Bodega Bar & Cantina in Birmingham

Top notch as always. One of the best places to eat in Birmingham.

Fast service, reasonable prices, and a lovely outdoor seating area. Great for families!

Had lunch here in the run-in to Christmas, and overall it wasn't great. We were seated at a table with standard menus only, and noticed that was being done with other diners too. Fortunately we were aware there's a lunch deal menu and my wife went to get that instead. From the lunch deals, we ordered ourselves burritos, then ordered a Taco meal as a kind of side to share. Very glad I didn't order that as my main meal as it was tiny. I opted for the Pork pibil because I'm not sure if they keep the meats of the haallal menu and the normal menus separate, and I didn't want to mistakenly eat haallal meat. The food was ok, I expected a lot more flavour, but overall not bad or anything. The mocktails were quite nice, the virgin colada was lovely to be fair. My wife suggested we head to the nearby Christmas market for churros for dessert, but I insisted we stay put. She ended up getting the dessert menu herself and we ordered the Churros to share. They came without ice cream, so we had to ask for that again, which we received an apology for and were then given strawberry instead of vanilla as that was all they had left. It did seem the one guy who looked like he was in charge was trying to keep it together, but generally it was a bit of a shambles from his crew. I did witness another diner receiving even worse service, but that's not really my story to tell.

Jay was great and looked after us. Thank you!

Always visited here on Birmingham visits but this time was poor. Service was not good and food was slow to be served, small portion and not particularly hot. They at first allowed me to sub my rice for chips then 15 mins later changed their mind because “the chef doesnt want to do it” and proceeded to charge me nearly £5 for a handful of chips Doubt we will ever come back after this experience which is a shame as used to be so good

Visited here with friends for a year end get together. Always come here when visiting Birmingham as good food at a good price. This time really disappointed. Food portions have got smaller and prices slightly raised. What really pushed me over is my request that I dont eat rice to have chips instead which has been granted numerous tomes both here and many other restaurants. It was initially accepted here only to be told 15 minutes later that the chef refused to cook this combo (since when does the chef get to decide?). When asked why i am offered to do the swap for “around £4” which turns out to be £4.95 which is a robbery for a product which costs almost the same. Can honestly say will likely stop me ever coming back as it was so lacking any common senses or pragmatism. Food was ok bit much smaller portions than used to be and certainly not a strong recommendation to visit as it used to be

So sad to see this place has gone downhill ,really long wait for food and it was lukewarm and greasy . Staff were really disinterested.

The restaurant is clean and the food is nice. The staff is friendly except when they smash the empty glasses. Overall, nice restaurant to try and to come back.

It’s quote disappointing with the service time. they took around 45mins serve burrito bowls. Taste is also very average. Not recommend

It’s a lovely little place in the City Centre of Birmingham, prices were reasonable too for the portions. My partner and I ordered 3 plates of tapas to share between us, and the food was really nice and flavourful! The score is a little lower because of the fact that we weren’t asked if our food was okay or if we wanted another beverage, it would have been a 5 Rating if this was the case. We also had to get up to go and pay for our bill which seemed a little odd as we don’t normally get table service and have to get up to go and pay, but either way it seems like a decent place to dine at.

Pretty good, had better Mexican, had worse

Great for a spot of lunch and a chat with freinds! Rahl was a great server and very accommodating and friendly! Would definitely recommend.

Really good place, tasty food and delicious! The place it’s cozy. We enjoyed the meal and the stuff it’s kind and professional! 👍

Amazing food and very good quality Stuff is very professional also I recommend it 🤤🤤🤤 You should try the tequila as well ♥️

Quite disappointing unfortunately. Sat down with my partner and they took 40 minutes to serve us. I would have no problem with this if they were busy but the staff were standing and talking to each other not serving anyone. When we were finally served we were given watered down drinks that cost 10 pounds each. It took more time after that before our food orders were taken. We gave our food order and then 15 minutes later they came back saying it wasn't available. Yes, it took 15 minutes for them to check if they had what we ordered as they stood around talking. When we gave them an updated order with what they actually had in stock the food they gave us was not at all worth the price they charged. Feathers in the chicken and the rice was undercooked. (see photos). 2 watery drinks, one small plate and one regular plate cost 50 pounds. Save yourself time and money.

Menu has become very standard and no beef available on a Saturday at 8pm. The staff were pleasant and attentive. This used to be a 5 star but doubt I will be back again.

Great 2-4-1 cocktails and the food was wicked! Thanks to Alessandra for her excellent service!

