First observations... I arrived right at their opening time of 11am. They seemed like they were still in the middle of their opening prep duties and weren't quite ready for customers. I was not immediately greeted but didn't take it too personally either. I took that short amount of downtime to scope out the menu which hovered over the counter on a large billboard as most legit Mexican establishments have. I was pleased to see a wide array of options, from numerous combination platters to tacos, tortas, and even wait for it......... ALL DAY BREAKFAST! This is a huge deal for me and I cannot understand why most other restaurants haven't adopted this. I mean c'mon! It's breakfast! Breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros, and more. Immediately I was psyched and went ahead with my order which was taken by a very nice young man... Chorizo Burrito and a large carne asada taco for good measure. The LARGE is important because it comes with pico de gallo and guacamole which I was told the small does not. I selected my beverage (all Coke products) which I LOVE. The Dr. Pepper wasn't working today, in case that's your reason for living. I then had my pick of the seating since I was the first customer in. Everything seemed very COVID friendly and clean. Each table was properly socially distanced. One other detail I appreciated was at the salsa bar they have bins containing many clean plastic ladles for pouring salsa and tongs for picking out limes, radishes, onions, etc... When you're done using them you simply toss them in their "dirty" utensils bin. Very cool! I waited approximately 10 minutes for my food to arrive. Pretty typical. As soon as I saw that taco I knew I was in for a treat. It looked fantastic. And what can you say about a burrito. It's a burrito! The taste test... Let me tell you, the first bite I took of that taco I knew I had found my spot. Many times you order a carne asada taco the meat can be almost flavorless. It's like they rely too much on the natural flavors of the beef carrying the dish... Not this place. This meat was perfectly seasoned. Every bite was an absolute joy. Same with the burrito. This is a no fluff, no frills, let's get down to brass tacks Mexican restaurant. You're not going to get all the unnecessary things like rice and beans INSIDE your burrito. You will get whatever meat you want, and maybe some cebolla and cilantro. That's it! And it's awesome. One last knock that I have about my first experience is that after I saw more patrons come in I started to notice they were all offered complimentary chips (as is customary in all authentic Mexican restaurants) I unfortunately was not. Part of the downfalls of being the first one in the door I guess. Oh well. All in all I really enjoyed my lunch and can't wait to bring my wife. read more

Found this spot looking for a place that had breakfast burritos. This place is the perfect intersection between a casual mexican restaurant and a true mexican restarant. The food is spectacular, but you can serve yourself the salsa. Thats really cool. I came back later to try the carne asada torta, it was awesome. read more

Being from southern California, when this place opened, I was ecstatic. It was like having an Alberto's in Raleigh but, WAY better. Lately, their quality is not the same but, I still go out of my way to eat here. read more

Great food, great service, and great prices. What more could anyone ask for, as this is as close to California Mexican food as anyone will get in Raleigh. Nothing fancy about the place, but who cares! read more

I was so excited to find this restaurant that serves Mexican food like San Diego taco shops! The owners are from SD. We came in for lunch on a Wednesday and there were quite a few customers. They give free chips while dining in and there is a salsa bar. Our food was brought to our table. The Carolina burrito is like a California burrito with carne asada, pico, cheese, and fries. I also ordered a carne asada taco and 3 rolled tacos with cheese. The portions were good, there was meat heaping on my taco. But everything was just lukewarm. I was expecting the cheese to have melted on my rolled tacos but they were not hot enough for that. The cheese inside the burrito ended up melting after a little while though. The carne has a nice texture but didn't have a lot of flavor. I would give them another chance. read more

HOLY COW! This is the best Mexican food in Raleigh. I've had the carnitas plate combo, carne asada fries, and churros. All of it was absolutely delicious. The employees are incredibly friendly and willing to help in any way they can. If you order take out, they will show you your plate before leaving to make sure you're happy with the food. The chips and salsa are very fresh. Everything was amazing. Will definitely be going to fulfill all of my Mexican food cravings. read more

Los Cuates - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

This place is great, first visit this past weekend. Staff was awesome and food was really good. There's a lot of stuff on the menu and I'll have to hit up a few more times. I had a breakfast burrito and Huevos Rancheros, very flavorful! The chips are really good too. read more

The food was SO FREAKIN GOOD and SPICY. Definitely a hidden gem and im coming back again. The lady who took our order was super nice as well. read more

Los Cuates - The food was SO FREAKIN GOOD and SPICY. Definitely a hidden gem and im coming back again. The lady who took our order was super nice as well - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This is one go-to lunch spots during the week. Everything I've had so far has been great. They even have carne asada fries which makes my heart happy and reminds me of growing up in Southern California. The prices are great and all of the salsa I've tried there has been delicious. read more

