Say it with me, people: 'Tex-Mex.' This is not your authentic, hard-to-find, foodie recipe from the ancient ruins of Tulum. This is Tex-Mex. Tumbleweed. Chi-Chi's. America's finest. Once you understand where you're at and what you're eating, I think you're set to have a good experience. Well, at least a better one. It's Tex-Mex! This means giant frozen margaritas (yes, please; an' keep 'em comin'!). This means bottomless bowls of salsa and chips of varying quality. This means loads of cheese on everything and no extra charge for plates that sizzle. It's Tex-Mex! It also means ordering things by number and not name and doing so un-ironically. In addition to my giant margarita (for only $2.99 on a Tuesday afternoon!) and bottomless bowl of salsa, I ordered a C4: a taco, an enchilada and a burrito. Oh, and rice & beans as well. The default is ground beef, so if you want another protein, make sure you request it at time of ordering. The food came out quickly (no surprise) and I ordered another margarita to wash it down with. My selections were hot, tasty (especially to/for my inner fat kid) and loaded with cheese. Done. Never would I ever bring Aaron Sanchez here and hope to impress him. But, I'd definitely bring my cousin here to load up on cheap margaritas, just-right salsa & chips and good-enough Tex-Mex to stuff my belly and make me happy. Time & place, people. Time & place.
(4)
Deb P.
How I was looking forward to this ... and how disappointed I ended up being. Guac - disappointing. Salsa - watery "Grilled" chicken - greasy. "Carnitas" - large hunks of pork - generally don't get it in this format. All in all ... meh.
(2)
C J.
I'm just going to start by saying it's the year 2015 now and not everyone supports the meat industry and eats animals or animal byproducts. With that being said the only thing we were able to eat on the menu was the chips and salsa that came with our margarita. Cool.... The guacamole even has sour cream! Why?!!! Update: added the 2nd star because our server came and up sold us some pico de gallo with chopped avocado for a guacamole alternative.
(2)
Kaitlyn W.
A trip to Nashville is never complete without a visit to Cinco! The food is always amazing. I could eat here everyday. The people who work here are some of the kindest people I've ever got the pleasure of knowing. Stop buy and visit my friend Victor and try the guac!!!
(5)
Sheena T.
I LOVE that there is a cheap Mexican restaurant in Cummins Station!! I am all for affordable options, and am happy that they opened this location! If you've been to any of the Cinco de Mayo chains, you know what you are in for with this one. Same menu, same salsa, same design. But you know... it works for me and I like it. You know what you get here, and I'm all for consistency. Their sangria is quite tasty and you can order it in a carafe for a reasonable price. The margaritas are quite delicious as well, and the food is your solid Americanized Mexican food. Great place when you are craving some Mexican food covered in cheese sauce!
This place is just a bit plain odd... They actually have pretty god quasi-authetnic Mexican food (by that I mean not super greasy but fresh tasting) that is rather delicious. The customer service is pretty amazing. HOWEVER... its a weird because it is a Mexican place that is trying to hard to be sports bar... and the patio is only about 20 meters from the trash so if you are on the wrong side... you can smell it pretty well Also on a Thursday night NOOOO ONE WAS THERE... so so much for the lively environment... So basically if you take your friends here, they might think you are schizo who has amusing appreciation for Mexican food.
(3)
Kristie A.
I give their margaritas a 4/5 rating only because theirs is much stronger compared to other Americanized Mexican restaurants. The service is really good. Weird though, an 8 yr old boy served our chips & salsa. I don't know.. Maybe they're starting him young. I had carnitas and fish tacos. The carnitas was really good. I ended up taking all the cheese out and dipping it in my salsa lol.
(3)
Tracis K.
Waitress tried to steal our party's card and left the building. They later insisted it was on the table after looking diligently. Great food ran by criminals
(1)
Doogie Del Sanchez H.
This place is awesome! I don't know why more people don't go here. Definitely a hidden gem. The food is delicious, and the drinks are cheap. Great place! Would recommend it to anyone.
(5)
Chris A.
