Skinny’s Cantina

Poor service, and high prices for mediocre Mexican fare.
We ordered a white sangria, a margarita, guacamole, fish tacos (order of 3), and pork tacos (order of 3). The total bill was $ 58, this felt like dos caminos Manhattan level pricing for a very average LIC neighborhood restaurant.
The white sangria was very sweet, which was disappointing after asking the server «is it sweet?», answer «no». The red sangria replacement was poor also, watered down and served in small tumbler (not wine glass), no fruit, and $ 1-​$ 2 overpriced at $ 10.
The food was quite tasty, the guac’ was OK, a reasonable size portion. The tacos were also quite tasty but fairly vanilla, and at $ 12 and $ 13 I would say $ 3 overpriced per dish.
The service was also quite poor. The servers seemed more interested in congregating around the cash register and having some banter, than serving their customers. They did not check in once, it was a real struggle flagging them down, and took some time to finally pay the check.
This place could easily get to 4 star by fixing the prices and crappy service. However I suspect location, and apathy of local waterfront dwellers and tourists means they have no incentive to do so.
If you are reading this review you are a discerning customer… save your money, and get better food and service at
it’s worth the walk if you live on the waterfront!
I will add to the chorus of reviews and say that this place is surviving on location alone, much like Riverview down the block (worse, at 1 star).

Was there a few weeks ago… nothing special. Typical Mexican food… nothing stood out to me or do I feel I need to go back for. Food was good not like great service was good.

I went here for brunch around 2pm with my wife and a friend. I got the Huevos Ahogados Brunch. Its basically an english muffin served open faced with poached eggs, chorizo and spinach with a side of potatoes. Flavor was good but i was disappointed with the amount of chorizo there was on the dish. It probably had a total of 1 teaspoon per side. It was mostly spinach with a hint of chorizo. I guess i was expecting more meat in it. Got used to other Mexican joints (cheaper and tastier) where I’ve eaten in the past.
My wife ordered the Huevos Rancheros Brunch and it was just okay… For me. It was her order. I just finished what she couldn’t. I can describe it as a flat hard tortilla with beans, avocado, cheese and eggs. Although i just tasted beans and beans.
I’ll probably order a burrito or tacos next time but they’re not that cheap.
Server was really nice though so i give him props for being patient with us. My wife is pregnant and she needed her eggs well done. We had to send back her plate twice before she couldn’t eat what they served her. Third time’s a charm!
By the way, their brunch special is $ 15 for an entrée and drink (alcoholic).

Craving Mexican food? Don’t eat here, eat at Casa Enrique which is 100 0000x better & more legit.
It’s unfortunate their food isn’t better because they have such a prime location!

I’m [sort of] sorry to submit one star, because I really did want to like this place. Having moved to a building directly across the street, I was excited to try Skinny’s in the hopes of having a go-​to Mexican spot to order from. We gave them their first shot via Seamless: I ordered the carne asada tacos, and my boyfriend opted for a burrito. The order came quickly enough, so I’ll give them credit for that — but the food itself was lacking. My tacos were mediocre at best, and the burrito was rather bland.
We decided to stop by a couple of weeks ago, wanting to give them the benefit of the doubt — after all, delivery doesn’t always taste as good. This time we ordered the guacamole to start, and I ordered a sangria along with another order of tacos. My boyfriend also chose tacos this time, ordering three with pork and grilled pineapple.
The guac — a little salty, pretty flavorless otherwise. The chips were the tri-​colored ones, didn’t really seem fresh and had a salty, stale taste to them. Plus the fake coloring of the chips turned me off, and gave me the sense that they weren’t fresh. The red sangria I ordered was somehow disgusting as well, tasting overly syrupy to the point where I didn’t even want to finish it. The tacos were just as disappointing — the pineapples tasted like they came from a can, and the meat was rubbery and gave the impression that it had been sitting around for awhile.
The most insulting part was the bill — as another reviewer said, it seems like most of these restaurants on Center Blvd believe they can charge up the wazoo because of the surrounding high rise apartment buildings. I’ll save my money and make my own tacos (I’m not going to Casa Enrique anytime soon, either, unless they stop cramming the two-​seater tables so close to each other that everyone sitting next to you is suddenly a part of your conversation).
One star for the service — our waiter was perfectly accommodating and friendly.

