Rafael S.

Sort of standoffish attitude to take you to the table for breakfast; with plenty tables open will make you wait, and wait..., come on! It's breakFAST! Then had no Chilaquiles in breakfast; the excuse was that the chef is Venezuelan... . Not hard to learn and you are in Texas! Coffee was horrendous and no other option for an espresso. The food was good quality but out of focus on customer expectations. We are Platinum Elite members and are sad here

Bar area
Sarah B.

I arrived at the hotel late morning without having had any coffee or breakfast and with a few hours to kill. The breakfast buffet hit the spot! It's one of the best breakfast buffets I have seen. I had a made to order inlet as well as fruit and granola. The fruit was super fresh and ripe- melons, berries, and dragon fruit- beautiful! My server Darrian did a great job. It's a bit cold but they don't really have control over that.

Shelley F.

Ask your waiter to get parking validated. I didn't have to pay the parking fee since I was just a restaurant guest. Inside of the Gaylord Resort is really pretty! I was lost at first, but go inside the resort and follow the signs to the Riverwalk. The complementary chips and salsa were fantastic. However, the rest of the food was decent, but not the best I've had. The queso fundido dip was smaller than the queso dips I've had at other restaurants. There was a higher ratio of other "non-cheese" components like sausage, corn, tomatoes, etc. while it tasted good, i don't think it was worth the price. Next, while the birria al pastor sounded intriguing, I wasn't blown away by the dish. The flavors were okay. While it was a unique concept, I don't think it beats traditional birria tacos. The pineapples were a bit overpowering as well. Overall, this place is really gorgeous! Our customer service was great too.

Queso dip
Darbie V.

I was surprised with how low this place of rated on here. I had a lovely experience. This is located within the Texan Gaylord hotel and is one of the only options for food before five p.m. The restaurant is beautiful and I liked the open feel. Service was fast and friendly! When my drink is always full it's a good sign for me. Now the food here is good. Not great or amazing but a solid option for a meal! Appetizers: queso dip, chips and salsa, and Mexican corn. After being seated, I was brought a basket of chips and a side of salsa, which was delicious! The chips recouped very well, and the salsa had the right balance of heat and flavor. To go along with the chips I ordered their queso. It was a very average side. I probably would not order it again. I like real cheese in my queso dip, and this tasted heavily of Velveeta cheese. The street corn, however, was fantastic and I highly recommend. The flavor balance was perfect. The only thing I wish I had more of was limes to add more lime juice but I like a lot of lime flavoring and I understand that not everyone does. I ordered tacos for lunch what I like about this place as you can mix and match the meats, so I have steak and Barbacoa. Out of the two I think the Barbacoa was my preference. The steak was good, but the Barbacoa had really really good flavor. Honestly, a really great stop for lunch. I would happily go there again, but it did not blow me away outside of the street corn. The service really made up for a lot of the food in my rating, great people are working at this location.

Brian H.

In the Gaylord Resort for a conference and popped in for breakfast. I was seated right away and the service greeted and took my drink order immediately. She also recommended a couple items, one being the breakfast tacos. Let me tell you delicious! Three tortillas overflowing with eggs, steak, and trimmings. A side of potatoes and salsa also in the entree. A bit pricey for three tacos ($24) but expected at a resort.

Cynthia Z.

Had such a great dining experience here. I love the outdoor ambiance and how our host accommodated our request to sit right by the river. Every table comes with complimentary chips and individual bowls of salsa. The service was very professional and accommodating. We ordered the shrimp tacos, guacamole, and an appetizer... forgot the name of the appetizer but everything ordered was perfect that we ended up coming here at least twice during our stay. Only complaint is that they close at 9pm while the resort directory says 10pm.

fruit and yogurt bowl
Jason M.

Riverwalk Cantina is one of a handful of restaurants located in the Gaylord Texan Resort. I stayed in the resort for a work event, and while breakfast was usually provided to us, my colleagues and I met here for a breakfast meeting. Since I didn't really have time to check out the resort's restaurant, I was excited to check this one out. As the name suggests, RC is located in the Riverwalk area of the main resort area. The restaurant is "outdoors", meaning there's no actual ceilings besides the skylights at the top of the dome. This creates a more organic aesthetic, and the "river" that runs alongside the tables adds to the feel. The menu mostly consists of Tex-Mex cuisine; the breakfast menu is broken down into traditional breakfast dishes with a Tex-Mex twist, lighter fare, and smaller plates. Since I was being inundated with food during my stay, I decided on something light and went with the fruit and yogurt bowl. This has the making to be something simple, which it kinda was, but they constructed it well. It had just right amount of berries paired with granola which was all sitting on top of (what they called) lime yogurt. The bowl was pretty good; it was light and tasty which was exactly what I was looking for. I didn't taste any lime in the yogurt, just vanilla which worked too. Service was good, and overall I had a fine experience at Riverwalk Cantina. Can't say I would return here if I ever found myself at the Gaylord again, but the aesthetics are nice and this seems to be a good casual spot if you're hungry.

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1 year ago

Waaaaaay overpriced for what it is. Food marginal at best. I recommend leaving the hotel for one of the many great restaurants in Grapevine

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2 years ago

The chef came out to deliver the chocolate mole cake that was outstanding!! Highly recommend this place.

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3 years ago

This place is a vibe. Try all the bourbon, triple order appetizers, and live in the moment here.