This is my go-to restaurant for standard fare Tex-Mex. You'll find hard shell tacos, fajitas, sour cream and all that stuff Americans associate with Mexican cuisine but isn't actually eaten in Mexico. However, it's pretty damn good. I've yet to try a dish that I didn't find tasty. The Mexican style chicken soup they serve is the best chicken soup I've had in my life, it's very hearty and will keep you full for hours and it is just so flavorful. I know most people don't go to Mexican restaurants for a bowl of chicken soup, but don't sleep on this soup, it's awesome! I think the salsa is satisfying for a standard restaurant. Only mildly spicy. I wish they had a few different salsa options with more bite. Prices are great. The lunch specials are so cheap that I wonder if this restaurant can even make money. I'm talking a big delicious plate that has me stuffed for less than $6. I even leave an extra big tip because I fell bad getting so much food for so little.
(4)
Forrest L.
Great food, great people, great value. We find ourselves coming back again and again. We were actually present during one of the previous negative reviews, and I guess we (and the buildings security cameras - bonus: the place is safe!) saw different things. Nice to have a place like this in Cummins!
(5)
Stephen H.
Nice find in Nashville if you're sick of BBQ and fried chicken. I had the surf and turf, steak was cooked as I ordered, not overly seasoned, the shrimp were tasty as well. Sister had Pineapple Shrimp dish. That was probably the best one people ordered. Fajitas were a good choice as well. Beers are large and cheap!!
(4)
Jim T.
New waitress got 2 orders wrong, but it was quickly remedied. Mens Bathroom out of towels but again quickly replaced. Health score was 96 (follow up adjusted, whatever that may mean) Food was pretty good. Salsa pretty spicy/flavorful Overall decent value and would return.
(4)
Elizabeth F.
Chips and salsa were good. The "top shelf" margarita was Sauza. Margaritas were just okay, a little too sweet for my liking. Our waiter was good. Our food was bland. I got chicken tacos, they only came with lettuce and cheese. My friend had the enchiladas and she also said it was bland, not enough sauce. Overall it was okay but probably would not come back.
(2)
Kristin Marie S.
Cinco de Mayo is the perfect pregame location before a show at the Cannery or Mercy. It is literally right down the street, the prices are fantastic, and the food is A-Ok. It's not the best in town but it's not bad. It's typical large-scale Mexican food. They also have tamales which are hard to find. We went through a Cannery/Mercy hot streak and ended up eating there before the show almost every time. Also, you can't hate their happy hour. The beers are gigantic. Ginormous. The size of your head. In the words of Donald Trump, UUGE.
(3)
Lindsay W.
Cinco de Mayo is my favorite Mexican restaurant in town. I used to frequent the one off of Charlotte weekly, and will occasionally hit up the one in Brentwood because it is right down the street from my work. Saw that the one in Cummins Station had recently opened and ventured out that way. What I love most about Cinco de Mayo is their drink specials. Margarita specials several nights during the week as well as some pitcher specials. I have beome a creature of habit at Cinco by always ordering the same dish (fajita burrito) and each location is consistent in their delivery. I was quite the happy camper that the newest location lived up to my expectations.
(5)
Meghan B.
