Mexican variety
The menu includes tacos, quesadillas, nachos supreme, shrimp enchiladas and sizzling fajitas.
Cantina Continental & Mexican Restaurant
Al Mankhool
Cantina Continental & Mexican Restaurant is a hotel-based restaurant in Al Mankhool, serving breakfast through dinner with Mexican dishes alongside buffet dining. Reviews mention shrimp enchiladas, tacos, nachos and fajitas, while the setting has also hosted live music and outdoor seating.
Reputation Score
3.9
★★★★☆
167 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Enchiladas
One reviewer specifically enjoyed the shrimp enchiladas, describing them as grilled perfectly with North American-style flavours.
Live music
Reviews mention Mexican or Latin music, singers and live entertainment, giving some evenings a more social atmosphere.
Outdoor seating
An outside garden and outdoor sitting area were both mentioned positively by customers.
Friendly staff
Several older reviews describe the staff as friendly, polite, attentive and helpful when explaining the menu.
Buffet option
The restaurant is also described by customers as a hotel buffet restaurant, with one reviewer calling the buffet fantastic.
What to Eat at Cantina Continental & Mexican Restaurant How we choose these items We use AI to find praise and criticism of specific foods and drinks in a selection of Google reviews. For Cantina Continental & Mexican Restaurant, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. The score is positive reviews minus negative reviews. For example, two positive reviews and one negative review give +1. Each review counts once per item; neutral comments do not change the score. A zero score is not a positive recommendation. “Only neutral feedback” means there are no positive or negative votes. “Mixed feedback” means equal numbers of positive and negative votes. The quotes are examples of what people said, not every comment we counted. We use different reviews where we can. We normally show up to 10 foods and 5 drinks with non-negative scores. Items with the same score stay together. If a tied group would go past the limit, that group and the lower non-negative scores go into Honorable mentions. If an overflowing positive top tie would leave the list empty, we show up to 10 items from that tie and keep the rest in Honorable mentions. Foods and drinks with a negative score are under What to Avoid. Use this as a guide to what reviewers liked, not a guarantee that you will like it too.
Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of Cantina Continental & Mexican Restaurant, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.
Food 9
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Burger Net +1
“Nice place..they make wonderful burgers”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Nice place..they make wonderful burgers”March 2020
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Quesadillas Net +1
“We ordered Tacos de pescado, Tacos de pollo, quesadillas, Nachos supreme and Sizzling Fajitas. None of which disappointed.. would have loved it if the salt was a bit more but then I won't know if it was inappropriate as it has been almost 20 years since I had my first meal in Mexico city in 1999.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered Tacos de pescado, Tacos de pollo, quesadillas, Nachos supreme and Sizzling Fajitas. None of which disappointed.. would have loved it if the salt was a bit more but then I won't know if it was inappropriate as it has been almost 20 years since I had my first meal in Mexico city in 1999.”March 2019
-
Shrimp enchiladas Net +1
“I had shrimp enchiladas and they were grilled perfectly and tasted as they are supposed to in North America. Many Mexican places in Dubai don't have the right flavors but this one does.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I had shrimp enchiladas and they were grilled perfectly and tasted as they are supposed to in North America. Many Mexican places in Dubai don't have the right flavors but this one does.”November 2020
-
Sizzling fajitas Net +1
“We ordered Tacos de pescado, Tacos de pollo, quesadillas, Nachos supreme and Sizzling Fajitas. None of which disappointed.. would have loved it if the salt was a bit more but then I won't know if it was inappropriate as it has been almost 20 years since I had my first meal in Mexico city in 1999. Loved the complimentary plain nachos with dips served in the beginning. Sizzling Fajitas is a close second. Rest competes for the 3rd spot.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered Tacos de pescado, Tacos de pollo, quesadillas, Nachos supreme and Sizzling Fajitas. None of which disappointed.. would have loved it if the salt was a bit more but then I won't know if it was inappropriate as it has been almost 20 years since I had my first meal in Mexico city in 1999. Loved the complimentary plain nachos with dips served in the beginning. Sizzling Fajitas is a close second. Rest competes for the 3rd spot.”March 2019
-
Stake Net +1
“the stake was good enough although it would've been a great value and have better taste if it came along with side dishes.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“the stake was good enough although it would've been a great value and have better taste if it came along with side dishes.”November 2020
-
Tacos de pescado Net +1
“We ordered Tacos de pescado, Tacos de pollo, quesadillas, Nachos supreme and Sizzling Fajitas. None of which disappointed.. would have loved it if the salt was a bit more but then I won't know if it was inappropriate as it has been almost 20 years since I had my first meal in Mexico city in 1999.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered Tacos de pescado, Tacos de pollo, quesadillas, Nachos supreme and Sizzling Fajitas. None of which disappointed.. would have loved it if the salt was a bit more but then I won't know if it was inappropriate as it has been almost 20 years since I had my first meal in Mexico city in 1999.”March 2019
-
Tacos de pollo Net +1
“We ordered Tacos de pescado, Tacos de pollo, quesadillas, Nachos supreme and Sizzling Fajitas. None of which disappointed.. would have loved it if the salt was a bit more but then I won't know if it was inappropriate as it has been almost 20 years since I had my first meal in Mexico city in 1999.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered Tacos de pescado, Tacos de pollo, quesadillas, Nachos supreme and Sizzling Fajitas. None of which disappointed.. would have loved it if the salt was a bit more but then I won't know if it was inappropriate as it has been almost 20 years since I had my first meal in Mexico city in 1999.”March 2019
-
Tiki pula pula Net +1
“Yemmi and I enjoyed the tiki pula pula with a couple cold pints after a long hitch at sea. Yeh is the man we had a blast. USMM”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Yemmi and I enjoyed the tiki pula pula with a couple cold pints after a long hitch at sea. Yeh is the man we had a blast. USMM”March 2019
-
Nachos supremo Net 0
Mixed feedback
“We ordered Tacos de pescado, Tacos de pollo, quesadillas, Nachos supreme and Sizzling Fajitas. None of which disappointed.. would have loved it if the salt was a bit more but then I won't know if it was inappropriate as it has been almost 20 years since I had my first meal in Mexico city in 1999.”
