Cantina Royal
“From fresh, hot green salsas to sweeter pineapple based salsa, to smokey tasting salsa, it was all there.”
“I love their chandelier – it's pretty mesmerizing after a night of debauchery.”
“I would come here any day over La Esquina, which boasts a well known name, but not the quality of Cantina Royale.”
Cantina Royal
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Accepts Bitcoin: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I love that Brooklyn has become a legit destination for Mexican cuisine, whether it's from a food truck or a trendy restaurant (West Coast cynics, you can stop rolling your eyes now).
I love that elote and Dia de los Muertos decor are no longer elusive, ethnic signifiers, but instead accessible and accepted aspects of the Mexican dining experience (well, at least that's my type of Mexican dining experience).
And I love how I can stumble upon a place like Cantina Royal, with no set agenda, and surprise myself with a really great meal (true story).
Granted, this is all coming from a gringo traipsing through the typically over-hyped hood of Williamsburg, but hey, hear me out!
As our waiter explained to us, Cantina Royal's menu features dishes of all sizes, from sharing plates, medium almost-entrees, and then full-on meals. We rolled the dice and ordered a handful of items for the table that spoke to us, ultimately at the mercy of whatever came out the kitchen. Well, except for the elote (which was, by the way, textbook excellent) – that one was all mine.
There was La Mission, a fish fillet with jalapeño-cilantro mayo dressing, pico de gallo, and a side salad. To each his own, but we turned this into a giant fish taco of sorts, thanks to the massive soft tortilla also provided as part of the plate. The flavors were subtle but satisfying, the texture was relatively light, thanks to the fact that the fish wasn't breaded and fried, and the house-made tortilla was really worth raving about, not only because it lacked that slightly-chalky taste that can really get in the way of a meal like this, but because it served the same importance as does the right type of bread for the right type of sandwich – an integral, harmonious part of the dish and not some inferior afterthought.
The Mulita special was equally impressive. Employing the same soft tortilla, this was essentially an elongated burrito with a smoky mushroom filing. Perhaps it was due to the sides of guacamole and black beans that came with it, but the strong flavors at play here were able to mask whatever it is I typically do not care for about mushrooms. The fact that I even ate this, knowing there were mushrooms involved, says something. Furthermore, the fact that I truly enjoyed it kind of blew my mind and made me question my culinary likes and dislikes altogether.
We also ordered the Pulpo Borracho (yes, that means Drunk Octopus), two circular, crispy tostadas with a pile of tomato, avocado, and our aforementioned eight-tentacled friend. I personally would've opted for a different sauce than the tamarind variety it was served with, but as with everything else at Cantina Royal, the ingredients here were noticeably fresh and tidy, basic but purposeful.
There are deals to be found at Cantina Royal, too. A check-in on the Yelp app gets you a free small beer on tap (Brooklyn Lager) and Spicy Salsa Sampler (which certainly lives up to its name, but be aware, some of the kick doesn't kick in immediately – call it more of a time-release tongue-tingling). After 10p on given nights (the kitchen is open till 2a Wed-Sat), the La Republica section of their menu (another set of sharable plates, really) is half-price. There are occasional drink specials and they really push the mezcales. It's kind of their thing. A handful of featured cocktails, including the boozy, orange-lime La Victoria, employ the Mexican moonshine, um, generously.
From the floor-to-(high)-ceiling storefront window to the massive chandelier looming over the dining area, and of course, the aforementioned Dia de los Muertos accents, the decor here is striking, almost gothic. Throughout our dinner, as the sun set, the lights were dimmed twice until candles pretty much powered the room. The music, although it would weirdly cut in and out at times, was mostly regional Mexican.
I also happened to stumble upon a back room when I mistakenly took it for an unmarked bathroom door (in my defense, all the bathroom doors are unmarked). It turns out Cantina Royal has their own event / live performance space called La Sala back there, with an arty Andy Warhol's Factory vibe – projection screens and psychedelic white, if you will. It's apparently known to host dance parties one night and political debate viewings the next, so really, it's an in-house, all-purpose auditorium. Its speakeasy-style existence probably has a bit more to do with the fact that this is Williamsburg than the fact that it's in the back of a Mexican restaurant, but I'm down for breaking down stereotypes and expanding one's mind, so why shouldn't these two go together like, I don't know, rice and beans?
Sure, Cantina Royal is on the trendier end of my argument that Brooklyn is as good a spot for Mexican as any other city that gets the credit. It may take time to earn the respect, I get it, but I'm ready for a challenge. Especially if the challenge is taking down copious amounts of elote. ¡Viva la Revolución!
This place was slammed the Saturday night I was there, but that's still no excuse for the sub par food and service. Four fish tacos for $16; I know this is NY but really, the tacos were not that great. A piece of heavily battered fish with some sliced kale (?!) and some mayonnaise drizzled on top. We ordered the "salsa sampler," which was fine, but the minuscule dollops along with like 10 tortilla chips did not justify the entree-pricing.
As we were finishing our meal at nearly 11:30 p.m. the server told us we to hurry up as we had to give up one of the tables that two members of our dinner party were sharing. We then asked for our check only to wait 40 minutes to get his attention.
Really folks, if this is the only place you think you can get food Mexican food in New York, then you really need to get out more.
