El Cabrón

Came here with my girlfriends and we had an absolute blast! The vibe was on point — great food, delicious cocktails (which totally lived up to my high expectations), and plenty of picture-perfect corners. The drinks were flavorful and well-crafted, just how I like them. We got lucky with timing — the place gets pretty packed around 9 PM on a Friday night, but we arrived early and were seated right away with no wait. Around 9, the live music kicked in, and the energy went up a notch. We couldn’t resist hitting the dance floor! All in all, it was an amazing night filled with good food, fun vibes, dancing, and unforgettable memories. Perfect spot for a girls’ night out — highly recommend!

I went there with two friends for just late dinners and a couple drinks , also because a friend of mine works there and he always told me about that place , so yeah food and great , environment is also great and service was awesome David gave us great service, so very recommended

I loved it here! My first time getting out after a few months and I had a great night ! I sat at the bar and the bartender was super nice and did a great job brought me my food and my drinks! Instantly greeted me :) his name was Jonathan :) thank you to him I will be back !!! :)

Staff was very friendly and accommodating after we showed up with two additional people for our reservation. First DJ (younger one) was really good with old and new latin hits. Second DJ (older one) didn't impress me. Drinks were good, but very light in alcohol, so it's mostly juice. Food is good. The atmosphere is nice and we had a blast dancing. Very nice looking place.

My three friends had been to El Cabron before, and finally I went with them to see it for myself. It was a fantastic evening. There might not be any venue in town that packs so much punch into a space that size. We quickly got a table on a Friday night (without a reservation) ; our servers (I don't know their names) were terrific -- attentive, friendly and experienced. We started with cocktails. Two of us had the "El Cabron Paloma" with tequila and sweet piloncillo syrup (pictured here), another the "El Matador" with pineapple and coconut, and also the "Tamarindo" with bourbon and syrup. All three were fabulous. Our meal was the Carne Asada with the jalapenos; the Camarones a la Diabla (hot!!!!) and I ordered the Pollo en Mole (shown here) -- a half chicken with textured , traditional and spicy sauce, with generous portions of rice and black beans. It wasn't that crowded until later. A lot of people came as the musicians were arriving; they knew what was up. We had Banda, big, explosive, fabulous. The entire vibe had energy and fun and spirit. The decor is colorful and striking. I can't wait to go back.

📍 155 W San Fernando St., San Jose, California 95113 If you’re looking for the perfect date night spot El Cabron Cantina is it! 🌮✨ The food is insanely good and bursting with authentic flavor. Every dish is crafted with love, and the vibes? Immaculate. 💃 Whether you’re sipping cocktails, snapping Insta-worthy pics (because yes, it’s that beautiful), or letting the DJ move your feet El Cabron Cantina delivers. Trust me, once you go, you’ll definitely be back.

In from Chicago. This place was great! The drinks were delicious! The bartender Caro I think was here name was extremely friendly attentive and great at her craft! We split the guac and molcajete. Both were very good! The DJ was playing the jams! Great atmosphere!

Vibe check? on point🤌!! 🎯 The drinks were delicious😋 and dressed up beautifully. food was amazing, had the molcajete which was for 2 and was really good! (I've had better but not a huge margin in difference). large portion though. the cheese🧀 plate is a must for appetizers. also the 🌶️diablo shrimp🍤dish was freaking amazing i love that they serve delicious Mezcal cocktails🍹 beautiful art and decor servers were great, we had the actual bartender tending to our group for 🍸drinks even though we sat at a table. I am definitely going to come back for the food and atmosphere!! i love the openness of the restaurant, really brings a Florida vibe. go give it a shot! you wont be disappointed. 😀 only thing for the restaurant, getting the bill took time but i feel like that always happens at most restaurants. but overall .. youre on the📍 radar 📡 louggle approves this message

We went before a concert without reservation and were able to sit at the bar. The cocktails are a little on the weak side but still pretty good. Food is pretty tasty, I would definitely comeback we had a great time. We had the guacamole, pozole, sopes, flautas de papa and flautas de pollo. They were all really good

By far the best food in San Jose! Incredible food, service, and atmosphere. Food is top notch no matter what you get, service in amazing even when busy, and the vibe….check. My fav!!!