So I frequented this place weekly due to the convenience of it being in the same building as my office. And it was pretty standard fare, cheap Mexican with some pretty killer lunchtime deals. Solid 3 stars from me. Decent service, decent food, better than decent price. No complaints here...until this fateful evening about a week ago. Now I've been too ashamed/traumatized to share my story, until now. (Cue law and order music) I like to think I'm an easy customer, I never complicate my order, I always know what I want when the server comes to the table and if I don't- I wing it. I've never sent food back, even if it nowhere near even resembles what I ordered, and I always tip a minimum of 20% regardless of service. That's just how I roll, I understand that other people roll in different directions. Take my coworker for example, she needs to customize, I doubt there's ever been a time where she ordered right off of the menu, the food is always sent back, and the tip, well... we'll just say it's below my standard but to each his own right? Who am I to tell someone how to live their life? Well, you see, here's a problem with eating out with people you don't know too well, who just so happen to frequent the same little eateries you do -you become guilty by association. My co-worker and I walk in the doors of Cinco De Mayo at around 9pm and the host tells us to sit wherever we'd like and hands us some menus. I scan it quickly, already knowing what I want, the usual quesadilla and queso and chips. (I swear if you cut my veins open cheese would probably just pour out at this point) and wait for my associate to figure out what she wants. We silently close our menus and discuss a future project. 10 minutes in, my stomach reminds me that I haven't eaten yet. It also says "hey girl, I'm thirsty, quit playing around and pay attention, I have needs too" whatever stomach, quit your grumbling. It yells at me again 10 minutes later, pretty sure at this point that my ex and my tummy having been sharing notes. I'm also pretty sure that it's entirely too long to be waiting for food here, not to mention a drink or even a hello from the server. My co worker picks up on my desperate scan around the restaurant and decides to go straight to the host and ask what the deal is. After some shouting back and forth between the host and the server, I catch wind of what's going on, and let me tell you it stinks. The server comes over to greet us and casually explains that they're closed. My coworker replies "but you close at 10, we have menus!" Server simply responds "tonight we close at 9:25" before turning to walk away. I know he sees the desperation in my eyes. I silently plead with him for just one chip dipped in salsa. Alas, my silent cries fall on deaf ears. My coworker heads to the bathroom before we leave, and an unsweetened iced tea is sat on the table. A quiet and quick peace offering. I slurp it down and wait for my associate outside, vowing to never eat with her anywhere I respect ever again. Basically this place gets 3 stars from me on a good day, knocking a star off for leaving me go hungry and the sketchy service but I'll adjust after my likely return, solo.
(2)
Kaci M.
I'm from Texas so I've had my fair share of great mexican food and tex mex. I'm thinking about moving to Nashville and considering my love of Mexican food, I needed to find a restaurant that was at least decent. This one was even better than that! Their tamales were to die for. They even rivaled the ones from my favorite Mexican place, which is saying something. The sauce on the tamale was so good and the outside was perfect. The steak fajitas were also really great, as well as the salsa. The only reason it's not 5 stars is the queso. It's okay, but nothing to write home about and I'm a queso fanatic so this was pretty disappointing for me. The prices and service were excellent though and almost made up for the disappointing queso.
(4)
Frank O.
This place is not good. I won't hold their horrible service against them because it could have been a bad night, the waiter who forgot our order and had to reconfirm it 20 mins after taking it could have been having a bad night, unrelated variables etc. The one star is for the food. Being new to Nashville I've been told that it doesn't have good Mexican food and I thought there had to be at least one. This place has 4 out of 5 stars. That is PHENOMENAL for Yelp standards. The food was so bad. I got the burrito, enchilada, taco combo. The burrito and the enchilada were served on the same plate and were indecipherable. The burrito had ground beef inside, maybe some sort of queso dip? Sprinkled with cheese. The enchilada had the queso dip and sprinkled with cheese. Super bland, unexciting. They need to get some flavor. Quick tips for the owners. Get some shredded beef, maybe some diced peppers, onions. Whatever makes food more flavorful. The food seemed like a product of a children's cookbook. Very disappointed. The search continues.
(1)
Queen B.
No, no, no, no, nooooooooo! This is not Mexican. I don't know what this is, but it ain't Mexican. This is fast food disguised in tortillas. Went here with a couple of friends and frankly, I think we were all surprised at the quality, the service, the salsa, the chips, the not understanding orders, charging one of us for cilantro when all she asked was for them to sprinkle some cilantro on her terribly dull quesadilla. What. A. Joke. This place will not go into the rotation, nor will it be recommended. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *** Man, Nashville lacks in Mexican, Italian and Chinese. Enough with this farm to table chit... You're all starting to look alike. Can we please get some creativity with the high prices you're charging???????
(2)
Melanie C.
Now that the patio is open, there's nothing better than sharing a Margarita pitcher (for only $15!) under the sun! The fish tacos are my order of choice every time. I find most of the other dishes too "saucy" for my taste, but that's a personal thing because everyone who eats there with me enjoys the burritos, despite the amount of sauce on it. Staff is incredible as well! We love this place.
(4)
Stefanie P.
