Cinco De Mayo Restaurant and Cantina

This is a really good Mexican restaurant. They have fresh food and it’s a very clean place. I absolutely loved their hand made guacamole it was the best. If I ever get a chance I will go back and visit this place again.

As a precursor, I’ve worked in the service industry and if there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s a bad attitude. Went here with friends (5 of us total) at 2pm on a Monday, when there were only 3 other tables with guests. Sat outside on the patio which was decorated with dead plants that hadn’t been watered in ages. Just getting our waters took 20 minutes, and when the waitress came back to get our food orders she seemed incredibly annoyed to be there at all. My friends and I aren’t very demanding, only three of us even wanted a meal, but the waitress was very short tempered and quick to get away from our table. She never offered to refill our drinks. When one person said «Excuse me» while she was walking by, she visibly rolled her eyes at us before coming back to the table to even see what he wanted (a refill of water that had been empty for 15 minutes). We all liked our food, and took leftovers home, but the attitude was not worth it. To top it off, when we tried to pay they didn’t honor the specials that they had written on their white board for the day! Their attitude is totally unprofessional, we will definitely not be coming back.

Cinco de Mayo on cinco de mayo is trying at best. Busy as can be, but of course everywhere is busy on cinco de mayo.
The menu is a big plus as they have many specials not available at other similar restaurants. I strongly recommend trying anything outside of the ordinary — you will be pleased.
This time out in particular, the Majarra (whole fried tilapia) — absolutely incredible! Also, la Pina Loco.

Went for a company lunch outing. Typically lunch is an hour, but due to the horrible service of the waitress (Rosa), we were there for 2 hours. We arrived and she took the drink orders, bought the drinks and did not return for 30 minutes (Literally) to take our food order. Someone in the party had to go and find her. Due to dietary restrictions I gave specific instructions on what I did not want on the plate. And of course it came out wrong. The woman next to me ordered her meal with specific instructions as well, and she received her meal that was not pleasing to the eye (watery/​cheesy) taco salad, which she asked for no cheese. They took it back and came back with a chicken taco salad with 3 very small pieces of chicken (that she had to hunt for). At this point she didn’t want to bother with sending it back. Another woman ordered shrimp cocktail, in which it took them over an hour from the time that we arrived to receive, and only had about 4 shrimp in it. Drinks were not refilled. Chips and salsa were few and far between. We had four salsas to share among 12 people. And the poor woman that order the taco salad was over charged on her bill. Overall the service was deplorable. And we will not be returning.

I love Cinco De Mayo but at the same time have been disappointed in them lately.
I started going this location maybe ¾ years ago, started under great management, I know they did switch and it is still good, just not as good as it was.
I recommend getting the Table Side Guac when you go it is awesome.
I do recommend this location but is just an average Mexican restaurant now.

This place is about as mediocre as mediocre gets. I’ve eaten here multiple times, and I always walk away thinking it wasn’t terrrible, but also not exactly «good.» The pick 2 or 3 menu is pretty cheap, but there are definitely better places for Mexican food in the Chapel Hill/​Carrboro area.

In reference to their new location in Mebane, this was the worst Mexican Food Restaurant yet I have tried. The disentary food gave my whole family food poisoning. For starters my water had floating pieces of whatever, the chips were stale and so I tried to ignore this and continued to eat salsa except that the next bite I took had a long black hair in it so I sent it back. I then ordered a chicken burrito but received a pork and chicken buritto instead covered in tomato sauce, literally tomato sauce. My experience here was horrible. I was sat next to the kitchen in the corner while plenty of tables were available hence why the experience was miserable. I do not recommend this place at all. This establishment should be graded by the city.

Their lunch combo pricing is incredible. Good Mexican food but it’s best when you can go for lunch and build your own meal.

A very good place! I love their food especially the queso dip and I love how they have the guacamole you can crush yourself. Although I don’t drink I have heard they have bad margaritas and stuff like that. Overall good place and the service is pretty good as well.

Overall, I was just ok with my visit here. I sat at the bar and ordered a large margarita. It was pretty strong, but had too much ice. Chips were hot and salsa was average.
I was pleased with my entrée selection– the enchilada yolanda w/​seafood. Lots of avocado and a yummy mole sauce.
Service left a lot to be desired. The server or bartender helping me wasn’t friendly and rarely checked up on me. For about $ 20 i still felt like food-​wise i got a pretty good deal.

So I went out solo this afternoon/​evening for dinner. I had my heart set on Mexican food mostly bc I thought it would be cheap and I was jonesin’ for a margarita! I’ll be honest this was not my first pick, but the other
Place I wanted to go was closed and this was sort of on the way home. I was excited to see that margaritas were on special today-​16 oz for less than $ 3! I opted to sit outside, no one else was outside. The breeze was great and they had Mexican music playing, it was nice to just zone out. My server was very nice-​his terms of endearment were generous… to the point that when he wanted to make small talk, I was starting to feel a lil weird. Service was very fast! The water, chips and salsa were all brought out «instantly!» I ordered the small size of the shrimp quesadilla. The food had good flavor. Overall it was a good meal with overly attentive service!

Just what you want out of a Spanish restaurant. My wife and I both shared a $ 12 Margarita pitcher which was awesome. I got the tort and she got a taco salad. Chicken was delicious, loved the drink and loved the chips and salsa that came first. Would definitely come back.

Went on Wednesday and enjoyed drink specials, pitcher of margaritas $ 12 was enjoyable. The tacos were delicious, seasoned perfectly we had the diablo, tongue, chicken beef an chorizo. Service very good and we will return.

