Pequeño Cantina

I visited PEQUEÑO Cantina for lunch today and had a great experience. Our bartender, James, was wonderful very personable, welcoming, and full of great energy. We were greeted with genuine kindness as soon as we walked in. The food was amazing. I had the taco entrée with rice and black beans, and the flavors were incredible the seasoning in both the rice and tacos was so good that I didn’t even need any extra sauce, which is rare for me. I also tried the wing appetizer, and they were delicious with a sweet, tangy flavor. For drinks, I ordered the house-made lemonade made from fresh juice, and my partner enjoyed a whiskey. I love seeing local restaurants thrive, especially Black-owned spots like this one. PEQUEÑO Cantina has been open for about four years now, and I heard there’s a bar-style lounge next door that opens later in the evening I didn’t get to check it out since I came for lunch, but I definitely plan to return. Overall, great service, great food, and a great atmosphere. I’ll be back!

The fries came with curly fries although it looks like waffle fries are pictured on the menu. The $17 wing dings was missing the chipotle ranch (bummer). The birria tacos with shredded short rib saved the day. The fries and tacos were good. I would never order the wing dings again. No flavor.

I just wanna start off by saying the food was good and the drinks were good but it’s a 97% chance I will not be back. Came in about 445 on a Thursday 0_O… They did not have a high chair for my daughter so we had to hold her, only one happy hour menu for the entire restaurant to share, food and drinks took too long to come out as there was only one bartender, had to ask for plates, they ran out of patron silver and reposado so they couldn’t do the drink flight. 20% automatic gratuity. Cheese was not melted inside of the burrito and I asked for light ice with my drink… .

I really wanted to like this place. I got the taco entree, one chicken and the other shrimp and they were flavorless. My drink tasted like tequila and water and our server walked past our table several times without checking in. I wanna extend grace in that regard because they were clearly short staffed. However, I will not return and will not be encouraging others to visit. I do however wish the business well and hope that they make changes in the future.

The chicken quesadilla was excellent but the lobster tacos were so so. The drinks were overpriced. Bill for 3 people came out to $150. There was a 20% gratuity tacked on which we weren’t told about when we arrived. Not deserved! I will not be returning and would not recommend this place to anyone.

First time here and I definitely will be back, my youngest son took me here on our date and let’s just say I’m very happy he did!!! I LOVE Mexican food and they did not disappoint! Our waitress was so attentive and explained everything, her name is Whitney, loved her service! Now the food was so good I can’t wait to go back, this is a must go to restaurant I promise you’ll be thanking me. The ambiance was very inviting, with great vibes! My favorite place to go for Mexican food now

This place is a wholeee vibe! Located right on Livernois-it was beautiful designed. Food, service and drinks are on point!! My experience was with Pequeño After Dark and my bartender was Tiff! Ask for her because she got me together with the Sangria and my friend had a custom cocktail with the items she asked for. It’s was done impeccably. This was my first time and I’m super impressed. Check it out! The rice was AMAZING and my chicken tacos? Chefs kiss!💋 Definitely coming back for Cinco weekend!

I had 2 chicken enchiladas and 1 beef enchilada which were delicious and very filling, alongside the rice beans and guacamole. The chips with salsa and cheese dip were a great side, and the waitress was very attentive.

Fun little Mexican cantina and tequila bar on the Ave of Fashion (Livernois). There is metered parking along the street out front. The decor is super cute and the music is always upbeat. The bar seats 7 and there is also table seating. In the summer the front patio is our favorite place to vibe. The tacos and nachos are pretty decent for Mexican fare. The quesadillas are above average and the Mexican themed brunch is top notch. The brunch skillet is my go to meal. Drinks are hand shaken and made with fresh juices and a wide array of spirit choices. Service is hit or miss. Of course they offer taco Tuesday specials and sometimes on Thursdays there is a DJ and drink specials. Check it out!

