Came here for a relaxin dinner after a stressful day at work. Big mistake. The waiter took our drink order and then didn't come back for almost 20 minutes. The food took about 30 minutes to come out. They brought it to the table and quickly left. We tried to ask for another margarita, but he left too soon. We got our food and it was tepid at best. There was a retirement party of 17 next to us so maybe that factored into the poor service but as of right now, we've been waiting 25 minutes for the check. I'll give them one more try, but if it's like tonight, I'm done. read more

AWFUL food!! The decor is fabulous and seemed to authentic. Sure wish we would have taken photos of food....it looked terrible and taste bad. We only paid because we felt bad for our waiter. They need a new chef or something. Writing this I'm even thinking about the plates looking like soup....all the food was running together. Oh I better stop. You can't blame serving food like that on Covid...you need to close until you can get a chef that knows what they are doing!! Will not be returning there. read more

My wife and I went here for dinner last night and she is very particular on her food especially when it comes to onions. According to the menu, she ordered the nachos which the menu read nothing about having onions on it. She had asked to hold the jalapeños and was looking so forward into eating them. When her nachos arrived, there was a lot of onions all over the top of the nachos at which time my wife was furious, asked the waiter to take it back and prepare the dish without onions in which the menu had no description of onions on them. The waiter ignored her and she asked to speak to a manager at which time the waiter said that he was the mgr and walked away from her. Needless to say, my wife went home angry, hungry and I waisted $34.30 for a meal that neither one of us could enjoy. I will not return back to this place ever again and for warn all that do. read more

El mason the best mexican restaurant in Indy . Authentic Mexican food and good portions, the el mason frajitas for 2 is awesome. (see pic) it has steak, shrimp, chicken , and chorizo sausage , you will for sure ask for a to go box read more

Delicious large portions. Could a bit spicier in their salsa as well as their burritos. But it wad good, beat that chain Mexican one out of the water. read more

See all

Great food, good service, and very fair pricing! The only constructive feedback I could give is that I think the salsa would be a little tastier if cilantro was added. Otherwise best mexican food chain on the southside! Might I also add that the Chicken Polo is a MUST!!! Seasoned and cooked to perfection, literally the BEST I've ever had!!! read more

Meh. The service was great but the food was just ok in my book. Not bad, but nothing special either. It all just seemed very bland. I would return if necessary but not seek it out. read more

The food was decent and the margs were good, HOWEVER, we were nearly turned away because my special needs son (who is in a walker and obviously disabled) wasn't wearing a mask. The big scene made was unnecessary and embarrassing. We will not be back. read more

I've been coming to this restaurant for awhile now! I got the shrimp quesadilla mazatlan yesterday and it was amazing! They have good salsa and queso as well! Highly recommend it if you're on the southside and craving Mexican food! Not to mention good customer service, I wish I got his name but I had an awesome server yesterday! read more

El Meson - Delicious, shrimp quesadilla mazatlan with the works on the side for $9.99! Can't beat it! - Mexican Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I still love this "authentic" Mexican restaurant. I know the novelty ran it's course and it is no longer busy 24-7, and they used canned tomato sauce for salsa. But, the food is fast, hot and huge portions. I can eat off my double fajitas for 3 days. I'll always love el Meson. read more

Food was great and served quickly. I actually cleaned my plate instead of getting a box for leftovers like I usually do at restaurants. I liked the bright decor. This place is family friendly and there were several kids there, but they were well behaved. Would eat here again. read more

This was a door dash order. Got a taco salad. The fried tortilla was beyond soggy. There was literally a cup of water in the big ball of aluminum foil they served it in. I don't think I have ever tasted anything so bland. It was very very bland. All I could taste is the greasy after taste. I will say that the shrimp was perfectly cooked, just not seasoned at all. Not even salt. Also ordered some chicken quesadilla thing. I can see the seasoning on it, but it had no flavor. Was very bland, and COLD! I don't remember what this thing is but it is long thin pieces of chicken on green peppers and lettuce with some thing tortilla chips. I know that the peppers, lettuce AND tortilla strips were refrigerated because the tortilla strips are chewy, just like they have been refrigerated and the peppers are icy cold. Then they put cooked chicken on top so the chicken got cold. The salsa they provided was basically pureed tomato. No salt, no peppers, no seasoning. Very watery and bland. The order only took the doordasher about 20 minutes, so it isn't Doordash's fault. I don't think I will be trying this place again. read more

