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- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- Yes
20 reviews for 101 Cantina
20 reviews in English
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Review from Jordyn H.
Frederick, MD
2/8/2012
Cantina is one of my favorite places to go in the midtown area.
Though it is a bit over priced, I always have a great time and would choose to go there over the surrounding bars any day. I had heard good things about their food so I decided to try it out, I got a chicken quesadilla and it was VERY good. The service wasn't the quickest service in the world, but the quality was awesome.
Definitely recommend this place. -
Review from Random R.
Gainesville, FL
12/16/2011
Why employ sexism to make a point? Yes, quite a few young women work here. No, their service isn't spectacular all the time, nor is the primarily male management, either. It's not indicative of their vagina or penis. Denigrating a female bartender/server by labeling her vacuous or prurient because her bra color peaks through is, to me, offensive and irrelevant.
That being said, yeah, the food really does suck. The burrito I ordered was particularly flavorless. Their guacamole is overpriced and tasteless. Sure, it comes in a large, novel mortar and pestle, but its too large and heavy to steal in order for me to believe I genuinely got my money's worth. Strangely, their wings are good.
Personally, I only go to Cantina for their 3-for-1s. This is why I gave them 3 stars. No, they are not well-balanced drinks. They are just ice doused with vodka and tonic (at least for me). It attracts a young, fairly annoying crowd, but it's Gainesville. Dump three 3-for-1s down your throat and chew on a Xanax and you'll find they melt away pretty quickly.
Warning: They play dirty. If you are drinking, watch your tab, as they are notorious for price-switching. -
Review from Rom M.
Gainesville, FL
1/30/2012
I was a bit skeptical about eating at 101 Cantina after reading all the reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised when I ate lunch there this past week! Cantina is right across the library so it was super convenient to just walk across the street for some food. I ordered the taco salad and thought it was fairly good, and not overpriced. The one small downfall was that my meal took a little longer than expected, but the food itself was worth it.
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Review from Stephanie R.
Gainesville, FL
Updated - 5/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Since there are two FIVE star and one four star reviews that are obviously fake and written by the owners, I really feel I must downgrade to one star.
How about you improve your crappy service and food instead of writing reviews for yourself 101? And here's a tip; you can start by hiring waitresses for their skill and expereience; not their boobs.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/20/2010
Been here several times over the past two years and I have to say I am rather unimpresed....most of… Read more »
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Review from Mike W.
Gainesville, FL
Updated - 5/25/2011
Every time I've been to 101 Cantina, it's been a boring, unimpressive, experience overall. The location is great--I fully give them that--and having an alternative this close to campus to The Swamp is very welcome. There's a lot they could do with this approach, the problem is, the service--especially if you sit out back on the patio--is slow and spotty and the food is weak in quality yet overpriced. You can get far better nachos at any decent Mexican restaurant easily. The drinks are alright and should be, since that's probably their strongest selling point aside from location.
Now, a note on something else: please glance over the five-star reviews for 101 Cantina and then look at the five-star reviews for its sister business, 101 Downtown. Many are written not only by the same people, but these reviewers have only reviewed these two businesses. This includes a reviewer form Tallahassee and one from Sarasota . . . now ask yourself, how likely is it that people who live elsewhere would all sign up for Yelp in the same month and write glowing reviews for two Gainesville businesses related to each other and yet not write a single review for any businesses in the cities where they actually live? I smell a rat, and that coupled with the unimpressive quality here easily earns 101 just one star. It's a shame some of my friends still dig this place just because they can walk to it from Library West.
I cannot prove 101 is writing its own reviews, but having a number of brand-new users who reviewed nothing else give it the highest of marks is so very suspect, I have to wonder about their business ethics. There are valid mechanisms on Yelp for a business owner to promote his/her business, and a business owner should use those means.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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2/1/2011
It was an ok experience when I first visited it, probably because I was in the mood to try a new… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer K.
