I've eaten in, had takeout, and had delivery from Alto. Over the years things have deteriorated. I'm now done. My burrito had canned chicken and pre-shredded cheese... for $11. I can get better tasting and less expensive food at Chipotle, and that's a sad, sad comparison. read more

Not a Mexican place, asked for shredded pork and they said " we don't serve red meat". Pork is white.. tortillas soggy, no hard shells, rude staff. read more

They are not just un-kid-friendly, they are kid-hostile! Having overnighted at a friend's in Syracuse last Saturday, they recommended Alto Cinco for brunch before we hit the road for the trip back to Philly. I had my wife and 16 month old with me. I asked for a high chair and they said they do not have any - not that they were all used - but they simply do not have them. I asked for a booster and the waiter with a bit of attitude said they don't have those either. I asked, "So what about folks who want to eat here with their children?" He shrugged with complete disinterest and turned away from me. I was surprised and stunned at the complete lack of respect as well as the blatant message that breeders were not welcome. (I don't think the waiter was gay; just a posturing twit.) At that moment my year and a half old daughter bumps her head on the table from her non-elevated position in the adult seat. The table is pressed steel or alloy and quite sharp-edged - as in painful and dangerous. So my daughter is now bawling and this host looks at us with the stink eye. I just left then and there and ate at Mom's Diner across the street. They were polite, pleasant, and provided tasty and interesting Middle-Eastern twists on the common breakfast. Just makes me wonder how Alto Cinco can be a part of the community without making any concessions for the family of their patrons. This is not haute cuisine; it's a Mexican joint that thinks it's popular in midtown Manhattan. It's almost comical to see such unjustified self-importance in a college town taco place. So the service was so bad that I did not even want to eat there. read more

HORRIBLE! Coming from San Diego and transferring to Syracuse, NY, I was feeling homesick and thought some Mexican food might cheer me up. Too bad this isn't Mexican food. It might be the only place in Central New York that serves vegetarian food for people who don't like spice or flavor, though. Not only is the name "Alto Cinco" horrible and nothing like the places back home that would end in -erto's, but they DON'T SERVE ANY MEAT. No carne asada burritos, no carne anything. No sweat though, I have had some seafood and veggie Mexican food back home... So, I order something. But what is inside, instead of salsa or sour cream or avocado? MAYONNAISE. That's right, mayonnaise. This place is pretty much a bland wrap place, not Mexican; so if that is what you're looking for, then great; but if you think this is somehow related to Mexican food, look elsewhere. read more

Well, what can I say. I grew up in California and lived in Texas so I know Mexican food and this ain't it. If your knowledge of Mexican food is Taco Bell and you're looking for a young, hip, kind of artsy place to eat, then I suppose Alto Cinco is pretty good. If, like me, you have lived in areas with loads of Mexican restaurants, you will be disappointed. The place is extremely small and tightly packed, and I was a little uncomfortable with the cleanliness. I ordered the chicken enchiladas and found they were filled with rice and served with a side of rice. The red sauce, that flooded the plate, tasted like something you get from a can. My husband ordered a salad and didn't like it enough to finish it. Think about that for a minute. How hard is it to make a decent salad? What I remember most about Alto Cinco was the surly bartender who seated customers. There was one empty table and it could seat up to five. A couple walked in and was told they would have to wait for a table to free up because he couldn't give them the only table that seated a larger party. 10 minutes later, three young, pretty girls walked in and were immediately seated, by the bartender, at the table for five - right in front of the waiting couple! The couple objected and the bartender argued with them. The couple walked out and I would have too. If it were possible to give zero stars, I would have done just that. Save yourself the money and the aggravation. You can make better Mexican food at home. read more

