Cilantro Mexican Grill & Tequila Bar - Five Points

Very excellent dining experience at Cilantro. You'll get slightly better tasting food and cocktails at bartaco, but for the price portions and service, you can't beat Cilantro. We got steak quesidilla, guac and chips, chips and salsa, refried beans, rice, black beans, vegetable fajitas, and two cocktails for under 60 bucks! The food tastes authentic and home cooked. They do have a scratch kitchen, and they make a lot of the food to order. I'm pretty sure our guac was made by hand in the stone bowl that it was served in. I'll def be going back. The portions are super generous, and everything tastes really fresh. The black beans were really good they let the flavor of the beans really shine. They don't have super cool presentation like st anjeo butbthe beans are very good. This is a great place to grab lunch on a budget but still have a great healthy meal. Their cocktails are solid, but nothing crazy. They are all traditional Mexicana riffs on classics. Very balanced, but they don't try to re invent the wheel. I recomend the mango mojito. Travelers should check this place out and locals will love this hidden lunch gem.

Got a takeout from food delivery services app, and they recommended “Gringo Chicken” as their most popular item so I ordered that. A friend of mine got the Fajitas (steak+chicken). I loved my food, it wasn’t as hot as I’d like by the time it reached my place but I’m very excited to try them in person next time! Update 11/2023: ended up finally going there in person, and loved it even more.

Went for national margarita day. We sat at the bar when you enter. Love the atmosphere back there. They were crazy busy around 6 to 630, line out the door! It’s a great little spot.

The meat is barley cooked and very souppy ( watery) with no spices whatsoever with saggy tortillas i bought 6 meat and 2 chicken ,very overpriced and taste terrible even the fried tortillas is very oily and tastes plain

Food just wasn’t good but the portions and price were when compared to other local options. Tried the special dinner combo platter and the only thing I finished was the chips and salsa. The meal tasted like school cafeteria food.

Best Mexican Food I’ve had in a long time!!! Everything was delicious. We started with chips and queso and guacamole with street corn. The Baja fish tacos, cilantro chicken, chicken tinga, pollo especial was just a few of what we ordered. Also the margaritas was so good. Will come again the next time in Nashville.

Love the vibe and the food. I got Chimichanga special which include shrimps, chicken, and beef. Chicken is my fav. Also they have good margarita! Total $20 I fee like it’s a good deal. Def will come again. Great service too.

Delicious margaritas great food and service!

I have not eaten here only came in for margaritas. The happy hour is good $5.00 margarita's and they are delicious especially if you add a shot of top shelf tequila!

Food was nasty, it was like they threw a can of tomato sauce all over my food. Waited forever and when I finally got my order my food was cold.

I've known the original location on 8th avenue for almost 6years and now started coming to the east nashville location, whomever the older heavy set gentleman was cornering and harassing my nephew sitting a few seats down from me asking how old he was instead of talking to me directly it deeply offended me. It almost appeared racial-- there was no other people that were mixed in the establishment. Or maybe it could be because I appear Gay, and of all weekends, Pride weekend. Hmmm. My nephew is a minor and as a grown adult many times over it appeared very purposeful considering even upon entry the heavy set older gentleman was very rude and very unfriendly to myself and guest. Very against the Cilantro atmosphere at least different from the 8th avenue location. I think maybe an attitude check should be had on whomever this gentleman was. I've never experienced this type attitude or behavior. Do better. Please. Your food is great and so is the service from the wonderful servers but this gentleman could do better.

This place is great for any occasion the food is great and the service is good Margaritas are delish

Cilantro is our favorite Mexican restaurant in Nashville! The servers are quick and friendly, the chips and salsa never stop flowing. The outdoor patio is a great option if you'd like to enjoy the nice summer weather. Our margaritas were HUGE and so yummy! They definitely didn't make them weak either :) I ordered the Pollo Fundido, and it was just so cheesy and delicious, I never wanted it to end. Hopefully next time we have room for dessert!

Poor service. No manager present. Limited staff that speak English. Food is subpar. Ambience is nice, if they clean the tables. Maybe this was a bad day for them, but I doubt I'll be back.