Waited 50 minutes for small plates of food, when it arrived it was cold. Portions were tiny and expensive. Toilets were very unhygienic, no soap and broken toilet roll dispenser.

Drinks were very good (cheeky watermelon cocktail). Food however lacked flavour, portions were quite small for the price. Service also quite slow.

Exceptional service and great cocktails

All style no substance. Went in for a midweek tea - half the menu they didn’t have. No tacos, frijoles, or other dishes which should have been the first warning sign. Took forever for our order to be taken even though there were barely any others in the restaurant. When we did order the waitress kept having to return to the table because they didn’t have half the menu and we had to reorder. I was very excited for the elotes but they were just two heavily chargrilled half corn on the cobs on a thin bed of mayo with unmelted grated cheese and paprika on top - not worth the money. The spicy rice felt like the same as you’d get in Wetherspoons but you’re paying more of a premium for a substandard basic product. The restaurant is beautiful though just the foot was a let down. The xim xim curry tasted like a korma but the chicken was cooked well. Very much enjoyed the horchata but will not return for food. Another table was ordering and the waitress had to keep going back to the till to remember which dishes they didn’t have which was unfair for both sides. When questioned about what side she would recommend with a dish she just said ‘I don’t know I don’t eat rice’ which I don’t think is very helpful and at the very least she could have indicted what is the most popular.

Went here this evening first time for a cocktail masterclass as part of a charity event run by a charity. Atmosphere was nice. Mocktails were lovely especially the passion fruit twist.would go here again.

Food was good but poor service, slow and unhelpful - we asked for a minor change to starter platter and waiter said that it couldn't be done. I've had better Mexican food elsewhere but I'd visit again and hope for better service.

The atmosphere of this space was unbelievably vibrant and artsy. I really enjoyed the service by Rahl who made sure that my dine in experience was absolutely top notch. His attention to detail was quite remarkable and recommendable.

Nice and cool environment to be with family We had so much fun that we didn't want to leave,the music was soft and entertaining.For the food it was WOW,we ate nachos and burger,for the cocktails it was lovely.Rahl our waiter was just the best,he gave us 200 percent attention and he was really friendly and accommodating.Such a lovely waiter.I will definitely recommend my friend.

It was an exciting experience,I enjoyed the burger and burrito.Rahl the waiter was very friendly and helpful.He was always checking on u and he ensured we got the best.We definitely be coming back again.Nice place to be with family.

We called early in the week to book for a group of 6 and they agreed to our booking but then when we arrived there was no record of our booking apparently. Turned us away as they couldn’t give us a table

Had a great meal here food was really tasty and Dan was the best server so friendly and accommodating would highly recommend

Great restaurant with great dishes like Taco😋😋

Food always fantastic, service always awful

Unpleasant experience. We waited 45 minutes for starters, after we alerted for the lengthy time, we were offered free drinks in compensation. Those drinks also took a long time to arrive, and finally the "free" drinks still ended up in our bill. Too bad of a service, although I must admit that the burritos were good tasting.

Really poor. The Tacos were ok but outside of that not great. Curry had good flavour but not enough of it and the spicy rice was bland. Chicken wings overdone and the half chicken was so dry you couldn't eat it. Can't comment on desert as it never arrived. Some of the service was alright but overall not great at all. One member of staff in particular didn't seem to care and was pretty rude and dismissive. Certainly wouldn't go back which is a shame as we really enjoyed our visit earlier in the year.

Bland food and over charged my by double my own fault for not checking receipt but how does that even happen in the 1st place. Didn’t even realised till I checked my account while at home

Great food, especially the Mexican cola wings. Dan was very helpful and we were served quickly.

The worst restaurant I have been to in a long time. We arrived and they immediately served us drinks after taking our orders, but after that everything went wrong. We waited more than 45 minutes for the dishes and they didn't even come to ask us if we wanted to have something else because of the wait. We finally had to ask the waiter if it would take much longer and he finally went to get our food. The food was terrible, the worst nachos I have ever eaten in my life, they were very oily and on top of that we had waited almost an hour, the food was cold... Besides, it is not a Mexican restaurant... The Patatas bravas, the horchata and the churros are Spanish, not Mexican, inform yourself a little more before denouncing a business that has neither head nor head. After the bad time and our clear discontent, they didn't even give us a small discount or ask for forgiveness. We will never return.

A cool venue and nice looking menu but my food today was lacking. I had a Spicy Chorizo Burrito but the flavours were really lacking. It was really quite bland. It was supposed to be Hot but it wasn't spicy at all.

overall fantastic experience!! such cute decor, jason was a wonderful host and the food was so good, great options for gluten free as well which is hard to come by, thank you!! :))

What a find! My first visit, and exceeded my expectations! I have few experience dining at Mexican restaurants but this was one of the best ones I found so far!! Big thank you to Andy and Jason!! You guys smashed it! See you soon!!