OMG....I don't know why I'm just trying this place! Food was SOOOOO good! The restaurant is quaint. We went around lunch time and a Saturday and there was only 1 other person at the bar. Diamond was our bartender/waitress and she was great. All of our food items were delish. We had nachos, fajitas, wings, and pequeno fries. Even better the margarita was NICE! Perfect amount of flavor and alcohol. Why the Avenue of Fashion has a lot of new businesses, it is a 1 lane road each direction, so the traffic is always bad, and parking is even worst. But please don't let that deter you. You have to try this place!

I live in the neighborhood and been meaning to try this place. Quaint small Mexican restaurant in walking distance from my home. Came in on a taco tuesday and not busy at all which was great. We were sat immediately and greeted by Whitney. Very pleasant young lady. I ordered birria tacos and Ceviche (didn't get a pic) food was amazing. My date ordered steak which they were out of so settled for quesadilla which he loved. Price.. $55 for three tacos, a quesadilla and ceviche ... meh... I enjoyed the evening but it was a little pricey for what we ordered. Please try them the food was good service was excellent pricing,? iffy

Y'all I paid $65.99 for the worst food/experience. I ordered the pequeno wings, a salsa on the side (they charged me 2.50 didn't pack the salsa!), shrimp ceviche, pequeno fries (terrible, old fries! COLD), a steak, beef, & chicken taco. It took them forever to cash us out for the a carry out order we almost walked out but instead waited 20 mins for the food to be horrible! I'm so sad & disappointed I wasted so much money.

Yesterday was very busy kind of day for them so take this as you may. We walk in and are told to sit any where, another group walks in and they are seated and the nice waitress brings them water and she also ask and informs them about the digital menu and takes they're drink order. After a few min I ask the same waitress for water and if we are going to get someone to take our order. Water comes and her comes our waitress she takes our order two orders or birria tacos from the appetizers menu. We also ask I order to go, that's where it all goes wrong. We only got part of our order. I called but no answer. I'll be back to try this place again. What I tasted was pretty good so I'm interested in more. I know it was a long busy day but it was Saturday so your wait staff and cooks should have been ready. See you next time.

If you looking for a blexican spot or some Mexican food with some soul in it. This the place! Really chill quaint vibe. Everything was well flavored. The wings were deliciosa. Lol. If you not a fan of lime(which I am) then don't get them. My brother and one of my business partners said she didn't like them. I loved them! Each is own. The chicken nachos was bussin' ok! I will definitely be returning for brunch on Sunday. Mya was our waitress and she was superb! Can't wait to go back and try more things on the menu.

I was very impressed with this restaurant! The food was really good! The portions were pretty big, which was fine because I took home leftovers. The staff was very friendly. The day we went service was pretty slow, but I would still go back.

I hope the drinks here are good because the food really is not. We tried the fajitas, rice, beans, and two different types of quesadillas and not a single thing tasted like it had any seasoning on it.

Service was decent. But let's talk about this food. The chips and salsa was ok at best, NO flavor. Let's move on to the flavorless barría tacos that was also super dry. The street tacos we no better, dry and no seasoning. Not to much the nickel and dime up charges for every little thing. The drinks were the only thing I would suggest you come for. The scenery was nice too, sat outside and the atmosphere was nice.

You get complimentary chips and salsa here. The salsa is AH-MAZING (homemade, fresh ingredients). The drinks - heavy pour . I ordered one of their tequilas with tonic water and lime (only charged for the price of the tequila I ordered). My friend got a "specialty" cocktail, mango flavor. Almost got tacos, but portion sizes looked a little small for the price. I ordered the burrito, added steak (+6) and if I hadn't been so hungry from a day out I would've had leftovers (large portion, full of great ingredients!). There was quite a bit of meat in the burrito. Side of fresh made pico, lettuce, sour cream, and homemade guac perfect addition. My friend ordered chicken quesadilla with side of rice and raved about it. Portion was large for that as well. Her drink: Mango Pequeño de Original ($16) cost more than her meal and per her the flavor to alcohol ratio left something to be desired in the flavor department. The reason I am giving 4/5 is because the music for the size of the space is too loud (hard to have a conversation) and for the small size of the restaurant we waited a hot minute to get seated right in front of the restaurant. Staff is very friendly.

