Cantina023

Good, all around tex-​mex restaurant. The menú has the expected mix of burritos, tacos, and fajitas, and there are plenty of drink options – including a good selection of agua frescas. The atmosphere is nice, Mexican themed without being tacky and the service is very good. The churros are delicious, but the dessert section lacked options. The only drawback is that the kitchen was quite slow (despite that the place was nowhere close to full). But the quality of the food was worth the wait.

My friends had been raving about this place for a while, and I finally got to see what all the fuss is about! Really nice atmosphere, and more importantly great food! Big portion sizes so you get good value for your money, and the most authentic Tex-​Mex I’ve had in the Netherlands. Just make sure you make a reservation, it’s a small restaurant and they run out of space fast!

After the very enjoyable first Unilocal Haarlem event, fellow Unilocaler Lisa and I wanted to grab a bite to eat. Other fellow Unilocaler Justyna suggested Cantina023 and we decided to go there (Hans we won’t forget your suggestion to go to Wolfhound!).
As it was very early for dinner (about 5) we were the only ones there but 1 other table. So very quick service for us :)
I ordered the echilada with steak and it was a real treat. I was lucky they changed the cilantro rice (which was on the menu) just in time to a tomato rice, as I do NOT like cilantro. Big portion, very delicious. Also loved the ginger ale which was the best I ever had. We shared the churros which was served with vanilla ice cream, whipcream and a spicy chocolate sauce: heaven on a plate!
The only minor point was that it was very cold when they had to open the back door to put some stuff in the back.

Went there with great expectations from all the great reviews and a friends recommendation, but was a disappointment in the end.
The place is nicely decorated and inviting, and the menu sounds promising.
When we ordered, the waiter forgot my daughters drink, and the agua the mango and agua de tamarindo came in nice mugs with paper straws. Unfortunately both with so much lemon and so little sugar it was undrinkable. In fact the 3 of us apparently mistook the «mango» for orange juice.
A member of the staff brought some supplies through the back door next to our table. I do not know when was the last he showered, but the stench was eyewatering.
The guacamole with totopos was pretty good, but the combined fajitas not so much. Presentation was nice, Rice and beans were dry, beef bloody and the chicken black on the outside and bland inside. Sent the plate back to have beef well done, came back dry. Was served with wheat tortillas, when I asked for corn tortillas instead, these were charged for.
When we paid at the bar, the owner, bathed in sweat, told me to notify in advance if we have any special request in the future, and became confrontative and patronizing once I when i explained why there would be no future time for us. No apology or anything like that.
Decided to cut it short at that point and post my impression here instead of fighting it out about each item on site.

From what I hear and read, a bunch of relatively young restauranteurs opened this place. I can believe it as the vibe here is enthusiastic and infectious.
Excellent Tex-​Mex, as good as you’d get in the USA anywhere outside of the actual Southwest (although there is better actual Mexican all over). Service is fast even when they are busy, although cocktails take a while as they make them properly.
The food was exceedingly fresh, nicely seasoned and not dumbed down for the Dutch palate. They also have a well-​thought-​out kids menu.
If they start a delivery service, I’m going to need to join a gym.

5 for the tex 4 for the mex! So finally a place has opened that’s not taco _​_​_​_​_​or that other place that serves from a can… And I am very happily surprised that ITS GOOD! Cantina 023 now holds the coveted #2 spot for me for good Mexican style cooking (it’s tex-​mex after all), the number one being Los Pilones in ams (but that’s Mex-​Mex). As soon as I opened the menu I was greeted a list of Aguas Frescas (they have tamarindo but no horchata.), various cocktails and creative margaritas, a tequila menu and a mezcal menu!!! I’m already in love! After quickly flipping through there somewhat overwhelming menu (in a good way! It’s thick and big! Take your time) I settled on tamarindo Aguas Frescas, the house tacos al pastor and the jalapeño poppers! The drink was so well done I ordered two! The jalapeño poppers were a bit on the hot side, and there was an odd taste that I couldn’t put my finger on but I think that was the cheese, very good but like bitterballen the center does NOT cool off! The tacos were LARGE, truly Texas portions, served sith all the fixings including cabbage, sour cream a mild green salsa, and rice and guacamole. The only thing I wished was that they were spicier… these are al pastor after all… but maybe that was the tex over the mex… the only thing that I missed was the al pastor kick. All in all this place is a breathe of fresh air in haarlem and in my lifetime! For sure need to go back and try every thing on the menu now! OM NOM NOM!

After reading some great reviews of this place we decided to try it ourselves. I really like the décor. not too much of kitsch, but just some cool decoration here and there. The day was beautiful so we decided to grab a table outside, whenever it became free. We got some tortilla chips with salsa when waiting to order. We decided to go with classic margarita and tortilla chips with 3 dips to start with. As a main — beef steak burrito and fish tacos for me.
Margaritas were really good, however we were really disappointed with the small glass that they were served in. Once margaritas were finish we got some agua fresca, first position on the menu. which was delicious!
As for the food, it was extremely tasty, honest and reminded me of tex mex places in Texas and California. Just great food and very friendly service.
I take 0.5./ 1 star off for the steep prices for margarita. they could be lower or the portion could be better.
Next time we will get just the main course and some agua fresca. The portions are quite big and the food is delicious.

Before they opened I was SO EXCITED to see the restaurant coming together that I knocked on the window and told the owner how excited I was!
IT IS THE REAL DEAL!!! Delicious food… a group of 10 of us went in… and it was fantastic!!! The salsas are tasty, the burritos, tacos, fajitas all received great reviews from our party. SO EXCITING to have tasty Tex-​Mex in Holland. The other ‘so called’ Mexican restaurants are NOT Mexican food. This place is WONDERFUL!!!
The service is friendly. The Owners are devoted, hard working people that have put together a gem of a restaurant!
Forgot to mention — décor. SO WELL DONE!!! Fun, colorful, great atmosphere.
The sangria in the skull ‘bowl’ is a nice touch as well!
Try it, you’ll like it :)

O.M.G. almost 5 years of living in Haarlem and now there is a Tex-​Mex here that is actually Tex-​Mex and really good. This is not Dutchified Tex-​Mex, this is the real deal!
They just opened not too long ago so we decided to try it tonight. I was really skeptical because this kind of food was never done right in this country but I was presently surprised.
To start we shared some appetizers, chicken mango quesadillas which were quite nice and then we had jalapeño poppers. I was expecting the frozen kind you always see in America but no, these ones were homemade! They were actually decently spicy too, very nice. At this point my mood started to change an was looking forward to the main course. For this I had a chicken burrito and this thing was giant! It was topped with melted cheese and a red sauce. The filling was great and so was the rice alongside. There was a small salad and also a side a guacamole. And this was real guac, bright green and fresh. One the side were three small bowls with sour cream, black beans, and tomatillo salsa.
I could not finish but we had to try desert. Churros. Again homemade. with ice cream and whipped cream. The whole plate was drizzled with chocolate pepper sauce criss crossed with salted caramel sauce. Amazing! The sauces were also homemade.
This place is a winner and you can bet that I will be going back often. Thank you Cantina023 for opening up in Haarlem!
PS. I think next time I want to try the mango jalapeño margarita.