Little Mexico Cantina — Restaurant in Richmond

First off I would like to say that we were super excited to try this place. Both the exterior and interior were perfectly designed with great ambiance. As soon as I stepped in I thought wow...I’m excited to find a new, fun place! We were seated quite quickly. We understand that these are very trying times with Covid. I must also point out that I have spent almost 20 years in the service industry from pub dining to fine dining and worked all areas of service. Our server was wearing a fave shield but no one else that helped serve us were. It was quite warm and we could see the staff was sweating so we set off with the goal of being patient. Our menus arrived quickly but it was approx 20 minutes before a drink order was taken. We ordered margaritas which took an addition 15 minutes to arrive (despite being on the rocks). We were a small group of three and did not order crazy dishes however it took 45 minutes for the food to arrive (after 20 minute order wait). The table behind of of two were there before us and their order had not yet arrived. Prior to our order being delivered, the owner popped her head around our table and asked what we were waiting for again. 3/4 of the meal through we were asking if we would like another round which we ordered. Before we were finished our drinks our server arrived with the bill and machine to pay our bill. Slow with the service and order but quick with the bill. We were one of last one to leaves and owner/bartender was at bar drinking beer with guests. As we left no one said thank you or see you soon. All things I’ve learned and have had ingrained in me in basic serving industry etiquette.

I know these are extremely challenging times for businesses. I know they are working so hard. But I have chosen to write this review based on read reviews from before the pandemic began.

Suggestions I have are to greet tables as soon as possible with ice water and your wonderful chips. Your drinks are a bit more expensive than other venues for what you get but if the service was faster you could make so much more off your drinks alone and maybe afford to get some much needed extra help. Your server was adorable and shy but I believe her gentle personality saves guests from getting upset. I feel if she must wear a visor than all staff that come to table must also.

Your food was good...but I have actually never had a taco that came with just one tortilla. Usually there are two to make it less messy. The plate presentation of just two tacos with no sauce and at price of 6.50 each would fare better with even one ramican side of something.

Last and not least....if the owner is able to sit and drink with guests at end of shift she should be able to thank her guests for coming as they exit. Especially as the only thing she said after a 45 minute wait for food was...”what are you waiting for again?”

We look forward to visiting this place again as we believe it has great potential and just hope this experience was more pandemic related than just regular short staffed service. It’s such a beautiful place with wonderful potential that downtown Steveston and Richmond area really...

Lovely relaxed atmosphere, location food, and staff. It's located at the edge of Steveston in Richmond, and there's plenty of free parking within walking distance after 6pm. It's by the water too, so it's a great place to walk around after the meal. All the staff were super friendly (shoutout to our server Sam, who was super attentive and efficient, and kept checking in with us). HUGE portions for everything, I definitely ordered way too much as I didn't expect each item to be so generous in size and filling. Comes with free nachos and dip at the beginning of the meal, perfect to nibble on while looking at the menu.

My order:

Nachos (w/ Birria): CRAZY PORTIONS. I was definitely intimidated when this was served as a starter before our tacos arrived. I added birria for an extra cost, but it's very worth it because they definitely do not cheap out. Cheesy, meaty, just great overall. Their birria is top notch.

Birria (Braised Beef): my favourite taco here! It's quite big for a taco, and super loaded with flavourful and juicy/saucy birria. Cheese, cilantro and onions inside too. Very nice texture as the outside is grilled or something, so it is served super hot. It was flavourful enough I didn't even use the consomme dip.

Gobernador Tostada (Prawn): tied as my favourite with the Birria. Pretty unique as it is served on a crunchy nacho/tortilla shell. 3 juicy prawns on top (marinated/grilled/flavourful). Comes with grilled onions and peppers too and the chipotle mayo sauce is tasty too. A must have.

Chorizo: ground chorizo, tad bit spicy. A bit mushy overall, but the flavours were quite good.

Carne (Steak): a little tougher to chew, but it's super loaded with steak. Generous portions.

Carnitas (Mexican Pork): tad bit dry, one of my least favourite, but lots of meat.

Strawberry Tequila Sunrise (Peach Schnapps, strawberry purée, orange juice, grenadine): super strong drink that definitely packs a punch. Individual fruit flavours are quite subtle, and sort of blends together nicely. Beautiful gradient/ombre from a...

A couple of colleagues and myself went to have dinner there last night. We really enjoyed the food. I found the food to be quite flavorful. I had the Gringa that basically is a stuffed quesadilla with 'pulled pork' and cheese. The portion was quite big by my standards. We also had ordered a couple appetizers to share as well. The others had three tacos for their main dish and they really liked them as well.

We also decided to be decadent last night for dessert. We ordered the flan, churros and their fancy banana cheesecake 'postre especial'. The flan was great. It had a firm texture and not too gelatinous. I liked the texture and taste of the flan. I loved the churros. They were fried very well. The churros were cut into smaller pieces rather than the long ones you usually see. Some might think they are smaller portions, but I recommend ordering a couple and sharing. The leche or caramel sauce was thick and satisfying. The postre especial tasted like deep fried bananas wrapped in a deep fried tortilla shell. It didn't seem like cheesecake because of the deep banana flavor we tasted. It went very well with the vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce. We all shared the desserts and were quite impressed and satisfied.

I can see how some people may think that the food is bland. IMHO it's not the case. The flavors are more subtle but present and I think, truer to Mexican cuisine(?). The flavors are not overpowering. For example, I had the Horchata drink. Most places will make it very sweet. This one was nice and refreshing but half sweet or what some might consider bland. I, myself, don't like overly sweet drinks anymore and quite enjoyed this version of horchata. I think the same philosophy has gone into their food.

Overall, it was a great dinner. I would definitely go back for another evening with good friends. I would definitely recommend the desserts. Our server was attentive and accommodating. It wasn't too busy when we got there initially, but was busier by the...