Crown Cantina

We've been to Crown Cantina many times and it's always delicious. This is one of our favorite Mexican spots in the city. When we go, we don't overthink it, we just order every taco. It's the perfect amount to share for 2 people. The drinks are also delicious, especially anything mezcal. It's a pretty happening spot, so make sure to get a reservation ahead of time.

Crown Cantina was fantastic! I attended for a work dinner and had the guacamole and carne asada--both were outstanding. The drinks were equally impressive, especially the spicy avocado margarita, which almost everyone at our table ordered. I've tried recreating it at home multiple times since, but nothing quite matches the original!The service was excellent, and the ambiance perfectly suited the restaurant's vibe. Overall, a great experience--I'll definitely be back!

We really wanted to like this place, but everything from food to service to wait times were inconsistent.We were initially seated in the covered outdoor patio, which was actually pretty cozy with the space heaters. The restaurant at this time was not busy, there were only two other tables being served beside us. Unfortunately, we were actively ignored by both servers on multiple occasions after being seated by the hostess. They would help both tables beside us, then quickly move back inside without a glance or acknowledgment of our table. So we got up, took our menus, and relocated ourselves to the bar. The bartender was incredibly helpful, and got us started right away. The drinks were great, we had the horchata and a cocktail, both refreshing and generous. The guacamole was delicious, especially with the roasted veggies, but portion size was on the smaller side. For mains, the fish tacos were a letdown unfortunately. The ingredients were fresh, but the battered fish came out lukewarm and the flavors were just okay. On the other hand, the Cochinita Pibil was fantastic. The slow cooked pork melted in your mouth and the "build-your-own-taco" presentation was fun. We finished the night with the tres leches, which was also delicious -- light, creamy, and balanced. The only qualm here is that we waited 15-20 min to get it after finishing our main course.Our experience overall was bizarre. I can only describe this experience as inconsistent through and through. There is still lots of room for improvement. I am not opposed to coming back, but if the shortcomings are never addressed, I'd be hard pressed with so many other restaurants in the area that can deliver a better experience for the price.

Calm, cool & casual service. Food is fresh & healthy. I feel healthier leaving than when I walked in lol. Glad we went.

Cam provided great service. Food was flavorful. I enjoyed the Baja fish taco more than the main dish. Very nice, intimate restaurant. Not too crowded.

Ate here for lunch on a Tuesday and we had the whole place to ourselves! Great decor and ambiance, really good service and authentic Mexican food with fresh ingredients

Food was AMAZING. Tequila selection is top tier! So many choices. Definitely the BEST oysters I've had in Cincinnati. 10/10 definitely recommend and will be going back to this place. Also it's a small looking place outside but big and beautiful inside! Service was a 10 from start to finish.

Let me start by saying this is a 100% GLUTEN FREE kitchen (per their menu). So they get brownie points for that. Service was great. Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu, the drink items, and took time explaining the menu to us. Ambiance is very cute and elegant. They have outdoor seating, an indoor bar top and some indoor seating. (This is not their fault necessarily) but the outdoor seating lines one of the more major roads in downtown cincy so on a weekend evening it can get really loud when cars are blaring by. Otherwise, the outdoor seating is cute and comfortable. They had umbrellas if it was too sunny. For drinks - I tried the pina colada margarita. I was not a fan. It tasted very heavy of coconut which I wasn't a huge fan of and the consistency was thicker than I would have appreciated. I swapped out for one of their signature margs and enjoyed that a lot better. My friend got the spicy margarita and it was tasty. For food- we tried the queso. I wasn't a fan. I understand that it was fresh and gluten free but it was quite literally melted cheese in a skillet. It had little flavor and came with 4 corn tortillas to eat it with. There weren't even enough tortillas to eat 1/4 of the cheese with between 3 people. Why was this not served with chips? And why was the cheese lacking all flavor. Anyways, we felt like they couldn't call this dish "queso". It was more "build your own cheese quesadilla". I wouldn't order this again. Their guacamole looked more up our alley (we saw someone else order it). The fish taco, rice and black beans were the highlight of my meal. Very tasty. I got a steak taco too but was not a fan. Overall I feel like for an all gluten free kitchen this is somewhere I would give another try but I would stay away from the queso and maybe try something else as a meal besides tacos. Also stick with the more "traditional" margaritas.

Finally got to this spot early on a Sunday before an Aronoff performance. Conveniently located right at the east end of 8th street, we were able to find street parking easily. We tried the guacamole and the salsa, both served with scratch in house fresh crispy tortillas. Delicious! I had a couple of the tacos, both of which were surprisingly larger than some other places 'street tacos'. Quality of the food was excellent. Nobody at the table had anything negative to say about the food. Value wise, I think the prices are fair - neither an incredible bargain or feeling overcharged. Our server was super friendly and attentive, and well informed about the menu. The one area of warning, like many places that serve fajita style dishes, you're likely to walk out of this place smelling like the delicious food you just ate. I hope we didn't make the people sitting behind us hungry during the show!

Crown Cantina is my pick for the best restaurant in Cincinnati. With such stiff competition in a place with fantastic restaurants, Crown shines. The vibe is elegant and intimate and the staff is very friendly and accommodating. The food is incredibly creative and well executed. The guacamole, sweet potato with black garlic, hamachi, and fish tacos were all elite. I recommended this restaurant to multiple people for important events and they loved it! I cannot wait to go back and sample the rest of the menu.