Cilantro

Good brunch menu if you are in the mood for something a bit different from standard diner fare. Huge portions. Yummy mini muffins and sugary chips to start. My pancakes were slightly undercooked in the middle, but I enjoyed them anyway. The breakfast burrito was also very good and chorizo was not greasy, which sometimes puts me off from ordering it in dishes. I would definitely recommend.

Highly mediocre food. Beware, I have never experienced such horrible service. The manager Raul was INCREDIBLY RUDE and kept bringing over a check while we were still eating, insisting that they need us to leave because it was too crowded. Please see attached photo of the restaurant with plenty of open tables. Never going back!

All around amazing. Great service, great food, and great drinks. Ambiance is nice and everyone seems to be having a fun time.
I ordered a Mango and Coconut Margarita and my friend had a strawberry margarita. Both tasted great. For appetizers we had the calamari, which were jumbo sized. (Never seen calamari that big before) it came with two types of sauces: 1 spicy and another tomato based. Both sauces were good as well.
For dinner I had the steak tacos (steak — well done) and my friend had the chicken fajitas. The steak was very well seasoned and it was very juicy and my friend’s chicken fajitas has so much flavor and a lot of green peppers and onions.
A couple of people were celebrating their birthdays so it was a definitely and fun and happy vibe across the place.
In all, I had a great time and would definitely be coming back.

Great Mexican food, super busy during lunch, free plantain chips!

The staff is great. The food not so much. The tacos were disappointing. They loaded a bunch of meat onto a tortilla and didn’t bother to add any toppings or flavor.

The place was very cute and warming when we arrived. I ordered the salad with toasted pumpkin seeds and my friend had chicken enchilada– both great prices!

Honestly I really liked the food until a cockroach started walking down the wall behind my cousin while I was eating my fajitas. SERIOUSLY COCKROACHES! YUCK!

My boyfriend and I have come here twice for brunch (so I can’t speak for their dinner). Both times, we have been greeted warmly, accommodated with seating according to our preferences, and given prompt, accurate service. That being said, I’ve never eaten here during a particularly busy time, as I avoid rushes when possible. Again, you may want to refer to another review if you’re considering dinner here.
On both visits, I’ve ordered the breakfast relleno. For only $ 11, I received a heaping portion of scrambled eggs with chorizo, enveloped in a poblano pepper, with home fries, the entire meal resting in ranchero sauce. It was both satisfying and flavorful. There are many different tastes to this meal as you work your way from one item to the next, ranging from smoky to spicy to that feeling you get when you eat home-​cooked comfort food. I thoroughly enjoyed them all, and couldn’t finish my meal.
My boyfriend got the omelette today, which allows for a selection of various fillings. Even after he selected additional fillings, our bill was not at all expensive. Moreover, he loved his food.
We left full, but not in an uncomfortable way. We were treated well by the staff. This is definitely a place we will return to for brunch!

The restaurant appears to be under new management, or at least has a new chef. My two go-​tos, chicken enchiladas and fish tacos, have both undergone a significant recipe change for the worse. I won’t be going back to Cilantro anytime soon.

Cilantro is a great neighborhood option. It’s nothing fancy, but the service is great, it’s a fun environment and the food is solid. The guacamole and chips are excellent and a great way to start the meal.
We have had the taco salad with chicken and other salads with steak and the meat is always surprisingly good. I have seen people order the quesadilla and it looks great. If you are in the area and want a good value Mexican meal Cilantro is a great choice.

I enjoyed dining here. Nice place to grab a quick bite to eat. Atmosphere is busy and cool for dining with friends. Food is pricey at times but very good. The staff was attentive and friendly. Drinks are pricey but good I had frozen margaritas.

A casual yet nice Mexican restaurant with a warm inviting atmosphere, friendly service and great food.
I am not a fan of chain restaurants — and was actually surprised when I found out there are a few cilantro locations because it doesn’t have a chain vibe.
They make my fave Mezcel margarita with chili pepper rim and jalapeños fabulously — that and outside seating is what brings me back here as much as it does and more than a couple other upper east Mexican restaurants … In fact many places find my drink foreign they actually have one similar on their specialty drink options — along with other interesting options.
One of the reasons I really like this spot so much is they have outside seating in nicer weather — not many local upper east Mexican restaurants do.
My only complaint is the lesser quality plastic chairs outside and the faux little candles but for Mexican with outside seating I can deal.
Their large guac portion is wonderful and freshly made. However, if you order a smaller serving the quality is poor as they make that early in the day rather than freshly made. They have interesting blue red colored chips with plantain chips as well which is unique to any Mexican restaurant I’ve been … Their fish entrees are great and my favorite dish is the steak with guac… So good !
Recommended as a casual Mexican restaurant with fantastic margaritas.

A friend came in to the city for lunch today. I’ve wanted to try Cilantro so I took her there. She loves Mexican food. I love Taco Salad! We certainly were not disappointed.
The place filled up with customers fast. We got there just in time to get a seat. The service was fast and really good. The food was out really fast. We ordered the chips and dip. They charge extra. It’s worth the $ 1.50. I wish I had taken all the leftovers home!
I had my salad without tomato. They give you so much sour cream and cheese. I love it!
I’ll be going back for the Taco Salad again. It is reasonably priced and filling! I’ll take my daughter next time to see what she thinks!
One note: My friend used the bathroom. She wasn’t pleased. She must have needed to go bad because she said she had to use the men’s room!