Slow service - mediocre food. I think the guacamole, salsa + chips were amazing. As for the rest, the margarita was incredibly too strong, the wings were flavorful but not mind blowing - I think a dry rub fried spicy wing would be better. The shrimp tacos only had diced white onions and cilantro on top - somewhat disappointing. The service was incredibly friendly, but on the slower side.

The food was really good. We had a group of 7 and unfortunately it did take a bit for our food to come out. The waitress kept checking on us so she was very nice. Drinks were good also. Will try again when we don't have a group that size.

Detroit's Mayor was conversing at a table. QR menu. Kind of small on the inside. Cozy seating outside the garage style roll up window. Prices are steeper than expected. Warm chips & salsa are placed at your table. Shrimp quesadilla was delicious! So much cheese! My fault for not saying "no guacamole/avocado" as I always do when at mexican inspired restaurants. There was a spoonful of guac on my shredded lettuce.

Given burnt enchilada as a takeout tonight. Called for email address of manager to send a picture to and given a bogus email and told they were understaff and unable to give me a correct email. I live in the neighborhood and want to see them succeed but not after tonight's experience. I wonder if ownership knows.

Food is excellent. The drinks are costly for the sizes of a Marguriette whisky glass. My bar bill was higher than my food

We vacationed in Detroit for five days and stumbled upon this restaurant. We had a wonderful lunch. The food was excellent. We sat at the bar and Diamond, the bartender, was our server. The drinks and service were great!

Hard to believe that this type of place is on Livernois after long looooong time of having no places to drink that were much more than dive bar status. My buddy said the same thing... this place is low key and has a really nice vibe. They brought out chips n salsa which was really cool, the chips were hot and the salsa seemed fresh. I also got the pequeno or Mesa wings... really enjoyed those and my buddy enjoyed them too. All the other food looked to be priced very well, so I'll be back to try some of those items. This is a tequila bar so be advised that the liquor/cocktails are on the pricey side. The "Fall on Livernois" and the two margaritas of the day I got for us were each like $17 or $18. My buddy bought a couple of shots of casamigos for us and I think that was like $35. I could tell the bartender was a pro though and I was drunk enough to mess up the total on the bill so the drinks did the job well. We also met the owners of the place and like the bartender, they were very nice... come out and visit them so we can get more spots like this in the area!

The service was good and food came out fast and HOT . Nice and quiet place to talk and enjoy your company.

Nice music, good food, good service! Bartender seemed a little stand-offish at first but once we all broke the ice...it was all good. Will return.

I had high hopes for Pequeno Cantina when I walked in - a beautiful outdoor seating area and a nicely lit bar. The new addition to Livernois could be an optimal date spot, but the money spent on decor was not matched by food quality. I went around 8:45, and was seated promptly. However, due to a fuss in the kitchen, a 15-minute wait turned into 30. By the time the food arrived after 10pm, the dining area was being closed by staff. That would have been fine, except the tacos were the size of my palm, dripping in oil, and hardly enough filling to be considered more than a nacho's ugly older sister. The shrimp tacos were more onion than shrimp, with only 2 unseasoned shrimps sitting on the tortilla. Disgraceful. The steak tacos looked a little better - but quickly I found they were dry and equally flavorless. My friend enjoyed her nachos, and the fajitas looked nice as well. The only promising part of this restaurant was the service - a real family vibe between the workers who brightened up an otherwise horrible experience.

I love the food here, the birria tacos and the fries are so delicious. I have not had anything that was not great from here.

