The Cantina

The food was delicious!!! I tried the dish called "chile verde" It was well seasoned and had the right flavor. The California burrito was also good, The place clean, cozy like a mexican house rustic style, also has a cantina, with seating outside, and the inside is spacious, good for groups of both small and large. The wait time was short, and our food arrived quickly. They are very friendly. very good experience.

The Cantina is a neighborhood restaurant. It gets held to an unfair standard because Mill Valley is expensive. From my experience, it’s a nice setting, with kind and attentive waitstaff, and reliable food. I lived nearby for years and never went because of the reviews and regret not forming my own opinion sooner, because I could’ve sooner found a convenient, easy going place with nice people serving good food.

Fantastic food, ambience and feel. The place is not too far from the Golden gate Bridge and it was not crowded at all on a weekday for lunch. The food portions are just right and the cocktails are also great. There is ample amount of parking and it's kid-friendly. Highly recommend this place if you enjoy Mexican food.

I never like to give a three star review but unfortunately we had a bad experience at this restaurant for the third time. This last time we were there the food came out cold, and it took a very long time to get served. I remember when this place made really good tasting food and now it’s definitely gone a different direction. Besides that the atmosphere the ambience and the decor is great not to mention all the staff and people working there are super nice.

I told my waiter that I would give him a good review and here I am giving him a good review. Here it goes to our best waiter: Leo! He was very nice and super funny and definitely made our experience so much better! The whole staff was absolutely great, the service was great, everything was overall great!

Very nice and friendly staff. Nice array of indoor and outdoor seating. Fajitas were good but rice and beans I have had better but Weren’t bad though. Would def. Eat here here again. I found this place because of google reviews so I hope if you are looking for a good Mexican spot, this place was pretty good.

Bad experience! It was the 3 of us and we ordered a very basic burrito with rice, beans, Pico de Gallo and guacamole. Mind you, we all got water to drink! Got the bill and it was $75! They charged me an extra $12 for the guacamole. Then with a tip the bill was $90. That was crazy and it wasn't even that good. The burritos were lacking filling, and I said to the waiter that he hadn't mentioned to me that the guacamole was going to be extra. That just didn't seem fair. I would never have agreed to it if I knew it was another $12. They refused to take it off the bill. The atmosphere in this place is like a ghost town. Very dead!!! I do not recommend this place at all.

It's a tough nut to crack. Delicious through and through. Must drive your body inside to believe it. Anyway, always the diner for a margarita village. Class A restaurante

Well, once again, even during an extremely busy Friday night, the service and food were, as always amazing! And priced right! Marilyn had the Shrimp Tacos, as usual. She says, "Why try anything else when the shrimp tacos are soooo good?" For the first time, I had the New York Steak that comes with a cheese tamale and your choice of beans. I typically have the Cantina refried beans and that's what I ordered with my steak tonight. I wasn't sure thst I should order a steak at a Mexican restaurant, but I'm sure glad I did! I asked for it to be cooked medium, and that's exactly how I got it. The menu says Angus Beef, and I now believe it. The Cantina $35 New York Steak was cooked perfectly, with a wonderful grilled flavor, and I could actually chew the steak bites, they were so tender! At two other restaurants recently, I ordered a steak. One charged $45, and neither were tender or had the grilled flavor of the steak I had tonight at the Cantina! Looks like I've got a new favorite restaurant for a great New York Steak! Thank you, Jackie! And thanks to all of your wonderfully professional and well trained staff for providing us another winner dinner at the Cantina! See you soon!

The food at The Cantina is incredibly mediocre in every way. I take that back - the overpriced margaritas were good. But the food was close to awful. My husband and I had dinner there last week and ordered fish tacos and enchiladas. Neither meal was very hot, and both were barely edible. It's pretty hard to mess up Mexican food, but somehow they manage to do that. When the bill came, we saw they had tacked on a 3.5% charge for "living wage." Seriously? Your food is bad and you have to charge your customers extra in order to provide a living wage for your staff? And what Mexican restaurants charge $4 for chips and salsa?? I'm guessing the issues are poor management, but in any case, we won't go back.

The Cantina is a place I make sure to visit whenever I'm in The Bay, solely because of Jackie. Being from LA and having Mexican food at my disposal, customer service is what makes me revisit an establishment. Aside from great customer service, Margaritas, guac & chips with friends by the fire pit is a girls fav pastime. Vibes are always great here. Parking is easy and outdoor seating in the summer is always a must.

Friendly staff, nice decor very extensive menu. Good selection of margaritas! The black beans were tasty.