One fine Sunday evening, my group and I were craving tacos so we popped in here randomly. I got fish tacos, which were awesome. You get 3 tacos, which I didn’t think would fill me up, but they very much did, so I would recommend them. Friend got carne tacos and boyfriend got pollo con carne. We were really happy with our food and our waiter. Prices are decent. Atmosphere is very dimly lit, rustic, casual, and colorful.

Great bar in the restaurant. Norman took care of us and the service was awesome. Good looking brunch menu that includes drink specials. The wings are off the chain and the BLT was very good. Norman made a very good red beer that was spicy and flavorful. Great TV’s at the bar and enjoyed watching the football games. I have walked past this place so many times and I don’t know why. I will be back 4 sho!!!

TERRIBLE customer service. Incompetent when processing seamless orders. Used to be a fan, but not so much these days. It’s a shame because the food is good, but by the time you receive it you’re no longer in a good mood.

I don’t know what it is about all these restaurants along Center Blvd (looking at you, Riverview Restaurant). It’s like they came together and decided they could get away with serving subpar food for overly high prices. «Customers in the high rises next door have money, so let’s charge whatever we want» [insert evil laugh].
There’s not much special about Skinny’s Cantina aside from the location and décor of the place. At the end of the day, food should be the main focus of any restaurant and it just falls short here. The guac tasted store-​bought, the bun on the Mexican Burger was completely stale, the fajitas tasted like the ones you can get at any Chilis, and the «speciality margaritas» tasted pre-​mixed.
Won’t be coming back any time soon. Hope the place can turn it around because honestly, it has potential.

I was really hoping to love this place but it was definitely not what I was hoping for. The food is ok but nothing great. I had chicken quesadillas and the chicken was pretty disgusting. I tried the Niger another time and it was ok. Now I only go here if I want to grab a quick drink with friends. Not a place I would return to to eat at.

I was quite excited about finding a mexican restaurant in LIC. The décor was nice and they had awesome outside seating– a decent view of the the freedom tower and empire state building. It had all the set up for a great lunch spot.
I was tempted to order the tacos or even the mexican burger, but instead got the the torta-​cajun chicken and chip & salsa. Got a torta craving lately. The restaurant was able to switch out potato chips for seasoned fries. The chip and salsa arrived promptly. The chips had some grounded sea salt, which made it very flavorful. The salsa was mild and had a sweet after taste. Not spicy at all (No worry for those ppl who have difficulties handling the heat). The salsa was quite delicious. Sadly, the salsa ran out when I was half way done with the chips. The torta arrived just as I finished my chips. The fries were nice and hot.
Next, I took a bite of the torta and i knew that i should have ordered something else. The torta has way too much bread and the chicken was not noticeable at all. I had to take a closer look to see if a mistake was made, I saw that the chicken was approximately the same thickness of the cheese– very disappointed. The ingredients didn’t mesh well mainly due to the absence of the chicken and the abundance of the bread. Every time I took a bite, it left my mouth dry and wishing that I order something else. I do not recommend the torta.
The chip & salsa & fries– I would rate a 3.5
The torta– I would rate a 1.
Maybe next time, I would give the taco a try.

I came here for a late lunch by myself and I was really happy.
I eat at the bar, while watching a tennis game on TV.
My spinach-​avocado salad was tasty, as well as guacamole and chips.
Good service, great place, happy atmosphere. I will definitely come back.
It seems good for solo, couple, and groups.

We visited Skinny’s Cantina on Father’s Day and had a great time! The atmosphere of the restaurant was perfect for Sunday Brunch… fun!
I went with French Toast off the Brunch menu, while my wife went with the chicken quesadilla and my daughter went with a burrito. None of us were disappointed! The hit for me though was the margaritas, they were fantastic!
Long Island City has become such a vibrant neighborhood. This restaurant is right in the heart of it. After eating we walked along the river and it was perfect! Also, if you park in the garage, have your ticket validated for a discount.