My sister and I went for a couple of drinks and sat at the bar ordering agua chiles for an appetizer and some drinks, we received excellent service! The bartenders were very attentive and made our drinks very good! Made us laugh so much! They made us feel like family! We had a great time! I Definitely recommend El Cabron Kitchen and Cantina.

Great experience here! We were a big party of 14, and our server managed all of us flawlessly! The food was amazing. Drinks were delicious, and music and dancing topped it off. I highly recommend you visit this place!

This place was amazing! The vibe was great as soon as I walked in - the open windows made me feel like I had been transported to Mexico. The food we ordered was amazing! The nachos particularly were my favorite, and enough to feed 3 or 4! Their margarita was also highly rated by my family.

Amazing foood drinks and experience. The music and wall art was esthetically pleasing. Me and my bf visited from Seattle and look for places in SJ AND IT WAS EPIC🤩 thank you margarita our waitress

JamieQ

📍 155 W San Fernando St., San Jose, California 95113 If you’re looking for the perfect date night spot El Cabron Cantina is it! 🌮✨ The food is insanely good and bursting with authentic flavor. Every dish is crafted with love, and the vibes? Immaculate. 💃 Whether you’re sipping cocktails, snapping Insta-worthy pics (because yes, it’s that beautiful), or letting the DJ move your feet El Cabron Cantina delivers. Trust me, once you go, you’ll definitely be back.

Angel Ojeda

In from Chicago. This place was great! The drinks were delicious! The bartender Caro I think was here name was extremely friendly attentive and great at her craft! We split the guac and molcajete. Both were very good! The DJ was playing the jams! Great atmosphere!

Luis “LouGgle” C

Vibe check? on point🤌!! 🎯 The drinks were delicious😋 and dressed up beautifully. food was amazing, had the molcajete which was for 2 and was really good! (I've had better but not a huge margin in difference). large portion though. the cheese🧀 plate is a must for appetizers. also the 🌶️diablo shrimp🍤dish was freaking amazing i love that they serve delicious Mezcal cocktails🍹 beautiful art and decor servers were great, we had the actual bartender tending to our group for 🍸drinks even though we sat at a table. I am definitely going to come back for the food and atmosphere!! i love the openness of the restaurant, really brings a Florida vibe. go give it a shot! you wont be disappointed. 😀 only thing for the restaurant, getting the bill took time but i feel like that always happens at most restaurants. but overall .. youre on the📍 radar 📡 louggle approves this message

Perla Dueñas

We went before a concert without reservation and were able to sit at the bar. The cocktails are a little on the weak side but still pretty good. Food is pretty tasty, I would definitely comeback we had a great time. We had the guacamole, pozole, sopes, flautas de papa and flautas de pollo. They were all really good

Emmett M

By far the best food in San Jose! Incredible food, service, and atmosphere. Food is top notch no matter what you get, service in amazing even when busy, and the vibe….check. My fav!!!

Maria Zamora

My sister and I went for a couple of drinks and sat at the bar ordering agua chiles for an appetizer and some drinks, we received excellent service! The bartenders were very attentive and made our drinks very good! Made us laugh so much! They made us feel like family! We had a great time! I Definitely recommend El Cabron Kitchen and Cantina.

Mayra Macias

Great experience here! We were a big party of 14, and our server managed all of us flawlessly! The food was amazing. Drinks were delicious, and music and dancing topped it off. I highly recommend you visit this place!

Maddy Taylor

This place was amazing! The vibe was great as soon as I walked in - the open windows made me feel like I had been transported to Mexico. The food we ordered was amazing! The nachos particularly were my favorite, and enough to feed 3 or 4! Their margarita was also highly rated by my family.

Azula Farjado

Amazing foood drinks and experience. The music and wall art was esthetically pleasing. Me and my bf visited from Seattle and look for places in SJ AND IT WAS EPIC🤩 thank you margarita our waitress

Roberto A

I went there with two friends for just late dinners and a couple drinks , also because a friend of mine works there and he always told me about that place , so yeah food and great , environment is also great and service was awesome David gave us great service, so very recommended

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I visited El Cabron Kitchen & Cantina in San Jose for the first time. Before driving from Castro Valley, I decided to call ahead to make a reservation, and I was very fortunate that Liz took care of us. From the very first call, she provided VIP-level service—extremely professional and welcoming, especially considering she didn’t know us. Her attention and customer service went beyond our expectations. Once we arrived, everything continued to be amazing. We were having such a great time that when a Banda started playing, we decided to hire them and bring them right to our table. They played for about an hour, and we had an absolute blast. The vibes of the restaurant were incredible, and the food and drinks were excellent as well. I highly recommend El Cabron Kitchen & Cantina if you’re looking to enjoy great food, great drinks, and an unforgettable atmosphere. If you want to have a good time, this is the place to go—you will not regret it. And make sure to ask for Liz!

