Gonza Tacos Y Tequila — Restaurant in Wake Forest

It's been a while since last visit to the Wake Forest outlet of this local chain. For COVID, diners are spaced at every other table, inside and out. Servers are masked. Printed menus are out, now you scan the QR code at the table. A minor nit is that the on-line menu isn't exactly optimized for the small screen - it took a lot of scrolling.

It was moderately busy on this Thursday night. Our server, Nicole did a great job keeping an eye on the table. Quick, friendly, unobtrusive service. Thank you!

Chips and salsa are complimentary. Crisp, warm, not-greasy chips are served in a little colander. Salsa is house-made with crushed sweet tomatoes, onion and just enough jalapeno to add some kick without making your eyes water. Guacamole is always recommended, and it's excellent. Chunky, fresh avocado with onions, jalapeno and cilantro, also just enough kick to stimulate the taste buds.

One of my favorites here is El Platano. This is a full plantain, split down the middle and stuffed with steak, a stripe of chile de arbol salsa and garnished with cheese melted over the top and sprinkled with cilantro. It's plated with paisa (pinto) beans. The texture and contrast of the sweet plantain, steak and spice of the salsa is perfect. It could use a little more steak in my opinion, but is very tasty.

The chicken fajitas are the traditional prep - sizzling plate of peppers, onions and mushrooms plus strips of seasoned chicken, with guac, lettuce, cheese and the tortillas on the side. Good, though not special.

I've always enjoyed the cool decor and the upscale not-your-typical-Mexican-fare at Gonzo. It's pricier than most Mexican places, but the food is high quality, unique and imaginative. ...

Came here about 3:30p on a Sunday. The place was dead. Only two booths were occupied. When I walked in, there was no one at the desk to greet me nor was there a sign saying to seat yourself. I waited a couple minutes thinking the host would be right back up front but no one showed so I walked towards the back where the bar is and see the bartender and a man who was not in a uniform but clearly worked there. The 2 were engaged in a conversation not paying attention that I had walked in or was walking in their direction. They didn't even acknowledge me so I just asked do I seat myself. The bartender answered yes and the man went towards the front to the host station and got me a menu and silverware. Keep in mind I still have not been greeted or anything. I was thinking about leaving but the waitress came and she was very nice. I ordered the al pastor tacos which come with a side and she let me know I could split the side with 2 options. I also ordered the guacamole. My meal was ok. I have had better Mexican food before. It did come out very fast. The atmosphere is pretty cool, very eccentric. Lots of influential Hispanic people on the walls and dia de los muertos decorations around. They play some cool Latin pop/r&b/hip hop music as well. Most of the employees sat in the back by the bar watching a soccer game while my waitress seemed to be the only one working as she had all of the tables. I'm not sure if I would come again as I didnt feel too welcomed and the food was just ok. What gave them 2 stars was the atmosphere, music, and my very nice and...

We visited for the first time on a Sunday evening. Staff was relaxed, very friendly and helpful. The atmosphere is artistically cool and edgy layered in a casual setting (a manican with tattoos is there to greet you near the hostess stand and there were metal trash cans out front being used as planters and filled with beautiful flowers). The menu is somewhat small... I didn't count but perhaps about 25 - 30 items total. Half of the items are various forms of small tacos with different fillings. If you're looking for a typical ground beef burrito...which is what my son originally wanted ...you won't find that here.. They do offer a chicken burrito.

The food we had was really very good. Everything tasted fresh and not canned. The queso was good and the salsa great. Definitely homemade (chunky) and not watery like most places. I had the shrimp tacos and they were quite tasty. My husband had a steak and plantain dish that was really good too. Overall, it was a very positive experience.

I think the mixed reviews you see for this establishment are all (of course) based on your past experience with Mexican cuisine. It is not the very best Mexican food I've ever had but then again, I've eaten at some amazing restaurants in different parts of Mexico. I'm basing my review on what is available here in the Raleigh area. And it Is the best Mexican food we've had since moving here from atlanta and we've been to at least 4 other places. We will be back...