Midtown's Cantina Alley — Restaurant in Sacramento

I really wanted to like this place more. The atmosphere is fun and authentic. Almost like being transported into mexico. The food was really good and authentic as well once we finally got to eat some but after waiting for over an hour, half of our party left before we even got seated. In total we spent a little over 2 hours at this resturant and only about 20 minutes of it eating. After all the waiting the atmosphere actually starts to get tiresome. I left with a headache that lasted into the night. Most of the staff is plesant but not all of them. My friend tried to order me the drink in the watermelon and we just got the watermelon margarhita in a glass which was kind of dissappointing. This place isnt actually that family Friendly at all. I would not reccomend coming here with a child under 5 especially in a group of more than 4 people. They only have two booster seats and the atmosphere is definitely more bar than resturant. I guess this particular night the place was being clogged by an even larger party that started clearing out just before they seated us and people were getting drunk enough to vomit in the front entrance as they were leaving before 7pm which is around the time our party decided to start leaving. We werent going to wait another hour as the text app was estimating then about 10mins later our table was suddenly ready and during our time at the table things seemed to start calming down a bit as far as how crowded the place was and how flustered the staff was. Over all- I might come back because it's not a terrible place but the food and atmosphere is barely 45min wait worthy and definitely not 1-2 hour wait worthy. There are better Mexican restaurants that are definitely better for families than this place but if you are going to get wasted and party like you are in a college frat house you might...

We visited Midtown's Cantina Alley on a busy evening (I think there was a soccer game earlier in the day). We were told there was an over thirty minute wait but we decided to wait and see. It probably took about 20 min so it wasn't too bad. They send you a text when your table is ready.

The menu was pretty extensive but not overwhelming. We ordered the al pastor torta, flautas, and three tacos: chorizo, fish, and carne asada. I loved the flautas which had a salsa that offered a spicy kick every so often. The tacos were good but I would not order the carne asada again it was kind of dry. The chorizo was my favorite followed by the fish taco which was beer battered! My husband loved his torta which was filled with various toppings and a generous amount of avocado. I wanted to try one of the soups but alas there was not enough stomach room for another dish. Perhaps next time.

They seemed a bit understaffed. It took us a long time to get a hold of someone for water refills. The restaurant was very busy with a lot of sports fans happily enjoying their alcoholic beverages. It wasn't my mood for the day but it seemed like a fun place for the right occasion. Overall, we enjoyed our food and had a good time.

The restaurant is indoor/outdoor so the weather was nice enough but I am curious what they do when the weather is not..I'm not sure..

There are only two single stall restrooms for the entire restaurant which was definitely not enough on a busy day like ours. But, it is what it is - don't hold it! Get in line lol.

Parking in the area was a bit challenging but after a few loops we found street parking. Some spots were metered and some were not. I suppose you just need some luck. The restaurant is indeed tucked into an alley way which was kind of neat but still an active street so cars do still drive down so take caution...

Not sure if I went on a good night or what because I do not remember this place being so good last time I was there pre-2020. I got elote in a cup and 2 of the Baja fish tacos. First off, getting the elote off the cob was a total game changer. 10x easier to eat in a restaurant setting and absolutely no loss of flavor or quality. The breading on the fish in the tacos was top notch. Perfectly crispy on the outside and the fish was cooked just right. The salsa on top was spicy without being overbearing and PACKED with flavor! Only one downside but I won't knock off a star because it's much more of a personal preference: I got a classic margarita and idk, they don't necessarily have to be strong but I prefer more tequila flavor. This one was on the sweet, almost limeade side of things. Overall, I was extremely impressed with the quality and service and I left full and happy. Will definitely be returning soon!

Edit: Visited for a quick dinner and a drink and the seating situation was...awkward to say the least. Walked up and was told they aren't seating anyone. Was not given any other details other than we could order at the bar. Ordered at the bar and noticed a ton of tables open so thought it was open seating? Sat at one of the 10-15 open tables and within 5 seconds of sitting down we were being told the tables were on reserve and were forced to go back to the bar. Cool. Got back to the bar, finished our drinks and food and by the time we left, not only was the table we tried to sit at still open but more tables had opened up. You can't reserve a table online and we were not offered to do so at the door. So like, what? Whole experience totally put me off. They definitely need to...