Meh… its truly just meh.
When I walked in my girlfriend and i were rather ravenous. I wanted food NOW and couldnt wait for the better choice (as bff states) that was only 2 streets away. Yes, when youre stomach says NOW, you listen.
The restaurant is cramped and busy, but your food comes out in a timely manner and the staff is rather attentive. The restaurant is a well oiled machine that really pushes for a high turn around rate. Profits and bottom lines must be kept!
But as for the food… dont expect anything… well… imaginative, new, very delicious, or well… lets just say I was ravenous when I came into the restaurant, but even with extreme hunger levels, i didn’t find the place terribly tasty. That, in my book, is a bad sign.
The ambiance is mostly for drinkers. Again, drinking really helps out a restaurant’s bottom line. The music is loud, the dinner lights are dimmed real low, and drink specials are abound!
I dont think i’ll be back.

After waiting almost 45 minutes, our food came out burned. Waiter came back twice the whole time we were there. After we were almost done picking through the burned chips and steak he finally came back and we told him it was burned and his rely was why didn’t y’all tell me earlier, well if you would have came back we would have. Worst experience ever.

Brunch, lunch and dinner! I always order the guacamole, tortilla soup and red pepper sauce chicken. The food is consistently great and fresh. They also more authentic Mexican dishes to choose from. I’ve never been disappointed. They have indoor and outdoor seating and multiple locations. Every time I travel to NY I stop here.
They give you a mix of dried plantains and chips when you arrive. They also serve brunch. The brunch menu is small. If it’s your first time visiting this place I would suggest going at dinner time to really get a taste for their food. Also make a reservation if you can they get busy.
Funny story: Every time I eat here, weather permitting, I sit on the street. Well last summer I was blessed with view of the infamous UES drag queen running streaker! Natives to the UES have seen him or heard of him. He has long hair and wears a red dress and sneakers and runs up and down 1^st avenue yelling random things. It was entertaining. Dinner and free show!

Tried Cilantro for Saturday brunch for the first time after always seeing the restaurant’s full crowds all times of the day.
We went around 11:45am on Saturday and were the first people to dine so we grabbed an outside table. The staff was friendly and the restaurant was clean.
To start, I had the chicken tortilla soup which was delicious — big chunks of white meat chicken in a delicious creamy broth. This was both a large and filling bowl for $ 6.
I then had the marinated chicken tacos for lunch. For $ 10, you get 4 full tacos with a side of rice and beans.
My boyfriend had the traditional Southwestern breakfast which included sausage patties, toast, eggs, and potatoes. He said he will definitely order it again!
We will be back to try dinner!

Got the Cajun jambalaya and it was simply amazing. My boyfriend got the steak tacos and he enjoyed them as well. Prices are extremely reasonable and delicious. was about 5 minute wait but well worth it! Service is mediocre but that doesn’t matter as much as the food. Will be back!

This place will do the trick if you’re in a pinch for Mexican food. My boyfriend ordered the pork chops and the sauce was just a tad too sweet. I ordered the taco salad. It was decent, but nothing special. The taco bowl itself was really greasy, I would not suggest eating it.
The service was okay, but I had to flag down the waitress one too many times for me to call it «good service». Everyone was friendly though.
I think was really brings this place down is the quality of food. I’ve been here 3 times and unless you’re getting the guacamole, it’s nothing spectacular, and definitely not for the price.

«Thursday Margarita Lunch Spot»
I come here pretty much every Thursday for lunch and margaritas. And, I have to say that this place is AWESOME with a capital A-​W-​E. Cilantro (or Cilanny as we call it) has 10 – 12 items on the $ 10 dollar lunch menu but the things on the regular menu are more or less the same price, so it is not too pricey for lunch. The lunch menu portions are VERY generous — I have yet to finish an entire chicken taco salad. My favorite lunch and regular menu items include:
1) Seafood Soup: This huge bowl of soup with mussels, tilapia, calamari and shrimp in a tomato based soup with a little bit of kick, in terms of spice.
2) Chicken Taco Salad: Large portion of chicken and all of the fun things that are included in standard tortilla bowl salad.
3) Steak tacos (2 tacos; regular menu): The steak is well-​seasoned and the dish comes with yellow rice and beans.
4) Raspberry Margaritas: Because booze is fun.
The service here is really good and the space is really nice for the location. Plus, the musical selections include: Julieta Venegas, La Oreja de Van Gogh, Juanes, and Shakira — a few of my favorite latino pop artists.
Sometimes I feel a little sad when I do not get my weekly fix of Cilantro.

Date night– drinks were good. Service was ok– food was fresh and hot. Guac had a lot of kick to it. Not into Mexican food– but it works. Nice local eatery. like the fried plantains on the table — tasty.

Decent Mexican restaurant on the upper east side. I live very close to the restaurant and have been quite frequently. Generally I enjoy the food here overall. They bring an unlimited supply of quite good tortilla chips and a mild salsa dip right when you sit and throughout the meal. The tortilla soup is a great way to start the meal and it’s quite filling. Most other food items are quite tasty from salads (tostada salad is my favorite!) to quesadillas (highly recommend the chicken version) to enchilladas (recommend going with the chicken here as well). Almost anything on the menu will not disappoint. The leschs dessert is really great. While the food is great– Sometimes the staff is not very friendly and therefore I’ve lowered the star count a bit.