Yeah, I know I'm guilty of writing a lot about San Diego here, especially when it comes to coffee shops and Mexican restaurants, but the plurality of both types of businesses there and plethora of excellent ones makes it easy and justifiable to make the comparison with food and coffee outlets here in JAX. Yes, allow me just this time too! Because this one is positive! Ultra positive! It took me quite a while to come to Cinco de Mayo (named after the 5th day of May 1862 Mexican army victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla, also celebrated as a holiday by many in the USA). It has very nice and spacious outdoor seating, and when I walked in recently to see if they had "Taco Tuesdays," I was very impressed with the wall decor - so colorful with a true Mexican feel, along with some smaller US flags spread out in various places. This is a pretty large restaurant. With available seating both inside and outside (this restaurant is mostly booth and at the bar seating inside), I would think that though it may be very busy at times, people won't have to wait long to be seated. But who knows!? I've not been there for one of those types of days yet. On this day, it was fairly busy when we arrived in the evening. I learned earlier in the day that Taco Tuesdays are available here. From getting greeted and seated, to ordering our meals and to checks made on us throughout our time here, the customer service was outstanding! It was very enjoyable and, honestly, I felt like I was in San Diego at Cafe Coyote again! I said that numerous times to my dearest. Many times, on Taco Tuesdays restaurants can tend to sort of scrimp on the food inside the tacos. NOT HERE! We received six good-sized and well-filled tacos of both chicken and beef varieties. These are not Taco Bell sorts. But they did have cheese, lettuce and cilantro inside. You can get them hard or soft shell. Both were very good. I do recommend you add one of the sauce options at the table on them. We used Cholula sauce and they were perfect! Even though it was Taco Tuesday, we still received the complementary nachos and salsa too! I was really not expecting this courtesy! The salsa was not of the thick variety and tasted like the salsa at that place I loved in San Diego! We received a pretty large bowl of those nachos too! As a side, we ordered cheese dip to go along with it - another winner! In all, it was a great experience! And yes, it was Taco Tuesday, but I will do an update if necessary after trying one of the entrees on another day of the week. Until then, this place is stellar! I also am not surprised by its Yelp rating. Mexican restaurants always seem to rate this way out west too - I think people are over critical. Lighten up folks! No one ever has to have second thoughts about coming to Cinco de Mayo! Arriba! Recommend: VERY HIGH read more

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Met some coworkers here on a Thursday night for dinner. Not super busy and service was quick. The jalapeño margarita was large and very tasty, made with fresh ingredients and not a mix. The cheese dip was extremely good- perfect consistency and taste. My 3 coworkers all got some variety of the fajita quesadilla, and I got the pollo Maria (chicken with spinach and mushrooms). The portion sizes were good; I ended up taking half of mine home and had for lunch the next day. I will say that something about my dish was super salty. I think it was however the spinach was sautéed, but the rest of it was good. The restaurant had cute decor and was inviting. Pretty much your typical Mexican restaurant decor. I would probably come back if in the area but have other similar places closer to our house that we frequent. read more

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First and last time for this restaurant. The carne asada burrito was terrible, as was the california. The steak was over cooked and horribly dry. What a waste of time and money! read more

$2 tacos on Tuesdays, even for takeout! This is my go-to taco takeout spot (soft, beef & cheese only). Always fast and fresh! Everything is yummy there, but the $15 queso is too much for us in this economy. Get the chips & salsa which are always amazing! read more

I like that they use shredded meats and not ground. Good flavors. Good service. Mexican atmosphere. All in all pretty good. I wouldn't say it's the best I've had, but you could do a lot worse. Great pricing- you get a lot of food for what you pay. Smiling faces make it all the more reason you might like it too. read more

