Cinco De Mayo — Restaurant in Grand Rapids

I am not here to blame the restaurant but our server was terrible. He was very rude to begin with. When we walked in he looked like he didn't want to be there. I wanted a horchata and he bluntly said "no, I don't have that". I understand that it's a lot easier for the restaurant if customers ordered food that was on the menu, but you guys seriously couldn't replace beef with shrimp for me? well according to the server that was the case. I know 10 other mexican restaurants in GR that could conveniently make me a shrimp taco. We also found a burnt fry in our chips which I guess is harmless but it was sticking out like a sore thumb. My friend also ordered soft shell tacos and he came out with hard shell. She told him she wanted soft shell which I clearly remember her saying then he said "I didn't hear you". Once we got our food he said that they had horchata now and asked if we still wanted it. No, we don't want your horchata now. You could've said they were making it and it'll be 5 minutes until it was finished instead of saying "no, I don't have that". I honestly never have had a server bad enough for me to write a bad review before until today. I've come here before and the server I've had in the past was nice, she was willing to make it a good experience. And honestly you won't even fire this guy because I have seen him working there in the past, who knows how many other customers had to deal with him. The food here was okay, I only ate one taco and my friend had one bite. It didn't taste authentic enough compared to the other mexican restaurants I had. If you want real tacos and better service go to Tacos El Cunado on bridge st. They make your tacos fast. Theres no proper dining but after today I would rather sit on a bench outside eating better mexican food than to overpay for bad service and...

The food here was incredibly fresh and very tasty. 10/10 for that typical "lots of cheese please" restaurants. We were seated immediately and the hostess was quite nice -- we got the choriqueso, which is BOMB with the corn tortillas. Super fresh. Super tasty. Great to take for later too! We also got the arroz con pollo and a trio of enchiladas. It was exactly what we were looking for and very fresh and flavorful.

less important stuff below Upon sitting we listened as a couple next to us complained to their waitress about there being salt on the rim of their margaritas, which made us giggle incessantly. The couple seemed quite upset about it, so much so that the woman said, "no one wants a mouth full of salt", but what really hammered it home for me was the waitress going, "well, that's actually just how we make them and is the typical way to go about it", which has us rolling. Proud of her for standing her ground with those folk being silly.

Our waitress was very nice and very fast. She seemed a little put off that we were in it to win it, meaning, we were ready to get in, gorge ourselves, and immediately leave with as little human contact as possible. We had just worked all day. Only complaint with her isn't even a complaint to be honest. She just repetitively kept responding to us with, "of course". "Of course". "Of course". 🤣 This also set us into giggle fits.

Overall this place was definitely great. I was vaguely annoyed by the booths being those ones that have seats on either side of one booth -- one of those situations where if you get a fidgety neighbor on the other side of your bench, you're in for a little bit of a ride. But that was a small price for...

I recently visited Cinco de Mayo with the hope of enjoying a flavorful and authentic meal, but unfortunately, the experience was anything but enjoyable — due entirely to the food.

From the moment we arrived. The menus were sticky and utensils were dirty. When the complimentary chips and salsa arrived, it was clear something was off. The chips were stale, lacking any crunch or freshness, and the salsa flavor. I ordered cheese dip, and it was served cold, lumpy, and in a semi-solid state — a clear sign it had been sitting for far too long. It was unappetizing and difficult to even stir, much less eat.

The main dishes continued along the same disappointing trend. The food was unmistakably overcooked and tasted old — not just “left under a heat lamp too long” old, but likely prepared far in advance and reheated. The textures and flavors were dull, dry, and frankly, unfit for a restaurant serving paying customers. It’s hard to understand how food in this condition made it past the kitchen. The cooks should truly be ashamed of sending out plates like these.

The only redeeming part of the visit was our waitress, Sara. She was attentive, friendly, and professional throughout the meal. Despite the poor quality of the food, her service stood out and deserves to be recognized. It’s unfortunate that her efforts were overshadowed by the kitchen’s disregard for quality.

Dining out should be an enjoyable experience, but Cinco de Mayo missed the mark entirely on this visit. Until serious improvements are made in the kitchen, I cannot recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for...