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Tucos was a lovely little restaurant for us to celebrate our most recent anniversary over lunch. The restaurant is nestled in the corner of Davis downtown, making it an ideal location that's near everything (including Amtrak) but enough on the outskirts to make it cozy (well, except when the Amtrak is coming). The restaurant had a slightly upscale quality, which made it feel slightly nicer than your average eatery but still laid back in the way that you can wear jeans without feeling awkward. Our server reflected this, as she was responsive but kept our food coming out at an easy-going pace without making us feel like we were rushed.
As for the important part, the food & drink: The wine was absolutely delicious, and the entrees had several unique options. We were very happy with our arugula salad appetizer and respective entrees, which were all small but filling, thanks to being rich. (We were so full we couldn't even think about dessert!)
The only downside to Tucos is that it is pricey - we paid between $70 and $75 including tip... for lunch. For this reason, I will not be able to eat here regularly, but for a special occasion it simply can't be beaten.
Just ate here on Saturday night and was VERY pleasantly surprised. Coming from the city, I was convinced that my only dining choices in Davis would be all-you-can-eat Sushi Boat Buffets & Woodstock's Pizza - boy was I wrong.
EVERYTHING we ordered was FANTASTIC. and the wine was off the hook. The service was great as well.
I would recommend this cute little spot for anyone!
Service was okay. Made us wait forever in a day for a table (but we didn't have reservations so no blame there). This rating mostly reflects the quality and taste of the "food" that my boyfriend and I had.
We had some appetizer thing with crab which was pretty good. No complaints there. But the entrees, good lord. I didn't know that it was possible for food to be difficult to eat. Literally. It tasted so terrible I felt like I was undergoing some interrogation tactic by eating their sour, soppy ravioli thing. My dish was one HUGE HONKIN' plate. And four floppy ravioli things with crab and cheese inside. I mean, it sounded good, but it definitely wasn't. The cook must've doused that stuff in lemon juice or something because it was sour ravioli. So sour it reminded me of my young'n days back when warheads were popular. But you see with warheads, after you get past the sour coating of the candy, it's so sweet, nice and delicious. The ravioli did not get any better. It remained a soppy, sour mess.
My boyfriend had the steak entree. It was tough and dry and made us want to run to Cattlemen's screaming and begging for some real steak. I can't say much about the wine because I'm not a fan of any alcoholic beverages, but it wasn't much to talk about according to my boyfriend.
After our meal, my boyfriend wondered exactly what it was that we'd just spent over $100 on. We were still hungry and I felt queasy in the car like my sour ravioli slosh wanted to travel back out of my system - one way or the other if you get what I mean.
Don't be fooled when you see that this place always has people. It's tiny as hell inside and if this place was the size of most restaurants, it'd be as dead as a ghost town.
The best food in Davis, hands down!! We recently had the Japanese Tobiko blinis, O.M.G. I forgot that they were tiny, which they were, and I really didn't mind. The simple pot roast in red wine was the perfect meal for a rainy fall day.
This one is one of the more difficult places to review. On one hand, you have fresh, organic food (I thought the food quality was excellent), on the other side was the price (for the same amount of money, there are a wide range of choices). I liked my meal but I spent the same amount at Mustard Seed and thought I got more value over at Mustard Seed.
Wow, what a great little place.
Im super spoiled living in Oakland and San Fran area with all the great culinary wonders around me.
This little spot is phenomenal. We ate a set menu for the graduation party. Which was fine with me. The bing cherry gazpacho was to die for. I was actually trying to slyly lick the bowl that it was in. Really I was, plus I finished off several others at the table.
I ate the fish fry with the sweet potato fries. I am a connoisseur of french fries and I have not had just regular normal roasted sweet potatoes, it normally doesn't appeal to me. But I have to say these were quite tasty and prepared so simple.
As much as I wanted the dessert, I couldn't eat it, It was a three cream strawberry shortcake, and since dairy and I hate each other.
They had a very nice wine pairing as well.
Overall, very tasty. And I got the recipe for the bing cherry gazpacho!!
I had a great time here last night. The pizzetta with prosciutto and arugula was amazing.
I don't think this place is too expensive by any means. I shared a chicken pot pie, pizzetta, the crab bruschetta, and a bottle of wine and the bill came to 70 or so. For the quality of the food I think it is the same price range as any nice restaurant in the area or Sacramento.
I will definitely be back.