First and foremost 1. This is a Mexican restaurant in a nice office building 2. You will probably need to pay to park 3. If you are reading this review because you're on your phone in the car in the parking lot of Mercy Lounge or Cannery Ballroom and want some food or drink before the show - yup this is the ONLY place within walking distance to get those things. Killer lunch special of $4.99-$5.99 meals -service is fast, food so so . Went there for drinks (cause they had a great special price) but it took a while to get the drinks. Got food, took a while too. Only 1 server during happy hour. Price was right though, I guess you get you what you pay for. Theyve only been open a few months so they're probably still working out the kinks - hopefully . I'm optimistic.
(3)
Ben S.
It's located at the end of a red brick building that is full of cool looking restaurants (and some offices). It's your typical Mexican food-nothing really creative or foodie about it. However the lunch special can't be beat. The portions are big and the prices on the lunch menu - even for the combos - are in the $5-$7 range. The atmosphere is relaxed and accompanied by your typical Mexican instrumental playlist. I'd definitely frequent this place for lunch if I lived here.
(4)
Bridget S.
Saturday night family dinner....bright and open atmosphere.Fajita for two: $22.00. They were great with a trio of meats, fresh green pepper, onion and tomato. The entree was huge....enough for three. My daughter had the chicken enchilada's. White cheese queso was great. The salsa was nice and spicy...better than most. We will return. A great value and meal for the family. The parking easy!
(4)
Jay H.
Love this place. The salsa is the best I've ever had. And I always get a tamale, guacamole salad, and a beef taco. Delicious! The margaritas are strong, but not too strong...just right. Check them out. You won't be disappointed! Tell Victor and Alex that I sent you!!
(5)
Joe C.
Definitely a new hidden gem in Nashville. Cinco de Mayo is a huge open venue, with plenty of seating and never a wait!. The food is cheap, delicious, and accompanied by great service. The specials are even better, no where else in town has a 32 oz draft beer for $2.99 on a Friday night. Bonus to this great restaurant...they validate parking! Cinco de Mayo is definitely worth checking out.
(5)
Ray Ray K.
Great place to go for a big 32oz dos Equis draft beer before a show at cannery, mercy lounge, or the high watt. Or after getting a tattoo at black 13 inside Cummings station here. The fish tacos are actually pretty good. 3 tacos and a big beer usually fills me up. Nice staff.
(4)
Chad C.
This place deserves 5 stars because it is how Mexican restaurants should be. Straight forward Mexican food and great Margarita specials. Too many Mexican spots in Nashville are trying to be "gormet" that gives a special vibe but can't execute simple dishes.
(5)
Samma A.
The varied daily happy hours featuring sometimes margaritas, sangria and beers are great. Be aware of the jumbo size of the $2.99 mugs of beer on Mondays. The 32 ounces will make you pee! Shuffle through past the orange and limegreen walls and youll find the bathroom at the end. Parking at Cinco, which is just a couple blocks from the Music City convention Center, can be a hassle. But Cinco will validate for free parking at the lot across from the Cummins building entrance. The salsa at Cinco de Mayo is slightly thinner but much spicier with more heat than most texmex joints. I also go there for the downtown convenience, the queso and the filling entrees. Fav entree is their beef fajitas for lunch. BTW don't make the servers smile disappear by insisting on substitutions. It ain't gonna happen.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
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.
Johnny T.
Say it with me, people: 'Tex-Mex.' This is not your authentic, hard-to-find, foodie recipe from the ancient ruins of Tulum. This is Tex-Mex. Tumbleweed. Chi-Chi's. America's finest. Once you understand where you're at and what you're eating, I think you're set to have a good experience. Well, at least a better one. It's Tex-Mex! This means giant frozen margaritas (yes, please; an' keep 'em comin'!). This means bottomless bowls of salsa and chips of varying quality. This means loads of cheese on everything and no extra charge for plates that sizzle. It's Tex-Mex! It also means ordering things by number and not name and doing so un-ironically. In addition to my giant margarita (for only $2.99 on a Tuesday afternoon!) and bottomless bowl of salsa, I ordered a C4: a taco, an enchilada and a burrito. Oh, and rice & beans as well. The default is ground beef, so if you want another protein, make sure you request it at time of ordering. The food came out quickly (no surprise) and I ordered another margarita to wash it down with. My selections were hot, tasty (especially to/for my inner fat kid) and loaded with cheese. Done. Never would I ever bring Aaron Sanchez here and hope to impress him. But, I'd definitely bring my cousin here to load up on cheap margaritas, just-right salsa & chips and good-enough Tex-Mex to stuff my belly and make me happy. Time & place, people. Time & place.
