Refried black beans, beef or chicken, cheese, olives, tomato. Served with rice & beans, side sour cream
Shrimp Tamales
$18.99
2 homemade cheese tamales with shrimp, enchilada sauce, green onions, jack cheese; served with yellow rice and black beans, fried plantains
Dinner Combinations
Choices: beef, chicken, cheese or bean only - Taco, Enchilada, Empanada, Tostada, Burrito, Tamale. Served with rice & beans, guacamole & sour cream
2 Items$17.50
3 Items$19.99
Tacos al Pastor
$18.00
(3) White corn tortillas with marinated pork, pineapple salsa, red onions, and cilantro; served with rice and beans
Burrito Grande
$16.99
Lettuce and tomatoes, beef or chicken. Served with rice & beans, side sour cream
Sizzling Fajitas
Chicken
$17.99
Steak
$18.99
Chicken & Steak Combo
$19.99
Shrimp & Asparagus
$20.99
Shrimp & Scallops, Asparagus
$22.99
Veggies
$16.50
Marinated in lime juice and olive oil, sautéed with mixed vegetables, served with rice, guacamole, sour cream, cheese & warm tortillas
Fish Tacos
Served on grilled flour tortillas with Mexican coleslaw, sliced avocado, Pico de Gallo, chipotle sauce; with yellow rice & black beans, fried plantains
Fried Fish Tacos
$17.99
Atlantic codfish
Surf and Turf Tacos
$20.99
1 grilled shrimp taco and 1 steak taco
Grilled Fish Tacos
$18.50
Mahi Mahi
Tequila Lime Shrimp Tacos
$19.50
6 large grilled shrimp
House Specialties
Cajun Prime Rib
Boneless 18 oz. roast, generously seasoned and broiled to your desire; served with French fries and a primavera salad
18 Oz. King Cut$25.99
14 Oz. Queen Cut$21.99
Grilled Jerk Chicken
$17.99
Jamaican jerk spiced boneless chicken breast, pineapple calypso BBQ glaze served over white basmati rice & a jerk black bean sauce
Pasta Jambalaya
$19.99
Shrimp, Cajun chicken, Italian sausage & mushrooms sautéed w/olive oil & garlic tossed w/penne pasta w/a creole tomato sauce; topped w/shredded parmesan cheese; served w/Primavera salad
Cajun Chicken w/ Penne Pasta
$18.99
Grilled, spiced chicken breast, sliced & served w/broccoli & sun-dried tomatoes in a light cream sauce; w/Primavera salad
Tuna Chimichurri
$19.99
Sesame seared and sliced rare: with sriracha slaw, drizzle cilantro lime pesto, white rice, wasabi and teriyaki sauce
Blackened Whitefish
$19.99
A New Orleans & New England favorite! Fresh Atlantic codfish w/Cajun spices & scallions; served w/rice & drawn butter; w/Primavera salad
Cajun Garlic Shrimp & Scallops
$22.99
Sautéed w/spinach & tomatoes in a garlic cream sauce; served over linguine; w/Primavera salad
Shrimp Ranchera Enchiladas
$17.99
2 corn tortillas filled w/shrimp, topped w/a smoky tomato sauce & cheese; served w/white basmati rice & refried black beans
Crisp romaine lettuce w/fajita vegetables, guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes & shredded cheese, served in a large flour tortilla bowl
Southwestern Spinach Salad
$12.99
Spinach and primavera veggies with black beans and bacon; choice of house dressing
House Salad
$4.99
Small Monterrey Salad
Acapulco Taco Salad
$11.99
Lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, radishes, cheese & spiced beef or shredded chicken; served in a flour tortilla shell
Salads Add Ons
Add Any of The Following Items to Any Salad
Grilled Chicken
$4.75
Grilled Shrimp
(5)$6.75
Cajun Chicken
$4.75
Steak
$4.99
Sea Scallops
(5)$8.75
Vegetarian Dishes
Served with white rice and pinto beans
Vegetarian Hot Salad
$16.99