Happy hour was awesome!!! They had 3 tacos or 3 taquittos for $5and $8 Chavelas for $5 and alot of other dishes that were really delicious!!! We also order the chicken nachos and it was huge!!! Highly recommended

Andres Nunez

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I visited El Cabron Kitchen & Cantina in San Jose for the first time. Before driving from Castro Valley, I decided to call ahead to make a reservation, and I was very fortunate that Liz took care of us. From the very first call, she provided VIP-level service—extremely professional and welcoming, especially considering she didn’t know us. Her attention and customer service went beyond our expectations. Once we arrived, everything continued to be amazing. We were having such a great time that when a Banda started playing, we decided to hire them and bring them right to our table. They played for about an hour, and we had an absolute blast. The vibes of the restaurant were incredible, and the food and drinks were excellent as well. I highly recommend El Cabron Kitchen & Cantina if you’re looking to enjoy great food, great drinks, and an unforgettable atmosphere. If you want to have a good time, this is the place to go—you will not regret it. And make sure to ask for Liz!

monica g

Came here with my girlfriends and we had an absolute blast! The vibe was on point — great food, delicious cocktails (which totally lived up to my high expectations), and plenty of picture-perfect corners. The drinks were flavorful and well-crafted, just how I like them. We got lucky with timing — the place gets pretty packed around 9 PM on a Friday night, but we arrived early and were seated right away with no wait. Around 9, the live music kicked in, and the energy went up a notch. We couldn’t resist hitting the dance floor! All in all, it was an amazing night filled with good food, fun vibes, dancing, and unforgettable memories. Perfect spot for a girls’ night out — highly recommend!

First time visiting. While i waited for my party to arrive sat at the bar. Our bartender was very attentive and friendly. The drinks were on point and delicious. If you're looking for a quiet place this ain't it. Come ready for music. The DJ mainly played Latin inspired music and it was great. Cumbias, salsa, reggaeton, pop corridos, good times. Once my party arrived we shared one of the molcajetes. Everything tasted delicious except the carne asada. It was tough and hard to chew. Not usually what i think of when i think carne asada either. The rib though! It was tender and so easy to pick off the bone. Never had such delicious ribs before. Over all i will be coming back

The palomas here taste like straight tequila. It could be good depending the kind of night you want to have

Food was good but a bit overpriced. Service was good and ambience is good too. But after about 9pm it turns into a dance club so if you only want dinner I'd leave before then. But overall great experience

Nice spot for Mexican food. The place is cool and they have a DJ playing music as you eat. It’s a good vibe if you want to hang out with some friends and get some food and drinks.

Minus one start because both hostess who work on Fridays suck! I put my name down through the app which said 8-18 min wait. After checking in, the hostess actually said an hour so i waited at the bar and had some drinks. Two hours go by and i was never reached out to. Very odd because i got a text confirmation from adding my name but maybe because i was only a party of two they just forgot about me. Even though there were open tables, everyone else seemed to get a table easy?! The place has a great vibe, good music, and decent food. Whats nice is that its near a bunch of bars and clubs.

Update 05-05-24: celebrated my birthday and cinco de mayo here, it was fun. Our server was super attentive and sweet!! I forgot her name but she provided excellent service even tho they were running lean. The food came out fast and delicious, highly recommend the fondito with shrimp. So goood. We ordered the ceviche (delicious, our favorite), barbacoa and molcajete for 2. We took some shots that came in skulls, suavacito and margaritas. Food was mid, drinks were good, love the presentation of everything. Service was attentive, the lady at reception and my server Edgar was really nice. The only problem for me was that because all the windows are open, flies swarmed our food as soon as it was served. We spent most of the night trying to protect our food from the flies.

