Can't miss. We've been coming here for years. This is our go to Restaurant in Frederick. We don't get out often with 3 kids, so it's key to find a good meal. We love the atmosphere with the decor, fireplaces, and medium lighting. Starters - Chips are thin and the Salsa is great. Not too mild, or too spicey. Entree - the Salmon stuffed with crabmeat is perfect every time and the Spanish Trio (Steak, grilled Shrimp, and Scallops) was awesome. Ask for the Habanero sauce - it's homemade, extremely tasty, and spicy. We Love this place !!! read more

I have to say, Cacique is probably the better of the Mexican food choices in Frederick for food. It's heads above La Paz, but it's still not great overall. The Good: Large portions, decent food. The fajitas were good and we had leftovers to take home. The Bad: the interior is tired and dark, the service is slow and not very attentive, kinda pricey for what you get. I'm not likely to return anytime soon. I wish Frederick would get a good, modernly decorated Mexican restaurant. read more

I was in downtown Frederick last weekend and tried Cacique. Their chips and homemade salsa were great to start! I ordered the chicken enchiladas which were pretty good. The chicken was fresh and tender, though I wish they had been topped with more tomatillo sauce. My cousin ordered the Sangria, which was strong and not too sweet and the steak fajitas for the main course. Overall, Cacique has a large menu featuring Spanish and Mexican food for reasonable prices. read more

We stopped in for lunch one Saturday a couple weeks ago. The tiny patio outside was crowded, but inside was rather empty. I thought it was going to be kind of dive-y (which I'm fine with!) based on the way the patio looks, but it was more high-end feeling when we got inside. I got the fish tacos and they weren't great The tilapia that was used didn't taste especially fresh and I was bummed that they used hard taco shells. They tasted stale and I would have preferred soft shells. Hubby really enjoyed the chicken taco bowl and I have to admit--the chicken was seasoned perfectly and was moist and delicious. Dad got cheese enchiladas and he liked his meal, too. Service was not stellar, either. Our waiter was friendly enough, but after we finished eating we waited around for a good 15 minutes with no waitstaff interaction before I got up to find someone to close out our bill. read more

Cacique - Chicken taco bowl - Spanish Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

See all

We love cacique! We usually go on the weekends during lunch hour and we never have to wait to be seated. Their margaritas are the best in town, very tasty and strong! When you sit down you get chips and salsa which are phenomenal. I usually get fajitas or the taco salad but every time I try something new it is fantastic. read more

Cacique - Fajita cacique! Soo good! - Spanish Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

See all

There are several Mexican restaurants in the area, but I like Cacique the best (along with their second location, Mexicali Cantina). My most recent visit was with my husband and two friends on Feb 24th 2012. Their salsa is great and chips fresh and crunchy. I ordered the chorizo con queso as an appetizer. I had expected it to be a chili con queso but with the chorizo. Still, it was very good and served with toast. I typically order the roasted chicken, which is served with sliced onions, peppers and tomatoes in a Spanish sauce (along with black beans and rice) or the roast duck, both very good. This particular evening, I tried the shrimp tacos, which was one of the specials of the evening. There were three on the plate. It was quite filling but I wish the shrimp were larger. Overall the flavors were good and my dinner filled me up (came with yellow Spanish rice and salsa). Tony tried the swordfish, first time ever, and he really liked it. He's really not a fish eater but he was quite satisfied and plans to buy some for us to cook at home. One friend ordered the broiled salmon with vegetables and the other the trio special: scallops, steak, and shrimp. We were all happy with our meals. Everytime we go to Cacique, it's always filled. The place can be a little noisy but it didn't bother us. Service is always good and we never have to wait long for our meals. In the summertime, if you get lucky, you can sit outdoors. read more

See all

Packed with people enjoying their Spanish/Mex meals. Nice, family friendly ambiance, ok for couples too. Pub like but with fireplaces going, interesting food and friendly staff. A little bland on the seafood side but plenty of it. Get the shrimp, garlic for appetizer. Excellent. read more

This place was rated best Mexican in Frederick in 2012. I'm guessing it would've been the only Mexican in Frederick back then. The chips were fresh and thin. The salsa was bland. The lemonade tasted like a weird weak lime fizz with no discernable lemon flavor. While hot, the veggie fajitas were totally bland with a weird after taste. I ordered shredded cheese to cover them, nope it didn't help. It came with "Mexican" rice which was white rice. The black beans were unrinsed, straight from the can with absolutely no seasoning and possibly uncooked just microwaved. The pico de gallo was bitter. My friend had seafood soup that smelled like pee and the seafood was definitely not fresh. I hate taco bell, but even that would have been more edible. read more