I got so excited about this place when I saw the words "Chez Panisse" and "Blue Bottle Coffee" on their blog. I dined here on Valentine's Day for their Prixe Fix menu of $40 a person, and I would have to say the food was pretty good, but not outstanding.
The meal included tobiko caviar as an appetizer, veal carpaccio salad, mushroom pasta, & meringue dessert. Everything was well presented, but the mushroom pasta was definitely something I could have thrown together at home, and the dessert was just OKAY. Tasted home-made, but my grandma makes some lovely meringue dessert from Italy, and this just looked like someone with lack of experience made it for some reason =(
They also don't make the espresso right which is a shame since it's of the highest quality coffee in the area...BLUE BOTTLE COFFEE COMPANY =) They didn't press down the coffee before connecting it to the machine, thus we were left with little grains at the bottom of our espresso cups
$100 for two for a Valentine's Meal was not outrageously expensive but for Davis standards, I was expecting a little more. The service and waiters/staff are wonderful & friendly people though, which really makes up for it.
Perhaps I'll give this place another shot in the near future, and try their regular menu =)
It's hard to believe you're still in davis when you're in this restaurant. The wine was fantastic, the food was foo-foo but delicious and reasonably priced. We had the wine and cheese along with the kumamoto oysters and entrees. Very delicious and with great taste, everything goes together very well. We had the '07 Pinot Noir which was truly superb. The pot roast and scallops were tasty entrees and the oysters were small, but delicious.
The crowd was very modern, almost like NYC Crowd, you really forget where you are when you're eating there. Cozy and classy. Great place to impress.
Besides having an adorably quaint, let-mamma-make-you-a-straight-from-the-heart-meal feel, Tuco's has some of the best food I have EVER had. I could eat here every single day for the rest of my life and die a very happy woman. Speaking of dying, the pot pie is to DIE for. It's not your typical creamy, flaky crust version though. Oh no. It's better. It's so good I literally had it three times in one week. One of the servers there has gotten so used to seeing my face she instinctively says, "Pot pie?" as soon as I walk in the door. The owner is there often as well, and even offered to email me the recipe. Now that is service at its finest!
The arepas are a close second favorite. The slow roasted meat inside is so juicy and flavorful, the only word to describe them is heavenly. I've had several other things on the menu as well, and nothing disappoints. I always leave pleasantly stuffed, and still longing for more.
They also have an interesting, out-of-the-box wine selection. As a fan of sparkling wine, I really enjoy their sparkling flight. Be careful with their white wine flight, whoever. One of them is a Reisling that tastes like a heavy, thick Muscato.
Great service from the gals as well.
Oh Tuco's...how I heart you.
If you are ever in Davis, a cute little spot to try some wines and inventive small plates is Tuco's Wine Bar and Cafe.
I recently joined my friends for dinner and wine at Tuco's and here are some of the things you will find on the menu:
Marinated Olives fresh herbs, lemon, garlic. Emphasis on lemon/lemon zest in the dish.
The white bread was only so so, but the other bread selection: Acme Cranberry Walnut Levain Bread could almost be ordered as a dessert. This bread is served when you order from the cheese menu... and the cheese menu is a small trip around the world itself, with selections from California, Colorado, France, Holland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.
The Red Discovery $10
Simonsig Pinotage 2003, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Monte Lomas Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004, Mendoza, Argentina
Nada Blanca Tempranillo 2005, Central Coast, CA
Marquis Phillips Shiraz 2006, South Eastern Australia
I liked the Simonsig Pinotage the best and ended up ordering a glass of it with my Dungeness Crab & Cheese Bruschetta hand-picked crab, aioli, fresh herbs, cheese, garlic toast: $12.
The Bruschetta (Dungeness Crab & Cheese Bruschetta hand-picked crab, aioli, fresh herbs, cheese, garlic toast) is served with a red sauce that I would describe as cocktail-ish. Makes sense with the crab. It was very bad for my figure, but very good for my taste buds. ;)
I also tried the Carrot Gazpacho Soup (refreshing), and one of my friends had the Seared Ahi Tuna Nicoise hard-cooked egg, potato, seasonal veggies, with herbed citrus dressing. I can say the salad portion was very generous. Lots of egg, olives, and ahi there.
Two of my friends ordered the Cinnamon Crumb Bread Pudding with Ice Cream and were very pleased. I did not try it as I am allergic to sucrose/table sugar. Shame, isn't it?
