Wow! My husband loves chimichangas and that’s how he “tests” how great the restaurant is. I ordered the barria tacos and street corn and OMGGGGG it was amazing!!! Definitely one of the top Mexican restaurants in Jax! I highly recommend and plan on returning!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hether Celetti
My friend and I made online reservations at Estrella Jax for a pre-show dinner—only to show up and find the restaurant closed. No heads-up, no cancellation, no notice via email or phone, only a confirmation of the successful reservation.
The kicker? There was a small, vague sign on the door, but it didn’t even mention the restaurant name. For all we knew, it could’ve been for the business next door. Their phone is disconnected, yet their website is still up and fully functional, accepting reservations as if nothing’s wrong. No mention anywhere that they’re temporarily closed.
We were left scrambling last minute to find a place to eat downtown before the show, and unsurprisingly, most other restaurants were fully booked. This kind of carelessness is infuriating—especially when you're trying to plan ahead and rely on a business to operate with even the bare minimum level of professionalism.
If you're closed, say so. Update your site. Leave a voicemail message. Disable reservations. Don’t leave your customers hanging. Absolutely unacceptable. We won’t be back.
Jason Johnson
My daughter and her friends had a reservation. Confirmed from before as well as 30 minutes before.
They show up restaurant is closed. No update, no notification. Being down town it completely ruined their plans.
If you have the technology to send text updates. Then let people know.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Megan Worley
I had a reservation here for my boyfriend’s birthday, which I booked over two weeks in advance. I received a confirmation text a few days before and a reminder 30 minutes before our scheduled time. However, when we arrived, the restaurant was closed with a sign saying it was reserved for a private event. There was no prior notice, no communication, and their phone was disconnected. We weren’t the only ones—several other people were also stranded outside with the same issue.
Being in a downtown area with limited dining options, this completely disrupted our plans. A simple notification would have made all the difference. Extremely unprofessional and disappointing. I won’t be booking here again.
Service: 1
Cassandra
I can’t believe I made a reservation for my boyfriend’s bday dinner. The reservation was confirmed 30 minutes prior and we showed up and the door was locked with a sign that says they are closed. Why confirm my reservation for 5 people, 3 from out of town if you don’t want to honor the reservation.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 2
ian cork
DO NOT GO HERE. Even for the view.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Jennifer Haydu
I had a terrible experience with Estrella Cocina in Jacksonville. They took my reservation but canceled it without any notice. When I arrived, the staff was rude, dismissive, and didn’t even apologize or acknowledge their mistake. Extremely unprofessional and disappointing—wouldn’t recommend based on their lack of courtesy and accountability.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Hope Brandt
We went looking for a drink and chill night with a view. It gave us a pretty view when dining outside, but was just very slow. It took 1 hour for two drinks and the check . I don’t know how food was but I would plan for a long dining experience.
Teresa Hall
I am very conflicted about my first time dining here. I had such high hopes. I surprised my husband with the Valentine's Day dinner. The atmosphere is amazing. The food started off a little rough, the queso in the trio was so thick we couldn't eat it with a chip bc it wouldn't scoop out. The salsa was almost too hot. We got a salad and they brought out one bowl - it was a shared salad - so we were confused why we had to split it ourselves. The empanadas were amazing, and dinner was absolutely fabulous. The timing was very off. We were there two and a half hours and the couple who got there an hour after us got their food around the time same as us. Our poor waitress tried but we had to flag her down several times for drinks or plates for our empanadas. We might try this place one more time bc dinner was delicious but the overall experience was a little disappointing. I hope they get their stuff worked out bc it is a really cool spot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 2
Josie Alvarez
Start by saying the VIEW IS AMAZING. The ambience is very relaxing aswell. Music was being played outside and it had people dancing in there seats. Food was not as expected. I had high expections for a place with a spanish name but the dishes fell short on flavor. The service did not help the dishes. It was very slow service and we kept trying to flag down our waiter constantly it didnt make the food feel worth the wait. I recommend having only drinks and a good talk outside without food.
I feel like something is happening here with Estrella. This is my third time dining here since they opened and my experience is a downward trend in terms of service and food. First I must mention that my drinks were delicious and our server was very sweet. However, overall they seemed understaffed, and existing staff was spread thin. When I first arrived (6 pm on a Thursday) there was no one behind the bar at all. At dinner, they were out of key items that you'd expect from a Mexican restaurant, like guacamole. They also only had one white wine on hand, prosecco. I overheard another guest complaining that they do not have a working phone number to make a reservation, and the server responded that this was accurate. This place has every potential to be awesome - the decor and vibe are great, and the rooftop views are unparalleled. The location is ideal for attending performances downtown. If the management worked to get food inventory, drinks and staffing numbers up to par, the restaurant would really have it all, and I think be super successful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
AJZ P.
