La Cucaracha

This place is a perfect example of bad management, with a change of management this place could be great. The food is pretty good for mexican, as it is hard to find decent mexican in the Twin Cities. However I can't say I would go back as the service was ridiculous. After we were seated it took our waitress about 10 minutes to come and ask us what we would like to drink. From there it just got worse. It only took about 5 minutes to get our drinks and to order but our food took over 35 minutes to come. I had ordered chicken tacos and my friend had ordered a burrito. Not exactly sure why it took so long to make two very simple dishes but when they came you could tell they had been sitting under a warmer for quite a while as the plates were beyond hot and the cheese was burnt to the plate. The food however was pretty good but not exactly worth the prices they charge. And they waitress never came back to check on us and we had to go and look for her to get refills on our drinks and then had to go and look for her a second time to get our check. We also had asked our check to be split up which the waitress said she could not do and she asked us to figure out the ""split"" on the receipt ourselves and give it back to her. At this point I was just done with the ""Cucaracha experience"" and ready to leave so we split the check ourselves didn't give her a tip and left. With a little training from a better management this place could be ok. Unless you have a large amount of patience I would not recommend this place. It's a shame though because the food is pretty good. more

Early 90's I used to live in the apartments by La Cuc's. The place was SOOOOO good! I grew up in SoCal so I know something (not much) about flavor. I moved away; returned to the neighborhood in the mid-90's. The food was definitely not as great; rather bland. Their guac is DEFINITELY one of the best around but they do seem to keep declining in service/quality. Ate there a couple of years ago and VERY disappointed (my boyfriend/now husband used to bartend there so we knew the food). Still a fun place but has definitely thought too highly of itself and given over to quantity instead of quality. PS, I never ate their chips (which were totally FREE for years!) again after I found out that they bought bags of no-name chips and then threw them in the deep-fryer and then salted them again! I mean, YUM!, but YIKES!~ Pros: fun atmosphere, yummy guac Cons: crappy parking, very mild Mexican, just gets worse more

I was pleased to find a resturant that the salsa wasn't pace picante. Coming from Denver to msp it has been very hard to find a place that has a little spice in their food. in other review in here it seem obvious that the people writing these reviews are just the good old steak and potato people. Heck we tried aother mexican resturant that every one recomended and i could of made better food that htey did. La Cucaracha in St Paul had a unique tast to it, i will go back again. Pros: sevice, food, atmosphere more

Everything we ordered was aweful. Chili had an overpowering spice. Soup too spicy hot to enjoy. Terrible food. Other great Mexican food in Saint Paul to waste your money here. Cons: Food more

Again the gripes are the same. Charges for chips and salsa which are stale and cold. Food is over priced compared to other mexican restaurants and very low quality - bland and unappetizing, could have eaten better at home. Atmosphere is okay, but wait staff are pushy and not will to serve the customer's needs. I was there with some old friends and we were pushed out of the restaurant at closing time. Wouldn't have been as bad had the staff not taken so long to get our food and served it cold. Parking is difficult in the area and considering real mexican food is a short drive east of st. paul, this isn't worth stopping for. Go somewhere else! Pros: atmosphere, in crocus hill area Cons: poor food quality, overpriced, bad service more

Our server was annoying & rude. She had to of use the word Amigo 45 times. Very irritating. Almost all the food is served with onions & you can't ask without, because it's pre-made. Not made to order, mmmmm... We had to pay for chips. Don't get that... My Chicken Mole was horrible. I didn't think it required a quart of Mole Sause. You could not taste the tequila in the $12 Margarita. Over $50 for Mexican Dinner for 2. That's not right. If you like well prepared Mexican food, stick to the Westside & keep it off yuppy Grand Ave. Cons: Too Expensive, No Parking, Bad Service more

I've always been a fan of this restaurant, although they continue to raise the prices frequently, provide poor service and do not allow any menu changes. The service is marginal at best, order a margarita to offset the wait time-they're excellent. You pay extra for everything, so be wary-$3.00 for a side of enchilada sauce! Anyway, the food is excellent so I keep going back. Seems like even the simplest menu change can't be accomodated, so don't ask. The service is friendly, just slow and the ambience is comfortable. After all that, I do recommend the place. more

