First of all, I think it's pretty good for some of us in the smaller towns of Central Massachusetts that Ware has been able to open and -- to this point -- support two reasonably classy restaurants: Ghepetto's and now Mexicali. Sturbridge has a good number of quality restaurants, but the direction of Ware has been sorely lacking. I've lived in the area for a long time and unless you want Chinese or pizza, you are mostly out of luck.
Mexicali, first of all, does not break any mold. Their style, food, pricing and presentation is nearly identical to that of Acapulco's in Enfield, down to the bowl of warm tortilla chips served with a small carafe of salsa when you're seated. I would be shocked if they were not owned by the same people. Fortunately, I LOOOOOVE Acapulco's.
The decor inside is much nicer than what you would expect by it's drab exterior in the middle of a run-down small-town shopping center. Everything is crisp, clean and there is some cool Spanish tile work, as well as warm, inviting colors throughout. It feels a bit spacious and not at all cramped.
I ordered the Molè Enchiladas with rice and beans. I think they were pretty great, but I am not exactly sure since I cleared my plate in about 3 minutes flat so I can't guarantee I actually TASTED it. There was almost a tinge of "heat lamp fever" to the dish. The rice was just slightly dehydrated in it's top-most points and the enchiladas themselves did not QUITE have that "just made" taste. But the very good rendition of molè sauce on top and excellent refried beans brought it home for me. I would order this again and again, no problem.
My very picky wife ordered a Fajita Melt. Just like at Acapulco's the menu has no mention of mayonnaise being a condiment on the sandwich but when you ask the server if it's part of the dish -- they will say "yes". She was slightly turned off by the overabundance of coagulated cheese (it had re-hardened slightly), and she wishes the tomatoes had been diced instead of sliced. However, she said there was no mistaking the freshness of produce used in making the sandwich. In addition to the tomatoes, the lettuce was quality (no iceberg here) and the grilled peppers and onions even though they had just come off a grill, were not obviously frozen before use. She found this a bit impressive since it can be hard to convey freshness in cooked vegetables.
Our toddler daughter had the cheese quesadilla. She declined the quesadilla but found herself enthralled by the battered french fries it came with. Apparently, their apple juice must have been fresh out of the juicer because she drank it like the Mott's at home was swill water. I can't explain that one.
The service was about a B+. Initially, the greeter and manager shuffled us around a little bit. We were shown to an "OK", but not preferable, table when someone has a high chair. The greeter went to get the high chair, which took an abnormally long time. The manager came over and offered us a better, different table, so -- SHOCK -- the greeter had a harder time finding us to deliver the high chair she must have dug out of a storage closet 2 miles away. Our waitress, Carmela, was really very attentive, patient and everything I could have asked for. She knew the menu, it's content and ingredients very well.
I would absolutely find myself going back here. The staff was friendly as a whole and it did not have that "my table/your table" atmosphere among the staff. A random waitress came by and offered my daughter a balloon, even though she was not our waitress. It was impressive to the level that it's one of the few "worthy" places in the immediate area. This is clearly a place that is "trying" even if they still need to work out a few kinks. read more