Anita's Cantina - Mexican restaurant in Hanoi

I used to stop by this restaurant every time I was in Hanoi because the tacos were great. Unfortunately, my last visit was very disappointing. The tacos, meat, rice, and black beans were all dry, and the beans had turned into a puree instead of before. Some of the meat had a hard crust that was unpleasant to chew. On top of that, the prices have increased a lot, if you want meat tacos you have to pay additional 10.000 plus service charge — which honestly makes no sense for an open-air place with no AC and even rats running across the ceiling beams. One almost fell onto a table once. I understand that maybe the chef changed, but with these prices and added fees, the quality no longer matches the cost. Sadly, I won’t be coming back.

Great Mexican restaurant. The menu is simple, yet has everything to satisfied your cravings. I’ve tried three different tacos - chicken, beef and pork. Chicken happened to be my favorite. The prices are also reasonable

Before this location on Quang Ba, I first had Javier’s fare at one of his pop-ups in Hong Ha in 2015 and have been a huge fan ever since. Care and character come through in every dish, and the flavors may remind you of home if you’re from a certain chunk of North America. Anita’s Cantina is my favorite restaurant for a variety of reasons, but primarily for the enchiladas and chilaquiles. This is an excellent place to have a margarita and chips and queso on a Sunday afternoon and solve all of the world’s problems with your best friend. This is also a fine restaurant to share a meal anytime of day with anyone— with special praise for the brunch menu (the same also applies for solo dining). I’m of the opinion that you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but I have included a picture of a breakfast plate that brought me to tears while pregnant. Anita’s is a true gem of the neighborhood that has been the backdrop of many memories for the last nine years. They offer an incredible happy hour, have friendly staff, and a broad menu of Tex Mex dishes that taste like a hug.

We loved the Burrito and the Tacos! The margaritas aren’t nothing to write about. The green sauce that they had was pretty good to go with the burritos and the tacos. We probably finished half the bottle. Not a great value for money.

The prices are expensive, but about standard in comparison to other Mexican restaurants in the area (Naco Taco or Salt 'N' Lime etc) and within Vietnam (HoiAn, Nha Trang, Saigon etc) and the food is quite OK, but nothing sensational. My Chimichanga (220k + 5% service charge) was a reasonable sized portion and the taste was just OK (a little on the bland side....though reasonable enough for Vietnam). My Alambre (75k + 5% service charge) was a bit underwhelming with no sign/taste of any Chorizo or bacon (as specified). Though overall the food was an easy 3-star rating (notwithstanding the prices). The restaurant itself is quite nicely presented and has a pleasant and rather quiet atmosphere. The only reason why I only gave Anita's Cantina a 2-star review was out of principle. Not knowing the time when I arrived, I enquired with the waitress if it was still Happy Hour for drinks (50% off). The response was: " Yes, from 4pm - 7pm". However, when it came to pay I was slugged the full price for my small cocktail (120k + 5% service charge). I contested the pricing and was told my order was processed at 7:05pm. Needless to say that I won't return again or recommend it to anyone purely put of principle. Vietnamese establishments being blase about their pricing conduct, especially around the very competitive West Lake / Quang An district, is a very risky practise which could result in a substantial drop in their revenue.....even more so when it comes to alcohol, which is rather cheap throughout Vietnam and SE Asia.