VivaZ Cantina: Authentic Mexican Cuisine and Cocktails in New Haven, CT

The food was really good! We also tried two margharitas, which were excellent! There are a lot of options for vegetarians. The restaurant has a nice decor + the waiters are really nice and helpful. It was a really good experience for us :-)

Absolutely fabulous food & service. The menu had many choices and we sampled a carne asada burrito, enchiladas calabacitas, fish & pork tacos. Our daughter was even able to have pancakes from the special Easter Brunch Menu. Everything was delicious and the portions were good-sized. We took leftovers home with us; probably due to the chip & guacamole appetizer!! Our server was attentive and quite pleasant; he made the experience great! AND...There's more!! It was the owner's birthday and they shared the glorious Tres Leches with our table! Super lucious and flavorful. We look forward to returning and sampling more of the scrumptious offerings!!

Food was adequate overall. Chips are seemingly made in-house and are excellent. The mole (an important standard by which I judge every Mexican restaurant) was ok - but just. Portions were reasonable if closer to small than large. The service was also adequate but not out-of-the-ordinary. It certainly was NOT worth the 20% gratuity added to my check automatically. I did check and in the very fine print (much smaller than the rest of the menu) on the very bottom margin it does disclose that they “reserve the right to add a 20% gratuity to any check.” I understand this policy for large parties. I might even understand it for kids in a college town. I’m in my 50’s and was dining with my wife (in her 40’s) and my three adult children (in their 30’s.). There were only five of us in total. Apparently (reading other reviews) they routinely add this otherwise undisclosed gratuity to EVERY check. Totally inappropriate.

Edit: Alas I feel like I have to knock off a star for the new 2025 pricing here! Same excellent food and drinks, but everything is $4-6 more expensive. Paired with a confusing menu (the "protein" - even veggies!- is never included in the item price itself) and a bizarre new taco scheme ($20 for three tacos? And no option to order them individually?) it was enough to knock it from a monthly treat to an "only on special occasions" price, especially on a student budget. For example, the meal pictured below - which cost me $16 two months ago - would now cost $25! This place is still a great place for a date night in New Haven - delicious drinks, tasty food, and a dark, romantic, rustic feel. If you're not sure what to order, you should get their Margarita (with a Coronita if you want more bang for your buck!) and Quesabirria, which comes with two full-size tortillas filled with shredded beef and tons of oaxca cheese next to a rich, dark broth laced with cilantro and onions. Eat one Quesabirria in the restaurant, and then take the other home for a delicious breakfast the next day. Their chicken taco is also fantastic, even better than their steak, which is rare in my experience. Over several years of coming here, I've found a few dishes here and there on the menu that weren't to my tastes (I'm not a big fan of the elote or the sopas), but the vast majority of the food here is fresh, delicious, and well priced. I especially appreciate their variety of seasonal drinks and the Happy Hour and Taco Tuesday deals that they've been doing, which are great if you can come earlier or later! We've also always had exemplary service here (and never had a 20% gratuity added automatically to our check, though we do always tip that much - I don't know what some of the other reviews are talking about.) It's very fast as sit-down restaurants go - perfect for stopping in before a show or an event. I've never had to spend longer than an hour here, though I have definitely dallied for longer - they don't kick you out by any means, and it's a nice place to take larger groups who might want to stay and chat. My only small gripes are that occasionally the music they play can get quite loud around crowded times (8-10 PM especially), so be aware of when you're coming if you have someone in your party with noise sensitivities (or ask to be seated outside, in the summer). Additionally, they don't put prices on their specials menus, which has every once in a while led to a surprisingly expensive bill when I've ventured out of my usual order. Otherwise, it's a wonderful restaurant for couples, families, travelers, and New Haven residents looking for a fast and delicious Mexican meal.

Food, service, and atmosphere are always great. One of my favorite restaurants (if not the one I like the most) in New Haven. Everything feels like it's prepared with extra care, the drinks are amazing (please make El Encanto Colombiano a regular! lol), the decoration and ambiance are beautiful. 10/10: can't recommend this restaurant enough. Extra kudos to the staff, who are always super friendly and welcoming. I've been here maybe 12-15 times in the last 6 months, and they have been consistently good in all aspects. Words do not do it justice! Chips did not survive long enough for the photo, sorry lol

Overall pretty good. They seem to have recently changed the menu and prices so a lot of the menu posts on previous reviews don’t have the right info now. The staff were all really sweet and attentive and the drinks were good.

Visited on a Sunday evening. I was sat immediately. The service was so quick. The chips and guacamole were delicious. I also had Al pastor, carnitas and the Americano tacos. They were all fantastic. I look forward to visiting again!

Decor/ambience 10/10, drinks 10/10, food 10/10, service 10/10!!! Authentic and absolutely delicious. Sauces are very fresh and portions are perfect. I ordered tinga tostadas and pork tacos; pork was juicy and had the tasty burnt crispy ends WOW! My husband ordered fajitas and the steak far exceeded other places.