Cantina 1511

Appalling service tonight at Cantina in the Park Road shopping center. Sat at our table for probably 20 minutes before anyone even acknowledged us or asked for drink orders; went long stretches of time without any check in from our server, and when she did materialize, it would be to do something so fast, like grab a single empty glass, that by the time we realized she was there, she was already gone (never paused to say ‘do you need anything?’, or to check the table to see if we were out of things, like water, beer or chips); ordered guac and queso appetizers and server did not refill our (nearly empty) chips and then disappeared so fast we couldn’t ask for more, waited another 10 minutes or so without seeing her anywhere before finally flagging down another staff member to ask for more chips so we could actually eat our apps; drinks sat empty for ages, we were there 2 hours and I got 1 water refill the whole time; finally asked for a manager at the 45-​minute mark to to ask for some help with the service so that we could actually place a dinner order, she clearly did not care, told me ‘we’re busy’; 1 dinner entrée order was wrong when it arrived, server clearly was not listening when we stated dietary restrictions & what needed to be left off the plate; the fish in the tacos was cold when the entrée was served, so I don’t know where it was sitting around waiting to be served, but it was not served fresh from the grill. I also didn’t appreciate that I saw the same (tall blonde female) manager who did not care about my complaints running around helping to serve food to other tables on either side of us, but she did not bother to come back to my table at any point in the remaining 75 minutes I was there to see if anything had improved. Which it had not.
I used to go to Cantina regularly when I was new to Charlotte several years ago, when they were at the East Blvd location, but I stopped going a couple of years ago because the food and service quality had both dropped off; I’m sure it’s no coincidence that the changes for the worse happened shortly after Mr. Scibelli sold the restaurant, since his establishments typically have high service expectations. However, I thought that since it’s in a new location, maybe new management and new staff would have breathed new life into the place, so decided to give it another chance tonight. I will absolutely NOT be going back ever again– there are too many top-​quality restaurants in Charlotte now to spend your going-​out dollars at a place that clearly doesn’t care about giving good service or appeasing an upset customer, and since the lack of caring obviously starts with management, I have no reason to hope this will change.

Enjoyed my favorite meal during a busy Friday night. I was most impressed by the bar staff as I ordered and when there was a small issue with the meal it was taken care of immediately & recognized by the wait staff and I never said a word. Impressive attention to detail and great customer service!

Good food. Poor service. Not kid friendly. Not reservation friendly. Three separate instances with poor experience. One big plus is Sunday brunch menu.

Won’t go back
I got the shrimp fajitas (pretty simple right?) at lunch and for 30 $ I got 6 shrimp and a huge pile of onions/​peppers and other random veggies… table-​side guac was bland and tasteless

If you have ONE thing here, make it the table-​side guac! The tortilla soup is delicious (especially on a cold day), so after all those guac and chips, I like to have the soup for my dinner. If you like shrimp, the Marco Polo tacos are really great. Oh, and even if you don’t get the guac, the salsa is tasty and the chips are warm, crispy, and unlimited. If you go on a Tuesday night, it’s kids’ night, so if that’s not your scene, ask to be seated in the high top table section – the kiddos are usually on the other side. Outdoor seating is nice, too, when the weather is good. The food at the Rea Road location (Stonecrest Shopping Center) is just as awesome, but the atmosphere is a little more upscale. You can’t go wrong at either location.

So my first review was based solely on trying to get a reservation for a friends bday, not the food or anything. I was very frustrated at that point, but would like to say that as soon as I wrote that review, not even a whole day later, one of the managers messaged me on here and apologized, wished my friend a belated birthday and gave me his personal email. He told me to email him whenever my friend and I would like to come in and he would take care of us!!! I dont make it to Charlotte as often as I like and I often forget about my Unilocal reviews so I just wanted to put this out there while I was thinking about it. That, to me, is great customer service and something so many businesses lack these days!!! I will definitely not hesitate to return the next time I’m in town!

