Rita Cantina

I’m Cajun..(I.e. food must be good) and I lived in Texas for 30 yrs combined. I was more than Leary of eating Mexican in East Hampton. But if you want a break from Italian or seafood.. I’m much less willing to eat ~ok sushi.. and more willing to eat any Mexican. THIS was a cut above and totally unique! Healthy Mexican! I didn’t know there was such a thing! Margueritas were legit.. no bad sour mix. Lobster tostados were absolutely wonderful. Light lime dressing.. onions soaked in water to remove the bite, tiniest chives I’ve ever seen, cucumber, avocado, lime. That’s it! No mayo! Seriously the best! Hubs got carne asado- also good. And shrimp tacos. Totally the best!! Could not believe this was NY!

Love this place. Packed during summer months. Very noisy. But…the food is great. The place has a great vibe and packed bar. The chorizo clams fir a starter are excellent and spicy. Recommend the chips and salsa to start. Really good Margaritas. The tacos are good, but I think the 2 best items for main courses are the fried chicken and the duck carnitas. Better than Peking duck. And to end your dinner go Defoe the tres leeches cake! The place is a home run!!!

The Short Rib Birria was amazing. I’ll be having that again. The spiced fries and a really good ketchup were also very good. The major disappointment was the Duck Carnitas. Carnitas is traditionally akin to pulled pork braised in its own fat. This duck was a half a roast duck which was tough to shred. The menu described it simply as Duck Carnitas with appropriate sides to make carnitas tacos. It didn’t mention the half duck part. Basically , a do-it-yourself dish. The place is lively and popular. They would do well with some wall hangings to soften the noise.

Tucked away in an obscure beach corner of the Springs, we uncovered this extraordinary dining spot ( known to most locals :-) The masterful cuisine, guacamole, shrimp, and perfectly executed duck, as well as the magnificently prepared Margaritas provided a welcome escape from the all too exuberant EH crowd. The owner, chef, and staff all made this casual dining experience feel just like home, Bravo!!

Great dinner and happy hour. Can’t beat $1 oysters between 4-6. Alyssa was our server and she was fantastic! Highly recommended!!!!

Absolutely stellar food. I eat Mexican food all over Mexico and California regularly and this place really wowed me. Short ribs birria, lions mane mushroom asada, tuna tostada, fluke leche de tigre, mussels, coconut flan, watermelon margarita!!!

Our dinner at Rita Cantina was such a pleasant surprise and a highlight of our fall trip to the Hamptons. Our son and his partner have a new farm in East Hampton (Feathertop Farm), and we frequently visit them. We often stay in the Springs and have passed Rita Cantina many times, but never considered eating there. Our motivation to check it out this time was to eat at and support a restaurant that uses farm-fresh produce from Feathertop Farm, and the entire experience exceeded our expectations - eating outdoors with our well-behaved dog, excellent service, and fantastic food (the mushroom quesadillas were a favorite). However, the highlight of our evening was enjoying a few special custom-made dishes, made with ingredients from the farm and served by the chef. We greatly appreciate this special touch, and it was such a proud parent moment for us. Thank you, Rita Cantina, for supporting the farm-to-table movement, young farmers, and the local agriculture community. We will be sure to be back and recommend Rita Cantina to others.

The food at Rita is fantastic! Don’t miss the Tuna Tostada, Chorizo Clams (so much flavor), Fluke Ceviche, and the Al Pastor Tacos. Drinks are on par with the food - outstanding! The Pina Coco Margarita and Paloma are not to be missed. They also have a great selection of rare additive free tequila!

Able to walk in at 530pm on a Monday; promptly seated at a booth inside, and of course- Happy Hour until 6pm! Good guacamole, great fries, tasty margaritas! Michael our server was attentive and prompt! My uncle enjoyed a crab-cake and street corn (his first foray into the Mexican delicacy!) both the fried fluke and carnitas tacos were flavorful and filling. Churros for dessert are a must! We'll be back to Rita Cantina next season!

