This place has an intimate feel, good vibes, and tasty food. We were impressed with the quality of our experience. We will definitely be dining here again ! read more

I don't often think of food in a sexual way, but these shrimp tacos are so good that I got caught air humping them. read more

Alto Cinco - Shrimp Shrimp Soft Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Had the best gluten free burrito here! I haven't had a burrito since I was diagnosed with celiac disease over 30 years ago! Chips and guacamole were great as well! I will definitely be back! read more

I like this place! It's funky and fun. I also like the location. It's tucked away a little and even if there is a wait I can stroll over to boom babies or just walk around the neighborhood. They bring out chips and salsa with your meal. My favorite is to sit outside but I also enjoy sitting inside on colder days. I really like when they have different specials of creme brûlée. The tostadas are delicious. Guac is good too and friends really like. This is s solid place to go to get some food and chill with friends. Clean bathrooms and good vibes read more

Went for dinner and I'll start of by saying that this is a funky and eclectic restaurant and is a neat place to go in the college area. That said, they were out of several key items that one might look forward to having here. Guacamole being the #1 item at a Mexican style restaurant. Tortilla chips and salsa were excellent and fresh. Shrimp taco was pretty good. Catfish taco was as well. Overall if you have time to sit for a couple hours for dinner - it's worth a try. read more

False advertisement. they are still displaying one price for food in the restaurant, but yet charging you some thing else. read more

Alto Cinco - Mexican Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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I highly recommend Alto Cinco. I enjoy the tostadas. I like that they have outdoor dining when it's warmer. It's kind of dark inside but I don't mind that. They have a good selection of drinks. It's a fun place to be. read more

Alto Cinco - Chicken Tostada - Mexican Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Been here a few times the past two years and I've also ordered out from here a few times too. Ordering out from here takes foreverrrrrr. And I only live 10 minutes away! It took almost and hour and a half for the food to here a by the time it got here, it was soggy and cold. The service here is generally pretty slow and not very friendly, but the food here is is pretty alright. I much prefer it over their sister branch of Ocho Cinco. The corn tortillas here are slightly fresher and softer than the ones at Ocho Cinco, which makes their tacos better. The food here also isn't authentically Mexican, but it is yummy! This past time we ordered enchiladas and a burrito. I asked for the burrito to be "smothered" in sauce and the waiter said that would be no problem at all. When the burrito came out, it wasn't smothered at all. In fact, there was barely any sauce on it! What a shame. Overall, this is a pretty okay place to get food, especially if you're near the Westcott area. If you're looking for authentic Mexican food though, you won't find it here. read more

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If you're looking for a great meal look no further! Make sure you visit on Thursday for wine night!

Food is always amazing! Service was good. I love the jalapeño cornbread. I always get the loaded burrito, it never fails

I love the atmosphere of this spot. The food and drinks were great as well. I had a margarita and the shrimp tacos. The shrimp here is to die for! The food was a bit slow to come out, but our waitress was really nice. On Mondays it's $5 traditional margaritas and nachos! read more

I've been to Alto Cinco for brunch twice now and really love it! If you're looking for a delicious local brunch spot, Alto should be on your list! If you plan to come for Sunday brunch try to get here earlier since they don't take reservations and its a popular spot. On my recent visit for sunday brunch, we waited 10-15 minutes but I quickly heard that wait time go to almost an hour after more parties showed up. The menu has a lot to choose from, from their Mexican dishes to more traditional breakfast dishes like pancakes. I really like their jalapeño cornbread and recommend it if you like a bit of spice. I've had their huevos rancheros which were tasty and fresh. It comes with black beans and hash browns so it's a decent portion. The hash browns here are good, cooked like home fries but the black beans were just okay. On my most recent visit, I had their specialty omelet which was cooked perfectly with hash browns and toast. I can't remember everything in the omelet but it had a lot and was more than filling. Everything I've had here always tastes fresh and made to order which is nice. I only wish the huevos rancheros were spicier but that's what hot sauce is for :) I've had a good experience with the service here as well. Sure, they're busy most of the time but the servers were always good about stopping by the table to ensure we were okay. The bartender is awesome! He makes great drinks and is always so pleasant and friendly no matter how slammed they are. Overall, this is a great brunch spot with their casual ambiance and delicious foods. Would definitely recommend it to others! read more