When I'm looking for someplace to eat with my boyfriend, I turn to him and ask "Do you want attitude with that?" when we look at Westcott restaurants. Attitude, in this case, is not a compliment. Sure, Alto Cinco is vegetarian/vegan friendly, but I find that just about everything in this place is overpriced and is served by a staff with a superiority complex. The bartender usually gives me the once-over and when I finally get a seat, the service is slow and surly. The food is fine. It's kind of difficult to make rice and beans exciting, but the specials are usually okay. Not nearly spicy enough for me though. There is another vegan/vegetarian place nearby that (in my opinion) serves better food with friendly service but is generally open only for lunch. Overall, I don't get the hype about the food and I despise going there because of the service and will only do so in a pinch. However, today (which inspired me to write this review) there was a notable exception: the bartender was not only friendly but helpful. I think that she's new. read more

Ordered food over an hour ago and it still hasn't arrived. Very disappointed in this service. Called to see what happened and have been put on hold for over 5 minutes. This is ridiculous. I wouldn't have ordered it if I had been told it would take this long. It would have been courteous to have been told that my food would be taking this long. Also, in the fall they stopped serving guacamole. What? You're a Mexican restaurant. That should be illegal. read more

Really GOOD! Hubby and I shared the chips with salsa and guacamole. Everything was so fresh and delicious, and the chips weren't greasy. Hubby had the Frisco vegan burrito and I have the vegan quesadilla. I can't speak to the burrito but my husband said it was delicious. My quesadilla was made with a whole wheat tortilla and roasted eggplant, onions, spinach, peppers, and came with more delicious guac and salsa. Washed everything down with fruity, white sangria. Will definitely be back! A bit overpriced but really good food. Small bar space with a few tables but they are expanding soon! read more

This place is always such a disappointment, and I'm floored that it has 4 stars. I'm assuming it's because Alto stands out as a gem among the other sub par eateries on Westcott, and as such there's a false sense of having a decent meal if forced to eat in this neighborhood. The service here is terribly slow, and always incredibly rude. The only exception is a lovely bartender we had today. He was slammed- so still slow service- but very friendly. The food is flat out boring. It's such a perversion of what a good Mexican or Tex-Mex place should be. It's also insanely overpriced for the quality. Everything is fresh- I'll give them that- but it lacks in flavor and over compensates in price. read more

Love this place! What's better than Mexican comfort food? Always have a great selection of micro brewed beers on tap as well as having a well rounded Mexican menu. They have tofu and vegan options as well as the meat variety for all food enthusiasts alike. With the expansion and additional outdoor seating this is a great place to grab a lunchtime brew, dinner or weekend brunch. read more

My boyfriend and I ate here yesterday morning and have been severely ill ever since. This place needs a serious health inspection and should not be serving food. Do not eat here. read more

The name says it all ; Alto Cinco translates to "high five". An actual Mexican restaurant would never have a name like that, right? Well at least that's the mind set I had when I decided to give Alto Cinco a try. I didn't want to go in with high hopes. After all, I was in Syracuse at a "Mexican" food place. I wasn't expecting it to be the BEST Mexican food I'd ever had in my life. A friend and I found that the restaurant was packed so we decided to sit at the bar area at the main entrance. It was tight but the atmosphere was good. I ordered the Cinco Special Quesadilla. The rice and salsa were both bland and there was some type of grease/oil dripping out. That would've been tolerable if the cheese tasted halfway decent; it didn't. I've had Mexican food, Tex-Mex, Spanish food, etc. this dish didn't taste like anything resembling those cuisines. A friend of mine ordered a burrito (I'll have to get back to you on the name of it) and it too was lacking taste and definition. Alto Cinco is a trendy place with a great crowd. If this was a bar or club it would get 5 stars from me. As a restaurant I give them 2 stars. It's a restaurant with a Spanish name but they don't serve Mexican food. The food is mediocre at best. read more

