Love their grilled pineapple avocado salad with chicken and chipotle dressing. Service is always great! Ambiance is authentic Mexican. Staff is always friendly! read more

Rolling past Wausau and found this gem conveniently off Hwy 51. Dining room was bright and very clean - bathrooms very clean too. Chips were warm and salsa tasty. Hubby had the shrimp enchiladas. The enchilada sauce was savory and smoky... very good and memorable! I had the chicken chimichanga. The chicken was a standout - well seasoned with bits of peppers. We drive past on the way to the cabin and will definitely be coming back! Muy buena experiencia! read more

The quality of the food has dropped significantly in the last year or two. I used to love the taste of the food but once it gets cheapened to much it takes all of the enjoyment of going there for dinner read more

Went with a party of 6, we all ordered and the staff was friendly. Chips and salsa were good. They brought our meals and they failed to put in one order, not that they told us that! They just keep saying it was on the way. Ten minutes later it finally came out and there was no apology for the delay or the inconvenience of one of us having to sit and wait while everyone was eating. We did ask once and went and talked to someone also but same answer it's on the way. It was just a burrito!!! Not a very good one at that. All rice very little beans and chicken and no guacamole ,cheese ,tomatoes or seasoning. Small amount of guacamole on side. Green sauce was the worse. Very disappointed! read more

I love this place. Their California burrito is really delicious and their margaritas taste yummy! Good fast service.

We were passing through Wausau on our way to Door County and needed to stop for lunch. From the outside, El Mezcal looks like any other Mexican-for-gringos restaurant. But it was just off the highway, making it very convenient, so we stopped --and prepared ourselves for another round of what I call "Mexican hot dish". Were we pleasantly surprised. The service was fast and courteous. The dining area is tastefully decorated, with none of the garish "Mexican" doodads found in so many Mexican diners. The owners are from the state of Jalisco, one of our favorite places in Mexico, and home to one of the many great Mexican cuisines. Fortunately for everyone who eats at El Mezcal, the chef has faithfully captured the authentic taste of Jalisco's wonderful cuisine. The food was absolutely delicious. The salsa took us back to our time in Puerto Vallarta, and the chips were warm and fresh. The Camarones Diabla was fabulous. Typical of many authentic Mexican dishes-- regardless of the regional differences-- this spicy dish was layered with flavors and with just enough "heat" to make it sparkle on the palate. I only wish that more Mexican restaurateurs would honor the best of their country's heritage by bringing to the United States the delicious variety of unique and flavorful food they are fortunate to enjoy. Hats off to the owners of El Mezcal. ¡Muchas gracias! read more

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Best steak burrito I've had in a VERY long time and great service! Will definitely be back next time I'm in this neck of the woods.

A nice local Mexican restaurant helping to spice up the cuisine in Wausau! The flavors and dishes are more on the Tex-Mex side of things than authentic Mexican, but I'm not sure the average customer in the area would want that either. The food is nothing fancy, but tasty and filling. I went with the chimichanga on my most recent visit, wanting something simple and filling to recharge after a day at Granite Peak. It hit the spot and I was happy with the friendly service, keeping waters and the complimentary salsa filled for our thirsty and hungry group. Everyone finished the meal happy and full and ready to get back out there! Definitely a solid spot for lunch in Wausau and we're glad we found them! read more

El Mezcal - Chimichanga! - Mexican Near Me - Wausau, Wisconsin

Hola! Senors y Senoritas! The décor, the ambience, the food! Muy Fantastico! So good, visited this place in Wisconsin, we are from Arizona, so we were not expecting a really good authentic Mexican food! It exceeded our expectations! Delicious! If ever in Wisconsin come here to feast on oh so tasty yumminess! read more

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Food was good and service was outstanding atmosphere was excellent, friendly staff and reasonable prices

I've had lunch as El Mezcal several times and though the menu items are all the basic "Mexican restaurant" dishes we are used to in the midwest, everything was well prepared and tasted fine. Last night we stopped for dinner. Unfortunately El Mezcal came up way short on an important dish. For me there are two dishes on which I base my ratings of Mexican restaurants in Wisconsin -- tamales and carnitas. A while back I had El Mezcal's tamales for lunch. Though far from the best tamales I've ever eaten, they were OK. Evidence that they were made in house -- such as being served in a corn husk or banana leaf wrapper -- was lacking. Last night I ordered the carnitas dinner and was hugely disappointed. The large lumps of roast pork were lacking fat and seasoning. I prefer carnitas to be broken down into much smaller, almost bite-size pieces. Because the pieces of meat were so large and lacking fat they were also stringy and dry. Cut into smaller pieces and rolled up in a tortilla along with some pico de gallo, refries and guacamole was the only way I could eat the meat. Based on my previous meals I would have rated El Mezcal three stars, but after struggling through the carnitas I have to trim it down to two. When I got home I fumbled an armload of items that I was taking into the house and my to-go box of leftover carnitas spilled out on the floor of the garage. Normally I would have cursed and been upset to see tomorrow's lunch destroyed. Last night I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "C'est la vie." read more

