Vida Cantina

We haven't been here for a while and enjoyed our visit. They tend to be very busy and sometimes loud. Food is always delicious, and drinks are enjoyable. Love the selection of tequila.

This place was highly rated and decided to give it a try. It gets crowded and very loud. It seems to small for the amount of people that occupy this place when it's full. Maybe eating at a time when they are not as busy would be a better choice. I'm not so sure about the quality of the food here. The calamari and tortilla chips came out really dark looking like if the oil was old. I'll give it another try and see

Not good. Expensive. Never heard of a Mexican restaurant charging for chips and salsa. No frozen drinks. Margarita was $12.00. 90% ice. Food was Expensive rice and beans were extra. $22.00 just for tacos. Unacceptable. Not a good experience

We stopped in for a quick drink and chips and guac. The house and watermelon margaritas were tasty. The Pina-ti was great...had an interesting taste and it was light and refreshing. The Chupacabra was definitely worth the price of admission! A definite spicy kick, and the cilantro really added to the swirl of tasty ingredients. The corn chips were freshly made and were superior as far as corn tortilla chips are concerned. The real standout for us was the guacamole. Freshly made - and the garlic presence is outstanding! Easily a top guacamole in many years of guacamole exposure! The staff was warm and friendly. The decor was absolutely appropriate for the fare. We met the owner and he was friendly and easy going. My only complaint is that we didn't have time to sample the rest of the menu - looking forward to trying the Mole next time we are in town.

My family and I visited this place after a morning/afternoon at the beach. Was recommended to come here by a Jon whom works in the kitchen because he is a mutual client of ours. He spoke so passionately about this place as an employee and we promised to visit next time we were in the area. So happy we did! Atmosphere is great and every single person we dealt with working there was amazing. Food was incredible and I found myself ordering another one of the tacos we originally ordered because it was so good. Salsa Fresca and chips are amazing and a nice change compared to most Mexican type restaurants. Whole family is looking forward to going again. Thanks John for the recommendation! -JIm-

1 star for bland food. Everything was lacking salt and seasoning. The fish tacos were inedible. Drinks were also watered down. Decor is nice but the vibes just weren’t there on a Saturday night. Would not recommend.

Seriously the dishes on their menu are a true culinary experience. We have tried an extensive amount of their menu from appetizers to tacos to daily specials to pizza and even including the pig head platter. Nothing at this restaurant has ever not blown us away. The drink menu is amazing in itself. We love this restaurant for a date night or a family dinner, we eat in or do take out. Their chips guacamole and salsa are a go to for football Sundays. The pizza they make is some of the best pizza portsmouth had to offer, don't wait just go now. Most recently I tried the new Cubano Torta and Fried Fish Torta on their menu. Unbelievable.

Old Friendly’s location turned into a Mexican spot. Good food and fun atmosphere. Staff felt a little overwhelmed, but it was a busy summer night so understandable. Good gluten free options and understanding by the staff. Chips and salsa and enchiladas were great, tacos were good.

When it's Sunday, it's huevos rancheros for brunch at Vida Cantina! A watermelon margarita with spicy salt on the rim is perfect in the summer!

So disappointing. Menu looked fantastic yet failed to deliver. Cold blobs of guac and salsa on the tacos, undressed cabbage slaw, oddly sweet tortillas, lackluster and undersalted chips. Everything lacked salt and acid, actually. Salsas were OK but again, lacked salt and acid and heat. Service and drinks were decent, vibes of the place were nice.

Love this place visit here a lot can't wait to be back in going try the whole menu ! Workers are the best and the place looks amazing

