Canteen

We had the restaurant week menu, great deal, lots of food. To our surprise Potato taco was AMAZING, crispy and tasty , chicken pastor was perfectly w/ the pineapple, carnitas taco was a bit fatty, but amazing flavor! The enchiladas were delicious. Flan was soooo yummy! 🍮

One of my all time favorite taco spots in Madison. I’m obsessed with the pork belly and brussel sprout tacos. Their margarita is delicious too.

A 2.5 star at best for vegetarian / vegan options. The service was okay. The drinks contained more than 50% ice. Fishing out ice from two drinks made it into a whole tall glass of ice cubes.

Great taco! They were so good I dove right in and forgot to take a picture. I got the pork belly and it was delicious and very tender. The “chips” are a great snack and the margarita was delicious. Great service too. Lots of seating outside.

A small restaurant next to the Capitol building- came here for dinner with a group of 6 + an infant. We chose to sit in the very back, near the bathrooms, so we’d be out of the way of major foot traffic, and in case the baby should start crying (which she didn’t). We tried all sorts of appetizers and entrees and beverages, and loved them all. The shining star was definitely the lamb tacos- AMAZING. Also had pitchers of regular margaritas, Tecate ‘Chelada style’, pork belly tacos, asada tacos, smothered burritos in a bowl and the regular way, tres salsas and chips. I’m sure I’m forgetting something, we were all absolutely stuffed afterwards! Service was great- friendly and prompt. Parking (was a Sunday evening) was right on the street outside and free. They had a nice outdoor seating area setup but we chose inside since it was cooler. Busy but not overly crowded. Good vibes all around!

Great food and service. Came during happy hour (1/2 off tacos) fpr the first time so I was able to try multiple for a great deal! Thank you!

I absolutely love Canteen! The atmosphere is so lively, and it’s hands down one of the best spots in Madison. Their happy hour is a must—half-price tacos and delicious margaritas make it impossible not to indulge. Not to mention the service here is top-notch! The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and really makes you feel at home. Whether you're a regular or a first-timer, they treat you like family. If you’re in Madison, you definitely don’t want to miss this place. Great food, great drinks, and even better service!

Fun faux Mexican spot off the Square. We went at lunch time and the food was tasty but pretty average. Street corn needed a side of chips or to be served with the main course. Enchiladas verde were savory. Service at lunch time was very slow. If you’re on the clock, maybe pick another time to go

Surprisingly really bomb and authentic tasting for Madison, Wisconsin?! Admittedly my expectations were pretty low, but we came in during happy hour and got half off tacos. I got the shrimp diablo and carne fresco, and they were great. They use a double corn tortilla and pile on the cilantro, which I love. So tasty and filling, and very affordable during happy hour! Also the complimentary chips were a nice touch.

I have a lot of favorites, and some of them have off days. Canteen however never misses! This location is perched on Hamilton street, right downtown in a great location for sight seeing. You will have to street park, and they have plenty of spots right out front. Also out front is the lovely patio, with ample space along the side of the restaurant. Inside is fairly large as well, there is a small bar you can dine at or catch a booth/high top. Very clean and spacious dining area. The staff is always very helpful, and accommodating. I've never had to wait long for a seat, or just someone to stop by and check on me in general. If you've never been, someone will absolutely give you the rundown. The food is incredible, I've been here 4 times now and I always come for happy hour. The tacos are delicious, packed with flavor from the juicy chicken, to the pork belly, or my favorite the beef brisket. You can't go wrong, they will also let you modify if you didn't want the pineapples, or a cream sauce that comes with it. They also mix it up a bit, no traditional chips and salsa. There are these airy chips, with seasoning on them that you get complimentary. If you are ever in Madison, WI on a layover like myself, or a local give them a shot today. Don't even add it to the list, just go and thank me later. Pro tip: Madison has an incredible trail system for waking/running/biking. You can get to it from this restaurant and downtown in general. So eat well, and walk it off.

First time at Canteen and overall I enjoyed it. I ordered the classic burrito with carnitas. Was tasty,, but a bit salty. The restaurant is really cute and has a fun, bright vibe. Really friendly waitress. Clean bathrooms. Would come back and try the tacos.

I ordered the shrimp tacos ($10) and it was amazing! The portion size (2 tacos) was perfect. I also ordered a side of rice for $3 which was also delicious. My friend and I loved the complimentary chips. It has a sour/spicy taste and is a great snack - we even ordered another one for just $1! Their patio is super nice - we loved the vibes. We missed happy hour (2-5pm everyday) by just 15 mins because there was a 45 minute wait around 4:30, which we didn't expect. Overall our experience was great! 10/10!