Good food, fast service. Great drinks and good dj. Kick back atmosphere.

Decent food with an amazing atmosphere! There was a live DJ and while it was a bit loud, we were lucky to be close to the window. It was a warm night, so it worked out, but during the fall and winter this would not likely be a good idea. The service was friendly, but lacked on speed and checking in on us. Overall for the price it wasn’t really worth it, but worth checking out as least once.

First time visiting. Went in Friday night 6/14 around 9:15 pm, party of two, no wait since we sat at the bar and there were open seats. COCKTAILS - main purpose for stopping by Suavecito - very good mezcal cocktail, would order again. Suavecito with Jamaica (hibiscus) instead of guava- asked bartender to prepare it that way, not on the menu. Paloma - good/ok El Gringo Mazapán - nice, sweet, smooth, milky - would get it again Mangonada - nice drink, sweet, would get it again Oaxacan Old Fashion - strong, meant to sip it slowly, good if you like these type of drinks FOOD Guacamole with shrimp and chips - good, but needed a bit more salt 6.5 out of 10 for the guac, 9 out 10 for the shrimp (definitely recommend to add shrimp to the guac). SERVICE Attentive bartenders, often checking to see if we wanted more drinks even while being busy. AMBIANCE Nice decor, busy, probably at over 85%-95% capacity. Music level appropriate/ medium high, but gets louder after 10:00 pm to hype up dancing, which was expected. Would definitely consider to go back.

A fusion Mexican cantina-style restaurant in downtown San Jose. They serve a good weekend brunch menu with fresh fruit juice mimosas. I enjoyed the Divorced Enchiladas and Queso Fundido aka melted cheese dip. Came back again a couple times and was impressed by the Molcajete. It was a bit loud due to the PA speakers that are mounted high up. I’ve driven by at night and saw that the place is hopping with a Latin club vibe. Food is worth the visit.

Cara Caston

Good food, fast service. Great drinks and good dj. Kick back atmosphere.

L

Update 05-05-24: celebrated my birthday and cinco de mayo here, it was fun. Our server was super attentive and sweet!! I forgot her name but she provided excellent service even tho they were running lean. The food came out fast and delicious, highly recommend the fondito with shrimp. So goood. We ordered the ceviche (delicious, our favorite), barbacoa and molcajete for 2. We took some shots that came in skulls, suavacito and margaritas. Food was mid, drinks were good, love the presentation of everything. Service was attentive, the lady at reception and my server Edgar was really nice. The only problem for me was that because all the windows are open, flies swarmed our food as soon as it was served. We spent most of the night trying to protect our food from the flies.

James Gomez

Decent food with an amazing atmosphere! There was a live DJ and while it was a bit loud, we were lucky to be close to the window. It was a warm night, so it worked out, but during the fall and winter this would not likely be a good idea. The service was friendly, but lacked on speed and checking in on us. Overall for the price it wasn’t really worth it, but worth checking out as least once.

Joe Santiago

Nice spot for Mexican food. The place is cool and they have a DJ playing music as you eat. It’s a good vibe if you want to hang out with some friends and get some food and drinks.

Byron Osborne

First time visiting. Went in Friday night 6/14 around 9:15 pm, party of two, no wait since we sat at the bar and there were open seats. COCKTAILS - main purpose for stopping by Suavecito - very good mezcal cocktail, would order again. Suavecito with Jamaica (hibiscus) instead of guava- asked bartender to prepare it that way, not on the menu. Paloma - good/ok El Gringo Mazapán - nice, sweet, smooth, milky - would get it again Mangonada - nice drink, sweet, would get it again Oaxacan Old Fashion - strong, meant to sip it slowly, good if you like these type of drinks FOOD Guacamole with shrimp and chips - good, but needed a bit more salt 6.5 out of 10 for the guac, 9 out 10 for the shrimp (definitely recommend to add shrimp to the guac). SERVICE Attentive bartenders, often checking to see if we wanted more drinks even while being busy. AMBIANCE Nice decor, busy, probably at over 85%-95% capacity. Music level appropriate/ medium high, but gets louder after 10:00 pm to hype up dancing, which was expected. Would definitely consider to go back.