This was such a disappointing experience. For years I've driven past Vida and have said I wanted to try it. A relative was in town and saw Vida on Diners Drive-ins and Dives. So we tried it. With the exception of our drinks and the service our experience was a bust.....even the chips were way over salted. Re-watching the DDD episode after dining at Vida I don't think the menu was similar in any way. Going a bit further and watching the Phantom Gourmet review, again I think the menu was totally different. (yes these reviews were years ago and yes there was a pandemic in the middle but not even close to the great food mentioned in these episodes) My first question would be why the tacos are not doubled anymore? Because that seemed to be a claim to fame. My husband did like his fish tacos. Myself and the other person with us ordered the fried avocado taco which was just awful. The pistachio salsa macha which tops the taco was burnt and that was all we tasted. If the strawberry chamoy was suppose to add flavor it did not (just made it so I couldn't pick the taco up) . The queso was negligible. Wraps were a bit on the rubbery side and lacked flavor. Shrimp taco was mediocre. The food had some spice but not much flavor if that makes sense. With all that said Vida did do right by me at least, taking the burnt tasting taco off the bill. Last questions....why was our dining experience/menu so different from what we saw in the reviews? Has Vida not recovered from the pandemic (or are you still working on it)? Is someone else planning the menus/recipes? Maybe I would go back and try something else but not sure I'd get anyone to go with me.

Everything about this restaurant deserves 5 stars. The service is great. The menu is creative and delicious. And the prices can't be beat. If you are vegetarian, you know how hard it is to find delicious creative vegetarian entrees. The mushroom birria tacos were to die for and are served with house made cashew cheese. The mushrooms were even locally sourced as were a lot of their ingredients. And not to forget the drinks, the El Magico margarita was delicious. Go early - they don't take reservations for parties of less than 5 people.

Better pain killers than we found in the Caribbean! Great food, super nice staff/service and great all over vibes too.

We ordered a beef taco, pork taco, beans & rice, chips & salsa and carne asada enchilada and we were really dissatisfied. A very odd take on Mexican food. My son and I didn't eat the beef taco and the carnitas taco has a really odd sweet sauce on it.

Overall we like Vida Cantina, the food always seems fresh and tasty. Others have commented about poor service, and in that regard we've been lucky I guess. We have not explored the menu too deeply, and usually start with the chips and salsa, which are not complimentary as they are at most Mexican restaurants. The chips are thicker than many places, lightly salted and the salsa is more like chunks of tomato than a sauce. We enjoy it. Cocktails are a nice treat here, and we always enjoy what we order, whether it be a paloma, margarita or something else. Service from the bar tends to be slow and our waitress forgot to bring our drink, until we reminded her what was missing. For entrees, we usually get the tacos, as you can mix and match whatever you like including how many you want. Rice and beans can be added for an additional charge. I always get the carnitas and while good, I just wished the restaurant would be a little more reserved with salt. They were just shy of too salty to eat, something I can't recall on previous orders. The other tacos were properly seasoned. For dessert we had the chocolate tres leches, it had a coconut sauce and peanut clusters so all my favorites. It was tasty, very rich and a generous portion which I could not finish. Overall a good restaurant with a talented chef. Things seemed a little off this time as compared to prior visits, but anybody can have a tough day.

This was our first time and it was decent. We are from out of town and figured we would try this place. The staff was very friendly, attentive and kind. The atmosphere was decent. Nothing super great to report but it was clean and roomy. The food was good but not great, definitely not "we are 100 coming back here because it was best ever" vibe. In my opinion it was almost chain type Mexican cuisine level food. The liquor drinks were decent. Again, good but nothing to write home about. Sorry; maybe it was just an off night. The staff was awesome. That's the biggest thing we took away.

Such a great find! The food, atmosphere, and service were all great! It's a long way from home, but we will journey back. Barbacoa Confit Pork Belly Shrimp Tacos Salsa and Chip

If the app had a half star that is what would have been selected. Tortilla was greasy and food was not good. Its sad these places start off great, gains all these accolades, gets crowded then slips down hill at best. This will not be a place of retuen

Every time I go to Vida Cantina I am impressed by the service and quality of the food. I highly recommend this restaurant!

I went here to meet a local friend (around Halloween). This is clearly a hot spot, even with Covid. Every table was full and the waiters were constantly on the move. The chips and trio of dips was a fun appetizer to start off, and the tacos were delicious. It was great to be able to mix and match instead of having to get just one kind. Parking wasn't too bad; they have their own lot and we were able to exit back onto the main road at a light.

