Maria’s Cantina

I have been on a hunt for good Mexican food since I moved to Davis over three years ago. My boyfriend and I decided to try this place after his coworkers, who work at the court right across the street, recommended it to us. I can definitely see why it is a common lunch spot for them. IT IS SO DELICIOUS!!! Let me first say that I judge Mexican restaurants based on their carnitas. After three years of searching I have finally found my carnitas go-​to place! Honestly, these are the best carnitas I have ever had. Maybe even better than my family’s carnitas, (and it takes a lot for me to say that!) We went on a Thursday night and there was no wait. I have been raving about this place to my friends and I can’t wait to return.

I’m going to start out with the big 5 star! My family and I went in for taco Tuesday and were very pleased. The décor was really nice. But as they say, you don’t eat the décor! Well, as I say anyway. The taco Tuesday special was the pork belly with ghost pepper sauce. So we ordered a few of those. Amazing! My g’son ordered chicken tacos. Amazing! I ordered Camarones a La Diabla with rice and black beans. The black beans were well, black. The rice was really good and the camarones were cooked perfectly and although the sauce was different than others that I’ve had it was very good as well. We don’t usually do the dessert menu but tonight decided to give it a go. My g’son had the cream filled churros with sugar and cinnamon and caramel syrup. We split the flan crème brûlée and a banana fosterish quesadillasish thing with velvety ice cream. Most delicious! This is Mexican food kicked up a notch. Very pleasant staff and environment. Oh, we’ll be back for sure.

Maria’s has a very relaxed atmosphere with booths along the two sides of the building and tables in the center, but a nice distance from each other. The décor is nicely updated and comfortable. On our Sunday visit, the service was quick and efficient with water, warm chips and salsa delivered shortly after we were seated. My carnitas enchiladas with rojo sauce were paired with beans, rice and small salad in a simple but inviting presentation and at an affordable price. Ample quantities were served with a just enough heat to make it interesting. A return trip will definitely be in our plan!

I came here for lunch on a Tuesday around noon and they had a taco special. The Woodland Taco was their beef taco which was on special for $ 2.50. They also had a special for $ 6 if you ordered two tacos and a Tecate.
The restaurant was busy during the time we went and I was happy when the food came out quicker than expected. Our server was attentive and our water was always filled. The server made sure we were taken care of.
The Woodland tacos tasted fresh and it is something that will most likely taste good when you’re dining in at the restaurant. The tacos were a decent size and 3 tacos were perfect for me.
There is plenty of seating at Maria’s and there are also tables for larger groups. I would definitely come back here again to try other menu items. There were other items on the menu that looked good.

Every time I try to give this place a chance it confirms my hatred for it. Every item has a weird twist to it, like flautas with a honey salsa and sweet mayo like sauce on them. The portions are small, most of the plate is full of the presentation rather than a proper helping of food. The prices are high for what you get. I find every recipe to be bland or sweet when it shouldn’t be. Here’s a hint Bobby Flay: mexican food doesn’t need a modern twist, leave the experiments at home and stop torturing the patrons. The calamari was actually a good item and they took it off the menu. If you in any way are in the mood for mexican food, do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. If you want to be a guinea pig for some mad scientist chef with broken taste buds go here.

This place couldn’t accommodate a party of nine unless we wanted to freeze our asses off outside. This was the first and last time I will go here.

I wasn’t expecting what we got when we walked into this restaurant. It is SOOOO cute! You definitely feel like you’re in a high end restaurant. Service was great! Our waitress a tall blonde was super cute & funny :) She kept making really bad jokes… but it made her really personable haha. (& not bad as inappropriate) She was very personable with my 3 year old, which I love. It’s always so awkward to have a waitress who doesn’t know how to talk to children.
The food was AMAZING! I think my burrito was around $ 8 – 9. It was huge and so good! Walking into this place, I would have expected plates to be around $ 15 a piece, so I was very pleasantly surprised. The Margarita was really good! And they don’t jip you on the alcohol! Which is always awesome!
Overall, I was very impressed! This is the place I would take my relatives to when they come to visit.

I’m seriously obsessed with this place. My coworker and I come at least once a week for lunch. Kenny has our order memorized and always gets us in and out in less than thirty minutes! The food is consistently tasty and fresh. Restaurant is immaculate. Truly one of Woodland’s best!

