Will not be back. Prices are ridiculous. Steak fajitas were $27 and were comprised of a plate of onions, 1 slice of green pepper and 4 slices of steak. No thanks. read more

This review is for the catering service. I want to give a big shout out to Jackie, and the crew that helped me set-up the catering for a retirement I was coordinating. I got a lot of positive compliments for the food. I chose the taco buffet for 25 guests and they provided more than enough food for it. Overall, my experience was excellent. Thank you! read more

Love it! Beautiful court yard, and the cuisine is fresh and top notch. Super reasonable for the quality of food and service. I look forward to dining here again! read more

{BONUS- You get the stories from the 80's!} I remember going to The Cantina as a kid in the 80's. It was SO busy you would have to wait up to an hour and a half to get a table for 4. Then they expanded the place and made room for more, so it wasn't so bad. We've had years of fun, celebrations and parties here. For some reason I don't think I have been here since 5/5/05 - Cinco De Mayo (never the best day to visit any Mexican restaurant - although everything was just fine that night). Today I visited an old friend and went back here for lunch. It was excellent. The house margaritas were on point. The food was hearty. The service was perfect. It reminded me that I spent a lot of time here in my life. Whether if it was with my Mom (it was her favorite place - probably because of the margaritas), or a birthday, etc... To come here on a Sunday lunch and have a good time reminded me that - some things in life don't change. The Cantina still hits the spot after all these years! read more

The food wasn't as good as I had expected, the location is beautiful and was decorated in Halloween/fall theme. Staff was attentive and kind, this place is busy and fills up! We sat at the bar seating and still had excellent service. Was on the way to the airport to pick someone up and needed dinner, which I intended to be better. Chips and salsa are great here and fresh! read more

Sad to put 4 stars...great food, amazing staff that is always accommodating and kind. My husband and I have been coming here since we moved to mv a few years ago and frequent their happy hour. Only complaint....the happy hour policy is horrible. They only give you happy hour prices if you sit in the designated zone-which is not big enough on busy nights. We sat for 30 minutes on a Thursday night at 5:45 waiting for a spot and just bounced and sadly this isn't the first time this has happened. We love this place- please change this policy and expand your happy hour "zone". read more

Always on the lookout for a great Mexican Restaurant. You can tell a lot about a Mex. Rest. by their Margaritas. Remember the original Cadillac Bar? The drinks here are good... This reivew is based upon several visits...one really big mistake was sitting in the bar area while three very loud, drunk women whooped and yelled. Total buzzkill. Barkeep kept serving them... Have had appetizers and drinks wirh friends several times. Always good service, good chips/salsa, etc. Dinner Menu is is good- healthy, if you so desire...diverse. I think this is one of two Mexican restaurants in MV - the other is Take out only...right? read more

We came here on a nice Monday evening so we could enjoy the patio with our drinks and dinner. The service was horrendous. We could not find our waiter to save our lives. Sat there for ten minutes before anyone offered us a menu. Then 10 more minutes to get the drinks we ordered and 45 more to get our food. Waiters coming out with food would go around to all the tables asking who's order it was. We gave up trying to get napkins and utensils when the busboy told us they were out of them. Complete chaos, poorly managed, not an enjoyable experience even though it was a beautiful evening. That said, the food was not bad given the low prices. read more

Oh buddy, watch out for the margaritas. They pack a mean punch! Of all the things to do on July 4, eating Mexican food isn't #1 on my list. But my friends and I found ourselves at The Cantina on Independence Day. Hey, it was open and they were serving food. Plus, if there's a margarita within drinking distance, I'll gladly oblige. The outdoor patio is shaded and comfortable, even on a hot North Bay afternoon. People bring their dogs and if you're friendly, you can even sneak a pat on the head with one of these mutts. Prices are fair for the area and you get pretty decent portions considering. The food itself is standard Mexican (American) fare. But those margaritas? Powerful. Make sure you have a designated driver if you plan on imbibing. read more