Clearly a friendly place in a former life. The decor is cute but you can still tell that it's a friendly. They should upgrade the tables. The prices are high. The chips and salsa was interesting. It was really diced tomatoes with bites of onion. Very bland. The chips were salty. I have the chicken taco which was bland. The tofu taco had a lot of flavor and was very good. The shells were not cooked . The churros were good. Lots of cinnamon and sugar. The waitress dropped one on our table, said oops and left. Never replaced it. Service was timely.

This place is SO cute!! It is absolutely great for a fun night out for drinks, has a large bar area and lots of seating. The food was decent, I did not find it to be as authentic Mexican food, but it had great presentation and they had a large variety of options. The tacos were a bit pricey, they were $6 each, but they were stuffed with filling. They have interesting options for the tacos, I chose the fish and a fried avocado one, had never tried that before! The albóndigas appetizer was pretty good, it was very spicy as it had a chipotle broth. I didn't actually try any of the drinks this time around, but I will surely be back to try them!

Great Margaritas and I love the chicken enchiladas verde. Not the cheapest, but worth it for me.

Solid Mexican food. Nice service. Love the smoke show margaritas. Also the tacos are fantastic.

Saw this on phantom. Service was good. Food was pretty bland. Fish, carnitas and avocado tacos along with the rice and beans were blah. I wanted to love the place but I just couldn't. Clean. Great atmosphere. Just blah. 3 tops.

Fun and friendly place but the food was very hit or miss. Half our party enjoyed the food and half were somewhat dissatisfied. The chilaquiles was a bit bland and desperately needed some lime, salsa or herbs.

Ordered lunch for 2 + 3 cornbreads to pick up. Cost was $100 for takeout, order was not only completely wrong, missing beans and rice for both lunches that I paid for, but was also over 30 minutes late in the middle of a workday. Sent them a message privately with zero response.

Make this 3 1/2 Stars... This place was featured on the TV show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives so my DS asked DH and I if we wanted to go.. and of coarse we never turn down a dinner invitation! Drove over from York, Maine to Portsmouth, NH just a 10 minute drive to the Vida Cantina a kind of eclectically decorated previously owned howard johnson style building. Walked in and were immediately seated in a booth... :-) We ordered salsa and chips served with guacamole very yummy and further checked out the menu. Had to ask very nice server what some of the entrees were... you guessed it I don't speak spanish. I choose $12 Riverside Farm Sweet Corn ( local farm) Esquites... corn crema, cotija, Oaxacan black mole powder, boom!, peanuts... very very good and DH ordered $17 Carne Asada guajillo braised beef, red & green chili sauce, black beans & spanish rice DH thought this was ordinary 3 stars and I rated mine as 4 stars not ordinary but not exceptional so this averaged out to 3 1/2 stars. I wish yelp included a 1/2 star ;-) so when reading my review add a 1/2 star! All n' all we had a great evening as usual and to cap it off leaving the place a little piece of art outside the door... check out my pics... :-)

My husband and I just moved to the area, and we stopped at Vida Cantina as our first restaurant to try in Portsmouth. There was a little bit of a wait, as expected for a rainy Friday night. The food and drinks were delicious! Our waitress was very attentive and sweet. We asked for recommendations for the area, and she kindly gave us a list of places to try. Great food and great service- we will definitely be back!

Vida has always been my favorite for their pork belly tacos and seared fish tacos. Throughout the years, the salsas were also my go to. Yesterday, I went there with my friends. The bottomless salsa was quite upsetting. Usually it's small chunks of tomatoes, onions, garlic. What we had was flavorless huge chunks of tomatoes. There was also a full sliced of tomato in that bowl. Hopefully they fixed this. I'd love to bring my friends and family here again for Mexican food.

If I could make this 3 1/2 stars, I would. The trouble with Vida Cantina is and has always been slow service. Even prior to Covid. The food is truly delicious, which is why we come back. My last visit was to celebrate my dad's birthday. It's hard to tell if the server was in the weeds or forgetful. It took awhile to get water after being seated. Basically each step in service was slow, which affects the overall experience. The ambiance is great and they've done a good job to create more privacy between booths. Come for delicious food, but don't be in a hurry.

Delicious food and fun atmosphere. The drinks are also really good. It's a great twist on Mexican.