How do you say “one star kitchen” in Spanish?
The wait staff was spread too thin. (Our server was doing the best she could, but she had too many tables.) The food took forever to start coming out, and the timing was way off. At one point, one couple had all of their food, and the other had only one small plate. One of the appetizers never came out, so we canceled it. The meatballs came out cold - as in, no heat had ever reached the center. The queso was cold. By the time the server came to check on us (15 mins after the food had been brought out), we wanted nothing more to do with the food. Some of the food was good (mahi tacos, shrimp), but couldn’t be enjoyed because of the overall experience.
Angela Huggins
Went to Estrella Cocina for dinner before Mamma Mia and was sadly disappointed. I read the other reviews, but thought that they must be overexaggerating. Pros: great view of the sunset, interior restaurant has a cool vibe, staff is really good. Cons: Happy Hour is 4-6 but only includes house margs for $5, food is hardly edible. We got the trio of dips, birria tacos, and elote to share. The trio of dips: salsa has horrible flavor, guacamole is under seasoned, cheese was like soup. Birria tacos were super salty and greasy. The elote is just corn with a ton of cheese - it tasted like Mac and cheese (bad at that). Unless there is a significant change in recipes, we won’t be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 4
Megan Hughes
My party arrived at 10:29 and was DENIED FOOD from the kitchen. I was told that they closed an hour ago by the kitchen and Addy. Most of the kitchen staff snd Addy were very rude and not very accommodating. I have heard many great things about this place but this as a first time experience I will rate this place zero. We heard the staff talking inappropriately about us and other customers heard as well.
Atmosphere: 2
omar kandah
Showed up party of 3 and a toddler. The host didn’t even try and seat us. We had to find a table and waited for for 30 minutes we really wanted to give them a chance. The waitress was staring at the screen. Went to ask the host when we will get any service he said we only have 3 servers. To top things off waiting that long without a high chair our son fell and busted his lip. NOT ONE ATTEMPT AT SERVICE. It’s the lowest customer service we’ve ever experienced. Sad because we had high hopes and gave them a chance. Not ever coming back.
Wow! My husband loves chimichangas and that’s how he “tests” how great the restaurant is. I ordered the barria tacos and street corn and OMGGGGG it was amazing!!! Definitely one of the top Mexican restaurants in Jax! I highly recommend and plan on returning!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My friend and I made online reservations at Estrella Jax for a pre-show dinner—only to show up and find the restaurant closed. No heads-up, no cancellation, no notice via email or phone, only a confirmation of the successful reservation.
The kicker? There was a small, vague sign on the door, but it didn’t even mention the restaurant name. For all we knew, it could’ve been for the business next door. Their phone is disconnected, yet their website is still up and fully functional, accepting reservations as if nothing’s wrong. No mention anywhere that they’re temporarily closed.
We were left scrambling last minute to find a place to eat downtown before the show, and unsurprisingly, most other restaurants were fully booked. This kind of carelessness is infuriating—especially when you're trying to plan ahead and rely on a business to operate with even the bare minimum level of professionalism.
If you're closed, say so. Update your site. Leave a voicemail message. Disable reservations. Don’t leave your customers hanging. Absolutely unacceptable. We won’t be back.
My daughter and her friends had a reservation. Confirmed from before as well as 30 minutes before.
They show up restaurant is closed. No update, no notification. Being down town it completely ruined their plans.
If you have the technology to send text updates. Then let people know.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
I had a reservation here for my boyfriend’s birthday, which I booked over two weeks in advance. I received a confirmation text a few days before and a reminder 30 minutes before our scheduled time. However, when we arrived, the restaurant was closed with a sign saying it was reserved for a private event. There was no prior notice, no communication, and their phone was disconnected. We weren’t the only ones—several other people were also stranded outside with the same issue.
Being in a downtown area with limited dining options, this completely disrupted our plans. A simple notification would have made all the difference. Extremely unprofessional and disappointing. I won’t be booking here again.