Great food, wonderful atmosphere Service is impeccable. Unlimited mimosas is always a thumbs up in my book

I absolutely loved this spot! I stopped in with a friend of mine for Sunday Funday. We both ordered margaritas with an extra shot of tequila on the side. We ended up ordering chips and salsa along with a few Tacos. The steak was so tender and the flavor was poppin'!!! I will most certainly be back.

Made a visit here on a Tuesday evening, this is a cute little spot in a busy area. One thing to know is that parking is very limited. I parked a little up the from the restaurant across the street in a free lot on the corner of Outer Drive. We were seated immediately after entering and our waitress didn't offer any suggestions, we were given chips and salsa. She didn't mention that there was a happy hour going on when we arrived but after I asked about a drink that I saw another customer with the waitress then stated the price during happy hour but that now it waa over at 6pm. The menu is not big at all and has just the basics, I ordered the fajitas with chiken, shrimp and steak and my husband ordered the quesadilla with chicken and shrimp. All of our food was good and came out in a decent time. The drinks are a bit pricey to me and the margarita that I ordered was just ok. Overall it was a good experience and I would go back again.

This neighborhood has a lot going on and while I found parking I can see how sometimes it might not be easy. This business appeared to have street parking only and it's pay. Lovely patio - that allegedly had bees so we did not go out on it. Had tacos, fave is chips, cocktail and fajitas. Staff was friendly and no wait for drinks or food. The food was good. The drink was good. My bill came to $35 which seemed a bit pricy to me for what I got. Other than being convenient location wise it was not anything special and bit expensive .

Great Mexican restaurant on Livernois off 7 mile. Service was excellent. Server was knowledgeable. Food was fresh! Prices were good, portions were great. The first time in ages I left a restaurant full and satisfied. Go enjoy!

Who knew Pequeno had brunch?! They do and it's great. There is a limited brunch menu but everything on it is made to order and perfect! Make sure you ask for Toyia when you go in. She's a great bartender and the drinks are tasty while still strong. My party of 4 each ordered something different and it was all delicious. I have nothing negative to say. I was a bit nervous when I saw the menu but everything was seasoned well and delicious. Service was friendly and fast. I will definitely be back!

I will never be able to afford a home if I eat here three or more times. Worked out to $4 per BITE of taco. The drink was good. Don't get the tacos; way too small. Go with a quesadilla. But all in all I'll probably go back because I want to support independent Detroit business, and the vibe was very trendy.

First time visiting, the girls made it a girl date, and the food was good, drinks strong, the ambiance was nice! definitely a return is needed! . Our Waitress Diamond P was so nice!

The food wasn't the best, the service was also not very good as we were the only people in there, and the waitress barely came to us/was too busy talking to friend, it overall was okay

This place came up when I was searching for tacos. I never noticed this place before when driving up Livernois. I came by myself so I sat at the bar. The place is small but cute. My food came out fast. The drink and food was good. I'll come back.

Still *crazy* expensive drinks - food is still good. Service is still great. It appears they haven't dusted the place since they opened (fake plants along each wall are piled with dust)

The food was good, the atmosphere was nice. Great service, delicious drinks. The prices were reasonable, great location. Very excited for this area!

Staff was very attentive. I had the wet burrito with chicken. The chicken was some of the most flavorful chicken I've had a Mexican restaurant in a while. I give it 4 stars because I didn't care for the rice and beans.

It was absolutely fabulous! Sam took excellent care of us. The house made guacamole was Out of this World! Sam whipped up yummy Daytails . Looking forward to our next visit and to try the Sunday Brunch.

First time and the service, food and ambiance were amazing. The mesa wings and the margarita so tasty and refreshing. The wings were so fresh, seasoned and cooked perfectly. I even was given a voucher to use for a free meal! I didn't like the salsa chips but the everything else' is worth going again for.

Consistent, delicious, mex. Nachos and quesadillas are amazing. Great service. Dine in and carry out are good.