Too pricey for what it is, the carnitas tacos were really plain taste, the service was so slow and they didn't even offer the table because they were busy on gossip, also the curros were horrible and the menu was so poor, not many options.....the only thing that would recommend is the tortillas that they make in there, are not the usual from a package, they are good.

Great food also fresh flavors. Price for all budgets. We avoid a lot in Portsmouth in the summer because parking is always an issue so it is nice to have a good restaurant outside of the downtown area. Service was awesome!!!

Our family had the loveliest dinner - they were very kind with our rambunctious 2 yr old and had the best carnitas and home made tortilla chips we've had since we lived in California. Would highly recommend the ceviche, carnitas, fish tacos and Guac (mainly for those chips!). Definitely will return with hopefully better behaved kiddos.

My daughter had a serious hankering for some taco's, but not ordinary, run of the mill tacos, she wanted different, delicious tacos. She got the carnitas with pineapple and also a grilled shrimp one. She loved them. I got the Pigs head taquito's with pickled jalapeños on a bed of mole. I'm telling you right now, I could eat these for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the rest of my life. Every bite of crispy pork was like the best pork from a pig roast...... AMAZING!!!! I'm not trying to get all religious here but I'm giving serious thought into becoming born again so I can get baptized in this pig head deliciousness. We also got a side of freshly made tortilla chips with salsa which was scrumptious. Service was perfect and they were pretty busy for a Tuesday at lunch time. One last note.... The house Margarita... best I've had in New England.

Really wanted to love this place, saw it on Food Network and went a little out of my way to stop here on my way home from Vermont. I ordered the app and tacos. App was flavorful but a the texture was a little mushy. Tacos were okay but had a lot of flavors going on that didn't necessarily go together. Staff was friendly and attentive and inside was clean and decor was nice. Would give this place another shot, maybe it was just an off day.

Ehhh wanted to love it, saw them on phantom gourmet but really was sadly disappointed. Service alone was sub par. We tried 6 different tacos, can only confidently recommend the Barbacoa. The guacamole was good, chips were homemade but everything else was nothing to write home about. As far as service for the little kids - save this for a date night!!

Not your standard Mexican food. Yes the items are what you will expect but I have never been to such a high quality Mexican restaurant. The food was amazing and we had great service. Loved the smoke show margarita too.

Wow! What a pleasant surprise. Nestled in strip-mall-city, in a building that must have been a converted Long John Silver's. Fresh, inventive Mexican with visually beautiful food presentation. And the decor is nice too!

Fantastic food. Traditional yet creative. Beautiful and delicious. I've been here three times in three years and every visit was memorable and satisfying.

Incredible and inventive tacos, and such fresh mango, you'd think we were in Miami! The portions were also pretty impressive, for such a good price. The ceviche and blue cornbread were total winners here, I would get them again in a heartbeat. My favorite taco was definitely carnitas, with pork belly and barbacoa coming up close (the barbacoa was a tad too greasy for my liking). The fish taco was also pretty good, but not as good as the rest. The tacos came with plenty of other toppings, so no need to add them unless you really want. The mango salsa was so good, but also so spicy, watch out. The entire order survived takeout and driving home, which is amazing, can't wait to eat on their cute patio once it's warm enough!

We had read of this restaurant's chef when he was named a semi finalist on James Beard's list. After tonight's meal, I question how this came to be. The chicken enchilada had a salsa verde that tasted like raw tomatillos with lime juice. No flavor. The chicken was bland and the tortillas were burned at the edges. The chips were also over fried and tasteless. The rice was ok, the guacamole season less. In all this was an overpriced, overhyped experience. The atmosphere was loud but ok. I'd save your dinner out money for another restaurant.

Wow, on the advice of several friends, I finally make it into this hidden treasure. My farmshare offers their tortillas and this spot offers delicious traditional Mexican food that rivals what I've had in Santa Fe or San Antonio. The staff is very friendly and the service is excellent and attentive.

Warning...Do not miss this place! I ate there today for the first time. Passed it up a hundred times, and I may never forgive myself. I highly recommend the pork belly tacos...It's a GREAT FUKN TACO! I drove from Portsmouth through Newington, Dover, Somersworth, and Rochester and I couldn't get the thought of that taco out of my head. It's been 3 hours since I ate that taco and it was so good that 1. I'm still thinking about it. 2. I downloaded and registered on the yelp app just to tell everyone.