Listen, try Gina Yucatan Tostada's or the Enchilada Suizas, you'll never go anywhere else again. As for the complaining about service on an occasion, remeber that this is just one meal out of your life folks. This is a relaxed and fun atmosphere, so relax. The bartenders are characters, and the balding guy loves to be cocky, but pours heavy and tastey drinks. He can also mortgage you house for you. I also recommend the shrimp soup and pico de gallo. Pros: balding bartender Cons: , fri/sat night wait more

This place has unbelievable atmosphere. The service is very friendly and the bartenders are probably the quickest and the best in town. They have one of the best selections of tequila in town, with about 40. If you want to have fun with great atmosphere and the most authentic food, I would highly recommend this restaurant. Pros: The Bar more

I wanted to let every one know how good the food is a the Lacucaracha I reccomend the mole . every one was very nice and the servive was pretty quick considering how busy they were.the atmosphere is cool too. Pros: fun, great food, nice people Cons: lack of parking more

I rated this place quite favorable one year ago. I have definitely changed my mind. After coming here about once a month, I can just about chart the downhill slide this restaurant is taking. There are fewer and fewer servers available, the waits for food and drink delivery are extremely long, and the food is marginal and way overpriced. To top it off, I speak Spanish and have heard many of the staff members call patrons ""unsavory"" names behind their backs. At least take it into the kitchen before you express your feelings! I live close by and used to enjoy a pleasant stoll to this place. Now I stroll right on by... Pros: Pitchers of Dos Equis Cons: Service slow, Unfriendly waitstaff, High prices more

So many places tout their guacamole...Chipotle, Chevy's and Bar Abiline come to mind...while good quality and price the seasoning never quite does it for me. At La Cucaracha they have the perfect blend of onion, cilantro, lime, spice and garlic that results in a smooth, savory warm mouth experience. The beer queso is great, too, served with crispy/greasy flour chips. Prices are right in line with what you'd see at chains like Chevy's and the like. The fruit margaritas are made with real fruit purees--so rare now! Pros: Flavor, Modestlly priced, Cozy & colorful Cons: Parking can stink, Leaving full more

First we were told that there would be no wait once our full party arrived. Apparently, you are not allowed to sit until everyone in your party is present. Shortly after, our party arrived, and we were made to wait 30 minutes. The hostess was very rude. Most things on the menu need to be upgraded - $.90 for some kind of meat, only one refill allowed, etc. I got the impression that they were trying to soak me for every dime I had. When go for a nice meal, I dont want to feel like my third diet Coke would burden them. The waitress was asking us if we wanted our check 5 minutes after the food came. Hate that! There are plenty of places with the same ambiance in the Twin Cities that have better service and similar food (with better parking). Id pass on this one. Pros: Food - Okay Cons: Service, Parking, Pricing more

great staff, prompt seating. Wonderful lunch spot Always parking on street I've eaten lunch here 10 times with wonderful results Pros: Ambiance Cons: haven't found any more

.....oh, but I think she did. We had to ask for our own silverware, napkins, and water refills. I ordered the lunch special, but what I got isn't what she told me. I don't think food should take 50 minutes and then not be very good. Poor service. The desserts looked good, but didn't try any. Most places would get a second chance, but the food was only marginal. Cons: Service, Not great food, Parking more

The best Margaritas in town and the food is great, but back to the margaritas - they taste like they're made from scratch. more

On the first of the many visits my wife and I have made to La Cucaracha, the staff and cooks hit a homerun - we were sure we'd found the best Mexican food this side of San Antonio. On subsequent visits, we've witnessed a see-saw effect of both the food and service. Some days the staff is rediculously slow, even needing reminding of the fact we were present. Some days the food can be very underwhelming. Other days, La Cucaracha is spectacular - especially their unique, zesty fajitas. The decor is simple but charming, and the seating is a little cramped, especially in the booths. The tough part about rating this restaurant is you'll get a completely different set of marks depending on the day. A wise man once said something like, ""[La Cucaracha] is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get."" Pros: Tasty, Subtle flavors, Inexpensive Cons: Uneven Service, Uneven Food Quality more