Came here on two different recommendations, and it really paid off. Was visiting for 3 days, and came back here four times. Excellent catfish burrito-- the East Coast's answer to fish tacos! The best chili rellenos anywhere, with a crispy fried graham cracker (I think) crust. Nice large leafy dark green salads. Spicy and not too sweet pineapple salsa. Lone Star breakfast is awesome, except for the turkey bacon, which may be just me. The only hitch was a narrow selection of IPAs (stone ruination and laguinitas are just not all that good, imho). If they could get Racer 5 or Dogfish Head on tap, the place would be perfect. Great music selection (Black Sabbath at dinner, CCR at breakfast) and awesome bartender/waitstaff to boot. read more

Don't let the 3 stars fool you....Alto Cinco is prettttty good. I had to remove a star because I have been there a few times now and the service is always pretty slow. I'm not talking about actually getting your food....I'm talking about getting the CHECK. It's like the staff is up your butt every .3 seconds to see if your food is ok but when its time for the check there isn't an employee in sight. My friend literally had to get up and stalk someone today. Like dude come on I just ate 3 pounds of taco I need to get home ASAP and nap. Also, today my waiter was a little too nice....to the point where it was kind of creepy. Like come on man, I didn't even get a chance to look at my food yet don't ask me how it tastes before you set my plate down. Also, when I ask for a napkin the "someone's getting saucy" remark isn't 100 percent necessary. ALSO, I have 2 fully functioning eye balls, you don't need to waste 4872384 hours telling me the specials with every single ingredient in them when I HAVE THE SPECIALS MENU RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY FACE. Anyways.................. Their nachos are underwhelming but their quesadillas are a solid 4/5. My friend got the chicken jerk quesadilla and I got a chicken quesadilla with beans and peppers in it. Well guys the great news is they use real chicken. Unlike a lot of chains that offer quesadillas and you cant tell if you are eating chicken or a wet paper towel. It was a little soggy but that's because I made a special request to add beans (BECAUSE IS IT EVEN MEXICAN IF THERE'S NO BEANS??) The meat portion was also very generous in the quesadilla, which was nice because usually I question if I even got meat in it because I can't find any. It was very filling. And all of the ingredients are fresh. ALSO it was 11 dollars....like a tortilla and some cheese probably costs 89 cents lets be a little reasonable for the poor college kids. I will probably go back but only when I am third wheeling so the couple pays for my meal... read more

hipster hangout. it's all about the food here. i had the bean and cheese enchilada with green sauce and it was DELICIOUS. the jalapeno cornbread was amazing as well and was perfectly moist with the right amount of spice. nice atmosphere, pretty small place and a lot of vegan and vegetarian options!! however, our server was truly awful. he didn't ask how we were, if we wanted drinks, and didn't give us specials. he came over, took our order, dropped the food and that was that. the other server had to find him to get our check. we all had spicy food and he never came to refill waters either, grrrrrrr..... i would definitely come here again because the food was so good but i would run away if I saw this server coming to my table. read more

Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm! Alto Cinco is the place to be for some good Mexican food in Syracuse! Sometimes it can be a bit of a wait for take out or seating, but the food is usually worth it in the end. The Quesadillas are exceptional. read more

Waited 10 mins just for someone to seat us in an almost empty restaurant! Poor and inattentive. Bartender told us someone will be right with you and we just kept standing there for 10 minutes and then a waitress arrived and said there is no host since it is late at night. Really? The bartender doesn't even know that there is no host! read more

Food is great! I had the catfish tacos, yum. However, did not enjoy my dining experience as much as I could have because I was sitting in an awkward corner crushed behind a 300 pound woman. There is absolutely no space in this resturant, there are possibly three tables in the whole place, and it can get packed and people sit down and never leave. You're not missing anything with service either, you'd think for so few tables you'd get good service, not necessarily. Waiter brought me out the wrong beer and ran away before I could say anything. If you're gonna eat here, you're probably better off taking out or eating outside at their "outdoor seating". read more

I LOVE eating here. The atmosphere is cozy and the food is great! I don't like leftovers, but I LOVE my Alto Cinco leftovers :)

Solid food. Medium-sized portions. Overpriced sangria. Expect to rub elbows (literally) with your dining neighbors - this place is tight!

