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| - Mexi-can't
C'mon Cuco's. I'm not expecting haute cuisine when I walk through your doors. But is a well prepared meal with fresh, basic ingredients really too much to ask for? If I really wanted poor execution and subpar ingredients, I would save myself the bother and hit the drive through window at Taco Bell.
Things started OK. My daughter and I were warmly greeted as we entered the restaurant on a Friday night. While the décor was a little cheesy, the tables and floors were clean. So far, so good.
The complimentary chips and salsa were OK. While not freshly made, the chips were crisp and plentiful as our server provided us with a steady supply of refills. The tomato salsa had strange ketchup like consistency and the kitchen was a little heavy handed with the onion and garlic. But hey, I'm not going to complain too loudly about free chips!
The wheels started to come off when the entrees arrived. I ordered the $13.99 Molcajete, described on the menu as chicken, shrimps, steak and chorizo in a tomatillo sauce .Served in a hot stone with green onions. I'll admit that the presentation of the dish was pretty awesome. The massive stone bowl looked like something off Flintstone's family dinner table. But when I pushed away the green onions and cilantro that topped the dish, I was shocked to see a cauldron of grease. I know, I know, fat adds flavor. However, I don't want my dinner looking like the Exxon Valdez beached on my plate. If the kitchen could have rendered some of the fat from the chorizo during the preparation of this meal, it would have made for a more palatable entrée. Aside from the extreme greasiness, there were other flaws as well:
* The shrimp were tightly curled (a sign they were over cooked) and rubbery in texture.
* The steak had a lot of gristle and was extremely chewy. A little better knife work during prep time would go a long way.
* Poor prep affected the chicken component as well. The small scraps of chicken in the dish were over cooked and very chewy.
* The tomatillo sauce described on the menu was nowhere to be found.
If executed with more care, this could be a signature dish for Cuco's and not the craptacular mess that I was served. This was a massive disappointment.
The $3.75 cheese quesadilla my daughter ordered from the kid's menu was also was a letdown - a sprinkling of Monterrey Jack cheese pressed in a flour tortilla. It didn't hold a candle to the cheese quesadilla we get from Los Gemelos (a crispy masa harina pocket crammed full of melted Oaxaca cheese). The fries that came with the meal were so bad she left the majority on the plate untouched.
There were a couple of positives. Our server was energetic, personable and extremely attentive. And the guacamole served with my entrée was outstanding. But with so many other strong Mexican food options available to me in the area, those positives won't be enough to draw a return visit.
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