Gainesville, FL
6/23/2011
Who doesn't love a tiki bar? Now, surround the tiki bar with teetering/underaged drunk girls, corn syrup margaritas, and sh*tty food.
Voila! You're at cantina.
Drinks
-I'll have the strawberry-banana margarita.
-um, we're out of banana (by banana she means the quarts of liquid that are (insert fruit) flavored)
On to food.
-I'll have the 101quesadillas with cactus and corn.
-We're out of cactus and corn, but I can have the chef put a mixture of veggies in there for you.
What she really meant was, "I'ma get you some Sysco quesadillas with some cheese and pre-chopped red peppers and onions, of which there are three. Then, the chef is gonna open a can of black beans and dump them onto some Minute Rice as a side. While you wait, check out my boobies (could you see my pink bra) and rear end." It's really too bad that Hooter's closed, but a gal's got to make a living somehow, right?
On the bright side, they have a lot of interesting tequilas, and they offer fights for tasting. Something tells me that the general clientele doesn't concern themselves with such nonsense as tastings. But never fear, there are 3-4-1 wells and pitchers of waterbeer on the cheap.
I'll give it 2 because they really know how to melt some cheese and my husband enjoyed his flight (and the Hooters B Team). -
Review from Josh S.
High Springs, FL
6/17/2011
A group of us from work came here last Friday for happy hour, mostly due to the coordinator's obsession with this place. I tried to back out of it, partially because of Yelp reviews and partially because my wife and I had planned dinner and a movie, which is like a biannual treat these days. My wife was berated into coming along, so our date night may now be merely annual. Screw you for ruining my marriage Cantina!!! Oh wait, too soon.
101 Cantina was just a bland experience. I knew beforehand that there was a back patio area and it turned out to be a decent setup, maybe even slightly nicer than I expected. This atmosphere, along with the company, were the highlights of the evening. The beer selection slightly favored Mexican beers, which is fine, but the selection still kind of sucked. After seeing our bill and hearing of the cocktail specials(2-for-1? 3-for-1? Whatever it is) I wished I would have gone with a few cocktails. Only one person in our party got food(tacos) and it didn't look appetizing. He confirmed the suckage of the meal, albeit after cleaning his plate.
Screw you for ruining my marriage Cantina!!! Now it feels right. -
Review from sanjida s.
Gainesville, FL
Updated - 1/31/2011 1 photo
Went back to this place, and they took an hour to make their cantina bowl. No apologies, just bland disgusting food. Portion was ridiculously small at $12. More than that, it was gross.
I think food quality and wait time depends on who's cooking that day. Won't be back here any time soon.
Drinks were not that bad, but the lack of proper management and horrible food that literally took one hour to make is inexcusable 101.
If anything, check if the older guy is in the kitchen. Because that's the only time food is good. Otherwise, consider this a bar. Go to tatu across the street! They have wonderful food that is hearty and cheap and FAST.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/30/2011
The best thing about this place is probably their atmosphere. Its fun and has a tiki bar outside. It… Read more »
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Review from Matt H.
Gainesville, FL
7/15/2011
The food is good and the bar tenders are very attractive. But for me the buck stops there. It's a bar and there is no hiding that. I don't want to say the staff is rude but they just seem disinterested or arrogant on the few occasions I have been there. I think this place was designed to serve the fraternities and sororities of UF. Based on all the underage drinkers (very obvious) wearing neon colored tank tops and khaki shorts I think they succeeded in that venture. It's a shame they can't put some focus on bringing in regular folk like UF professors and UF employees. You know...people that where jeans, polos, and even sometimes a button up shirt....but like I said the food is good so if you don't mind hanging out at a fraternity social while you eat then this is the place for you.
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Review from Alison H.
Chicago, IL
2/11/2011
I love this place. I've never been here late-night because that's not really my scene, but lunch, dinner and happy hour have been wonderful. The best time to go is when the weather is nice and you can enjoy their back patio/tiki-bar. It's like a hidden garden in a strip of puke-smelling dive bars along University (not hating on those dives...i love them, but sometimes fresh air is a good thing).
