According to past reviews and comments, this placed was described as delicious and fantastic. Unfortunately I did not have the same experience. My chicken was inedible, too tough to chew, the taquitos were filled with a meat that resembled beef jerky, and the rice and beans lacked flavor. I will personally not be spending any more money here.
(2)
Stefy B.
Had authentic Carne Asada Tacos and Carnitas Tacos. The good: -absolutely delicious/good flavoring -the meat had very tender and had very little nerves/fat (not chewy/fell apart nicely) compared to other places in Tallahassee -tortillas were on point The bad: -little points for presentation but who care what food looks like when it tastes this good? (As long as it doesn't look like an octopus :-O) Rice and beans were as good as the other authentic mexican places in Tallahassee.
(5)
Lady D.
Hands down, the best Mexican food in Tallahassee - from the homemade salsa to the warm chips. I had the enchilada chicken verde. OMG. How flavorful. The rice was flavorful. Don't let this place go out of business!!
(5)
Amanda E.
The service is horrible, no ac ( so it's hot inside). Also the cheese dip is like soup and the fryer grease needs to be changes as everything comes out burnt. The server questioned my husband and told him he was not a nice person for not tipping after the food was wrong and they wouldn't take it off the bill. Manager refused to talk to him. Worst business in town. Needs to be shut down. You can tell it's not great as they always have only one or two cars in the parking lot.
(1)
Ray B.
Delicious food and one of the best values in Tallahassee! The Monday night fajita special at $6.99 can't be beat. You get your choice of beef or chicken, and all the trimmings like guacamole, sour cream, pico , rice and beans!
(5)
Tina A.
It was just ok. We had shrimp and chicken fajitas and we weren't impressed enough to want go back.
(3)
Carlos D.
The shrimp burrito was excellent. We were so hungry that we are it so fast that we didn't take a picture of it.
(4)
Megan M.
I'm seriously over this place. We showed up tonight 45 minutes before their posted close time and they turned us away and told us that they closed early tonight. Two other people came in after us too and were sent away. There are posted fucking hours for a reason and to turn away customers is terrible business practice. I will never be spending ANY money again here and will be letting everyone I know know that they turn away customers. I work late and I planned to get their with plenty of time before they closed. Ridiculous.
(1)
James S.
Fast and friendly service. Food was served quickly and hot. The food was fabulous. Great lil mexican restaurant tucked away.
(4)
Ashley M.
We came here for lunch because it was recommended and we really enjoyed it. The chips and salsa were really good. We got fajitas that were big enough to share as well as a taco and an enchilada...everything delicious and the service was great and quick!
(4)
S G.
We have eaten at this restaurant many times before with no complaints. Even took neighbors and friends to eat there. But today was a bad experience all the way around. We ordered the fajitas special. It came out sizzling with three times the amount of peppers and onions than meat. The small amount of guacamole was covered with pico de gallo so my friend could not even eat the guacamole . We even asked our waitress, "where's the guacamole?" This was on the same heated plate as the rice and beans. Spoke with the manager on duty to no avail. No effort made to redo meal or offer another menu item. Very disappointed and will never return. We are aware that any restaurant can have an off meal/day but just felt totally unheard and unappreciated by the manager. It was around 3pm on Saturday and no other customers were in the restaurant.
(1)
Jason H.
If you loved el tapa tios. You'll love cinco de mayo. It is the same owners new location. And it's only fitting they still have all their same menu items plus some new ones. The location is better for me because it's right near my house. I would say that the prices have gone up a bit but considering the location and where they are renting I can understand why. So glad there is a great Mexican restaurant in my area.
(5)
Dimi B.
Chips were cold, had to ask for tomatillo salsa several times. Tacos needed salt, nachos were decent with queso sauce (not usual shredded cheese) and fresh jalapeños. Servers seem unhappy.
(2)
Mark K.
Really terrible attempt at anything resembling Mexican food in any way other than visual! I love Mex and Tex-Mex and tend to be very pragmatic about it when I travel. In other words, I am not expecting to find Frontera Grill/Topolobampo from Chicago or Lupe Tortilla's from Houston in every Mexican place. That said, I can scarcely remember a food wagon, much less a food service restaurant, that did not offer a more authentic or tastier option than Cinco de Mayo. Carnitas were almost inedible, tamales were solid corn, not seasoned well and drowned in some type of dark red sauce that brought the late Chi-Chi's to mind more than anything. I consider Applebee's the lowest rung on the culinary totem pole and I think I would declare Cinco de Mayo to be tied with them.
