If you’re looking for great food in Placentia, El Cantarito delivers a warm, flavorful Mexican dining experience that keeps guests coming back.
Known as a top-rated Mexican restaurant in Placentia, CA with a 4.50-star reputation, El Cantarito brings together authentic Mexican flavors, welcoming hospitality, and a relaxed atmosphere perfect for family meals, casual dinners, and special occasions.
From classic favorites to satisfying dishes made with care, this Placentia Mexican restaurant offers the kind of quality and consistency local diners appreciate. Whether you’re craving hearty comfort food, a lively place to eat with friends, or a dependable spot for authentic Mexican cuisine in Placentia, El Cantarito stands out as a trusted local choice.
To enjoy a memorable Mexican restaurant experience in Placentia, CA, visit El Cantarito and discover why so many guests recommend this top-rated local favorite.
Popular Items
Frequently ordered and highly recommended items at El Cantarito
Our Story
Welcome to a place where great food meets warm hospitality. We believe dining is more than just a meal - it's an experience to be savored and shared.
Our kitchen is dedicated to creating dishes that bring people together, using recipes that honor tradition while embracing innovation.
Photos
A glimpse of our restaurant experience
Food & Drinks
Hawaiian. An array of seasonal fresh fruits, served with cottage cheese, almonds, sunflower, raisins, coconut, and honey.
An array of seasonal fresh fruits, served with almonds, sunflower, raisins, coconut with condensed milk.
Choice of asada (steak), carnitas (pork), pollo (chicken) or alpastor (pork) with beans, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese all layered on a freshly fried tortilla shell.
Rice and beans with your choice of chile-verde (pork with green sauce), asada (steak), carnitas (pork), alpastor (pork) or pollo (chicken) and pico de gallo.
A large flour tortilla layered with beans and tender chunks of chicken, deep-fried to a flaky crispiness and garnished with guacamole, lettuce and sour cream.
3 pieces. Carnitas, chicken, and seasoned shredded beef.
Bread stuffed with lettuce, tomato, avocado, onions, jalapeño, fresh cheese and your choice of carnitas, pollo, asada or milanesa.
A large corn tortilla stuffed with lean pork chile-verde and refried beans simmered in our famous green chile sauce and topped with melted Jack cheese and green sauce.
A mild seedless green chile, roasted carefully peeled and stuffed with Jack cheese, lightly fried to a golden brown with ranchera sauce.
Fat tortilla topped with beans, meat, lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream and cheese.
Corn tortilla filled with your choice of carnitas (pork), alpastor (pork), asada (steak), birria (goat), pollo (chicken).
Fresh masa generously filled with your choice of meat, beans and pico de gallo.
Fresh masa generously stuffed with cheese then carefully deep-fried. Add meat for an additional charge.
A large corn tortilla stuffed with rice, seasoned tender chunks of chicken, and topped with melted Jack cheese and our famous red sauce.
Hot or cold.
Rice water.
Hibiscus flower
Add egg for an additional charge.
Regular or decaf.
Tamarind.
Selection of sodas including Diet Coke, Coke, Sprite, Raspberry Tea, and Dr Pepper.
Lemonade.
Double michelada with shrimp and cucumber.
With shrimp.
French vanilla bean ice cream drowned in Hershey's chocolate syrup topped with fluffy whipped cream and Snickers candy bar.
A Mexican tradition! Light and fluffy dough stick flavored with cinnamon sugar. Served warm.
Caramel sweetened egg custard slowly poached and served with whipped cream and topped with a cherry.
Freshly fried vanilla-filled churro, layered with delicious ice cream and topped with whipped cream, chocolate fudge and a fresh cherry.
Fresh ripe banana decorated with 3 scoops of ice cream, and toppings.
Egg with Mexican sausage.
Egg with bacon.
Pancakes with egg.
Egg with ham.
Chicken chile casserole.
Ranch style egg.
Tortilla, cheese and chile casserole.
For the ultimate appetite! A tender cut of beef steak served with 2 eggs any style. Served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
Handmade fresh tortilla chili casserole filled and topped with melted cheese, served with 2 eggs any style. Served with rice and beans.
2 eggs cooked any style, served with crisp bacon, rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
2 eggs cooked any style, mixed or accompanied with ham. Served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
2 eggs over easy on a fried corn tortilla covered with ranchera sauce. Served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
2 eggs scrambled with onions, tomatoes, and jalapeños. served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
Large burrito stuffed with potatoes, beans, cheese, scrambled eggs and your choice of ham, bacon or chorizo.