Lettuce, steamed fajita veggies in a flour tortilla bowl with shredded cheddar, chopped tomatoes and onions, guacamole and sour cream garnish
Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas
Topped with enchilada sauce or mole-verde sauce, chopped tomatoes and melted jack cheese
2 Pc$16.99
Veggie Burrito Verde
$15.99
Fajita vegetables, lettuce and tomatoes in a large flour tortilla with enchilada sauce or mole-verde sauce and melted jack cheese
Beverages
Fresh Brewed Coffee
$2.50
Regular or Decaf
Tea or Herbal Tea
$2.50
Milk
$2.50
Juice
$2.50
Hot Chocolate
$3.00
Coke
$2.50
Diet Coke
$2.50
Barq's Root Beer
$2.50
Raspberry Iced Tea
$2.50
Ginger Ale
$2.50
Pink Lemonade
$2.50
Iced Tea
$2.50
Soda, Iced Tea & Lemonade Refills
$1.00
Mexican Jarritos Soda
$2.75
Lemon-Lime
Strawberry
Orange
Grapefruit
Sangria
Fruit Punch
Pineapple
Side Orders
Jambalaya Rice
$7.99
W/shrimp, chicken & sausage
Spanish Rice
$3.25
White Basmati Rice
$3.50
Spanish Rice & Beans
$4.99
Pinto or Refried Beans
$3.25
French Fries
$3.50
Spicy Fries
$3.99
Sweet Potato Fries
$4.99
Tortillas
Warm flour or corn
(each)$0.50
Green Chili Sour Cream
$1.99
2 oz. garnish
Pico de Gallo or Salsa Verde
$1.99
2 oz. garnish
Guacamole
$2.50
2 oz. garnish
Desserts
Fried Ice Cream
$4.99
Vanilla ice cream rolled in graham cracker crumbs and oats then flash fried! Served with Hershey's chocolate sauce or maple syrup, whipped cream
Flan
$3.99
Custard and caramel
Key Lime Pie
$4.95
Our classic recipe made with Florida Key lime juice in a graham cracker crust
Mudslide Pie
$5.95
Milk chocolate mousse, Oreos, dark chocolate ganache, raspberry sauce
Sopaipillas
$4.50
Mexican fried dough! Served warm with whipped cream. Choice of honey, strawberries or chocolate sauce
Chocolate Lava Cake
$6.99
A la mode
Tollhouse Pie
$4.99
Deep dish chocolate chip cookie with walnuts and whipped cream. Served warm with vanilla ice cream
Bananas Foster
$5.99
A whole banana drenched in a special sauce of banana liqueur, rum, brown sugar, nutmeg; served over vanilla ice cream
House Coffee Drinks
All served with whipped cream $7.50
Mexican
Kahlua
Keoke
Brandy, Tia Maria and rum
Calypso
Tia Maria and rum
Jamaican
Tia Maria
Irish
Jamesons
Nutty Irishman
Bailey's Irish Cream & Cream & Frangelico
Dublin
Bailey's Irish Cream
Main
12 and Under. Includes a Beverage (Soda, Milk, Juice)
Hamburger
$6.95
Charbroiled, served with french fries and a pickle
Nachos
$6.95
A half portion of our appetizer nachos. Corn tortilla chips, melted cheese and refried bean dip
Hot Dog
$6.95
Charbroiled, served with french fries and a pickle
Taco or Enchilada
$6.95
Beef or chicken, with rice and beans or french fries
Fried Chicken Fingers
$6.95
With french fries, BBQ sauce or ranch
Linguine
$6.95
Meat sauce and grated cheese
Sloppy Jose
$6.95
Ground beef and tomato sauce on a hamburger bun with melted cheese
Kid Quesadilla
$6.95
Grilled flour tortilla with melted cheese; with fries
Grill Chix
$1.00
Kid Sundae
$6.95
1 scoop of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce or strawberries and whipped cream
Worms in Dirt
$2.95
Scoops of vanilla ice cream, oreo crumbs and gummy worms and whipped cream
Southwestern Sunday Brunch Buffet
Mexican Omelet
$13.95
Onions, peppers, jalapeños, chorizo & cheese. Served with home fries and toast
Western Omelet
$8.95
Onions, peppers, ham & cheese. Served with home fries and toast
Vaquero Omelet
$13.95
Steak & cheese, onions, peppers & mushrooms. Served with home fries and toast
Chicken Fajita Omelet
$13.95