This restaurant has been around for a long time and it is well known in Marin County as a place to come for decent Mexican food. There is a bar area with TVs going so you could do that or you could bring your family here and sit in the restaurant. It all works. Carlos Santana bought this restaurant years back and converted it into a more upscale Latin restaurant, but it didn't work and the restaurant went back to the way it was before. The restaurant menu is big with all the usual favorites, combinations, etc..

After a few months off and really missing this place we came back with a friend and her daughter. They sat us at the same table and my daughter ordered the kids nachos. My PTSD set in and I asked the waiter to please ensure it was not on a plate that's been sitting under a broiler. He immediately knew who we were and apologized profusely letting us know that was not their standard practice and that it should have never happened. He gave us amazing service and ensured we had a great time. The other manager Jackie came over to introduce herself and apologize as well saying she had hoped we would return so she could talk to us. Everyone was so kind and we were so glad to be back. I'm really thankful they've changed their kids nacho plating and we've been back 3 times now and not seen the awful manager that yelled at us and that others have had rude interactions with.

I have never been so ignored by wait staff; not the experience that I remember having here. Very disappointing and I asked for a take home box but they just tossed everything

Our server was super nice, and that's where the nicety ends. The food totally sucks. My cheese quesadilla was missing some cheese. And it has green onions? Thank you, next. My GF ordered the chicken burrito. The chicken burrito tasted as if it had a dream of flavor. It required a liberal dousing of cholula. It was also served with a salad...who would have asked for that? The 3% living wage surcharge doesn't go to any of the staff, it just goes to the restaurant. That's pretty deceitful. Like, what? I would not come back here again. If you like dry, bland, overpriced food, come to the cantina.

Good food, great service, and many options for all ages. It's a huge restaurant so great for large groups.

Ok, let me start with how amazing David (bartender) and Joel (server) are.Shoutout to Piña too lol. Excellent customer service and very friendly. Kudos to all of them. Gracias Muchachos for your hard work. You guys are amazing. By the way David makes the best Pińa Coladas. Perfect mixture. I was in town for some training courses and I Goggle the restaurants near me. I came across The Cantina. I decided to try it. I was NOT disappointed. I had the combination plate of the Chile Relleno and cheese enchilada with rice and beans. All I can say is that I will definitely be back next time I'm in town.

Mill Valley is a beautiful city and the Cantina is a popular restaurant in the area. The atmosphere is very nice and the food was delicious. They serve great enchilada dishes and the service was exceptional.

A friend and I were driving home from the city, and she said "let's stop and have dinner on the way back" and mentioned that her husband loved The Cantina; and I hadn't been here in a few years, so we pulled in the parking lot and noticed a lot of out door dining IN the parking lot. Yes, that's right!! The Cantina has set up several sections out in the parking lot with fake grass, umbrellas and even heat lamps!! We were promptly seated; our server was Mario and kudos to him for wearing a mask, and appreciating our gratitude; YES even outside, Mario was masked up. These days, this is very important to me. I appreciate servers who regardless of employers not having a mandate (or the county) that they protect themselves, and others from this ongoing pandemic. Things have changed, first it was the outdoor dining areas (two of them) and then NO CHIPS AND SALSA! No SALSA with your meal either. My friend order a taco/enchilada combo and there was no salsa, not even pico for her taco; it was extra; which we declined. They now charge for chips and salsa; it's kind of sac-religious for a Mexican restaurant to charge for chips and salsa; chips and guacamole - ABSOLUTLEY, but because of this, we will not be giving five stars. Not today. One more shout out to Mario for being an excellent server, and being pro-active in self care and caring for others!!

Good food. Nice patio outside. I would go there again. I thought the decor was pretty and staff very helpful.

I have been a patron for 7+ years and often thru the pandemic as well so I greatly appreciate their outdoor dining. One of our favorite bartenders Louis is always a pleasure. I seldom look at $$ anymore, because, well....everything is expensive, everywhere. But I did look yesterday. And was shocked that a combo plate of 1 taco, 1 enchilada, beans/rice was $21. Ugh. Service was friendly and quick, but I think there was the equivalent of zero red sauce on the enchilada. Literally just what the tortilla may have been dipped in, if that is the prep method they use.

Came in for lunch. It was an okay Mexican spot. Food came out in a really weird order with my husbands burrito out even before the chips and salsa. Our server was friendly. The restaurant is really big. I like all the fireplaces and the decor. I don't live in this area so I probably wouldn't come back but it was a sentimental spot as it's where my parents got engaged way back in the early 80's. It was fun to see where it happened.