Don't eat here. They cheat their employees. Per Business Insider: Two Nashville, Tennessee restaurants were ordered to pay nearly $271,000 to servers who were forced to illegally share their tips with dishwashers, the Department of Labor said. Cilantro Five Points Inc., the operator of Cilantro Five Points Mexican Grill and Tequila Bar, and Cilantro Restaurant, asked servers to give $5 of their tips to dishwashers on Friday and Saturday nights, the DOL's Wage and Hour Division said in a press release on Friday.

People need to chill out with the reviews. The ambiance is great its not too loud Great place for a beer and something to eat, great price for the food and drinks staffs awesome. The bar is huge always have sports on never too loud where you cant hear your friend.

Once again, Yelp reviews prove to be more accurate than the slutty-easy-to-please Google reviewers who ecstatically rate anything edible dumped from a can and heated in the microwave with 4+stars. Rant over. We were looking for Mexican food near our airbnb and this was the only one open for sit down dining on Sunday with a decent vegetarian menu so we checked it out. The vegetarian quesadilla looked good until we saw a picture with broccoli poking out of it like an unwelcomed unfortunate wardrobe malfunction at a drag brunch. No one wants to see broccoli in a quesadilla. Clearly not a traditional Mexican dish. So my veggie friend orders the taco salad, just assuming it would be - you know - a salad with lettuce. Oh but low and behold that broccoli shows up in that dish too. WHO. Puts. broccoli. In a TACO SALAD?!? Mios Dios. Our non-veg friend ordered the Texas burrito which comes with shrimp, destroy-the-planet beef and chicken but our dear eco-concious friend requested all chicken. Well they got her order wrong and it took a while to correct. Thank goodness we were still drunk from 3 days of Bachelorette partying and had our guacamole and salsa and chips so we were vibing. OMG- The chucky guacamole was the highlight of the meal for me! It was perfect. Def get the chunky guac. I ordered the hongos tacos which were filled with mushroom, sautéed onions, guacamole and corn and enough oil to moisturize the hair of at least one fried beach-blonde out there shuffling from bar-to-bar on Broadway. So the food is A-okay. It is aver Certainly not 4+ stars. It was also annoying that a place that advertises as a tequila bar was out of every flavor of margaritas except for mango, strawberry and kiwi (gag). FYI- the mango margaritas aren't from real fruit it's a mix so be careful what drink you order if you care about that stuff. This poor frazzled waitress who just needed to go home like hours ago took good care of us considering she appeared to be the only server on a very busy night. She perfectly split our bill too. Ashley, I think was her name and she deserves that Employee of the frggin month complete with a front door V-VIP parking space after that hellacious shift.

Zero stars paid 50 dollars and I regret every penny of it food is nasty and a lot of water

I'm not sure why this place has such bad reviews because we had a great experience. We had no problems with the service at all. Our waiter asked us multiple times if everything was good and he was always fast to bring something. The food was good and the portions were huge. I got the burrito fajado, which was a huge burrito. I think I ate half of it. It was tasty. My friends liked their food too, and the cheese and salsa dips were great. I got the peach daiquiri, which was just okay. It was extremely sweet. My friends loved their margaritas though!

Awesome tequila selection! The margs and queso were fantastic. Nice outdoor patio with garage doors that are often open. They have multiple tv's and usually games on. Food & drinks were delicious and at a great price point, service was good. Overall, it's a vibe

I loved Cilantro for years until watching them break ADA laws and mistreat disabled patrons while denying them codified rights. The queso isn't worth it. A few excerpts directly from current TN guidelines I saw disregarded as they verbally lashed out at a customer with a medical alert service dog trained to alert for cardiac events: "(6) Inquiries. A public accommodation shall not ask about the nature or extent of a person's disability, but may make two inquiries to determine whether an animal qualifies as a service animal. A public accommodation may ask if the animal is required because of a disability and what work or task the animal has been trained to perform. A public accommodation shall not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal. (7) Access to areas of a public accommodation. Individuals with disabilities shall be permitted to be accompanied by their service animals in all areas of a place of public accommodation where members of the public, program participants, clients, customers, patrons, or invitees, as relevant, are allowed to go. " (Source: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/attorneygeneral/documents/ops/2013/op13-059.pdf) Do not eat here.