(4)Deb P.
How I was looking forward to this ... and how disappointed I ended up being. Guac - disappointing. Salsa - watery "Grilled" chicken - greasy. "Carnitas" - large hunks of pork - generally don't get it in this format. All in all ... meh.
(2)C J.
I'm just going to start by saying it's the year 2015 now and not everyone supports the meat industry and eats animals or animal byproducts. With that being said the only thing we were able to eat on the menu was the chips and salsa that came with our margarita. Cool.... The guacamole even has sour cream! Why?!!! Update: added the 2nd star because our server came and up sold us some pico de gallo with chopped avocado for a guacamole alternative.
(2)Kaitlyn W.
A trip to Nashville is never complete without a visit to Cinco! The food is always amazing. I could eat here everyday. The people who work here are some of the kindest people I've ever got the pleasure of knowing. Stop buy and visit my friend Victor and try the guac!!!
(5)Sheena T.
I LOVE that there is a cheap Mexican restaurant in Cummins Station!! I am all for affordable options, and am happy that they opened this location! If you've been to any of the Cinco de Mayo chains, you know what you are in for with this one. Same menu, same salsa, same design. But you know... it works for me and I like it. You know what you get here, and I'm all for consistency. Their sangria is quite tasty and you can order it in a carafe for a reasonable price. The margaritas are quite delicious as well, and the food is your solid Americanized Mexican food. Great place when you are craving some Mexican food covered in cheese sauce!
(4)Anna S.
I love a good, cheap Mexican eatery. I'm the furthest thing from a food snob (mini rant: how can you be pretentious about a necessity that so many people don't have?), so when the craving hits me, I just require cheap, yummy food, free (unlimited) chips and salsa, and friendly service. I got all of this here at Cinco de Mayo, located in downtown Nashville. Cinco was about a .5 mile mark from my hotel. I had already had my barbecue fix for the day, so what I really wanted was an icy margarita (rare, for me, as I'm not much of a drinker) and cheesy, crunchy, grilled, spicy eats. The restaurant is kind of oddly located inside a nice, sort of flex space building. We almost missed it, because all the signs are tiny and in black-and-white (don't be deterred by the boring signage, we found out that this is just a local ordinance requirement). They do not have patio seating available yet, but the host said that they are working on it and expect there to be patio seating available next week. We were seated very quickly, and I will say that we had the friendliest, most smiley server. One Modelo and one frozen margarita later (the margarita was lime green, refreshingly tangy and quite stout), we had noshed to our hearts' content on the warm chips and salsa (nothing special but quite tasty). My dinner partner ordered the chicken fajitas: they came with rice, refried beans, guacamole, sour cream and some type of side salad. I ordered the number 30 on the menu, 'camarones con piña', but swapped out the shrimps for grilled chicken. I also ordered a side of guacamole, and they bright out a generous bowl of it. It was a little bland and overly mashed for me, I would have liked some more chunky texture and garlicky, lime-y zing, but it was still adequate. I found my dish to be hearty and delicious - just what I was a craving. A big portion of Mexican rice topped with chunks of tender grilled chicken, grilled pineapple, and sautéed onions and bell peppers, and smothered in white cheese sauce. It was standard, familiar Mexican fare, and I dare say some foodies would turn up their noses at such an inauthentic dish - but I just loved it and gobbled it up with gusto. The portions were so generous that we were both too full to finish our meals. The tab before tip (two entrees, 1 Modelo, 1 regular margarita, and an order of guacamole) came to about $38 - more than reasonable for such satisfying, hearty portions. Cinco is a little away from the strip of bars and the live music; but I needed a little break from the inflated prices and nonstop, raucous noise. I will definitely visit here again the next time I am downtown and I hope their outdoor seating is available by then!
(4)Hall W.