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Hot, quick service, meats super salty. Order was not correct. First started with chips that were terrible but warm. How can you over cook chips. Salsa was so watered down that it wouldn't even stay on the chips. Left 3/4 baskets and about 95% of the salsa. Waitress never returned for refills or check our order. Asked for no guacamole and about 2 ice cream scoops arrived on the salad. Chimichanga was so salty couldn't eat the meat and it was such a pile of everything mixed together you couldn't tell where one thing started or another started. Lots of floor wet signs everywhere which made it hard for my walker to get around. Ladies bathroom had huge hole in the wall. The floors look like they've never seen a mop. Think that's why all the wet floor signs because they are so slippery, nasty. Menus were sticky to extreme. I've never left a food review. But leaving 2/3 of your meal behind tells the whole story. I always leave with yummy leftovers everywhere but this time I left empty handed and out over $30'. First and last time. read more

Love Cinco de Mayo. The food is delicious and inexpensive. The staff is amazing too. Parking is good, although the new restaurant is smaller than the previous, nothing changed about the food or the service. Great place to eat! read more

I know prices have gone up everywhere, but $14 for a margarita and & $11 for tequila? Food prices are much higher than a typical Mexican restaurant too. Quality was good, but a bit over priced overall for the type of place it is. read more

Cinco de Mayo - Mexican Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Pros: Large portions Food came out fast Ok service Decent guac Cons: Very heavy food Premade margs by the gallon Ok service Much better mexican options in town Bartenders spilled TONS of beer as they poured from the taps and just let it roll over and down the coolers into the floor drain. My husband order steak fajitas that had bacon in them- not typical for mexican food. Found it to be too heavy, didnt eat much of it. I order a shrimp chimmichanga- which I can best describe as a plate of slop. Omg there was way way too much going on, piled high & overflowing the plate. After 2 bites it was a soupy disaster. Smaller portions or separate plates for the different foods of the dish would have made a big difference. Again super heavy, didnt eat much of it. read more

Cinco de Mayo - Blue margarita - Mexican Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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Always fabulous food and delicious margarita's . Never had a bad meal. Always consistent read more

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The tacos I had last night were truly the best quesabirrira tacos that I've ever had! The meat was juicy/tender and the shells were perfectly crispy (I did ask them to make them a tad bit crispier and it was noted) the consomé that came on the side was also so good. We also had the chorizo queso as an appetizer and that was also delicious. To accompany my meal I had a mango margarita that I honestly didn't care for as it didn't taste like mango at all but it was very strong so I will give them credit for that! read more

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amazing place!! The food is amazing and the staff is so kind. Ask for Angelica. The drinks are amazing as well. They have so many flavors of margaritas too. I really enjoyed this place and it is great for a birthday or just a simple and affordable dinner with drinks! love this place. read more

I hate to say it, but ever since they moved locations the quality and spirit has gone downhill. Unfortunately, the food was bland and they changed how some of the food is done specifically the burritos without stating so on the menu. Server we got was friendly and attentive so no problems there. As far as the ambience; I mean it's your typical Mexican theme obviously but it doesn't feel as lively as the old location. The old location just seemed fun and lively. That and it was usually always pretty packed. The 3 times I've been to the new location it was dead. I came here 3 times to give them the benefit of the doubt but sadly I don't think will be returning. It's a Shame, I use to love this restaurant but the move of location really seemed to change them. read more

Very nice servers/staff. Great food and margaritas! We went on a weeknight and it was a great place to relax and catch up during dinnertime. read more

Cinco de Mayo - Chicken tacos, beans/rice. - Mexican Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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We had the lunch special. It was offered by one of the deliver services that starts with a U. I picked up bogo burritos one chicken and one steak. The chicken was the better play. They were both good, but the chicken was better. The chips were still warm and the salsa was nice, a little heat. I am planning on a dining in next weekend. read more

I had not visited this restaurant before in the previous location but when I spotted it near the Publix where I shop, I decided to check out the Yelp reviews. All were really good so I decided I would stop in today. It was an odd time of day between lunch and dinner, yet they still had a fair number of tables. It is completely renovated from the previous tenant and looks like a Mexican spot. A good number of TVs around the space which should be a great addition for sports fans. I was greeted promptly and led to a nice booth. I ordered a red sangria and water while I looked at the menu. Their menu is ample and I like the descriptions they provide of Mexican dishes on the front. I was served complementary chips and salsa to start. The chips were OK but not warm. The salsa also OK, but not great. I ordered a small bowl of cheese queso and that was good. My entree was the vegetarian special that had one bean burrito, one cheese enchilada, and rice. It was very tasty. It was also a large plate of which I brought over half home. I was not crazy about the sangria or the chips, but everything else was good. I will definitely return. I noticed they did quite a bit of takeout while I was there and several people commented they were glad they were open again. Check them out. read more