(1)
Jennifer W.
We decided to try this place after reading the great reviews on yelp! They did not disappoint, shrimp fajitas and a tamale both were excellent. The salsa and spinach queso also very good. Only problem now is trying to finish our margarita pitcher!
(5)
Lucy T.
Happy to have this excellent restaurant on the east side of town. Great chips and salsa. The salsa is smooth and full of flavor. Cheese dip was also excellent, though I liked the salsa so much I think I'll skip the cheese next time. All the usual Mexican favorites are prepared here order individually or in an endless variety of combos. All priced reasonably. Don't miss the cream cheese flan. Seriously worth the calories.
(5)
Harin D.
First of I am so glad somebody finally opened a restaurant in Eastside of Tallahassee we folks in buck lake area have to drive pretty far get some decent grub. Okay now onto to the review of cinco de mayo. First time we ate there got the chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce they were delicious. Second time got the mole Pablano best mole chicken I have eaten. Also their rice and beans are by far the best in Tallahassee. Awesome Mexican so close to home.
(5)
Dottie B.
I took my daughter and her boyfriend to eat lunch at Cinco De Mayo yesterday. I was anxious to try it because Mexican is a family favorite and it is so close to our house. We had been waiting for it to open. To start with the chips and salsa they serve come out very quickly. The salsa is fantastic very fresh tasting. Matt and I got margaritas and they were great. Not to sweet not to strong. Matt and I got the Mexican chicken, the lunch portion. It was perfect. Nice and crunchy not soggy at all even though it has the delicious white cheese sauce and pico on it. My daughter is vegan and LOVED the guacamole and also had veggie quesadillas. We all very much enjoyed the meal. So much so that we went back today with my other two daughters. Again it was fabulous. The staff was very attentive both days and remembered us from yesterday. Even reminding my daughter that she didn't like the carrots on her quesadilla. I can tell that this place will be our go Mexican restaurant from now on.
(5)
M P.
My first visit to Cinco De Mayo since their opening proved to be a good experience. Food was good, hot and served quickly. Server was good and the restaurant has a new fresh clean look. The prices were very reasonable. One side had a bar and the other side was just dinner tables and by the time we left almost all of the restaurant side was filled. I think if they advertise good enough that it may do well. I would definitely go back.
(5)
Bryan M.
Great food and some pretty nice specials. The fajitas have very generous portions at a very reasonable price. I will definitely be back. Best of luck to this place at this new location
(5)
Mike A.
Passed by this place many times when traveling to Tallahassee for business. Started out with chips, salsa, flour tortillas and queso. Good stuff! Had enchiladas, tacos, and chimichanga all very good. Good service. Not your Taco Bell type food at all. I will be back.
(4)
Kristina K.
I found this place to be a bit of a mixed bag. I was in town visiting a good friend so after a long day of shopping we met up with her husband for some Mexican food. The parking lot was packed so I was surprised to walk in and see the restaurant barely half full (this was 6pm on Saturday night). Our waiter was nice but incredibly slow. My friend's husband had already gotten a table and drinks and chips when we walked in. We got drinks pretty quickly but it was a while before our waiter came back for our dinner order. It took almost 30 minutes to get our food and our waiter was totally absent during that time. All 3 of us were out of drinks for quite a while before he returned to refill them. I got a shrimp burrito, which tasted great but all 3 of us were kind of over it by the time the food came out. I don't know if they were short staffed or what but it was sort of odd to be in a mostly empty restaurant and have such slow service. Also, at one point during our meal the lights got really bright then really low then bright again. I looked over and there was a small kid (who seemed to know the staff), playing with the lights. I know this isn't some gourmet restaurant but it was a little weird, the kid really shouldn't have been hanging out in the kitchen. My friends eat here regularly and said this was not a typical experience so I guess they were having an off night. Good food, weird service.
(3)
Andre' M.
It was ok. I had been at an all day party down the road where there was tons of cajun food and drink so I came not very hungry which was probably part of the reason that I wasn't overwhelmed. Maybe they should get 3.5 stars. I had the shrimp burrito. There was a lot of shrimp in it which was quite nice. The server was very pleasant. Her name was Renee. I don't live in Tallahassee anymore, but if I did, I'd sure be happy to have a Mexican restaurant to eat at on this side of town.
(3)
Katie S.
This is a great place for reasonably-priced Mexican food. Service was good, atmosphere was nothing special, but clean and friendly. The server was even nice enough to pack half of our order to go when we requested it beforehand. The chips and salsa are always a bonus for me. Delicious food!
