Cantina 18

Went to Cantina 18 for restaurant week and had a great meal. Anything with the short rib is always good and their chicken enchiladas were excellent.
I’m not a big fan of their new décor… white painted hardiplank siding inside instead of anything that feels «Mexican». But the food is really good.

Food is good. The burrito was hearty and big. The salsa with the chips was refreshing. Nachos were delicious. Our waiter, Greg, was funny and attentive.

I was sadly disappointed after my recent experience at cantina 18, especially since I was a huge fan before they closed for renovation.
I ordered the romaine salad with chicken and the chicken came out raw. How a restaurant can mess up something as simple as grilled chicken is beyond me. I brought this to the servers attention and he apologized and offered to take the chicken off the lettuce in front of me. I asked for him to bring out a new salad, this time with shrimp instead of undercooked chicken. The manager came out to bring me the new salad without apologizing or even saying a word. The new salad came out with less than desirable looking shrimp. In addition the salad was overloaded with salt and the salad was not compensated.
After this experience I am sad to say that I will not be returning to cantina.

After having a delicious lunch at 18 Seaboard and generally hearing wonderful things about the other restaurants in the 18 group, I chose Cantina 18 for a celebration dinner with my husband. Unfortunately we were both pretty disappointed.
We arrived a minute before our scheduled reservation, and had to wait 5 minutes to be seated. That really wasn’t a huge deal until the host began to take us upstairs to be seated and asked us to WAIT at the bottom of the stairs while he went into the kitchen to get silverware. Clearly our wait was not for the purpose of setting up our table.
When we finally sat down, our table was very wobbly. We asked our waitress if there was anything that could be done about the table, and she said she’d take care of it. She, in fact, never mentioned it again. I ended up rolling up my own cloth napkin to put under the table leg to stabilize it.
I ordered the house margarita, and my husband ordered the pineapple jalapeño margarita. Both were pretty good. The salsa was much too sweet for our tastes and had no heat to it. We ordered the goat cheese guacamole to start, and I had to salt it generously.
My husband and I decided to split the chorizo quesadilla and the taco platter with a ground beef, short rib, and pork belly taco. When we got our food, they had given us a shrimp taco instead of the ground beef. The waitress got out her ordering pad, ready to tell me that I was wrong and had actually ordered shrimp, but she quickly put it away when she realized I was right. They brought out the correct taco and let us keep the shrimp. The chorizo quesadilla and the short rib taco were the highlights of the meal. Really delicious. The ground beef taco was dry, and the pork belly was too battered to be recognizable. We didn’t eat the shrimp taco.
I don’t think we’ll be back. The atmosphere, staff, and food were generally lacking. If this was a totally new restaurant, I might give it another shot, but Cantina 18 simply underwent renovations. It shouldn’t have forgotten how to give its patrons an enjoyable dining experience.

My wife and I had gone previously and had a good meal but our most recent visit was the worst. At the upstairs bar drinks were promptly served however the queso and chips didnt arrive until I had nearly finished my Margarita, and I was drinking slow hoping my queso salsa and chips would arrive before I finished my drink. My pork taco tasted like it was made from the stuff they scraped off the grill. The drinks were great but the food tonight was horrible. I am really disappointed because my wife and I love Tex-​mex, and we enjoyed this restaurant previously, but next time we will go somewhere else.

Overhyped, overpriced, and terrible service. I think it’s understood that we’d spend all of our money here because it’s a Bryan Tucker 18 joint. Nope! Better off at Chuy’s! And that snooty Cameron Village crowd is the worst!

Got a salad that was ok-​salmon was good and cilantro vinaigrette was tasty. Jicama and apple on there were also good. My sons kid taco was a dry mess. It was so bad and therefore pricey at $ 6. He got a dry taco and some grapes and a couple pieces of pineapple. The worst was our service. We waited forever (45 minutes for lunch!), our server never checked the food allergies we were concerned with (and of course they had to remake the food bc of this) and while the manager compt our meal, he barely apologized. It’s hard to put into words what the experience was like, but definitely in my top 2 worst experiences at a restaurant. This place is a nightmare. Will never go back.

Food was pretty good but the service was very slow. By the time our waiter came to take our order, it was so long we had all filled up on chips, salsa and queso and couldn’t eat anymore food.

