Cinco Mexican Cantina
Once in a while, I get a craving for clean Mexican food. You know, where you don’t have to eat off of plastic baskets, paper plates. In other words, “fake” Mexican food. As opposed to authentic. Here at Cinco, you pay for the ambiance, the neat decor, and the clean surroundings. It’s a place to take people from out of town or meet friends for drinks (they have this cool, long bar with neat bar stools).
Locally-owned and operated, Cinco’s big plates are guaranteed to fill you up. My favorite, the Enchilada plate, comes with 3 huge enchiladas filled with either white shrimp, chicken, or beef. The fillings are cooked in tasty spices and topped with tomatillo or lobster-chipotle sauce all wrapped in soft tortillas. Really, they are delicious. It comes with a bowl of house-made charro beans.
For a good sampling of what they offer, get the Cinco Plate — burrito, enchilada, taco. A great way to have a bit of everything. They also have a Dos and Tres plate. Clever.
The chips and salsa are excellent here. The salsa is made with grilled tomatoes and has that smoky smell and taste. The chips are thin and crispy. Not chuncky and jaw-breaking. This salsa is one of the best in the city.
The traditional cheese dip is a gooey goodness of cheddar and Mexican white cheese dotted with or without jalapeño bits. It’s cheesy with the perfect consistency. Great appetizer.
While Mexican places aren’t really known for their desserts, make sure you make room for theirs. their Flan Napoleon is an absolute must-try. It’s the goodness of vanilla bean custard with caramelized phyllo dough served with strawberry coulis. It is so good.
The rich, moist Morita and Chocolate Layer will absolute make you swoon: chocolate mousse layered between chocolate cake topped with pistachio brittle and served with pistachio ice cream. The cake is just so delectable. Not dry, and not too sweet.
Cinco is for those times you just crave for a more westernized version of Mexican cuisine. It doesn’t pretend to be authentic. Instead, it offers food that’s freshly made, tastes good, and made with fresh ingredients.
Insider tip:
Kid friendly with a menu for 12 and under.
The scoop:
Cinco Mexican Cantina
Now with 3 locations:
Vickery Village
Suwanee
Alpharetta
Technorati Tags: Cinco Mexican Cantina, Suwannee, Alpharetta, Mexican cuisine
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3 responses so far ↓
1 Hendersonville Epicurean // Oct 9, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Love the photos! This looks like a place to put on my “go to” list for the desserts alone!!
2 Gracie // Dec 22, 2008 at 9:33 am
Photos might be nice. Food and service awful. Would not recommend.
3 Jean // Jun 17, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Gracie, you must have been having a bad day!! The food and service are excellent!!! and so is the atmosphere and at night the music.
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