Cilantro Neighborhood Cantina — Restaurant in Maryland

Cilantro’s Neighborhood Cantina is a special place for my husband and me, and we wish we could give it more than the maximum rating stars, not only for the quality of the food but for the exceptional people there. We have gone to Cilantro’s on numerous occasions since it first opened in Glenelg, MD and have enjoyed all of the Latin delicacies they have to offer (it’s scratch-made Latin food, not your typical Mexican taco joint). The reason we kept going back in addition to the food was because of the customer service from both Emily and Blake at the bar. No two people make you feel more special than they do. Well, here comes COVID-19 and we have been on lock down at home for six months with nowhere to go for our 35th wedding anniversary in September. We wanted a special experience and immediately thought of Cilantro’s so we talked to Emily to reserve their outdoor seating area and requested a special five-course surprise meal made by the chef/owner, Mr. Yampier Santana. They not only accommodated us but decorated the area for us with flowers and gifts, had our favorite libations at the ready (checking with us in advance to see what we wanted to drink) and then presented the MOST AMAZING six-course meal. Yampier outdid himself and presented an incredible array of delicacies where he was able to showcase his prowess of culinary mastery, and Emily made us feel like the term “VIP” was nothing compared to how we were treated. The Butternut Squash Soup, Scallops with Polenta, Chicken Tamale with Mole Sauce, Beet and Avocado Salad, Sea Bass with Cilantro Rice, and an incredible dessert of Fried Donuts and Plantains with Custard were to die for. We did not feel rushed at all, we felt safe in this environment, and knew that they exceeded our expectations in delivering a special experience for us. If you want a quick carry-out meal, a seat outside for a peaceful dinner experience, or a special occasion experience, they will not let you down. Without reservation we highly recommend Cilantro’s Neighborhood Cantina and their exceptional staff and owner. We feel like part of the “Cilantro’s family” and I hope they have a long-lasting stay here in...

Recently moved into the area and decided to try this place out. Arrived around 7:15 on a Saturday night. We were warmly greeted and asked to sit wherever was open. There were 2-booths available and we sat down. We were quickly welcomed and drink orders we're taken.

For dinner, I ordered the paella and my wife got the chicken fajitas. I love a good paella and rarely see it on any menus so I was excited to try it. It arrived in a short time and was expertly presented and the taste was even better. It was simply the best paella I have ever had in my life. It couldn't have been better, in fact I don't know how it could have been this good. FABULOUS!!!!

Chicken fajitas that my wife got we're very good. The chicken was seasoned well, which some fail to do. My wife was very pleased and had to take some of it home as the portion size was greater than she could eat; bonus lunch for tomorrow for her.

I hesitate to recommend Cilantro to others because I don't want the seating to not be available for the next time we return...just kidding. People need to know about this place, excellent food and service. We will definitely be back as if it wasn't for the paella, there were several other entrees that were on the menu that I want to try. Thank you for an excellent dining experience, the best that I have had in this area..

Other things to note. Parking was ample and the lot well lit for anyone concerned about that, off the beaten path which we liked though.

Congratulations on your gem of a...

We went for lunch based on the rave reviews. First, the front door wasn’t easy to open. Second, there was only one person working as the hostess, bartender and server. It’s a seat yourself restaurant, which is fine, but the booth and chairs are very uncomfortable. The booth seat felt broken and made me just want to get food and leave. The water is served in open disposal plastic cups and that’s fine for adults, but an accident waiting to happen for two kids under 6. Luckily we managed to get through without any spills. Now for the food… the most disappointing thing is there’s no chips and salsa served complimentary or as an option on the menu. We got the chips and queso and it was ok, but the color was off and wasn’t nearly enough for the amount of chips that are given with it. My kids got the cheese quesadilla with fries. They were overly filled with cheese making the difficult to eat (which is crazy to say for something like an quesadilla!) and the fries just tasted like oil. My husband had the steak tacos and the flavor was lacking. I had the taco salad with chicken and it was fine, but nothing spectacular. As for the service, I had to get up to ask for napkins, we never were asked how our food was, our plates were never cleared. Even the tables near us weren’t cleared. Lastly, there’s no music, you can hear every conversation around you. Skip this place and find a place that knows how to be...