Food was out of this world good. I had rotisserie chicken and my wife had chicken fajitas. The calamari wasn't the best I have had it was chewy. The table beside us had to ask for their sever twice. Drink refills never came, we finally had to ask for a pitcher so we didn't have to wait longer. Our server was majorly inattentive and didn't seem like she cared about us. If the service were better it would have been 5 stars hands down. I would be willing to give it one more shot (maybe). There are so many places in Frederick to choose from they really dropped the ball. read more

Great service and delicious food! Excellent Salmon, fried calamari (just right) and amazing frozen margaritas!! Oh my goodness THE BEST FLAN I've had in a restaurant. PERIOD! I've had a lot of flan. That and Dominican cake are my absolute favorite deserts! read more

Food was basic Tex mex. Service was great and friendly but I don't Understand how Latinos get away with food prepared and served like this. If you want good authentic Hispanic cuisine you must drive to PG County around Adelphi/Hyattsville area. read more

Came on Fire & Ice night and even though they were slammed, my food still came out on time and very good. Ilcia was great too!! I got the fajitas and they were delicious. I want to go back to have the paella! read more

Love this place! My wife and I's "go to" for a date in downtown. Plátanos Maduros appetizer is so good! Fajitas trio deluxe always good!! Love the atmosphere and the waitstaff is the best! read more

It's a beautiful place to eat for a night with your significant other or even family time. This place is very authentic. The food is always fresh and very delicious from the appetizer all the way to the desert. The menu has a lot of different selections to choose from for adults and children. The restaurant is just beautiful inside and the music is very welcoming. They also have a nice beautiful outside area. read more

Food was excellent. It was definitely a step up from the normal Mexican restaurant fare. I would go back.

The chips and salsa here are delicious, and their happy hour options are great: good prices, tasty options (both drinks and food), and large portions. You can easily make a meal of chips, salsa, and a happy hour appetizer. The margaritas are well made and you can get them by the glass or a pitcher to share. The service can be hit or miss: It's probably a coincidence but I always have amazing service in the bar and mediocre service in the restaurant itself. Nothing egrigious, just lack of attention. Recently though I've had good experiences. The restaurant is clean and has some nice touches with the decor. (Tablecloths, etc.) They also have an area where they can put large groups (not private). I always call ahead with a larger group and they have always been very accommodating. read more

i've been coming here for over two years and they never fail to make me absolutely delicious food. highly highly recommend! the service is really quick as well. read more

There was a fly, not a fruit fly but real fly, in my saIad. almost vomited. And they didn't even take it off my bill or anything. Disgusting. NEVER coming back. The restaurant smelled like piss too. Gross read more

Cacique - Gross. - Spanish Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

See all

I recommend ordering from their Spanish menu. There is one dish in particular so good that I can't say enough about it. This evening, 3 out of the party of 5 decided to go with my recommendation. What is this dish? Well, it does have a name but I can't remember it... Too many margaritas. Anyways, look for the dish made with filet mignon medallions cooked in a Peruvian sauce with pepper, onions and jalapeños, served with white rice to soak up all that deliciousness. Again, it's on the Spanish menu. I like mine medium rare. Everyone Loved It! read more

This is a great restaurant that serves excellent Mexican and Spanish food. The shrimp and chicken enchiladas were delivered nice and hot and were so delicious. We did not leave any food on our plate. The Sweet Frozen Margaritas were heavenly and tasted great! The service was impeccable. Food and drinks were delivered fast and there was always someone checking on us. The decor is very festive and inviting. Make your way to Cacique and enjoy the dining experience like we did. read more

We stopped in for dinner last weekend. The food was very good. We got the seafood paella and ceviche. Both were very good. Pet peeves. They fished out the paella unevenly. No crisps with the ceviche though we did have tortilla chips. Overall a very good dinner. read more

See all

Sooo muuuch fooood.... We just ordered from here by suggestion of my brother. My husband got a beef burrito and I got the crispy tacos with chicken. The tacos came with only two so I ordered queso and guacamole on the side. The side order of guacamole could be a meal in its self. Everything was delicious and the staff was super friendly. We will be making this a regular spot. read more

Lovely atmosphere! Really genuine staff there. Spanish music playing - felt like I was on la playa. The Chicken Fajitas were tasty & the portions are perfect. I ordered carry out & had a margarita while I waited for my order. The margarita was so good! I appreciate that the bartender asks if you want salt or sugar on the rim of the glass. I will definitely be returning. read more