E-N-C-H-A-N-T-E-D Our Saturday plans fell through; we set out to fill our afternoon spot with something new AND tasty. This place IS amazing! The aesthetics were perfect, the music was sensuous, & not too loud, just the right Vibe for conversations and good energy- It all paired together nicely. It is truly a "one of a kind experience" that should always be appreciated & celebrated as a local hidden gem. Peekaboo- glad we found it! (Lol!) We were greeted the moment we walked in. Our "bartenderess" Oshsana was beautiful, kind and genuinely warm and welcoming. The Food was so Fington delicious- we had the pleasure of meeting the Chef (I'll call him "H"- only bc I'm having a senises moment) he brought our food to the table (steak quesadilla) inquiring on our satisfaction with our appetizer(Pequeno Fries) I could barely contain myself I HAD to ask "what time do you get off from work"? I think he thought I was a stalker but I was trying to mastermind a game plan to have him prepare these at home for me later... This will not be our last time visiting!

My new go-to Mexican restaurant. Love that it's in the City. It's Black owned and the food is delicious. The guacamole and chips are great. Their chips are light and crispy. Love the shrimp tacos. I went twice in one week. Love the decor. Oh yeah the street corn is the bomb too!

I am thrilled with the high quality restaurants and shops opening adjacent to my neighborhood - Pequeno is the cherry on top!! This little Mexican restaurant is the perfect place to grab delicious foos and a fresh margarita after a long day - the staff is gracious and welcoming - the food is fantastic - and the vibe is light and bright! Go check them out ASAP

Welcome to the West Side Pequeño! I rock w this place. Staff was friendly, helpful, and cooler than a polar bear's toenail's Food was good! Drinks were okay -Spicy mojito =below average -Spicy margarita= above average Will return again

My first visit to this new restaurant in the area and I will be back. The staff was very nice. Tried the margarita with fresh fruit juices, street corn and taco salad. The form was just okay but I enjoyed my salad with steak as the protein. They could be considered a little on the pricey side but the ambiance was nice and I want or return to try more things.

Went on a whim but it did not disappoint. I would say I'm a "food snob" and never impressed but this was AMAZING. Probably one of my new favorite places. Highly recommend. Staff is great and friendly. Atmosphere was cool. And the food tasted fresh with whole ingredients but definitely hit the spot for comfort food. Also don't forget the cocktails, drinks weren't too sweet and were refreshing / balanced. All around was super impressed.

Food was good and fast. Order comes with chips and salsa. I ordered basic ground beef tacos with beans and rice. Very good. They have basic tex-mex. Tacos. Burritos, fajitas, quesadillas, street corn. Excellent service and full bar

I'm so sad that I have to post this because I was so excited to try this restaurant and support this business. My sister and I arrived and sat at a table around 5:20pm. We weren't seen for 10 minutes. Once we were seen we were given our menus and water rather quickly. We were then given chips and salsa. We asked for a little time to look at the menu. 30 minutes went by with no service. There was a couple sat next to us and the bartender and two waiters saw to these people during the 30 minutes we sat with no service. It was very upsetting to see this couple receive their drinks and appetizer in that timeframe meanwhile no one came to check on us. I'm usually understanding if the restaurant is super busy but that wasn't the case. All the other tables had their food already. So there was no reason why this table that was seated after us received service from 3 DIFFERENT PEOPLE, meanwhile my sister and I received nothing. Not even a look or a question of if we were okay. I hope this review helps this issue be corrected because as I said before I was ready to support this business.