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Baja Mex Grill

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2.2 mi
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Since there's a Tex Mex restaurant on pretty much every street corner here, it's not an easy feat…read moreto stand out from the crowd. Yet, for the longest time, Baja Mex Grill did just that by serving the strongest margaritas in town. In fact, I had always heard that there was a limit of 2 per person. Although it may have only been a rumor, it was a good policy nonetheless (I speak from experience!) Even if margaritas weren't your thing, the food still held it's own. Basically, you couldn't go wrong with a visit here no matter your preferences. I don't know exactly when or how many times the ownership changed over the years, but apart from the name, nothing about this place is the same today. It was immediately evident upon being served chips and queso that both seemed like they came straight from a package. The extra hot salsa we requested turned out to be a creamy, green concoction that had a jalapeno-y flavor, but somehow still wasn't spicy. I will give them credit, however, for a very tasty regular salsa that appeared to be made in house. For my entree I ordered the Picante Enchiladas. Contrary to what the name implies there was no detectable heat. Furthermore, the grilled chicken on top had the distinct flavor of a frozen version made by Kroger. Once again, that prepackaged element reared it's ugly head. My husband and sons were mostly underwhelmed by their meals as well. The phrase "I've had better" was echoed around the table. And, they aren't normally a picky bunch! Our server brought everything out quickly, checked on us often, and kept our drinks topped up throughout our meal. So kudos to him! I have said this before, but it bears repeating. The Tex Mex arena is far too competitive for mediocre food like they serve here. It's a shame that a place I once considered to be 4-5 star establishment barely earns 3 stars now.

Bar only review. No happy hour is offered and house margaritas are $13. Virtually every…read moreestablishment within 5 blocks, including the historic spots on Main Street offer fantastic appetizer and drink specials. The bar only had one person at it the entire time we were there approximately 5:30 pm. HH will not only fill your bar but also bolster your dinner business (3 tables dining). Half price apps and margaritas (at the bar only) will bring in a lot of business and spark new visitors.

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(733 reviews)
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We normally love Uncle Julio's but on this night, the tortilla soup was lukewarm which really…read moreaffected the flavor and taste. The shrimp appetizer was good though. The service was okay but not as good as usual. After we said two of us were pleased with the temp of the soup, they didn't offer anything more. In the past if we ever had any issue, the manager has come over to talk with us. We weren't looking for any refund, just wanted them to know the food wasn't as good as we are used to. Additionally, refills were slow, and the fajitas came out in multiple steps, first the meat, then a little while later, the accompaniments and then a few minutes later, the tortillas. Just not a great dinner experience this time overall.

This is a review from an experience a few months ago when I came here for a coworker's birthday…read moreluncheon. I had not been to this particular Uncle Julio's before, in fact, it is set off the road enough that if you blink you might miss it. Walking in you immediately notice that the ambiance pays tribute to their other stores in that there is a nice blend of traditional Mexican decor blended with modern decor. I ordered Fajitas. I am going to say they were respectable. Not the best I have had, but way better than a lot I have had. Would I get them again? Probably, but there are a lot of other things I would try on the menu before getting them again. Being my coworker's birthday, we ordered a Chocolate Piñata for dessert. It was a fun experience to have people at the table take a swing at it, until out came Churros, and Fresh Fruit. There was an array of sauces to dip the Fruit and Churros in. Our Service was a bit slow at times, and for that I am taking a star off the rating. We all sat on the patio, which may have contributed to our feeling forgotten a few times

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Mesa Mexican Cuisine

Mesa Mexican Cuisine

3.8
(317 reviews)
0.9 mi
•$$

We went here for lunch after staying at the Gaylord Texan Resort and opting not to have lunch at…read moretheir Mexican restaurant. Mesa's is just a few minutes drive from Gaylord so it is super convenient. The ambience is pleasant and open and in general it was fine. The restaurant was clean with plenty of seats and parking outside. I did not get a "homey" feel but that may be just me. Our server was attentive and efficient. No problems or complaints. The free chips and salsa were good but not outstanding. The salsa was warm and obviously homemade, but it lacked kick. It was tasty but not "OMG this is good." I started with a cup of Roberto's queso which is the standard queso cheese with some ground beef, pico, and a tablespoon of guacamole. It too was good but not outstanding. I am not sure what it was missing but there was something that was needed. I had the two beef tacos and they were just average. Not much flavor or anything distinctive. The ground beef was not well seasoned so they were kind of bland. The rice and black beans were also kind of bland. Frankly, my tacos at home are better. The wife had the taco salad and liked it, although it did not come with any dressing. She used the salsa. Not sure if that was an oversight or that is the way the salad is served. She was also happy that they serve Negro Modelo on tap, so she was happy. The kid had nachos with black beans and cheese and did not complain. Overall, the meal was fine, nothing was terrible, but nothing really stood out as a compelling reason to return.

Showing up on a Saturday evening to a nearly empty restaurant is kind of a double edged sword. On…read moreone hand, it's nice to have the dining room and server pretty much all to yourselves, but at the same time the lack of patrons certainly arouses suspicion. Such was the case recently when we paid a visit to Mesa. The first order of business was getting an appetizer to go with the chips and salsa. Upon the server's recommendation we got the queso Blanco. It was quite possibly the blandest queso I have ever eaten. At this point I started to worry that it was a sign of things to come. However, the extra spicy salsa that we also requested to go with the chips was more flavorful and gave me hope for the entrees. The good news is that my chicken and cheese enchiladas turned out to be better than the insipid appetizer. The not so good news is that it was still a mediocre meal. The rest of my family had mixed feelings about their food. My husband, who got 2 beef enchiladas, said his were overly salty but otherwise average. The bacon wrapped shrimp that my mother got were a little overcooked but she liked the sides. Both of my sons' entrees, the Mesa burrito and the chicken strips, were very well received. People like to say that even when pizza is bad it's still good. For me, that also applies to Tex-Mex. But, considering the plethora options out there, I doubt I will be returning anytime soon.

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Riverwalk Cantina - tex-mex - Updated June 2026

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