What a great time we had at Rita Cantina. It was Monday night and the place was packed. We were accommodated without reservations and we considered ourselves lucky. Service was perfect and food spectacular. We started with the guacamole, our entree was Birre Tacos which were tastier than expected. The crab cake were perfectly cooked. We weren't going to have dessert but couldn't pass on the Churros...divine.Should be 4.5 stars...no hot coffee served. Otherwise 5

Came for dinner with a party of 4. We were instructed to wait at the bar until our table was ready in 30minutes outside. No option given to dine inside even though there were about 10 empty tables readily available. It took over an hour and then some to finally be seated after spending over $120 on only 6 drinks at the bar. I was not impressed by the regular margaritas although they are all made in-house they come off a tap unless you order a frozen margarita, which then comes from a slushie machine. When seated outside it was extremely buggy. But our server was extremely prompt. It was a bit off putting that any question we asked about the food our server did not have an answer or could not tell us how the food was prepared or a more thorough list of ingredients or any flavor profile information. The food was nothing special for an East Hampton restaurant. The short rib tacos were definitely delicious but an absolute rip off because if you ordered the short rib quesadilla you get over double the amount of food. I ordered the shrimp Al pastor which was one taco for $16 which was outrageous. The churro dessert we ordered was probably the worst dessert I've had, lacked flavor and was definitely over cooked. Very saddening the over all experience. But a good time because of the company. Also the parking situation was not great because there are no spots and we experience multiple cars parking terribly so there was not enough space. We parked two blocks over in a residential area. Definitely would not eat here but maybe just for drinks but the location is very out of the way.

Allows patrons to park in handicap stop to pick up their take out. My mom, with a handicap sticker, had the Flute Vera Cruzano. She hardly touched it and pushed the capers and sauce aside because it was too salty. Waitress claims she came over to see how things were - I vouched for my dish, but did not know that my mom's dish was salty. When she asked if I wanted to take it home, I mentioned the situation. There was no remorse on anyone's part that my mom did not eat her dinner. Not even a free churro. I live two roads away - sorry Rita, it's going to be Hasta la Vista for your lack of consideration. Also, we both have upset stomach this evening.

Delicious food and fantastic margaritas. And probably some of the best value in the Hamptons. But what makes this place extra special is that is run by the loveliest people. I have to call out that I watched as the hostess was so incredibly sweet and gracious with an older couple that needed to be seated outside where it was quieter. It was so touching to witness this young woman be so kind and accommodating, even at an establishment that is plenty busy and popular. Great food, great vibes. Highly recommend!

Wow! I ordered oysters and they were so good and came out with many sauces. And salsa- so delicious. The margaritas were really good too. The happy hour special they have going is a great deal & wonderful service as well.

If you're in the Hamptons and you can find it on the map, Rita Cantina is worth the trip into the depths of the Springs. Take Three Mile Harbor Rd until you think you've passed the fringes of civilization, then look for the little sign on the telephone pole on your left. Frequented by locals, who can actually find it, Rita Cantina serves high quality Mexican food, tweaked with Peruvian and other Latin influences, at reasonable (by Hamptons standards) prices. Friendly staff, indoor and outdoor dining (if you don't like noise ask for the back room it's quieter), and great drinks. From the menu. Excellent guacamole, and the chips have a killer spicy salt, and i recommend the fluke ceviche. We shared the quesadilla last night, and it was thick, warm crispy, and cheesy. Great to share. The only suggestion i would make there is it should come with a little guacamole or sour cream. They used to have a killer Latin flavored fried chicken, which is why we went back last night. It's no longer on the menu, but if the chicken wings are made with the same recipe, and it looks like they are, get em. For "mains" the tuna tostadas, slabs of tuna sashimi on crispy tortillas, come 2 to a plate and were great, the chicken tinga tacos, also 2 to a plate and also incredibly tasty, and for larger plates, I've had the carne asada and the duck carnitas, and both were mouth wateringly good. And to top it off, share an order of churros for dessert. Not to be missed.

