Cantina 18-Raleigh

Love this place!

For the value of the meal you pretty much get what you pay for. The Queso is bland and needs a kick or options of adding Chirizo or even peppers would balance out well with the chips. At $6 a bowl....it is only a moneymaker. The fajitas should have red and green bell peppers with the onions and added lime squeeze on delivery would help the flavor. Looked like they just topped off the skillet veggies with grilled chicken. No punch or flavor. I have had Tex Mex from AZ to NM to TX all my life and some simple tricks to the ingredients would make it more authentic.

Delicious food and great service!

One of my favorite spots to eat. Upbeat, modern, excellent food and service. You feel like you are at your Uncle’s house enjoying a family meal. The margaritas are great!

The food has never been that great and I’ve decided ONLY to go for drinks, and chips and salsa.
Preparation, presentation and the attention to balance of taste really lacking

Enjoyed our leisurely meal with friends this past weekend. Despite the crowd we did not feel rushed to eat and leave to make room for others. We had excellent, attentive service from our server. He checked in with us often and kept the chips flowing to our table. The meals we had were delicious. Prices were very reasonable. Our only complaint and disappointment was with the pitcher of House Margarita which we thought was tasteless and very watered down. We certainly did not feel the effects of a well made Margarita. We love the atmosphere of the place and will certainly return. We will just not order the Margaritas again. We do recommend Cantina 18 for a casual dinner with friends or family.

The short rib fajitas for 2 were the perfect Valentines Day meal. You also can’t go wrong with the margarita pitcher.

It was a great atmosphere with great food and the best queso I have ever had.

Destiny was the perfect server and the celebration for my 8 year olds birthday was wonderful!

Was a bit disappointed- ordered the special and it was almost room temperature (sweet potato enchilada) and the mojito was just ok- I anticipate a yummy mojito when at a Mexican restaurant. May try another time. I love Harvest 18 so I thought this would be just as good.

I invited a friend for lunch there. She had never been there I only once. The waitress was very helpful in our beer select, bringing tastes of the two we were interested in. The food was fresh and delicious. And when I asked for a container, they provided a COMPOSTABLE container. Love this place. Will be back.

The tacos were deliciousness I had chicken shrimp and pork belly. So good!

Jason and his team always deliver. Attended a wedding reception there back in Sept and it was amazing as well

The service was excellent. The food was ok but nothing special.

The food was actually not great. The chips were oily and not crunchy. The salsa was flavorless. The main dishes were eh. The rice was crispy inside the burrito. I won’t go back any time soon. And that makes me sad.

What happened to the food at this place?! It used to be pretty good for a neighborhood spot, but the last two times we have been, the food has been worse than terrible (shrimp tasted spoiled, the soup was inedible, the calamari was absolutely not calamari, and the chicken was very poor quality). I hope they either improve the quality of the food, or close up and let something that tastes better move in. This is too nice of a location to be wasted on poor quality food.

Some of the best food we’ve had in a long time. And most definitely the best guacamole we’ve ever had. Excellent meal, will definitely go back.

It was my first visit to Cantina 18. The general manager greeted me at our table and welcomed me to the restaurant after I shared I hadn't dined there previously. The service was outstanding. The food was delicious and a good value. I will return!

Always a good time. Food and service never disappoints. Great place to watch games and enjoy a few drinks and the short rib nachos.

Was looking forward to trying out this restaurant because we have enjoyed the other restaurants in the area owned by the same people. Staff was very friendly, but service was slow for drinks and food. Had the black bean and avocado nachos for an appetizer and it was very good. But, our entrees each had overcooked meat (mine was especially surprising since I'd ordered what I consider the simplest food on the menu, a chicken quesadilla). The black beans I got on the side were bland, also surprising.

I love Cantina 18. My guest from out of town also had a great experience
She commented on the wonderful meal and service

The service was great, but the food wasn't at all. The food was missing flavor. This was my first time going to the Cantina 18 in Raleigh. I've tried the other location and the food was way better there! I was excited to bring my husband so he could try it, but the both of us were not pleased with the food at all which was very disappointing!

The food is always delicious. The service is excellent.

This was my first time visiting this restaurant and I will definitely be back. From the moment we arrived the staff was so attentive and engaging. Our waiter was awesome and he made sure we all were pleased with our meals. I meant to take a picture of our meals before we ate but forgot. Added bonus is all the food is local to NC meaning it's fresh and not processed. I love that!

Jason and his team at Cantina 18 made our daughter's 15th birthday a fun and enjoyable night for our family and her guests. The food is delicious, the service amazing, and the ambiance is festive!

Cantina 18 is wonderful. The wait staff always works as a team which creates superior service. Food was delicious as well. Would definitely recommend.

Loved the staff!

We've eaten there a number of times. Our chicken quesadilla was bone dry. Service was OK, but quite loud if seated indoors. The menu is interesting, but the food has become very average. If you're looking for al fresca dining, it fits the bill, but there is better mexican fare to be had in Raleigh.

We had a reservation at 6:15 pm, and didn't have to wait at all. However, the noise level was Very Loud, because of a private party upstairs. The food was very good; our waitress was nice, very friendly. She did check back with us, but failed to keep our water glasses filled. Overall, we enjoyed our meal, and would recommend it, and go back again.

My husband and I took our grandson there for lunch recently.
All the food was great and our grandson got the biggest piece of Adobo Salmon that have ever seen served in a restaurant. Our server was friendly and brought us a sample to taste that was quite good. A good place to go.

Loved it!! Service was amazing.

I was disappointed with the cost for what we received. We enjoyed the chips at the table, but $6 for queso was pricey. And our fajitas only came with lettuce, sour cream and white shredded cheese. No rice. No beans. No salsa or pico. The shrimp were a good size and the sautéed onions and peppers were good, however NOT seasoned at all! I was overall just disappointed especially given the cost.

Great neighborhood place for a quick lunch with friends or a group.

Food was delicious as always! We particularly enjoyed the heirloom tomato goat cheese guacamole and seasonal heirloom tomato, cucumber and onion salad! Light and fresh! Cantina never disappoints!

Best Mexican in town. Hard to beat the Cauliflower tacos, can't believe it's cauliflower!

Great service & great meal all around

Cantina 18 is one of my favs

Food was flavorful and delicious. Food was delivered in a timely manner.

I really loved 18 Seaboard, so I thought I would try this restaurant. The service was excellent. So many choices that were not your typical Mexican restaurant options. I had salmon which was moist and delicious. My friends enjoyed their food as well. I definitely recommend this restaurant and will be coming back.

Great healthy food! Love the grilled salmon and the build your own salad!

Food was delicious and service was very good.