Guelaguetza Oaxaca — Restaurant in North Carolina

I was hoping this would be as good an experience as the reviews indicated. We went for lunch, and were very encouraged to see so many Latinos eating there - a good sign. We ordered sweet tea, my spouse ordered a burrito and I ordered chicken mole - a favorite of mine. The server was polite but not what I would call welcoming, but that's OK because I just wanted to try the food. The sweet tea arrived along with some chips and salsa. The chips were good, normal - and the salsa was excellent - served in a covered container. When the food came, surprise one - the burrito was served with "French" fries - not what I would call authenic mexican - but she said the burrito was very good.

When the chicken mole arrived, I was shocked - I mean really shocked. I love mole sauce, and I was hoping for something special. What I got, was two chicken drumsticks - boiled - and a spoonful of rice, and the chicken was covered in a brown sauce... that's it - nothing else, unless you count the tortillas - and I don't.

The mole sauce was about the worst I have ever had - it was bland and I thought I detected a bit of burnt taste, but no chocolate taste of any kind - like maybe out of a bottle. nothing like a sauce rich in flavor and full of the spicy and earthy undertones expected from this rich Mexican dish - and the two drumsticks were horribly overcooked and tasteless.

So, to sum up: The sweet tea was tasteless - no tea taste at all, the mole sauce was awful and there was no green or red or any color of any kind on the plate, just a brown pudding like substance poured over two tired boiled drumsticks, and a large serving spoon of rice - nothing else.

I would have expected chicken breast, sliced, or at a minimum chicken thighs, again sliced and fried or broiled for taste, perhaps some avocado, some red peppers, maybe some sesame seeds for presentation, and a lovely tasty mole sauce. What I got wasn't even close - and if this was made in house, then somebody needs to give chef some lessons on the nuances of good Mexican food. Imagine! Two boiled drumsticks and a spoonful of rice - drowned in brown... whatever it was.

Total cost with tip (tip! for what?!) $41.88 - just in case you missed that - forty-one dollars and 88 cents - smh - for lunch for two - boiled drumsticks and rice. Oh - and turn the music down. If I have to raise my voice to be heard over the music, it's too loud - it's supposed to be ambiance, not a music festival. ...

I ordered a taquitos dish. The waitress asked if I wanted beef or chicken. I said chicken. Later, while repeating the order back to us, she said beef. I corrected that I wanted chicken. She acknowledged that I said chicken. When our food arrived I took a bite and it was beef. My son reached over and took a bite as well and said it was definitely beef. I told the waitress that I had gotten beef instead of chicken. She was pretty rude about it but took it back. When she brought out the new dish there were 3 on the plate. Not 4. I looked up at her and she said, "You ate half of the beef one." OK, by that reasoning, I should have gotten 3 and a half. 😆. It wasn't a big deal, but considering it was her mistake, and we spent well over $100 and my replacement came long after everyone else had finished and I had to take mine to go, I thought it was pretty cheap and bad customer service. I wouldn't go again and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. There are a ton of similar places that...

A promising and Authentic Mexican food experience in Wilmington area. We tried this place for the first time since they opened and we had a mixed experience and that may be because we are used to more standard Mexican fare compared to more original dishes that this place offered.

The Sopes were definitely the favorite out of the items we ordered. It had a more authentic flavor and texture that looked like what you would expect in Mexico. Definitely, something to try if you're looking for something different in a Mexican restaurant. The psumtuous chorizo topping went really well with the Sopes and definitely a great combination.

Other than that the place could use an ambience upgrade, overall experience was good. Go try the Sopes for now! You would not be...