I love this place! Especially on Taco Tuesday. Such a great deal. Two tasty tacos and a Tecate for only $ 6. That’s a deal. The staff is also amazing, great customer service. :)

Hey now let’s first acknowledge the interior of this place is pretty sweet… someone had the right vision or hired the right designer. Well done Maria well done. I mean you are in Woodland, CA and this interior and space could rival any metropolitan restaurant.
Margaritas…didn’t taste tequila at first… but boy are they sneaky. Had two and definitely felt that warm buzz I’ve been workin for all week when we somehow trade 5 work days for 2 free days?! I recommend the marg.
Carne asada street tacos… pretty standard but tasty. No nasty gristle or none of those feared speed bumps of fat on the meat where your teeth and mouth go errrrhhhhhh!!!
I also got the smaller order of nachos which are still plenty big for a group… unless it’s more than 4 people. Shredded chicken was not bad but had a little bit of sweet taste I could do without. If you do the carne asada or grilled chicken instead you will be golden… it’s a mound of marvel.
The salsa served when you sit down is a satisfying fire roasted type creation… no heat for you people with training wheels still on your life out there.

This place is very cute and clean. The food was a generous portion. I would have like it better if they did not put so much rice in the burrito and then put rice As a side as well. The homemade chips for appetizer are so yummy.

Tonight we had dinner at Maria’s Cantina. We usually have great service there, as well as great food. This evening we had exceptional service, Kylie was our server, she was attentive and charming. The food was great, but I can’t say enough about the service.

Wow, could not believe what happen when we got inside resturant.
Their was three of us mom, husband and myself we were taken to a table and I requested a booth. I asked if we could sit in a booth that was empty I understand it was a little larger but she said no and it was as I write larger for us. I again asked for another option and asked if we could for a wait and this young — girl said, «I can’t tell you how long it might be». I did let her know we would wait for a booth .I really felt it was a fight of her will and sorry, but I felt like everything that came from her mouth was no. I am deeply sorry, because we do enjoy eating at Maria’s cantina but now I will eat somewhere else where we feel welcomed! Signing off disappointed customer — from Dixon.
We at ended — up (Court street Café) Woodland. Very friendly, clean and great food.

I came here for lunch, with my co-​workers, on a Friday around 11:30AM. We were seated immediately, and was immediately greeted with our server who took our order right away (talk about fast!).
The ambiance is really nice and had really nice décor! Although the exterior of Maria’s Cantina looked a little shady, the service and interior really made up for it.
I had myself the Carnitas Burrito Bowl. It came with a ton of lettuce and extra cheese, which I absolutely love, but hardly came with any rice at all. My co-​worker, who ordered the Carnitas Burrito, had rice in her burrito and additionally had rice on the side. Be sure to get the burrito if you come here for your money’s worth.
Otherwise, I can’t really complain about the food. The food was fresh, tasty, and really enjoyable. However, I didn’t find the food extraordinarily unique. I just feel like their portions are a little off and need a bit of adjusting. I’d definitely come here again, but not for their burrito bowl.
P.S: parking space is limited, so be prepared to park on the street, other lots, etc.

My family and I love this place. We go here quite a lot, and have tried a multitude of things, including:
Nachos
Burritos
Guacamole
Tacos
Fajitas
Churros
Etc, all of which have been excellent! Definitely worth going to.

I gave it a second chance. I hope after the last time it would be better. That was three years ago. Well it wasn’t. So you can’t leave the stars empty.
First They ran out of food. Basic stuff you should have in a Mexican restaurant. Like refried beans, Lacked flavor, service was slow and it was dead! Won’t go back. I tried it again. Man there was no difference. Just as bad!

I really like this place. The Grilled Caesar (add prawns!) and sunrise margarita are PERFECT for a hot day. Margaritas are always strong and salsa is killer. If you have a chance to get dessert, try the churros! They are hot, delicious, and the caramel sauce has a sweet little kick to it. Tacos for taco tuesday are dwcent, but nothing to write hkme about. Price is totally worth it though. Service is friendly and casual, and ambience is nice.

We go into Woodland JUST for this place a few times a year. Now, being a midtowner in Sac for over a decade, I’m really over the «high-​brow Mexican joints.» Where I’m from, Santa Barbara/​Los Angeles — Mexican joints are supposed to be casual and relaxed.
Maria’s is very casual and relaxed, but done up nicely with great ambiance and a nice bar. I’ve had just about everything on the menu and it’s all solid food. The staff is super on point and the price is nice.
Yes, I’ll be back, again.

This is the new taco Tuesday spot great tacos nice atmosphere and a very helpful staff.
good by Brown’s

Walking into the restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised at the lovely décor — Mexican architecture style with a Restoration Hardware vibe. The result is a beautiful, rich feeling environment which is a great way to enjoy dinner!
The prices are great here, nothing really over $ 15 on the Lunch menu which was a nice change coming from Napa. Chips and salsa came to the table quickly — chips were fresh but needed salt and the salsa had a nice smokey flavor.
I ordered the Chipotle Chicken Salad and the highlight was the chicken as it had a light char on it and the meat was moist. If there was a third less lettuce on the plate, the black beans, corn and avocado would have had a better chance of standing out, but the lettuce definitely over powered it.
A lovely dining room, fresh food and friendly service means I would return!