Just ok .... We arrived on taco Tuesday , during happy hour. Figured that out after we got home, sure wish the waiter lets us know. Food was larger portions but nothing special - I had fish tacos , wife had shrimp fajitas. My fish tacos tasted a bit too fishy for my taste, and without many toppings. The fajitas were good, but again just ok. A bit of a problem was the way the food arrived. With four us ordering - the fajitas came first, then a few minutes later the side dish ellote (sp?), then about 5 minutes later the rest of the servings and all of the accompaniments that go with the now cool fajitas. All in all will chalk it up to experience and go elsewhere next time.

Welp, here we are. For all its hits and misses, Five Points Cocina was a Main Street staple and a familiar part of Edgefield. To replace it with... another Mexican restaurant??... is an interesting gambit and time will only tell how well this works for them -- especially given that the local/neighborhood food landscape has drastically changed from when FPC opened. If you've been to Cilantro's Melrose locale, you know what to expect: crowd-pleasing Tex-Mex that doesn't always please the crowd. I'm not such a purist that I can't get down with some good Tex-Mex (especially given that a lot of folks who scream for 'authenticity' can't name the various states of Mexico, much less the regional differences in cuisine; 'Mexican' food really isn't a thing) but I do need it to be good. I don't know whether this location is too new, I came on a bad night or too close to close but I don't think that best efforts were in play. One thing that stood out: all the waiters were very nice... and there were a lot of them. I sat outside (I think everyone was outside) and there were a swarm of waiters. What there wasn't, was light. And, when sitting outside, you need some. I used my cell phone to read the menu. I started with a watermelon margarita, frozen. It came back to the table relatively quickly. It was fine. It didn't make me dance like the pineapple margarita I had on my most recent Tex-Mex adventure. The watermelon flavor was faint (to be expected) and it melted quickly (we were outside). It was fine and when I finished it, I didn't bother to order another. I thought about it, though, considering I was never brought water. Again, new/bad night/close to close? I dunno. But, I needed free hydration. I didn't get it. I considered the tacos but I couldn't get myself to pay $10 for 3 tacos -- even if they came with a side of beans. So, I went with the Monterrey Chicken. It's exactly what you would expect: flat, pounded grilled chicken breast in some sort of semi-cheesy sauce and the rest of the white space of the plate filled with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, guacamole, and rice. I'm not saying this to shade them. I'm saying that it's exactly the Tex-Mex plate you expect. Nothing more. Nothing less. It, too, was fine. I don't know that 'fine' pays the rent in Edgefield these days. We'll see. Cilantro has the advantage of muscle memory wrt location and food type. What people experience once they get there, though, is a different matter. Let's hope things improve with time.

The food was edible.... We waited at the door to be seated, and no one came, so we walked around to the back and found someone. He then sat us in the main room, where our server was asleep in the booth across the room. Fast forward, our food arrives, and we don't have silverware. Where is our server? Laying down in a booth on her phone! Whatever, this was a while back, and I don't remember much about the food so there ya go....

Cilantro is a racist, anti-Black restaurant. I learned this today while having lunch with four of my coworkers, all of whom are Black. The meal got off to an uneventful start but took a turn when one of my colleagues noticed a hair in the cheese sauce on her plate. She politely pointed this out to the server, who smirked as he leaned over her to closely inspect the spot she was pointing to on her plate. The server took the plate away and indicated that he would have the dish remade. We continued to talk at the table while enjoying our meals. Before we knew it, the rest of us were through with our meals, but my coworker's food still hadn't made its way to the table. At this point, it had been nearly 30 minutes since our server last checked on us. My worker went inside to check on her meal, ask for checks, and to see if she could either get her meal to go or just cancel it. The server passed her off to the general manager (whose name we regrettably did not get). His first excuse was that because we were sitting outside, they cannot control when the wind blows objects onto plates. Understood, but the object in question was a short, straight, dark hair covered in cheese sauce. This clearly was already on the plate as she began to eat. He then shifted his gaslighting to saying that the hair was yellow (which it was not), and then to claiming that they don't have hair "like that" in the kitchen. At this point, I had gone inside to check on her and the situation, where I learned that the GM had told her that they wouldn't remake the plate, wouldn't remove the item from her check, and that if she didn't pay for it, she should never come back. Guess what? He spoke to me (a white man) differently. And as if my coworker wasn't standing right there, he started started saying things like "they always do this." It was crystal clear that he was referring to Black people. The whole thing was a disgusting display of racism. Look, hair gets in food sometimes. This server and manager had one job to do, and that was to make it right for the customer by either remaking the plate (we're talking a food cost of $2-3) or just apologizing and comping the dish. Instead, they treated someone differently based on how she looked. Is this review going to change their minds or world views? Sadly, probably not. But I can control my actions and voice. And with this review, I'm choosing to call out and denounce the racist behavior that I saw today from the general manager of Cilantro.