2 scrambled eggs mixed with Mexican sausage. served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
Tender chunks of pork simmered with our special green chili, served with 2 eggs any style, rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortilla.
Sauteed shredded pork with chopped onions, jalapeños, ripe tomatoes and scrambled with 2 eggs. Served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortilla.
Crisp fried corn tortilla chips simmered in a grilled pepper and tomatillo sauce, mixed with chicken. served with rice and beans.
Make your own omelette with our wide selection of ingredients. Up to 3 ingredients of your choice (cheese, bacon, ham, chorizo, onion, bell pepper or tomato) Includes 2 delicious sides of your choice: rice, beans, salad, home potatoes, or hashbrowns.
Sauteed Nopal cactus with chopped onions, ripe tomatoes and scrambled with 2 eggs. Served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
Flour tortilla.
Mexican rice.
Corn tortilla.
Sour cream.
Refried beans.
A creamy dip made from avocado.
French fries. Cut potatoes fried and salted to perfection.
Soft taco, rice, and beans. Carnitas, asada, or chicken.
Cheese pupusa, rice and beans.
Cheese enchilada, rice and beans.
Dough wrapped around a filling and steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf.
Deep-fried tortilla with a variety or toppings.
Cheese and bean burrito with rice.
Shrimp, beef, and chicken sauteed with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes in our famous seasonings. served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
Shrimp, sauteed with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes in our famous seasonings. Served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortilla.
Mild green pasilla pepper stuffed with Jack cheese and coated with fluffy egg butter topped with ranchera sauce. Served with rice, beans and a choice of corn or flour tortilla.
Two pieces of chicken carefully boiled served with our roasted pepper mole red sauce. Served with rice, beans and tortillas.
Beef cut in strips, sauteed with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and our famous seasonings. Served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
Beef steak grilled to perfection with chopped onions, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers seasoned Mexican style. Served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
Tender chunks of delicious pork, garnished with pico de gallo. Served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
Tender marinated chunks of beef slowly simmered in our flavorful broth. Served with pico de gallo on the side, rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
Chunks of seasoned tender pork, simmered in our special green chile. served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
Chicken cut in strips, sauteed with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes in our famous seasonings. Served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortilla.
Spicy. Tender chicken steamed to perfection with onions, jalapeños, tomatoes. Served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
Beef cut in strips, steamed with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes in our signature tomato sauce. Served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
Spicy. Tender steak steamed to perfection with onions, jalapeños and tomatoes. Served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortillas.
A traditional 8 oz. beef skirt steak, garnished with grilled onions a fried serrano and ripe tomatoes. Served with rice, beans, chips, salsa and tortilla.
Taco shell filled with shredded salad, rice, beans, pico de gallo, and avocado topped with grilled juicy chicken breast.
A bed of fresh greens, avocado, and tomato topped with grilled juicy chicken breast. Served with garlic bread.
Beef stew. Tender hearty beef, vegetables. choice of corn or flour tortillas.
Chicken soup. Delicious chicken soup with potato, corn, cabbage, squash and carrot. choice of corn or flour tortilla.
Hominy pork stew. Our delicious and very traditional Mexican soup with pork and hominy served with our handmade tortilla or flour tortilla.
Taste our home-style menudo, cooked in our seasoned broth with honeycomb, beef tripe. Accompanied with lemons, diced onions, oregano & served with tortillas. Corn or flour Tortilla.
Combo plate comes with rice, beans, and your choice of 2 items combination. Include arroz, frijoles, and dos selecciones.
Carrot.
Juice of life. / Zanahoria, manzana, apio, y pepino. / Carrot, apple, celery, and cucumber.
Orange Juce.
Carrot and orange.
Pineapple.
Beans, salsa verde, melted cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream. Your choice of meat : chile verde, asada, carnitas, or chicken.
Hot wings, chile peppers, nachos & quesadilla.
6 pieces. Cooked wings of a chicken coated in sauce or seasoning.
Cheese, add meat
6 pieces. Stuffed with cheese and fried.
Whole fried perch, served with Mexican rice pan-fried to a delicate crispness. A la diabla or al mojo de ajo for an additional charge.
A bunch of fresh shrimp in a spicy chunky vegetable soup "Grandpa's favorite soup" served with tortillas.
A lightly breaded shrimp served with refried rice.
Shrimp, onions, tomatoes, and bell pepper grilled to perfection served with rice, beans and handmade tortillas.
A combination of different kinds of seafood in our homestyle vegetable soup, served with tortillas.
