Located in a small space downtown, Otro Cinco is a madhouse.

Lines consistently reach the door at the Alto Cinco spinoff. But if you can maneuver through the crowds, you can watch the food being made, and you can tell the cooks are having a good time.

That shows in the food. The restaurant features classic dishes from the Alto Cinco menu, and a couple of new ones, like tacos made with non-GMO organic white corn tortillas, seafood tapas and made-to-order paella. Daily specials are also written on the chalkboard hung on the left wall when you first walk in.

When I went, one of the specials was a beef tostada. A guy wearing a trucker hat that read “Don’t mess with my dad,” crafted the dish with yellow rice, a corn tostada and slow-roasted flank steak. This was topped with corn salsa, cabbage, pickled red onions, queso fresco and a dollop of sour cream.

The mouthwatering dish was served over the counter to a different customer. I decided to order the mahimahi because fish tacos are one of my favorite dishes.

While making my dish, the chef — clad in a fedora — threw fresh veggies into a frying pan, sizzling on impact. Next he walked to the cutting board and started to fillet a piece of mahimahi. After sprinkling some seasoning on it, he tossed the fish into another frying pan to begin a sauté. When he checked on the veggies and a large flame engulfed the food, a smile spread across his face.

The fish was seasoned well, but cooked to the point where it fell apart. This made the taco — overloaded with toppings — hard to eat. Yet with spicy guacamole, fresh salsa and shredded cabbage, the dish was classic and like something I could find in my California hometown. Just make sure to have a glass of water nearby or ask for sour cream if you are a wimp like myself when it comes to spicy foods.

Although this dish was very hot, others on the menu had a much more bland flavor. The crispy fried Tilapia fish tacos that my friend ordered, for example, featured pickled onions and similar toppings. But when biting into a section with no onions, the flavor was one-note and not too exciting.

One dish that was new to the menu was the Sonora Quesadilla. With oozing, shredded Jack cheese and a crispy tortilla, the contrast of textures made for an interesting taste. The black beans, avocado and cabbage inside added a somewhat-nutritious element that contributed to a complex flavor. Served with sour cream and chipotle mayo, the dish was creamy and tasty overall.

While the slight menu changes — like added seafood — are intriguing, most of the dishes that students love can be found at Alto Cinco on Westcott Street for a similar price and at a much closer location. The spin-off restaurant is right off the Connective Corridor bus route and easily accessible, but the similarities didn’t motivate me to want to return to the new location.

It might be a good option if you are already downtown for class at the Warehouse or shopping with some friends, but heading over to Otro Cinco only for lunch seems a little silly when you can take a short walk off campus to the flagship location.

But if you are looking to try a couple of its new items, go ahead and visit downtown. Just try to avoid the lunchtime rush.

Published on November 18, 2013 at 1:31 am

Contact Nicole: nlfisher@syr.edu