Cucos Mexican Cafe is in the Bon Marché square surrounded among a beauty and hair salon and a realty place. After Katrina, their hours were shorter and grew longer as daylight savings time came into effect. They're open from 11am to 9pm Monday through Thursday, 11am to 10pm on Friday and Saturday, and 11am to 8pm on Sunday.

The atmosphere is truly south of the border with orange ceramic tile, straw floral arrangements, and wooden beams. There is a clay statue of a howling dog (named Howling Mad), a mule that has an armadillo underneath it holds the toothpicks. The food is excellent with a range of chicken and cheese quesadillas and enchiladas, tacos, chicken flautas, tostadas, nachos, burritos, and many delicious others.

I often get the Dinner Creation, which lets you chose two to three options of your meal. If you like nachos and not sure what to get, the Tres Combo Nacho offers beef, chicken, and cheese nachos. A Cucos favorite is called the Macho Nacho that has beef, cheese, black beans, and guacamole on the nacho. Also, if you've never tasted some of the food, I would try a Sampler Platter (nachos, enchiladas, taco, quesadillas, chimipoquitos (mini chimichangas)) that is a taste of everything. The deserts include a fried ice cream, a vanilla scoop of ice cream wrapped in a granola shell and dipped into the frier, then topped with whipped cream, chocolate, and honey with a cherry on top! Then, there's the Soapillas, sort of like French beignets that come with a side of strawberry syrup and honey with powdered sugar.

Lunch menus are served during the week from 11 am to 3pm and are cheaper than the weekend dinner menus. On Wednesdays, it's $1 Tacos and 3-for-1 margaritas. The margarita is a regular rita that comes in a 32-ounce cup and is about $4.95 until 7pm.

There's a bar in the center of the restaurant that has the usual Chardonnay wines and margaritas (strawberry, peach, raspberry, melon, mango, coconut, or Blue Monday). The well-known drink is the Ultimate Margarita (Cuervo Gold Tequila, Cointreau, and citrus juices with a shot of Grand Marnier). A Gold Margarita is like an Ultimate Margarita, except it does not come with a shot of Grand Mariner, and it a whole lot cheaper than an Ultimate Margarita. Happy Hour is from 3 to 7pm in the bar only. The wait staff is friendly and happy in answering questions. From the hostesses to the waitresses, they enjoy their job of making people feel welcome to the establishment.