Cañonita, the new sit-down Mexican restaurant and bar in Lake Nona West, is celebrating its opening with a free 1-mile run or walk on Thursday, Nov. 19. A margarita or mocktail waits at the finish.
Quick Facts
- What: Margarita Mile, a free 1-mile run or walk celebrating Cañonita’s grand opening
- When: Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, starting at 6:30 p.m.
- Where: Cañonita, 5947 Lake Nona Blvd., Orlando, FL 32827 (Lake Nona West)
- Cost: Free, with an RSVP on Eventbrite
- Restaurant hours: Sun.–Thu. 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–1 a.m.
The finish line beats the starting line at this one. On Thursday, Nov. 19, Cañonita and Orlando run clubs are hosting the Margarita Mile, a 1-mile run or walk starting at the new restaurant in Lake Nona West. Finish and you get a complimentary margarita or mocktail, plus an offer for free chips and guacamole. Live music keeps things going afterward.
The restaurant held its grand opening weekend Nov. 5–7 with DJs, a photo booth and a makers market. The Margarita Mile is the next round of the celebration, and it’s the easiest excuse yet to see the place.
The run (or walk)
Meet at Cañonita at 6:30 p.m. It’s a mile, so the pace is up to you. Run club regulars and first-timers are both invited, and walking is fine. The event is free, but organizers ask you to reserve a spot on Eventbrite. After the finish, stay for drinks, live music and what Lake Nona’s event page calls “a little neighborhood celebration.”
What Cañonita is
This is a full-service Mexican restaurant and bar from Tavistock Restaurant Collection. It’s built around what the restaurant calls the spirit of Mexico City, with a tequila list to match. The spot most people will want is the covered patio. It looks out over the neighborhood green and centers on a butterfly-inspired bar.
The menu leans toward sharing. La Familia platters serve four to six people: pick a Taco Bar or a Fajita Platter with three proteins, or go with the Cañonita Parrillada of skirt steak, grilled chicken, carnitas and citrus shrimp with street corn ribs. For smaller orders, there are griddled birria tacos, pozole verde, enchiladas Michoacán with mole poblano and a five-cheese queso. Churro fried ice cream is the dessert to note. The house drink is the Mojito Me, which is muddled at your table with mint, lime, cane sugar and Bacardí, and comes by the glass or the pitcher.
Happy hour runs Monday through Friday, 3–6 p.m., and brunch is Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays the restaurant stays open until 1 a.m., which is late for Lake Nona.
Why We’re Hyped
A free mile that ends with a margarita is a better introduction to a new restaurant than any ribbon cutting. Cañonita also gives Lake Nona something it can use: big shareable platters, a patio bar and weekend hours that run until 1 a.m.
The Details
- Event: Margarita Mile, hosted by Cañonita with Orlando run clubs
- Date and time: Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, starting at 6:30 p.m.
- Cost: Free; RSVP required on Eventbrite; finishers get a complimentary margarita or mocktail and an offer for free chips and guacamole
- Location: Cañonita, 5947 Lake Nona Blvd., Orlando, FL 32827 (Lake Nona West)
- Restaurant hours: Sunday–Thursday 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Friday–Saturday 11 a.m.–1 a.m.
- Happy hour: Monday–Friday, 3–6 p.m.
- Brunch: Saturday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
- Phone: 407-214-7448
- Official site: canonitalakenona.com · Menu · Events
- RSVP: Margarita Mile on Eventbrite · Lake Nona event page