Kind of an outdated interior. Not many people in for business. The service was okay, and prices were a bit high for some of the items that we ordered. Food wasn't awful but wasn't extraordinary either. read more

The best margarita in the whole of continental USA: yes I said it. Great variety of seafood menu and Mediterranean mix if you're about that. Salmon soup is great too. Great experience read more

I was between this place and reinas (a latin restaurant down the street) and I chose this one. We came in for the happy hour specials and they sat us in the area without the specials and then had to move us to the bar. It was almost like they were upset we wanted to take advantage of the specials. I ordered the chicken tacos with the crunchy shell. It wasn't bad but it wasn't noteworthy either. The chicken was shredded and filled the taco entirely. It came out soggy instead of crunchy. Also I ordered the sangrita (sangria and margarita mixed) it was pretty strong but still tasty. UPDATE*** So I lowered my review. We had reservations at 7 and they didn't sit us until 7:30. Our seats were cold bc they brought them in from outside. When we asked for a beer menu he got mad and left the area bc we weren't completely ready. read more

The service was great. The lomo saltado was delicious. The sopapillas tasted fresh and were also very good.

This is a decent place to go for lunch. The staff was friendly and fairly attentive. The food was good and the price was reasonable. When we arrived there was an odd smell, like damp basement,that was slightly off-putting. The chips that came to the table were cold and the salsa was smooth, possibly blended, and reminded me of a gazpacho more than the chunky versions I tend to prefer. This was the end of the negative impressions. The salsa tasted very good and the next round of chips were warm. The staff was accommodating to my vegetarian requests. The food was very good. The meal felt relaxed (an outstanding achievement so close to Christmas) and the bill was reasonable. read more

Cacique - Cheese enchilada, vegetarian option - Spanish Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Went for Fire & Ice at around 9pm. Understaffed and had all the margaritas pre made and were pouring them into plastic cups. Salsa was room temp. Bartenders were friendly and obviously very busy. I've heard great things about this restaurant, but picked a bad night for my first time because it was packed. Understaffed!!!! read more

Wow. So, I had been here a number of years ago and would have completely agreed with the horrible reviews on Yelp. However, I was just there and I can absolutely say it has gotten much better. I am surprised at how bad some of the reviews still are, but I think I know why. I don't think they do Mexican well here, and they certainly DON'T do American Tex-Mex at all. I have gotten the impression that Mexican food in America is a little bit like Indian food in England: it doesn't even resemble what a Mexican person in Mexico would make, its a hybridization of old recipes and new preferences that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. So, maybe they do Mexican really well and I just don't "get it," or maybe they just don't do it well -- I don't know. When I want Mexican food, I generally have other places I go. What I do know is this: They make amazing, delicious, comforting, well-seasoned SPANISH and PERUVIAN food. I studied abroad in Salamanca, Spain, where I lived with a woman who cooked every night -- and then we went out afterward and ate again. I love Spanish food, and they do a good job of it here. I know a few Spanish families in the area who seek this place out because of that. It's not tapas (another humorous American "interpretation" often seen), its dinner. And its delicious. Recently, I had an OUT OF THIS WORLD Peruvian plate of Lomo Saltado (Vietnamese call it Thit Bo Xao voi Khoai Tay Chien --spelling there may be way off). I was so happy with it that my parents were both begging me for a taste and I was genuinely hesitant to give any away. So perfect. SO perfect. We finished up the meal with tres leches cake. The trick to this is having a cake that is completely soaked with liquid but hasn't become soggy and fallen apart. Cacique delivered. It was AWESOME. I have had bad experiences in this place in the past, and bad memories die hard in a small town with few restaurants, but if you've only come here and ordered the guacamole and gotten annoyed (first, who the heck orders guacamole in a restaurant when its that cheap and easy to make at home?! ..anyway), give it another chance. Order something Spanish, something that they don't make at Taco Bell. Let the restaurant surprise you. read more

I ordered the Tacos al Carbon and my bf ordered the House Special Trio. The shrimp and beef were dry and tasteless. The corn tortillas were dry, cold and falling apart. The server seemed annoyed that we were there. Not a good visit at all. Do yourself a favor and go to Taco Bell instead, at least they give you a half-assed smile at the drive-up window. read more

Decent Mexican place. The food was OK, but nothing special or out of the ordinary. Wasn't impressed. I wouldn't go back to eat here unless 1) someone out of town was visiting and desperately needed Mexican food that's close to where I live or maybe 2) to have some chips/salsa/queso and margaritas. read more