This place is not your ordinary Mexican Food place. It had a concept like Chilis/Applebee’s where you order 3 — appetizer, entrée, dessert to share. Not sure if it’s a regular concept, but it does save money. (Not that I eat at either of those places, but I am familiar. ;)) They make the at the table guacamole which was really tasty and fresh. I’m not sure if this is a chain, but I’m almost certain it’s not the owners first restaurant because it was run efficiently and well. They have Sunday Ticket so you can see the games, and plenty of TV’s which was great. Whether you’re with a group or just a partner, this is a great spot. Lots of drink options as well, the margaritas were good, and their low quality tequila is still 100% agave. As for quality, it’s absolutely worth the price. Waitress was attentive and nice, I’d recommend the restaurant.

This place is pretty good for lunch or dinner, but their brunch — yes i was shocked too — was delicious!
Service is quick and easy — thank you Melina V. The food is wonderful and usually has you asking for a box. Great spot!
Best tip about this place: get the table side guac — superb!

My wife & I met some friends here for dinner tonight & we’ve been to this location a handful of times.
I was expecting a wait, given the weekend & this place is usually packed. The couple we were meeting got there before us & had already put in for the table. We waited around 35 – 40 minutes or so & were then sat. That’s typical…
We sat at our table for around 20 minutes before anyone even came by our table. Once the waiter did reach our table we were greeted with a hyped up waiter who spoke so fast you couldn’t understand what he was saying & he kept using douchey phrases like «chip situation», «hydration station» & so on.
We waited an additional 15 min to place our order & shortly after receiving our drinks, the food arrived. Luckily it was on point, with one exception. One of our friends ordered the small order of nachos, but got the large order & was assured she wouldn’t be charged for the large order… She was.
Sparse drink refills, and persistent asking for more water was met with lackluster service & more douchey word play. The waiter nearly hit one of our friends with the water pitcher. Once or twice, it’s cute & all… But this was over the top. We got a beer we didn’t order, and was told it was a «gift» to go along with our other beers. I digress.
So to sum it up: the food was great as usual, but I’m not sure it’s worth the wait & the poor service. We’ll probably be back at some point, but likely for take out.

What a disappointment!
We ordered drinks, table side guacamole, and our entrees all at once. We waited half an hour and our entrees came out. We still hadn’t received our guacamole or our drinks. We would’ve made our waitress aware of this, but she didn’t come by our table between us ordering and receiving our food. We made her aware when she delivered our food, so she went to get the other items.
The manager came out to us and apologized as they were having a busy day, and she prepared our guacamole. She gave us the Guac for free which was nice, but we also told her that we hadn’t gotten our drinks (now an hour after we ordered them). We asked her to cancel them, she did, and she again apologized.
We won’t be back.

Incredible! Took some visiting family there last weekend and had a fantastic experience! The food and the service was outstanding! I had the chicken torta (sandwich), family had the chimichanga and we also had the guacamole they make at the table. Everything was simply fantastic!

This place is the worst. Service is terrible. We sat at the bar for 20 minutes with no service. They were busy and the bartender was slammed. However, the manager walked the bar 3 times and didn’t even ask if we needed drinks or wanted to order. Nothing! It’s a joke.
This chips are always stale and the service ALWAYS STINKS!
Great location, great job on the up-​fitting of the building but not ever stepping foot in this place.
Every time I give them another shot I’m disappointed!
Big let down.
Wish they were back on east when Eric worked the bar and Patrick was the manager. I went there like 3 times a week and ALways had excellent service regardless of how busy they were!

Let me start off with that Cantina has been my favorite Mexican place in Charlotte until recently. Ever since they have moved to the Park Road shopping center they have been lacking. This use to be my go to spot with friends on the weekend and to bring out of town guests, however something has changed since they moved. I feel like they are becoming more of a chain restaurant.
The service lately has been hit or miss, but mostly miss. Last time we were there (about a month ago) we had to ask for our waiter multiple times. But the worst part was the food. The menu hasn’t changed (from the looks of it), but my husband and I order the SAME thing every time and something has changed. We get the two taco combo: Ancho Polo and Marco Polo. The last time we ordered it the tacos were either not what we ordered or they changed the way they make the tacos. It tasted like a load of coleslaw on them. And not flavorful. They just didn’t taste the same. We asked our server if they changed the ingredients, but she didn’t know. Plus, the black beans are now brown pinto beans. Mehhh.
Not sure what’s up with Cantina lately, but we tried Paco’s a few weeks ago and fell in love. I hope Cantina can step it up again.