Service: 1
I can’t believe I made a reservation for my boyfriend’s bday dinner. The reservation was confirmed 30 minutes prior and we showed up and the door was locked with a sign that says they are closed. Why confirm my reservation for 5 people, 3 from out of town if you don’t want to honor the reservation.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 2
DO NOT GO HERE. Even for the view.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
I had a terrible experience with Estrella Cocina in Jacksonville. They took my reservation but canceled it without any notice. When I arrived, the staff was rude, dismissive, and didn’t even apologize or acknowledge their mistake. Extremely unprofessional and disappointing—wouldn’t recommend based on their lack of courtesy and accountability.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
We went looking for a drink and chill night with a view. It gave us a pretty view when dining outside, but was just very slow. It took 1 hour for two drinks and the check . I don’t know how food was but I would plan for a long dining experience.
I am very conflicted about my first time dining here. I had such high hopes. I surprised my husband with the Valentine's Day dinner. The atmosphere is amazing. The food started off a little rough, the queso in the trio was so thick we couldn't eat it with a chip bc it wouldn't scoop out. The salsa was almost too hot. We got a salad and they brought out one bowl - it was a shared salad - so we were confused why we had to split it ourselves. The empanadas were amazing, and dinner was absolutely fabulous. The timing was very off. We were there two and a half hours and the couple who got there an hour after us got their food around the time same as us. Our poor waitress tried but we had to flag her down several times for drinks or plates for our empanadas. We might try this place one more time bc dinner was delicious but the overall experience was a little disappointing. I hope they get their stuff worked out bc it is a really cool spot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 2
Start by saying the VIEW IS AMAZING. The ambience is very relaxing aswell. Music was being played outside and it had people dancing in there seats.
Food was not as expected. I had high expections for a place with a spanish name but the dishes fell short on flavor.
The service did not help the dishes. It was very slow service and we kept trying to flag down our waiter constantly it didnt make the food feel worth the wait.
I recommend having only drinks and a good talk outside without food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
I feel like something is happening here with Estrella. This is my third time dining here since they opened and my experience is a downward trend in terms of service and food. First I must mention that my drinks were delicious and our server was very sweet. However, overall they seemed understaffed, and existing staff was spread thin. When I first arrived (6 pm on a Thursday) there was no one behind the bar at all. At dinner, they were out of key items that you'd expect from a Mexican restaurant, like guacamole. They also only had one white wine on hand, prosecco. I overheard another guest complaining that they do not have a working phone number to make a reservation, and the server responded that this was accurate. This place has every potential to be awesome - the decor and vibe are great, and the rooftop views are unparalleled. The location is ideal for attending performances downtown. If the management worked to get food inventory, drinks and staffing numbers up to par, the restaurant would really have it all, and I think be super successful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
How do you say “one star kitchen” in Spanish?
The wait staff was spread too thin. (Our server was doing the best she could, but she had too many tables.)
The food took forever to start coming out, and the timing was way off. At one point, one couple had all of their food, and the other had only one small plate.
One of the appetizers never came out, so we canceled it. The meatballs came out cold - as in, no heat had ever reached the center. The queso was cold. By the time the server came to check on us (15 mins after the food had been brought out), we wanted nothing more to do with the food.
Some of the food was good (mahi tacos, shrimp), but couldn’t be enjoyed because of the overall experience.
Went to Estrella Cocina for dinner before Mamma Mia and was sadly disappointed. I read the other reviews, but thought that they must be overexaggerating. Pros: great view of the sunset, interior restaurant has a cool vibe, staff is really good. Cons: Happy Hour is 4-6 but only includes house margs for $5, food is hardly edible. We got the trio of dips, birria tacos, and elote to share. The trio of dips: salsa has horrible flavor, guacamole is under seasoned, cheese was like soup. Birria tacos were super salty and greasy. The elote is just corn with a ton of cheese - it tasted like Mac and cheese (bad at that). Unless there is a significant change in recipes, we won’t be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 4
My party arrived at 10:29 and was DENIED FOOD from the kitchen. I was told that they closed an hour ago by the kitchen and Addy. Most of the kitchen staff snd Addy were very rude and not very accommodating. I have heard many great things about this place but this as a first time experience I will rate this place zero. We heard the staff talking inappropriately about us and other customers heard as well.
Atmosphere: 2
Showed up party of 3 and a toddler. The host didn’t even try and seat us. We had to find a table and waited for for 30 minutes we really wanted to give them a chance. The waitress was staring at the screen. Went to ask the host when we will get any service he said we only have 3 servers. To top things off waiting that long without a high chair our son fell and busted his lip. NOT ONE ATTEMPT AT SERVICE. It’s the lowest customer service we’ve ever experienced. Sad because we had high hopes and gave them a chance. Not ever coming back.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 1
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