We love it! Clean and spacious, seating outdoors as well. Family friendly. Waitress was friendly. Food was great! We ordered nachos, shrimp tacos, quesadillas and drinks. Everything came on time and we devoured it all! The nacho dish was absolutely divine, gone in 5min! Portions are big!

This place has an amazing Happy Hour! I mean the margaritas and tacos at half off, are you kidding me! Tried the lamb tacos for the first time in my life...a, a, amazing. I think the staff and chefs try hard and some reviews are ridiculous. Most of the margaritas are done well, not watered down. Great spot!

Cute spot for lunch! I really do love Canteen's burritos but I think there are better places to go for tacos nearby. Highly recommend the Baja burrito. They are usually pretty busy but you can make a reservation. As others have mentioned, service is usually not great.

Margaritas during happy hour are some of the best in Madison. Bad part? Everyone else is there during happy hour also! It can get busy and usually staffing can be short, but be patient and enjoy a margarita!

Went for late night happy hour and had only a 10 minute wait. We were seated in a booth toward the back of the restaurant. Loved the decor and relaxed atmosphere. Started with half price canteen margaritas. Not the best margarita I've had had, but tasty. Then tried the Brussel sprout, cauliflower, and steak tacos. The Brussel sprout taco was by far my favorite! Cauliflower wasn't what I was expecting and could have used more sauce, but it was nice to try. Steak with avocado was good too. Would recommend for happy hour!

Got the pork belly tacos, shrimp diablo tacos, taco salad, and churros. All very tasty, shrimp diablo tacos were the winner followed by the taco salad.

I love the fact that they serve those Mexican style chips as a complimentary starter. I grew up eating those in Cali drenched in lime juice and tapatio hot sauce. I ordered the Cali burrito which sounds delicious but there honestly wasn't much flavor. Which was disappointing as it is made with basic ingredients. I did NOT like the shredded chicken in the burrito. Maybe it's a Midwest thing to use shredded chicken in burritos but again- in Cali we don't use shredded chicken for burritos or tacos. The Horchata was delicious. The ambiance is cute though- music is great. Can't go wrong with Bad Bunny and J Balvin.

I had the strawberry margarita which was delicious and strong. Then the queso and lamb tacos. The tacos were average. Honestly I enjoyed the margaritas and dip the most. Would be back for more

Pretty good, a little pricey, yummy margaritas. Better than the sh*t a$$ place that gave my girlfriend hemorrhoids.

My brother and I went there this past Sunday for brunch at 11 AM, sat at the bar. I've been there many times, it was his first. One of my fave spots in the city. I had the Ranchero Tacos & the Pork Belly tacos... as always, amazing. He had the Birria Tacos which he said were astounding. I wish I could remember the name of the server/bar tender that took care of us; she was so fun and conversational we loved chatting with her! I had the spicy margarita and a Paloma. Both great. I will always recommend Cantten!

The food is amazing! The queso here is a must have and it goes very well with the classic burrito. The restaurant itself is not the most spacious but it's still a great vibe. The service in the other hand is...not the best. Our server was quite rude to one of our friends who mentioned we had a birthday in the group. She also forgot to give us pens when we got the bill so maybe she was new? Nevertheless, we were never offered desert and we got nothing for my friend's birthday either, knowing Canteen gives out birthday treats.

Here in Madison for a conference and my friend and I just settled into our hotel and went to find something to eat and tacos was the goal! We found this place not to far from our hotel. It was a beautiful day and it's happy hour right now- we were so excited for some good food and drinks. This restaurant has an indoor and outdoor seating situation, but we chose to eat inside. When we walked in, we weren't sure if we had to seat ourselves or if we needed to be sat by someone. After a moments wait, we simply asked. The waitress found us table (it wasn't really busy, dining room was empty) As we were handed our menus we ordered our cocktails and chips with guacamole. The guacamole was pretty good and a little bit chunky. We also ordered the Eloté corn that came in a small dish. Woah! It was creamy and good but super spicy hot. It was loaded with jalapeños! I stopped eating after my first bite. I don't understand why would you put so much heat in a dish where you can't enjoy the flavor because your mouth is numb and on fire. Our tacos plates arrived and I had ordered the Al Pastor chicken tacos and the carnitas tacos. The carnitas tacos were good, the flavor was nice and delicious. The chicken Al pastor was no bueno. The chicken was bland and overcooked. It tasted like the chicken was boiled. I ate half of my order of tacos. My drinks were good, I had a beer and tequila. My friend though ordered a blended margarita and it tasted watered down. The service was ok, our waitress was nice, I'm just that the food wasn't amazing but mediocre. The place has a great location, the decor is lively, the music doesn't help the vibe, perhaps play more upbeat music to match the restaurant. I won't recommend this place- I do hope it gets better. Thanks!