I was expecting to be a little more blown away by Cantina especially since its one of Charlotte’s more established Mexican restaurants but I found it be all right.
I joined my friend for some margaritas on a Saturday evening (the place wasn’t busy at all at 5:30ish). We started with the complimentary chips and salsa — both excellent! nice crunchy, slightly salty chips and salsa with a little bit of a kick, just the way I like it! We also decided to go for the tableside guac — nice and chunky but could’ve used a tad more salt/​lime.
I decided to go with the Pina (pineapple) margarita and my friend had the strawberry. Both deliciously strong! I went with the two taco combo: fish & pork tacos. I was slightly disappointed in their refried beans and rice. Neither were particularly indicative of traditional Mexican beans and rice and the portion was teeny tiny!
I don’t know if I’ll be rushing to go back as I can always count on my trusty Paco’s to make an even better marg and taco but I won’t count out Cantina

Service was very slow. Our party waited forever and ended up not even getting what we ordered. A weren’t discounted for it! There is nothing special about the food or the salsa. It is pretty expensive also. Won’t be back, plenty of better Mexican restaurants.

We came here with a bunch a friends and had a real good time. Service was great as they were able to accommodate 8 of us with no problem.
The food was just as good. I had the shrimp skewer dinner which was really good and just what I expected. We also had 3 pinchers of margaritas too. Gotta have my margaritas lol.
No one in my group had any issues and we had an overall good time. This place is definitely recommended!

Food was really good. I had the Big Burrito with Chicken and it was done really well. The only drawback was the service. Came during lunch and it just seemed lacking. I eat out a lot and a little bit goes along way with me.

Love this place! Service is always prompt. Food comes out quickly. Quality of food is excellent. I’ve been to Cantina multiple times and will continue to go.
The atmosphere of this restaurant is warm and enjoyable.
Prices keep me from rating it five stars, however, the food is worth the price.

Did you know Cantina 1511 does brunch? Well, they do. And spoiler alert: it’s pretty fantastic.
My friend Erin and I were starving after our Unilocal Quirks Out event at Jazzercise Charlotte. Time for a boozy brunch! Hey, we earned it with that workout, right? We tried to hit Sir Ed’s, but they didn’t open until 5pm. Fail. So, we wandered across the parking lot to Cantina 1511.
I’m a sucker for a spicy bloody mary, so it was a no brainer for my drink order. They use a serrano and cilantro infused Finlandia vodka for this one. Win. We weren’t sure what to get. Here’s what I love: the waiter completely jumped in and was honest. He told me to ax my original order and gave us his ranking for the brunch dishes. Erin went with his #2 pick: the avocado bake. I went with the #3 pick: the fajita style shrimp and grits. He nailed it with both of those dishes. They were delicious. And in case you were wondering, his number one seed is the arepas benedict.
I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this new location, but I like that there seems to be more parking. Yes, the shopping center area here can get crazy, but the lot can handle all of it.
Cantina has great salsa. The tableside made guac is a must get. The tortilla soup is solid. I think I order something different every time I come here. It’s all pretty good.
This place can handle a group pretty well. I’ve been here for a couple different birthdays and girls night type events. They do take reservations. You can also place orders online for pickup.

My favorite Mexican spot in Charlotte. I do have to say, though, that I liked their other location better. The food, however, was still superb. I could eat nothing but the guacamole made table side. Since, I ordered the guacamole, I decided I needed to eat a little lighter than usual. I ordered the small salad and a bowl of tortilla soup without chicken. Both were exceptional. I loved the tortilla soup and wish I could go back for that. It had lots of ingredients and the cheese really brought it to a new level.
Service was wonderful and accommodating. Wish I still lived in Charlotte to keep going back.

