Cinco Mexican Cantina

After shopping at the Cumberland Mall, Dean suggested we stop for dinner at Cinco Mexican Cantina. It's convenient to the mall and also near where he works, so he and his office mates have utilized that restaurant for some off-site "meetings." (He says they do talk about work, but how seriously are we supposed to take that given that they're all sipping margaritas and munching on chips and salsa at the same time? Hence the quotes.)

I ordered the Burrito Grande ($9.99) with carne asada steak, beans, chorizo, ranchero sauce, cheese and sour cream, which comes served with rice and black beans.

It's a standard menu option on Mexican restaurants of a certain ilk--and it caught my eye for a couple of reasons: (1) It sounded like it would hit the spot, and (2) on a first visit to a restaurant I like to order either the house specialities or general standards as a way to gain insight into the skills of the kitchen staff.

My husband had ordered the same thing (which we typically don't do, but this was a casual dining experience so what the heck). Both our meals were served at a cooler temperature than we would like, so when the server stopped by to ask if everything was OK we said as much. She whisked the plates away and within moments someone else delivered new servings. Dean said his second serving was a bit warmer, mine was about the same as the first attempt.

The flavor of the food was OK, but not great.

The restaurant manager sent out a dessert, as an apology for our cold dinners. It was a bland, fluffy vanilla and chocolate mousse duo coated in chocolate and drizzled with strawberry jam:

Dean was disappointed and claims that his previous experiences with the restaurant were better.

Bottom Line: After this initial visit, I have no plans to return.