I hate to rate this place this low, but I am from Texas & know what Tex-​Mex SHOULD taste like! I had the Queso with Chorizo, which wasn’t too bad, but it was very salty. The salsa was, if anything average or below. For my meal I had a Chili Relleno, which was a pepper, ground beef and cheese, but little flavor, a Chilli Poblano, which, was a pepper and cheese, again little flavor, a cheese burrito, again no flavor, and finally a guacamole salad and the guac was straight from a tube from the grocery store! I understand they have a very good table-​side Guac and many craft beers, but unfortunately, I will not be back to try them.

Average Mexican fare. I expected a tastier ranchero steak and a little more tequila in my fish bowl margarita. Kids ate free, that was a plus.

Cinco de Mayo does a lot of things well. The setting is excellent, the service is prompt, and the chips and salsa (which actually has some bite) is overflowing. Moreover, the margarita was huge and reasonably priced. I was further intrigued by the menu, with the multiple kinds of fajitas on offer. I tried the fajitas del campo, which turned out to be dry and an unfortunate letdown, soured further by forgotten tortillas. You could do a lot worse, especially in the Triangle.

Needed a quick bite after finishing at the Library. Came across this place and was glad I did! Fast and friendly service with a very tasty spicy grilled shrimp fajita that was easy on the palate and the wallet

Solid place. The food is always very good and the service is even better! Never had a bad time there.

Cinco De Mayo is a great option for those looking for Mexican in Chapel Hill. I tend to get the enchiladas but my friends have said the tacos are good as well. One of the highlights of Cinco De Mayo is the desserts. They have an awesome cheesecake chimichanga and tres leches cake.
Another great thing about this particular location is there is ample parking. I have never had an issue finding a parking spot for Cinco De Mayo. I cannot say the same thing for other Chapel Hill restaurants. I personally like the enchiladas at El Cuscatleco better, but Cinco De Mayo is a great choice for UNC students that don’t want to make the trip all the way out towards Duke.

Be careful here! Entirely average Mexican food that used to be nice on occasion. After a recent visit I will not be returning after the falsely advertised prices and the incredibly inconsiderate response from both the waitress and the manager. The whiteboard at the entrance listed fajita burritos for $ 5.99, so we ordered a few. We were quite surprised when the price on our check was listed as $ 11.99. We brought this up with both the waitress and manager, who stated that they would not honor the listed price. Due to the obvious bait and switch and the inconsiderate response (not even a «sorry for the confusion»), we will not be returning or recommending Cinco De Mayo in the future.

I’ve never been disappointed here. It’s not exactly gourmet Mexican food, but the service is quick and friendly, the portions are generous and it’s not expensive. I get the Burrito Cancun because I love seafood, and while it’s a bit heavy on the veggies and light on the shrimp and scallops, it’s not skimpy enough for me to complain. It’s a fun place for a weekend date. So, for what it is (Americanized Mexican), they do a pretty good job.

Huge portions, friendly service, delicious food! Their lunch menu is off the chaaaiiinn.
I’ve come on multiple occasions from large groups to one-​on-​one dinner dates and all of my experiences left me completely satisfied. The servers are very friendly and frequently check up on the table to make sure cups, chips and salsa are always filled.
I love the arroz con pollo – though sometimes the rice to cheese ratio is kind of off. But other than that, the overall size of the dish compensates for any «flaws,» if you can even call it that.
Highly recommended for casual meals, both large and small groups!

Feels like waiting forever to get the chance to dine here and now i have the privilege to taste it. And the conclusion is AWESOME! they offer you plenty chips with salsa and they have traditional mexican and innovative food. both are good. and cheap Margarita is available. Its a must for a family party

I’ve been here a few times now. As much as I like Monterrey, they have some serious competition here. One huge thing that I discovered today is that they make their own corn tortillas. This is not common. I’m usually a flour tortilla guy, but didn’t specify on my dish today, and it came with the corn ones. They are delicious, and hold together very well. You have to try them.
They have some imaginative dishes too. I had one with a mole-​marinated lamb shank one time that was just awesome. My server today was quite inattentive, she only visited my table to take my order, and never came back. The manager made up for it though, visiting my table several times. I’ve had really good service before here though, so I’ll chalk that up as an aberration.

My guilty pleasure.
I’m not sure why I fell in love with Cinco De Mayo, but I did. It’s definitely my favorite Mexican restaurant in Chapel Hill. The quality of the food is really great. Their rice is delicious (Chapel Hill Mexican places tend to have strange-​tasting rice). The service is always great. The pricing is really good, especially for the quality. And their drink specials are a great way to end a hard day!
They did break my heart though. They were doing these nacho specials for a few months and it was AMAZING! Literally, I ate them EVERY time I went there. They ended it though, and I’m heart broken. Keep an eye out for them! If they bring them back, get it! It’s freaking massive and tastes great!

My wife and I went here for the first time tonight. We’re were very pleased and enjoyed our dinner. They weren’t very busy. It was very relaxed. The service was very good and quick. My wife got the combination dinner (2 enchiladas — one chicken, and one potato — with rice). I ordered the Cancun Burrito (shrimp and scallops). It was great, although next time I may substitute black beans for the refried beans and ask for salsa on top in stead of the cheese sauce. However, it was very tasty as it was, and I had no problems finishing it all. The free chips and salsa were also good.
We definitely plan on going back here and highly recommend it.

This Gringo-​Mex place is so amazingly inoffensive.
**Chips were not bad.
**Salsa was very, very serviceable.
**Fajitas had a small amount of sizzle to them, and were totally edible.

Enjoyable dinner this evening. Our first visit to Cinco. Arroz con pollo was quite good, but more than I could eat. Their sincronizada was very flavorable. Margaritas were a bit weak. Service was attentive. We set inside, but next time will pick the patio.