(author note: this is my first review as an elite, so my ego, on a scale of one to kanye, is pretty kanye)
saw the yelp check in deal so i was like okay, ill give it a shot.
walk in, dimly lit vibes, everyone is at the tables chillin, im sitting alone like the food critic in ratatouille (there goes my ego) judging all the micro moments. like the free 6 oz of beer, really bro? or the 10 chips with really spicy salsa. they lure you in with the deal and then skimp on ya, restaurant week style. you get what you pay for?
ordered the mahi mahi fish tacos. kudos for just putting one tortilla per. im not a huge fan, personally, so i hate the carbo-load triple tortilla taco. it was rather simple, fried fish, lettuce and sour cream. points for the pineapple. a welcome , and familiar twist.
fish was crispy and soft, but flavorless. season that shit up. overall it was kind of sweet. i liked dipping it in the super spicy salsa, that was fun, and it was a good balance. 4 tacos for 16 bucks is not bad either, considering you pay only a bit more to eat it standing up on the street. idk it just lacked that signature flavor. that crack sauce, that orange sauce; im such a bay area kid slash bachelor frog, all about his condiments.
im torn between 3 or 4 stars, honestly. errrr….my cruel, kanye critic sisd says 3, my have a heart shibi and dont be an elitist shibi says 4, but as the rating shows, i went full kanye.
The stale chips and bad salsas, along with mediocre drinks and slightly standoffish service doesn't inspire us to go back.
Service was awful but at least food was good.
We ordered margaritas, guacamole, fish tacos, and chicken tacos. The drinks were solid and when the food came out, it was tasty.
The problem was that it took about 90 minutes for the tacos to come out, we got the wrong drink order initially, and they kept taking plates to our table that weren't for us, about 4 times.
Everyone around us that came after was already eating or done with their meals. That really upset me.
After complaining to the manager, I was told they are short staffed and have a new crew. He gave me and my fiancé a free shot after we declined the free dessert. Nice try but I was thinking a discount on the meal. The long 90 minute wait deserve a bit more. He also said he has a bottle of tequila for us when we come back, but unfortunately we won't be back.
I really hope they get it together because the food was good.
Came for drinks at the bar with friends. The restaurant itself is cool. Giant chandelier and Day of the Dead style art around. They didn't have the necessary ingredients on a Friday night to make about half of their drinks. I decided just to go with a margarita. It was okay. Nothing special, I could have been having it anywhere. Next I ordered a Michelada. This tasted like Mexico on a cold NY night. It was so yummy! Unfortunately when we ordered our next round, they were waiting for more yaya sauce to be made. I sat with my glass in front of me and drank the remainder of my Pacifico from the bottle which they do give you after pouring the michelada. the bartender was rushed and hectic from the get go. When we first arrived we were the only 4 people at the bar and there were only 2 tables. By the time we left it was slammed and he did have a reason to be a little frantic.
The salsas came out in four tiny cups. The chef came out and explained what each one was and how it was prepared. To make up for the forgettable margarita, they make salsas that you will dream of for weeks to come. Each one had such a unique flavor and some hurt so good. It was great!
The restaurant itself is pretty decent, but the bathrooms were disgusting! I tried each of the three and not ONE had TP in it. I felt so dirty afterwards.
We went just for drinks, but then became hungry. Problem- the place only takes cash. There is an ATM, but paying the ridiculous ATM fee wasn't something I was into. So we went to the taco truck on the way back to the Bedford stop.
A charming restaurant off the busy streets of Williamsburg. We arrived at 8pm and it was empty – I'm guessing because it was Easter Sunday. The waiter advised us to sit anywhere which we did. The restaurant is filled with portraits of women. None of it appears to relate to Mexican heritage so it's confusing.
Food… with your yelp check-in, you get a free sampler of four chili based salsas. OMGGGGG my mouth was on fire. They are all delicious and spicy! The bowl of tortilla chips is on the cheap size in regards to quantity which limits your spicy salsa indulgence. We ordered the grilled octopus tostada as an appetizer and coming from someone who doesn't normally eat octopus, it was very refreshing. The tostada is the size of a small disc with cold octopus salad on top. It was well mixed as you taste the tomatoes, onions, and guacamole. My only negative note is that it is very oily. For dinner, we ordered tacos – Mahi fish, shrimp, beef and chicken. Our favorite was the shrimp taco – it carried the most flavor. The Mahi fish was also delicious. The steak was average but still good. I did not like the chicken, neither did my boyfriend. It had too much cotija cheese (I think) and it completely overwhelmed our palate. Btw, the online menu does not mention the tostadas, so I guess it's only an in-house option.
Drinks… we ordered original margaritas which were good. it saddens me that they don't offer frozen margaritas – it's only served on the rocks. The drink is served in a small glass with tons of ice so ask for less or no ice. The owner Julio brought over complimentary tequila shots TWICE! Yup twice! He said it was for better digestion lol sure… both shots were smooth but strong. Definitely quality tequila – none of that cheap stuff.
Overall, it was a lovely experience. Julio was very attentive and advised us that they have events often so we should go back. The food was great – I wouldn't call it the best I've had but still yummy. The margs were made with quality tequila which made them all that better. If you have the palate for all things spicy, try their chili sampler – you will love it.
One of the absolute best margaritas. Extensive selection of mezcal and tequila. And guess what? the food is a magical taste experience joy ride.
(I still have a crush on the bearded bartender)