I've been going here off-and-on for 10 years and unfortunately the verdict is that when you head to Alto Cinco you are almost always in for a mixed experienced. I've been here when the service has been prompt and other times when it's taken much too long to get our food or our check. I've eaten piping hot, delicious burritos and burritos that were extinguished by cold-pickled jalapeños. I've been here when the draft list is incredible, and when it's been overrun by ill-paired heavy beers. Either way, Alto is too expensive for faux-Mexican food, but benefits nicely from having a good location in a city hard pressed to serve real Mexican. I'm sure I'll be back, but it won't be my first choice. read more

Stopped here yesterday for lunch while buying tickets at the Wescott Theater . I had a Chile Relleno Burrito at the recommendation of the guy behind the counter. The burrito was really good I just thought it was a bit overpriced. It was nine dollars and change just for the burrito. Having said that I will still probably eat there again. read more

I hate to be a hater, but this place is overrated and overpriced. Inauthentic and yet unoriginal Mexican food. Surprisingly bland. Nothing terrible in the meal, but nothing particularly well executed. Service was adequate but not great. Somehow I managed to visit on a summer day with a bunch of tables open, so I had no trouble getting a seat. I've only been once, so I will re-test with an open mind, but it's hard to imagine all of these things improving. read more

HORRIBLE customer service, and average tasting, overpriced food.

Before we walked up here I tried calling to find out how long a wait it would be to get a table. The host refused to tell me and said we would have to come up to find out. I should have gone with my gut feeling at that point and found somewhere else to go. Alas, we chose to try Alto Cinco - in part because there aren't all that many options in Syracuse. When we got there, the host told us 30-40 minutes. Fair enough. After over an hour had gone by with no word, we finally went back to see what was up and they assured us they would have our table ready soon. Another 45 minutes later, we were seated at last. This crazy delay wasn't the worst part though. The worst was that the service was actually even more terrible once we sat down. No one brought menus or took drink orders or brought the appetizer we ordered while we were standing around waiting. One of us finally got up and got menus. Then we had to go and ask if we could order. Then the food took forever. The service was exceptionally bad and, while the cornbread was good, the rest of the food was mediocre. Maybe it was an off night. Maybe they just have terrible service, mediocre food, and no competition. Either way, we won't be back. read more

Unfortunately waited till my senior year to try alto..huge mistake. I've had their quesadillas and dinner/lunch items a few times however their brunch is incredible. From their daily special omelet to the huevos rancheros, I've never left disappointed. Definitely try a side of the cornbread, SO good. Although pretty small inside I love the ambiance, very trendy..be sure to check out the bathroom too (weird I know) but the mirror is made out of wine corks and it's all very cool! read more

There are not enough good things to say about Alto Cinco. My husband and I have been eating there and ordering from there for over 6 years. All of the food is fresh and seasoned to perfection. I would recommend a dish but it is possible to choose just one. The atmosphere is also fantastic, the space is compact but they recently expanded the dining room. Dine in or take out -- you can't go wrong with this pick. read more

This is a great place. The food is great and they always have a fantastic beer selection including some really hard to find brews. Yes its usually crowded but my only complaint is there's really no room to have a drink while u wait for a table. The wait staff is really nice and never try to rush you out. The jerk chicken, cat fish, and chile relleno are top notch. read more

Overpriced and underwhelming quality. Small portions, cheese free nachos,. Also made me nauseous almost instantly

I went to Alto Cinco last night with a friend of mine for National Margarita Day, which up until yesterday afternoon I hadn't realized was a thing. The atmosphere at the restaurant is very cool. It could be lit a little more, but we also went at night which played a factor in how dark it was. I ordered the traditional margarita on the rocks and it was excellent, so much so that I ordered a second one after we finished eating. The chips and guacamole were also very good. You could tell the guac was fresh which was very important to me. I ordered the California Burrito for dinner. It was very good but a little messy. It kept falling apart in my hands. I wasn't able to finish it. The service was a little slow, but our waiter was very kind and respectful. Though tucked away on Westcott Street, I would recommend Alto Cinco to anybody who loves Mexican food, or for somebody who just wants to grab a quick drink and chips. read more

