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Ratings and reviews

RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

Details

CUISINES
Mexican, Latin
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, After-hours
View all details
meals, features

Location and contact

Junction Area (The Junction)
1.3 km from High Park
Reviews (189)
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Reviewed 29 July 2023

Service: The server Gabriel (skinny with curly red hair) was absolutely atrocious. No smile no warm greeting paired with his horrible service. He did not introduce himself to our table we only got his name after speaking with the "manager" as we left the Resturant....He also rolled his eyes when I asked questions about the menu and requested my drink sooner due to todays heat wave. Im not sure what his issue was with our family but the only obvious difference is that we were the only family of colour in the restaurant at that time. I chose to ignore his lack of interest towards serving my family and we ordered our meals. His attitude and lack of interest continued as we would ask questions. We got our meals and drinks from two other servers and did not see him while we ate. He did not ask us how our meals were or if everything is ok as a server normally would. Its a very small restaurant and I actually had to call him over to request the bill when we were done eating as he never came back to assist us. Our bill was about $80 combined for two adults and a child. I would have typically tipped 25% as I do at every other restaurant however his service was so blatantly off-putting and offensive we did not tip. In all my years of eating out this was the absolute first time that I have experienced something like this leading me not to tip. When the transaction was completed He had the audacity to say under his breath "If you can't afford to tip you should not have come here". I was not going to complain at all we were ready to leave but after hearing that I had to file a complaint with the manager and write this review. I spoke with the "manager" about Gabriel's service she made sure to let me know that he is one of their best servers. Im sure she meant to say best friends. It really didn't seem like she truly cared to understand the core of our complaint, what he said and where his behavior stem from. My thought is that he had a preconceived notion of who the big tippers may or may not be and took it out on us. I say this because I witnessed him grace other tables with the warmest smile and constant attention. Although the "manager" apologize for our experience I don't think it will go much farther than that. 0/10 service Food: We ordered chicken and fish tacos. The chicken did not taste like authentic tacos it tasted more like sweet bbq flavour. The fish was over cooked on the outside and undercooked inside. It was not the greatest. I ordered three and only managed to finish half of one. I requested no cilantro for my fish tacos and it wasn't added, that is the only reason i gave 2/10. 2/10 In comparison, I suggest Gus taco it is not to far from Cantina their service is amazing and the flavour of the tacos is much better. The price point at Gus is very similar to Cantina once you add toppings and get multiple tacos. Environment: The space is well decorated. The tables are very close to each other giving it a cozy feeling if you don't mind your chairs touching the table next to you. 6/10More

Date of visit: July 2023
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Reviewed 8 November 2021

We had an amazing dinner here last night. The food was delicious though could have been hotter. The atmosphere was fun and relaxed. The stand out was the staff. Everyone from the host to the wait staff and even the kitchen staff were so friendly...and took such good care of us. Margaritas were also spot on and I love that they freshened your glasses with a new pitcher. We are looking forward to coming back soon.More

Date of visit: November 2021
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 13 August 2020

So usually I would say I absolutely love this place, but as of the last 6 months (pre COVID), we've noticed a serious lack of consistency with the meals we've been ordering. We were often left wondering why? We noticed the salsa changed; more finely...chopped with much more spice than typically used, the Barbacoa changed drastically as previously it was swimming in this BBQ base with a serious amount of oil, as of late, virtually no oil (which i don't really mind as much), more cheese on top, less sauce in the actual base of the meat, and the flavoring was less potent. I would try and discretely ask who the chef was (as to try and avoid eating there when they were cooking), but I would get vague responses such as, "Oh, we have a really great cook in house", or "It's the same recipe, nothing has been changed". So when I called to make some inquiries as to the discrepancies laid out above, the usually very nice (mid 30's GM) proceeded to talk over me, assumed I wanted a free meal, and proceeded to hang up on me saying, "You can you whatever you like, okay you have a good night". Just to put it into perspective, we got take out and the outside of my box was near the opening was smeared with Guac, the tacos were all dry with a line of BBQ sauce gingerly drawn along the huge hunks of supposedly shredded meat. Honestly, I'm more of a stickler for good customer service over perfect food. We have been going there for over 4 years and when it was the previous, painfully young GM (with hella style), we would often hear him tending to patron issues in commendable ways- unlike this experience which left a horrible taste in my mouth. The previous GM would at the very least ask what the problem was, LISTEN TO THE CUSTOMER, and then apologize for the issue. We would even hear him assure people that he would address their concerns to his staff. Let's be honest, he probably didn't, but he showed what it meant to be a professional and positive ways to deescalate a situation, while still leaving the customer happy. WON'T BE COMING BACK!More

Date of visit: August 2020
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Reviewed 7 February 2020

I've been here often lately and really love the food and Dave's margarita! I think I need to start going down the menu of margaritas and try them all. The same thing goes for the menu. I'm kind of stuck on the shrimp Empanada. The...music is a bit loud.. but at least its good music! Shut up, eat and drink!More

Date of visit: February 2020
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Reviewed 16 December 2019

This joint in the Junction used to be a favourite, but it's seriously gone down hill. The SERVICE is in inconsistent. When I used to go here with my girlfriends, a waiter used to always bring a few extra hot sauces with the guac and...chips without us asking. When I returned with my boyfriend, I was surprised that we didn't receive the same thing. We requested the hot sauces, the waitress kind of looked surprised, and said sure. We never received them. Last time we visited, we had made reservations a week and a half out, but were sat next to the kitchen. We had bright lights in our faces and overheard the BOH conversations the whole evening. When asked if we could move to another table, they said they were expecting a large party. By the time we left, about 2 hours later, the 'large party,' still hadn't arrived. The FOOD is decent, which is the reason behind the two stars, but there are so many excellent Mexican options in the city. Time to find a new restaurant.More