Positive 1Negative 1
Review excerpts
“We ordered Tacos de pescado, Tacos de pollo, quesadillas, Nachos supreme and Sizzling Fajitas. None of which disappointed.. would have loved it if the salt was a bit more but then I won't know if it was inappropriate as it has been almost 20 years since I had my first meal in Mexico city in 1999.”March 2019
What to Avoid (6)
Food 5
-
Al pastor Net −1
“For mains I had the al pastor, the plating looked nice visually, but it tasted like they just slapped some wok leftovers inside a tortilla. It was not al pastor… I tried to explain this to the waiter, but he didn’t seem to neither understand nor care…”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“For mains I had the al pastor, the plating looked nice visually, but it tasted like they just slapped some wok leftovers inside a tortilla. It was not al pastor… I tried to explain this to the waiter, but he didn’t seem to neither understand nor care…”January 2024
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Chimichanga Net −1
“Salsa tasted store-bought and the chimichanga is not fried.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Salsa tasted store-bought and the chimichanga is not fried.”March 2019
-
Nachos Net −1
“Really had my hopes up for this place, but sadly it disappointed massively… Had the nachos for starter, awful dish. Tasted like industrialized canned liquid cheese.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Really had my hopes up for this place, but sadly it disappointed massively… Had the nachos for starter, awful dish. Tasted like industrialized canned liquid cheese.”January 2024
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Taco al pastor Net −1
“The taco al pastor was so watery. There where so much sauce in there, not so good eating while the sauce is dripping everywhere. This is their signature dish btw.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The taco al pastor was so watery. There where so much sauce in there, not so good eating while the sauce is dripping everywhere. This is their signature dish btw.”May 2023
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Tacos al pastor Net −1
“We order nachos supremo and tacos al pastor. The tacos were full of a bbq sauce and didn't match with the description of sours and ingredients of the menu.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We order nachos supremo and tacos al pastor. The tacos were full of a bbq sauce and didn't match with the description of sours and ingredients of the menu.”September 2023
Drinks 1
-
Strawberry daiquiri cocktail Net −1
“Only disappointment was the strawberry daiquiri cocktail . There was no taste of strawberry at all which kinda let it down . Luckily we only ordered 1.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Only disappointment was the strawberry daiquiri cocktail . There was no taste of strawberry at all which kinda let it down . Luckily we only ordered 1.”October 2019
Tips for a Better Visit
Allow time. Visit when you are not rushed: one diner waited 45 minutes for an appetiser and another 30 minutes for the main course.
Confirm spice. Repeat your spice preference when ordering, since one review says a non-spicy request resulted in an extra-spicy dish.
Check photos. Set expectations before arriving: recent reviews describe the actual room as a hotel buffet restaurant rather than the pictured venue.
Verify vouchers. If using a voucher, confirm acceptance and reservation details directly beforehand; one dated voucher was refused on arrival.
Try enchiladas. Shrimp enchiladas received a notably positive review, while nachos and al pastor drew sharper criticism.
Expect noise. If you want a quiet couple-focused meal, note one review’s warning about a mostly male crowd and loud television volume.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Kuwait St
Al Mankhool, Dubai
| Mon | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Tue | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Wed | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Thu | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Fri | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Sat | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Sun | 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
Common Concerns
Slow service
Long waits recur in the reviews, including 45 minutes for an appetiser and another half-hour for the main course.
Inconsistent food
Recent reviews criticise food quality, with nachos described as tasting like industrial sauce and al pastor tacos as unlike the menu description.
Spice error
A request for non-spicy food was reportedly ignored, with the dish arriving extra spicy and taking 25 minutes to replace.
Price concerns
Some diners felt the food was expensive for its quality, including one solo meal costing more than AED100.
Misleading photos
Two reviews say the venue looks different from its online pictures and is more like a hotel buffet or cafeteria.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Cantina Continental & Mexican Restaurant sits inside the Grand Excelsior Hotel Bur Dubai in Al Mankhool. You can come for breakfast, dinner or buffet dining, or order Mexican dishes such as shrimp enchiladas, tacos al pastor, nachos supreme and sizzling fajitas. Older reviews also mention outdoor seating, Mexican or Latin music and live entertainment, so the experience can lean more social than intimate.
The food record is mixed. Shrimp enchiladas were praised for being grilled perfectly, and some diners found the menu tasty and varied. Other customers described the nachos as tasting like industrial sauce and said the al pastor tacos were watery, overloaded with barbecue sauce or unlike the description.
Service is another important variable: several reviews praise polite, attentive staff, but others report slow ordering, delayed dishes and difficulty getting the bill. Check the current setting before you go, as recent reviewers say the restaurant looks more like a hotel buffet or cafeteria than its online photos suggest. It is also worth confirming voucher acceptance and reservation details in advance.
Prices have been described as high for the quality, including a report of more than AED100 for one solo meal. For a quieter visit, avoid busy periods and ask about seating away from loud television or live entertainment.