Cantina Del Mar Fresh Mexican Grill — Restaurant in Upper Grand Lagoon

We ate here when the place was open for only five days.

The food here is terrific. I had the Enchiladas Mexicanas, which were very tasty. The chicken was tender and savory and the sauces were a great addition. My wife had chicken, beef and shrimp soft tacos, which were also excellent.

The chips and salsa appeared to be made in house. The chips were light, thin and crispy, and the salsa had good, mild flavor. Even the refried beans were better than expected. My only exception is the Mexican rice, which seemed just plain bland—but that is not enough to bring the rating down to four stars.

The staff was friendly and helpful, although I think the growing pains of being newly opened still needed to be ironed out. I think once they get established, service will seem a bit less confused and scattered.

This place has a cozy and comfortable atmosphere, prices are decent and the location is killer—just a quick stroll and you’re on the beach! Several major hotels are also within walking distance, so if you are staying in one of them, you are minutes away from great...

Not Worth It – Good Food, Horrible Service

I really wanted to like this place because the food is good, but unfortunately the terrible customer service ruins the entire experience. I gave this restaurant three chances during my trip to Panama City Beach, and each time I left frustrated.

The waitresses are not capable of getting the order right — every single visit, there was a mistake. There were always empty tables, yet I was made to wait over 30 minutes to be seated, without any explanation.

To make things worse, if you walk in through the entrance by the bar (which is open and visible), the staff gets noticeably rude and upset, like you’ve done something wrong. It’s unwelcoming and unprofessional.

No matter how good the food is, it’s not worth being treated so poorly. I won’t be coming back, and I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone who values basic courtesy and...

We’re locals and we was not impressed. I ordered birria tacos and they tasted awful. Everything we ordered did. The food was very VERY bland. The birria tasted like dry roast without any seasoning as well as the sauce. The corn tortilla made it taste even worse. My husband street tacos was very bland. The pineapple was the only tasty thing on it. Again the corn tortilla made it worse. My son’s chicken quesadilla, the chicken was very bland. Everything we ordered had no flavor. I see all these reviews saying how amazing tbis place is, are they really being honest? Is it employees posting the review? Maybe they have a new cook?? I do not know but tonight the food was not good. The staff is very friendly and the place is clean. The best birria tacos in Panama City is 1) Old Mexico in Lynn Haven 2) Los Antojitos on Beck Ave. They have the best chips/salsa, street...