I have very mixed feelings about the reopening of The Cantina... First of all, I'm very glad to have another decent, reasonably priced restaurant in town. However, sadly, I think the opening of The Cantina is going to come at the expense of Antigua Mexican Grill which is very close by. Fortunately for Antigua, they serve several of our favorite items that aren't available at The Cantina, so we'll do our best to support both. The Cantina really was an institution in Mill Valley for a lot of years, but like so many institutions it tried to ride on its reputation too long. Quality suffered and it closed and became Maria Maria which lasted less than a year. They remodeled the space and have returned it to a more open, warmer and inviting space than Maria Maria. It now has more of the feel it did before, but freshened. It is a welcome change. According to what we've read and what we've been told, the original chef is back at the helm. This seemed quite apparent during the visit, because everything we ate was perfectly prepared. We had flautas as an appetizer which were hot and crispy - and unlike so many restaurants, didn't taste as if they had been fried earlier in the day and then reheated in the oil minutes before serving. We shared skirt steak fajitas as an entrée - and again the preparation was spot-on. The beef was not overcooked, so it was very tender. The marinade was flavorful and it was served with a good variety of grilled vegetables which were still crisp. The SO had a margarita (or two) which he declared to be very good. All of the wait staff seemed very personable and helpful. Glasses were not left empty and dirty dishes were promptly removed. Prices seemed to be in line with what you would expect for a "local" Mexican restaurant. One word of warning is that this is one of very few really "family friendly" restaurants in Mill Valley. As such, you may need to choose your dining times with care. There were a couple of families with a large table full of screaming children which had they not been sitting outside, would have been very disruptive to any meal. We're going to do our best to patronize both The Cantina and Antigua Mexican Grill as it would seem both have a place in the Mill Valley restaurant scene. read more

Go to Chevy's! For the same type of food (non-authentic) and margaritas - you are better off making the drive to Novato to save some bucks. Hey - you can even do your once a month shopping at Target and Costco while you are there. We just finished having lunch here and I am disappointed. At first glance, we were impressed as the ambiance seemed improved from both the earlier iteration of the Cantina as well as Maria Maria. It looked adorable. And it was very busy at 12:45pm on a Saturday. Our impressions quickly changed from there. The margaritas were too sweet, the server was nearly non-communicative and the food was bland. We ordered shrimp fajitas for two and the only plus was that there was a lot of shrimp. Too bad it didn't taste good at all. I mean it, it totally lacked flavor, as if someone just heated a bag of frozen shrimp. Their salsa was also very bland and their tortilla chips were just okay. Both Mi Pueblo (in San Anselmo) and Chevy's have much better chips. Please don't waste your money just because the place looks cute. If you want authentic Mexican food, go to one of the Mi Pueblo Taquerias in the area and if you want Tex-Mex (for fajitas/margaritas, etc.) go to Chevy's. Even though Chevy's is a chain, at least their food tastes good and the prices are right. read more

I really really like this place. I have always been curious when driving by it. One night we decided to try it and I am sure glad we did. The atmosphere is really nice and the staff friendly. The drinks are really really strong so one margarita, even though it was $10, was enough to do me in. The food itself is good too. Not the best mexican food I have had and a little bit overpriced but I was very satisfied overall with my meal. I will definitely be back here. One thing you should know is that if you go for dollar taco night, it is only available in the bar area or in the patio. By the time we got there, it was packed in those areas so wound up not being able to take advantage of it and sat in the regular restaurant. read more

The Cantina is a gorgeous place...the interior is spacious and well-decorated and the front and back patios have plenty of tables, jazzed up by colorful umbrellas. This is where my compliments end. I had lunch here on a weekday afternoon and thought the sizable number of diners was a positive sign. I was wrong. The first issue is that the staff are more interested in talking to each other than they are in talking to their customers. There are big smiles and fake happiness when you enter the restaurant and when you depart it, but the in between is pretty lonely. The second issue is the food. They give you the standard chips and salsa while you're browsing the menu. My advice? Go ahead and indulge. Nothing better is coming your way. My fellow diners ordered a taco salad and a veggie burrito. Neither of them cleaned their plates. I went with a chicken fajita burrito and requested it be cheese-free. The waitress said she'd make sure it was prepared without cheese. Lo and behold, when I cut into the burrito, it was smothered in nasty, melty cheese. (When I finally tracked her down, she wasn't too apologetic and didn't even deliver the new dish to the table herself; a bus boy slammed it down in front of me.) The accompaniment on the burrito plates was limp lettuce with an icky dressing. And the quarter-sized dollop of guacamole on the burrito was watery and bland. It's a Mexican restaurant! Take some pride in your guacamole, Cantina! Overall, The Cantina is more about style than substance. You'd probably get more authentic food at Taco Bell. read more