Absolutely wonderful tacos and dishes. We usually get the tacos (especially the pork belly), but this time I also got the papusa and it did not disappoint. So good!

Chips were overcooked, salsas had no seasoning or acidity, tacos were cold. My first enchilada wasn't what I ordered nor what was on the menu. Second one was super salty and fridge cold beans. Maybe an off night but wasn't worth the money spent.

9.5/10: The James Beard award doesn't lie. Nestled in a nondescript outskirts of Portsmouth along a stretch of strip malls is one of the best restaurants in New England. The chef, David Vargas, works magic. He brings together locally sourced NH produce with rich Mexican-inspired sauces. The beef tacos were dosed in a southern BBQ-like smoke. The haddock hit that fine balance of char and tenderness. And it was complimented with an earthy potato nestled in a rich umami sauce. The salad was a bit light and overpowered by the rest of the meal. A nearly perfect meal at a reasonable price.

I've always been coming here since it opened and I've loved the store and the service, friendly workers, and great food.

The tacos are good. Not authentic but delicious nonetheless. Rice and beans need some work. The three star review is for the travesty that is known as Jamaica. There you a no sugar in it whatsoever. While many may enjoy this healthier version of it, this drink is not intended to be unsweetened. Other than that, the food is alright. It's good for the area. But, if you're Hispanic and want good Mexican food, just stay home and make it yourself.

Completely hit or miss here on each food item. Margaritas were all good but weak. Chips and salsa that you pay for included tasteless salsa (think chopped, off season tomatoes with a little garlic and nearly a trace of cilantro) and cold, oil drenched broken blue corn chips. I ate the 2 whole chips that were in the basket. The refilled chips were no better. We all had tacos in some form. They are street tacos. Taco shell was soft, corn, oily and so heavy. Shrimp with slaw was excellent. Barbicoa was great but chimmichuri was tasteless. Pork belly was great. Side of rice tasted like they got it from the back of the refrigerator - weird smell to it. Beans were solid. We had churros for desert. They were heavy and tasteless unto themselves. Chocolate dipping sauce was a scoop of hard hot fudge from some jar and you couldn't dip or spread it. A total miss. Start taking a much pride as you do on the slow roasted and prepared meats on everything else. You won't survive with just good fried shrimp and great barbicoa when everything else around it fails. Ended up at $62 per person for lunch since everything is a la carte.

Small portions. Chips are too hard and salsa lacks flavor. The fried tomatillo was awful because it was mushy. They have a nice outdoor patio that allows dogs which is why we went there.

Margarita flight was delicious ! My mom order the chicken sandwich and is still raving reviews how fresh it was. I loved the fish taco. My hubs enjoyed the carnitas taco. The chef specials were good. My children enjoyed the rice and beans along with chicken and cheese quesadilla. This was a random stop on a drive from the white mountains to Boston area. It was a hit! It will be added to our rotation of places to stop mid travel or when in the area. The waiter was very pleasant and attentive. I would strongly recommend this place as it does promote farm to table production. Well done Vida Cantina! The front room with cacti was beautiful!

10/10 best Mexican food in New England. Vida is to Mexican what Goody Coles is to BBQ in NH. So good, you wonder how it got up here. On par with some of the better places I've had Texas. Salsa flight was on point (mango habanero was the best). Barbacoa and carnitas flavorful and tender, but seared fish taco and fried shrimp tacos were incredible. Also ask for the green hot sauce, so good we bought a bottle after. Service was great as well

Food did not match the price. It was not worth the 45 minute drive. The chips and salsa were not good.

Good vibes the second you walk in the door. Margarita was great. Chips were burnt & salsa was basically pico de gallo. Tacos were mediocre - would eat again but weren't memorable, kinda bland. Halibut was great! Service was good.

We go here all the time and the food and service is always wonderful! If you want to have the most exceptional and fun experience ask to be sat in Ben's section. He is so much fun, hilarious, super knowledgeable and accommodating. #TeamBen