Andre was fantastic! Food 5 stars as always!!

Hard to sum this place up. Service was intially really good but lacked a bit as time went on. Two of the four dishes we ordered weren’t available, alternatives offered which was acceptable. When the food came, one of the four dishes was wrong one, so now we only have one of the originally ordered items. Pointed out the incorrect dish but didn’t get rectified until we had finished our other food. I’d give it another chance based on the tasty food, maybe at a less busy time.

The food and drinks weren’t the same quality as previous visits. They seem to be making cutbacks. The cocktail I always have was just full of crushed ice and not how it was usually. The main had hardly any meat in. It was just very poor all round. I won’t be going back.

Arrived, waitied 5 minutes at the front to be seated, people behind us walked out. Then got seated waiting 25 minutes for a drink order, the table next to us had already walked out. Waited another 20 minutes for a coke and a glass of wine, then order a lemonade which took 30 minutes!! Food finally came after 1.5 hours (food was pretty good) order sauce and salt and pepper which didn’t come so ordered again and didn’t get until we were basically finished. Ordered Tap water 3 times before we got any. Very disappointed as food is always good but manager/ supervisor ( was wearing black) laughed our complaint off, not taken seriously at all. Waste of time and money.

Lovely food, brilliant portions and Dan gave fab service 😀

Really nice place in the centre of Birmingham good options for vegetarians and kids we went during happy hour so 2for1 cocktails and mocktails. A lot of places charge similar prices for bot not here 4.50 for mocktails 9 for cocktails (have to have 2 of the same) all were good we had a pork burrito,chicken enchilada, mushroom enchilada Patatas bravas, and house nachos (which were homemade) really good start to our trip to Birmingham and worth a visit

Had a lovely meal hosted by Dan, would highly recommend the signature mojito, elotes and the halloumi tacos!

Worst service ever. Lunch service was appalling. Tables not cleaned. We had to clear ourselves. Bar staff cleaned 4 tables after 30 mins not the floor staff. No check back. Few people yet over 30 minutes wait for food. Spoke to manager Sam and he said "Thank you". Never again!!

Came in for food on a busy saturday afternoon food was fantastic we didn't realise there was even a downstairs restaurant and what a nice vibe a cosy place to drink we stayed longer and didn't even have to get out our seats for drinks

Came for food while out shopping and never been before but a friend recommended and we will be back we didn't plan on staying long but we spent a few hours drinking and sat downstairs which was like your very own private bar which is nice and food was great we had fave combo which was a bit of everything thankyou to Jason for getting us a table what looked like was very busy saturday

Food was ok but took a long time to come.

This is my 4th time going to Bodega over the past two years. While the first two were great experiences all around, the last two times I’ve noticed a consistent drop in service and quality of food and drinks. I end up going for the house nachos which are great and good value for money, but everything else is a hit and miss. Yesterday our drinks took over 30 mins to arrive (about 15 mins before we had to leave for our train) and were pretty much wrong orders. They also tasted way too strongly of alcohol to actually be enjoyed. The time before last the food was cold when it arrived. Sadly not going to be going again!

Chris was great, very attentive! I love bodega and the food and margaritas! Also, I didn’t get her name but the new girl who started a week ago was super lovely and great! Props to her for her customer service so soon into the job .

Great food, excellent service from Rahl!

I’m probably being a bit kind as: the fire alarm went off and wasn’t stopped for ages (not great for the atmos but luckily wasn’t an actual fire), one of our friends food orders was wrong and we didn’t get asked if we wanted another drink BUT apart from that: Chris our server was a nice guy, we got in without a reservation on a Saturday lunchtime, the food tasted good and it was 2-4-1 on cocktails. Thanks!

Great drinks, just please re-stock the cachaca 🫡

Delicious food and friendly staff. Lovely music too. Thank you!

Jason was really helpful, food was amazing, would highly recommend and we will be back

The atmosphere has a pleasant ambiance with a refreshing, cool soundtrack. The service was flawless, especially thanks to our waiter Rahl, who was incredibly respectful and attentive, frequently checking in on us. The food was excellent, the drinks were delightful, and the dessert was lovely,an overall fantastic experience. I highly recommend this place for anyone who loves great food. Rahl thanks for making it a wonderful experience for us.

Love Bodega, always nice food, always nice service.