Chicken strips, onions, peppers & cheese. Served with home fries and toast
Cheese Omelet
$8.95
Served with home fries and toast
Chilaquiles
$7.95
Crispy corn tortillas with salsa verde, cheese, onions & cilantro. Served with 2 eggs over easy, sausage, bacon, and fresh avocado slices
Buttermilk Pancakes
(3)$6.95
Main
Mexican Fiesta
Includes choice of entrée, 1 appetizer per 3 persons, chips and salsa, coffee and tea. Entree Choices: Taco Dinner 2 beef and 1 chicken tacos, rice and beans Fajitas steak or chicken with all the trimmings Enchilada Dinner 1 beef, 1 chicken, 1 cheese, rice and beans Burrito Dinner 1 beef and 1 chicken burrito, rice and beans Monterrey Salad Bowl steak or chicken, shredded cheese, choice dressing. Appetizer Choices: Nachos, Mexskins, Buffalo Wings, Popcorn Shrimp, Catfish Fingers, Wild Chilies
(per person)$19.99
Formal Dinners
Includes choice of entrée, primavera dinner salad, coffee tea, dessert. Entrée Choices: Cajun Steak 12 oz. rib eye with a baked potato; Shrimp & Scallops sautéed with spinach and tomatoes in a garlic cream sauce, served over linguine; Cajun Chicken Penne broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, light cream sauce. Shredded parmesan cheese
(per person)$22.00
Buffet Dining
(25 person minimum). Includes Fajitas & Taco Bar, Rice & Beans, Bandito Platter (7 layer bean and sour cream dip). Coffee and Tea. Chicken Fajitas & Taco Bar; mixed vegetables, taco beef, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomato, jalapenos. Soft warm flour tortillas and crunchy corn tortilla taco shells
(per person)$19.99
Dessert Choices
Fresh Fruit Platter or Sopaipallas with honey (additional $1 per person) Fried Ice Cream Chocolate Sundae (additional $2 per person)
For owner Jim Fitzpatrick, the name "Cuckoo's Nest" is loaded with meaning. A plucky young Irish-American guy from the Bronx, his idea of establishing a Mexican restaurant in a 200-year old cattle barn in what was then a sleepy New England shoreline town was just a little cuckoo to begin with. In what could easily have seemed a bad omen, opening night in August of 1976 coincided with the arrival of Hurricane Belle, as only seven patrons braved the high winds and drenching rains to experience Jim's unusual vision. Over time, Jim's perseverance brought new life to the historical building, once part of Saybrook's Chalker Beach Homestead. Fittingly, the decor of the restaurant is rich with antique, farm-worn New England ephemera alongside colorful artifacts from south of the border, creating a surprisingly comfortable – and somewhat cuckoo – ambience. The restaurant has also built a patronage that is similarly eclectic, serving great food and beverages at reasonable prices to people from all walks of life. As Jim, who once considered a career in psychology puts it, "This place draws a living library of individuals, including carpenters, teachers, clerks, doctors, lawyers and Indian chiefs." What's more, it's a place where families love to bring their kids.
Today, after numerous expansions, the Cuckoo's Nest boasts unique dining areas on two floors, an outdoor patio and an intimate bar area. A dedicated and diverse staff of professionals serves as many as 3,500 meals in any given week, and menu items range from favorite mexican dishes to unique specialties to please any palate. It's not surprising that folks up and down the shoreline, and those just passing through, find the Cuckoo's Nest so worthwhile and lovably cuckoo!