My favorite restaurant in the triangle. Great quality food. The chicken taco with cranberries, apples and goat cheese is m favorite. Very nice ambiance. Love the new expansion.

Wow if you haven’t been back since the remodel you are missing out. This was by far one of my favorite meals out recently. I actually never ate here before the remodel so I have nothing to compare it to but I absolutely love the space. It’s two floors with tons of open air, garage doors and large windows that open upstairs. It definitely reminds me of some of the Mexican joints in LA.
Yes it was the end of Dec but it was 75 degrees out so we took advantage and ate on the patio. It’s great to have this outdoor seating in Cameron Village plenty of good people watching while you eat. I was even more stoked to see my girl Haley was now back in NC and waiting tables here, so of course the service was awesome.
I ordered a bloody mary that was delicious and my dining partner had a margarita, I snagged a sip and it was a good margarita no fake sour mix here. The menu was made up of tacos, nachos, and quesadillas with all kinds of unique toppings and fillers. We went with the short rib nachos and shrimp quesadilla. Holy huge serving size Cantina 18!!! It looked like we barely made a dent but I was so full I couldn’t eat dinner later.
The short rib nachos are a must. You know when you have a dish at a restaurant and you just can’t stop thinking about it? Well these short rib nachos are it for me and they are the jam, you get a ton of tender meat topped with a queso on like any other, definitely made in house + goat cheese, beans, peppers, and corn. The shrimp quesdilla I would definitely order again too I’m just sad that I didn’t have enough room in my belly to enjoy another bite,
I’m loving this place and can’t wait to get back here. Great spot for drinks and food.

The new vibe is great! Cantina 18 needed a makeover and this one is spot on. The upstairs bar is very open and the all window views are great. They server seemed new and was still learning the menu. But if he wasn’t sure of an answer her checked and got back with us. The menu hasn’t changed much still the same good food. It was not crowded… but I think that is just because people don’t know they have reopened.

It’s hard to believe this place is associated with 18 Seaboard. It was some of the worst service in The Triangle and the food was mediocre at best.
My husband and I went on a Monday night after shopping in Cameron village. There was no one to be seen at the hostess stand for a couple minutes and when someone finally did show up, he didn’t acknowledge us for about another minute. He said there was a wait for a table and we had to ask for the details about wait time and how the different areas of the restaurant were managed (i.e. Can we sit at the bar? Is upstairs bar a wait?)
We sat down and the theme continued… it took a good 5 mins for someone to acknowledge us at the bar. The guy next to us sat down after us and had a beer before we even put in a drink order. They seemed understaffed and undertrained. Service at the bar was poor in general.
We ordered guacamole and fajitas that were decent. If the service improved, I’d be apt to give them 3.5 stars.
It was packed for a Monday night… great location and opportunity. I’m hoping they improve but not sure it’s worth going back to see.

I’ve heard so many great things about Cantina 18 that I couldn’t wait to try them out myself. My friends and I came on a Saturday night expecting a long wait time but only had to wait 20 minutes till we were seated. I think that’s pretty awesome for a Saturday night!
The food is wonderful. I ordered the taco platter and was pleasantly surprised that they allowed us to order different tacos. I ordered the duck confit, crispy shrimp and the short rib tacos… all of them were so delicious! Just writing about them makes me want to come back and have them all over again! They were all so flavorful and not at all dry. My least favorite would be the crispy shrimp but that is because the other two were just so delicious. I also agree with the other reviewers who enjoyed the salsa, I had to stop myself from eating the chips and salsa so I would have room for the tacos. But overall, the portion of the three taco platter was perfect! Not too much or not too little, just right!
The décor is a bit confusing for a «Tex-​Mex» place as it has a more contemporary (slightly more upscale) dining feel than I was anticipating. I do like the large booths in the back of the restaurant although it seems like that could have utilize that space a bit better. Overall, the ambiance is pretty lively with a diverse crowd (families, couples, older and younger folks).
It was our server’s first night serving but she seemed to hold her own. I did run into an issue as I ordered the jalapeño pineapple margarita and was told I could have it made with «less pineapple» which worked for me. However, when I received the drink it was in a glass half the size of my friend’s who ordered the same drink without the modifier. It seemed really unusual that the pineapple made up half the drink so I asked our server about it and she brought over our manager who tried to explain that it actually was the same drink and the juice did make up that difference due to more ice. I get that less juice means less of the drink but I’m really put off by the size difference and may just not ask for any more modifiers in the future.
Overall, I enjoyed my experience here and cannot wait to return and try out their other entrée items… okay, I’ll actually just order the tacos platter again but hey, if it’s delicious why not enjoy it again?