Okay this place probably isn't that terrible but the service here was absolutely ridiculous. Our waitress completely ignored us and when we COMPLAINED she STILL kept ignoring us. She would glance over and we'd wave and she'd turn and walk away. Never came to ask how things were, nothing. The food was okay, came out fast, but the rice was dry and I feel my burrito was just overpriced for the quality. The ambiance of the place is great though, very upscale Mexican restaurant with many places to sit. I just know I'm never coming back here. read more

From the parking lot, you may think that this is premier restaurant. With picture-perfect fire pits and fresh furniture, it's easy to think that your experience will be picture-perfect as well. Do not be fooled! The Cantina is obviously a favorite with the locals (why it is, I am not sure). Perhaps it's the kid-friendly atmosphere? Regardless, the hostess' are very friendly and did a good job of seating us. However, our waiter seemed a little off in his friendly, happy to serve you demeanor. The food comes out quickly but in this case, that's about the only positive. I read in earlier reviews that the salsa was wet in flavorless. Maybe the restaurant read that and thought they'd kick things up a bit? In this case, they kicked it up way too much. My mouth was pretty much on fire from the salsa by the time the food arrived! The original quesadilla was good but lacked any flavor. I was surprised that they didn't offer any sort of upsell option like a chicken or steak add-in option. Plain, boring, tasteless, and leaving me realizing that I could cook a better one at home for a LOT cheaper, we finally began looking around for the waiter who was nowhere to be seen. Finally, after tracking down the waiter and paying the bill, we stopped to use the facilities before leaving. I think I've seen porta potties that are better maintained. Yes, they are decorated beautifully and I will give them credit for that. It's obvious that they spent a bunch of money on purchasing items. However, one stall was out of order, and the other stall still had the baby changing table still down, paper towels ALL over the floor, and no toilet paper. Then, you make your way over the sink and the handles (if you can call them that) are the push-down timed ones. We're (in most cases) adults who won't waste your water. And, if you're that worried about your water usage, put the money into purchasing automatic sinks. Not to mention, the Men's and Women's bathrooms are on complete ends of the restaurant which seemed to confuse everyone! Overall, it's decorated beautifully, yet it lacks basic function. I ended up getting FOOD POISONING from my meal which was probably served/made by the employee in the restroom who wasn't going to wash his hands until I gave him a glare. Used to be a great restaurant but not sure what's happened to it since. I'm proud to be a Californian because of the great ethnic food we have, but I'm not proud of this establishment... read more

The Cantina has been around for a while, and in the past ( more than 5 years ago) I've had some pretty awful meals there. But we'd not tried it in the last 3 years, and I've been hearing good things lately (or actually, I heard it wasn't as bad as it used to be). Knowing they have some outdoor seating, we headed out on a warm evening to give it One More Try. Seating was prompt, and the chips and salsa were good. My chicken tortilla soup was the best dish we ordered: juicy chicken, bits of fresh avocado, and crispy bite-sized tortilla garnish. Don't know why the soup had cheese in it (?), but otherwise it was just fine. My fish tacos had no flavor, and the enchilada and relleno plate was a gloppy mess. I'm not categorically opposed to gloppy messes--in the SoCal Mexican-ish food of my childhood, every plate got sprinkled with cheese and spent some time under the broiler prior to serving. But in this dish, all of the food just tasted the same; no distinct or interesting flavors at all. If you like red enchilada sauce--and everything on your plate to taste like red enchilada sauce, order a combo plate. Our waiter was terrible, and the bus staff was overworked. We hardly saw our waiter. We asked for (but never received) a second set of silverware, so we ate the whole meal sharing a napkin. (Silverware wasn't an issue--I got the spoon, he got the fork and knife :-) ) Seriously, my bar isn't that high at a non-fine dining restaurant--just ensure that everyone has cutlery. In addition, my companion's second margarita was delayed and delayed, and finally it arrived after we finished the meal. Minimum service standards were simply not met. We were seated on the side patio under a huge TV (no sound; that was fine), and this patio might be a good place to sit and watch a game. The margaritas were tasty (at $12 a pop, they should be). Lots and lots of room for improvement. We won't be back. read more

