5* Food 5* Service 4* Ambiance Time capsule carrying the charm of an authentic '80's Mexican restaurant. I've been going to Don Cuco's for so many years that it feels like home. A bit outdated and dark, the ambiance can use a makeover, but I find it charming and nostalgic. The food is classic. You can't go wrong. Endless warm chips and salsa, add guacamole to make it a good start. Whether you order the carne asada, fajitas, or quesadillas, you can't go wrong. Everything on the menu is excellent. My personal favorite is their enchilada. The classic red sauce or salsa verde enchilada suisa are both authentic, flavorful, comforting, and perhaps the best I have had in LA. I'd skip the dessert here... it is good, and the flan is decent. Plenty of street parking, hospitable service, old Mexican charm, and delicious Mexican classic food... this is a Toluca Lake staple you should try. read more

Great food and strong margaritas... what more could you ask for?? Pro tip: get the large margarita for a buck more! UPDATE: 8/2/26 - the food is delicious as always. Miriam, Hector and Priscilla are always the best!!! read more

Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant - Drink menu 2/7/23 - Mexican Near Me - Burbank, California

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Wife and I try to get here, now and then, but it's been a long time since we moved from Glendale to Culver City.. We finally got there, today, 4pm (on a Saturday) and the food and the staff were excellent. We ordered the Queso fundido for appetizer and as long as you're in the mood for bubbly cheese and chorizo, this is great with chips, but they also give you a choice of flour or corn tortillas with it, as well. For main, we tried the Molcajete, which we haven't had, anywhere, since we lived down in O.C. It turned out to be better than what we had in O.C., from the sauce to the meats and cheese to the peppers. Also, their chicken tortilla soup was good (as a side with the Molcajete) with lots of veggies in it. The staff were wonderful, though.. From the first waiter who allowed us to change from a table to a booth to our waiter, Jose, who was friendly and looked after us (also quick on getting back to us, every time). And a special thanks to Yennie (possibly, spelled with a J', if so, "lo siento") who also helped us and even when *someone* (me) had a party foul with a margarita, she quickly helped out and was super nice about it. After a trip to the dentist (for a crown replacement) and a long week, everyone at Don Cuco's allowed us to relax and the food (and margaritas ;-) ) made it perfect. read more

First time here and I was pleasantly surprised. The beer was cold, and the margaritas were very good. We started with the appetizer platter, which was delicious, and the guacamole was especially good. I ordered the shrimp, and they were also very good with a nice portion size. Overall, I had a very good experience and will definitely be back! read more

My sister and I came here for dinner and a margarita. I hadn't been here in a long time, but it was great to try Don Cuco's again. We were there on a Saturday evening, but we didn't need reservations and were seated inside right away. The booth was so comfortable, and I loved the dim lighting; it was a very relaxing vibe. I love the fountain that they have inside the restaurant as you walk in. The whole restaurant has a very traditional Mexican style. I ordered a cochinita pibil plate that comes with a cup of soup, rice, beans, plantain, and tortillas. I was so full from lunch that I couldn't finish it all, but it was delicious. My favorite thing was their chicken tortilla soup! I could have eaten a whole bowl of that. To go along with my meal, I ordered a tamarindo margarita. It had fresh tamarind and was really good, but not as strong. Either way, my sister and I had a great time, and we were talking about coming back again. read more

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This is our go-to Mexican food. Service is nearly always phenomenal and fast. Yes, it's mostly "comfort food" Mexican, but it has nearly never let us down. Fun, and maybe a bit cheesy (but I like cheesy) atmosphere makes for good escapism. read more

I use to go to the Glendale location before it was closed during my childhood. So many years later I visited the Burbank location because I was in town. It's better than I remember it to be. It's still dark inside which cool. Their Camarones rancheras is a smaller portion than I'd like but it was perfect. Same with their asada and table salsa. I'm so glad I came back. read more

Waited 6 years before returning and will stick by my original 2 stars based solely on service. Front greeter nearly laughed when I asked if they offered happy hour and our waiter (seated in bar area) never asked what size drinks we wanted, bringing all 3 of us the largest sizes available. read more

