LA CANTINA COCINA MEXICANA

Is LA CANTINA COCINA MEXICANA clean? Mostly — a B (89/100) at its latest inspection, June 1, 2026. That visit logged 1 high-priority and 1 intermediate violations.

Its latest visit (June 1, 2026) logged 1 high-priority and 1 intermediate violations. Diners rate it 4.4 across 1,997 reviews. By health score it's safer than 48% of Volusia County restaurants we grade. Menus here flag vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, keto, and other dietary options.

Trend: improving · B (89/100) · safer than 48% of Volusia County restaurants we grade

Get directions Call (386) 238-9126

Restaurant details

Health grade
B (89/100)
Violations
2 total — 1 high-priority, 1 intermediate
Address
4085 S RIDGEWOOD AVE, Port Orange, FL
Cuisine
Mexican
Categories
Mexican restaurant
Price
$10–20
Rating
4.4 stars (1997 reviews)
Neighborhood
Elizabeth Bunch Grant
Seats
100
Phone
(386) 238-9126
Website
Official website
Photo of LA CANTINA COCINA MEXICANA
Photo: La Cantina Cocina Mexicana

Community Rating

Reviews via Google
4.4 Community-sourced rating 1,997 reviews
Read all reviews on Google →

What diners say — our read

Reviews here split hard: 20 five-star against 2 one-star, with little in between. How guests are treated tends to be raised approvingly here, averaging 4.5 stars. After that, speed of service appears most often — 28% of the corpus, averaging 4.0.

The split is 22 positive to 3 negative across 25 rated reviews. 5 stars is the modal score, given by 20 of the 25 reviewers who rated.

The inspection lands in between as well: DBPR graded this kitchen a B (89/100), citing 1 high-priority and 1 intermediate violations. That inspection was on June 1, 2026. Across its inspection history the kitchen is improving, which argues for giving it the benefit of the doubt. Ranked against Volusia County, it is safer than 48% of the restaurants we score. Among the items recorded were cross-contamination and food manager certification.

Nothing here pulls in opposite directions — an unusually clean read. The individual reviews are below, newest first, if you want the raw material.

Our own analysis of 25 reviews for this restaurant, set against its Florida DBPR inspection record. How we calculate grades →

  • June 30, 2026

    Beautiful setting, nice and quiet. Not to busy, staff is excellent 🤌🏼

  • June 29, 2026

    Absolutely one of the best Mexican restaurants I’ve been to. The food tastes fresh, authentic, and full of flavor, just like homemade. The portions are generous, the service is friendly, and the atmosphere is welcoming. I’ll definitely be coming back and highly recommend it to anyone craving real Mexican cuisine.

  • June 29, 2026

    This is one of the most authentic Hispanic culture restaurants I’ve ever been to up north Florida.. I came on vacation with some friends and had an amazing time 12 out of 10 definitely would recommend so flavorful so nice the ambience the decor and let’s not forget the food.

  • June 29, 2026

    Honestly, this was the worst Mexican restaurant experience I’ve ever had; the food was horrible. I went there because I saw some positive reviews online and let that guide me—don't waste your time and money. It’s not just the bad food; the service was terrible, the dishes were in poor condition, the place didn't look clean, and it is truly overrated

  • June 28, 2026

    Food was great, people were friendly, and facility appeared to be very clean.....

  • June 28, 2026

    I won't give this place a bad review, but beware they have very high prices for what you get. My daughter ordered chicken and shrimp combo, they charged $27 and it only came with half a chicken breast and five shrimp. I got a burrito that took up the whole plate and it was only $16. So I'm not sure why five overcooked rubbery shrimp cost almost double the price for half the food, but we won't come back. That just seemed like a rip off to us. There are other Mexican restaurants in the area that don't price gouge for five over cooked shrimp, so we're going.

  • June 28, 2026

    Extensive menu, great food, water was filtered, quick and lovely service, nice decor and atmosphere. Would return for sure!

  • June 28, 2026

    Been in Daytona a whole week and this was the best food and best service we’ve had. We normally try and eat somewhere different every night when we’re on vacation but we’ll be stopping here at least a second time before we leave.

  • June 27, 2026

    Great food great service

  • June 27, 2026

    The food was good, not great. The atmosphere was okay, nothing special. I found some of the music such as the reggaeton, to be annoying. The service was okay, no one checked back after bringing out the food. The restaurant could use some polishing up in service, and atmosphere. Overall the food was good and it was an okay dining experience.

  • June 26, 2026

    Awsome atmosphere even better food

  • June 26, 2026

    Amazing food and service

  • June 26, 2026

    Great food!

  • June 26, 2026

    Great time and great vibes!

