La Catrina — Restaurant in Media

I didn’t even want to go here but my fiancé wanted to go. We have been here three times since it’s opening last summer after the lockdown. The first time was ok. We were happy to be out! However, they didn’t have their liquor license. We obtained drinks from the establishment next door, which was fine. Weeks later we returned and there still was no liquor license but we were not told until we asked for drinks. This third visit was the nail in the coffin for me. The dining room was fairly empty except for two other tables. We were sat between a table of two and directly next to a basement door that staff came in and out of probably a dozen times during our entire meal. The first staff member apologized because she was getting her belongings to leave for the night and she was lingering right next to our table while she grabbed her things. My fiancé eventually moved his chair to the side of the table to evade the constant traffic in and out, the bright light every time the door opened, and the smell of the wet basement. No one else apologized or even realized or acknowledged that he had moved his chair. It made for an unsettling dinner. The food is actually good, and they are serving alcohol. The drinks we ordered were tasty! Our server, however, seemed underwhelmed. We were served lukewarm water and had to ask for ice. The server skipped all greetings and tersely asked what we wanted to drink. We were so caught off guard that it took us a moment to answer. We never knew her name and she never smiled. A half hour before closing, staff was quickly cleaning up and putting away the dining room, loudly stacking plates, and complaining. When we left, a staff member that was either the GM or the owner did say bye but everyone else ignored us. I would rather not eat here again. Eating out, for me, is not just about the food. This experience was unpleasant and that overpowered the taste of the food...

Before you read further be aware that I award 5-stars only to the most exceptional and unique places. My 4-stars are probably equivalent to most reviewer's 5-stars.

West State Street in Media could give Restaurant Row in NYC a run for it’s money. There are many restaurants on or within a block offering Mexican, French, Thai, Italian, Chinese, Irish, Burgers & Brews and Indian cuisines. La Cantina is located near it’s east end.

It has limited outside seating and a dining room with tall windows that open onto the street for a dining al fresco feeling while sitting in air conditioning. It was pretty hot and humid when we were there for lunch so AC was a real plus.

Two in our party ordered a Bowl, one with shrimp and one with grilled chicken. They included quinoa, corn, avocado, tomatoes and a vinaigrette dressing. Both were good and portions were more than adequate.

One ordered the spicy chicken quesadilla. He said it was good and not too spicy. Of course, “spicy” is a relative term so some may disagree with his evaluation.

I ordered a burrito stuffed with roasted short ribs, beans and rice. It was excellent. The flavor of the short ribs was excellent and they didn’t skimp on the amount. One-half a burrito would have been sufficient for lunch, but I ate it all anyway, it was that good. My included side salad was arugula, tomatoes and dressing. If you don’t like arugula you might ask your server for a substitute.

They have a Tequila menu and bottled beer. La Catrina’s dining room is not made up to look like a Mexican cantina. It and its menu are modern Mexican. This place is...

Absolutely delicious! It's about time Media gets a true authentic Mexican Restaurant. Not a fan of Deigo's and Hilgado...very sub par. I knew once I heard it was the same owner of Agave in Chadds Ford that it was going to be amazing. Everything on the menu is fresh/house made and you can for sure taste it. We had the guacamole which was awesome, there special item, jalapeno popper tacos (so good but lots of heat), and their spicy chicken quesadilla. We also finished with a dessert which was a spicy chocolate mouse. It was so good and had a nice little kick. Just a heads up, they're currently a BYOB but if you forget your choice of alcohol you can always walk across the street to Little Anthony's for a six pack or get drinks from Spasso's. I hope they stay with the BYOB aspect but they're currently sharing the Spasso's beer garden area which is also...