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What is life if you can't gorge into a burrito and make your entire face messy with bits of sauce, mayo and beans stuck to it? Meaningless, I tell you! Everyone needs to get burrito-face every once in a while. Alto Cinco is one of those hip places near SU campus that lets you do just that. They have lots of different beers on tap and serve brunch from 11-3 on Sunday's. There's a separate takeout window as well as indoor and outdoor seating. After Danielle L's profile mentioned that the "jerk chicken burrito" was her last meal on Earth, I knew I had to come back to Alto Cinco and try it. I was not disappointed. The burrito is huuuge and overflowingly filled with beans, rice, jerk chicken, cilantro and other goodies. It's served with a side salad. The concoction was delicious, albeit very, very, very messy. My wife got the barbeque tofu burrito and was frustrated they put barbeque sauce on the outside of the tortilla (making it impossible to pick up with your hands without making an absolute mess). So the final verdict: messy, chaotic -- but delicious. Lots of vegan + vegetarian options here too! read more

Alto Cinco - Jerk chicken burrito - Mexican Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Whenever I come back home I stop here for the chicken nachos or catfish burrito. They have the BEST pickled jalapeños that have carrots in with it too. It compliments anything on their menu very well. Alto Cinco is for sure a Syracuse staple. Try their jerk chicken on the nachos too!! read more

Alto Cinco - Mexican Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Fantastic meal, hadn't been in years. High quality ingredients, great service. Highly recommend

In my opinion, one of the best Mexican restaurants in Syracuse. I didn't get time to take a pic of the salsa because we ate it almost immediately! But for real, the salsa is very fresh and flavorful and they give you plenty of chips for the bowl of salsa. Lots of vegetarian/vegan options but also they like to be creative with their recipes/menu items. Never had a bad meal here. read more

Alto Cinco - Mexican Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Always reliable, and the bartenders are inventive, friendly and some of the best mixologists in Syracuse. Food is good, reliable and sometimes even great. A sure pleaser for bringing guests. read more

We were informed by friends and frequent patrons of this fantastic gem, that we needed to check it out. It is conveniently located next to the Westcott Theatre. Where we live, there is very limited cuisine variety, so Mexican food was much appreciated. The portions are great, the burritos are huge, and the jerk chicken was on point! While you can expect a wait, it is well worth it. We will definitely be returning to Alto Cinco the next time we are around. read more

Alto Cinco - Mexican Near Me - Syracuse, New York

A little on the pricier side for what you'd expect from Mexican food in a college town, but I was happy with my meal. The jalepeno cornbread and the butter that comes with it is delicious. The cornbread was not dry at all. I tried the fried catfish burrito because its something a lot of places don't have and it was so good. The burrito was huge and had a good amount of catfish in it. Service was a bit lackluster, but I think they were just understaffed. read more

Man I am so happy to be writing this updated review now. I feel like I can finally make AC one of my regular stomping grounds like it used to be back in the day. I come bearing amazing news and that is that they have brought back their amazing queso. Yep, you heard it right folks. The queso is back! Now it may have been back for a few months, but when I was here at a work function in December it wasn't. There food is beyond amazing and when they took that off the menu I was depressed as heck. I highly recommend getting their delicious chicken quesadillas. Get your self an app of queso and it makes the perfect dipping. Tonight they also had really awesome burger specials for the fourth. The meat was beyond amazing. Service was a wee bit slow though. We actually waited about 45 minutes to get our food. I think they really should give ya chips when you first sit down because by the time we got our food we were pretty famished. I highly recommend coming here! read more

I have been to this place many times and finally decided to review it. This Mexican restaurant is the best place to eat for me at Westcott Street. There are other restaurants next to this but this is kinda my fav!! It has great ambiance and outdoor seating so I find myself enjoying the dim candle night dinner one day or a Taco Tuesday on a good evening of some other day. They have a lot of vegetarian options available and the waitress is kind enough to suggest to us their best veg dishes. I love their lime Jarritos a lot and happen to reorder that every time I visit. I would definitely recommend this place to go with friends/loved ones/alone (cuz why not)!!!! read more

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I am super excited about their physical expansion. I asked and they said it should be done by the end of March 2014. - They do have free wifi, but you need to ask for the password. read more

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This is one of the most popularly rated restaurants in Syracuse on Westcott street, amidst numerous little eateries in a tendu neighborhood. The fare is excellent, copious and clearly made from scratch. I had the jerk chicken soft tacos: two amply stuffed soft tortillas with shredded, perfectly seasoned chicken, chipotle mayo coleslaw, cheese, salsa, and pineapple. They came with a side salad of lettuce, cucumber in a creamy vinaigrette. So much food that I probably could have taken a taco home. My uncle and aunt got burritos-they were huge. He also ordered the carrot-ginger soup; it looked delicious. The service was good, but our server's continued snark was much unappreciated. Definitely would come back. read more

