Little Water Cantina
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About
Our lounge with vintage Mexican collectibles and a glowing wall made from over 800 tequila bottles is great for private parties and can accommodate up to 30 people. Our 12-seat bar is made from two bookended slabs of madrone wood; above it hang 100-year-old gramophone horns repurposed as lights. It's a great place to sample over 100 curated tequilas, mezcals & sotols. Our expansive outdoor patio overlooking Lake Union can accommodate 100 people (no reservations)
This afin place in the summer when deck seating overlooking the lake is open. Without the deck, this place is meh. Food and service were nothing special. Quite expensive for what it was.
Our waitpeople were great! Jessica was especially patient with all of my questions - and my husband’s “need” for photos. Really like the creative twists on Mexican food like the Chimichanga Relleno. I could live on the chunky fresh guacamole and housemade tortilla chips! The flavor of the corn chips was superb. I worry about a rainy day or winter visit - but hope to be there for a daytime meal by the water.
Mediocre food & drinks, expensive with servers who couldn’t have cared less.
It was a beautiful day on the patio. The wait staff was attentive. However the cost of the food was a little pricey while the food was just ok. Overall the view was great and it was a nice experience.
If you are looking for a casual, fun neighborhood place to grab a drink and meet up with friends, it's worth it. If you're looking for quality food and a great dining experience this should not be your first choice. Good selection of drinks but the food is almost an afterthought.
This is the place for Sunshine and Margaritas!
The drinks are fantastic, the food is pretty good and the setting is amazing.
Amazing view. Good food. Great place to spend a sunny afternoon.
I wrote an entire post about, it was such an all around disappointing experience. To be concise though- the food was bland and tasteless.
It was our first visit. We really enjoyed the food, atmosphere and service. Very enjoyable experience.
The carne asada rare was tasty and done perfectly. The slaw and drizzle used to complement the carnitas tacos had wonderful flavor. The restaurant itself overlooks Lake Union - float planes passed by every few minutes adding to the visual experience. Average age of patrons was 35 or so, but we are twice that, and we really enjoyed ourselves. Try the rose or sauv blanc sourced from Mexico - especially if you like Sancerre.
The chips they served, which we purchased, were stale and a bit greasy. They did get us a fresh batch. This proved to me, that they didn’t do their best to serve us the freshest food. I got a salad which was a bit sparse for the price. It could have used more than just lettuce with a sprinkling of a hand full of beans and corn. The beer was good. There is also NO happy hour if you sit outside. So so experience.
Fantastic food although be aware that this is a limited menu and probably not what you’re used to if you were looking for a typical Mexican cuisine. This place also had an unbelievable view which you’ve probably seen from pictures and other reviews which is why we came here and the Decour was beautiful. We sat outside but sitting at the bar would’ve also been very nice as would the indoor seating. The ambience was excellent here no matter where you’re sitting. Our server seemed completely disinterested in not only us but serving in general which took away from the experience. She wasn’t bad per se just generally apathetic and slightly disconnected.
I highly recommend the chicken quesadillas, camarones tacos and guacamole (which was particularly amazing). The chips were good but very oily. It was a very warm day which was great but the water was extremely lukewarm so we had to ask for ice over and over again much to our server’s dismay.
Overall a wonderful place, don’t be fooled by the plain storefront as the inside is spectacular.
Love the outdoor patio!
Too expensive
Go for drinks to enjoy the view - the food is disappointing.
Location, location, location. Beautiful views of Lake Union. Patio cannot be beat on a warm day. Our group had so much fun here! Margaritas were excellent and unique as well
I’ve never left a review, but after another bad experience here felt like I needed to contribute. My husband and I always want to love it here, but each time we come we end up beyond disappointed. The service is the worst, once we were seated it took over 15 minutes to have a waitress greet us, which we had to request (they were not busy). One of our entrees was made wrong (fried instead of grilled, despite it being listed as grilled on the menu), and when it returned half the piece of fish was inedible because it hadn’t been cleaned properly and was like eating rubber. $100 later and we’ve officially decided that we will most definitely not return, despite the amazing view. There are plenty of great restaurants with beautiful views in Seattle that are much more consistent with their service and food.
Go for the view and drinks, not the food. Slow service, so go when you're not in a rush.
We had a reservation and were seated 45minutes late. They were understaffed given it was a nice sunny day out. Our server rarely came over to our table and they ran out of two of the items we ordered and neglected to tell us until after two of the four dishes we ordered arrived at the table. I typically love this spot and understand they were busy. That said, if this had been my first visit I would never return.
The small menu provides the perfect blend of traditional dishes with northwestern ingredients. The cocktails were flavorful and well designed. Even though we were 11 on attendance, the service was prompt and very friendly.
