Cinco De Mayo Dos

The food here is awesome! I would say I'm a regular I've eaten from here more than 4 times and it's Pretty authentic. This place reminds me of California, even the little market. BTW this restaurant is INSIDE the Mexican food market. You can find great Mexican and International Latin spices and items here, which is amazing as a Latina. I usually get the 4 Tacos De Birria Y Consome and an extra taco like Al Pastor or Carnitas. I tried the Taco De Lengua (beef tongue) once since the food is good. The meat was very tender but it was lacking seasoning and flavor especially compared to the Birria Tacos. The food is usually good and I always forget to take Pictures! Will update with pictures one day... :) FYI I speak Spanish so it makes it much easier to communicate with the staff.

So this spot is across from the Hyatt and was a quick food option. I walked in, expecting a small restaurant and got a small grocery store or Bodega. They had fruit, fresh meat, and canned foods. I asked for tacos, and they directed me to the back. I was unsure but continued to the back and found the small restaurant that I was expecting. I was met by someone who was working in the front. Half in the room half in the kitchen, she asked what I wanted and retreated in the kitchen. I immediately heard the grill sizzling and waited for about 2 whole minutes, and she appeared with my order and receipt. I was shocked it came so fast. Not expecting much, I took the food back to the room. It was very tasty. Fresh ingredients and tasty sauce. I will order here before I go.

Discovered this gem while headed to another Mexican restaurant, which was closed when we arrived. I was like "Now what?" Well I didn't have to walk far, the adjacent building was Cinco Dr Mayo Dos. First off, this is NOT TexMex yuppie fair. Jarritos and flan usually is a good sign. This was followed by hand made chips and a delicious fresh salsa. The sight of tamales made my foodie heart leap. Real handmade tamales wrapped in corn husks. Delicious. My companion ordered the first item on the menu. A $5 appetizer of refried beans wrapped in a crisp but light corn tortillas. (Kind of like a corn version of a frijoles chimichanga), that arrived as three covered in toppings. The appetizer easily qualified as an entree. I ordered a tamale (which I saved and took home) and two tacos ala carte (one barbacoa beef and one carnitas enchilada - spiced pork). Both were good, the latter was amazing. But here is where they hit my expectations out of the park. Not only were both taxcos large, but they came in amazing handmade tortillas. I was unprepared for the presentation of my two ala carte tacos. They arrived presented with a side of grilled vegetables (tender whole green onions and strips of cactus)b fresh cucumbers, and plenty of lime. Accompanied by two fresh made hot sauces. All in all this gem was an exciting surprise. I definitely plan to return again, and again, and again. =)

Don't be put off by the store front or the entryway. This place looks like a grocery store, but if you walk inside and wine your way through a couple of turns you will find a small but comfortable dining area. I ordered the three grilled chicken, Polo Asado, tacos. They were fantastic. Simple but tasty. Loaded with grilled white meat chicken. On the side there were juicy, fresh limes and grilled peppers. The chips and salsa were outstanding too. Service was fast and friendly. Only complaint, they rolled out a mop bucket filled with a very strong smelling cleaner right in the middle of my meal. It took about 10 minutes for the smell to dissipate. The chips and salsa were outstanding to. Service was fast and friendly. Only complaint, they ruled out a mop bucket filled with a very strong smelling cleaner right in the middle of my meal. It took about 10 minutes for the smell to dissipate. I am NOT hyper sensitive to smells, but this was pretty strong. But to end on a good note, I walked out stuffed to the gills and satisfied. And the price was less than $10.

Very good selection of dried chiles and other pantry items at a fraction of the cost of Amazon etc. The store was super clean and the produce, cheese, and meats looked fresh and beautiful. We (the kids and I) found the restaurant in the back and ordered tacos to go. The carnitas and pollo asado were fantastic! Great green salsa and a red salsa hot enough to satisfy even the most seasoned heat freak, full of flavor and a good hot kick! Worth the trip, especially if you live or work in the neighborhood