Danny K (DSKO)

A fusion Mexican cantina-style restaurant in downtown San Jose. They serve a good weekend brunch menu with fresh fruit juice mimosas. I enjoyed the Divorced Enchiladas and Queso Fundido aka melted cheese dip. Came back again a couple times and was impressed by the Molcajete. It was a bit loud due to the PA speakers that are mounted high up. I’ve driven by at night and saw that the place is hopping with a Latin club vibe. Food is worth the visit.

It's a vibe. Not my vibe but probably somebody's.

You can't beat the atmosphere, good music, good photo opportunities. The drinks look aesthetic and taste good. Service wise, I made a reservation and after 40 minutes waiting I decided to go get food elsewhere. I came back and hour later and was able to get a tasty drink from the bar. The food looked good on its way to the tables though. This spot has excellent potential.

Stopped by to grab some drinks with friends. I tried the "Mangonada" which was delicious! But then ordered a Paloma which was un-drinkable. Mangonada - great Paloma - stay away

The vibe was good. Good music and nice painting inside. Didn't like are drink's.

My posole was not even hot they never gave me salsa or repollo. Drinks were good. Bathroom was not clean no toilet paper and it was only 6pm.and we drove 1hr disappointed service also took long

I'ma be fr it looks cool and all but it just gives "clubbing" entertainment while no one is dancing just eating. The food is relatively simple but very few choice to actually pick from. What I got was pretty good it's just I hate the small servering cups that give barely any onion or sauce.

Nice place. Open & comfortable. Food was good. Server was nice and would recommend this place for dinner. Kinda pricey ($50-70 p/p) appetizer, dinner, & drink. Our wait time to be seated was about 15mins. Photos of our dinner are uploaded. They even have a DJ and dance floor.

LáVon Sáys

Nice place. Open & comfortable. Food was good. Server was nice and would recommend this place for dinner. Kinda pricey ($50-70 p/p) appetizer, dinner, & drink. Our wait time to be seated was about 15mins. Photos of our dinner are uploaded. They even have a DJ and dance floor.

On a Sunday we came to this place after viewing a TikTok video about this place. When we arrived we waited for someone to welcome us but nobody was around. It took almost 10 minutes to be seated then another 30 minutes to the waiter to take our order. The place was not full at all. I don’t know why they took so long to take our order. Also the music was so loud that you can’t have a conversation. The food was meh. Specially the rice has a weird taste. Avoid this place.

Food is OK, nothing to brag about. Birria was good though, 2 for $18 no side was alright I guess. Service is terrible, they won't check on you. It's drop and go. I get most Mexicans tip bad however I'm a great tipper and Service was awful

Cons: Small space. Outside of building dirty. Pros: presentation of food was good. Good portion of food for high price.

It's okay. Atmosphere it's nice if you want to dance and have a good time dancing and no much speaking. Drinks presentation it's great but it's more ice than drink. And food. Well, it's good. The service overall it's fine. It's not the place for me and all the previous factors made it easy to realize. Go ahead and try it. Prove me wrong.

Food wasn’t very flavorful. They started mopping right as we ate and the chemical smell completely ruined my appetite. Service wasn’t that great, but not terrible. Cocktails decent. The burrito I ordered, was 80% beans inside with hardly any asada.

Azaan Qureshi

Food wasn’t very flavorful. They started mopping right as we ate and the chemical smell completely ruined my appetite. Service wasn’t that great, but not terrible. Cocktails decent. The burrito I ordered, was 80% beans inside with hardly any asada.

My husband made reservations to eat here for my birthday. The food was OK but the service was terrible. I feel like we were discriminated against... we were told no more cocktails were being served but there were four different parties that were seated AFTER us, and all ordered cocktails with no trouble. We wanted to order specific food also and told they ran out. Now, I'm not sure if that was true. I highly recommend another place if you don't know someone that works here.... I have a feeling that's the only way to get good service. The food wasn't worth the trouble.

So if you wanna go have dinner to place to pay $85 for three drinks at the bar and then get sent to double drinks to the table and get charged again then go to this place and also have staff completely. Ignore you and you have to lift your hand to get any kind of help then this is the restaurant for you . Place was completely empty. There was only three tables in the whole restaurant and the staff were just standing around doing absolutely nothing so definitely if you’re looking for that experience this is a place for you we spent close to $300 between our bar and restaurant tab a waste of money never again.