Sit outside if you can! Margs amazing, tuna tostada and fish tacos are highlights. Great neighborhood spot

Love the food and the drinks seafood is the best prepared and raw bar is prime oysters And tuna and mussels prepared with a sauce That delicious

Rita Cantina: a perfect fusion of texture and taste We came in from a dreary, rainy night, and from the start we were seamlessly whooshed into not just a restaurant, but an authentic dining destination experience! The vibe is warm, cozy and authentically Mexican, the booth seats adorned with select rich fabrics- strains of Latino music to put you in the mood. The bar was hopping with people enjoying top shelf offerings such as the sublime collection of tequilas here--perhaps a traditional Margarita (or 2..or 3) The waitstaff here are nonstop attentive! ..and the food is inventive, magnificently plated and delicious. Make sure to try the fluke ceviche, also the local oysters which were plump, juicy and seasoned to perfection. The tuna tostadas pops with sushi grade sliced and frizzled onions atop. Every mouthful is fresh and delightful to the palate. The duck Carnitas features a generous half of a barbecued duck, sweet and sassy at the same time, each forkful a personal fiesta. Do not neglect or ignore the side of coleslaw offered with some of the mains. It partners perfectly with the chicken, adding texture and tang! Look out for distinguished Chef Eric Miller, as he oversees the dining room with obvious passion.

Rita Cantina never disappoints! Whether it's a casual taco at the bar, or one of their fantastic cocktails, or a full sit down dinner, including fabulous desserts, this little gem of a restaurant should not be missed ! Eric and Adam Miller have done a fantastic job creating this authentic Mexican village feeling. Can't wait for them to open again this coming summer on the Cinco de Mayo !!

My party enjoyed Rita Cantina! The food was good and the prices weren't the typical outrageous level that we see in the Hamptons. My favorite dishes were the tuna ceviche tostada and local harvest fluke taco. The tuna ceviche tostada was just large enough to share and was so fresh. The fluke taco had a very generous portion of fish. The menu said the fluke was flash fried, but otherwise I would've have known since it wasn't too crispy or oily, which I appreciated. The chipotle crema on top was a great compliment to the taco! The only item I didn't love was the street corn. It was boiled instead of grilled and the toppings were not evenly distributed, so it didn't have the same great taste I'm used to.

Terrific break from South Fork Seafood. Great rooms, attentive service Wonderful spiced Margaritas, and creative Mexican dishes. GO!

Definitely off the beaten path but worth the trip. Food was delicious, service was great and ambiance is fun. The only concern is parking, so make sure you visit on the earlier side.

The prices are actually Criminal. One taco for $18!???? Came and got a drink and chips but once I saw the food prices I knew I had to eat somewhere else. Food and drinks are just fine but for the price??? You're kidding!!!!

This place was awesome! Oysters and Margaritas in East Hampton! INCREDIBLE oyster platter was insane we ordered 2 it was so good!!! Bartender had a great personality and place had great vibes!!!!

Great food with a large variety of choices. Small and large plates to choose from. Hoping bar and vibe! Never disappoints

I live here full time & don't dine out that often but when I do, my restaurant of choice is always RITA CANTINA. Highly enjoyable, great food & ambiance. It's my restaurant of choice whenever I have out of town guests.

Got the tuna tostada, watermelon margarita, guacamole, short rib quesadilla and fish taco. Short rib quesadilla was great! Love the outdoor seating! Good service, would come again!

Cool spot with a Mexican/seafood twist. Try the clams and mussels. Great margaritas. Away from the east Hampton town madness.

It's a fun atmosphere. Cute outdoor picnic table seating. Very casual. Good Mexican food.

Eric Miller and his son Adam do it right. It starts with well trained employees who want to serve with a smile. Start with the daily happy hour and cold, fresh $1 oysters and delicious $10 margaritas-frozen, on the rocks, tequila or mezcal, regular or spicy-your choice. And then the food-always the freshest and best tasting small plates, large plates tacos, quesadillas, etc. You can't make a poor choice. Terrific environment to relax and have good food and drink. Jim & Stephanie

Delish food and great service. Maybe some citronella candles would be a nice addition to the outside dining area.