To echo many of the positive (and correct!) reviews... if you love real Mexican food (and not the horrible Chuy's version)...this is your spot! I thought I'd never have good Mexican street food again after I left the southwest...but then we stumbled upon this gem! The salsa bar, the bean burrito, the carne asada, the carnitas, the rolled tacos...so good!!! No shredded lettuce or rice in your burrito! It's not fancy and don't expect to have some kind of elevated service (it's just counter service y'all!) but if you want delicious, authentic Mexican food...this is THE REAL DEAL! read more

This place is authentic San Diego-style Mexican food. I never thought I'd have it again after moving from San Diego and was ecstatic I found this place. The carne asada is delicious. The breakfast burritos are divine. The salsa bar is spot-on! I can't recommend this place enough. read more

I went to Los Cuates after a long day and I showed up right before close. I felt really bad but though I clearly was their last order they greeted me with such kindness and welcome. The food was also great and at a great price! I am definitely going back. read more

Finally a real San Diego burrito! Complete with the salsa and carrot/jalapeño bowl. It's not the best burrito I've had, but since it's been years since I've had one, it is the best thing I've tasted in a long time. I'm thinking of grabbing a couple extra to bring back to Richmond, after my business trip in Raleigh. Highly recommend. read more

Had a quick lunch at Los Cuates with my wife. Great tacos and it's always fun to find a place with Cheerwine as an option in the soda fountain. My wife got a barbacoa and a shrimp taco. She said the "shrimp was right, yo." And she loved the pickled jalapenos, radishes, carrots and onions. My chicharron taco came sauced with a green salsa, and I thought it was a bit spicy. My wife said I was a wuss. The carnita and carne asada tacos came only with onions and cilantro and both were great. The salsa bar had three options, we tried two and both were very flavorful and not overly spicy. They had three different types of hot sauce on the table, kept in Cheerwine bottle carriers. The counter girl who took our order was very friendly and efficient. I'm very glad to live close to this place and it will definitely become a regular stop. I can't wait to try the rest of the menu. Update: went back for dinner and got a couple of tacos (carnitas and chorizo) and spit the carne asada fries (with added guacamole and sour cream). Awesome! read more

See all

The best AUTHENTIC Mexican food I've had. We happened to stop by after a ballgame. Couldn't believe what a great find this place was. Will make this a regular stop whenever in town. read more

ABSOLUTE BEST HOLE IN THE WALL (very hidden because of location off to the side of a plaza) and definitely worth a try. This is my go-to taco place and the lengua tacos are beyond expectations. Their salsa verde and the sauce made with avocado and jalapeño pair so well with the food too. The front cashiers are very friendly and will help you pick what to eat if you are unsure! read more

Los Cuates is so consistently good. Clean. Great salsas. Friendly service. Usually a good soccer game on tv. I really love this wonderful place, every time. read more

Yum! The tacos here are good. I really enjoyed the al pastor, carnitas, carne asada, and Barbacoa. The guac was good too. we tried the carne asada fries but they weren't great - they need more toppings on them! I would recommend sticking to the guac & tacos read more

The main reason we went was to try the carne asada fries. They weren't the best, definitely bagged fries made in a fryer, then topped with shredded cheese and carne asada. Good but not fantastic. They only had one salsa on their salsa bar until we asked for more options. My favorite part was their guacamole, very good flavor and creamy. All the food was just good, nothing that I would be back for though. There was only one girl working she was very nice but we had to clear our bottles off the table to make room for our food and find our own plastic silverware. She only brought real silverware out after we had started eating. read more

I lived in San Diego for 12 years. I love being back in Raleigh and will never leave again, but since my return I've been actively searching for one of those great hole in the wall Baja/SoCal Mexican restaurants that dot the San Diego landscape. I was beginning to abandon all hope. Today, after 3 years of searching, I finally found it. Behold, the very best Mexican hole in the wall in Raleigh. Los Cuates is true SoCal/Baja Mexican. It's the closest thing to Chula Vista this side of the Mississippi. The guy in front of me asked the nice grandmotherly lady behind the counter if he could please have rice and beans in his carne asada burrito. She shot him, and hung his lifeless corpse in effigy from the ceiling as a warning to other gringo Chipotle rice bowl loving jackasses. Oh, and the food is spectacular. I think I've found my new home. read more