This place is just a bit plain odd... They actually have pretty god quasi-authetnic Mexican food (by that I mean not super greasy but fresh tasting) that is rather delicious. The customer service is pretty amazing. HOWEVER... its a weird because it is a Mexican place that is trying to hard to be sports bar... and the patio is only about 20 meters from the trash so if you are on the wrong side... you can smell it pretty well Also on a Thursday night NOOOO ONE WAS THERE... so so much for the lively environment... So basically if you take your friends here, they might think you are schizo who has amusing appreciation for Mexican food.
(3)Kristie A.
I give their margaritas a 4/5 rating only because theirs is much stronger compared to other Americanized Mexican restaurants. The service is really good. Weird though, an 8 yr old boy served our chips & salsa. I don't know.. Maybe they're starting him young. I had carnitas and fish tacos. The carnitas was really good. I ended up taking all the cheese out and dipping it in my salsa lol.
(3)Tracis K.
Waitress tried to steal our party's card and left the building. They later insisted it was on the table after looking diligently. Great food ran by criminals
(1)Doogie Del Sanchez H.
This place is awesome! I don't know why more people don't go here. Definitely a hidden gem. The food is delicious, and the drinks are cheap. Great place! Would recommend it to anyone.
(5)Chris A.
This is my go-to restaurant for standard fare Tex-Mex. You'll find hard shell tacos, fajitas, sour cream and all that stuff Americans associate with Mexican cuisine but isn't actually eaten in Mexico. However, it's pretty damn good. I've yet to try a dish that I didn't find tasty. The Mexican style chicken soup they serve is the best chicken soup I've had in my life, it's very hearty and will keep you full for hours and it is just so flavorful. I know most people don't go to Mexican restaurants for a bowl of chicken soup, but don't sleep on this soup, it's awesome! I think the salsa is satisfying for a standard restaurant. Only mildly spicy. I wish they had a few different salsa options with more bite. Prices are great. The lunch specials are so cheap that I wonder if this restaurant can even make money. I'm talking a big delicious plate that has me stuffed for less than $6. I even leave an extra big tip because I fell bad getting so much food for so little.
(4)Forrest L.
Great food, great people, great value. We find ourselves coming back again and again. We were actually present during one of the previous negative reviews, and I guess we (and the buildings security cameras - bonus: the place is safe!) saw different things. Nice to have a place like this in Cummins!
(5)Stephen H.
Nice find in Nashville if you're sick of BBQ and fried chicken. I had the surf and turf, steak was cooked as I ordered, not overly seasoned, the shrimp were tasty as well. Sister had Pineapple Shrimp dish. That was probably the best one people ordered. Fajitas were a good choice as well. Beers are large and cheap!!
(4)Jim T.
New waitress got 2 orders wrong, but it was quickly remedied. Mens Bathroom out of towels but again quickly replaced. Health score was 96 (follow up adjusted, whatever that may mean) Food was pretty good. Salsa pretty spicy/flavorful Overall decent value and would return.
(4)Elizabeth F.
Chips and salsa were good. The "top shelf" margarita was Sauza. Margaritas were just okay, a little too sweet for my liking. Our waiter was good. Our food was bland. I got chicken tacos, they only came with lettuce and cheese. My friend had the enchiladas and she also said it was bland, not enough sauce. Overall it was okay but probably would not come back.
(2)Kristin Marie S.
Cinco de Mayo is the perfect pregame location before a show at the Cannery or Mercy. It is literally right down the street, the prices are fantastic, and the food is A-Ok. It's not the best in town but it's not bad. It's typical large-scale Mexican food. They also have tamales which are hard to find. We went through a Cannery/Mercy hot streak and ended up eating there before the show almost every time. Also, you can't hate their happy hour. The beers are gigantic. Ginormous. The size of your head. In the words of Donald Trump, UUGE.
(3)Lindsay W.
Cinco de Mayo is my favorite Mexican restaurant in town. I used to frequent the one off of Charlotte weekly, and will occasionally hit up the one in Brentwood because it is right down the street from my work. Saw that the one in Cummins Station had recently opened and ventured out that way. What I love most about Cinco de Mayo is their drink specials. Margarita specials several nights during the week as well as some pitcher specials. I have beome a creature of habit at Cinco by always ordering the same dish (fajita burrito) and each location is consistent in their delivery. I was quite the happy camper that the newest location lived up to my expectations.
(5)Meghan B.