Reminded me of an airport "restaurant" serving disgusting and uninspired food at sky high prices. I came here last year and enjoyed it enough to return. This time, I couldn't finish the meal. The fluke ceviche tasted of old fish. The shrimp al pastor tacos didn't come with any of the charred pineapple or mango listed on the menu, but I was surprised to receive wet coleslaw under the overcooked shrimp. The Aromatic Crusted Mushroom Asada was inedible. Instead of the crusted grilled mushrooms advertised on the menu, we received soggy and sickeningly sweet mushrooms drenched in some sort of BBQ sauce. Many of the fries were only a little less soggy. When we complained to the waitress, she was not interested in fixing anything. We left a mostly uneaten meal on the table.

The guacamole was lacking avocado, with mostly cilantro and fillers, a bland mix. The scallop cevice consisted of four thin slices of scallop over very sour cucumber hash. Bland but sour. The fried chicken was overcooked, most likely heated in the fryer for a second time, the breading hard, the meat dry. There was one highlight: the short-run quesadilla was excellent.

Our dinner at Rita Cantina was such a pleasant surprise and a highlight of our fall trip to the Hamptons. Our son and his partner have a new farm in East Hampton (Feathertop Farm), and we frequently visit them. We often stay in the Springs and have passed Rita Cantina many times, but never considered eating there. Our motivation to check it out this time was to eat at and support a restaurant that uses farm-fresh produce from Feathertop Farm, and the entire experience exceeded our expectations - eating outdoors with our well-behaved dog, excellent service, and fantastic food (the mushroom quesadillas were a favorite). However, the highlight of our evening was enjoying a few special custom-made dishes, made with ingredients from the farm and served by the chef. We greatly appreciate this special touch, and it was such a proud parent moment for us. Thank you, Rita Cantina, for supporting the farm-to-table movement, young farmers, and the local agriculture community. We will be sure to be back and recommend Rita Cantina to others.

I don't understand why the wait staff rushed us out of the inside dining room on sunday night. They pulled our plates away almost the second I took my last bite and it was only 7:30 ish. We would have had another drink but they were so unfriendly we just had to leave. The food was ok, but we were left with a bad taste.

Such a great experience at Rita Cantina last Friday evening! Excellent service, coupled with unreal drinks, and very fair prices for the Hamptons. Highly recommend the watermelon margarita (ask for it spicy) and short rib birria tacos! My boyfriend had the duck carnitas and I wish I had tried it, as he hasn't stopped talking about it since! Really looking forward to coming back next summer!

short rib tacos tasted ok but a ripoff as you get 2 tiny tacos for $30! ambiance is loud

Alright. Yelp has been asking me for my review of this place. Everyone knows its the amazing son & father duo. BKB was hands down phenomenal. Flagship in montauk they did a pop up for one summer in the dock area. That place was amazing!!! T T's now bought out the space and they are also doing a great job. Different aspect but good. To put it this way with the Rita Cantina. They had fresh juices and syrups i would expect from a bar like Death &comp, or the highest bar program in NYC! They keep up with your high quality, food and extremely knowledgeable, bartenders, and staff. They passed this concept to Rita! A must try.

The place was not busy, the service was slow. Over priced and the portions were ridiculously small. Certainly not the Michael's restaurant that I remember. Save yourself some money and time don't bother.

This is a hard review because as a local I really love the passion behind the food here, however, my recent experience was horrific. After checking in with the receptionist and letting her know that my friend and I were here and told her our preference for a table that was open we proceeded to have a drink at the bar. While having that drink our receptionist gave our table to someone else after explicitly telling her we were at the bar. Mind you the bar is exactly 3 feet from the receptionist station. As we were finishing our drink we checked back and she had given the table we wanted to someone else even though we were 3' away. No notification. We were then escorted to other tables that were jammed in a corner or out in the middle of traffic. We had a spirited conversation but one that wasn't not insulting in any way. Few minutes later as we were sitting back the bar, the co owner "Adam" proceeded to berate us at the bar calling us " old men" And other unmentionable names. If any one out there at the age of 50 is considered old, according to Adam, you are old, I don't feel old. "Adam" continued to escalate and created a bigger scene than need be. Name calling and accusations are well beneath a gentleman. Huh? I am sure that Adam's father and partner would not approve. Adam's explosive behavior is unbecoming any restauranteur, to the point of needing immediate medical intervention. Needless to say that everyone that i know (tax paying residents)out east will not be visiting " Adam" anytime soon sadly. While this is my second visit this year I can also say that I will not be coming back for any logical reason anytime soon nor will my any of my 500 friends That are full time residents of East Hampton.

