Cantina Royal

Nice bartenders.

This place was slammed the Saturday night I was there, but that’s still no excuse for the sub par food and service. Four fish tacos for $ 16; I know this is NY but really, the tacos were not that great. A piece of heavily battered fish with some sliced kale (?!) and some mayonnaise drizzled on top. We ordered the «salsa sampler,» which was fine, but the minuscule dollops along with like 10 tortilla chips did not justify the entrée-​pricing.
As we were finishing our meal at nearly 11:30 p.m. the server told us we to hurry up as we had to give up one of the tables that two members of our dinner party were sharing. We then asked for our check only to wait 40 minutes to get his attention.
Really folks, if this is the only place you think you can get food Mexican food in New York, then you really need to get out more.

Best place in NY to get Mexican food. Ambience on weekends is the best to have a drink with friends (don Julio margarita specially). Chicken soup like nowhere else.
Ask for Julio’s special Salsa Sampler ;)

Went for moms birthday who is 82 and in a wheelchair. After reading reviews that were great I am feeling as if they may pay people to write them. Ordered Sangria and were told they do not make it. OK so we decided on margaritas that were just ok.
Guacamole and chips were enough for one a small portion of guacamole with a handful of chips. Salsa sampler the same in shallow cups smaller than the size of a tablespoon that you couldn’t even dip a chip. Once again a handful of chips. Server inattentive through the entire dinner. Had to ask for forks and tiny paper napkins.
Enchiladas and tacos came with no sides so we asked for rice and beans and was charged 36 dollars for 3 small bowls of rice and 3 small bowl of puréed beans thinner that broth! Food was bland and tasteless.
Nothing for the birthday mom not even a Happy Birthday. 183 for dinner and we all left hungry. Waste of time and money.

I am honestly SHOCKED by the bad reviews on here. My fiancé and I are truly mexican restaurant connoisseurs and we were blown away by the food at Cantina Royal. The home made sauces and salsas are incredible. expertly balanced, soo flavorful and delicious– we ended up buying a bunch of them to go! The guac was pretty good, but not excellent. The homemade chips are some of the best I’ve ever had. they dont give you a ton but be sure to ask for more. They are just starting to sell their sauces (brand 303) at a few locations in Brooklyn and NYC fyi.
My fiancé got the shrimp tacos and they were in the top 2 of the best tacos he’s ever had. I am vegan so I got the vegan special which was a bean, roasted veggie, guac taco that was unbelievable and he loved it as well.
When we asked what was in the sauces, the waiter brought Julio– the head chef– out to tell us about them. After just a few minutes chatting we could tell he is super passionate and clearly a perfectionist when it comes to flavor. We left under the impression that he had recently joined and re-​vamped Cantina Royal’s menu. We honestly can’t wait to go back!

A charming restaurant off the busy streets of Williamsburg. We arrived at 8pm and it was empty — I’m guessing because it was Easter Sunday. The waiter advised us to sit anywhere which we did. The restaurant is filled with portraits of women. None of it appears to relate to Mexican heritage so it’s confusing.
Food… with your Unilocal check-​in, you get a free sampler of four chili based salsas. OMGGGGG my mouth was on fire. They are all delicious and spicy! The bowl of tortilla chips is on the cheap size in regards to quantity which limits your spicy salsa indulgence. We ordered the grilled octopus tostada as an appetizer and coming from someone who doesn’t normally eat octopus, it was very refreshing. The tostada is the size of a small disc with cold octopus salad on top. It was well mixed as you taste the tomatoes, onions, and guacamole. My only negative note is that it is very oily. For dinner, we ordered tacos — Mahi fish, shrimp, beef and chicken. Our favorite was the shrimp taco — it carried the most flavor. The Mahi fish was also delicious. The steak was average but still good. I did not like the chicken, neither did my boyfriend. It had too much cotija cheese (I think) and it completely overwhelmed our palate. Btw, the online menu does not mention the tostadas, so I guess it’s only an in-​house option.
Drinks… we ordered original margaritas which were good. it saddens me that they don’t offer frozen margaritas — it’s only served on the rocks. The drink is served in a small glass with tons of ice so ask for less or no ice. The owner Julio brought over complimentary tequila shots TWICE! Yup twice! He said it was for better digestion lol sure… both shots were smooth but strong. Definitely quality tequila — none of that cheap stuff.
Overall, it was a lovely experience. Julio was very attentive and advised us that they have events often so we should go back. The food was great — I wouldn’t call it the best I’ve had but still yummy. The margs were made with quality tequila which made them all that better. If you have the palate for all things spicy, try their chili sampler — you will love it.