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Food is very mediocre at best. But the staff was the bad part. Placed a carry out order and when I went to pick it up the guy at the front who handed over my order repeatedly asked for more of a tip. When I refused, he acted like he didn't speak English and repeatedly said "more tip". I refused. I signed the bill and went on my way. The next day I noticed my credit card statement included an additional 33% tip on top of my bill. Do not eat here, they are not honest people and there are much better restaurants around the area such as Taco Libre or La Nopalera. read more

Cinco de Mayo is a good Mexican restaurant with a cool vibe and good food. I ended up going with a burrito.and it proved to be a pretty solid choice. The service was friendly and professional and the restaurant had a cool overall vibe. If you find yourself in the area and are craving Mexican, I would definitely recommend this particular establishment. read more

Best Mexican restaurant in Jax area. Great food, good prices, friendly staff. Favorite items: El Papi tacos, Enchiladas Rancheras, Enchiladas María, Jalapeño Margarita read more

Food is good, under staffed for a Saturday , I love to sit on the patio outside but it was unkept, tables was dirty and flor as well, I would come back if there was some changes! read more

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Ordered take out and my chimichangas arrived packed with the beans, sour cream, and all toppings on top of them. They were soggy and disgusting because of way they packed and looked absolutely terrible. I know when you order take out you sacrifice some quality but this was ridiculous. The pic speaks for itself read more

Cinco de Mayo - "Chimichanga" - Mexican Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Cinco de Mayo restaurant is my Go-To Mexican restaurant for Carnitas and drinks. They don't have the best tacos in Jacksonville but I can definitely vouch for their carnitas, chile rellenos, enchiladas, homemade salsas, beer & mixed drinks, service (always friendly), & atmosphere. Portions is another added bonus, I almost always need a takeout box every time I order an entree/combo. And through the many years I've been coming here (even at older location), food usually comes out pretty fast even when they're busy. read more

Cinco de Mayo - Carnitas chimichanga plate, crunchy beef taco, & complimentary chips & salsa. - Mexican Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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AMAZING food every time and ice cold beer! This is an outstanding establishment with top tier customer service.

Best Mexican I have ever had. The Quesabirria tacos were awesome. The service was great.

Cheese dip was excellent. Service was decent. We sat on the patio and there was hardly anyone else in the restaurant. I will say I only had two margaritas and they were so strong! It's hard to find a good margarita around here. Enchiladas were delicious! It's only 5 min from my house. I'll be back! read more

Excellent food, the portions are generous! friendly atmosphere, and great place to chat and eat. Not loud. yum!!

This restaurant moved to a new location, very convenient for me, so I gave them a try for a quick lunch with friends. I got the Huevos Rancheros- a dish I've ordered many times from many different Mexican places. This is the first time I didn't like it, as the eggs were over cooked. Other than my meal not being that great, we enjoyed everything else. The service was efficient. The patio is nice; even though it overlooks a parking lot, it doesn't feel like it. The prices are fair. I plan to dine here again, I'll just order something different. read more

I have not been here since they moved. We decided to go. The place was busy but got seated quickly. Two for one margarita you can't go wrong!! Salsa was good and a little kick. Ordered queso which is always good. I had a spinach and chicken quesadilla which was excellent. The combination plate my husband got with enchiladas and burritos he said was tasty. We're glad we went. Good for Mexican food. Wait staff was good and quick! read more

Cinco de Mayo - Two for one margarita - Mexican Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Great food! Great service! Always yummy! Tried the same dish at multiple restaurants and by far, their enchiladas suizas are the best! read more

Cinco de Mayo - Enchiladas suizas - Mexican Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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A fun vibe with excellent food and quick service! This has been our favorite Mexican place for many years! We've enjoyed introducing to friends and family when they visit. The meat they serve is super fresh and perfectly seasoned. My husband loves the Nachos Jalisco and my favorite meal is the #10! Oh my gosh I just recently tried their esquites! What a delicious delight!! Try it! I promise you'll love it! There is so much that I usually ask for extra spoons to share! Highly recommended! read more