A rare and unusual find in the Eastlake neighborhood. 1st time guests. Setting is very casual, including the not so comfortable chairs. Tables were too close together, forcing us to scoot our chairs in every time the staff came by. Food was authentic and EXCELLENT! Great margaritas and service too. Great view of Lake Union - can't wait to try again in the summer when the deck is open!
The View is so nice and the service is good! The food is less than average. We ordered quesadilla it was ok but the shrimp tacos was not tasty at all.
We were very disappointed with the food. This is such a gem of a space but the food is sorely lacking in everything - flavor was not there and all 3 of us felt the same. There are SO MANY Mexican food choices in Seattle that are amazing. Plus the prices did not reflect the quality of the food. Sadly, I will not return unless it is for location and maybe beer. Even the iced tea was bad :(. One bright spot was the chips/guacamole. That was the only thing we all enjoyed.
Our new go to Mexican restaurant in Seattle, love the food and views, your choice of quaint indoor dining or great PNW weather and views at the tables on the outdoor deck. Tried a few of the house specialties, none of them disappointed. We shared the Ahi Tuna ceviche and it was to die for, wife loved the wild boar torta and my fried cod tacos with rice and cantina beans were superb. Can’t wait to come back and try the drink menu!
We have been to your establishment many times… The food has always been inconsistent… We were hopeful this time… And the food was just OK… However the waitress… Definitely needs some training… She really checked on us… And was on able to perform typical waitress skills. The drinks were outstanding as always… But the food was once again inconsistent
Great view of the Bay comfortable and nice especially during Sunset.
Food was very visually appealing. Lacking flavor. They billed my credit card incorrectly. Took a while to fix. Not a great experience.
I have gone back to LWC multiple times because they have one of the best patios on Lake Union. But the food is always mediocre at best. The menu items sound good on paper but just don’t get executed well. We had civiche this time and it was really fishy. Pretty close to inedible. Likely just not fresh, poorly frozen fish...and I eat a lot civeche. The deep fried FLOUR tortilla chips are gross, why would anyone do that???
Their basic margarita is clearly made with sweet and sour as evidenced by the semi-opaque yellowish green color. There is nothing in a real margarita that looks like that. But the waiter kept trying to sweat it was just lime juice and orange liqueur, don’t lie to me.
It has always been this way, if they could get their food act together it would be a great place.
Mediocre food. Minimal service. Nice view.
One of the 2 Servers wasnt as attentive as the other one. I became impatient when I was ready to order. Beautiful patio and scenery to lake union.
Lost a star for being out of bread!! C’mon, that’s a classic restaurant no-no!!!!
Service and the food was good. The cause of the food was not there. $14.00 for two small tacos with no beans and rice. It’s just too expensive for my taste.
Yummy food (big portions), friendly staff and fair prices
Bathrooms were a mess. Service was sub par.
It was our anniversary dinner. The host hung up on 2 callers while we were waiting on our reserved table. Then we were seated at the worst table. The sun was in my husband’s eyes. My family of 4 had to sit on one side of the table to somewhat avoid it. The sun was still in his eyes. When I asked our server if we could close the blinds over just a little, she gave me a blank stare. My margarita was wrong. The food was bland & I could not (nor did I want to) eat it. Bad experience.
Staff was friendly and respectful, the menu selection was just right and the food did not disappoint. I just left a suggestion on the Airbnb we stayed in for guests to walk down for dinner. Thank so much!
We very much like this little place- but they have changed their menu significantly, still tasty it is very limited. Also the bill for 3 people for dinner at mexican was $151 with only 2 beers, one coke, and a water. I would not recommend this location, so many great locations in Seattle for mexican, you can skip this one
Great location on the water.
You pay for the location... Very expensive for Mexican food. A Mexican restaurant that charges for chips and salsa?! Yes it's 'upscale' Mexican, but still. Chips and salsa are a staple and should be free. You also pay extra for beans and rice with the taco plates. The food tasted fresh and had interesting flavors.
The picnic tables on the deck have a great view and are wonderful to sit at during nice weather. I have definitely gotten better service inside than on the patio, however. Our deck server disappeared for very long periods of time and the place wasn't even that busy. I would recommend the place to a friend for the location, but would also mention the higher prices (for Mexican) and slow deck service.
The "bottle wall" inside is very cool as is the wall art.
Best part were the chips guac and drinks. Tacos were over stuffed in the wrong way and corn tortillas came apart.
FAQs
Little Water Cantina offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (206) 397-4940.
Little Water Cantina is rated 4.2 stars by 125 OpenTable diners.