Alto Cinco - Jerk chicken soft tacos - Mexican Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Well if it has chipotle Mayo that's the only flavor your gonna get.. it's my first time here .. ordered a mojito came out with brown mint leaves.. shameful and embarrassing. Very unappealing. Service is slow for a half busy bar/restaurant.. asked for coke with no ice got Diet Coke my friend ordered a margarita no salt with Patron.. came back with a face Full of sour pucker and some Smokey well tequila and salt! Just made a real great first impression.. I don't have time to waste on the catfish flavor of oil and chips of everything that went in the fryer 5 days ago.. wow check please get me out of here! And an old fashion is not well whiskey on the rocks.. I'm about to pay an over priced check to run and barf! What an oil spill! Don't bother if you have any idea on what a drink is or that food should not look over fried to death .. or if you like that kind of abuse to your pallet.. have at it ! All yours ! .. read more

Ambiance is great! They did take away my favorite speciality drink, and service depends on the day. But overall great food and experience

I had only been here for dinner two years ago, but my friends and I wanted to give it a go for brunch. My friends are both vegan, so they each ordered the Vegan Tostada and the Vegan Scramble, while I got the Lonestar with a side of Jalapeño Corn Bread (which even my vegan friends had, so I guess they're vegan when it suits them?). When the food came out, the overall impression of presentation was that the Vegan Tostada and Lonestar looked appealing and great, while the Vegan Scramble was riddled with brown and mustard yellow and nothing more that it resembled a very bad night at the bar. Taste-wise, the two vegans were very happy with their selection, though it was said that the Vegan Tostada was covered in far too much Avocado. In fact, someone joked that there were two Avocados worth of guac on top. For me, I wasn't sure at first when I tried each of the components separately, however when I took the egg and chili relleno and put it on top of the toast with a piece of the turkey bacon....that was Heaven. The jalapeño cornbread was good, but personally the taste of the jalapeño didn't do it for me, though the two vegan traitors of mine both finished 1.5 each! It's definitely worth a try, and I'm sure I'll be back eventually, but it is not a go-to spot for me at the moment. read more

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Hope to upgrade this review in the future. I've been going to Alto Cinco for about 6 years now...and they always a late night classic around student housing. That said, I think they need to step it up: + good tacos but not-so-great tortilla shells + catfish burrito is 10/10 when done right + $2 dos equis on Taco Tuesday is great! - they use pre-shredded cheese which does not melt well. I got enchiladas and the cheese inside was completely unmelted. Cheese on nachos is usually partly unmelted and not very hot. - Tostadas are a bit overpriced for what you get - *inconsistency* is the biggest issue. When they do it all right, its really good! But often I get the same items and they are served different (hot or cold, constructed different, etc.) Love alto as an old time classic. But, with the increasing competition in Cuse', I think they gotta start stepping it up a little. read more

Alto Cinco has definitely been a regular favorite of mine for over a decade. I love their crispy tofu burrito with dairy (pictured). They have $5 nacho specials and margaritas on Mondays which is great because their large nacho size has gotten smaller of the years with an increase in price, which is to be expected. Their Mexican pizza is also delicious, although it did used to be larger. It has a cilantro garlic pesto as the sauce and is topped with cheese, pickled onions, roasted red bell peppers and pickled jalapenos. Absolutely delicious! read more

Alto Cinco - $5 Monday night nacho special - Mexican Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Food is fast, maybe too fast? My burrito was DRY. But it tasted good, but again DRY. The ambiance for a neighborhood drink is perfect especially when they have that margarita deal! read more

This place has fun decor and is always packed but I don't understand how they're STILL in biz after all these years. They don't have any steak or beef on the menu. The "salsa" is just cut up tomatoes with no texture to stay on the chips. I got the spinach quesadilla and also tried the jerk chicken. Both were completely flavorless. There are so many other delicious options on Westcott Street to go read more

Awesome food and service! Dark inside, hard to see the menu. Noisy with talking but food was incredible. Had cornbread, guacamole, margaritas, jerk chicken, catfish and vegan enchiladas and everything was so good. Will definitely go back. read more

I visited here with my daughter and her husband. We dined on the outside patio. The waitress was very friendly and helpful. We ordered the nachos and added chicken, yellow rice, black beans, jalapeños. Also the jerk chicken . I was thrilled that they had jalapeño corn bread!! For dessert I ordered the cream brûlée. It was so amazing as I've never had this before! I loved my first experience here! read more

Went in for a celebratory lunch on the occasion of Cinco de Mayo. The food quality thankfully remains the same. Today had an amazing chips and salsa, but the server didn't seem to care about allowing me to bring the salsa back. How? By not providing boxes in spite of asking for one. Am not the kind to be mean about tips for such issues, so he got the usual cut. but I really do wish the servers would care a bit more about the customers and their needs. Hope they read this review. Continuing on the food note: great chicken enchilada as usual. I had it with rice and beans, and a corn bread. I love corn bread. My friend, who was trying out the place for the first time, went for a chicken quesadilla. She was a little surprised by the bbq sauce kind of mix on the chicken. For me it tasted strongly like a tandoor chicken. To each to her own I guess. But overal, quite pleased with the food. read more