Freshly cooked medium sized shrimp, served with a la mexicana, in our special sauce with diced avocados, cucumber, onion, and cilantro.
A generous serving of a medium shrimp, sauteed in flavorful tomato ranchera sauce.
A bunch of fresh fish in a spicy chunky vegetable soup "Grandpa's favorite soup" served with tortillas.
Oysters, 1/2 dz
Juicy plump white shrimp quickly sautéed enhanced with a spiced red chile sauce.
Tender peeled white shrimp sautéed in fresh garlic, served with handmade tortillas.
Hear from our valued guests
The food was delicious! The jalapeno poppers had a lot of flavor, and very little heat. The pork had fantastic flavor, and was complimented nicely by the fresh ingredients in the burrito. The staff was friendly and helpful, with plenty of suggestions. Do yourself a favor and get the churro!
Coming from out of town, food was great and service was quick and amazing
Great food and friendly service. I had the chicken mole; it was delicious. My wife had the 2 item combo. She enjoyed it. Fresh homemade chips and salsa. Homemade tortillas. What more could you want? Prices are reasonable. And they have a good selection on the menu. Check this place out. You won't regret it.
📌El Cantarito is located in Placentia California. They are family owned and operated since 2002. They serve all the popular Mexican dishes by using fresh and local ingredients and cooking it to order. We got both the green and red Chilaquiles and they were bomb, the red ones have more of a kick 🦵 but delicious. Don't forget they have Menudo on Sat and Sun mornings ☀️ Their customer service at El Cantarito will make you feel at home. Don't forget to get their cinnamon coffee, it will transport you to Mexico.
Cozy, local restaurant with amazing food and good atmosphere
I planned on going to El Farolito, but the wait was almost an hour. I walked around the corner and stumbled on this gem. Amazing food and impeccable service. If i had to guess, this place is probably a family business. The pozole was fantastic!
Was visiting from out of town and stumbled upon a tiktok that recommend this place. And OH MY GOSH it was amazing. The food was authentic and tasted amazing and left us in a food coma. Highly recommend the chilaquiles and cheese enchiladas. The red sauce made you crave more for sure. We will willingly make the drive to continue to eat here. The atmosphere was very homey and the waiter was kind.
Fantastic food and truly outstanding service. I’m pretty sure this is a family-run spot, and it shows in the warmth and care they put into everything. The pozole was absolutely amazing!
The food was so good! I got the combo plate with a cheese enchilada and a hard shell shredded beef taco. Everything was delicious and the chips and salsa were on point too. This is for sure my go to Mexican food spot in Placentia.
Had my husband pick the spot for breakfast and he couldn't have picked any better! Thank you for the amazing service and for being patient while my kids and I ordered. I custom ordered my plate based on options I was given. The Cafe de Olla was excellent! And the Pozzole even had my picky kids ordering more! Been out of town for 4 days and we were missing home made food and this right here was everything :)
Common questions about El Cantarito
El Cantarito is located at 120 W Santa Fe Ave, Placentia, CA 92870, United States, Placentia, CA, United States.
You can reach El Cantarito by calling +1 714-528-6090.
El Cantarito has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 based on 954 customer reviews.
El Cantarito features the following accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible car park, Wheelchair-accessible entrance, Wheelchair-accessible seating, Wheelchair-accessible toilet.
El Cantarito features the following service options: Outdoor seating, No-contact delivery, Delivery, Takeaway, Dine-in.
El Cantarito features the following highlights: Fast service, Great beer selection, Great coffee, Serves local specialty.
El Cantarito features the following popular for: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Solo dining.
El Cantarito features the following offerings: Alcohol, Beer, Cocktails, Coffee, Comfort food, Happy-hour drinks, Happy-hour food, Quick bite, Small plates, Wine.
El Cantarito features the following dining options: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Catering, Dessert, Seating, Table service.
El Cantarito features the following amenities: Restroom.
El Cantarito features the following atmosphere: Casual, Cozy, Historic, Trendy.
El Cantarito features the following crowd: Groups, Tourists, University students.
El Cantarito features the following planning: Accepts reservations.
El Cantarito features the following payments: Credit cards, Debit cards, NFC mobile payments.
El Cantarito features the following children: Good for kids, High chairs, Kids' menu.
El Cantarito features the following parking: Free parking lot, Free street parking, Plenty of parking.
El Cantarito features the following pets: Dogs allowed outside.
Business Features
We look forward to welcoming you. Make a reservation or stop by - walk-ins welcome!
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