Not only is the food here awesome, but the service and staff are amazing. I had ordered a meal on Door Dash, and as happens sometimes, they forgot my drink. When I called in, Doc went above and beyond to make sure I got my drink. It's the little things and attention to customer service that just make this place the best. I eat here all the time and will continue to do so.

Nice place. High quality food. Had the fiesta salad Really good food !! They have indoor and outdoor seating and draft beer.

Came back again on a recent, rainy Friday night. My friend and I sat in the bar area, which I think is the key to success here. Our server was on it- she was quick, gracious, and didn't make us feel rushed (as sometimes a bar seat can). The food has much improved. The tortilla soup was exactly what we needed to warm us up, and the bar area felt lively but not suffocating. Glad to have this awesome place back on my list.

Just an update, I wanted to give them another try and see if they were back to the high standard of food they originally had but haven't had in a while. Gave them a call to ask if they are still charging for chips and salsa. They are, so I won't be going back. If you're the owner or manager reading this how about giving the first basket free and charging for additional baskets or raising the price on all the dishes a buck or two. I'm not cheap and don't mind paying more for good food but I'm not paying for chips & salsa at a Mexican restaurant. Especially ones that are obviously out of a bag.

Everything about my Cantina experience was, and always is, average. Weak margaritas, no chips and salsa this time (I was dining alone and wasn't asked if I wanted it...even though families around me were served), and a rather tasteless Chili Verde burrito. Chipotle has better tasting food. Probably my last time dining there.

I'm not sure how, but they forgot to put the insides and the sauce on our enchilada.. literally a tortilla with cheese and avocado, dry and flavorless. Can't call this an enchilada

We had dinner here last night. Because we arrived early enough we were seated right away, relatively empty. The fish tacos were delicious. The complaints I have are the food came out before the drinks and we were never served the traditional the chips & salsa. Maybe they figured we needed to watch our weight. We were in and out in 30 minutes.

Thanks to Jackie for helping us out. We had a group of girls (high school) celebrate our daughter's birthday. She had a good time - thanks Cantina!

Truly frustrated. Husband went to pick up food for us and so I placed the order to go. I asked for a veggie burrito and stated "not the kind with vegetables, but as in vegetarian." The woman said "yeah" but as this has been an issue at some spots, I specifically asked what was in it. She paused and (I'm assuming) looked and then read off rice, beans, cheese, salsa. I asked for xtra cheese, onions and cilantro. She had asked me twice to repeat myself but did a great job repeating after me to make sure we were in agreement. Then my husband comes home and there are carrots, there's broccoli, and I think zucchini in it. Like a vegetable burrito. Also, they put it on a wheat tortilla.? It's late and this meal was more than a bummer, and it's too late to do anything about it because it's closed. I've also been in another time and one of the bartenders completely ignored me talking to other guests for a while, to the point I had ask for someone else to assist me. I wouldn't have left a review just for that, but now this is the 2nd time I've had an issue so I'm bringing it up. I am adding another star though because I've been here about 6 times total and 4 other times the other (maybe 3 other bartenders I've come across) are some of the BEST: lively, fun, engaging, and provided great service. The ambience is great, the hostesses were friendly, and the waitresses were very helpful.

I had not forgotten that my previous visits were so negative. I regret ignoring what I knew. I told me "It's been longer than a year. Maybe it's better now". Nope. And, this time, the service was poor despite very few diners at dinner time. I'll still give it two stars even though the portions are smaller and they still charge for tortillas. You should, not must, not go there." "4/17/2022Updated review I regret that I'd forgotten that my reviews in 2013 and 2016 were so negative."

Great food, margaritas are wonderful. Friendly staff. Good vibe and atmosphere. The food is always fresh and well prepared.

Awesome service. Everyone was really helpful. Food is amazing and the ambiance is on point. We ordered the chicken Fajitas and it was really good. Highly recommend

MOST MISERABLE RESTURANT EVER. The owner/manager (A old grumpy white guy) literally told me to "shut my baby up" and keep her quiet. for context it was 4:45, the restaurant apart from and equally miserable old lady, was empty and my baby is 7months old, who btw was literally LAUGHING!!!!!. never in my life have i felt more judged. our waiter was AMAZING thank god for him or I might have just left mid dinner with a big F U.

Great service from Luis! We enjoyed our time with him and he made our experience great. Definitely coming back for some food and drinks to see Luis!