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Erin W.
According to past reviews and comments, this placed was described as delicious and fantastic. Unfortunately I did not have the same experience. My chicken was inedible, too tough to chew, the taquitos were filled with a meat that resembled beef jerky, and the rice and beans lacked flavor. I will personally not be spending any more money here.
(2)Stefy B.
Had authentic Carne Asada Tacos and Carnitas Tacos. The good: -absolutely delicious/good flavoring -the meat had very tender and had very little nerves/fat (not chewy/fell apart nicely) compared to other places in Tallahassee -tortillas were on point The bad: -little points for presentation but who care what food looks like when it tastes this good? (As long as it doesn't look like an octopus :-O) Rice and beans were as good as the other authentic mexican places in Tallahassee.
(5)Lady D.
Hands down, the best Mexican food in Tallahassee - from the homemade salsa to the warm chips. I had the enchilada chicken verde. OMG. How flavorful. The rice was flavorful. Don't let this place go out of business!!
(5)Amanda E.
The service is horrible, no ac ( so it's hot inside). Also the cheese dip is like soup and the fryer grease needs to be changes as everything comes out burnt. The server questioned my husband and told him he was not a nice person for not tipping after the food was wrong and they wouldn't take it off the bill. Manager refused to talk to him. Worst business in town. Needs to be shut down. You can tell it's not great as they always have only one or two cars in the parking lot.
(1)Ray B.
Delicious food and one of the best values in Tallahassee! The Monday night fajita special at $6.99 can't be beat. You get your choice of beef or chicken, and all the trimmings like guacamole, sour cream, pico , rice and beans!
(5)Tina A.
It was just ok. We had shrimp and chicken fajitas and we weren't impressed enough to want go back.
(3)Carlos D.
The shrimp burrito was excellent. We were so hungry that we are it so fast that we didn't take a picture of it.
(4)Megan M.
I'm seriously over this place. We showed up tonight 45 minutes before their posted close time and they turned us away and told us that they closed early tonight. Two other people came in after us too and were sent away. There are posted fucking hours for a reason and to turn away customers is terrible business practice. I will never be spending ANY money again here and will be letting everyone I know know that they turn away customers. I work late and I planned to get their with plenty of time before they closed. Ridiculous.
(1)James S.
Fast and friendly service. Food was served quickly and hot. The food was fabulous. Great lil mexican restaurant tucked away.
(4)Ashley M.
We came here for lunch because it was recommended and we really enjoyed it. The chips and salsa were really good. We got fajitas that were big enough to share as well as a taco and an enchilada...everything delicious and the service was great and quick!
(4)S G.
We have eaten at this restaurant many times before with no complaints. Even took neighbors and friends to eat there. But today was a bad experience all the way around. We ordered the fajitas special. It came out sizzling with three times the amount of peppers and onions than meat. The small amount of guacamole was covered with pico de gallo so my friend could not even eat the guacamole . We even asked our waitress, "where's the guacamole?" This was on the same heated plate as the rice and beans. Spoke with the manager on duty to no avail. No effort made to redo meal or offer another menu item. Very disappointed and will never return. We are aware that any restaurant can have an off meal/day but just felt totally unheard and unappreciated by the manager. It was around 3pm on Saturday and no other customers were in the restaurant.
(1)Jason H.
If you loved el tapa tios. You'll love cinco de mayo. It is the same owners new location. And it's only fitting they still have all their same menu items plus some new ones. The location is better for me because it's right near my house. I would say that the prices have gone up a bit but considering the location and where they are renting I can understand why. So glad there is a great Mexican restaurant in my area.
(5)Dimi B.
Chips were cold, had to ask for tomatillo salsa several times. Tacos needed salt, nachos were decent with queso sauce (not usual shredded cheese) and fresh jalapeños. Servers seem unhappy.
(2)Mark K.
Really terrible attempt at anything resembling Mexican food in any way other than visual! I love Mex and Tex-Mex and tend to be very pragmatic about it when I travel. In other words, I am not expecting to find Frontera Grill/Topolobampo from Chicago or Lupe Tortilla's from Houston in every Mexican place. That said, I can scarcely remember a food wagon, much less a food service restaurant, that did not offer a more authentic or tastier option than Cinco de Mayo. Carnitas were almost inedible, tamales were solid corn, not seasoned well and drowned in some type of dark red sauce that brought the late Chi-Chi's to mind more than anything. I consider Applebee's the lowest rung on the culinary totem pole and I think I would declare Cinco de Mayo to be tied with them.