Came here on a Thursday night with a group of friends. It was very crowded, so I am glad that we had a reservation!
I have been to Cantina when it was at the Dilworth location. However, havent been since they moved to Park Road area, so, I was excited to check out the «new» location. The restaurant is super open with a nice bar area and outdoor patio space (with TVs).Parking is plentiful.
Chips and salsa were good and plentiful. The salsa had a perfect spicyness kick for me. Neither salsa nor chips ever went empty.
Ordered the Pina Margarita cause it was one of the few drinks on the menu without that sugary mix stuff… not a fan of that. The marg was delish… though, after reading reviews, I wish I got the Picanta Pina Marg for a little extra kick. Next time!
Ordered the Ancho Shrimp Salad. Nice portion and the shrimp was seasoned well. The dressing was soooo good. Though, I doubt there was anything healthy about it cause it was so creamy! One of my friends didnt like guac, so I ate her guac on her nachos. Definitely will be ordering the guac next time!
Staff was super friendly and attentive.

One of my «go to» Mexican places. It is very convenient in Park Road Shopping Center. Easy, free parking. Open floor plan. Good energy.
I like the 1511 margarita and the queso.
Check out their brunch. Some Mexican included choices and traditional ones.
Great outside seating. They use Open Table if you want to get a reservation.

Cantina 1511 is one of my ‘go-​to’ Mexican spots. I actually liked their old location on East Blvd much better … the ambiance and décor made the whole experience better for me. I think there is more seating now though … so shorter wait times trump the mediocre décor.
Went back for my second trip to the new location this passed weekend … make a reservation and had to wait about 10 minutes to get a table. On a crazy business Friday night at 7:30 … i’m tottaly oaky with this. Our server knew his stuff, and our glasses were never empty.
Chip and salsa are good, nothing extraordinary. Ordered the Crab & Goat Cheese Croquetas and was very impressed. I can’t bring my self to ever try anything but the tacos for me entrée, because they’re so damn good. The Marco Polo taco never fails to disappoint (must be the jalapeño bacon!). I’ll definitely be back again.

I have to admit, I’m very snobby about Mexican food, especially since I live in LA and I have traveled a few times to Mexico and had some great meals in these places. If I’m anywhere else in US (but Cali), I try to avoid Mexican because I feel like it won’t measure up.
Our hosts wanted to take us to Cantina 1511 because they read good reviews about it — it’s described as doing a modern twist on Mexican fare. We had a reservation, but still had to wait to get seated. The décor was just OK, the layout– the place is too wide, wherever you’re seated you lack privacy. Not a fan.
The food — chips and salsa were OK. The guac was decent. The drinks– they have an extensive menu, we picked a drink– a new twist on Margarita, basically a pineapple drink on the rocks, it wasn’t anything great, I barely could taste any alcohol, pretty weak.
The food, that’s another story. We ordered tacos and enchiladas. Someone in our party hated her enchiladas (Enchiladas de Pollo), the tortilla was hard and it did look strange, like they were too baked, over cooked.
The tacos were OK (the selection was decent), we got Carne Asada, Ancho Pollo, Johnny Carnitas between us. The problem was the shell, it was so thin, that it broke once you had your first bite, which never happened to us before in a restaurant or at home (with shells you buy in stores). It was hard to enjoy them. The beans were fine, but my issue was with the rice. You serve white rice? Seriously? In a Mexican restaurant? It was blend, a bit sweet with some corn in it. The meal lacked authenticity, as I feared. Prices are high, I guess this is the «upscale» part.
The ambiance, there is none, they have huge TV-​s, it’s so loud that you can’t have a conversation and I had to yell at our server so that he can take my order. Not the way I like it. Also, we had a family with 3 kids behind us, so they placed a bassinet with a baby right behind my chair. And right when they brought my food, the other 2 kids started running behind my chair, touching me, pushing me, yelling while the parents didn’t seem to care less. Not an enjoyable, peaceful meal.
As far as the Mexican upscale twist, well that’s just a publicity stunt. Skip it if you’re really into good Mexican food!