If you have kids under 10 who are very picky eaters, or if you're 70+ and you can't do spicy anymore, The Cantina is the place for you. Simply, it's the place to go for exceptionally bland food that barely resembles Mexican fare. Given Mill Valley's proximity to San Rafael and San Francisco it's mind boggling how mediocre the "Mexican" food is here. Just got back from dinner. Bland flavorless beans. Overcooked bland Mexican rice. Nearly flavorless chicken enchiladas. I've been coming here on and off for 20+ years and The Cantina never fails to disappoint this Mill Valley local. Was hoping it would be better this time.

The setting was very nice: open and breezy. The service was excellent; my server in particular was very experienced. The food was good. I had the BBQ burrito, which was huge and pretty tasty.

Food was decent but expensive. My child's fave part were the birds who will entertain you trying to earn some free food.

I've missed this place so much. I use to come here all the time when I lived on Sycamore. Now it is just a long drive from the city but so worth it. Had the fajitas for two (steak and shrimp) and it was just delicious. So tasty. Chips n guac are always on point here. The water was delicious as always with the added cucumber and lemon. We skipped any desert because we were just that full. Soooo good. Service was super friendly and everyone was social distancing. It felt normal amidst the crazy stress of a pandemic with tons of fear in some other locations. Nobody could tell it wasn't just a regular day on the patio with friends enjoying good food. Kudos to the owners and staff for making my day so much better. Cant wait to come back here again with my family.

Friendly staff. Family friendly. Slowly weaning my 7yr old son off the burgers and on to more adventurous foods. Solid fajitas. Only wish they had a spicy salsa like a habanero based one.

Not as good as it used to be, but still an above average experience. The front outdoor patio is quite pleasant. The food used to be above average, but is now more formula, although reasonably well done. The margaritas are also above average, and there are several good options.

Was there today during Happy Hour - had the chicken tacos - probably the worst tacos ever - very dry chicken - just boring as well - I've had other food before & it's very marginal - short on flavor - dull! The bar is cool for drinks - definitely don't recommend the food overall - btw they charge for chips & salsa when you've ordered drinks??!!

Solid and authentic Mexican cuisine being served in a festive setting in the heart of the tony hamlet of Mill Valley in Marin County, California. The Cantina has piqued my interest for years as I passed their location on East Blithedale Avenue on my many journeys into downtown Mill Valley. Located in the Blithedale Plaza shopping center that has many professional businesses and adjacent to the Sloat Garden Center, the sign underneath The Cantina literally says "A Great Mexican Place" and I have always wondered if this was a true statement or not. On a sunny Saturday afternoon, a friend and I finally got that chance. The good thing is that we didn't need reservations for a simple lunch time visit, as they have both an outdoor patio in front of their restaurant, a makeshift patio taking up parking spaces in the Plaza and a smaller patio to the right of their dining room. By the time we got there at roughly 11:45 a.m. they weren't super busy, as we got to choose the indoor table we were allowed to sit in, but as our meal went on, their indoor dining room certainly filled up. Once we got our menus, my first thought was to head to the Margarita section of their menu. Most of their individual margaritas were on the decently priced side, and thankfully the one I was craving their Margarita de Fruta, which was a fruit margarita with your choice of Strawberry, Mango, Coconut or Raspberry. I opted for a Blended Mango Margarita with my rim salted, while my friend opted for their Margarita de la Casa on the rocks. Upon presentation, my blended margarita was huge, almost as big as my head, but it was a slushy delight and just what the margarita doctor ordered! The food menu at The Cantina is large covering sections including Appetizers, Soups and Salads, Sizzling Fajitas, Specialties, Sandwiches, Enchiladas, Combinations, Quesadillas, Sides, Burritos and Individual Entrée Plates. As always, when looking at a menu, my eyes are drawn towards their Combinaciones Mexicanas section of their menu, as I always feel that it gives a greater overview of their menu, and I had a serious craving for an enchilada and didn't mind if a taco came with it. At $16.95 it was a reasonably priced meal for a taco, with a choice of hard shell or soft shell, and an enchilada covered in a red or green sauce, and you get your choice of meat for both. So I opted for their enchilada filled with ground beef topped with a red chili sauce and a traditional crispy taco filled with shredded beef. The dish is served alongside Mexican rice, a sweet corn cake and a choice of beans, which I opted for refried beans. My friend opted for the same dish but with a soft taco filled with chicken. Before we decided on our entrees, we decided to start off with their House-made Chips and Salsa, and our server did warn us that at The Cantina, they do charge three dollars for what would be a traditionally complimentary side item. But we understood as they have to make up for all of the lost revenue due to the current situation we are all living in, so we decided to order them anyway and were very pleased. As we sipped on our margaritas which were brought out to our table in no time flat, we were surprised that mere minutes later our two entrees were being brought out as well. Piping hot with the steam from our food still rising from our plates, everything was prepared and seasoned well. My favorite part of the large entrée was their enchilada as it tends to be whenever I order a combination platter. I was surprised that our full meal came out in as little as under five minutes. My thinking is either their unbelievably organized at The Cantina, as their servers are ordering from an electronic transponder so no additional inputting needs to be done, or that once the kitchen receives an order, almost everything is already premade the basically scooping your dish's sides preparing your made course, and then fast heating the entire under a re-heater. Not that I'm complaining, as I didn't mind that our dishes came out as fast as they did, it is just a little jarring to be this fast. We had a wonderful time at The Cantina with great drinks, chips and salsa and two huge meals that we barely finished, but somehow managed to, for an overall solid lunch. They even still honor a Yelp check-in deal in which they give you 10 percent off your total bill. With this discount, our total bill was 54 dollars with tax and before tip. After this first experience, The Cantina is a great place for dining in Mill Valley, great service, festive drinks, and quality traditional Mexican cuisine. We never once felt rushed during our lunch and it was really nice to get out and do a little people watching, indoors no less, while we enjoyed a pleasant afternoon with margaritas and enchiladas. After passing The Cantina in Mill Valley so many times on East Blithedale Avenue, I can wonder no more as it certainly lived up to being "A Great Mexican Place."

