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Short list of places to eat, with air conditioning
Excellent food overall. We had the lobster, which is in season, and it was excellent. We also really liked the fried asparagus. The restaurant is air conditioned. They also had live music, which was low key and a good accompaniment to the dinner.
Our Events
Chef's Table
Private Events in Javi’s Cantina
Dinnertainment in your villa
A private and hassle-free dinner in your villa. One price for margaritas, appetizers, salad, dinner, dessert and live music with Javier Martinez on guitar. GREAT for CELEBRATIONS!
Wonderful!
We made reservations for the Fiesta on Tues night. Jesus was our server. He was attentive and fun. The food was so good. 3 of us filet mignon, 1 had the parmesean crusted catch of the day which was black grouper and 1 had garlic butter shrimp. We also tried the grilled pineapple margaritas! Mmmmmuh! After dinner they got us a taxi so we would get back safely! So kind!
About US
Javier & Marla Martinez
Javi’s Cantina is located in Javi’s grandmother’s family home. He grew up here on Isla Mujeres. In 2016, Javi’s Cantina was realized and continues to grow as we do.
The Cantina story began on July 15, 2016 in the family house on Avenida Juarez that had belonged to Javi Martinez’s grandparents. The Martinez home was remodeled into a tiny cantina and prep kitchen for Dinnertainment, a popular catering business featuring delicious food and live entertainment by Javi Martinez and Marla Bainbridge Martinez. Their original idea was to offer a small tapas menu and a selection of beverages to help offset the expenses, but they soon expanded into a full-service restaurant. Then, things really took off and they decided to trust their instincts and ride the wave. In December 2017, they expanded into the larger, private courtyard where their guests can dine under the leafy branches of a tree planted by Javi’s grandfather Esteban. Named after his grandfather Esteban, Javier Esteban is a very proud islander.
He grew up learning to cook and play guitar in a gregarious and musical family. Throughout severalgenerations, his family has been known as the island’s musicians. The Municipality of Isla Mujeres recently recognized La Trova, the band Javi’s father started, as the patrimonial music of Isla Mujeres.
As a counterpoint to Javi’s Mexican heritage, Marla Bainbridge Martinez is a Southern girl fromAlabama mixing her favorite southern flavors into his Caribbean tastes. Marla spent time living on the west coast of Mexico before moving to Isla Mujeres. After vacationing on Isla Mujeres in 2006, she found herself returning time and again to this little island in paradise. She met Javi playing in a bar on Hidalgo and a simple request to sing with the band changed their lives forever. Finally, she made the jump in 2010 to be a full-time islander and she has never lookedback.
The mission of Javi’s Cantina has always been to serve unforgettable food with a unique twist ina casual ambiance experience. Because music is so much of who they are, that had to be partof the experience.
Our Merch
Is your suitcase full? No problema!
Just order the merch and have it delivered directly to your door at home.
Great for souvenirs and gifts.
Excellent guest experience and excellent food.
Azalea welcomed us like we were family. Their explanation of the menu as well as Kevin’s was really well done and helped us decide on our dish. We started with the shrimp ceviche which was so delicious I closed my eyes to make sure I savoured every bite. I had the catch of the day grilled with vegetables and rice. It was also quite delicious. The drinks were really good and I’m glad I tried the grilled pineapple margarita. It was a delicious combination of spicy and sweet. We definitely recommend this place if you want to treat yourself to a special diner while on the Island.