I've had to update my original review of 5 stars. We have been coming here for years. Sadly over the last few visits there has been a noted deterioration in the food, it now lacks flavour and portion sizes with the nachos are lacking. The food for some reason now tastes bland and lacks flavour, which is really disappointing as this was our go to place when visiting Birmingham. Our most recent visit a couple of weeks ago, there were a number of tables that left early and were complaining. I ordered the cola wings and they came out dry and burnt, also the tacos were stale as if they had been left out for a prolonged period of time. The front of house staff did the best to rectify the issues and replace items but the new items in particular the tacos were absent of any flavour. Very sad as this was a wonderful place to eat before. Due to the noted deterioration in food over time we sadly won't be re visiting.

Very busy but still manage to serve our table quick

Drew was fantastic, took great care about my wife’s nut allergy. The only thing better than the service was the food.

Bloody brilliant, banging food, great vibes, great margaritas, everything was a smash. Dan was hilarious and gave great service!! Will be back x

Jay, Dan and the manager, Drew made my late dinner date a great experience. From the homemade nachos with pulled pork to the chorizo burrito and birria tacos, to our 2 for 1 cocktails to finish up, it was all perfect! All accompanied by nice music and beautiful ambience, this is one of my favorite restaurants in Birmingham.

The food was honestly great, just please hire more staff. Our waiter althought lovely kept having to apologise since he was the only person working that day. Our food took a long time to arrive, management please fix this!

Tasty food and great atmosphere

Very nice food and atmosphere, thank you Caz!

Had a great time, food was tasty and atmosphere was great

Had a great night, thank you to Karisse for making our night!

Must visit. Hope you interact with Brenda for a lovely time at Bodega ✨

What a place, and what a vibe indeed. Food is out of this world, tasty and delicious 🤤🤤. The cocktails went down very well. Jason and Brenda suggested the best dishes to sample, the vibe was just out of this world!!!!

The place is awesome and the service was amazing. Brenda has been a super helpful in suggesting the best drinks and ensuring the best customer experience.

The food was amazing, value for money And the staff is very polite specially chris the assistant manager hosted us very well and recommended us their best sellers. Highly recommended 😍

Amazing food.... I like 🦐 Taco. Good hospitality by Cris.

Amazing Ambience I Just Loved The Vibes and The Interior Of The Place. ‘Chris’ Was Very Sweet and Served Us Amazing Cocktails For The Night. Food Was Excellent Nachos Were Too Crispy and Prawn Tacos Were Too Yum With Burst Of Flavours. Overall Experience Was Too Good.

The tastiest food and at a fair price which is usually hard to come by

Went to celebrate my birthday Jason looked after us food was delicious. I would definitely recommend Staff are so attentive and welcoming

Wow what a fantastic place with a great atmosphere. Food was great aswell.

Slow service is an understatement! There were hardly any staff, two tables waiting to pay, people waiting for seating, people waiting to order. Do not open if you haven’t got enough staff!!!

Great place to eat, especially the cocktails. Great customer service. Great atmosphere. Will definitely be returning.

Had a brilliant Friday night with some friends, the burritos are amazing and full of flavour and the drinks went down almost too well 🤣. Jason and the team made us feel welcome and really looked after us We had a fab night! We will be back again.

we came here for food for the first time today, the manager jason was really attentive, made sure we had a good time, his recommendations were great, the food was delicious! drinks were lovely, so glad we found this place, will definitely be back! thank you!

Had a lovely visit to this restaurant great staff , and even better food !

Andrew our host was first class. Great sense of humour, attentive and helpful service. The drinks were prepared with care and were delicious as was the food. The bonus was the price. Great value, food and service; a rarity now in England.

Took a long time to take our order. People at table next to us actually left because they took so long! Then when the food came it was the wrong order. Won't be going again. Would not recommend.

Roham, what a guy. Customer service on point. Along with everybody else working in the establishment. Food was amazing, cannot fault anything. 10/10

Reserved table a few weeks ago for 8 arrived table not ready 15min wait b4 been seated another 20min b4 orders taken 30min wait for starters which were underwhelming. Another 55mins b4 mains arrived Peruvian beef dish very dry beef low quality & pirtion on small size. Only thing gud about the evening was the company I kept. For just underv£40/head shud b xpecting more. Service wasn't the best. Food was below standard you guys really need to up yur game. This was a poor performance all round

