Tucos Wine Bar and Cafe

Took my parents here for a nightcap and some appetizers.
The ambiance was really cute– «collegiate winos» theme. There was a bookcase in the back with wine in it. The lighting is dim so my parents couldn’t read the menu– but it adds to the «experience».
We split a bottle of wine and ordered the lamb meatballs. They charged $ 30 for a $ 12 – 13 bottle of wine, which is okay for a cute restaurant. The meatballs were really delicious/​rich– $ 15. We sat there for a while just drinking and relaxing– it was really pleasant and the service was great. They were attentive when we wanted our water carafe re-​filled but otherwise left us alone and didn’t pressure us when it got late.
I will definitely try to make it back for food.

The food here is good. But expensive. The atmosphere is kinda weird on the inside of the Resturant!
There were a ton of workers inside and they all seemed to only know how to do one particular thing, like this guy does the wines and this guys knows the specials, all a waste of my damn time lol.
We started our meal with the dates stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon! This is why I gave them 3 stars, cuz they were amazing!
The food was definitely not worth the price and the selection was limited off the menu!
They charged me like 25 bucks for 4’large shots of wine that they called an international sampler! They need to make it more of a experience if they are going to charge that much.
Overall I would only go back if they were having a lunch special or maybe if I got a raise at work lol

We were seeing a show in Davis and I used the opportunity to check out a highly recommended local restaurant. Tucos is a five star among multiple Unilocal friends, and their word is like gold to me. So after a brief debate between Tucos and an Italian joint, we opted for Tucos.
Although the restaurant is in plain sight on a downtown street corner, it was still deceptively hard to find. I’d made a reservation and we popped a squat on a balmy fall evening in their lovely outdoor patio area. The menu has plenty of options, most of which seem to be of either a Latin/​Caribbean or (strangely) Portuguese influence. I opted for the special of the night, a Puerto Rican-​inspired three course meal that included a mashed plantain appetizer, a steak smothered in sautéed onions served with rice and beans and flan as the dessert. The appetizer was flavorful but the plantains created an odd texture and consistency. The steak itself was unremarkable… the sautéed onions were the real highlight of that dish. The best moment of the meal was the flan dessert — some of the best flan I’ve had in recent memory.
The service was bare bones but quick and efficient. My biggest criticism would be the $ 40 price tag for my meal. I’ve travelled Central America and had comparable dishes for a tenth of the cost. There just wasn’t anything about this basic Latin take on meat and potatoes that justified the cost.

Overpriced but was manageable splitting an appetizer and three entrees with friends. Tried the Crostini with goat cheese (wow! Very flavorful with the basil leaves? And buttery, crunchy bread and a creamy and tangy goat cheese spread). I was sad with the portions though-​so small. Also tried the Royal Mac&Cheese (very creamy and cheesy from the mozzarella Cheese and flavorfully smoky because of the bits of crispy bacon+Oh and it came with a perfectly cooked, vinegary egg). We also shared the steak salad pizza-​this plate was especially good because of the pesto and cheese. We asked for the steak to be cooked medium (good choice because it was not bloody and was chewy). The crust was so hard to chew though! I think it’s clever that they came up with the idea of placing salad on top.
The place itself is lovely-​dim lights, a background of wine bottles lined up, live music, nice tables and chairs, cozy and small.
Only thing I complain about are the prices! Otherwise, this is a great place for a date or a girls’ night out!

Amazing little hole in the wall place. Not many tables and the service is slow, but the food more than made up for it. Delicious little slices of bread and olive oil/​balsamic to begin with. The wines were all ones I hadn’t heard of before and I had a great time reading the extensive list, finally settling on a really great red from Spain.
We shared the sweet potato nachos… divine. And seeing all the other dishes that passed by our table, I am determined to go back. And soon.

The food was good, but the wait it took to get to it was ridiculous and the service was even worse. It’s located in downtown Davis across the street from Paesano’s, but parking shouldn’t be too hard. The place is more of an imitate setting, so don’t come in looking like you just woke up and ran out the door.
My friend took me here and had reservations at 7. We walked in and waited around ten minutes to get seated. The waiter took a long time to take our orders and get us water. I liked how extensive the menu was and how they also have a seasonal menu along with their normal one. I remember talking to my friend for an hour and went like, «did they forget our orders.» When we pointed it out, the dishes came out within ten minutes.
We ordered the cheese balls for appetizers, which was pretty interesting. It wasn’t a gooey, cheesy mess that I thought it was. It was soft, light, and fluffy. Pretty interesting.
I ordered the lamb stew over squash, which was on their seasonal menu. I think it was around $ 20? Pretty good, but not sure if it was worth the price. The lamb in the stew was over half a squash and the meat with soft. I also liked the fact that the squash was roasted, so it had a nice charbroiled texture/​taste. I noticed when I got my plate that the plate was HOT. I think the plate has been sitting there for a while under the heater and the waiters didn’t bother bringing it to us until later.
The food is good, but don’t come here if you’re looking for a quick or cheap dinner.

Overall I was very happy with my experience here. I wasn’t sure quite what to expect and to be fair the menu is a bit more of a hodgepodge than I expected so I wasn’t sure what I should try. My friend recommended the arepas so my friend and I split the tray of 3 and tried the shrimp mozzarella, chicken guacamole, and braised beef. They were hands down my favorite part of the meal especially the chicken guacamole ones. I don’t have the knowledge or authority to call them authentic but they were definitely delicious.
My friend and I each ordered an entrée. I got the classic chicken pot pie with a side of sweet polenta and my friend got the tamales. My pot pie was pretty good. It’s not exactly a traditional pot pie but I liked it. The crust was a bit heavy and I’m pretty sure the filling contained cheese but overall it was decent. I also loved my sweet corn polenta side. I wish they had made it a bit thinner and less salty but it was also great.
However I had different feelings about my friend’s tamales. It was absolutely covered in what I think was a mole sauce (I’m not sure since I didn’t read it on the menu). The tamale itself was just a bit overwhelmed by the amount of sauce. She enjoyed her tamales though but left the sides cause while they were decent they weren’t great either.
And lastly the service. The service was great. Nothing to write home about but they provided us with just the right amount of attention and professionalism and there’s definitely nothing to complain about.
The last note I wanted to make though is: the portions are HUGE. Like absolutely huge, well worth the $ 17 price of our entrees.

Came here for my 25^th birthday and I absolutely fell in love with this hidden gem! Their wine selection met my tastebuds and suited my dinner. The shrimp arepas are by far the most delicious thing! They were so yummy I wished I wasn’t so full to order more. The chefs menu had great selection of options. I had the salmon with veggies and was very satisfied. The ambience is very relaxing and calm, lighting is low.
One thing I want to point out is at some point I felt they forgot about me since they took forever to bring out the arepas. Luckily we had a bottle of wine at our table and didn’t notice the wait too too much.