10/31/09

Great food

by DBrownn

I have eaten here several times since moving to Chapel Hill and the food has been great every time. My favorite are the tacos. Everyone is friendly and helpful. Had a good time.

• Pros: Food was fabulous, staff friendly
• Cons: located in a strip mall

07/21/09

Great food esp. salsa

by funnyornot

After reading the 1-star reviews, I was hesitant to go when a couple friends invited me. However, I am glad I went. Yes, service was a bit slow and our waiter seemed like he would rather be somewhere else. Yes, no free chips and salsa. BUT their chips are really tasty and so is there salsa! I've had plenty authentic salsa, this is one of the best I've had. Huge burrito -- definitely recommend it. Chicken is definitely fresh and tastes like REAL chicken. By the way, the place is always packed so get in line early.

• Pros: great food
• Cons: waiters non-engaging attitude

11/07/08

Did I Vist the Same Place???

by BarrySlaughter

"Authentic"?? "Fresh Ingredients"?? I can't believe the reviews. We moved here from Denver a year and a half ago, so we do know a little about SW/Mex food. Got off to a bad start, when we ordered a couple of beers, Tecate, "the working man's beer of Mexico", and got two Dos Equis instead. Oh, well. Then my chicken enchillada arrived, stuffed with shrimp... oh, well. The "pico de gallo" was actually salsa, and looked and tasted as if it came out of a jar, not homemade. Ditto the frijoles negros, except read can for jar. No homemade tortilla chips on the table. Indeed, the flour tortilla, corn tortilla and taco all appeared to be standard supermarket variey, none hand-made at the restaurant. My shredded beef was tasty and plentiful, stuffing my taco to the brim. Not enough good to get us back, however.

• Pros: shredded beef
• Cons: store-bought ingredients, got orders wrong

07/11/08

Eh..not impressed

by elliecook

I really want to like Margaret's. I love locally owned businesses and appreciate her commitment to fresh local ingredients, but in the end, the food always tastes like food at an old folks home, under-seasoned and bland, hardly worthy of the southwest heritage implied by the name Cantina.

04/13/08

Fun, Low Key, and Delicious

by doublechoc

Margaret's is not your typical greasy tex-mex place. If you want the usual chicken enchiladas for $2, go elsewhere. The great part about Margaret's are the fresh ingredients, the unconventional cooking style, and the delicious drinks. That is why it is more expensive than the corner tex-mex, but it certainly isn't outrageous. Sure, it is crowded on weekends and after movies, but that is because it is good! If you want to avoid lines, go early or late on week nights. The service is friendly and quirky, the decor is original, and you will always find regulars there. I love it, and it is a part of my regular Chapel Hill/ Carrboro restaurant rotation.

The shrimp quesadillas are awesome, the veg options are good, and the sangrias are delicious.

• Pros: Food freshness and versatility, ambience, parking
• Cons: (Avoidable) long wait at prime time on weekends

03/10/08

Best Margarita in Chapel Hill

by chapehillfoody

Margaret's is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Chapel Hill. Amazing fresh ingredients, my favorite is the shrimp quesadilla with grilled peppers and guacamole. But the margaritas are to die for, with great fresh juices and good bartenders... gotta check this one out!

02/08/08

Don't go at movie time

by attyp

Fine place for an out of the way strip commercial location, but avoid the crowds waiting for or coming out of the Chelsea and Timberlyne movies.

08/13/07

Best Southwestern Around

by clancy82

I recently ate at Margaret's Cantina and both my boyfriend and I LOVED it! We recently moved to the area and had yet to find a great Mexican/Southwestern restaurant. As a vegetarian, I was very impressed with their veg-friendly menu. I ordered a soft taco with tofu and the Mexican Chef Salad (basically a taco salad). The food and service was wonderful. Only downside was it was pricey--but worth it.

• Pros: Great Food and Service
• Cons: Pricey

05/03/07

Overpriced and un-exciting flavors

by dandan14

The good news is that it is a quaint little setting and less greasy than most mexican places.

However, the prices are quite high, and the flavors are really nothing to get excited about.

We had the nachos ($7), the chicken fajitas ($17), and another small chicken dish ($11) -- none of it was worth going back for. (As a side note, I asked if mushrooms came on the fajitas. She said that shouldn't be a problem. Of course I later found a $2 charge for them on my bill. Sigh.)

02/10/07

Really Disapointed

by ilovefajitas03

I will never go back! I was so excited to try Margaret's and it was a huge disapointment. Its really over priced. You have to pay for chips & salsa. The tables are too small. The service was terrible. We showed up at 5:00 on a Saturday. Not long after we got there a really long line formed. I don't understand what they were waiting for. It was terrible! I ordered chicken fajitas. They tasted like dirt or maybe grass. There were only a few pieces of chicken, the rest was onions & rice. They charged for more tortilas without informing us. Everytime the waitress asked if I wanted a refill on my coke she sounded really annoyed like I better not say yes. When we said we wanted to order dessert she said she was too busy. We felt like they were trying to rush us out. Our bill was $50 without alcohol. We could've had 4 times the quality of food for 1/4 of the price at a better Mexican restarant. The experience was so bad I created a citysearch account just to complain. If you really want to try it out, don't go on a Saturday night. Its not worth the wait.

• Pros: Interesting variety of greek and mexican (my two favorite types of food)
• Cons: Everything else!