Alright well holy cow, I've traveled a lot- and I'm pretty stingy but this is test another place in Madison that is excellent... it's crazy, I've been to a lot of Mexican places in my life- my favorite food- and this is too notch!! Outdoor seating is fantastic location is great, options are endless and so lunch liquor to choose from

Their regular and late night happy hours are amazing for both drink and food deals. You usually need a reservation for the late night happy hour, especially for more than two people. The tacos and margaritas are always good. The interior is small but cute. A negative is that service can be slow when the patio is open and busy.

The manager on duty,Madison, was not helpful at all when we told her my food was hard, burnt and crunchy. I told her, don't want a free dinner, but instead that same dish made. When I had asked where my dish and our chips and dip were, she said the kitchen was closed. We did get the chips and dip but denied fixing the issue and continued to let me know that I had "yelled" at her. No, I just think this young, untitled staff doesn't know how to handle fixing a simple request!

This is my families go to spot when we are visiting Madison. The service is always phenomenal. The menu is diverse and everything on the menu is fresh and delicious. It is a cute space as well. I had the flank steak tacos and they were fantastic!

We got the breakfast burrito bowl, carne fresco taco and pork belly tacos. Absolutely out of the world food! Will definitely come back here! We also got the strawberry and the el jefe margarita and those were really good too. Ended up paying $65 for the brunch but definitely worth the money. Lovely food!

Best vibes ever. Love the margs and tacos!!! Shrimp tacos are to die for. Also great hh deals

Kind of busy, so sat at the bar and got the same great service! Brooke was great, she recommended some of the appetizers & some delicious drinks. I ordered the Shrimp Diablo tacos, small but they were stuff with greatness. Small place, clean, and helpful

This is my partner and I'd number one restaurant! We might go here a bit too often... I always order the frozen strawberry margarita at half price happy hour and the fish tacos!! The service is always quick and the best tacos and Margs in downtown Madison!

I was looking forward to trying this place for some time now... My friends and I made a reservation to avoid a wait, as the previous Tuesday we were turned away at 9:00PM because they were booked. The staff was friendly and welcoming when we arrived. The atmosphere was lively and trendy. Duritos were brought to our table when we sat down. I started off by ordering a spicy margarita and chips & guac. The margarita was tasty and not too sweet. The guac was very small and bland and the chips were not very good. I asked the waitress what to choose between the the barbacoa tacos and the fish tacos; she recommended the barbacoa tacos. It cost $10.50 for two street-size tacos with no side. The meat was incredibly dry and flavorless. There was so much cabbage piled on the tacos that they completely fell apart. My friends ordered smothered burritos... for $17 a piece. Again, no sides came with the burritos. The flavor of the fish burritos was good, but the style of potatoes was bizarre for a burrito. The server was kind and accommodating, although we felt quite rushed. We were in and out of the restaurant in less than an hour. I knew that Canteen would be a far cry from authentic Mexican, but I was wildly disappointed by the overpriced and flavorless food. Honestly, I would choose Belair Cantina over Canteen... which is saying A LOT.

Service and ambiance were incredible. Huge shoutout to our waitress Karina for amazing service! We made a reservation for a Thursday evening before a show at the Overture, and were glad we did because it started getting really busy around 5:30/6PM. The food is the only reason for my 3/5 stars. I had the classic burrito with picadillo and it was fine. It was a huge portion, but the flavors were a bit lackluster. I'm used to (and prefer) more flavorful Mexican food. My partner ordered the fish tacos and said they were a bit disappointing, nothing special. That being said, the agua fresca and horchata were both 5/5 stars. Could not recommend the drinks enough! Overall, we wouldn't go back to Canteen for the food. But the drinks were delicious, and we would return for happy hour!

canteen tacos are so amazing and so is the guac but the queso is so bad it tastes like cheese whiz :( I wish they would make a new queso

Had the Brussels sprout tacos they were pretty good. The place is cute. The margarita was okay, it's like hipster Mexican food. It's not particularly good or authentic, but it's okay. I think overpriced for what you're getting-portions are pretty small. Service was good.

