Cantina Mexicana has been on my list since I lived in Crystal City over 2 years ago. Recently I was in the area and decided to mark it off my list. Cantina Mexicana is on the 23rd st strip by Tortoise and the Hare, Crystal City Sports Pub, and Cafe Pizzaiolo. From the outside it looks like a small cozy Mexican place, which is exactly what it is. They have a nice outdoor eating area which is pleasant and I would have sat there if it was warmer.

We went in pretty hungry and decided to get a few appetizers. The menu had most of the normal Mexican treats like nachos and quesadillas, but we were looking for something a little more authentic. We ended up getting pupusas and plantains, which for me are always a treat. The pupusas well pupusa came with curtido (cabbage in a sauce). It was really good the cabbage and the pork stuffed tortilla were light, fluffy, and delicious. The plantains were good, but nothing to write home about. For my entree I just got the plain old chicken burrito. You can see the picture below and it was really just a plain chicken burrito. It did not taste bad, but not anything that I would go back for. We decided to skipped dessert here and decided to to Cafe Pizzaiolo for dessert.

Overall Cantina Mexicana is a place to get some decent Mexican in Crystal City. If you are looking for great Mexican food I would venture further to Rosslyn to Guajillo or into the city to Lauriol Plaza.

Cantina Mexican
515 23rd St S
Arlington, VA 22202
www.cantinamexicanarestaurant.com