  • June 25, 2026

    We were in the mood for some Mexican food and trusty Google landed us here. Greeted and seated with a smile. Our waiter took our drink order and offered us some queso with our chips. The menu had so many different options I had to ask what he would recommend. Well he hit the nail on the head. This burrito was loaded and the taste was out of this world. I have never tasted anything like this before. Portions were plentiful and service was excellent. If you’re ever in the mood for Mexican cuisine, I highly recommend this place. Five stars to you all. !!!!

  • June 24, 2026

    Family atmosphere and very friendly staff and beautiful decor

  • June 21, 2026

    We are a FT RV couple and travel to eat. Mexican is usually a safe bet but we left disappointed. The food was just MEH and despite the parking lot being full there was hardly anyone there. We to order a combo plate with taco, enchiladas and a tostada. Instead, we received a tostada, burrito and an enchilada. Everything just felt a bit off so I don't think I will return. MEh just isn't good enough!

  • June 20, 2026

    We tried to come here today. We stood at the hostess stand because its wait to be seated for 15 minutes while several employees stood in the back talking. I can count how many times they looked at us, and didn't say one word. We left and won't be back.

  • June 20, 2026

    Went there for my birthday dinner this evening and it was amazing! Food was fantastic! I felt as if our server was over worked but she was super sweet and good at her job! Will drive the 40 minutes to come back!

  • June 18, 2026

    Great food, drinks, and atmosphere! Teri provided outstanding service and made us feel welcome from the moment we arrived. She was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed. We’ll definitely be back!

  • June 18, 2026

    Sensational food, wonderful seasoning, and fast, very pleasant service. Highly recommended.

  • June 16, 2026

    Greatest food in town!

  • June 16, 2026

    Delicious food and drinks. Chips and salsa were great as well as the Margs. Highly recommend

  • June 16, 2026

    Service was fast and polite. Clean and nice atmosphere. Good and tasty food.

  • June 13, 2026

    This place SLAYS, good margs

Overall Score

74 / 100

  • Health inspection grade 30/40
    Grade B
  • Dietary transparency 20/20
    6 options listed
  • Community rating 18/20
    4.4★ average
  • Hidden-gem status 0/10
    Not flagged
  • Track record 6/10
    Improving, 0% clean

Composite score from health grade, dietary options, ratings, and inspection record — distinct from the state-derived health grade.

Opening hours

Monday
11 AM to 10 PM
Tuesday
11 AM to 10 PM
Wednesday
11 AM to 10 PM
Thursday
11 AM to 10 PM
Friday
11 AM to 11 PM
Saturday
11 AM to 11 PM
Sunday
11 AM to 10 PM

Inspection history

The following records are from Florida DBPR public inspection records, most recent first.

  1. June 1, 2026 · Complaint Full

    Inspection Completed - No Further Action

    1 high-priority · 1 intermediate · 0 basic

    • 08 — Cross-contamination: raw foods separated; food protected during prep/storage
    • 53 — Food manager certification; employee food-safety training
  2. May 6, 2026 · Routine - Food

    Call Back - Complied

    0 high-priority · 1 intermediate · 1 basic

    • 31 — Handwash sinks accessible; handwashing supplies & sign provided
    • 53 — Food manager certification; employee food-safety training
  3. March 6, 2026 · Routine - Food

    Warning Issued

    2 high-priority · 3 intermediate · 9 basic

    • 01 — Food from approved source; safe, unadulterated, sound condition
    • 02 — Consumer advisory, date-marking & labeling of ready-to-eat foods (×2)
    • 10 — In-use food dispensing utensils properly stored
    • 28 — Sewage and waste water disposed properly
    • 29 — Plumbing installed & maintained; mop sink; backflow prevention (×3)
    • 31 — Handwash sinks accessible; handwashing supplies & sign provided
    • 33 — Garbage and refuse; premises maintained (×2)
    • 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation (×2)
    • 46 — Exits not blocked or locked (reporting only)
    • 53 — Food manager certification; employee food-safety training
  4. August 7, 2025 · Routine - Food

    Inspection Completed - No Further Action

    1 high-priority · 0 intermediate · 6 basic

    • 08 — Cross-contamination: raw foods separated; food protected during prep/storage (×2)
    • 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained
    • 31 — Handwash sinks accessible; handwashing supplies & sign provided
    • 33 — Garbage and refuse; premises maintained
    • 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation
    • 41 — Chemicals / toxic substances properly stored & used

Safer options nearby

Higher-graded restaurants close to LA CANTINA COCINA MEXICANA, by Florida DBPR grade:

  • JIMMY HULA'S OF PORT ORANGE LLC

    4.4★ 1.0 mi away

  • DAIRY BAR LLC

    4.6★ 1.0 mi away

  • YAYA'S BEACHSIDE BAR

    4.4★ 1.2 mi away

This grade is calculated by us from Florida DBPR public inspection records — Florida does not issue official grades. How we calculate it →

Data last updated: June 1, 2026