The menu is fun and inventive, the owner has taken old favorites and put a fresh spin on them. This is a perfect place to go on a date, or with a few people, but not so much in a big group.
There is also a wine club you can join to receive 10% discount off retail prices on Club Tucos Packages. 15% discount on our events like wine parties or seminars. For more information go to Club Tucos.
It's kind of expensive and that can sort of be a fun suck. Especially after you drive all the way to Davis.
Tucos is hands down one of the best restaurants in Davis, if you go when the menu is right. Since they change their menu a bit, sometimes it's hit and miss, usually a hit though. The first time I went I wasn't wowed, but I went again later after the menu had changed and every experience after that (and there were many) was amazing.
Try to go when they have their steak and egg sandwich, it's AMAZING! I was so upset when I went to get the sandwich and it was off the menu for winter, I wish i had some warning!. The plantain appetizer is to die for. Be warned though, they have a section that says "small plates" and they are VERY small plates. I ordered the scallops benedict and the entire dish was about the size of my palm. I left hungry that day. Stick with the entrees.
The service is also hit and miss. There's a waitress there who always acts like she's either super tired or super high, or both. She has a tendency to make me feel like I'm being a pain in the ass by coming into the restaurant. The other servers have been fantastic.
Finally ate at their location in Davis vs their catering, and sadly, my fave things about them - ie sandwiches and picnic-type stuff - aren't on their menu.
Be sure to ask about portion sizes ahead of time.... My scallop benedict ended up being two scallops on two square inches of toast. Itty-bitty tiny.
You can check out their current menu here:
http://daviswiki.org/T...
First off, they deliver to Berkeley and maybe elsewhere in SF and Marin. Business lunches and… Read more »
I thought exactly two stars.. Meh, I've experienced better. And for far less money. I'm guessing this is as good as it gets in Davis.. but Davis is so close to wine country I expect better. I enjoyed a flight of reds. I thought their whites were all very poor, even the expensive one. Good french onion soup.
Delicious dinner. We actually didn't even have the wine. We had the beet salad, the really special gazpacho soup with cucumbers and melon (totally refreshing), and the steak pizzetta (which was fine as a full meal). Really lovely atmosphere. We sat outside on the quiet patio, and just savored this meal.
Oh my god! Went here for my birthday dinner last weekend and it was fantastic! Everything we ate, which was a ton, was unbelievable. Cheese plate, faux caviar, crab bruschetta, ravioli, squash empenadas, I could go on forever cause we seriously ate like half the menu, but you get the point. Although I'm veg, my friend had the bison and said it was better than fillet mignon. It was great. They have a really nice wine list, duh, that was surprisingly reasonable. Definitely will return, and recommend highly to anyone who is considering. Also, they have this Brazilian juice menu, check it out.
The food here was good...Had scallops benedict and some sort of cheesy carrot pancake. The hollaindaise could use some work, but wasn't the worst ever. Points for having a creative menu. They also have some decent bottled beers for non wine drinkers.
The service, quite a different story. They have icons on their menu that indicate certain items are good for people in a hurry. All of the things we ordered were in the "fast" category, but they must have forgotten about us, even though we were at the bar. It's a tiny place, and they had a party of about 10, so I think they were more worried about them than us.
The food is promising, but the service needs work. Maybe they were just having an off night. I'd like to try it again.
To cristina T. from gilroy, for a bottle of wine that retails at 30 dollars in a store, the expected markup for a restaurant would be at least 20 dollars, or sometimes 30 dollars. Therefore a reasonable person would expect that same bottle of wine to be around sixty dollars in a restaurant. Therefore a 15 dollar glass would be right around what I would be expected to be charged. If you want a 7 dollar glass of wine that retails for 30 a bottle in store, I suggest you set up a table outside of safeway. Buy the bottle for retail inside of safeway, and then pour yourself a seven dollar glass and see if a bagger will tell you the specials of the day. (unless of course the deli is closed.)
People should take doling out poor ratings more seriously. In a computer-savvy town, one misinformed review of two stars can have a tangible effect on the yelp rating of an otherwise good restaurant. Tucos uses high-quality ingredients and they don't overextend themselves, they pick menu items that they can execute. I enjoy many plates here, from the niman ranch lamb and mojo meatballs, to the Brzilian cheese bread. Deserts are good too, and the cheese plate is off the chain. I dare you to find a better restaurant in Davis.