We happened to be in Burbank recently and stopped by Don Cuco mid-afternoon on a weekday. Here's what we ordered... Beef tacos combination: Great. I like how they grill the tortillas Enchilada Ranchera with chicken combination: Very good Food came out quickly and the service was very friendly. We were one of a handful of people in the restaurant, so it was nice and quiet. Dark too. If they had a salsa bar, I think this place would be a bigger hit. read more

Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant - Enchilada Ranchera combination - Mexican Near Me - Burbank, California

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Gorgeous place, they gave us prime seating right in front of the fountain on my date night. Our waiter was super attentive and quick to get us what we needed. Chips were warm and hot out of the fryer. Salsa is on hot side, not mild. Both free refill and we had to stop ourselves after refill because we haven't gotten to the food yet. Ok for the food - Meatballs in soup had lots of cumin, I liked it but if you hate cumin then skip it. - Strong margarita drink that my gf got drunk off of one lol they sure load it up - Zarapes, one chicken one beef. beef was really good. - Lobster Enchiladas: ok i have a lot to say about this one, it was different, but not in a bad way. The garlic rice and black bean side was really yummy, better than the sides on the zarapes. I ordered it because i needed something different and yes it was. Now there is one problem with this dish and its that they don't use real lobster, its a imitation crab/lobster meat like product shaped differently and made from fish and nowhere on the menu says that which is not ethical business practice. That said it didn't taste bad but its not real. Overall I would comeback, overall the food was good but not groundbreaking. The Mixed alcohol drinks is definitely get your moneys worth and is better than the other place across the street. Steak is good for the fajita like dishes, Seafood dish tastes good but not real lobster chunks, i would probably try the regular fish next time. read more

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First time getting a fajita warmer! Food was good...service was spotty and wait was long for Mexican. Drinks were not good. read more

Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant - Shrimp Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Burbank, California

Was walking around the Burbank Town Center with a friend and decided to go on San Fernando Road for dinner. In wandering I saw this restaurant and having been in others I thought this would be good so came here and got seated quickly without reservations. I must say I was disappointed at the taste of my chicken tacos as they were nowhere the best I've had in Mexican restaurants. My friend did like the Shrimp Enchiladas. The restaurant is large and probably 80% full at 7pm. Guadalupe was a good server, came back a couple times to make sure all was well and when we finished brought the bill quickly. read more

Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant - 21. Two Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Burbank, California

I came back here yesterday with my wife to join her family for dinner. We got seated pretty quick for a party size of 8 people and 1 baby. We were seating in the back close to where you can see the person making the handmade tortillas. It been a while since we came here and the red lights inside of this restaurant still bothers me. My wife got their enchiladas and I got the steak a la diabla with fries. Our food came out at a reasonable time since everyone food came out together. My wife loves her enchiladas and I thought the steak with the diabla sauce was better than the carne when I last had it here. The sauce really helped give the steak more flavor and it wasn't too spicy. The fries were well seasoned and delicious. Since I'm a new dad to a baby girl, it was great to see that there a changing station in the men's bathroom here. The customer service here was amazing and they kept checking up with us to make sure we were happy. read more

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Service was exactly what you want when you go out to eat, super friendly and attentive, but never over the top or in your face. They checked in at the right times and made the whole experience feel easy and comfortable. Food-wise... wow!! I had the carne asada plate with a chicken enchilada, and also tried the lobster enchiladas plate. The carne asada was cooked perfectly and full of flavor, and the chicken enchilada tied it all together. But the lobster enchiladas honestly surprised me--in the best way. Really rich, well-balanced, and just different from what you usually find. You can tell they put care into the food here. Safe to say, this is officially my new go-to spot in Burbank. Already looking forward to coming back. read more

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Food was 4/10 teach them how to cut meat because they gave me chunks of meat instead of slices definitely SAVE your money and AVOID if you going for food the margarita tho was a solid 8/10 only thing that saved this review from 1 star read more