One of my favorite places here in the Raleigh area. When you go to a place and they remember what you order from the extra quest dip, side of salsa, and come out to chat with you. This is a place to relax after work, date nights, meetings, drinks.

After many years of being a faithful patron of 18 Seaboard I had the pleasure of dining at Cantina 18 yesterday. I was so excited to see that Chef Jason was in the restaurant on the same day. My friend and I had stepped in for a quick bite and it hit the spot. We split the queso (with black beans), a chicken quesadilla, and were treated to a lemon panna cotta! If you like spice you’ll love the homemade habanero sauce! If you’re near Cameron village this is the place to eat! The restaurant is a lovely two story establishment with upstairs and downstairs bar areas. Definitely will stop back by the next time we’re in town.

The drinks were great and the goat cheese guacamole is to die for. I ate way too much of it but it was so delicious. I think I had some other stuff but the guacamole… end of story

After having been here several times, I just don’t plan on going back. The food is mediocre and over priced. It seems bland unfortunately! The servers are nice and the drinks are good, hence the 3 stars.
I’d recommend their margaritas, and check out their drink specials.

I enjoy this place. They have good drink specials and good Mexican food. This isn’t your franchise Mexican food restaurant.
The service was good and atmosphere was enjoyable. It’s great for family’s, a couple drinks with friends or a fun date.
Great location where you shouldn’t have trouble finding a parking spot.

I am stunned that I apparently haven’t done a review of this place. I could have sworn I did, but I don’t see one and pics I took are certainly here, so I must not have.
Anyway, been here several times and very much like this Cameron Village spot. The last time we were there we were pleasantly surprised by an amuse bouche (something delicious on a chip… can’t remember the specifics and it obviously went bye-​bye fast enough that there was no pic of it).
LOVE the salad dressings here… side salads involve jicama which is a fave of mine… coupled with a tasty fresh dressing and I’m in love. Fish taco was a huge hit for me last time we were there (grilled, but you can opt for fried). Have also enjoyed the chicken tinga. Husband likes his burritos and has been very happy with them.
Also loved that last time we were here they surprised us with a small (and perfect) complimentary ice cream dessert. (see pic)
For a casual place to treat its guests like we were fine dining on a Saturday afternoon? Well, I say that is awesome! Big fan here!
Oh, and I can also recommend the Ginger Pear Sangria!

I experienced Harvest 18 before trying Cantina 18. Let’s just say, Harvest 18 set the bar high!
My boyfriend and I went to Cantina 18 for dinner at 8pm last night. We were relieved that there was not a wait. At first, we grabbed a table outside but decided to move inside because it was getting chilly outside. Inside was just as chilly! Brrrr.
To start, our server brought out chips and salsa. The salsa tasted very fresh but bland. We also ordered queso. The queso portion was huge! Would’ve been perfect for 4 people. Honestly, I filled up on the queso.
My boyfriend ordered a margarita which I tasted. It was average at best.
For entrees, I ordered the Grilled Steak Chimichanga and my boyfriend ordered the Housemade Chorizo Tacos. The Grilled Steak Chimichanga is one huge chimichanga! The habanero bacon jam was intolerably spicy! Also, the chimichanga was primarily filled with rice. I took one bite and I knew that this dish was not for me. My boyfriend can tolerate spicy a bit more than I can so we traded dishes. The chorizo tacos were better, but still no WOW factor for me. Our server noticed that we had traded, and she asked if we would like to order something else or talk to a manager. It was a nice notion, but I did not want to wait for another entrée and I was already full from the queso.
Overall, I just wasn’t feeling it. In general, the flavors were off. It was overpriced and there are much better Southwest/​TexMex restaurants in the area.