Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Hiram

Cinco de Mayo Date Night – Great Atmosphere, Disappointing Food

My wife and I decided to go out for Cinco de Mayo this year—something we don’t normally do—but we were excited to enjoy a kid-free evening and have a date night. We picked a local Mexican restaurant, and while the experience started off promising, it didn’t quite deliver where it counted most: the food.

Atmosphere & First Impressions: When we arrived, the parking lot was packed, and it took a good five minutes to find a spot. That said, the outdoor seating area was lively and full, with music playing and people clearly enjoying themselves. The weather was perfect—cool and comfortable—so the vibe outside was definitely inviting.

Inside, the restaurant had decent décor, though it felt a bit dated and could use a refresh. The bar area was surprisingly cramped, with barely enough room to walk between the wall and tables. Still, I enjoyed what I jokingly called their “fish bowl margarita”—a giant, $16 drink that was actually a solid deal for the size.

Food Quality: This is where things went downhill. My wife ordered the Texas fajita nachos and was unimpressed. There was barely any cheese—just a small scoop—and she had to scrape the plate to get any coverage on the chips. The meat was dry and overcooked, and the shrimp were rubbery and lacked flavor.

I ordered the Texas fajitas for two, hoping to gauge their portion size and quality. At $32, I expected more. Compared to other places like El Centinela in Buford, which offers generous portions, this felt underwhelming. The shrimp had the same gummy texture, and both the steak and chicken were dry and chopped into tiny, overcooked pieces. I asked for the veggies to be cooked lightly, but they were barely noticeable on the plate. The overall flavor was just okay, but the poor texture and quality of the ingredients really took away from the meal.

Service & Experience: Our server was friendly and attentive—we never had to wait long for drinks, which I appreciated. However, our food took over 30 minutes to arrive, despite the restaurant being only about three-quarters full. I nearly filled up on chips and salsa while waiting.

The overall vibe inside was nice—good music at a reasonable volume, TVs playing for background entertainment, and a crowd that was clearly enjoying the holiday.

Final Thoughts: While we appreciated the ambiance and the opportunity to enjoy a night out, the food didn’t live up to expectations. Would we go back? Probably not—unless we were meeting friends there or it was a last-minute decision. It wasn’t the worst, but definitely not...

Wife and I have struggled to find quality authentic Mexican food since we moved here from Southern California. There's a restaurant quality we're still trying to find. This place is as close as we've come. Today was my first day in the restaurant. This is my review:

Server, though a nice young man, gets a 3 out of 5 for attentiveness. I had to get up to ask the host for another drink as i couldn't find my server. (It was not at all busy during this time. I could count the number of guests on one hand.)

I have no food QUALITY complaints except maybe offer some radishes with your street tacos and if the customer would prefer spicy salsa with their chips, replace the tomato sauce with no charge.

Food QUANTITY... The amount of meat your putting on these street tacos is just rude. Charge me more money and feed me. Don't let me walk away feeling like I got ripped off. Better you charge me more and fill my taco than me feeling like you didn't give me what i paid for. Seriously. Look at the photo. That's not a taco. That's a tortilla with some flavor.

All things considered, at this point, I'm more pleased with this place than I was with La Parrilla.

Thank...

We had never noticed this place and just decided on a spur of the moment early dinner. No one else was in the dining area. I've noticed quite a few negative reviews about service during regular dinner hours, so I can't speak to that. For us, service was great. We ordered the chunky guacamole - never had one quite like that, but it was really good. My marguerita was perfect...they have 3 sizes with the smallest at 12 oz. Huge for me! Drank about half, but was very tasty. I had a large beef burrito with red sauce and rice, scoops of sour cream and guac on the side. Again, very tasty. Husband had beef tacos and liked them too. All together, right at $50...because of the guac and alcohol. I had half my burrito to take home, which I did. Our experience was positive and I would go again. Sorry folks who like Huey Luey's, but this was the most authentic Mexican food we've had since we moved here...always looking though! They do need to brighten up the place...it's looking worn and needs fresh...