My go-to mexican/spanish restaurant in frederick. I have not yet been dissapointed with their beef or pork mexican dishes and their spanish dishes are very upscale. Atmosphere is sophistocated but not formal. They have enough room that for lunch you don't feel crowded and can even fit in the occasional large group and still feel like you have alot of space to yourself. I've enjoyed their deserts as well. Have not been dissapointed yet and don't expect to be soon. read more

Great food and bar service and the food was okay. The queso didn't have anything special to it. I had the Zarzuela de Marisco which was a seafood stew. I thought the broth was delicious and most of the seafood was good too. Sounds odd but I could have done without the lobster. It absorbed a fishy taste that wasn't too enjoyable. If it were up to me I'd make it $7-8 cheaper and take out the lobster. Boyfriend had the tacos. They looked good and he ate them but said they were about a 7 and the beef was like a roasted beef. read more

Cacique - Zarzuela de Marisco - Spanish Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Slow service and very disorganized. Paella Valencia was overcooked and bland. Puebla platter arrived 10 minutes after the other meals arrived. Waited close to an hour for our meals to arrive. They are unable to handle large groups as we were 17. Reminded manager that there was no soap in the men's bathroom In all honesty we would have been better of going to Taco Bell or Chipotle. Don't waste your time! read more

She said..." This is pretty good mexican food, a bit pricey though. The chips and salsa are usually my favorite part and the guacomole is amazing here. The rice and beans are yummy. The main dishes here are decent but nothing really stood out to me. I will go back next time im in the mood for fine dining mexican." He Said..."This is the first time I've seen white table clothes instead of dead roaches laying around at a Mexican restaurant. The atmosphere was good and so was the service. The food was definitely not canned and tasted very fresh. The chips were crisp and warm as well. The only bad part is the price. I didn't know that 2 chicken enchiladas cost 14 bucks. " read more

We spent the day in historic downtown Frederick. This place was recommended by another little shop in the area over all the other Spanish restaurants so we went. First of all we sat outside. It was nice. The service was absolutely the worst. Our server had no clue what was going on. Should have told me something when there was a Caucasian working here to stay away. She didn't ask if we wanted a beverage at all the entire stay. We had to ask for a sprite. Also ordered a beer and she was like a deer in headlights, we don't have that? I ordered a tecate! So I said just bring me a sol. Got it 30 min later when we got our meal. And yes had to say, I haven't received my beer yet. Rarely visited our table consistently out of water and never refilled but twice. Again when I ask. The rice is bland with no flavor. Beef chimi was ok, chicken chimi the same. Guac was like out of a can. Needless to say vey disappointed. I will not return! Ugh!! Was of $50 for me my girl and 6 year old to dine. read more

I normally don't write reviews, but I just have to this time. Just like anyone else, I've had less than stellar restaurant experiences, but this one was by FAR the worst. Frankly, I'd give it zero stars if I could. The food here is awful; I'm not sure how it could get worse. To start with: the guacamole--which was tasteless--was made with old, brown avocados. How does something like that leave the kitchen? Does anyone actually think that greenish-brown guacamole looks appetizing? For entrees we had 2 appetizers, bacon wrapped shrimp and plantains, and one actual entree, tilapia. Both apps were burnt; not just overcooked, but burnt. The tilapia was tasteless and cooked to the point that it was falling apart. It also didn't help matters that it was floating in a puddle of red grease. Strangely enough, the side veggies that came with it weren undercooked. Food not tasting great is one thing, but food like this means that someone doesn't care. I've never had food this bad in my life. Let me save you some time: go to Chili's, Chevy's, Don Pablo's, or any other crappy chain tex-mex restaurant you can think of. It's got to be better than this place. Better yet, save yourself some money by eating a pb&j at home. read more

I am giving Cacique and underwhelming 3 stars. Probably closer to 2.5. Let's put it this way: the food was good. Not bad. Not great. Kind of pricey for how 'okay' it seemed. I should noted that we really only had Mexican-style food here. I got the veggie fajitas, and my boyfriend got the roast beef and chicken fajitas. The flavor was good, but I always think it's kind of lame when restaurants throw a ton of celery and carrots in fajitas. Also, the guacamole is made with olive oil and lemon juice, which struck me as odd. The salsa was good but not outstanding. Same with the marg. Same with the service. read more

The salsa was great, not too spicy - more flavorful. Guac was decent, could have used a bit more spice. I got the combo fajitas for one, and let's just say there was enough to feed at least two with the meat they gave me. The quantity of food for the price was decent. Why only three stars, because nothing stood out besides the chips&salsa. It was decent, but I don't know if I would rush back. Service was good, the place got a bit noisy - which ironically were just employees yapping. read more