UPDATE: This restaurant has since closed, 5 de Mayo has a Cheektowaga location on Union Rd near George Urban Blvd.. only a couple minutes from the Walden Galleria.
One of the remaining cuisines that I have yet to really “experience” would be Mexican; I don’t pretend that my experiences with Mighty Taco are anything even close (let alone true Mexican fast food). So this restaurant will be the first (in many) that will show my journey through Buffalo finest Mexican offerings.
Not too long ago, 5 de Mayo moved into my hometown of Orchard Park. The location itself is pretty deceiving, there is no large parking lot in front of the location, so when driving by it is easy to miss. The inside has been completely redone. Sure there is the obligatory sombrero and Mexican music playing overhead, but more importantly, the furniture, the colors, and the overall decor create a really great atmosphere.
Now I’ve stated on this website that I love free food, and free appetizers can honestly put me in such a good mood that I automatically like the restaurant. We were served some freshly cooked Tortilla chips with a side of salsa; nothing too exotic, and the salsa was on the water-y side (while I prefer chunky) but it was a nice way to start the meal.
My brother is not the most adventurous of eaters, and loves to order nachos anytime they are on a menu. He essentially ordered your typical “Loaded Nachos” (at this moment their website has been removed from the internet, sorry I don’t have an ‘official title’ for this dish). These nachos had a large amount of freshly shredded lettuce, a little bit of sour cream, nacho cheese, pieces of grilled chicken, and some fried beans. In the words of my brother “it was the greatest plate of nacho’s I’ve ever eaten”. However, while they did look good, I tend to take his comments regarding food with a grain of salt (case in point, his only previous experience with nachos include those made at home by our mother, Mighty Taco’s, and Moe’s….).
I chose a burrito with green chili sauce which was filled with seasoned beef, fried beans, and cheese. While reading the “green chili sauce” description in the menu, I had this in mind (something I’ve seen on several Food Network shows), but as you can see, it was a little different. 5 de Mayo’s version was a white cheese sauce with bits of green chili’s mixed in. The sauce wasn’t extremely spicy, the same can be said for the seasoned meat, but there was definitely a nice amount of heat to the meal. I ended up downing the entire thing. It wasn’t packed with crazy flavors or ingredients, but I would clearly put the quality and the taste above anything I’ve had at a fast food chain restaurant.
Overall, I was really impressed with actual location a little more then I was with the food. Am I pretty unqualified for reviewing Mexican food? Hell Yes. However, this place has been renovated hardcore and looks gorgeous inside. So for that alone, I would recommend that anyone who likes Mexican cuisine to give it a try. Along with the ‘Mariachi Wednesdays,’ there are plenty of reasons to stop in. The price tag is very reasonable; nothing over 10 dollars (at least during lunch) and the menu includes “safe” options for people like my brother (i.e. nachos, quesadillas). Hopefully I can try some of our city’s other notable Mexican Restaurants (Arriba Tortilla, Gramma Moras, Coyote Cafe..) and come up with a better idea of what’s the best Buffalo has to offer in this area.
You need to get some queso next time, chips and salsa just isn’t the same for me anymore without the cheese dip! There’s a place here that makes spicy queso and it is heaven.
last time i was there the waitress was really rude.
where can i find this queso you speak of?
Pretty much every mexican restaurant I have been to has queso, it’s usually listed under apps. It’s pretty much just melted cheese, sometimes it’s spicy but you just dip your tortilla into it and the salsa and it is delish.
ahhaah i know what queso is…thats not what I meant….I was asking where you got the one you were describing.