Just visited for the first time! Five stars for the waitstaff- they were prompt, helpful, and all around great. Also, their patio was designed well and I'm so glad to see a business taking advantage of the widened sidewalks that the extended Livernois construction a few years ago brought. We ended up sitting inside but I imagine that sipping a cocktail out there would be lovely. My wife reported that her standard margarita was well-executed - always nice when a restaurant pulls off a classic. I really enjoyed the elote (corn on the cob) and would definitely get it again. Request an extra napkin because it's slathered in delicious, messy sauce and if you're me, you won't care how much juice is running down your chin while you feast. Why not five stars? A few things that I hope will be sorted out as this restaurant gets settled: the drink menu is literally all alcohol, so there's not much for the designated driver or sober folks to enjoy. I inquired and they said that there was some kind of strawberry lemonade that wasn't on the menu and our server wasn't sure exactly what was in (I have some food intolerances so I didn't risk it). BUT based on the cocktail menu, this place could probably pull off an excellent house zero proof once they get rolling (or I'd love to see agua de jamaica or horchata or a seasonal agua de fruta). On a related note, I ordered the veggie fajitas and ended up with a couple pieces of chicken on my plate. Not a huge deal if you don't have food allergies, but for those worried about cross contamination, this place may not be the best choice. Also, the way their menu is set up is quite confusing- the server and I had to go around multiple times on what a protein is and why I couldn't just order the street tacos and had to add an additional item. So here's the scoop, so you won't have to ask: the tacos don't come with any actual filling until you select your up charged add-on (chicken, fish, shrimp, steak, etc) and also there's a secret, non-listed option to get a veggie taco (unclear if there's an add-on charge for that - I gave up and ordered the fajitas). Like most standard American Mexican restaurants, entrees do come with rice and beans so you can theoretically fill your taco with those but I felt like our server didn't recommend it. This food is NOT Mexican- it's most Cali-Mex with a little Tex-Mex thrown in for good measure, with the exception of the elote. The salsa is White people salsa, intended for eating with chips, not for adding seasoning to your food. I couldn't figure out how to actually add flavor to my fajitas, as neither the pico de gallo that came with them, the guacamole, nor the salsa I requested had heat in them, so it was basically just vegetables wrapped in a flour tortilla. The veggies were cooked well and I appreciated the healthy option. My wife said that her shrimp was great and she recommends the shrimp fajitas. Overall, set your expectations for Cali-Mex and you'll have a great time. I hope this restaurant is able to stay in business and make some updates.

We had great, attentive service and the food was tasty! I thought a taco salad was a taco salad but the one on their menu was really fresh with what tasted like roasted corn and perfectly textured avocado slices. That said -- those drink prices!!? We ordered two house margaritas, a bean burrito and a taco salad (with shrimp) and our bill before tip was $69 bucks! Let me say that again, two margaritas, a burrito and a taco salad for $69! When I saw the margaritas were $16 bucks a pop I thought that maybe they'd be really big... but they just came in normal rocks glasses. Truthfully though, whatever tequila they use is probably way nicer than whatever my cheap a$$ usually gets and I reckon quality costs money. Despite my initial sticker shock, it's true that cocktails are pretty pricey wherever you go these days and if I'm gonna shell out for a drink it may as well be to support a business that's in the neighborhood near my house! The bottom line: I'm cheap but I will go back because I had a high quality experience.

I really wanted to like this place. For me if the customer service is good, I can overlook some things. The customer service for me and others around me was mediocre at best on two occasions. People who were seated 20 minutes after my order was taken should not have their chips and salsa, let alone their drinks before me. When a guest enters the establishment, if you can't seat them right away, at least acknowledge their presence and let them know someone will attend to them shortly. Sad to say the main offender both times - an older woman with blond hair behind the bar- she needs training or she needs to go. The food was good which gave the two stars, service -5 I said what I said!

Stopped in for a quick lunch and was so impressed! My server was attentive and friendly, and made a mean spicy margarita! Loved that there was tajin on the rim and fresh jalapeños in the cocktail. A bit pricy at $15 but very delicious and fresh. For lunch I had their chicken burrito- loved that it was chunks of grilled chicken breast and not shredded chicken. Delicious and huge (took half home) - served with guac, sour cream and pico. This would be a great causal date night spot or place to meet some girlfriends - will be back for sure!