Cantina's food is creative and fresh. A bit pricy, I think, for being so close to a campus full of "broke" students, but the ingredients warrant the higher price. I've always had good, friendly service and tasty food.
One exception, the last time we were there, one of our appetizers took a really long time . . . as in, it came out when we were at the dessert stage of our meal. After the wait, it still sucked big time. Which surprised us because all of their other food is usually so good. The server was good about it and already said it wouldn't be on our bill and apologized. No harm, no foul. Will definitely be going back again. -
Review from Jim B.
3/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Huh. Surprisingly better than last time.
So: Been there once before, and was unimpressed enough to just not go back at all.
A friend's post thesis defense happy hour: Order the special 4$ margaritas (plus the have a 3 for 1 special - whoa - oh, yeah, its midtown...) and start sipping.
Bartendress - wow. Certainly not chosen for her attentiveness... things were looking bleak.
And then.... the epic nachos arrived. Holy crap. Not a plate of nachos, a freaking BUCKET of nachos (figuratively). A mound of nachos. Fresh perfect chips, a mound of guac and fixins' and ground burger meat aplenty. Did I say aplenty? Heaps of ground meat. 9 bucks.
Totally worth it.
The back patio on a day like today is simply sublime. The second bartrendress was far, far better. What began as sketchy and weak turned into a really great time... of course, a lot of that had to do with the weather and great company, but yeah, based on this I'd go back and do dinner and give the place another shot. Saw 3 other plates delivered and they looked very tasty, and the report was that they were.
I want to do 3.5 stars, but I'm gonna round up here and go with 4. -
Review from Matt H.
Baltimore, MD
12/4/2009
I ate here like 2 months ago and the food sucked. I'm still disappointed and pissed.
Over priced, burnt, and with things like lobster on the menu trying way to hard.
The drinks are delicious, but the bar scene seems like a bunch of stuck up greek kids.
Rarely do I hope a restaurant goes out of business, but this spot is cursed and I think they'll be gone in a few months. -
Review from Chelsea B.
Gainesville, FL
1/10/2011
I am absolutely certain that I will NEVER be returning here again!
Before, I'd call myself a semi-loyal albeit slightly indifferent customer. I started coming here occasionally for lunch last year because you really can't beat the location, and the lunch specials for $5 really are a deal. Granted, the food was never that great (the rice, especially, tasted like it was Uncle Ben's Instant Rice or something), but at least it was consistent, fast, and cheap.
However, today was a turning point. My boyfriend and I arrived for lunch a little before 1PM. Apparently, we were the first customers of the day because the kitchen hadn't been "readied" (stoves and ovens hadn't been turned on, food hadn't been prepped, etc.). This was a minor detail our server neglected to tell us. Of course, she couldn't have known that I had a class at 1:55PM, but our orders were simple and, like I said, we were the ONLY customers in the restaurant. We ordered and then waited, and waited, and waited. Meanwhile, our server was standing around, studying school notes and just being generally useless. By 1:35PM, my boyfriend went to her and asked if it was going to take much longer, and she promised him the food was almost ready. I finally decided I needed to go, so I wouldn't be late for class. My boyfriend stuck around to make sure we got a refund (which fortunately we did), but as I was walking out the door at 1:45PM I saw ONE of our dishes being pushed through the window. Who knows how long the other one would have taken, but no way were we sticking around to find out.
I hate this place. The End. -
Review from Paul D.
Gainesville, FL
6/28/2010
I've been here 3 times. Its great for the drinks, the waitresses, and most of the food.
The first time I hated it because I ordered the ceviche which was tiny, way overpriced, and dry.
The second time I went with a group and enjoyed the drink specials, top shelf margaritas, and a very good fajita.
On my third trip it was also lots of alcohol and a nachos.