(author note: this is my first review as an elite, so my ego, on a scale of one to kanye, is pretty kanye)
saw the Unilocal check in deal so i was like okay, ill give it a shot.
walk in, dimly lit vibes, everyone is at the tables chillin, im sitting alone like the food critic in ratatouille (there goes my ego) judging all the micro moments. like the free 6 oz of beer, really bro? or the 10 chips with really spicy salsa. they lure you in with the deal and then skimp on ya, restaurant week style. you get what you pay for?
ordered the mahi mahi fish tacos. kudos for just putting one tortilla per. im not a huge fan, personally, so i hate the carbo-​load triple tortilla taco. it was rather simple, fried fish, lettuce and sour cream. points for the pineapple. a welcome, and familiar twist.
fish was crispy and soft, but flavorless. season that shit up. overall it was kind of sweet. i liked dipping it in the super spicy salsa, that was fun, and it was a good balance. 4 tacos for 16 bucks is not bad either, considering you pay only a bit more to eat it standing up on the street. idk it just lacked that signature flavor. that crack sauce, that orange sauce; im such a bay area kid slash bachelor frog, all about his condiments.
im torn between 3 or 4 stars, honestly. errrr… my cruel, kanye critic sisd says 3, my have a heart shibi and dont be an elitist shibi says 4, but as the rating shows, i went full kanye.

This was was SO good and I don’t understand the negative reviews here. Some of the best Mexican I’ve had in ages! Vibe is great, bartenders are friendly, and food is amazing. What more could you ask for?

Was in the mood to try a different Mexican spot in the area so I found this place on Unilocal.The ambiance is nice but the food and service wasn’t. Our food came out before our appetizers so we had to ask what happened. Our waitress then apologized for forgetting our appetizers. The food was pretty bland also. I had the pork rib tacos and the elote. Both unmemorable. What really unsettled me was what seemed to be the head waiter going around greeting everyone & telling them the daily specials all but my table. Not sure what was up with that. I’ll stick to my other local favorites.

I was surprised to read the negative reviews here. This is one of our local neighborhood gems. Their soup is out of this world and their mexican pasta absolutely amazing. The vibe is relaxed and we quickly made friends with the staff who are great. This has absolutely become our go to place.

Earlier this evening I stopped by to have an early dinner at around 6pm. To my surprise there was only one table that was already occupied — which was about a party of 6. After ordering some guacamole and margaritas we sat back and were presented with the guacamole shortly after.
Unfortunately from that point on things took a turn south. We made our way through the guac and chips — and about 40 minutes later we began to wonder where our entrees had gotten to. At some point our server stopped by to explain that everything took so long «because it was all made fresh and in house…» Subsequently she brought out free guac and a margarita to try and smooth things over — a gesture we were extremely appreciative of. The baja fish tacos and short rib tacos were brought out immediately after and unfortunately the baja tacos were lacking any type of flavor. The short rib tacos weren’t too bad.
While this place wasn’t the worst Mexican food you’ll ever have — I wouldn’t go out of my way to try it again. There are plenty of other options in the neighborhood

Only 2 stars because no one was rude, would be 1 otherwise. Salsa is the worst I’ve ever had in my 30 years of living. Tastes like they dumped Campbell’s tomato soup into a can of rotel. So very bad.

Exceptional Mexican cuisine with an amazing vibe.
Backroom of music and video art markes it an iconic willamsburg hub.

Beautiful ambiance and the staff is amazing! Catalina was out waitress she was amazing and very personable! The décor is fabulous and unique and there is a surprise at every corner! The bathrooms are even cool! Great overall experience! Will return!

