5 de Mayo Mexican Grill & Bar — Restaurant in Allendale Charter Township

TLDR: lovely restaurant with great service. I didn’t love what I ordered but my boyfriend liked his. We were sat in a terrible location so I’m leaving 4 stars for atmosphere as I can see it’s a nice restaurant- we just didn’t get to experience it.

We were sat right next to the kitchen even though there were plenty of available tables, so it was loud with staff bustling, crashing dishes, etc- basic kitchen noise. Since we’ve both worked in service before, we recognize that this isn’t unusual and the staff here wasn’t especially loud, but we had to speak loudly to hear each other over the noise, as our table was adjacent to the kitchen which had no door. You can see this in my video I included. My question to the host: If there are available seats anywhere else, why seat customers at the back of the restaurant adjacent to the kitchen door? Other than the obvious answer of “sections”, of course, and if that’s the case, better planning needs to be instated.

We started with an order of CEVICHE (Steamed shrimp / lime juice / pico de gallo / tostadas) which was good, but I tend to prefer raw shrimp when it’s cured in lime juice. Still good though and I’d order it again if we return.

He ordered the THREE TAMALES (Rajas & cheese • Pork • Shredded chicken) and he really enjoyed them. He said they were cooked perfectly and were tasty.

I ordered the SEAFOOD CHIMICHANGAS (Mix of Grilled shrimp | scallops & REAL CRAB MEAT. Covered with creamy cheese sauce. Served with rice lettuce / sour cream /tomatoes / guacamole) and I wished I hadn’t. It LOOKED amazing 🤩 but when the menu described the REAL crab meat, I didn’t realize it would be the saltiest, fishiest, briniest knuckle meat available 🤣. I ended up eating one of the chimichangas, because I was actually hungry, but I left the second one in its entirety. Normally I take food to go, but this time I (shamefully 😩) had them throw it out. If I return, I plan to order something else, cuz this wasn’t it.

We both got Horchatas, which were nice.

So, all in all, the food was mostly good, the place itself was beautiful, but my dish was less than desirable, as was our seating location. I’ll update this review if we decide to...

Extremely Disappointing Experience

I recently visited 5 de Mayo, and what should have been a pleasant lunch turned out to be a frustrating and overpriced ordeal. My experience was marred by subpar food quality, poor service, and a lack of understanding from the staff.

Key points to consider:

• Portion sizes were smaller than anticipated for the price paid • Chicken enchilada was dry and had an unpleasant chalk-like flavor • Margarita was not prepared to my taste preferences • Request to remove unwanted drink from bill was denied • Found a hair in the complimentary salsa

What made matters worse was the staff's handling of my concerns. Despite expressing dissatisfaction with my meal, particularly the margarita, I felt pressured to consume food that I didn't enjoy. This approach completely undermined my attempt to take a mental break during lunch. Instead of accommodating my requests or offering alternatives, I was essentially bullied into finishing dishes that left me feeling unwell and dissatisfied.

The final insult came when I requested to have the unwanted and completely full drink removed from my bill due to its poor quality. Not only did they deny this request, but it seemed like they were unwilling to listen to my legitimate complaints about the food and service.

In today's economic climate, maintaining high standards is crucial for businesses to thrive. Unfortunately, this establishment fell short in several critical areas. I sincerely hope that management takes customer feedback seriously and addresses these issues promptly to prevent future diners from experiencing such disappointment.

Rating: 1/5 stars

Recommendation: Focus on improving food quality, consistency, and addressing customer complaints promptly. Provide better value for money to customers. Train staff to listen attentively to customer feedback and offer genuine solutions to address concerns.

God...

As a white dude, of course I love Mexican food. Or I suppose Tex-mex. Ok, what a white American from the Midwest would call Mexican food. Regardless of what genre you specifically call it, this is some mighty good food. First of all, the service is great and the newly redone building has a great vibe. I don't care for the bright orange exterior, but thsts me being Mr picky-pants. The porch seating was nice, and the bathrooms clean. But let's talk about the food here. If you like tacos, burritos, chimichangas, floutas, etc smothered in sauce and cheese and a side of rice and beans, you won't be dissatisfied here. But also, there are some more unique dishes that I have enjoyed as well! I havnt found a single thing to complain about: they're all seasoned well, but not overly seasoned. The general flavor in each dish is more than you'd expect from a chain restaurant, as if someone cooking in the back learned from their abuela to take more time to develop flavors deep and rich, with a definite difference in the dishes, not just everything tasting overly salty and cumin-y. Nothing seemed "hot" to me (as in spicy) but then again I didn't request anything hot. They have a couple shrimp dishes I particularly like here too. I try to find a point of contention for every place I go, but so-far I have no such complaints. I suppose the margaritas are a bit on the pricy side, but they're good (and reasonably Strong) so I think they're worth it. I have never tried a desert here because I always stuff myself finishing my dinner, no way I'm leaving anything for leftovers! So all-in-all, a good place with...