Cataleya Cantina — Restaurant in Knoxville

Found this place via Yelp, had some very good reviews and a few not so good. I decided to give it a try. Up on arrival I was immediately surprised that they have outdoor seating, the surprises just kept on coming. They have a good menu that is not so overwhelming like other places. They have a large selection of drinks! I got a " Mariposa Traicionera" it was blue and delicious not so strong but def had some alcohol. My wife got a traditional margarita and loved hers. We are a bit of food snobs and I will definitely give credit and critique where it is warranted. I must say my food was absolutely delicious, my meat was cooked to perfection and the rice was not that plain yellow rice but instead it was white with tiny chopped up veggies. My beans were also out of this world. Instead of boring plain refried they had other veggies in a soup like consistency they really were amazing!! I tried my kids quesadillas and they too were very tasty i could have eaten their food and been very satisfied. My kids who usually don't finish their food ate it all. The atmosphere is great, tastefully decorated not your traditional bright colors and oddly placed random items but a cohesive strategic interior decor that is refreshing and welcomed. The service was spot on. Quick, friendly, in clear English and was made sure to be there in the event we needed anything. Probably the best experienced I've had from a $$ level price restaurant. Definitely excited to be back and try their other foods and drinks. I would say that who ever had a bad experience had to be an anomaly because the other customers seemed to be having a great time also. We were there at 6:45 pm and when we left it was packed but the service was still perfect...

Was really looking forward to this place but unfortunately were disappointed with the food and the service. I ordered the quesabirria tacos which were just okay, definitely needed salt. But my husband ordered ceviche which arrived raw. Ceviche is cooked with citrus juice and you can tell it’s cooked because the shrimp turns pink and is no longer see-through. I was married to a Cuban for years and grew up in South Florida so I know ceviche. It’s not a raw dish. My husband’s shrimp in his ceviche were still grey and see-through. We had to flag someone down to tell them he couldn’t eat it, but by the time someone came over I’d eaten all my food so he didn’t want anything else. They offered to cook it more - how is that possible? A lady came over and explained to us that “This is the way Hispanic people eat ceviche.” I said okay maybe it’s different from region to region (I’m not going to tell her what her culture is) but I have Cuban family and I know ceviche, and shrimp in particular should not be served raw. I feel like she tried to make us feel culturally ignorant based on our appearance to cover up her kitchen’s mistake! She said she’d take it off our bill but the bill arrived and it was still on there, so we had to wait again to flag someone down and luckily they fixed it. We didn’t have one dedicated server throughout the meal because they were setting up for an event, so maybe we picked a bad day to go but based on food safety concerns and the insulting way it was handled, we won’t be giving them...

What a beautiful surprise and experience it was to discover this authentic mexican beauty , so full of goodness ,a work of art from the paintings on the walls to the fresh flavors of love that marinate your taste buds and thirst quenching drinks of freshness. What a pleasure it has been to continue to discover more food and drinks from the menu at every visit from the consistently fresh salsa and warm chips to the fresh oranges and limes whether to take out or an in house plated specialty at Cataleya touched with a lovely flower. Always a beautiful meal presentation, whether from a comfortable booth or the delightful and colorful bar. Every experience for my family and friends and I, together or separately has been discussed as delightful to the tastebuds and Never anything but excellence through and throughout my senses. Friendly and professional staff always with a best effort to serve even at times of seemingly overwhelming customer turnouts like Cinco de Mayo and last night's first year annual festival. I love this establishment as much as the different foods that come out of my own home kitchen. Quite honestly, I can't make this style and experience at home alone so I keep coming back for more since just two months after their Grand Opening last year! All thought as I write has made me hungry for the Carne Asada and that wonderful drink, ¡"tu eres mi madre"! ¡Bravo y larga vida Cataleya...