If you were a customer at the old Cantina, you will be delighted. My favorite dish there -- the enchiladas de casa with ground beef, corn cakes, and refried beans -- was an EXACT reincarnation of the dish in the old days. The salsa and chips, the panchitos, the tortilla soup -- all were brought back just as they were. I liked Maria Maria -- Mexican cuisine raised to a high standard of elegance -- but the old/new Cantina is more to my taste. If you liked the Cantina before, you will like it again. read more

Maybe weekend afternoons aren't their strong point, but they seem to have a problem heating the food so that the cheese melts (! happened 2 weeks in a row.) For the chile rellenos, they don't remove any seeds. At least make an effort to remove some, man. The micheladas taste like watered down flat beer. The service is terrible. Need some salt for your food after you get it? Gonna have to find it yourself because the staff rushing by can't be bothered. It does have a great outdoor space, though, with a tv outside for sports watching. That part is awesome. I guess just stick to the slighly stale chips and drink margaritas. read more

3.5 if possible. The food isn't bad - it's just nothing special. Ordered the chicken taco salad- the fiesta salad with steak and the pork carnitas (VERY) large platter dinner with tortillas -Just average. The salads were under seasoned but the meats which accompanied the dishes were very good in flavor. The carnitas platter was just a gluttony feast which came with rice, beans, veggies, corn cakes, guacamole and a large salad. Our daughter loved it- and it was seriously enough to feed 3-4 people. The flavor was good- nothing you crave the next day for leftovers. The service was good and the place is very kid friendly- so be prepared for loud children running all over the place. This place is worth coming back - and we will ( neighborhood ) some days it's better than others.. Price is right as well. read more

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IF I order "crispy" tacos at a Mexican restaurant I expect the shells to not come out of a box like they did at "The Catina". Seriously, I bet I would find an Ortega box in the back. The beans were okay, chips were good, salsa was good. Hostess (the older lady) was semi rude. I don't understand why every waitress is a blond and all the bus boys are all Hispanic. In fact, this seems to be a trend in this town. Saw the same thing over at Super Duper. Only the white kids are good enough to be in the front and the "browns" are in the back. Appalling. I'm looking at you Mill Valley. read more

First, I love kids, but, in certain settings, such as attempting to have a nice dinner with your spouse, please don't allow groups of children (in this case, Stepford mothers with their entitled Pint-sized ADHD offspring) to cause chaos to paying customers. The food: mediocre at best. My wife and I have dinner here often , however, after tonight's experience, we'll be eating somewhere else. So long, Cantina! read more