El Mezcal - Carnitas? Pork too big, too dry, lacking fat, under seasoned. But my previous meals were all good. - Mexican Near Me - Wausau, Wisconsin

After three visits, ordering something different each time, I finally feel like I can post a review. This is exactly what I think would pass for authentic Mexican in Wisconsin. The chips and salsa are good. Fresh, warm and crisp. The salsa is always fresh. It's a huge menu with a wide variety of choices. The California Burrito that I had last week is the best thing I've experienced in my three visits. If you're looking for Mexican in Wausau, this is the best I've found so far. But I'll continue to explore and pray I find something more authentic...or at least resembles the Mexican restaurants I'm used to in CA and TX. read more

Nothing like meeting friends for a good beer served in a frosted mug, and a margarita! Then add chips with salsa before you even order your meal. And, what to order always is a problem with too many great choices. El Zarapa is my favorite go to with mixed meat. We also love their fajitas, chimichangas, or burritos. Very fun casual Mexican atmosphere with friendly servers. read more

El Mezcal - Margarita time - Mexican Near Me - Wausau, Wisconsin

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After a day of skiing, El Mezcal is a great place to warm up and slow down. The interior is large, colorful and showcases the titular beverage. I was famished and ordered the Special Dinner. It was a massive amount of food. The enchilada was great but the chili relleno was oily and did not have the crispy outside I expected. The mixed (chicken and steak) fajitas also arrived in a massive helping. The veggies were cooked well but there could have been more spice to the steak. And the chimichanga cheesecake! Wow, so good! Crispy and creamy with drizzling of chocolate and strawberry. Que bueno! Our server was friendly and waters were always filled. Even though it was busy, we never felt rushed to leave. I'd go back! read more

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Consistent food with great service. Large portions, and a free shot of crappy tequila

Had issues with ordering. Was charged for an up-charged item we did not order. Grilled chicken instead of ground chicken. We got charged grilled, got cubed.When it was brought to the cashier attention she stated she does not make out the menu and ask what should she do ,take the difference out of her check ? Rude and short tempered over about a $2.50 up charge we did not add or order because the waiter not understanding English.Read their menu carefully and ask for another waiter/waitress if you think they don't understand what you are ordering.Plenty of other Mexican restaurants in Wausau to patronize without attitude on the menu. read more

Very busy, very basic. We decided to come to El Mezcal with a party of 16 to celebrate a birthday. The staff were great and did a nice job overall, for their efforts they get a higher ranking. Before you read why I only give three stars, I do want to point out that they are trying to cater to the customer that lives here, not adventure seeking or world traveling foodies. However, they do not have a full bar here and cannot change any ingredients to any drinks (because they are mostly pre made). The top shelf margarita was only okay. The chips and salsa were a bit of a disappointed, the salsa had nothing in it and it looked like ketchup. When dinner arrived it looked good, but almost everyone at the table agreed that there was NO flavor. It was food, edible and probably very good by the standards of the good people of Wausau. If you are looking for decent food at an affordable price where all you taste is tortilla and cheese this is for you. If you want authentic or robust Mexican food I suggest you look elsewhere. read more

El Mezcal - El Zarape - Mexican Near Me - Wausau, Wisconsin

Always love coming here as it is hands down our favorite place to eat. Our food is always fresh and just how we ordered it. The wait to get our food is never long and the staff is always super polite. read more

The Camarones Diabla has amazing flavor. I recommend the 10 out of 10 for maximum heat for a taste similar to México. Corn tortillas are good. Great ambiance. The interior decorating is beautifuly done. Serves mezcal from Oaxaca on request. Great service. Family from Jalisco. read more

This staff really knows how to knock it out of the park! I have been coming here for years and have never had to wait to be seated. Once you order your food prepare to receive it lightning fast - it floors me every single time. The presentation of their food is great, the flavor is always wonderful, and I have never had any cooking/prep/etc. type errors. This rivals fast food restaurants in my book. Not to mention the friendly staff and great atmosphere. They've done a wonderful job creating separate spaces in this large space so that it doesn't get too loud. read more

The worst Taco I ever had. It tasted like boiled chicken on a raw tortilla. Zero flavor, Zero effort.

This is always a good go to in the area. Out of the many times that I've been here everything is always good. The waiters are also super friendly and helpful with suggestions. This time I ordered the lunch enchilada. On the menu it said that the enchilada had beef in it, but the waiter told me that I could get it with chicken. He also mentioned that the lunch option only came with one enchilada, but I could upgrade to three by going with the dinner option. I stuck with the one, but probably should have taken his advice. I was very impressed by the sauce on top. It had a nice heat to it and complimented the chicken inside and the rice and beans on the side. Next time I think I'll just order a la carte and just get enchiladas, no rice and beans. That being said, their rice has always been one of my favorites. Also in my group we got a fajita and a chimichanga. Both were well done and there were no complaints. With all of the competition in Wausau right now with Mexican food, this is definitely one of the staple restaurants where you can't go wrong ordering anything on the menu. read more

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Food was actually really good. Surprising considering Wausau isn't the most culturally diverse place in Wisconsin. I would recommend the steak burrito read more