I hadn't been here since it opened so it was time for a check in! Armed with a 7 pm reservation on a Friday night, my friend and I met for drinks and what we hoped would be a leisurely evening's dinner. Unfortunately, we weren't offered a second drink and were gently but firmly encouraged to leave to accommodate an 8:15 reservation at our table for 2. The food was fine and the server was friendly, I just wouldn't bother going back after that because it wouldn't be worth having to cut a dinner short. I had the burrito bowl with carnitas and thought the carnitas flavor was quite good, but the bowl was overwhelmed with a lot of refried black beans. The queso was good and I could have dipped chips in that all evening long, and the salsa trio was not bad either. I really enjoyed my mezcal cocktail and would have loved another. It's a small space but the tables feel fairly intimate. Clean and non-gender specific bathrooms.

Canteen is located just off the Square with a great view of the Capitol building. They start you off with a complementary order of chips topped with a spicy seasoning - not your typical chips and salsa, but definitely tasty! Every subsequent order is $1 extra. I ordered a Spicy Margarita. If you're a fan of sweet and spicy (Hello Tajin seasoning!) this is the Marg for you! We ordered several different tacos (they come in sets of twos) and an order of enchiladas. The service was adequate and the ambience is cute and colorful. Our food was lukewarm, however, which was a small downside to our experience! Their tortillas are made locally at Tortilleria Zepata, which is a definite plus!

This place was great (especially during happy hour!). Me and my partner very much enjoyed the complimentary Duritos. We also got the Mexican street corn. I enjoyed it but partner LOVED it. The sauce on it was yummy :) for tacos we got the carnitas, fish, and barbacoa. All were good, but fish and carnitas were the most vibrant and yummy! Service was good and the vibes were great. Would recommend as happy hour date night!

Unfortunately the Canteen does not accommodate people either accessibility issues in their outdoor space. This could be solved with a short ram and some table re-arranging. dMI has. produced an excellent video as to how to make outdoor seating accessible. I was unable to eat there last night. I live in the neighborhood.

I waited for quite awhile just to be sat. It seemed like I was supposed to wait but every server that walked by just kind of smiled and walked away; they weren't busy either. I finally was given a seat and honestly the whole experience was just kind of off. Servers seemed angry and the food was not what I ordered. Queso was great but my taco order was wrong and didn't taste very good. Hoping for a better experience if I come back.

Where do I start?! Happy Hour: why is it from 2pm-5pm?! Visiting Madison for business, I was enthralled to partake in "Taco Tuesday" and enjoy a discounted margarita but to my surprise HH ended at 5pm the same time I ended my work day; hanging around until 9pm for the late night happy hour wasn't an option, FIX IT! Nonetheless, I still went and ordered a Reposado Tequila flight, well I was met with disappointment again as every tequila I selected they were "out" of or it wasn't included in the flight, which was NOT mentioned on the menu. I ordered carne fresco tacos and a side of Mexican Street Corn (elote), both were mid and wouldn't recommend. Yes I saved it for last, customer service: customer service is important when your business depends on the customers you serve, no one acknowledged the fact that I was standing there for about 7 mins. (They weren't busy, remember HH ended at 5pm). Do better Canteen, I won't be back but for the next person, please do better!!

I also was there 2 days ago with reservations around 9 PM and was on time. Hostess with pig tails was rude by the bar did not acknowledge us for like 10 minutes. The waiter was overwhelmed and we did not get our drinks till 20 minutes later and then the food came 10 minutes after. I was eating and enjoying my food when the hostess came to our table yelling and pointing at me and my sister saying we only 8 minutes to eat that the next person who has reservations are here and she needs the table . My elote corn was still extremely hot mind you. We did not respond back to her because she was rude and walked away. We rushed out of there and let waiter know we were asked to leave. The young lady needs some service skills, she totally ruined our night. Not worth going there for such bad service. I would avoid this place.

Had an amazing experience there! Alora and Emily were amazing. Food was great, but experience was even better.

Wonderful fresh tacos, bowls & salads. Yummy drinks. Great service and prices. Indoor and outdoor seating offered but small amount of both.