I'm hurrying home to finish this review just so I can return here AGAIN for dinner and check in again! Okay, maybe I won't; maybe I will wait until Saturday or Sunday, when tacos are cheaper, and I get *tripa* in my taco as well! Los Cuates is not the margarita slinging, guacamole and three cheese dips kind of Tex-Mex eatery. No fried shell fajita ensalada, no sombreros, no mariachi! music. Don't bother checking their website to see if combination #16 or #21 has the right mix for you, because they don't have a website, and again, not that kind of Mexican place. What you do get, for the lack of better description and certain at no lack of respect, is what they eat. Oh, they will give you the rice and bean alright, but it's just for an illusion of familiarity; for me, I just want the essence. The burritos are stuffed with good meat and kicking pico de gallo, and tacos de lengua/barbacoa/asada are simple but no less in taste. Have you already seen the picture of carne asada fries? Holy guacamole! Pair those with a self-serving salsa bar? I think I might have to ask them how much are they charging in rent because I want to move right in! read more

Let me start off with where I'm from, San Diego (30 minutes north of Tijuana). I grew up with a Mexican family. That being said, finding "good" Mexican food around here is tough. In San Diego I would go to Old Towne Mexican Cafe for Pozole (drive 30 minutes to get it because it was that good). I had a place in Santee (Hilbertos) that I could get my Carne Asada fries fix. This place has better Pozole (more authentic with bones in the soup and all) than did Old Town Mex. The Carne Asada fries are very good also, with the guac and cheese. I also found their little drive thru place on Capital and was led to the sit down location. Winner-winner Mexican dinner!!!! read more

I called for a pick up. Price range for a burrito was a little higher than others but wanted to give it a try. I got my burrito and it was cold rice and beans had way to much salt. When I called I asked if it come with chips and salsa the server said yes however when I showed up the lady said no it will be extra. Not sure if it was the time that I went but no one was there. Not worth a second trip. read more

Authentic!!! Delicious. Just happened upon this wonderful spot. I ordered the 3 rolled tacos with guacamole and a carnitas and carne asada taco. They serve chips and have a bar off to the side with different salsas. Exactly what I want when I think of street tacos. The woman who help me was so sweet. I enjoyed everything. read more

Los Cuates - Carne Asada taco and carnitas taco - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

This is in my opinion this is the best "Mexican" food in Raleigh! No speedy Gonzalez specials here, just food that is real, fresh and prepared by people who know the style and remain true to it. Since I was introduced to the place I have been back about 6 times and every time the food was excellent. I can highly recommend the following dishes: Green chili burrito, fish tacos, carne asada burrito, and the Carolina burrito. Also make sure you try to marinated carrots and jalapenos from the help yourself salsa bar, they are first class. Los Cuates is a lunch counter style place where you order your food at the counter and the one of the staff brings the food to your table when it's ready. The folks here are always friendly, welcoming, and helpful. If I could suggest anything to improve this place is that they should commit to patrons helping themselves to everything needed at the tables. Now they are sort of in between help yourself and waitress service. For example you can pour your own soft drinks and get your own salsa but you have to ask for ice water and chips. Having said all that, the very minor service issues aren't enough to downgrade this from 5 stars. This place is all about great food at a great price. read more

Food tasted stale. Don't think I'll be going to eat here anymore. Not to mention they didn't check up on us for a while.

We moved to Raleigh in '06 from San Diego, we knew not having taco shops around might cause a Mexican food jones. We looked around & tried various stands which were good but more traditional Mexico rather than So Cal. Then we stumbled upon the Capital Blvd store... Took one look at the menu & really couldn't believe what I was reading. Upon talking with the owner he told me he was from CA & if I knew where Oceanside was located. Still having my CA DL I showed him I was from La Mesa. He then asked me if I knew about Roberto's...he used to manage one of their stores. This is basically a Roberto's here in Raleigh. We ordered Carne Asada fries, it hadn't been put on the menu yet. My wife cried...literally. The prices have gone up a bit but it's a small price to pay for comfort food from a place that has so many fond memories but Raleigh is now our home. read more

