Social Cantina Carmel — Restaurant in Carmel

Ok...I've been here maybe 3 times, and was only happy(ish) once. I ate in the restaurant once, and the tacos I had were very good, but the meat was extremely fatty (carnitas was one, not sure what the other was). I work very close by and have ordered takeout a couple times for lunch and have been disappointed both times (see below about the salad). Today I got two tacos - carnitas again and chicken tinga - on corn tortillas. The tortillas were very soggy and could not be picked up to eat. They didn't provide a fork or napkins, so I used a plastic spoon and knife we have at work - for tacos! The mango habanero salsa was good but very runny, and the chips had zero seasoning. The empanadas were decent but I wouldn't get them again. Seriously, it's a good thing the tacos were only $3, and for signing up, I got a $10 discount so the empanadas were basically free. RIO GRANDE in Noblesville is the only Mexican restaurant I have always been happy with, and is so much better in every way than Social Cantina. I will not be going back here, it's not worth the hassle and cost. Oh, I also tried ordering Churros, not empanadas, on their online ordering system, and it kept telling me to choose "refuse sauce". I kept choosing and un-choosing and nothing worked.

I ordered the grilled chicken salad for carryout and it was less than satisfying. Not terribly Mexican, and I don't know how the taco and burritos and things like that are. The chicken was a little dry and didn't have much flavor and the guac is not awesome. I didn't like the dressing (chili lime vinaigrette), but that may just be personal preference. Fairly run of the mill salad, and not worth $14. I got it during a slow part of the day so the speed and service were great. I may try some actual Mexican food here at some point, but the salad is nothing to write home about. I can't say much about the atmosphere as I just stood by the door, but it looked pretty cool from that...

Right off the Monon across from the Sun King in Carmel, we had heard good things about this place and wanted to try it out. Parking is available along the narrow streets on either side of the Monon as well as neighborhood blocks. The restaurant seemed bigger than we anticipated as there is an L-shaped dining area in addition to a bar in the main room as well as an additional room for dining to the south of the room. We were fortunate to arrive just before 6:00 on a Saturday as we did as despite the amount of space and tables, the place filled up quickly with a good line of folks waiting after we got in.

We first ordered their Chips & 2 Salsas ($6.50). The chips were seasoned and plenty served on a baking tray. We chose their red and green salsas as we had heard the other 2 options were strongly spicy. The red had a mild kick to it and was a bit smoky. My wife liked the verde. We each tried the Mushroom Taco ($4.50) and the Avocado Taco ($4.75). I also ordered a Mushroom Tamale ($2.50). The Mushroom Tamale was a decent size and the mushroom filling was tasty. It didn't come with a sauce though, so it seemed a tad dry to eat overall, but I still liked it and would get it again. The Mushroom Taco was OK, but reminded me of a basic breaded mushroom appetizer on its taste. The Avocado Taco was fantastic as a blend of flavors. I would definitely order it again.

When the weather warms up, folks will enjoy eating at the outdoor tables they have set up to the north of their building to people watch the Monon. Probably not the best tasting food or value compared to other options, but I would consider...

Decided to try Social for the first time today. I ordered a simple appetizer for something that I'd be able to eat quickly. I chose the 8 piece option of the Jalepeno poppers. I ordered at 1:15, with a time given to me of 15 minutes until ready. When I walked in at 1:30 there was nobody at the front of the restaurant so I waited a few minutes until a nice, younger girl came to ask if I needed help. I told her I was there for a togo order. She said that it wasn't ready yet, but she'd check on it. Not a big deal, I just stood to the side. About 5 minutes later a different person came up and was apologizing to me that she only rang in 4 jalapeno poppers instead of 8, but not to worry because the others were being prepared on the fly. I waited another 10 minutes for them to come out. I walked back to the office, opened up both bags and the bacon was raw as can be on BOTH of them. I could possibly understand if it was the second one, since they were trying to rush it out, but BOTH? Poor Service and Poor Food Quality. Not at all what I was expecting from someplace with a higher price point and such a good looking restaurant. Not only was I late getting back to work, but I didn't even get to eat my lunch at all. I had to put them in the refrigerator so I could go home, stick them in my air fryer, and salvage what I could out of...