Very, very disappointing! I haven't had Mexican food this bland and flavorless in years! The Mexican food here is on par with the very bland, flavorless Mexican food you would expect in a cafeteria...at a hospital, nursing home, school campus, etc. This lack of flavor also reminds me of the cafeteria restaurants typically found in areas predominantly filled with retirees, such as Tucson. (Examples would be Furrs Cafeteria or Old Country Buffet which both cater to those Seniors who seek out bland.) This is so disappointing, as the decor and atmosphere of the restaurant was quite nice and it would've been the type of place we would visit regularly if not for the tasteless food. Essentially, there are no complex flavors that you would typically find with quality restaurant food. It would seem the only flavor they use is chili-powder (not even real, whole chili's..) based on the three different dishes that our family had ordered. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if everything came from boxes of instant mix. It would be hard to cook with real onions, garlic, peppers and tomato and turn out food this bland - they must be using powdered or something. Even the guacamole had no flavor - seriously - every thing served was so very bland and plain that there was no pleasure or enjoyment in eating it at all. I could've closed my eyes and had a hard time guessing what each bite was other than the differences in texture. We had ordered: Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken soft taco, Combo platter with Carne Asada, chicken and something else. Each dish came with rice, beans, and salad (think iceberg with shredded carrot and some generic vinaigrette type dressing). Of it all the refried beans had the most flavor and even then they paled in comparison to just about every other taco joint or Mexican restaurant we've ever eaten at anywhere. If you are desperate for a restaurant that has a nice atmosphere and welcomes families, (and no one is very hungry or they're missing their taste buds...) then you might want to give this place a go. However, if you enjoy good food, full of richness and complexity of flavor you need to pass this place by. Instead I would suggest Las Guitarras in Novato - Great tasting food, friendly servers, sweet outside patio area and very family friendly. I also love Mi Pueblo (all locations...) but it is more of a small taco joint feel than a restaurant - good for a quick bite for the family, but not really where you'd take guests for a leisurely meal. Unless you're seeking bland and flavorless avoid The Cantina read more

Blahcamole! Huge and corporate-y, The Catina looks as if it were built for a resort or theme park's Mexican section. The attitude of the restaurant is pretty much the same. You get smiley cheerleader-esque service, supporting little substance or authenticity. Following suit, everything you would expect to be on the menu is on the menu - nothing tastes exceptionally good, nothing tastes exceptionally bad. read more

Sunday at 4p.m., a friend and I ordered dinner and a margarita. So dissapointed. Her quessadilla had BBQ sauce on it and my enchalada was nothing but chili powder! The meals were disgusting and the margarita had no booze in them! I would not go back there if they paid for the meal!! Our waiter was great and so were the chips. read more

For a sunny and breezy Sunday at noon in Mill Valley, I was half-expecting a challenge getting seating last-minute for a large group of attorneys and other professionals after an amazing hike on Mt. Tam. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised and relieved when the hostess on the other end of the phone said she could accommodate us. Not only could they take us all, they were able to seat us outside on the patio. It was the perfect reward for a nice leg workout on the trails. My friend and I ordered the Mudpie dessert and Mucho Combo appetizer for our entree (yes, in that order and no, we could not finish it all). It looked like a big party on a platter of all your favorite Mexican munchies. Some other dishes that were ordered and caught my attention included the steak and shrimp fajitas and huevos rancheros. Both looked delicious, so I'll have to come back another time to try those! read more

Went there twice and loved it! Both times experienced excellent service and reasonably priced great food! The place has a chill vacation-style vibe so every time I go there it's like a little vacation. Their chips and salsa are delicious, the same goes for food. Great place! read more

Charged me 10.95 for a margarita when it was happy hour apparently I didn't order the house margarita. They didn't even ask me what kind of margarita I wanted!!!!!!!!!!!!! Soooo tempted to not leave a tip but I just couldn't get myself to do it! NEVER COMING BACK HERE AGAIN read more

I have been to Cantina about four times and won't be going back! Each time the food has been progressively worse. I ordered shrimp tacos that tasted dry and not hot. The beans and other sides were warm to almost cool. My partners food was equally bad. She ordered some carnitas tacos. The meat was very dry with no sauce or any kind of moister. Very disappointed in the food. The margaritas were good and the service was excellent! Katrina was wonderful and didn't charge us for one of the entrees! She was the best part of the evening! If you want good Mexican food in Marin, Sailors is the best, Joe's Taco Lounge is great also. Also, our fried ice cream desert was terrible! Avoid the Cantina! read more

I'm being generous with 4 stars because I wasn't going there looking for an otherworldly culinary experience, and I've been there before and it hasn't been that bad. But I just think if you serve a salad with a brown avocado and a grainy tomato, your culture, top down, is probably one of not caring too much what people think. And that sucks in any business. Really 3 stars, but I know they can do better. read more