I was in LIC on a Thursday evening and looking for a place to eat — Skinny’s is the first place we saw. Walking in to the hostess, I noticed the place was super loud so we requested a table outside and were seated immediately.
Our waitress came over within a few minutes to take our food & drink orders. She was super sweet and continued to be friendly and attentive during our entire meal. Hubby and I both got steak burritos and Sangritas, as well as guac and chips for starters. The guacamole was definitely smooth and fresh tasting, but I think it could’ve used some salt and lime. Our burritos came out SO quick (like within 10 minutes) and we were surprised because the place was pretty packed. The big burritos were so delicious and very enjoyable.
The sangritas (frozen margarita with red sangria) definitely hit the spot! For the price, I thought the size of the drink was smaller than what we are usually served in Mexican restaurants, but the drinks were strong so I can’t complain!
Also, if you sit outside, you can get a little view of the piers! Can’t wait to try this place for brunch.

Came here for brunch with a large party (10+) for my birthday and was very happy with the service! Also for $ 15, my guests were able to get an entrée and a cocktail, cant beat that! Of course we ordered more drinks… but that was on us!
My girlfriend also baked me a cake and the waitress brought it out at the end with no charge. Very impressed with this place. No frills, good service, great place for a group!

Just a middle-​of-​the-​road baja Mexican restaurant. I probably should’ve ordered the fish tacos. I had a bite of my friend’s and was met with yummy flavors and good textures. I ordered the spinach salad with shrimp and was disappointed in the sesame oil drenched greens. I asked for the dressing on the side but I guess they forgot. It was definitely not Mexican-​tasting, but it wasn’t terrible, either.
The staff was friendly here and my water glass was kept full so I would probably come back here in the future to try other menu items. My friend lives around the corner from here so it was conveniently located and has room for improvement! The guacamole, salsa, and fresh-​made chips were delicious so I would most certainly return for those starters if nothing else.

Great service, Quesadillas very good, good selection of beers and Tequilas.
Was surprised about Paella, fresh lobster, sweet bay scallops, mussels, and tasty rice… a bit oily though. Calamari was tender and crispy with a twist of crispy jalapenos.
4 people, 5 dishes, 3 beers $ 121 with tip.

My husband & I love Mexican food so gave this a try when we moved into LIC. We were given complimentary tortilla chips & dip, which were fine. The menu is what I would consider more American Mexican. I ordered a burrito which was huge & I real enjoyed it. My husband ordered the spinach salad but they actually gave him the corn salad, but he decided to eat it anyway as I had my meal. The food was very nice, however the service was too attentive.
The staff were acting like the place was so busy and they needed the table, but in fact there were only 3 tables taken. They tried to take my husbands plate more that once and then when I was coming to the end of my meal & still had food of my place AND was chewing food, they tried to take my plate?! Because I was chewing I couldn’t speak & had to wave to say don’t take the plate! I’m sure they think it is good service to always be on hand but the over attentiveness translated into bad service in my opinion.
Based on the food I would eat it again, but probably get take out next time!

Sometime you just have an insane urge to eat Mexican food. Personally, I was craving anything with pico de gallo when I found Skinny’s Cantina. Walking in to this place that delicious smell of well seasoned steak and salsa hit me.
When we sat down someone immediately brought over a large basket of chips and a creamy dip. We ordered their pico de gallo (which they charged $ 8 for). Although it was pricey, it was definitely worth it.
As entrees we had steak tacos and the Mexican burger. I ordered the Mexican burger medium and it came out perfect! It had a beautiful pink center. The burger as a whole was perfect. Don’t you dare put ketchup on this majestic burger! The fries served with it were well seasoned and had a hint of lime.
The tacos were stuffed! This place definitely wasn’t skimpy with the steak. Add sour cream for an extra dollar to get the best taco of your life.
To top it off, there was free tequila when I went there! This place was amazing, I’ll definitely be back.

Gantry Park is one of our favorite places to spend the day. I really love this area. However, I personally try to avoid walking in the street outside of the park to and from where my car is left. Whatever the reason…
Today, I was parked right out front of this restaurant. Hungry and tired it just looked so inviting and I’m glad we stopped to eat. While it wasn’t mind blowing by any means, my fish tacos were pretty good and Little enjoyed her dinner as much. It’s great to be able to sit outside to people watch and unwind after hours of sand castle building and running around the playground with new friends. Definitely need more days like this. The hostess was sweet as ever which only made it better.
I can definitely see myself coming back here often throughout the summer to try different things.