This is one of the best Mexican Restaurants. The food is outstanding and the service is great. We love this place. The service and food served on Cinco de Mayo was exceptional. The festival atmosphere was so fun. Definitely recommend 100%. read more

This is my go to spot for their shrimp enchiladas. Except that one time they made it with flour tortillas. But, I digress. Always flavorful, fresh, and bite sized shrimp with salsa verde. Simply delicious. Staff is always friendly. Reasonable prices. Good food. You can't go wrong. Well, except for the flour tortilla enchiladas fiasco. LOL Happy eating! read more

Our night out here was a last second stop as my wife craved Mexican Food and her favorite restaurant was too far away for us to go. It was also in the midst of a torrential downpour, but more on that later. First off this is a BIG place including several rooms and a big bar area. It reminded me of the look of some of the larger Mexican chain restaurants from the 1980's like Chi-Chi's and Casa Lupita. But it also has a small restaurant feel, which was really really nice. But small restaurant feel can also be frustrating as there is no dedicated hostess so you have to wait until someone sees you waiting to be seated and a waiter ushers you to your table. But the food: Fajita Chicken - my wife's favorite and she LOVED it. Tostada - looked a mess but tasted AMAZING, my favorite dish. Burritto - good presentation, maybe a little light on the filling, but overall meh. Black Beans - this was a side dish and my wife RAVED about this too. I thought they lacked a bit of flavor. Retried Beans - came as part of my meal and I normally do not like them but these were DELICIOUS. Each of the dishes we ordered came with multiple plates and we could not eat it all. Really generous portions and really good value for the price. I did have an issue with the ambiance. As I mentioned, there was significant rain and there were four our five buckets set up to catch water leaks. Now I know this space maybe leased, so this maybe a landlord issue or the recent pandemic may mean funds are not there to make a roof repair, so I understand. But it really took away from the experience of a nice romantic dinner. Parking is plentiful, service (one you are seated) was excellent. read more

Could be more delighted by this place. Out of all my meals during this trip. This was by far my favorite. I'm simple when it comes to trying New Mexican food places. I gauge them (just my personal approach). By their cheese enchiladas. These were 3 with side of beans and meat taco Taco flavor was fresh and hot.Beans full of flavor as well. Cheese enchiladas were also very flavorful with sauce on top. Chips and salsas were warm, with endless baskets. If your in the area, I strongly suggest a visit. Not terribly busy at 11:00 am much time, but can see it has a good local following. read more

They cooked my fajitas is a pineapple. A friggin pineapple!!! The meat was tender juicy and perfect. What a wonderful surprise! read more

Cinco de Mayo - Mexican Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

The music was quite loud when we went in and they crew was quick to lower the volume when we requested. Each of us had something different and we all enjoyed what we had. We then shared the fried ice cream for dessert -- definitely enough to share!!! read more

Cinco de Mayo - Fried Ice Cream - yummy and sharable. - Mexican Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

I've ordered from this restaurant a few times, and the food is always OK for something quick. But several times, including most recently for takeout, I've ordered a dish specifically written on the menu as being made with chicken (the El San Jose Platter this time) and it's come made with ground beef. I don't beef and neither does my family, so this ended up in the garbage. Because my takeout was via Door Dash, I only received a few dollars back on my purchase and lose out on dinner this evening. Once is a mistake, multiple times tells me that they just don't care. Don't bother ordering from here if you like to get what you paid for. read more

Great food, good service the only detractor was that the lights were too bright for 8 pm. Di. The lights a bit and it would be 5 stars. The carnitas were excellent and the rice was great. Thanks! read more

If you want to be treated like family this is the place to go! The servers always greet you with a smile. The food is amazing. The portions are so large we almost always have to take some home. Great for a midnight snack! The atmosphere is quaint. It is a place we like to frequent often! Alan & Donna read more

Horchata was powder mix and no good. Food was decent but not comparable to other Mexican style restaurants we've been too.