Alto Cinco - Mexican Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Always a good time coming to Alto Cinco when in Syracuse, to get Mexican food and it was nearby where my cousin used to live. We always go for the nacho platter with chicken, which is good for sharing. We decided to try out their catfish burrito, which is one their popular burritos and as I say please try it when you go to Alto Cinco, it won't disappoint! And also definitely get their nacho platter, amazing everytime we used to go there! Their alcoholic drinks are very good too, we got the ginger mojito and traditional margarita. read more

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Alto Cinco never ceases to impress. My favorite is the vegan tostada. My boyfriend loves the catfish strips. Be prepared to wait on a Friday or Saturday night as the space is quite small. They also have outdoor seating in the summer which is a plus! read more

Alto Cinco - Vegan tostada - Mexican Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Back again. Marcie ordered the salmon special. Beautiful but a very small portion of salmon. Nicely cooked but might be better a bit rarer. Not pink in the middle. It is interesting that the same woman who owns this place own Otro Cinquo and the god isn't the same. Last time we were here Marcie ordered a burrito. Lots of rice not much chicken. Been coming for a very long time. Seems to be slipping. read more

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The first time I ate here, I had the vegan tostada, and I loved it! The guacamole was yummy and the salsa was fresh. I came back for dinner the next night because I liked it that much. Unfortunately, the black bean soup and nachos I had that night just weren't as good. I hugely appreciate that Alto Cinco carries vegan options. It's not easy to find Mexican food that doesn't contain dairy. I've been back for breakfast a few other times. I like the food sometimes and it's not exceptional - I wish that it was consistently good. I have yet to find a better Mexican eatery in Syracuse so I would recommend it. read more

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***VERY IMPORTANT: GLUTEN-FREE AND/OR VEGANS READ THIS*** Gluten-free: this place has options but if you are ACTUALLY gluten free and/or have Celiac disease you do NOT want to eat here. The level of cross contamination is just one problem, the bigger problem is uneducated employees telling you something is gluten free when it actually isn't (I have been told the rice is gluten free probably 5+ times, turns out--it isn't, at all. I've been eating it for years, this is a very big problem. Gluten free tortillas/wraps are steamed in same steamer as flour tortillas, i.e. they are not gluten free at all.) Vegans/Vegetarians: If you're serious about your diet I can't recommend eating here given the lack of knowledge the staff has. I'm one of Alto Cinco's biggest fans and I've referred them many customers. For the average person it's excellent food (some of best in Syracuse), but if you're vegan or vegetarian I would not trust that your food doesn't contain chicken broth or any other animal sourced ingredients, there's literally no way of telling unless you want to do some intensive research (good luck contacting the owner or anyone there who has any information on what's actually in your food, you have better odds of a teenager at Taco Bell being able to rattle off the 100+ ingredients in their cheese sauce off the top of his head). VERDICT: Alto Cinco kicks ass as long as you don't need vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free food. This place should especially not be considered a gluten free friendly restaurant unless you're merely on the gluten free hipster band wagon and can afford ingesting it. read more

85 degrees outside, get your bloody a/c fixed, I one in particular don't care for dining in my own perspiration, unless I'm at the beach.Now onto the reason why I came here. After reading the reviews I had to give it a go. With it being so hot out the Gazpacho sounded great, this is where it goes pear shape. The soup was of a consistency and color never seen before, actually the color reminded me of a really good brown roux. For the beginner "brown Roux" is used in Gumbo's not a soup that comes from the southern coast of Spain. I was happy nacho chips were served along with this bowl of gloop. I call it gloop because it wasn't soup and I was able to dip the nacho chips into it. The Chicken Burrito even though it looked un appetizing on the plate, it was not bad at all. A ramekin of Pico de Gallo would have worked well with this dish. Will I return ? You will find out on my next review of Alto Cinco. read more

Alto Cinco - Gazpacho Soup - Mexican Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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One of the best spots in Syracuse. Living only a block away from the main Westcott strip I tend to frequent the location. Whether it's $2 taco day or a late night drink after the bars, the experience has always been amazing. First, the margaritas are very delicious. I usually get the house margarita, which tastes as if it's made with high-quality tequila. I feel like most restaurants make their house margs with cheap tequila and you can taste it. Now on to the most important item, the TACOS. Each week, I try a different taco from their $2 menu. The tofu and chicken are my two favorite thus far. The protein is packing with flavor and the cabbage on top has a refreshing crunch. Paired with a bowl of chips and salsa, a trip to Alto Cinco is a perfect Taco Tuesday! read more