Location:
Cuco’s Taqueria & Grill
(614) 538-8701
On
I’ve been to Cuco’s several times, probably about five or six, but all my visits were before I started writing reviews. Last Monday my friend and I were tasting for some Mexican and I had a coupon so we headed over to Cuco’s around the block. He didn’t feel like eating in (it’s the same friend I had Neighbor’s Deli with, he’s a big fan of the living room picnic!) so we walked in, checked out the menu, ordered to go and waited.
The hostess seemed a little confused by the concept of “to-go”, even after I busted out my nine years of Spanish and said “llévelo a ir”, and I think maybe they don’t really get that many “to-go” orders. Either way we sat for about 10-15 minutes waiting on the food, which was pretty disappointing because when you eat in the orders usually come 5-7 minutes after ordering. Having worked in the fast-food industry, namely Steak’n’Shake, I know for a fact that “to-go” orders are the ones you’re supposed to do first & get out the door. Oh well, like I said, they probably aren’t experienced with it.
I ordered the Tri-Color enchilada plate, one beef enchilada with salsa verde, one chicken enchilada with cheese sauce and one cheese enchilada with salsa roja with a side of lettuce and sour cream (included). My friend ordered Enchiladas Del Mar, three scallop and shrimp enchiladas topped with cheese sauce. Before we left I asked if the “to-go” came with chips & salsa (as per the norm for eating in), and with another confused look the hostess fetched a small bag for us.
Both especialidades de la casa (House Specials) were supposed to come with beans & rice… note the words “supposed to”. When we got home and I opened my box, my beans & rice were nowhere to be found! I was highly disappointed because I love beans & rice. The enchiladas were delicious as usual. The beef w/salsa verde has a spicy but not too hot flavor and the salsa verde cuts through the density of the meat. The chicken w/cheese sauce was pretty standard, seasoned chicken w/spicy queso blanco, and the cheese enchilada w/salsa roja was, as always, my favorite. I love the salsa roja because it’s smoky and the flavor is such a contrast to the creamy cheese inside. The “side” of lettuce & sour cream wasn’t really a side as much as it was a bed that the enchiladas were placed on. After I finished my enchiladas, I was excited to finish up with some chips & salsa… another disappointment. The chips were stale and chewy, and the salsa, which normally comes to the table in a large serving bowl with endless refills, was (no kidding here) about the size of a shot glass. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t even the actual salsa that they usually serve because it was watery red juice and there were no onions or cilantro or even chunks of tomato.
In the end, I decided I would never get carry-out from Cuco’s again. I will definitely go back to eat in, because their food is awesome, but as far as “to-go”, well, I can’t say it any better than “they suck”. My recommendation is to go in the evening, near dinnertime or shortly after because they tend to get very busy between five and seven pm. The lunch menu is limited and you won’t really get a chance to experience all they have to offer.
Overall Scores: (1-5, 1 being lowest, 5 highest)
Cleanliness: 4
Value: 4
Accessibility: 5
Friendliness: 4
Menu: 5
Check out their website here but don't bother clicking on the coupon section because you'll get this:
Check out their website here but don't bother clicking on the coupon section because you'll get this:
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