I've heard such amazing things about this place since it opened and just had to check it out myself. My cousin and I easily made a reservation and even though we were running a few minutes behind schedule the hostesses were so understanding and accommodating. Our server was also so friendly and attentive. We ordered a watermelon and passionfruit agua fresca (which were both refreshing and tasty), chips and guacamole, short rib birria, mexican street corn, prime ny sirloin carne asada. The birria was absolutely amazing, probably the most authentic Mexican birria i've had on all of the east end. The corn was to die for, full of flavor and spice and finally on the cob, unlike some of these other places. My cousin loved her steak and said it was juicy and cooked to perfection. For dessert we wrapped up with these heavenly churros with chocolate. Overall the staff, food, and ambience was unmatched. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who hasn't tried it.

This is a awesome hidden gem. The food and service was excellent and the owner is very hands on to ensure that patrons are happy. The outdoor seating was dog friendly. We had an amazing time. Oh yeah and the margaritas are fantastic. Happy Hour is highly recommended.

Such a great spot! Would definitely recommend. Needed a place like this in the area for delicious cocktails and yummy Mexican food. We got a variety of different margarita flavors, all were great so you can't go wrong there. We got birria tacos which were some of the best I've ever had! Also got a shrimp taco (which wasn't our favorite) and fluke taco. The tacos are quite large and spread over two smaller tortillas so keep that in mind when ordering. Overall, a great meal and definitely coming back!

So it says very clearly on their website and on Resy that they only take reservations for indoor dining but that their outdoor section is for walk-ins. Except when we showed up for dinner they'd randomly closed their outdoor section because they were busy. We have a child too young to be vaccinated so we're not eating indoors so we were out of luck. Why not post something on Instagram or the website saying the outdoor section is closed?? And we'd actually called earlier in the day to confirm that the outdoor section was for walk-ins but no one ever answers the phone. I get that places are short staffed, but it wouldn't be that difficult to pick up a phone or update a web page to say you don't actually offer outdoor seating after all.

Wow so much for COVID protocol at this place. Apparently outdoor seating is closed post Labor Day (thanks for the heads up on that before we made a reservation week in advance). Packed restaurant no air flow, no masks, no checking for vaccination. Restaurant felt very stuffy, smelly and claustrophobic. We decided to go elsewhere so can't comment on the food unfortunately. Thanks but no thanks.

The steak was really great and glazed in an amazing sauce with a nice 'crunch' along the edge. The short rib tacos are good but very 'meaty' and I would recommend adding more 'stuffing' to those to balance things out. My wife had the fluke tacos which were really incredible and for the kids I was blown away by both the burger and the quesadilla. The staff was nice too! Recommend strongly

Honestly, this review isn't even about the food, which we thought was generally ok but lacked a lot of flavor in some dishes such as the cauliflower carnitas. A bone to pick with our waiter though... I was ordering a drink and asked if they had Corona. Our waiter replied "nope," didn't say anything after, and then when I asked what else they had, she blankly replied "we have a menu, you can look at it, there's a list of beers." After that, she was terse and completely unegaged for the duration of our meal ordering process. After that, the diners next to us mentioned that "they flicked a cockroach" after being startled by it and that it might be crawling under our table. Despite whether or not this was true, our waiter didn't seem to care. For the record, this is not the type of service that anyone should pay for...we had been once and while the food then wasn't memorable, we came back because we enjoyed the atmosphere. But the service this time was so strange, and so uncomfortably awkward/rude that this will be the last.

