Rita Cantina

I’m Cajun..(I.e. food must be good) and I lived in Texas for 30 yrs combined. I was more than Leary of eating Mexican in East Hampton. But if you want a break from Italian or seafood.. I’m much less willing to eat ~ok sushi.. and more willing to eat any Mexican. THIS was a cut above and totally unique! Healthy Mexican! I didn’t know there was such a thing! Margueritas were legit.. no bad sour mix. Lobster tostados were absolutely wonderful. Light lime dressing.. onions soaked in water to remove the bite, tiniest chives I’ve ever seen, cucumber, avocado, lime. That’s it! No mayo! Seriously the best! Hubs got carne asado- also good. And shrimp tacos. Totally the best!! Could not believe this was NY!

Love this place. Packed during summer months. Very noisy. But…the food is great. The place has a great vibe and packed bar. The chorizo clams fir a starter are excellent and spicy. Recommend the chips and salsa to start. Really good Margaritas. The tacos are good, but I think the 2 best items for main courses are the fried chicken and the duck carnitas. Better than Peking duck. And to end your dinner go Defoe the tres leeches cake! The place is a home run!!!

The Short Rib Birria was amazing. I’ll be having that again. The spiced fries and a really good ketchup were also very good. The major disappointment was the Duck Carnitas. Carnitas is traditionally akin to pulled pork braised in its own fat. This duck was a half a roast duck which was tough to shred. The menu described it simply as Duck Carnitas with appropriate sides to make carnitas tacos. It didn’t mention the half duck part. Basically , a do-it-yourself dish. The place is lively and popular. They would do well with some wall hangings to soften the noise.

Tucked away in an obscure beach corner of the Springs, we uncovered this extraordinary dining spot ( known to most locals :-) The masterful cuisine, guacamole, shrimp, and perfectly executed duck, as well as the magnificently prepared Margaritas provided a welcome escape from the all too exuberant EH crowd. The owner, chef, and staff all made this casual dining experience feel just like home, Bravo!!

Great dinner and happy hour. Can’t beat $1 oysters between 4-6. Alyssa was our server and she was fantastic! Highly recommended!!!!