This restaurant was a favorite of mine as an undergrad, so when I came back to visit Madison for a game day had to go. Canteen has the best happy hour in Madison. Love getting the deal on tacos and spicy margarita pitchers. It's a super fun time in here always a great place to start a night out. It's a very small restaurant, so they limit how long you can stay at a table. When we had to leave our table, our wonderful waitresses Amara and Alora offered us churros at the bar. Great evening!

Best happy hour in Madison!! The pitchers of Margaritas and tacos never fail to disappoint. Staff is always so friendly, and I've never had bad service here. Highly highly recommend!!!!

We went to Canteen tonight after the Wisconsin/Minnesota game. I'm from Los Angeles and I should have known better. My husband and I ordered the taco salad. It was awful . There was barely any lettuce in the dish. We ordered it with ground beef as the protein. The meat was in a heavy sauce. It definitely is not like a true Taco salad and the taste of the meat was not good. Our mistake

Second time here while visiting Madison and honestly it seems to have gone downhill. They have a nice outside seating area which is where I was seated fairly quickly. It took around 10 mins to even be greeted once I was at my table however, at which point I already had my drink, app, and food order figured out. Mezcal marg, chips and salsa, and cauliflower tacos. The salsa came out fairly quickly and decent portion, but I wouldn't get it again; it was just okay and something to snack on. The restaurant also has these chips that are complementary and seemed to be handed out automatically by other servers, however I didn't get any, and requested later on for them. I appreciated the crunchiness and seasoning on those. Skip the chips and salsa these are better. I ended up getting my mezcal margarita the same time I got my tacos. I would have liked to get it earlier in my meal to sip on while waiting. Drinks usually come out first so something was off about the timing. I also couldn't really taste the mezcal in here, which is surprising because mezcal usually has a very distinct flavor. I would not get this again, I didn't even finish it. The only thing I really liked was the cauliflower tacos. They had good spice and crunch. It was rather filling. Pricing is fair.

Yum! I can't believe this is the first time i've tried Canteen since living in Madison, it did not disappoint! We made a reservation and were seated right away. We ordered a pitcher of margaritas which were super refreshing and delicious. We ordered enchiladas and a smothered burrito with chicken and we LOVED the smother burrito. You have to get it smothered with cheese it's so worth it.

Happy hour is 2-5 with half priced margaritas and tacos (and more!). They are adhering to social distancing for the tables and tables are timed due to the limited capacity. Staff was great and food came out very fast. We ordered so many tacos, we had do take some laps (only walking of course) around the capitol to help digest. I started with the Margarita and asked for it to be extra spicy which unfortunately was not spicy, tasted like a regular marg which was fine. The Mexican corn was very tasty! I liked the green onions and thinly sliced jalapeños for that added touch. The complimentary chips (forgot what they were exactly called) were tasty as well with a citrusy kick to it. For the tacos, they looked wonderful and had we had a beef, chicken and a pork flavor to try. All the flavors were pretty muted and the meat was slightly on the drier side. Not my favorite tacos but still a solid choice when downtown.

Best service ever ! Allaura was the absolute best and i'm so happy we had the chance to be served by her and Lizzie! food and drinks were amazing. i felt so warm and welcomed by the staff. best vibes ever. I can't wait to come back!

Good service, so Canteen is not a bad place to just grab a drink. Sadly the food is sooooo not good. I seriously don't understand why people like this place! I've tried fish tacos, baja grilled fish bowl, and a classic cauliflower burrito. All were bland, over salted and overall just super mid. There's way better food in town, get a margarita to go and call it a day. Honestly the drinks are not even that good, but I want something nice to say :(

Went here while in town for a conference with some people I work with on a Monday night. I can imagine on other days of the week it is busier, and spacing is a bit limited. The décor is vibrant, colorful, and fun. Instead of chips that many Mexican restaurants offer for free, Canteen has these fried wheels that are pretty unique. I enjoyed my Baja burrito (in bowl form, thanks for having a GF option!) and those in my party enjoyed tacos and margaritas. If I find myself in Madison, I will certainly come back!

We went for happy hour. The margs are priced well during happy hour- definitely okay with this The Baja bowl was not good, literally all cabbage slaw. I got grilled fish and it was cold. I didn't enjoy it. The queso wasn't great either. I won't come back, but the servers were all kind

decent tacos, questionable customer service from the staff. sometimes they'll ignore people when they walk in and sit at the bar, they don't even say hi! yikes.

The space is cute, but a bit awkward in terms of layout. The tequila selection is pretty good, but the bartenders are inexperienced. Service is meh. Food is meh. Meh.