I went to pick up a grub hub order and I will never come here or order from here again. We were regulars before all orders had to be online due to Covid. The employee running the floor was extremely rude and obviously stressed that he was the only one there working, but that is no excuse to take it out on the customer. I left in tears. 0/10. read more

So for the second time this week I ate food from El Meson on the south side of Indy. It always seems to be busy and on Thursday I was in the mood for Mexican so I decided to give it a try. When you walk in the atmosphere is lively. The staff greeted my girlfriend and I quickly and we were seated just as fast, even though they were busy. The menu was vast but seemed to be well organized. We ordered our food and while we were waiting they brought out home made chips and salsa. It was AMAZING. When our food got to the table mine was perfect. My girlfriend's however was not prepared in the manner she requested. She wanted chicken, she got beef. She wanted tomatoes, there were none. She didn't want to complain so whatever. The food really was delicious. Our bill including two sodas was $19.89. We got a lot of food and I thought the price paid was well worth it. The second time I went was tonight and I got carry out. It was again perfect and ready within five minutes of me calling ahead. I would recommend anyone on the south side with a Mexican craving give El Meson a try. I gave them four stars because everything was awesome but the order mistake. I think it was mainly due to a language barrier with the server. read more

Great food. Hands down the most polite staff I've ever encountered while eating out. When the server came back to check on us he didn't interrupt us if he saw we were in mid conversation. He didn't wait to ask how the food was when our mouths were clearly full.. He said "Excuse me." and politely waited for us before continuing. Was completely blown away with how well he handled his customer service. This place is a family favorite and we'll continue to be a customer. read more

This place is okay with me. The salsa and chips were good with a little kick. Margaritas are good but if you want something really good get the molcajete. This will maybe feed 4 people. I was alone but still treated very well. I will be back. read more

We went for a late lunch. As others have said, the decor is loud and tacky, but the food and service more than overcome this. The portions are very large, and there was attention to detail. I ordered the chicken chimichanga and my wife got the chicken El Meson burrito. Both were excellent as the pulled chicken was very fresh, moist and full of flavor. I would recommend this over almost any Mexican restaraunt intown. read more

This is the best mexican restaurant I have been able to find around the Indy area. Although it is part of the El Meson chain, this location has better food than the others. The wait staff is great and were good company to practice my Spanish skills with. They were also very attentive and quick with getting anything we needed. The tacos were juicy and didn't come loaded with a bunch of junk. The meat was also seasoned well which made for an all-around good taco. The rice had good flavor and was on par with the homemade stuff our family friend from Mexico used to make. The margaritas were, likewise, good and contained enough booze to take the edge off. If you're in the mood for quality mexican food, I would highly recommend making the trip here. You won't be disappointed. read more

We have been coming here nearly every week for the past couple of months and have never been disappointed! The food is delicious, the staff is always friendly, welcoming and attentive. So much to love about this place. Great atmosphere and music! read more

The service is incredible and the staff is always so friendly. The salsa is mild. Would recommend double checking the food you receive - I have gotten food poisoning from this location due to room temperature chicken served. Overall, we still come to this location, just not as frequently. read more

Today was just the worst service and food we have received in a long time. My daughter ordered her tacos no onions and they came with a ton of onions. Once I told him we asked for no onions he ran back quick with her plate like they quickly picked them off, because her plate still had onions. I ordered a certain meal, but got a different steak dish that wasn't even close to what I requested. Once I told him what I did ordered he like tried to argue with me like I didn't know what I asked for. The dish he decided to order for me didn't even come out right. He did take back the wrong food and grabbed the correct food once he saw I wasn't pleased, but still charged me for the more expensive dish he took back instead of the correct one I was brought the second time. I wouldn't have been so upset if the man didn't try to make it seem like I was in the wrong when clearly his serving skills are awful. We just ended up paying our bill and leaving without barely touching the bland food. read more

This place has some of the best mexican food and margaritas I have ever had. Since it is in a strip mall, from the outside you wouldn't think much of it. The inside is covered with decor. TVs are up on the wall. The servers don't talk a whole lot and I am supposing that is because they might not speak english that well, but they are very attentive. Great place at a great value. read more