Met up with a friend and we decided to go to Don Cuco. They are located in Burbank, across from the Shack Shake one next to Moana Hawaiian BBQ. Parking is widely available, just depends where you want to park close to the restaurant in my opinion. We get there and we were welcomed by the host. She brought us to our table and handed us the menu. I ordered the Burrito Ranchero Combination Plate. Comes with: Beef or Chicken, served guacamole and sour cream, Spanish Rice and Beans. As well as comes with Spanish Rice and Beans on the side with the plate and choice of Soup or Salad. Of course I ordered a Strawberry Margarita [Large] with my meal.. The atmosphere inside was inviting, with dim lighting and tasteful decor that created a great ambiance. We didn't have to wait long for our order, and we could tell the food was prepared fresh since the plates came out hot. At first glance, the portions looked very generous. The burrito was delicious and extremely filling. Our server was also great, regularly checking on us to see if we needed anything and clearing plates when necessary. Overall, I had a great experience, and the portion sizes definitely made it worthwhile. In my opinion, I would recommend this place if you're in the Burbank area and craving Mexican food. The next time I visit, there are several other menu items I'd like to try. read more

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We decided to hit up Don Cuco's because it's been years since we've been here. Love the dimly lit, romantic vibe they have here. I didn't have bear with me because we didn't expect to eat here. Because it was Happy Hour, we had the Patron Skinny Margarita and another cocktail made with Patron. It was DELICIOUS! Our server was very attentive and knowledgeable of the menu. He was awesome and everything was served and refilled throughout our dinner. I forgot how wonderful the service and food was because it's been over five years since we've visited. Definitely before we got married. Because of the romantic vibe, this'll be one of our date night spots! The music and the decor create such a romantic vibe. We had some Guacamole with our chips and salsa. Man, does their salsa rock, too. You'll want to eat it on everything. Today, we tried the Shrimp Yucatan and the Carnitas. Both entrees were perfectly cooked, tender and juicy. The rice and beans were fantastic. I'm so glad they don't serve refried beans. The hubby said it tasted just like this aunt's beans. My hubby loved the Carnitas, too. He couldn't stop talking about how tender and juicy it was. You get a choice of soup or salad with your meal and he chose the salad and I had the comforting Albondigas soup. ¡la sopa de albondigas estaba deliciosa! ¡Todo estuvo maravilloso! All I can think of was my mother-in-law because her food tastes just as delicious. We were going to order the Queso Fondido but thought we had enough food to eat so it was a blessing we didn't. We decided we'll have that the next time we visit. All in all, it was a great experience and I can't wait to come back! read more

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Don Cuco is one of my to go restaurants when I go to Burbank Mall. Food is always good, food portions are big and you feel full after finishing. There is indoor and outside seating area. There are couple of tables outside, if you prefer seat outside. Inside can be dark so it's better to watch your steps. Service is usually good. They are attending and bring the food usually within 10 to 15 of minutes ordering. read more

Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Burbank, California

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Don Cuco is...fine. Service is chaotic. Actually, the bussers are fantastic, but the waitstaff is chaos. The food is not good or bad, just forgettable. Good chips. A million other places do this, some are better some are worse. read more

Pro-tip: Parking can be tricky. There are free spots, but they fill up pretty quickly . Also pro-tip: you don't have to order the combo burritos; rather, they have a la carte options. With the complimentary chips, this should be more enough to be honest. A solid choice for Tex-mex cantina style. Ordered the chipotle carbs Assad burrito a la Carte. Little chipotle kick, but can use more sauce. Shredded lettuce, served wet underneath. Steak was seasoned. Cooked a bit unevenly. Some bites were tender, others were gristly and chewy. Complimentary chips were served warm, which is always a plus. Sat at a bar with a friend. Bartender was very friendly. Would definitely come back to this or the other Burbank location on riverside more towards north Hollywood side . read more

Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant - Complimentary chips with salsa served warm. - Mexican Near Me - Burbank, California

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Great service. I had the Chile relleno and hard shell taco combo came with albondiga soup..... very tasty and just enough!! A pair of Marg's (house, plain, salty and blended...for testing purposes, don't cha know!!!!!) was enough to take the edge off the day. Definitely recommend read more

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It's a little place in Burbank. Walking in, the decor and ambiance seems dark. It's low lighted and just dark. I sat outside and it's way better. Food is good. Got the carnitas plate and they are nice and juicy. It's overall good One big drawback, they have no parking and street parking you're in luck read more

Service is fast Food is lovely Staff is friendly and fun I'll come back more often. read more

Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant - "Patron Skinny Margarita" on the left "Patron Purple Cadillac" on the right - Mexican Near Me - Burbank, California