Amazing food and service was great. Food came out very quickly. Was a nice quiet family restaurant.

Yummy Mexican food that never disappoints. Great to watch a game or sit outside with the kiddos. Been going for 20 years. So glad this Marin gem survived the pandemic.

I took 3 out of town visitors to dinner here. It's always been my favorite Mexican restaurant. It was better than ever! Drinks and food=superb! There are two employees that were standouts! Jen our server was the most knowledgeable person I have ever dealt with in the restaurant industry. She knew the entire menu and bar choices. She shared very honest, helpful tips. There was a young man (17) who assisted with the outdoor heaters and was just a joy to talk with! Good Job, Cantina!

Great Mexican food. Awesome outdoor patio and never super busy. Service is quick Anand friendly service and reasonably priced compared to other restaurants in MV. Check this place out if you haven't already!

Enormous buriito loved it. Great ambiance. Plenty of room inside and outside for seating. Friendly staff great

I don't take my time to write reviews, but I took my kids to Cantina for a Sunday night meal and was charged $18.95 per plate for tacos and rice. The plates were luke warm and had chicken and cheese. Their online menu read $12,50 so I have no idea how a plate of two very weak tacos hit $18.95, but had I to do over I would not have gone to Cantina. I get Covid and all and I get inflation, but spending what we did for what we got was a waste. Sorry Cantina. I know you have a big footprint in MV, but hitting up those that are supporting you is not a long-term formula for success.

Decent place, food is ok , not great but not bad. Chips seem like store bought? Happy hour is not great again, but the staff is friendly and drinks have a small $2 discount. Got the premium nachos and truthfully they were mediocre at best. The spicy calamari was very good, hot, spicy and tender. Skinny margaritas were pretty good.

Service amazing Ambiance amazing Food, even better Pries, reasonable. Speed. Incredible So lucky this is in our neighborhood

Yikes!!!!!!!! I've heard different stories from many people. Tried it out. So disappointing. We arrived at 7:45pm. Restaurant closes at 8:30pm. Host rushed us to sit @ table. Server was decent- we were quickly informed the kitchen was closing and we'd have to order then and all food would come together. When appetizers (and all other food) came, we did not have any silver wear, napkins or plates. Drinks took forever, it would've been easier to order at the bar and bring drinks to your table. Food was ok. Nothing special. I would recommend Flores in comparison.

Over price and unflavored Mexican food. Pollo loco is tastier. Service was 1/10 and the ambiance was empty like a funeral home

I love the cantina! Such a cute place outdoors and inside is so nicee. the ambiance, service and the food is always great!

Went here because of the 4 plus stars touting great food and service. We received neither. Food was bland and not hot. Chips for guacamole app were stale and cold. Fajitas missing all flavor and surf and turf burrito was pretty much tasteless and devoid of the surf and turf. Ended with the fried ice cream as we were excited to see it. It was horrible. It was fried some time before and stored in the freezer. Wow. What a let down. Drinks were never refilled. Server seemed like he was close to the end of the shift and was just barely going thru the motions. Sorry but there are much better options out there "Mexican" food.