Cinco De Mayo in November?!

Over the weekend I had lunch at Cinco De Mayo Bar and Restaurant in Haledon, NJ with my mom. I had heard a number of great things about the new Mexican restaurant from people in the area and I couldn't wait to try it out for myself. (If you couldn't tell, I have a thing for Mexican food!)

Exterior of Cinco De Mayo with outdoor seating

First of all, I want to start off by saying that if you weren't looking for this place, you would never find it. To say it is off the beaten path is an understatement, and you should definitely keep that in mind if you decide to pay this place a visit. It is off of High Mountain Road and you have to turn as if you are going into the church that is behind it and then make a left down what looks like a driveway that will lead you to the restaurant. It's a bit confusing so just keep that in mind if and when you may go. However, once you get there it is very nice, with ample outdoor seating for the spring and summer months. We sat inside since it was pretty windy and cold when we went.

When you walk in, first you see a bar and to the right is the dining room area. They have a full bar and a variety of different kinds of flavored margaritas and other drinks. They also have happy hour specials from 11:30 AM - 4 PM Monday through Thursday.

The place was very open and spacious - it would be a good place for groups or dinner parties. They also had multiple flatscreen TVs showing the football and soccer games that were on at the time, which may be good to know if you are trying to drag your significant other along with you on a Sunday during a game. 

Now, onto the yummy stuff!

Complimentary chips & salsa

When you sit down you will immediately be greeted with a bowl of tortilla chips and salsa. The chips tasted so fresh and were still warm like they had just been baked. In my opinion, they tasted much better than your run of the mill chips and salsa that you might get at any other Mexican place.

Small frozen margarita, $5.50

Since I wasn't driving, I opted to order one of their signature margaritas since I had heard a lot of positive things about them from people I know and other Yelp reviewers. I got the small, which I thought was still pretty big. It was also very strong so they definitely don't skimp out on the alcohol they are giving you. Definitely worth the $5.50 if you don't mind the taste of tequila! Reminder: Please always drink responsibly. :)

We both decided to get some chicken tortilla soup since it was particularly cold out. Little did we know that the soup would be huge! It was only listed at one price on the menu without any options for sizes. However, it was pretty tasty so I'm not complaining. It was mostly chicken and broth with some fresh avocado and seasoning. The broth was a little spicy which gave the soup a nice flavor. I would have preferred for the soup to have some strips of the tortilla chips in it and perhaps some corn and beans too, which I think would have made it taste even better. 

Skirt Steak Tacos, $11.95

Finally, for our entrees I went with the skirt steak tacos and my mother had the salmon tropical. While our Cinco De Mayo experience started off great, our main dishes was definitely disappointing for us. The steak in my tacos did not look or taste like skirt steak and the tacos themselves were extremely bland. Considering the fact that our soup was so well-seasoned and spicy I was expecting the tacos to taste just as flavorful. My mother was not satisfied with her dish either - the salmon came out without any of the tropical fruit salad on top that the menu described it would have. She said it was also overcooked and she only ended up eating half of it and leaving the rest behind. I did not get a good picture of the salmon, but it was $17.95. 

Ratings: 

General Rating Scale: 1 = poor, 2 = nothing special, 3 = decent, 4 = very good, 5 = excellent

Food: 3/5 spoons

I have to say that the chips and salsa were great and the chicken tortilla soup was flavorful. However, they really missed the mark on the entrees that we ordered. The fact that we each ordered totally different dishes and we were both displeased says something - in my opinion, about the overall quality of the food.

Service: 4/5 spoons

Our server was great - he checked up on us regularly, made sure we got everything that we needed, and was constantly filling our water glasses for us. I would have liked to be informed more about the items we ordered though, for instance the fact that the soup was so big and that the salmon would not be garnished with the tropical fruit.

Affordability: 3.5/5 spoons

The food and drinks aren't crazy expensive, but they are pricey enough that you expect a little more bang for your buck. Frankly, their entrees were pricy and did not deliver.

Overall Experience: 3.5/5 spoons

Although I had high expectations going in, I was a little disappointed by this place. Our dining experience started off well with the yummy chips and salsa and the tasty tortilla soup, but when you are paying a little more for your meal you definitely don't want it to be bland or overcooked. Honestly, I would recommend going to other restaurants in the area, like Jose Tejas, where you get really good Mexican food for more reasonable prices rather than spending the extra cash here.