Date of visit: September 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 7 November 2019

Essentially, from the moment we were seated our waitress perceived us with impatience and contempt. When asked to give us a moment to peruse the menu, she rolled her eyes and walked away. Trying to get her attention following this was a challenge and when...she finally did acknowledge us, we were told we had to wait until she finished with another table...at which point she walked away from that table and came back only 5 minutes later. Food was delivered by another server - one dish first, and the second came out about 3-4 minutes later without apology or explanation for delay. Etiquette requires that all guests dishes arrive at the same time when not being served as 'shareable'. Food was okay. The final straw was paying the bill which we did so in cash and required change for the tip. The bills given as change were far in excess of a reasonable tip (15%), let alone given the service was dismal at best. Our server advised that she did not have smaller change, and responded with "what do you think I am? A bank?" I have been to this restaurant a number of times over the few years it has been open, and the service gets increasing worse each time. WILL ABSOLUTELY NEVER RETURN.More

Date of visit: November 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 21 October 2019

The tacos are great and very tasty. The place is nice and the vibe is great. Drinks are awesome as well. Service is friendly and very professional. It gets busy and loud but that's fine.

Date of visit: August 2019
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Reviewed 8 October 2019

Went with a friend. The restaurant was busy/loud. Decided to proceed with trying something new, since most of the reviews were really good. We were seated at the bar, directly centre to the beer taps. The bar staff were engaged with one another - but...otherwise oblivious to the people sitting at their bar. The bar counter was sticky. We were not greeted by the person that eventually took our order. The portions were small - ordered 3 items to sample, watched the bartenders sloppily poor many drinks. (Lots of spillage and inaccurate pouring), and instead of ordering something else, cut the stay short, left the restaurant hungry. Found a great meal with a wonderful atmosphere down the street. Will never return.More

Date of visit: October 2019
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Reviewed 21 July 2019

We had a craving for Mexican and searched out this little spot in the Junction area of Toronto for lunch on a Saturday. The resto is in a "developing" part of town and its vibe reflects the trendy current in the area. We arrived just...after noon and found only one other diner, not table of but solo in the restaurant, and were seated quickly and offered a bottle of tap water. From that first and only interaction, despite a waitress with nothing but time on her hands, a bartender, and 3 other staff seated and chatting at the back of the room, we weren't approached for acknowledged for over 10 min despite making gestures and eye contact with the waitress and bartender. While the food may very well be good, I couldn't tell you as we weren't given the opportunity to order before deciding to leave out of frustration at the poor service. I wish fellow diners better luck.More

Date of visit: July 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 19 July 2019

Playa Cabana Cantina made dinner with friends like a midweek getaway with some fun Latin music, and great food. Three of us had tacos, and one of us a burrito -- all very fresh and flavourful. The additions to the main "attraction" of each taco...made it even more delicious. Each taco is unique. Kudos to the chefs!More

Date of visit: July 2019
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Reviewed 28 June 2019 via mobile

The interior of this restaurant is very cool. I started with nachos served with two dips - pico & guac. Both dips tasted good. I then ordered the chicken burrito. It was served in a large portion. Overall it tasted very good but had a...spicy sauce on it, for myself it was too spicy but to others that are used to spicy food it probably won’t taste as spicy. Next time I would order the same burrito without the spicy sauce on top.More

Date of visit: June 2019
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Reviewed 12 April 2019

We came here for a group dinner and we were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the Mexican food we had. This is the best since we were in the southern states. The atmosphere was fun and the service was great but the food was...the main attraction. The nachos with fresh salsa and the guacamole was simple yet satisfying. The Pulpo tacos were incredible but this is a great place for sharing - we had the Barbecoa tacos, the Baja tacos and the Chorizo sausage tacos. You can order 1 or get a deal for 3 of the same. The burritos are pretty decent portions. The house Chorizo sausage is worth a try, good kick and filling in either the tacos or the burritos Definitely worth a tryMore

Date of visit: April 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 9 April 2019 via mobile

Very generous tacos. Ordered 3 different kinds...all good. Drinks: mojito and margaritas (small but good) Service: excellent

Date of visit: April 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 25 March 2019

If you ever get craving for Mexican food Playa Cabana Cantina On Dundas Street is the place to go. The food is plentiful, fresh, spicy and savoury. On Saturday my husband and I took our friend to Playa Cabana Cantina. We had Carbon taco, Diablo...taco, La Truck taco and Baia taco. They tasted absolutely fantastic with the exception of Baio taco which wasn’t great in taste and flavour. Side order of Quac and Salsa which we ordered as an appetizer was excellent. Our server Jennifer was wonderful, she explained the menu to us and served us with a smile. We would definitely go back.More

Date of visit: March 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 21 January 2019 via mobile

Late night need for feed.. food... And they provided us well. 3 of us couldn't find a place yet this restaurant was welcoming and good. Agree that some menu items pushed out envelope of comfort yet still were found it enjoyable. Tacos of several types...we're tried and proved to be well done! Don't hesitate to try this 0lace out. Our server actually made the difference, making suggestions and provided the right amount of input yet privacy. Despite our over staying our welcome.More

Date of visit: January 2019
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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PLAYA CABANA CANTINA, Toronto - Old Toronto - Photos & Restaurant Reviews - Food Delivery & Takeaway - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Playa Cabana Cantina

Yes, Playa Cabana Cantina offers takeaway services.

Playa Cabana Cantina is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4
  • Service: 3.5
  • Value: 3.5
  • Atmosphere: 4