Los Cantaros — Restaurant in Kimberling City

We have eaten here about 7 times now. I wish I could give it more than 3 stars, but the issue is food consistency and wait staff friendliness. Service is quick, so that's good. The staff is pretty attentive, but often times act as if they are unhappy or don't want to be there. Especially the male servers. And then the food. Sometimes the food is amazing (why we keep going back) and other times is it NOT. Examples: Last week, we went there and I ordered the fish tacos. The menu said it includes tilapia, cabbage and a slice of avocado. What was served was fish, but no cabbage and no avocado. Instead, a bit of shredded lettuce and cheese. The fish itself was fine, although a bit dry and not very flavorful. I was disappointed it was nothing like the menu described. (Since the server was grouchy, I wasn't going to question him on it.) My husband ordered the T-bone Tropical, and it was amazing! Loads of perfectly cooked mushrooms for flavor, juicy medium/well steak and perfect shrimp and pineapple. Last night we went there and I was so excited to order the T-bone Tropical! Ugh. Not even close to what my husband had the week before. Bland gray steak, overly cooked. Maybe about 8 small overly cooked slices of mushrooms--not juicy at all. The pineapple and the shrimp were very good. So I ate those and decided the chips and salsa were far better than the steak, so filled up on them. So disappointing! (On the flip side, one of our guests ordered another steak, and his was pretty good. Go figure.)

Overall, I think if you order basic saucy items like enchiladas, etc, you should be fine. But, be aware if you order anything that requires judgement, like how to flavor the meat, or how long to cook it, it might turn out great, or it might not.

So...for service and food consistency, go to El Lago, Tequila's and Las Casitas. All three of those restaurants have nicer wait staff, and you can expect decent food every time. Las Casitas is by far the nicest...and their food is by far the BEST. They have a creative menu with truly authentic, fresh food. So good! But, their location is not convenient, and they are closed on Saturdays. Hope this helps! And hopefully Los Canteros can improve so that every item on the menu is served accurately and...

The first few times we ordered take out from this restaurant the food was delicious and the service was outstanding. The last two times I’ve ordered food and the customer service has been HORRIBLE. A few weeks ago I needed an extra bag for my Coke’s. I WAITED FOR MINUTES, while the young man I asked ignored me in the back of the restaurant. Finally, I asked another server if I could have a bag, and he stated they were all out. I thought to myself for a moment, you’re a restaurant, it’s early in the day and you’re telling me you’re all out of bags? Not only that, the young man I asked for the bag couldn’t even come back to tell me they were out, and he clearly saw me waiting there for the bag. I really think that was disrespectful. Tonight I ordered from them again. And I asked for a bag for my sodas, the same young man smirked at his coworker like that’s her, while his coworker retrieved the bag for me. You know I just don’t care to be treated like that, but to top it all off they did not give me what I ordered. One meal was completely WRONG. Well that wrong meal and the bag issue cost this place this crappy and disappointing review, no more recommendations to others, and two less customers. There’s plenty of other restaurants around that I’m sure will be thankful that I...

After a busy morning running errands around town, we decided to stop in for lunch at this local Mexican restaurant near Table Rock Lake — and we’re glad we did. It was exactly the kind of break we needed.

The atmosphere was casual and welcoming, with fast seating and a friendly greeting at the door. The restaurant was clean and comfortable, perfect for a mid-day meal without feeling rushed or too formal.

The food came out hot and fresh. We had a Taco Salad Fajita (Chicken) and everything was flavorful and well-prepared. The chips and salsa were a great starter — crisp chips and a salsa and a side of guacamole that had a good balance of spice and freshness. Portions were just right for lunch: filling, but not heavy. We also enjoyed some very tasty desserts that you have to try yourself!

Our server was attentive and kind, making sure drinks were full and everything was to our liking. Even with a steady lunch crowd, service moved along smoothly, and we were in and out in a reasonable time.

If you’re in the area and want something reliably good while out and about, this place is worth a stop. We’ll definitely keep it on our list for an easy and enjoyable lunch option. Definitely my favorite Mexican...