So I frequented this place weekly due to the convenience of it being in the same building as my office. And it was pretty standard fare, cheap Mexican with some pretty killer lunchtime deals. Solid 3 stars from me. Decent service, decent food, better than decent price. No complaints here...until this fateful evening about a week ago. Now I've been too ashamed/traumatized to share my story, until now. (Cue law and order music) I like to think I'm an easy customer, I never complicate my order, I always know what I want when the server comes to the table and if I don't- I wing it. I've never sent food back, even if it nowhere near even resembles what I ordered, and I always tip a minimum of 20% regardless of service. That's just how I roll, I understand that other people roll in different directions. Take my coworker for example, she needs to customize, I doubt there's ever been a time where she ordered right off of the menu, the food is always sent back, and the tip, well... we'll just say it's below my standard but to each his own right? Who am I to tell someone how to live their life? Well, you see, here's a problem with eating out with people you don't know too well, who just so happen to frequent the same little eateries you do -you become guilty by association. My co-worker and I walk in the doors of Cinco De Mayo at around 9pm and the host tells us to sit wherever we'd like and hands us some menus. I scan it quickly, already knowing what I want, the usual quesadilla and queso and chips. (I swear if you cut my veins open cheese would probably just pour out at this point) and wait for my associate to figure out what she wants. We silently close our menus and discuss a future project. 10 minutes in, my stomach reminds me that I haven't eaten yet. It also says "hey girl, I'm thirsty, quit playing around and pay attention, I have needs too" whatever stomach, quit your grumbling. It yells at me again 10 minutes later, pretty sure at this point that my ex and my tummy having been sharing notes. I'm also pretty sure that it's entirely too long to be waiting for food here, not to mention a drink or even a hello from the server. My co worker picks up on my desperate scan around the restaurant and decides to go straight to the host and ask what the deal is. After some shouting back and forth between the host and the server, I catch wind of what's going on, and let me tell you it stinks. The server comes over to greet us and casually explains that they're closed. My coworker replies "but you close at 10, we have menus!" Server simply responds "tonight we close at 9:25" before turning to walk away. I know he sees the desperation in my eyes. I silently plead with him for just one chip dipped in salsa. Alas, my silent cries fall on deaf ears. My coworker heads to the bathroom before we leave, and an unsweetened iced tea is sat on the table. A quiet and quick peace offering. I slurp it down and wait for my associate outside, vowing to never eat with her anywhere I respect ever again. Basically this place gets 3 stars from me on a good day, knocking a star off for leaving me go hungry and the sketchy service but I'll adjust after my likely return, solo.
(2)Kaci M.
I'm from Texas so I've had my fair share of great mexican food and tex mex. I'm thinking about moving to Nashville and considering my love of Mexican food, I needed to find a restaurant that was at least decent. This one was even better than that! Their tamales were to die for. They even rivaled the ones from my favorite Mexican place, which is saying something. The sauce on the tamale was so good and the outside was perfect. The steak fajitas were also really great, as well as the salsa. The only reason it's not 5 stars is the queso. It's okay, but nothing to write home about and I'm a queso fanatic so this was pretty disappointing for me. The prices and service were excellent though and almost made up for the disappointing queso.
(4)Frank O.
This place is not good. I won't hold their horrible service against them because it could have been a bad night, the waiter who forgot our order and had to reconfirm it 20 mins after taking it could have been having a bad night, unrelated variables etc. The one star is for the food. Being new to Nashville I've been told that it doesn't have good Mexican food and I thought there had to be at least one. This place has 4 out of 5 stars. That is PHENOMENAL for Yelp standards. The food was so bad. I got the burrito, enchilada, taco combo. The burrito and the enchilada were served on the same plate and were indecipherable. The burrito had ground beef inside, maybe some sort of queso dip? Sprinkled with cheese. The enchilada had the queso dip and sprinkled with cheese. Super bland, unexciting. They need to get some flavor. Quick tips for the owners. Get some shredded beef, maybe some diced peppers, onions. Whatever makes food more flavorful. The food seemed like a product of a children's cookbook. Very disappointed. The search continues.
(1)Queen B.