I never like to write a bad review but it was a pretty negative expierence going to this place. When I initially walked In the restaurant overall seemed quite nice, but I had read the reviews of other Unilocalers in the past so I had went in with an open mind.
Drinks: The waitress approached us and asked us for our drink orders. I ordered an Imperial (Costa Rican beer that was on the menu) and my fiancé ordered a pomegranate margarita. The waitress not only corrected my pronunciation of Imperial but then said she doesn’t think they have pomegranate margaritias… but then realized they did. Both obnoxious correcting me and ignorant of the restaurant’s menu. That said, she came back to the table five minutes later to say they were out of Imperial, but I am thankful for the grammer lesson. not really.
Appetizer: We kept it basic with the chips and guacamole. Which took a while to come out probably because it just came out of the refrigerator and was almost ice cream– it was so cold. Another issue I had with this was our drinks came AFTER the waitress dropped off the appetizer. Considering there was no one else in the restaurant other then my table and the 6 employees, I found that ridiculous. To the credit of the restaurant, the guacamole and margarita were both good, but the service is and was BAD!
Main Course: Despite the limited menu, we both ordered tacos. My fiancé, the baha fish tacos and myself, the pork tacos. That said when we initially decided that we wanted the tacos, my fiancé had stepped off to use the restroom, so, when the waitress approached me, I ordered for my fiancé, since she told me what she wanted. The waitress came back after to confirm with my fiancé which I thought was rude because why would she doubt me and second I told her we were pressed for time. She came back yet a third time to confirm fish tacos! My fiancé had to confirm for a second time that, yes indeed, she wanted the fish tacos (note– still no one else was in the restaurant). The food took way too long to come out and in that time frame we were not asked if we wanted additional beverages or if everything was good to that point. Come to think of it, we didn’t even see our waitress after we ordered our entrées. We had to ask the bus boy for the check. That said, the tacos were also pretty good.
Summary: this restaurant has potential, ambiance is pretty cool and the food is pretty good, but the awful service will keep me from coming back ever again. I thought on it a few days before I wrote this and couldn’t come up with a single reason why I would give them more then 2 stars. Service is crucial and it fell short by a mile.

Good atmosphere and quality Mexican food made from scratch. For sixteen bucks you get four tacos. The drinks are also good. Also the atmosphere is dark and feels like a neat movie. They also make guacamole from scratch. All the scratchy cuisine can take a while to prepare but I don’t hold it against this place.

Service was awful but at least food was good.
We ordered margaritas, guacamole, fish tacos, and chicken tacos. The drinks were solid and when the food came out, it was tasty.
The problem was that it took about 90 minutes for the tacos to come out, we got the wrong drink order initially, and they kept taking plates to our table that weren’t for us, about 4 times.
Everyone around us that came after was already eating or done with their meals. That really upset me.
After complaining to the manager, I was told they are short staffed and have a new crew. He gave me and my fiancé a free shot after we declined the free dessert. Nice try but I was thinking a discount on the meal. The long 90 minute wait deserve a bit more. He also said he has a bottle of tequila for us when we come back, but unfortunately we won’t be back.
I really hope they get it together because the food was good.

Went here on a hunch for a date.
Food and drinks were excellent!
The Margaritas are really good and I would definitely recommend the Mexican pasta.
I was hesitant at first because the entrance is a bit shabby looking, but I’m so glad I went.
Would definitely recommend this place.

This is the kind of place that makes you thankful you live in Williamsburg. Cantina Royal is hard to spot, and will either be completely packed or almost empty depending on the lunar cycle (I think). Behind the sometimes chaotic façade lies a very authentic Mexican kitchen. All of the soups are amazing, especially the chicken soup and seafood soup. The mole, tacos and mulitas (small tortilla) are also authentic and delicious. There are also always a lot of items that aren’t on the menu, and if you don’t ask they probably won’t tell you about them. Some sage Cantina Royal advice:
— Ask for «yaya», a fiery hot salsa with lots of flavor. They make salsa’s in house and they are very good.
— Ask for specials, which are among some of the most authentic Mexican to be had outside of Mexico.
— Don’t expect a rushed, restaurant factory experience that is focused on getting you in and taking tons of your money and sending you out. Come when you have time, relax and enjoy.

Had dinner here yesterday and I ordered the mahi mahi tacos. The battered fish itself was good but the entire thing together was lacking in flavor. There was a hint of pineapple in there but they should have added some sauce, or guac, or salsa, or SOMETHING to make it less plain. Very disappointing and not worth the price.
The waitress we had last night was very sweet and the comedy show was hilarious, so I bumped the post up to 3 stars. However, next time I come see the show I will remind myself to eat elsewhere first