Tuco's is eclectic, thoughtful, talented, and comfortable. The menu would normally make me doubt the chef's talent: mixing French, Italian, Venezuelan, and Brazilian plates smells like a chef trying to be too many things at once without being good at any. But Tuco's stays true to each of those styles and presents each of them with equal skill.
Some of my favorites: leeks braised in wine and with mussels; feijoada, carrot-based arepas, sardines in piru-piru sauce (tomato based). Desserts all around were excellent- leave space.
The wine list is especially thoughtful; lots of stuff you won't find anywhere else. He pours glasses of wines that no other restaurant would dare to. Good deals on bottles, too. Pru will help you pick out something good for you.
Another positive sidenote: excellent eclectic music.
I did enjoy the cozy, intimate atmosphere... As far as wine selection and knowledge this is a pretty good place, I found a trip here is a good way to learn about wine. The staff here is pretty friendly and have to say that this establishment is pretty enthusiastic about food and drinks. I did think for the price on some of their dishes, are a little high, especially if you are on a college or grad student's budget, I once for lunch had a fresh pasta sauteed with vegetables and olive oil, it was about 15.00, I little steep for lunch, it was good, it just felt pretty high... Sometimes the salmon dishes and certain cuts of meat will go to the 25-30 range, which I do find to be pretty high.
They do a great job on their desserts, and one thing that I found to be quite fun is that they do these drink combinations called flights. Think of them as tasting menus for different wines from all over the world internationally, to even local vineyards. Parking in the evenings can have alot of competition when dealing with the dinner crowds as street parking is a bit on the limited side, parking in the residential spots are far and require a special permit, street parking is limited to a 2 hour max (strictly enforced) and on the next street over by the movie theater is a parking garage. Naturally Davis is pretty bike friendly, and there are bus lines that run (are free for people with UC Davis ID cards) You might want to bike off that meal from all the wine and cheese. Just make sure you don't do it too soon, after drink that wine, Davis police will ticket you and give you a BUI... (Biking under the influence.) (I dead serious, they are the same one that gave me a speeding ticket on my bike!!! It's a BICYCLE mind you not a motorbike.) Any case, that's another story. Check out Tucos for some awesome wine and cheese selections, you'll definitely learn alot....
You know it's going to be a delicious dinner when the salivating begins more than twenty-four hours before the actual meal. That's how I feel about Tucos in Davis. As Yvonne mentions below, college towns do tend to cater to young, broke students who might be void of tastebuds after one-too-many beer bongs of Natty Ice. BUT, there should be choices: cuisines and prices that appeal to a wider audience...that's where Tucos comes in.
Tucos offers innovative and delectable foods that leave your tastebuds dancing and cheering for more. Our family went to Tucos to celebrate my Mom's birthday. They must have known she was coming because they put on her favorite Mexican ballad singer: Luis Miguel. Ten points for mood music for the birthday girl! (And I'm very serious about that being her favorite music.) We ordered the Cafaro Cabernet, and while I felt that it wasn't spectacular, I can't complain because we chose the bottle ourselves. (For those of you who want to experience the wide variety of wines, they offer flights for sampling. They have a few different themed flights for you to choose from, including a Sake selection.)
We started off with a dozen oysters, a mix of: Marin Miyagi, Olympia, Kumumota and Wellfleet. What a perfectly luxurious way to start out a meal. Then, after the ideal wait time (short enough to properly feed your hunger in a timely manner and long enough to feel secure that they didn't "warm" anything up) our food arrived. My mom started with the Cream of Turnip soup with cooked swiss chard, and I had a plain, mixed green salad with warmed goat cheese. The soup was delicious! Very innovative flavors...I tasted an aftertaste of nutmeg or something similiar. Then my balls arrived...my Niman Ranch Lamb MeatBALLS that is. They were dripping in some sort of gravy looking wine sauce. YUM! So far, so good. My dad ordered the Bison, and although the portion size was small...it was worth it! The meat melts in your mouth like a handful of M&M's in the summertime. My Mom ordered a Piri Piri chicken breast with mashed butternut-potatoes and greens. This chicken was so light and fluffy..is that even possible? Soooo juicy! My brother ordered a bison burger and again, the portion size was small but he enjoyed it thouroughly.
Overall, our experience at Tucos was brilliant. From our delicious meal, the vast wine and beer selection, the owner who was present and actively overseeing the restaurant activities, to our spectacular dessert...Tucos will be seeing our family again in the near future.