Decent Mexican spot if you're looking for a quick bit or drink. Friendly wait staff but honestly the food was a bit basic and bland. - Chips: deliciously crispy, and super fresh. Lite on salt. - Salsa: a little sweet and completely mild, not bad, but was starting to approach the realm of pizza sauce - Waitstaff: Super friendly and accommodating. Fast service. - Music: Good mix of chill and hype authentic Spanish music - Spacious: area with big bar and large outdoor patio seating - Fajitas: looked great but were fairly bland and chicken was a little dry. - Beans: a little watery and not particularly appetizing

POOR SERVICE. LOW QUALITY. After attending a Hispanic Heritage event, several friends and I wanted to continue the theme. The chips were stale, the margaritas had no tequila in them, and our order was wrong. Mistakes happen, right? Well, I try to be gracious but this sadly isn't the case. Our server was incredibly inattentive, had to be flagged down, and incredibly unkind. He was ANGRY and acted as if he was bothered by us being there. When asking about the enchilada suizas, asked if there was rice. "What does the menu say?" Was his response. Note the menu says rice. We got a plate of enchiladas suizas with only beans. Then were charged for two plates of rice. The enchiladas had no flavor, were cold, the lettuce was swimming in water on our plates, and to top it off, the server couldn't be bothered to refill waters, remember the cheese dip we ordered then charged us for cheese instead of poblano sauce on our enchiladas. I also have a service dog. Instead of "is this a service dog?" It was "you can't bring him in here...oh, let's see your certification." Upon explaining yes, this is a service dog, he is trained for......and providing a card which I carry to explain proper ADA treatment and protections were we accommodated. Over all, I understand people have bad days. Some don't understand ADA accommodations, but not only were we treated rudely, we could barely get service basics, our meals were incorrect, we were charged for items, and upon attempting to communicate kindly about them, we received additional angry responses. Members of our party are Hispanic. Several also speak Spanish. Even saying "Gracias por el servicio que tengas una gran noche!" was met with disdain. We consistently were kind the whole evening. If you can't make drinks and meals properly, are unkind to guests who come in an hour before close and are gone by 945, and you can't even refill waters, ask if they want another margaritas or refill of soda, but charge for unlimited refills, let alone serve horrible food, you don't deserve us to return as guests. Ever.

This is a classic home town Mexican restaurant, the service is great, food is what is to be expected for the price range and type of restaurant. Normal now frills Mexican eatery! 4 out of 5 yes it's good for what it is, could of course be better possibly!

I had a terrible experience. I stood at the door almost 15 minutes without anyone greeting me. They were short staffed and told us the wait was 30 minutes. I decided to get to go instead so I asked how long on you go. The wait for to go was given to me and when he came back he took the order of the last party in line waiting. He refused to acknowledge or ask if I wanted to place a to go order or if I wanted to wait for a Table. There was another party waiting behind us and he didn't acknowledge them either. When we addressed it with him it he didn't try to fix the situation so we left as well as the party behind me. This isn't the first time that I haven't been acknowledged to place an Order or get seated. The customer service is terrible at this location. Regardless of staffing you can't pick and choose who you decide to serve

Cool look to the inside, fresh and clean. The food was....your run of the mill Mexican restaurant with all the staples. They do have quite and extensive drink list if you're into that sort of thing. Waiter was real nice as well as the staff, so much so, that I didn't even care that he gave me the wrong drink. So anyway if you have time to kill come here, if not it's alright.

I really liked everything we ordered. Shrimp tacos, pork tacos, shrimp cocktail was all delicious. Will definitely come back!

