Margaret's Cantina

My husband and I discovered Margaret's Cantina in 2000, when we first moved to the area. Either our tastes have developed, or something has gone seriously wrong here. My last few visits, both lunch and dinner, have been very disappointing. Nothing seems to have any taste at all - not even salt and pepper. The friends I had lunch with agreed, and we won't be returning. The atmosphere is cheerful and casual and the crowds keep coming; why, I don't know. We're crossing it off our list. more

NO TASTE FOOD! Their "Mexican" food has no taste and everything is pretty much out of the can or at least tastes like it. Pros: null Cons: null more

I have been going to Margaret's for years. You can't get better, fresher more unique Tex Mex food anywhere in the surrounding area. They offer alot of vegan and vegetarian selections, which is why I originally tried the restaurant. They buy local when they can and use organic ingredients. Yummy! Pros: null Cons: null more

I have eaten here several times since moving to Chapel Hill and the food has been great every time. My favorite are the tacos. Everyone is friendly and helpful. Had a good time. Pros: Food was fabulous, staff friendly Cons: located in a strip mall more

After reading the 1-star reviews, I was hesitant to go when a couple friends invited me. However, I am glad I went. Yes, service was a bit slow and our waiter seemed like he would rather be somewhere else. Yes, no free chips and salsa. BUT their chips are really tasty and so is there salsa! I've had plenty authentic salsa, this is one of the best I've had. Huge burrito -- definitely recommend it. Chicken is definitely fresh and tastes like REAL chicken. By the way, the place is always packed so get in line early. Pros: great food Cons: waiters non-engaging attitude more

The meal was excellent! The margarita - not the best. It was ok, but I was soooooo looking forward to a good frozen margarita and it was just so-so. However the food was every bit as tasty as I had been led to expect! more

This has been my favorite lunch spot for many years. The food is Delicious, serve is good and the atmosphere is traditional Mexican. Prices are reasonable, a little higher than some Mexican restaurants but well worth it. more

"Authentic"?? "Fresh Ingredients"?? I can't believe the reviews. We moved here from Denver a year and a half ago, so we do know a little about SW/Mex food. Got off to a bad start, when we ordered a couple of beers, Tecate, "the working man's beer of Mexico", and got two Dos Equis instead. Oh, well. Then my chicken enchillada arrived, stuffed with shrimp... oh, well. The "pico de gallo" was actually salsa, and looked and tasted as if it came out of a jar, not homemade. Ditto the frijoles negros, except read can for jar. No homemade tortilla chips on the table. Indeed, the flour tortilla, corn tortilla and taco all appeared to be standard supermarket variey, none hand-made at the restaurant. My shredded beef was tasty and plentiful, stuffing my taco to the brim. Not enough good to get us back, however. Pros: shredded beef Cons: store-bought ingredients, got orders wrong more

I really want to like Margaret's. I love locally owned businesses and appreciate her commitment to fresh local ingredients, but in the end, the food always tastes like food at an old folks home, under-seasoned and bland, hardly worthy of the southwest heritage implied by the name Cantina. more

Margaret's is not your typical greasy tex-mex place. If you want the usual chicken enchiladas for $2, go elsewhere. The great part about Margaret's are the fresh ingredients, the unconventional cooking style, and the delicious drinks. That is why it is more expensive than the corner tex-mex, but it certainly isn't outrageous. Sure, it is crowded on weekends and after movies, but that is because it is good! If you want to avoid lines, go early or late on week nights. The service is friendly and quirky, the decor is original, and you will always find regulars there. I love it, and it is a part of my regular Chapel Hill/ Carrboro restaurant rotation. Pros: Food freshness and versatility, ambience, parking Cons: (Avoidable) long wait at prime time on weekends more

Margaret's is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Chapel Hill. Amazing fresh ingredients, my favorite is the shrimp quesadilla with grilled peppers and guacamole. But the margaritas are to die for, with great fresh juices and good bartenders... gotta check this one out! more

Fine place for an out of the way strip commercial location, but avoid the crowds waiting for or coming out of the Chelsea and Timberlyne movies. more