They excel with their margaritas and service. Fajitas are good as are the nachos but stay the hell away from their ceviche. Also, the place is not cheap, but they have lots of drink specials and are just across the street from UF. -
Review from Jameil W.
Winston-Salem, NC
3/4/2010
The prices were a bit outrageous for a Mexican restaurant, especially one right across from campus. But with 35 margaritas on the menu, there was no question I was going. 35??? Are you serious? A must.
First, let's talk about the website and atmosphere. There are NO HOURS on the site! Why have a site if I have to call ahead to make sure you're open??? The only differences in the lunch and dinner menus is not price, it's that the lunch menu has a few sandwiches and wraps. In their place at dinner were 3 entrees. That's not going to work. Lunch is supposed to be a more cost-effective option. The inside is far too small. The first time we were forced to sit outside because the restaurant was full. I wouldn't be surprised if it only seated 30. The outside bar took an obscenely long time and there weren't that many people there.
I decided to try the tuna ceviche which was Asian-style. The chunks of tuna were way too large and didn't have enough acid which made it taste flat. When the server asked me about it and I said there wasn't enough acid, she said, "I think the traditional ceviche has more of the acid taste, but because this is more of a non-traditional take on it, that's why." Yeah, no. It's ceviche and should therefore still TASTE like ceviche no matter what other ingredients you put in it. That recipe needs to be fixed. Especially at that $10 price tag. The portion was huge, plenty to share among several people, but probably a tad ambitious for 2.
We had the 101 margarita which was the best one. The key lime margarita tasted almost powdery. Very strange and not appealing. The peach margarita didn't taste very peachy. The sangria margarita was definitely the worst and it didn't taste like sangria. The black raspberry was really delicious, too. I am absolutely still willing to make myself available if they would like someone to help them taste the margaritas as they tweak them.
The chicken poblano pasta was good but a bit dry and could have used some heat. It got better when he squeezed some lime juice on it. The cactus and corn and chicken fuego chimichanga. AWEEEEESOME!! The first time. Very good the second time. But my waitress, strangely seemed LESS familiar with the restaurant though it'd been open longer. -
Review from Jessie R.
Gainesville, FL
1/11/2011
Overpriced drinks, snobby crowd and staff, GROSS bathrooms filled with underage girls puking their brains out...
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Review from Stevie D.
Smyrna, GA
8/19/2010
Went here with a group from work today. It's a break week and business is slow and we did call ahead regarding the number of people. However, half of our group received their food, ate it, paid and left about twenty minutes before the last six of us received our plates. Halfway through they ran out if beans and rice. Not once did anyone come to our table and apologize for the lengthy wait. When I've had to wait any less time at other restaurants (we've been here over an hour and half now) I've had an apology or my meal comped. That said, the chips and salsa were not on the bill, but I don't know if that's because the waitress forgot or if that's their compensation as nobody said anything to us.
If you're a college student looking for a bar across from campus with some food to go with your drinks, then you'll be ok. If you're looking for good food at a reasonable price with good service, then you should pass. It just seems pricey for a bar with munchies. -
Review from sara c.
Gainesville, FL
5/23/2011
great atmosphere! very relaxing, especially for a quick lunch after a day of classes. location makes this spot even better- im gonna be here a lot because of the $6 lunch specials. the burrito and salad lunch special is GREAT
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Review from Gracie F.
Gainesville, FL
6/2/2011
Really great selection of margaritas and its the best place to be for sunday funday
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Review from Adam X.
Brooklyn, NY
10/21/2009
This place is all glitz with no attention to the food. I ordered their $6 guacamole and received a giant mortar and pestle filled with...already pureed guacamole. The waitress then proceeded to push the pestle into the bowl as if there was real chunks of avocado in it. The guacamole was garbage, definitely purchased premade. I've had better for much cheaper at Burrito Bros or Chipotle. I was also there for happy hour and for $5 got a decent margarita, but really nothing to write home about. Walk over to burrito bros or even better, boca fiesta for a good Marg and tex mex.