*UPDATED REVIEW* so this is the first time I have ever updated a review. And I have to give Don Cuco's (Burbank location) a round of applause. I recently had an experience that wasn't so great. And as soon as I left my review, I was reached out to see how they could make things right. This is the kind of customer service that keeps businesses flourishing for years. Today, my son and I had a redo to celebrate his 16th birthday and as soon as we walked in, we were greeted warmly. The manager on duty, Hector, was absolutely amazing and the service was impeccable. The food and ambience is always A+, but I was just blown away by the care that was given. I cannot stress to you how much you need to support this business and support this establishment. Not only do they have a location in Burbank but they also have locations in Toluca Lake and Simi Valley. They believe in giving you an overall amazing experience and it shows. I will continue to support them and make sure I tell everyone about them. Thank you again for making my dining experience and especially celebrating my son's 16th birthday one that we will treasure forever. read more

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The margaritas were flavorless. We got a sandia and strawberry one and you could tell by the color, we tried them and was water with alcohol. The food was great! Good pricing. The mole was not my favorite as a mole lover but not bad! The glasses of water did have lip stains on both of them.. kinda got grossed out but again... straw and you can drink it. I am picky so it was a no for me. The service and ambience was great tho! Great music! read more

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This restaurant could be so good if the owners cared. Salsa, watery and bland. Chicken tacos, no seasoning and no flavor and not served with any salsa. Margaritas, watery and no flavor. Chicken fajitas, a sloppy . Several reviews have said all of these things. But we thought that we would give them one more try. It's a shame they don't care. read more

Endless chips and salsa, the best tortilla soup ... I've been eating at Don Cuco closer to the WB studio lot for almost 20 years and tonight I tried Burbank for the first time. Menu is the same and delicious!! It's much bigger and feels like a good birthday celebration atmosphere. Usually I get the lobster enchiladas but I tried the NY diabla steak. So good!!! Both locations have friendly staff. The DC restaurants are an LA staple. read more

Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant - 45. Steak a la Diabla - Mexican Near Me - Burbank, California

I got a gift card for my birthday because I was told this is where the locals go! When we came back to SoCal in December, we took our friends out to dinner for a post holiday get together. Best decision ever!! - I love the holiday decor!!! - The food and drinks are amazing!! - Good service! - great for groups and date night. - They don't take rest so plan accordingly. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait long. I am looking forward to our next visit when we're in the Burbank area!! read more

Amazing service and excellent food. Food was fresh and homestyle. I even tried to get the recipe for the soup! .

Cristian was our server, not only did he forget things we ordered he also was arrogant and rude about it. And when speaking trash about guests make sure they also don't know Spanish. read more

Really good food the staff and personal are nice over all I would come here again with family

Went to Don Cuco in Downtown Burbank on a recent Taco Tuesday. The good thing about this area is that parking is free but it may take some time to find a space. We parked in the nearby structure and made our way down. I went with Taquitos Rancheros ($12.95) & chose the shredded beef. You get 4 flour tortilla taquitos with melted cheese on top that is served with spanish rice & refried beans. It also comes with sour cream and guacamole. This dish was good and getting 4 taquitos instead of a lesser amount was good. The rice was tasty and you get a good portion. The refried beans were decent. I would order again. The lady got a chicken enchilada dinner ($14.95) that comes with spanish, rice, beans and slices of avocados. She liked her order... We were offered soup or salad with our entrees and both chose albondigas soup. It was tasty. Perfect for the cooler weather. Also ordered were a cocktail and lemonade. Service was good and our waiter checked in on us every now & again. We were sat in the front section in a big booth. It is dark in that section. I could've used a flashlight to make out parts of the menu. I had one on me but did not. Haha.... Fresh chips and salsa are brought to your table as soon as you sit down. We would go again for happy hour or dinner when craving Mexican food. read more

I came here for dinner, and the food was ok at best. The service was fine, but what really disturbed me was the bill. The "suggested" amount for gratuity were much higher than they should be. Granted, had the food been amazing and the service exceptional, I would have gladly tipped a higher percentage. I used to work in the food industry. This can be easily fixed. Do better! read more

Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant - These percentages are way off. It's the principle. - Mexican Near Me - Burbank, California