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I just left this restaurant where I ordered the bar-b-q tofu platter. Basically the kitchen put 4 slabs of flavorless tofu on a plate of rice, opened a room temperature bottle of bar-b-q sauce and poured the entire bottle over the plate. There was no attempt to incorporate the sauce into the tofu or marinate the tofu in the sauce or anything. Just dumped all over the plate. I would have sent it back if I was not with 3 other people and did not want to make a scene. Please, please, please take this dish OFF YOUR MENU if you do not want to make tofu. It was just awful. read more

Quesadilla and burritos are delicious. They give real tex-mex size portions.

I am so, utterly disappointed! I know I'm biased for having experienced true Mexican food, but I came here knowing that this was not "Mexican food," but food that serves like Mexican cuisine. American ingredients. Still, it was just as bad as my roommate told me it was. ATTN VEGAN AND VEGETARIANS: this place was created for you. I'm not against vegetarianism, but if you're going to serve burritos, they MUST always have some type of meat. If not, they should have NO wet, soggy, spinach? I had a TON of that in my Frisco burrito. Big mistake. My friend got the catfish burrito based upon praise from Yelp. I tried it-- it's different, and probably one of the better dishes. Way overpriced for what it is. $12ish for burritos. I give it two stars, not one, because the ambiance was pretty cool, though small. Oh yeah, the waiter was so impatient. We weren't even finished with our food and he kept wanting to take it away. But he was a nice guy. Just sayin. read more

My #1 favorite Mexican spot. The new layout since they bought the next door property and expanded the dining room is much, much better for dining in. Bar area is a bit cramped but they do the best they can with the space they have. Wine selections are fairly limited but that probably has a lot to do with storage capacity. The wines they do carry are solid and are more than adequate. Alto Cinco has the best burritos I've ever had. Outstanding. California Burrito with chicken is my go-to. Their mixed green salad with house made lime vinaigrette is really good. Jalepeno cornbread is the best. Everything is awesome really, another place where you could close your eyes and point to something on the menu to order and would be happy with whatever came out. They do take-out as well which is very popular. Highly recommend. read more

Alto Cinco is definitely not the place to go if you're really craving Mexican food as their food really lacks spice. Everything was tasty and they have a good beer selection so, overall, it was an enjoyable experience. read more

i'm from cali and this place is not really mexican, but it's delicious. i'd call it hippy-mexican. the only downside is the tight seating area. very hard to get a table read more

above decent Mexican food, especially for Syracuse. I'm Chicano from Los Angeles, so I know what really good Mexican food is, and you can't find it in Syracuse, but Alto Cinco is better than decent. I'm vegetarian and my partner is vegan, and we were both more than satisfied with our meals at Alto Cinco. The black beans are good, the rice is okay. The Mexican hot chocolate was more sweet than I'm accustomed. The service was quick, and attentive. I'd come back for sure. read more

Delicious and fresh ingredients. Had a burrito with chicken and thought it was a little plain, but this was fixed with a little salsa. We enjoyed sitting outside, but I think the service wasn't great because of this. read more

Alto Cinco is tasty, oh so tasty, but they are pretty expensive. Catfish burritos are killer! This place is always packed, so order ahead or plan to hang at the bar for a minute... read more

Always a good meal - love the catfish burritos. You won't leave hungry! Tonight had seafood fideo that was a daily special that was fantastic. Tight quarters but worth the squeeze. Great vibrant crowd - waitstaff and bartender very personable and prompt. Looks like great takeaway too if you don't want to eat in. Beer and wine but no liquor - good sangria and good selection. Definitely a fave and special place!! read more