Cuca's serves up authentic Mexican fare

The newest location in the empire, the Loma Linda Cuca’s serves up the same tasty and authentic Mexican cuisine that has been offered in Redlands, Rialto, Highland and Yucaipa for years.

The restaurant is spacious and has two large dining rooms that jut out from the welcoming entrance. Usually there is someone waiting there to greet patrons, but on one occasion I had to wait several minutes for help (I was waiting for a take out order - more about that later). 

When eating in, each table is brought a basket of delicious, crunchy tortilla chips and salsa. The salsa can vary in spiciness, depending on who the chef is, but it usually has a gentle bite to it. 

The menu is expansive, and there are numerous appetizers, salads, soups, fajitas, burritos and main entrees. Combination plates are available, served with refried beans and rice, and many items, such as tacos, taquitos and enchiladas, can be purchased a la carte. Beer is served, and there are specials at lunch and on specific days of the week.

I started with a cup of tortilla soup. The broth was perfectly seasoned, and filled with a generous amount of chicken and vegetables, including avocado. Tiny fried tortilla strips top the soup. It was a delicious way to get my meal started.

My friend and I both decided to try shrimp dishes - I had the Tostada Grande de Camaron, while my friend opted for the Camarones Rancheros. The tostada salad was a large fried shell filled with shrimp, beans, lettuce, tomato, guacamole and sour cream. I was surprised to find about eight or nine shrimp in the shell; some restaurants are notorious for being skimpy with shrimp, but that wasn’t the case with this salad. The combination was great, although the addition of rice would have made it even better.

The Camarones Rancheros were shrimp sauteed with tomatoes, chiles and onions in a zesty ranchero sauce. It came with beans, rice and a side of tortillas, and also included a generous portion of shrimp. The sauce was wonderfully flavorful, with just a hint of heat. It was so good that we ate it with some of our leftover tortilla chips.

Prices are very reasonable, with some burritos, like beans, rice and cheese, under $5. Shrimp dishes start around $12, and nothing is more than $20. Our waitress was terrific; she was able to answer all of our questions about the menu and was extremely efficient, making sure our iced teas were always filled and taking care of our requests, like for extra napkins, quickly.

My experience with a take out order wasn’t as positive. I’ve actually had a lot of issues with take out orders at the sit-down Redlands Cuca’s, and was hoping that Loma Linda would be different. This time I was shortchanged an item. I always notify Cuca’s when this happens, and they rectify things, but it’s annoying when it happens almost every single time.

Cuca’s is close to the Redlands/Loma Linda border, and shares a shopping center with Starbucks, Arco, Mr. Kebab, and other businesses. With its generous portions, fair prices and large selection, it’s definitely a place to check out. 

Cuca’s is at 11221 California St., Loma Linda. 909-798-9801