Patio no longer allows dogs which is a huge bummer! We eat here like once a week with our dog and showed up today and saw a "No dogs allowed" sign - I asked a server if that meant on the patio, he said let me check on it, went back inside and a woman came out and was extremely rude, pointed at the sign and said "read the sign." If you guys are instituting a new policy, that's all good, but to be so rude about it to customers that have come regularly for the past four years (and sat on your patio and supported your business through the worst of covid) is just really disappointing

Very friendly staff and some of the best tacos I've ever had!! I will definitely be going to eat there next time I'm in Nashville! I 100% recommend!

We tried this place for dinner, great atmosphere--awesome patio area for warmer weather--service was a meh. The waiter was slow and didn't understand our order, which was frustrating. But, in the end, the food was delicious (ordered the Hawaiian fajitas). The drink specials were great too and the watermelon margarita was refreshing.

There was nothing supremely special about Cilantro, but also nothing wrong. Just a fantastically safe bet when it comes to Mexican food. As a visitor to Nashville, I am assuming there are probably lots of other delicious options for great food. I received the wrong drink (ordered a cranberry margarita but ended up with a cucumber one instead - it was still good so no major complaints here) and the chicken chimichanga covered in queso dip was nothing exceptional but didn't leave me hungry either. Service was great and attentive and refilled our chips, salsa, and water regularly.

Got it delivered. Typical mexican food. Huge portions and quick delivery. Will be ordering again!

This restaurant is supremely average. (I'm reality I'd give it 2.5 stars) Atmosphere: the front of the restaurant will make you feel like it's a trendy Mexican restaurant and a bit upscale. Once you get inside, you're basically in las palmas. Overall, everything was clean. Food: not much flavor. I ordered the Texas burrito, which is supposed to come with shrimp, chicken, and chorizo ( I subbed this for ground beef). You would think there would be equal parts of all the meats - false. There were only 2 shrimp on the entire burrito. Overall, the plate was pretty bland. Drinks: I had a frozen strawberry margarita. When I got there apparently they hadn't turned the machine on. My drink was hardly frozen and filled with syrup. Not great. I will say, I was lit after one drink, so it wasn't all bad. Also, my waiter was pretty good, friendly and attentive.

The food isn't worth the lousy service. I had a pick up time for an order. I got my food 30 plus mins later from my pickup time. I could understand if the place was busy, but once I walked it in was dead. Not only was my order late, I didn't get an apology, a thank you, or even a complimentary fountain drink for waiting for so long. Would not recommend nor will I be back at this location.

did not like the service. I left a $5 cash tip on the table and paid with my card and when I looked at my statement they charged me a $5 tip on my card. Not Cool.

We loved the salsa and chips. The staff was nice and quick with the food. We liked our meals.

Given the crowded weekend atmosphere in Nashville, this place had lots of room and was FAST. If you don't feel like waiting 2 hours for sub par food from a place because it's "trendy" then come here. They were crazy fast! And the food was DELICIOUS! And AMAZING!

I love this place. Extensive and interesting margarita selection, gigantic portion sizes and tasty quality food. The patio out back is great during nice weather. My go-to neighborhood Mexican food spot. Highly recommend!

Was really excited to try this place since it's close to my house but it turned out to be a disappointment. My friend and I walked in and there were 4 employees standing in the entrance. We were not greeted and stood there waiting for them to finish their conversation before that sat us. Our waiter barely said anything to us the whole time we were there, and he brought my food out way before he brought my friends out. The food was not good, and it's pretty hard to mess up Mexican food. Will not be returning. In fact, go next door to Nobles- they have the most delicious wings you'll ever have in your life.

Favorite Mexican food in Nashville! The guacamole is always fresh and perfectly prepared. Great entrees and delicious margaritas. The staff has always provided very good service.

Poor, slow service and bad food in an otherwise great location. Margaritas and palomas were watered down. Food was pre-made grocery store quality , at best. Next.

Great food and wonderful staff! Food is always good and consistent. Also, always have happy hour drink specials. We usually get the carnitas and they are amazing! Huge chunks of tender pork and always have leftovers to take home! Staff is so friendly and accommodating. Outside patio in the back is very comfortable with great ambiance.