I've been going to this restaurant for 15 + years and have never had the worst customer service and food quality as i did 2 weeks ago. Had the manager return my multiple phone calls to resolve these issues I wouldn't be writing this review. Basically, my to go order was missing items (tortillas) and my base meal didn't have all of the ingredients. I called the restaurant and was told the manager would be in the next day to call me back, every other phone call resulted in same response. read more

Well..... The experience was amazing. We certainly in late and enjoyed celebrating International Women's Day together. Viva to all the beautiful senoritas out there. Guac was delish. Hot salsa was hot. Five stars - mucho gracious. Thank you Yelp. ~us read more

Was extremely excited to try some "authentic " Mexican cuisine. Sadly the food was not authentic whatsoever. Taco Bell would be a better option. Tamale was soggy and flavorless. The chile relleno was not only dead on arrival, it was filled with mozzarella cheese not queso fresco. They had everything covered in this soggy meat and sauce which to be honest tasted like spaghetti sauce. Eat at your own accord. read more

Love this place! Nuff said. Mexican food has a tendency to be redundant and bland, but that is simply not the case! It's cheap and easy and delicious, plus the staff is super friendly!! Eat here, be happy. read more

Literally the best Mexican food I've ever eaten. The staff is always so kind and I have never left feeling unsatisfied or upset with my visit. One of my absolute favorite restaurant and I can not recommend it enough. read more

Am i the only one who thinks if you want to sit on the couch and watch your reality tv show, you should do it at HOME? Not at your place of employment? We had to leave in the middle of our meal cause the lazy staff thought it was ok to blast the tv so loud my dead grandma could hear it in her grave. And of course when we left and the guy asked how our meal was and i told him it sucked and he should sit on his couch at home and watch his tv show he literally did not care cause he was the one watching the stupid tv. Negative 5 star rating!!!! read more

This is a great place for some traditional Mexican food. They have amazing cheese dip and chicken burritos. The food is also a very reasonable price, which is always appreciated. read more

El Mezcal - Chicken Burrito (it's awesome) - Mexican Near Me - Wausau, Wisconsin

The food was very bland. I ordered the chicken chimichanga. It tasted like it was filled with chicken à la king. I do not like cooked green peppers and that's what was cooked with the chicken and there was more green peppers than chicken. The chimi looked more like a long skinny burrito than a chimi. The refried beans covered my plate and the chimi was plopped in the middle of them. Their salsa also did not have any flavor. I had 2 bites of my food, but the waitress never came back to see how everything was or I would have let her know. Mexican food is my favorite and this was my least favorite Mexican Restaurant ever. They never cleared the table of our dishes while we sat and talked or asked if we wanted another drink. I would not go back here for any reason. I was very disappointed with the food here. I guess it's more the quality of fast food and that's not my kind of food for sure. read more

Currently tied with El Tapitio as best Mexican food in Wausau area but my mission will have to be to go to both again with a critical mind and revise my review. Someone may have to win. Fast, efficient, friendly staff. Busy, bright, happy ambiance. Some great menu selections read more

The service is great, food hot and fresh. The variety of food on each dinner plate is fantastic. Everything tastes great and the amount of food for each entree is very plentiful. It is the only place, after trying others in the area, that I go to for Mexican food. I've never been disappointed. read more

Always a great meal . They are very consistent with quality. Fast friendly service. The fajitas are best in town .

NOT authentic :( It was okay, just not what I expected. I will probably go back. Wouldnt be my first choice though. read more

We love this place! The food is always good and the service is top notch. We stopped in one afternoon to try it while we were in town and we loved it. It's well worth the 40 minuet drive from our home. read more

I love the food here! Service is great too! I go here pretty often every time I'm in Wausau. They have free chips and salsa to begin with! If the salsa isn't spicy enough they have a few more spicy ones in the back that you can request and they're more than willing to give you some! My recommendations are the El Zarape, Steak Mexicano, tamales, and fish tacos! I've had all of these multiple times and they never seem to disappoint! Also make sure you request for corn tortilla! If you do get the fried ice cream, be aware that it's just vanilla ice cream covered in cornflakes with a fried looking waffle bowl, whip cream, and syrup. Not like your typical fried ice cream you expect! But other than that, everything else is great here! read more

Mine and my husband's favorite restaurant in town. The fajita special for two has enough food for four. When you are hungry this is the place to go, you will leave with a full stomach and a to go container filled as well. read more

I enjoy the food here. They have good drinks, and good food. Atmosphere here is welcoming and enjoyable. Always have a good time. If you have pick eaters, they do have vegetarian choices, and chicken nuggets or Mac n cheese for kids. Bathrooms are a little small, but okay. read more

Tried to call many times to get take out and no answer. So we decided to go and sit, the hostess was nothing,but bitchy and rude. While waiting for our table the phone rang 5 times and she didn't even acknowledge it. Once finally seated, the waiter sat us and left. Aster 10 minutes another waitress helped us. The waiter we were supposed to have not only left us hanging, but took the order and helped another table that came in 15 minutes after we were already seated. The waitress we ended up having was amazing, definitely saved our dinner read more