(1)Jennifer W.
We decided to try this place after reading the great reviews on yelp! They did not disappoint, shrimp fajitas and a tamale both were excellent. The salsa and spinach queso also very good. Only problem now is trying to finish our margarita pitcher!
(5)Lucy T.
Happy to have this excellent restaurant on the east side of town. Great chips and salsa. The salsa is smooth and full of flavor. Cheese dip was also excellent, though I liked the salsa so much I think I'll skip the cheese next time. All the usual Mexican favorites are prepared here order individually or in an endless variety of combos. All priced reasonably. Don't miss the cream cheese flan. Seriously worth the calories.
(5)Harin D.
First of I am so glad somebody finally opened a restaurant in Eastside of Tallahassee we folks in buck lake area have to drive pretty far get some decent grub. Okay now onto to the review of cinco de mayo. First time we ate there got the chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce they were delicious. Second time got the mole Pablano best mole chicken I have eaten. Also their rice and beans are by far the best in Tallahassee. Awesome Mexican so close to home.
(5)Dottie B.
I took my daughter and her boyfriend to eat lunch at Cinco De Mayo yesterday. I was anxious to try it because Mexican is a family favorite and it is so close to our house. We had been waiting for it to open. To start with the chips and salsa they serve come out very quickly. The salsa is fantastic very fresh tasting. Matt and I got margaritas and they were great. Not to sweet not to strong. Matt and I got the Mexican chicken, the lunch portion. It was perfect. Nice and crunchy not soggy at all even though it has the delicious white cheese sauce and pico on it. My daughter is vegan and LOVED the guacamole and also had veggie quesadillas. We all very much enjoyed the meal. So much so that we went back today with my other two daughters. Again it was fabulous. The staff was very attentive both days and remembered us from yesterday. Even reminding my daughter that she didn't like the carrots on her quesadilla. I can tell that this place will be our go Mexican restaurant from now on.
(5)M P.
My first visit to Cinco De Mayo since their opening proved to be a good experience. Food was good, hot and served quickly. Server was good and the restaurant has a new fresh clean look. The prices were very reasonable. One side had a bar and the other side was just dinner tables and by the time we left almost all of the restaurant side was filled. I think if they advertise good enough that it may do well. I would definitely go back.
(5)Bryan M.
Great food and some pretty nice specials. The fajitas have very generous portions at a very reasonable price. I will definitely be back. Best of luck to this place at this new location
(5)Mike A.
Passed by this place many times when traveling to Tallahassee for business. Started out with chips, salsa, flour tortillas and queso. Good stuff! Had enchiladas, tacos, and chimichanga all very good. Good service. Not your Taco Bell type food at all. I will be back.
(4)Kristina K.
I found this place to be a bit of a mixed bag. I was in town visiting a good friend so after a long day of shopping we met up with her husband for some Mexican food. The parking lot was packed so I was surprised to walk in and see the restaurant barely half full (this was 6pm on Saturday night). Our waiter was nice but incredibly slow. My friend's husband had already gotten a table and drinks and chips when we walked in. We got drinks pretty quickly but it was a while before our waiter came back for our dinner order. It took almost 30 minutes to get our food and our waiter was totally absent during that time. All 3 of us were out of drinks for quite a while before he returned to refill them. I got a shrimp burrito, which tasted great but all 3 of us were kind of over it by the time the food came out. I don't know if they were short staffed or what but it was sort of odd to be in a mostly empty restaurant and have such slow service. Also, at one point during our meal the lights got really bright then really low then bright again. I looked over and there was a small kid (who seemed to know the staff), playing with the lights. I know this isn't some gourmet restaurant but it was a little weird, the kid really shouldn't have been hanging out in the kitchen. My friends eat here regularly and said this was not a typical experience so I guess they were having an off night. Good food, weird service.
(3)Andre' M.
It was ok. I had been at an all day party down the road where there was tons of cajun food and drink so I came not very hungry which was probably part of the reason that I wasn't overwhelmed. Maybe they should get 3.5 stars. I had the shrimp burrito. There was a lot of shrimp in it which was quite nice. The server was very pleasant. Her name was Renee. I don't live in Tallahassee anymore, but if I did, I'd sure be happy to have a Mexican restaurant to eat at on this side of town.
(3)Katie S.
This is a great place for reasonably-priced Mexican food. Service was good, atmosphere was nothing special, but clean and friendly. The server was even nice enough to pack half of our order to go when we requested it beforehand. The chips and salsa are always a bonus for me. Delicious food!
(5)