Had an opportunity to try out 5 Points Cocina replacement yesterday and it was delicious. Sat at the bar, service was prompt and courteous. The food was absolutely amazing - the guacamole is a MUST. Forgot to take pics but the guac was super chunky and flavorful!!! Will be back!

There are a lot better Mexican restaurants in the area. The service here was decent but nothing great. The same goes for the food. I won't be returning.

Stopped by after all the favorite taco haunts were closed on Sunday. We had a good experience. The service was good, prompt, and friendly. We had the Baja fish tacos and Texmex burrito. Portion sizes are huge. Fish tasted fresh and the presentation on both was nice. The tacos could have used maybe a green sauce, but they still had good flavor. We'd definitely come back. For the vegetarians, they had 5 vegetarian combos which seemed like the pretty standard stuff- enchiladas, quesadillas, chalupas, etc.

2nd try, still horrible service! They can't seem to get it together. Asked for water twice and never got it. Asked for a second margarita and nev

This is our second time at Cilantro. The service and the environment are great and they have a great selection of Mexican beers on tap. The food NO BUENO! Really average. It's surprising that they would make an investment such as this and have really subpar food.

they NEVER answer the phone... and if you go to the restaurant it's usually only 1 server and he spends most of the time in the back.... the food is good and they give you a good portion and they really are very friendly but it's just more of a hassle than anything... order on door dash ...it's easier...but they do close earlier online than at the actual place so order early

Great food and friendly if chaotic service. Low-key vibe in East Nashville. Not sure I really want someone else's dog drinking from a dog bowl near my feet in a covered patio attached to a main restaurant structure. At some point (I love dogs) a dining establishment should recognize the sanitation issue. Outdoor seating - no problem with this.

Will not go back, smells like a gas station restroom. Food watered down, salsa had no flavor. What a joke, paid 20 for a double shot of patron which they served in a shot glass and was not even a double. I get a double at Longhorns for 11:50. Will not be back.

Horrible experience at this restaurant. When we walked in, no one acknowledged us. The server acted like he didn't want to serve us! My daughter didn't like her food and asked the manager to remove it from our ticket. The manager said he could not and said, "I'm sorry" and walked away. All of the other servers were checking on their Caucasian customers. It was only a few tables there and yet we had to wait to be acknowledged. The steak was not tender and my chicken tasted like rubber!! The only thing good about this place was that the bathroom was clean. I use to wait tables in college and I always leave a 20% or more tip. I did not leave one penny because of the way we were treated!!!

We went here last minute Thursday around 8pm. There was only 3 other tables there but the food was delicious!! Service was great too!! They did send someone away at 9pm when they should have closed at 10. I guess they were ready to go!!

I was on the job in the immediate area and this was right there for me to try. I like something new and there were plenty of those East Nashville types in there eating so maybe it was ok. So I gave it a go. While I really liked the taste of their complimentary salsa, that is where the good part of this review ends. Quit now or read on for the rest of the story and why I may never give them another try. I got seated and noticed it was a decent looking place with TVs playing Latin pop music. I ordered a taco salad because that's an easy way to compare one place to another. Plus, I was going right back to work and they would be quick. I received my chips and salsa with my drink and was sad to see how small a dish the salsa came in. I ate it all and would have liked more. My meal came quickly, as planned. The guacamole was so-so and simple. The meat was almost cold. I know a taco salad is a cool dish, but the meat should be somewhat warm so I know it was cooked properly at some point. Overall, the dish was just ok. And since I had very little salsa to eat, I could not add any to this to give it any more taste. I finished my salsa, my meal and my drink without ever taking to my waiter again. I went to the bathroom and returned to no drink refill or check so I just made way to the cashier. Nobody their. I stood there 3 to 4 minutes waiting to pay. The cashier charged my for something I did not order or get and I had to go through the refund and another ring up. I really wish I did not leave a tip because there was no service other than to bring my food to me and that was the cook or another server, not even mine. My overall assessment: Love good salsa? Go there. Love good food and/or good service? Go elsewhere. My ranting: 4 star salsa, 1 star service and 2 star food means 2.3 stars in my book. This story is over, and it ends sadly. Come back next week when I review someplace good. Adios.