Looking for the speedy gonzolas lunch special with a side of white cheese dip?!?!?....keep moving. looking for something different than what you find at typical mexican restaurants that has been gringo-a-fid? AH-HA! you my friend have found the perfect place! decor is simple, and yellow.....it was rather nice to not be over loaded with tons of bright colors (although that can be fun too!). Staff were super friendly and patient and answered questions. The menu is simple, but with a lot of options. Tacos, burritos, fajitas, enchiladas, and soup! There are combination plates that come with rice and beans.....but neither i nor my husband care to much for the rice and bean filler, so we were happy that it didn't come standard with our food. (although it does come with the combination plates) My hubbie ordered the Carne Asada Burrito. You know how you go to some places to get a burrito and it's filled with rice and beans and lettuce and 2 pieces of meat?.....NO-MOE!!!!! Here is a low carbers dream burrito. That thing was packed FULL of taste-y meat with a sprinkle of onions, peppers, and maybe some guac? I ordered the "rolled tacos" If you're familiar with taquitos, that's what these are. A little meat, rolled in a corn tortilla, and made crispy, topped with cheese and guac. YUM!! We also, per recommendations by other reviewers, got the Carne Asada Fries.......you defiantly get your money's worth! Fries topped with cheese (cheddar, not the typical white cheese you see) and a TON of meat....probably about as much meat as was in the burrito. It was A LOT of food and I ended up taking most of mine home...especially since i kind of filled up on chips and salsa from the salsa bar. Not my favorite salsa i have come across, but still good and worth munching on. They also serve breakfast burritos all day....mmmm, breakfast burritos! i'll have to venture back over there to try them sometime! If you like mexican, and want to step a little outside of your comfort zone, and catch a diff spin on the typical options, I would highly recommend this place. Just in case you're wondering, there are 2 locations, the one on Old Wake Forest (in the same shopping center as Khanki) has seating, the one on capital is a take out/drive through kind of place. read more

This is _the best_ burrito in Raleigh. No contest. ...And the price is amazing for the size burrito you get ($3-4 and the burritos are huge.) It's very authentic, lots and lots of choices (including breakfast burritos served all day). They have a salsa and pepper bar for toppings / sides. They also have a nice selection of Agua Frescas (mexican fruit beverage). Downside, it's pretty basic place and there's not much service to be had there. Don't get me wrong, the people are nice, but it's not really a table service kinda place (you walk in, place your order at the counter and take a seat.. they bring the food out to you.) Sometimes there can be a little bit of a language barrier, but 90% of the time you'll have absolutely no issues. They do have a big screen tv that's usually got some sort of soccer on and a few corner tv's that are typically on some sort of spanish stations. Seriously, you have to try this place. It's one of the most awesome hidden gems I've found in Raleigh. You won't be sorry and I'll probably regret having to stand in line next time. read more

Okay, dang, heck yes. Grew up in San Diego, moved to NC about a year ago. If you're from San Diego or California you *know*, you don't leave the west coast and NOT miss authentic Mexican food. I mean... I've cried real tears over missing it. So one day I decide to google "San Diego style Mexican food Raleigh NC" and I find this gem. Immediately I notice all the reviews from fellow San Diegans saying how good this place is. And I see pictures of a salsa bar... alright.. I'm listening... I lagged on coming here for a good month and a half after finding it online and let me tell you, I've been missing out. This is my new spot. Got a California style burrito and added refried beans cause that's how I like 'em and all I gotta say is YES QUEEN. seriously. YUM. I also got two beef tacos which I devoured like I haven't eaten my entire life and they were so so good. If my stomach could hold any more food in it I'd go back right now and get another burrito. I was worried the carne asada wouldn't be well seasoned but that worry went away as soon as I took my first bite. I'm like, stoked man... I hope this lil shop never closes down. The salsa verde is so good and actually spicy and they even had spicy carrots. HELLO!! YES! Thank you lawd. Thank you. read more

Excellent food, excellent service from the staff. Literally one of my favorite establishments in the area, 10/10 would recommend

Any Mexican place needs to be cheap, delicious, or serve giant portions. Los Cuates does all three. The decor is nothing fancy, but you don't go to strip mall mexican restaurants for the wall art. You're there for the food. They offer chips and a salsa bar as you wait for your food to finish cooking. When I was there, service was busy but polite. Portions are huge and made fresh. Guac was delicious, beans were tasty. Rice was a little dry but nothing to be worried about. Easily recommend for cheap lunch or dinner (or take away your leftovers, and you've got both!) As a bonus, they serve Coke in glass bottles! read more

After reading the reviews here on Yelp we decided to give this place a try. Wow! We were not disappointed in the least! I ordered a chicken chimi platter and the chicken was the absolute most flavorful I've had in any chimi anywhere. The rice and beans were ... rice and beans. But the star of my show was that chimi. I could only eat half of it, so the other half waits for me in the fridge. Hubby ordered the beef burrito platter. Two large burritos with beans and rice were delivered to the table and smelled absolutely heavenly. Hubby's only complaint was that the tortillas seemed a little tougher than he cared for, but the beef and vegetables were done to perfection. The guacamole was great! I could have made a meal on that and chips! The salsa bar is a real treat, too! I tried 3 different salsas and my tongue has yet to return to 'normal' status. But all were exceptionally good! The two platters, a medium drink and a glass of water. $20.34. Can't beat it for two days worth of food! We will definitely be going back to Los Cuates! read more