The service is always fast, and the food is always delicious. The margaritas are wonderful, and the prices can't be beat. We love their fajitas funditas. (sp?) Basically it's just fajitas with cheese! Delish! read more

Very good and cheap Mexican food. Quick and friendly service. The house salsa is quite good, as are the enchiladas. My wife swears by the shredded chicken & cheese nachos. Probably the best Mexican on the Southside. read more

My family visited in February 2018. Totally not worth eating here--save your money. $35 for 3 dinners--I had 4 taquitos which were very, very small and stuffed with beef. When I asked why the taquitos were so small, the waiter replied that if I would have ordered chicken they would have been larger! Not sure why the stuffing makes a difference but apparently it does. The tastiness and quality of food was not good either. It has totally gone downhill in quality and quantity since we last visited probably 3-4 years ago. read more

We have been coming here for several years and El Meson has always been our favorite Mexican. Something has changed recently. While the food is excellent, the service has not been good the last 3 or 4 times we've been here. We keep saying to give them another chance, but tonight's service was still poor. Maybe it's time to find a new favorite For Mexican! read more

Really good Mexican food! Some of the best I have eaten in the Midwest.

I love this place. The food is great! Staff is super nice and service is speedy. Chips and salsa is great. Wednesday's lunch special is the chimi. So good! read more

Great place with large portions! Fast and friendly wait staff. The food was fantastic. The choriqueso dip is great with the Tortilla chips as an appetizer. Very affordable. Will be going to this place more often. read more

Food tasted good - I especially enjoyed the Carlos Tacos which I would call street tacos (open faced, garnished with onion and cilantro). A disturbing addition to the menu: four dishes featuring Doritos and Fritos. Most everything else is standard Mexican chain fare. Decor is the vivid multi colored chairs and walls you expect. Good if you are in the area but would not seek it out. read more

I tried this place last night for dinner. We had a group of 6 people. All were vegetarian. Salsa and chips was good, we also order some guacamole on the side. Three of us had vegetarian Fajitas and others had Vegetarian Chimichangas. Fajitas were perfectly grilled as the way we wanted. I also tried chimichanga, it was very well cooked. Overall I enjoyed my meal here. I would like to come back again. read more

Speedy Gonzales lunch before a dental appointment...cheerful, colorful place with friendly servers. But, alas, while food looked good, not very flavorful! Disappointing but will give it another shot when not in a hurry! read more

El Meson - Speedy Gonzales lunch..looked good but lacked flavor or spiciness..too bad, friendly servers and ole prices - Mexican Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

I had a lunch special with a taco, chili rellenos, guac salad, and beans. The taco was blah, ground beef with no spice and lettuce, the chili rellenos red sauce had been nuked so it was dried up, the guac salad was a teaspoon drop on a plate of lettuce, the beans were dried up and hard on top. Blehhhh. My husband got enchilatas, again no flavor. When the waiter took away our plates with hardly anything eaten and we told him our opinion he said sorry, and did nothing. We had the big 27 oz margerita's, afterwards we said we had a better buzz from Kool-Aid. Not sure how they got so many good reviews, I like Mexican because it is so flavorful, without having to pour the bottled hot sauce on it. read more

Mediocre food and drink. Service was good. Margaritas hardly had any alcohol. Salsa was watery. Meat was dried out in Tacos.We won't be returning. read more

This is by far the fastest and best service that I have ever received! The food, prices, and friendly service exceeded my expectations. I will be returning as soon as I'm back in the area! read more

Excellent Mexican, tasty and quick. The beer is served cold and the food is served hot. I usually order the El Meson Fajitas, which include chicken, beef, shrimp and sausage served with plenty of vegetables. The portion sizes are more than adequate and the atmosphere is genuine and fun. Great for family dinners. Highly recommended. read more

We came in late ordered a large meal, and the food was on our table in minutes. All was great, service was excellent!

Great Mexican good! Service is OK. The chips are sometimes stale, but the salsa is great. The cheese dip is good. I always get the arroz con pollo. My toddler and I share and the portion is plenty generous. Prices are good as we'll. read more

Service was blazing fast. Salsa was fantastic. Food itself was little better than average. Waiter had trouble with english. Perfect if looking for a place only for a quick meal on a road trip. Cheap like most american mexican restaurants. read more

First visit was extremely enjoyable! Service was courteous and fast. Food was awesome, prices are phenomenal! Can't wait to visit again!