The food and wine was alright, but too expensive. One glass of wine was $15- the bottle would have cost me $30 at a store! The finger foods were pretty tasty, but if you are eating a complete lunch or dinner, expect to pay over $30 per person excluding vino.
I actually was the sous chef about 2 years ago, the food was good, but a bit extreme very organic to the core,
Service was filled with temps , its staffed by college kids,
After I refused to work 6 days a week from 8am to 11pm he cut my hours, and was probably for the best
just a shame that he has a great business concept just depends on the current chef, so food changes
Always a pleasant dining experience for fresh and innovate food and tasty wines. I recommend lunch or dinner and enjoy a flight to try new varieties of reds and white. Pru is dedicated to your experience and you won't be disappointed. A hidden treasure among the 70+ restaurants in downtown Davis.
I would give this place 3.5 stars. I couldn't justify rounding up to 4...which I typically do. The service was a little strange...weird...just uncomfortable and it really mars the experience. But lets start with the good:
Bison steak is very good (but way overpriced $27? in a college town? please) but is quite small so if you think you're getting more because its the most expensive thing on the menu...think again
Nice tasty oysters and great crab cakes served with an organic almost bitter salad (i think it was mesclun, but i'm not a greens person so i don't know) whatever it was it was the perfect compliment to the crab. I highly recommend it.
Our surprise favorite was the Nicoise salad- we ordered it with halibut.
I'm not into the way the serve the cheeses here. you get a couple bites and a lot of bread. I would have rather just paid more for more cheese. I asked the waitress for cheese suggestions- ehn.
There's a fantastic dessert wine from spain, 1971- I loved it. I would by it.
this wasn't a bad experience, it was just strange. they kept forgetting stuff or didn't know that they were out of things. Our waitress was nice, just a little out of it. My fellow dinner guest said it best when she said the waitress just wasn't enjoying what she did and wasn't with us. i also got the feeling she was laughing at us with the counter guy because she looked over at the table. i felt very strange about that and I wouldn't want to go back.
I liked how cozy it was and their semi-innovative wine choices. However, I do agree with Melanie C. that the prices of some food and wine were a bit too high for such a small college town. After last nights Bubble Lounge experience in SF, this seems a bit steep!
Can you say pretentious and weird? Everything is way too expensive. It is cool to be seen here. Wines are mostly foreign, not enough California varietals. Food is actually tasty, but wait staff is on a parallel plane - just try and get service. Huh?? You want to order f-o-o-d?? Uhhhh...we're out of food... They're even slow to bring more wine or anything. Real zombie-like. Appetizers yummy but too small!! However it is cool to be seen here, at least for now. Lounge around the table out front, having just been handed an oversized glass with 3 sips of tempranillo in it, nurse it, eyes half-closed, gazing languidly at the passers-by... you are cool, uh-huh...that's the Tuco's experience. WARNING - they decide what your gratuity is, they add it to the bill, and THEN tax that total - I believe that's illegal. Bring your credit card - no one carries that much cash. Yawn.
Pru really serves up some deee-licious food! We spent a fab 2 hours there, sampling many of the fresh seasonal wares. The chilled pea and crab soup started us off subtly, followed by some venezuelan carroty cheesy pancakey items (the name escapes me). Those were so good I begged him for the recipe. I'm not a huge sardine fan, but I enjoyed the sardine plate my friend ordered, and as he noted, "You gotta love a place that boldly puts grilled sardines on the menu in this region." We also thoroughly enjoyed the leeks with clams and mussels - my friend was lapping up the broth in a clam shell because he didn't want to wait for a spoon! The strawberry flan was also yummy, which is saying a lot coming from the woman who usually orders a dessert that involves chocolate or carmel. And to top it off, we ordered a very reasonable bottle of wine that tasted like it cost $100 - I'm so sorry I can't remember what it was called! It was a Spanish grape and one of Pru's favorites so you could ask him what Spanish wine he sells for 30 something dollars that tastes like 3x that much... I definitely give the food 5 stars, but I have to take off one star because the service wasn't very good. Our waiter was very spacy, mostly ignored us, and brought a wrong item to our table. We sat waiting for wine which would have been great with the sardines rather than water. Still, I suggest you definitely try out the place that a lot of people say is the "best in Davis."
Davis, CA
Category: Restaurants
Davis, CA
Category: Spanish
Davis, CA
Category: American (New)
Davis, CA
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits
Davis, CA
Category: Greek
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