Great authentic Mexican food. I get the tacos--served in the typical authentic style--piled high with meats and without other toppings (that's what the salsa bar is for). I got my order to go and the service was fast and friendly. My bill was under $5. The tacos were great--and the salsa bar had a wonderful selection. The chicken in the tacos was really well cooked and tender. read more

I tried this place out, back in March, and had a carnitas burrito. The meat inside the burrito was way over cooked and very hard and crunchy. Not like any carnitas I've had before in my travels. So today, I ended up back here(by accident, really), and decided to give it another go. Again, not a good experience. I don't know what's going on back in their kitchen, but every meat that I've tried so far(asada, carnitas, pollo) have ALL been overcooked, greasy and crunchy. I decided to also try one of their tostadas. I've never seen a tostada made without any care or love, until today. Wet, soggy, refried beans, barely any of the "crunchy" meat, and shredded cheddar. Yes. Cheddar. No queso fresco here. That really bummed me out. Did I mention that it was probably about 85 degrees inside the dining area? Not pleasant. How is this place rated so high? A lot of broken taste buds, apparently. Well, at least the salsa was tasty. read more

Excellent food but ambiance is ....well. There isn't any. Not sure if the air conditioning is always not working but man, it was warm in that place for a July late Sunday afternoon. I guess that adds credence to the food. I felt that I was in Southern California. The decor was Strange but as I was told this is a "hole in the wall" place, I wasn't expecting Cheesecake Factory ceilings and architecture. Someone else mentioned the very strange Jesus portrait and that is super accurate. The burrito I had was enormous and lots of yummy meat, guac, and pico. Carne Asada in case that's important to you. The meat was well flavored, not dry, and copious. My three favorite things for cooked meat. The salsa bar isn't huge but they had several odd (to me) things like radishes and cucumbers along with a few different varieties of salsa. All good. Great service, the chips weren't the best but most certainly not bad at all. The main food though? YUM. read more

I have been coming here for years. I love their wide variety of salsa and their chorizio in practically everything. I introduced them to a friend of mine and now he goes there regularly. He had been looking for a place that has hot salsa and great food. They did not disappoint. read more

I give Los Cuates 5 stars for being delicious, affordable, family owned and accommodating. This is a walk-up food counter, and your chips and food are delivered to your table. This is my go-to spot for catering large group dinners. They sell absolutely delicious made-to-order carnitas, ceviche, and guacamole (and I'm sure more items as well) by the pound, and they supply all of the necessary fixings to allow you to skip the grocery store (tortillas, chopped onion and cilantro, chips and salsa, even cutlery and napkins if you need it). When I'm not ordering 3lbs of carnitas :) I absolutely love the quesadillas, fish tacos, and burritos. I'm not sure what they do to their carne asada and chicken -- but it is so flavorful! Great people, great food, unparalleled convenience. read more

The food was excellent, just moved from San Diego and this the closest to San Diego Mexican food! Thank you

I went to the Los Cuates location off of Capital Blvd. last year and had their burrito and really liked it. Lot of onions and peppers and huge in size!. That location is drive-through or take-out only. I saw on Yelp where they had another sit-down location off of Old Wake Forest Road, so I decided to give that place a try for lunch recently. The space and décor, isn't much. It's pretty much a hole in the wall kind of place with just the basics like tables, a few pictures and T.V showing soccer of course (gooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllll!!!). There's also plenty of copies of Que Pasa for your reading pleasure while you dine (I like to pretend I can read it, even though I can't). You order at the counter and the food comes quickly. Just long enough to fill your drink and get some salsa containers from the salsa bar. I had the two carne-asada tacos deal with rice and beans . Tacos were very good with fresh onions and cilantro. They are kind of small-ish, but with the rice and beans I was full at the end. They also serve a basket of chips which comes with the meal. Los Cuates is all-in-all very good, just don't expect a traditional sit-down and be waited on Mexican place or a fast-casual Mexican- Americanized place like Chipotle or Moe's. I would say you could draw a line of comparison between Los Cuates and Chubby's though (Similar casual dining, food and price). If you like Chubby's you will probably like Los Cuates. read more