Food was great. The service was also great. The ambiance was warm and inviting. I had the house Marguerita, lobster enchiladas and fish tacos. read more

I like this restaurant. I always have. The service is generally good. The restaurant is nice and cozy. The reason I'm giving two stars is because i ordered a chicken burrito and it had pork mixed in. I don't eat pork. I got a quarter of the way into the burrito when i found all this ham. This is the point where we didn't see the server again for quite a while. Pork wasn't listed on the menu, obviously. When the server eventually showed up, she server said "you didn't say you don't eat pork." I told her that i didn't think i needed to explain i don't eat pork when ordering a chicken dish and it's not listed in the description on the menu. She wasn't ugly about it, and now i know i need to be more careful about things not listed being included in my food. read more

Don Cuco Mexican Restaurant - Chicken burrito with ham - Mexican Near Me - Burbank, California

Don Cuco is a good Mexican restaurant in the area. The staff here are great! They visit your table often to see you're doing okay. They have fresh chips & salsa too. I often enjoy a margarita as well. Also, the soup is very good. We haven't tried all the items on their 3-4 page menu, but from what we did it was tasty! (Taco, chile Colorado, with their beans) We'll definitely be back ! read more

Great casual Mexican food and margaritas. Fun vibes and easy parking at the public lot next door. They served us fairly quickly and offered a flan and song as we were celebrating as birthday. read more

I loved the cuco burger from last year. It was big, filling, great quality. Until I went back for it and it tasted like an in-n-out burger. Bad bread and small patty that wasn't worth $14. I loved the grilled pineapple with it but they just gave me a cold pineapple this time. The waiter didn't know how to hold a dish at the bottom of the plate and stuck a dirty towel in my Dad's machaca. Mentioned wanting tortillas with the machaca and had to remind him after we got the food. Took five minutes until he got tortillas and at that point he already ate half his food. Dad didn't mind the food but we did not appreciate how long it took to get bad service. I have more trust in street vendors without business licenses. read more

Let's cut strait to it Time: 2pm ish Food - average Service - average Ambiance - awesome! Let me explain - the outside seating is a cool little vibe especially in Burbank with all the different stores around. Beautiful and clean up there. But when we walked up we were unsure if we were to walk in or wait outside because there were bussers outside serving up chips to other customers but they didn't mention anything and in fact they looked at us like we were lost haha. It was actually two other customers that were regulars who told us that we have to go inside first. So we did! The host wasn't the most welcoming and seemed like she didn't want to be there but we were seated promptly. Upon being seated we were given menus and chips and salsa which was nice. Chips were fresh and the salsa was perfect. With regards to our waiter - he was definitely helpful once he helped us but the couple who got there at the same time as us was helped with drinks and their food before we even placed our order. Maybe because they were regulars they got preferential treatment - but usually you take someone's drink orders and go help the next customers and then round back to take orders that way everything is even, orderly, and your bartender and kitchen staff don't have everything all at once (I'm a floor manager so that's what we do) but again - it wasn't bad - it was just inefficient and noticeable. And again, once our waiter helped us, he was regular in coming to check in on us and make sure we're ok. The bussers were efficient in coming to clear the table and get more chips too so that was good. I ordered the Tostada Del Mar which was pretty flavorless aside from the sauces and even the sauces wasn't the greatest. Like I said, it wasn't worth coming back, but it wasn't bad. It was a decent meal. Mom ordered the tamale and cheese enchilada and her first reaction was "not much flavor huh?!" Haha so again - pretty basic. I think you can get away with the flavors up in Burbank because customers don't really know any better but that's my opinion. I've just had more flavor in a street taco than here. Plus the prices were way steep for this flavor of food. But again- in Burbank you can get away with that The best tasting thing that they brought out was the guacamole for the chips. I also ordered a Pacifico on draft with a shot of patron which was very nice and the pour was generous. Now the ambiance and decor was top notch! It was beautiful in there and you felt like you were in another world with all the decorations. Great for pictures for sure. It would be a cool time coming with buddies and having drinks but that's about it in my opinion. So - enter at your own discretion haha read more

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Great place for eleven of us to meet and eat! Everyone liked their food. I especially enjoyed the Southwest Chicken Salad.