I have never loved the food. But it is an easy meet up with friends as it has a huge dining area and two outdoor eating/bar areas so sometimes it ends up on the rotation. Drinks are decent good selection of tequila for margaritas. Food lacks spice. I'm not talking like wow frat boy need to not be able to taste anything for a week... just any spice. The hot sauce reminds me of a tomato sauce with a little attempt to spice it up... It is too mild for my toddler. The reason I give it a one star, and probably won't be going back again, is when taking the toddler to the bathroom, I witnessed a server use the toilet and return to serving without washing her hands. YUCK YUCK YUCK. read more

Too bad that this restaurant based in Mill Valley is terrible and not clean. The person who broad the ships and salsa (cheap industrial made) literally touched the salsa with his hands.. The food was cold and bad. The crab omelette was horrible (industrial chemical crab with a lot of mayo...) the service is below average. They can own back all Mill Valley residents if they become CLEAN and hire a good chef and offer natural products. read more

The Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Mill Valley, California

This place is trash. I wanted fresh squeezed orange juice and they offered mimosas with fresh squeezed OJ. I asked if I could have it without the champagne and they said no. Like wtf, they literally could just make the mimosa without champagne but they refused me. Also the breakfast burrito is trash and the potatoes taste like saw dust. read more

I absolutely love this place. Love it so much that I had my Bridal Shower here. Working with Jackie and her staff made my party of 30 effortless. I hardly knew they were there. I didn't need for anything. Thanks so much Jackie read more

This place is great. They're a staple of Mill Valley. They've been here for years. They do exactly what they're trying to do. It's not too classy, yet not at all Chipotle. It's a great, sit down Mexican place with great drinks and tons of great options and it's great for kids too in my experience, which is a huge bonus! read more

First time out to meet friends for lunch. Restaurant employees did not practice social distancing. When I asked for them to do so they were rude, very rude. Will not be be returning. read more

Let's start off with the obvious: there are a lot more interesting and better choices for Mexican food in Marin County. The Cantina is convenient though, and the food is DECENT. Not great, not worth going out of your way, but decent. Almost nothing (and I've been here LOTS) on the menu is bad, and most things are 3 star level. The service is friendly and generally good, but my two biggest complaints are the noise level (this is a big "take the kids" restaurant it seems) and the wait sometimes is crazy, given the quality of the food. So if you don't have to wait, and you're literally in the parking lot, this is an ok choice. Otherwise, you can do better. read more

My favorite go to place! The Cantina has a friendly staff and very accommodating. I have multiple work presentations/meeting almost monthly at The Cantina. They are always so welcoming when I am there. They have a great private room that I always use. They have a nice fireplace they turn on in the room on colder days that gives a cozy atmosphere. The service is always fast and the food comes out in a timely manner. The food is always tasty and large portions. This is a great place for larger groups or just to get a good bite to eat! read more

I love this place - SO glad it's back! Not only is it back, but it's better than it was before. The bar is great, awesome drinks, outdoor fire pit with lounge area and heaters. So nice to catch up with a group of friends or something. Happy hour is a good deal from 4pm - 7pm (might want to double check those hours). I tried the guacamole & Mexican calamari both were great (especially at the Happy Hour prices). Had a couple dinners out here, too. Fish Tacos were my go-to and I have to say, it was good both times. Plenty of food - plus their chips and salsa (nice and zippy... I like that). Check this place out. I think you'll enjoy it. read more

Came with two kids, their mom, and my lady. Had a great meal with lots of leftovers. I branched out of my enchilada rut, and got a Tamale with salsa verde and corn. Delicious! and left me wondering why I'd never tried one before. Waitstaff was attentive, and patient with children ordering their own food, and the bartenders made sure there was enough tequila in our margaritas to make them count. We sat outside and enjoyed the little view of the garden center... and the heat lamps. Solid. read more

Where to start I guess the girl who answer the phone would be the first place, how about pretending you give a shit about the order you guys completely messed up? read more