gonza tacos y tequila

good food. the food is very good and also the service the only is it is way to expensive for what they put on the plate.
mexican food should be cheap because there is not much to it, we come from texas where people live on
mexican food, i don't think i want to go back unless they changing their prizes.
other than that the service was o.k.

4 of 4 stars (excellent, casual dining).. (see explanation of ratings below)

very popular (make a reservation), fun spot in north raleigh.

great selection of tequila.

good food at a great price.

allow 40-50 minutes (no dessert).

about $10-$20 (no dessert).

about my ratings:

i divide restaurants into three categories.

1) fast food and "fast-casual" (no table service).

2) casual dining (table service, average entrée price: $10-$20).

3) fine dining (linen napkins, no plastic cups, no tv's in dining room, average entrée priced at more than $20).

fine dining can earn a max of five stars. casual dining can earn a max of four stars. fast food can earn a max of three stars.


-----12 mar, 2013-----

would love to see some specials, some creativity, some flair!. excellent, casual dining.

reservations highly recommended.

allow 45 minutes.

i like gonza and i like his restaurant. but, it's been more than a year now and the menu hasn't changed much. the "ghost menu" items are now in print, but --- other than that--- the menu is the basically same.

about $35 per person (we spent more on tequila than we did food), dessert and gratuity not included.

be sure to order a sangrita to chase your tequila (unless you're having one of the more expensive, fine, sipping tequilas).

mmmmm...delicious. we - all 5 of us - eat here regularly... the plantain might be the best, though i have not had a bad meal here yet. service is grand - gonza is the man... he knows his business. can recommend without concern. the food, the service, the decor and the owner are all remarkable.

thank you, lord, for gonza! first time here and it lived up to its rating. the best mexican i've had in years. fresh guacamole was small in portion but big on flavor. salsa was chunky and good. tortilla chips fresh and crisp - second basket appeared quickly and hot from the source. pitcher of house margaritas: nice mixology for a tasty drink. and the entrees? well, unlike most restaurants these days - especially those focused on mexican/tex-mex - gonza doesn't have page after page of offerings: the two facing inside pages of the menu are it. to me, a limited number of offerings is positive: with no distractions and no place for the kitchen to hide, all energy is focused on making a handful of dishes really well. and gonza did it really, really well friday night. fresh ingredients and great execution led to three happy diners for their quesadilla, chile relleno, and enchiladas mole. how good is the grub in all truth? i'd go back for their light-as-air refried beans alone! bummed i'll have to drive from hickory to eat here again.

mexican food is very popular in the us but very few can serve the authentic dishes. gonza is the place where one can enjoy a great mexican meal made using the best invredients. the ambiance is really cool and nice, the staff are friendly and the food is at its best. recommended.

annoyedpatron. great food, good customer service, decor horrible all spanish speaking celebrities not mexican???? never opened on holidays not even super bowl sunday, hey id like to eat there on that day???? owner rude, oblivious, and weak hung up on a woman lol

very very good salsa. entrees were ok but very small for the price.
not a fan of the super dark, noisy, and crowded ambience.

the food is consistent and very good.. the staff is typically very good and service is amazingly quick and efficient. the food is quite good - i have not had a bad meal in probably 10 visits. go on thursdays if you can, as it's tamale night. they do a special and different tamale preparation each week. the atmosphere is lively and loud - not for everyone, but i find it fun and upbeat. the decor is well, different. kind of a macabre new orleans meets funky strip mall. my only semi-negative is the price. a bit high in my opinion. the quality is there, but the portion sizes could be a tad larger. don't be put off by a wait on weekends... the tables turn quickly.

food ok portions tiny. i don't know where gonzo's gets their mini corn torts for their tacos but 3 bites just doesn't cut it for the price they charge with a very poor selection/quality of sides available. the mexican flag dish they brag about is similarly portioned and bland. when i saw the management make the bartender pay for a dish the customer ordered wrong i decided that was the last time i would give them a try. i think they are resting on their reputation.

anyone here knocking the "flavorless" food and "rude" service is obviously working for and plugging chubby's (whatever that is...) here's my simple review: remember the scene in the pixar movie ratatouille when the critic takes a bite and is sent suddenly into a deep trance where he sees his childhood flash before his eyes? that's gonza's.

absolutely phenomenal. i love the chiles rancheros and they have wonderful cocktails. the pulled pork tacos are also amazing. the coconut flan is delicious. an all around great experience with great food. i will never again go to another mexican food place as they will never compare. if you're wondering whether or not you should go: go!!

you are missing out if you haven't eaten here!. this is not your ordinary" mexican restaurant" mouthwatering from the homemade salsa, to the extraordinary carne asada, tinga...mmmm just hungry writing this and it's 7 am! excellent food, superior service, and a fabulous owner you just want to see succeed!

oh wake forest patrons- gonza's opening a second restaurant in the factory dec 2013. identical menu and ambiance just closer to you. ;-)

this is the place i go when i just want to unwind and be happy.

loud but good food. the volume of noise in the restaurant is much louder than what i generally like, and the tables were set close together. i took my children there for supper, and it appeared to be a trendy place for younger folks. great decor, and the staff was friendly. the service was great. the food was pretty good and unique. while the menu was small, the food was tasty, and we were able to modify one of the dishes to accommodate my picky son.

perhaps a little too much hype. approaching the restaurant i was immediately taken by the colorful festive atmosphere, and my wife and i love good mexican ; which is almost non-existent around here. and , in fact , it was very friendly, lively with good service. definitely a fun place to go.
however, the food was pretty unremarkable. perhaps it is was what we had , but i doubt it. even worse, the house margarita was below average. someone could give the bartender a quick lesson on what constitutes a "premium margarita". so, the restaurant has really made it on their atmosphere( which is very cool) but not the food. lets face it. how many people in north raleigh have actually tasted real high-end mexican. i f that is what you are looking for...go to jabarra, downtown. you won't be disappointed.

fun atmosphere, great food & service. party of 3, saturday evening at 7pm. full, but got the last open table. recommend reservations for parties of 5 or more.

highly recommend.

service: christina was the best server we've had in the 3 years we've lived in raleigh. you can easily tell it's a great team. the owner, gonza, talked with us and was genuinely interested in our experience.

atmosphere: lively, upbeat. loud, but we could hear our conversation. entertainers are placed throughout for added fun. great decor! tables are close together, but that adds to the congenial atmosphere. lots of room outside.

drinks: we had 3 margaritas: house, spicy mojito and passion fruit. you could actually taste the tequila for a change! excellent and can't wait to return and try others.

food: tender steak for the fajitas and steak tacos; pork & pineapple tacos were a perfect combination with tomatillo sauce. some reviewers say the portions are small for the price, but they tortillas are small -- the amount of filling is plentiful. loved it!