I don’t like to give bad reviews unless I feel the restaurant truly deserves it. Me and my friend stumbled across Bodega in brum and as it looked to be mostly empty at 3:15pm we entered and asked for a table of 3. We were then told the next available table is at 6pm, I decided to check online to see if we could actually book earlier and there was a slot at 4pm? Not sure why the staff lied but gave them the benefit of the doubt and still booked. Nevertheless, we were seated and ordered. Being a vegetarian I am very careful to check what I am being served. The waitress appeared with what looked like a burrito, I asked if it was the vegetarian mushroom burrito and she didn’t know. The waitress had no clue what she was serving! It turned out this was my friend’s child’s meat “burger”, despite it not looking like a burger at all. Luckily when the waitress brought the rest of the food up she realised it was meat and I hadn’t eaten it. When my burrito came out it was soggy, the nachos disappointing. The jalapeño poppers were nice though. I couldn’t even bring myself to finish it. My friend said uncle bens rice was better than what she was served. My friend’s child was actually in tears because he hated the food so much. The waiter came over and ONLY acknowledged my friend and her son, he was overly “nice” and wouldn’t go away for what felt like forever. He was telling her his life story and it was genuinely uncomfortable as we just wanted to enjoy a nice lunch. The tap in the toilet didn’t work either but can’t say I was shocked. Stay rid of this place, the food at tortilla is genuinely better than this place - save yourself some money. What a waste of £20+ each!

Cons - Went at the lunch hour, despite being half empty, took more than 45 mins for them for serve us lunch (we were 4 people). Also, 2 of the items served were not up to the mark. The naked burrito bowl was a disappointment. The salad served was ridiculously spicy, my friend ended up not eating any of it. We did inform the staff too, who offered nothing in support. Pros - separate vegan menus with many options

This is a firm favourite of ours. You know what you’re getting and it’s very consistent. The menu is easy to navigate with something for everyone and the cocktails are ace, especially at happy hour. Personally, I’d like more spice and stronger seasoning for my palate, but regardless, I enjoy my meal every time. The staff a lovely and attentive and we’ve never felt ignored or rushed.

Simply Not Good ... say no more

I absolutely enjoyed my drinks after work with my colleagues yesterday. I've noticed there's some positive improvements in this venue with their drinks, food and staff. Thanks for looking after us, Andrew! 🍸🍸🍹🍹 Definitely coming back, totally recommend for a couples night out or even after work drinks. Keep it u guys! 👍🏻👍🏻

It is our first time eating in Bodega for my partner’s birthday. The food is well priced and a good value for money. We ordered the Shrimp Tacos 🌮, the shrimp batter was crispy and the tortilla is nice and soft and everything just comes together in the bite. Coca cola wings is a definite MUST TRY!!! Sweet and salty with the smokiness because it is grilled. The Beef Birria was amazing! The meat is flowing with flavors, and constructing it with cheese and guacamole on the side makes the dish special. The burrito was a good size and has decent flavours. And having the Lime soda for drinks is a good choice to cleanse the pallette after a flavor packed meal. Ambiance is nice, good decor. Just the service was a bit slow and it wasn’t that busy. But all in all the food was fantastic! 💯💯💯

Nice food. Nice décor Clean Good friendly service

I recently visited Bodega Cantina, and unfortunately, it did not live up to expectations. First, the food was poor. The flavors were bland, and the sweet potato chips arrived cold and without the mayo dip. To make matters worse, the service was incredibly slow, despite the fact that the restaurant wasn’t even that busy. We waited far too long for our dishes. The only saving grace were the cocktails, which were well-made and enjoyable. Quite a disappointing dining experience though. Overall, I wouldn't recommend Bodega Cantina unless you’re just stopping in for drinks

Good place for cocktails and quick bites Friendly staff and good vibes Service by Andrew was 10/10 ! We will be back Thank you

Classic Mexican food 🥘 delicious!! Our host Andy was very friendly and very professional We had greta night

Came at 8:30pm on Sunday. The door was open, music was on and there was a person sitting and drinking by the bar. Bartender came to us and we asked him if they’re still open and he responded that they’re closed because they’ve been quiet. Why is the door open then? Why is their person by the bar? I feel very confused. I just wanted their margarita

Smaller portions. Food is not so bad. Menu has good options but lacks authenticity. Loved that they brought me water in a tequila bottle.

Good food I had chicken enchiladas!! Service by Andrew was 10/10!!! We will definitely be back Thank you Andrew for lovely time that we had at Bodega

When there on a weeknight and it was really really under staffed. I waited for 20mins until a drinks and food order was taken. We waited for another 20min and still didn't have our drinks (not even water) so we left. Only one waitress serving the entire place and the bar man was useless spending most of the time wandering around doing nothing.