Sorry folks, this was total slop. Apps were edible, had queso dip, guac and salsa, clams with chorizo. Queso and guac decent, salsa tasteless and uneventful. Chorizo with clams weird, but edible. Chips were chips, cannot complain about them. Tacos for dinner: fluke taco and short rib birria taco. Fluke taco unmanageable, unremarkable; short rib tacos greasy and gross. Yes, everyone in our party had two margaritas each and downed them quickly, but the glasses were tiny and filled with large ice cubes, so very stingy drinks. Service was horrible, at least at outside tables. The guys stood around doing nothing, seriously worthless, watching the women servers move chairs, do everything, while they did absolutely nothing. Outside tables were dark and when we asked for table lighting they said they were surprised it was getting dark so early (7:15pm) like nighttime is something surprising. Really? Don't misunderstand me: I love Mexican food, eat it weekly, travel far and wide for it, but not this place, never again. Maybe this is elevated Mexican fare, don't know, but not for me. Enjoy.

The two stars are for the drinks and busser. That's about it I'm basing this review off the mushroom tacos I got. They were soggy and bland. I'm guessing they were cooked over medium-low heat because they still retained all the moisture and all I got was a watery bite of taco. The service was basically non-existent as our waiter kept ignoring us. The busser was excellent though, she ended up taking some orders for drinks. I usually hate giving out negative reviews but honestly, the food here was not great. The drinks were pretty good though, we really liked the passion fruit flavor.

This place was amazing! We had the street corn, the birria tacos, the duck carnitas, and the churros. As a Spaniard who has had her fair share of churros, I can say that these (plus the chocolate sauce) were some of the best I've ever had. The tacos and carnitas were both stellar as well. I'll definitely be back! The only reason why I'm not giving it 5 stars is because of the street corn, which was boiled instead of grilled, so it was disappointing.

Absolutely great food. It was super busy and you definitely need a reservation. My family had a great time. The margaritas are an absolute must. The best part is that the prices are totally reasonable, something unheard of here in the Hamptons.

Grilled shrimp taco - not grilled boiled like a gross nasty egg with no seasoning just some bare cold boiled shrimp 2 pieces on a nasty tortilla. Anyone can pour 5 shots of tequila with 5 shots of lime juice and get 5 stars I'm sure the people giving this place 5 stars are drunk off their a**s*s to give that kind of review.

I came to this place with my family and let me tell you the atmosphere was beyond what I had expected. The people where amazing. The staff was on par with the food and the drinks. One of my favorite dishes is the tuna tostada. I can't wait to recommend not on the dish but the entire establishment to all of my friends. I can't wait to come back again!

Best in the area and then some! Great drinks, very welcoming and friendly staff. We've been here many times and have never had a bad meal from appetizers to desserts.

The food is good. The service is good. The bartenders are great. But don't go if you don't have a reservation. They say walkins welcome. But not really. You'll wait a long time. I had a reservation for two, and need to change it to three. I called several times and couldn't get anyone, and then emailed the restaurant and no one responded. Following the instructions on the restaurant website. The hostess was quite obnoxious and arrogant when we arrived. I mentioned we tried to call and email and she said "oh, well i turn the phones off at 3pm when we start our table service because we're so busy." And then when I mentioned the email she said "Oh you emailed during dinner service so we don't check." Now, is it really that hard to put a message on the answering machine that you don't take calls. Cause if you don't, everyone will expect you do. There were tons of tables open, and then she said, well we can't sit you because we'll overwhelm the kitchen. However, I was told I could order food at the bar - so wha's the difference. I hope this place makes it, but not sure if they' don't make some attitude adjustments.

Great food but service rushes you out. Appetizer still on table when entree arrived and took the appetizer away since there was no room on the table. Also the noise level - cannot hear across the table . Something has to be done to lower the noise level

Really good vibes, great mezcal margs on tap and tacos. Recommend the outdoor area as well for a drink and food pre sunset over at the bay beach.