No, no, no, no, nooooooooo! This is not Mexican. I don't know what this is, but it ain't Mexican. This is fast food disguised in tortillas. Went here with a couple of friends and frankly, I think we were all surprised at the quality, the service, the salsa, the chips, the not understanding orders, charging one of us for cilantro when all she asked was for them to sprinkle some cilantro on her terribly dull quesadilla. What. A. Joke. This place will not go into the rotation, nor will it be recommended. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *** Man, Nashville lacks in Mexican, Italian and Chinese. Enough with this farm to table chit... You're all starting to look alike. Can we please get some creativity with the high prices you're charging???????
(2)Melanie C.
Now that the patio is open, there's nothing better than sharing a Margarita pitcher (for only $15!) under the sun! The fish tacos are my order of choice every time. I find most of the other dishes too "saucy" for my taste, but that's a personal thing because everyone who eats there with me enjoys the burritos, despite the amount of sauce on it. Staff is incredible as well! We love this place.
(4)Stefanie P.
First and foremost 1. This is a Mexican restaurant in a nice office building 2. You will probably need to pay to park 3. If you are reading this review because you're on your phone in the car in the parking lot of Mercy Lounge or Cannery Ballroom and want some food or drink before the show - yup this is the ONLY place within walking distance to get those things. Killer lunch special of $4.99-$5.99 meals -service is fast, food so so . Went there for drinks (cause they had a great special price) but it took a while to get the drinks. Got food, took a while too. Only 1 server during happy hour. Price was right though, I guess you get you what you pay for. Theyve only been open a few months so they're probably still working out the kinks - hopefully . I'm optimistic.
(3)Ben S.
It's located at the end of a red brick building that is full of cool looking restaurants (and some offices). It's your typical Mexican food-nothing really creative or foodie about it. However the lunch special can't be beat. The portions are big and the prices on the lunch menu - even for the combos - are in the $5-$7 range. The atmosphere is relaxed and accompanied by your typical Mexican instrumental playlist. I'd definitely frequent this place for lunch if I lived here.
(4)Bridget S.
Saturday night family dinner....bright and open atmosphere.Fajita for two: $22.00. They were great with a trio of meats, fresh green pepper, onion and tomato. The entree was huge....enough for three. My daughter had the chicken enchilada's. White cheese queso was great. The salsa was nice and spicy...better than most. We will return. A great value and meal for the family. The parking easy!
(4)Jay H.
Love this place. The salsa is the best I've ever had. And I always get a tamale, guacamole salad, and a beef taco. Delicious! The margaritas are strong, but not too strong...just right. Check them out. You won't be disappointed! Tell Victor and Alex that I sent you!!
(5)Joe C.
Definitely a new hidden gem in Nashville. Cinco de Mayo is a huge open venue, with plenty of seating and never a wait!. The food is cheap, delicious, and accompanied by great service. The specials are even better, no where else in town has a 32 oz draft beer for $2.99 on a Friday night. Bonus to this great restaurant...they validate parking! Cinco de Mayo is definitely worth checking out.
(5)Ray Ray K.
Great place to go for a big 32oz dos Equis draft beer before a show at cannery, mercy lounge, or the high watt. Or after getting a tattoo at black 13 inside Cummings station here. The fish tacos are actually pretty good. 3 tacos and a big beer usually fills me up. Nice staff.
(4)Chad C.
This place deserves 5 stars because it is how Mexican restaurants should be. Straight forward Mexican food and great Margarita specials. Too many Mexican spots in Nashville are trying to be "gormet" that gives a special vibe but can't execute simple dishes.
(5)Samma A.
The varied daily happy hours featuring sometimes margaritas, sangria and beers are great. Be aware of the jumbo size of the $2.99 mugs of beer on Mondays. The 32 ounces will make you pee! Shuffle through past the orange and limegreen walls and youll find the bathroom at the end. Parking at Cinco, which is just a couple blocks from the Music City convention Center, can be a hassle. But Cinco will validate for free parking at the lot across from the Cummins building entrance. The salsa at Cinco de Mayo is slightly thinner but much spicier with more heat than most texmex joints. I also go there for the downtown convenience, the queso and the filling entrees. Fav entree is their beef fajitas for lunch. BTW don't make the servers smile disappear by insisting on substitutions. It ain't gonna happen.
(4)