Margaret's Cantina has two entrees that I really like, the first is the Caribbean catfish with plantains and pineapple-mango salsa and the other on is grilled red trout over sauteed seasonal fresh greens. The above dish are so good I order them often. They meet my expectations all the time. more

I recently ate at Margaret's Cantina and both my boyfriend and I LOVED it! We recently moved to the area and had yet to find a great Mexican/Southwestern restaurant. As a vegetarian, I was very impressed with their veg-friendly menu. I ordered a soft taco with tofu and the Mexican Chef Salad (basically a taco salad). The food and service was wonderful. Only downside was it was pricey--but worth it. Pros: Great Food and Service Cons: Pricey more

The good news is that it is a quaint little setting and less greasy than most mexican places. more

I will never go back! I was so excited to try Margaret's and it was a huge disapointment. Its really over priced. You have to pay for chips & salsa. The tables are too small. The service was terrible. We showed up at 5:00 on a Saturday. Not long after we got there a really long line formed. I don't understand what they were waiting for. It was terrible! I ordered chicken fajitas. They tasted like dirt or maybe grass. There were only a few pieces of chicken, the rest was onions & rice. They charged for more tortilas without informing us. Everytime the waitress asked if I wanted a refill on my coke she sounded really annoyed like I better not say yes. When we said we wanted to order dessert she said she was too busy. We felt like they were trying to rush us out. Our bill was $50 without alcohol. We could've had 4 times the quality of food for 1/4 of the price at a better Mexican restarant. The experience was so bad I created a citysearch account just to complain. If you really want to try it out, don't go on a Saturday night. Its not worth the wait. Pros: Interesting variety of greek and mexican (my two favorite types of food) Cons: Everything else! more

Had poor service twice. The first time I can overlook and give a second chance, but I will not go back a third time. Food came out cold both times and the server barely visited our table. They are slopping southwestern food how long should it take? My expectations are not unreasonable I am a culinary school graduate and have worked in the restaurant industry for many years. Pros: Prices Cons: Everything else more

Margaret's feels like a neighborhood restaurant. The prices match (they're reasaonble), and lots of families eat there. Since we live near it, it is our neighborhood restaurant, and we eat there a few times a month. The food is consistent, more interesting than the standard Mexican fare, and the service does well for a high turn-over sort of place. It's not a special event meal, more every-day fare, but as every-day fare goes, it's first rate. Pros: good food, good value, nice servers Cons: busy at times, short wine list more

When we pulled up and saw the crowd, we thought we had found a good restaurant. TINY waiting area. Does have a nice ambience and good margaritas (but not big and not much alcohol for $5). Paid $3 for chips and salsa. My date had 2 cheese and onion enchiladas with rice and beans($8.50). The rice and beans were excellent (brown Spanish rice and black beans). The enchiladas were extremely wide (read: overstuffed) with a ricotta-like cheese. Didn't taste Mexican/Southwest and he didn't like. I had the same dish with 1 shrimp and 1 spinach enchilada. Spinach had little flavor. Shrimp was tasty. Spicy sauce on the enchiladas was not spicy; it barely registered. Very small tables; you probably shouldn't come with more than 4 people that would be pushing it. Overall, fresh and interesting choices but not enough flavor or the wrong kinds of flavors; we won't go back. Pros: Ambience Cons: Wait, Small tables, Cheese enchiladas more

Our below ave experience: Whenever you wait 10 min or longer for your drink order to be taken, the service cannot be good. Prices are high for the types of dishes/amount of food. You want extra salsa? You pay for it(?). Once you try the salsa, you'll be disappointed. A $5 nacho plate = a small amount of reg, greasy melted cheese and chips. No unique flavor/very plain(you can make in the microwave @ home). The chicken taco plate ($8.50)= boiled white+dark meat with NO salt/seasonings, taco shells bland/tasteless, crumbled/fell apart b/c they were saturated(w/water). Black beans=a can. Rice=ok, but you could make the same @ home. For these prices, you're to expect great service and good quality food. The food and overall experience was so bad, we complained to the waitress & will not return. Pros: nice interior, good location Cons: tasteless food, substandard service, overall bad experienc more