Turns out that sometimes being the only game around doesn't mean it's good. Mediocre food combined here with awful service. We arrived in late afternoon, when the restaurant was relatively empty. After waiting several minutes, a waiter swung by to grab our drinks orders (fun fact: no free refills on soda, not that our waiter told us that). It took my cocktail another 15 minutes to arrive despite the bar being very slow. It took another 15 minutes for us to order, another 30 for our food, and another 15 or so once our food was gone to get our check. Our water glasses were frequently empty and we had to flag someone down to get them refilled. The Nahual, a mezcal based cocktail, was very large (at least 1.5 times the size of a typical cocktail) and fine. It was not particularly different or interesting, but it had a nice heat and smokiness. We ordered the mole poblano con pollo and the shrimp enchiladas. It was clear that the chicken had been cooked skin-on and not been simmered in the sauce for very long (if at all), so the chicken didn't have the flavor of the sauce at all! The rice and beans had no flavor and had clearly been sitting out a while. The story was the same with the shrimp enchiladas - very little flavor and a lot of flavorless cabbage on top. I could see going here if you want a huge cocktail for relatively cheap and don't mind bad service, but wouldn't bother with the food. read more

Mezcal - Mole poblano con pollo - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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So I didn't even want mexican tonight but my boyfriend wanted margaritas and my coworkers always rave about this place so why not. As always free chips and salsa, very spicy salsa and its the real mexican style salsa not the stuff you get at like on the border. We also got the ceviche de camerones and it was delicious. For entrees i got the carnitas and my boyfriend the pescado apanisado. Both were fantastic. Someone mentioned previously the carnitas has no flavor well I must've came on the right night! Because mine was all flavor, and I'm mad after trying to replicate a good carnitas at home I still cannot get that flavor. My boyfriends fish he loved, he basically licked his plate. Overall very good mexican food, great service, and reasonable prices compared to like puerto vallarta or geronimos which is very overpriced and not that good. We will be back for sure! read more

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We found this place through Yelp when we were in the mood of having some Mexican food. Their menu did not seem like they have enough vegetarian dishes that I like so I changed my mind while my husband ordered chicken chimichanga, rice and beans. We were told while placing the order through phone that we would need to pay using cash for all the take out orders. I somehow forgot that and ended up reaching there with out any cash and had to drive around looking for an ATM. I wish they accepted card as it's not very convenient to carry cash especially during this covid time. We could find street parking easily, right outside the restaurant. The place looked cool inside. Now, coming to the main part, the food did not impress my husband as he felt that chimichanga was not very flavorful. Rice and beans tasted just ok. read more

This is definitely one of my favorite Mexican spot in New Haven!! They sold me on everything, excellent atmosphere for starters. We've arrive around 7pm to a live Mariachi Band and started with some margaritas which wasn't to dry so it was good. For appetizers we ordered the shrimp cocktail but the cool thing was the were in the cocktail sauce and the sauce was kinda like a sweet salsa which was a better twist then the traditional savory/tart cocktail sauce so A+ there. Main course order was a pork burrito with a side of rice and let me tell you the rice is something to die for (its was so good I would of ate that shit with my fingers if I had to ) but if you ever stop in New Haven definitely make this a first stop read more

Mezcal - Shrimp cocktails - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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This place is in a pleasant location in East Rock, New Haven, and they have sidewalk seating which is nice for a weekend Mexican Brunch. Their food is OK. It is serviceable Mexican food with all the usual options. The cheese enchiladas were filling and the salsa verde on top of them was nice and spicy. The retried beans are apparently vegetarian, which is a plus, but they were pretty watery. They have a good selection of Mezcal here, which is excellent. Instead of ordering a margarita which covers up the taste of this smoky and flavourful spirit, it is advisable to order one of their Mezcals served straight up. Sip slowly and enjoy! read more

I noticed how packed Mezcal seemed to be, no matter the day of the week, so obviously I had to check it out to see what I was missing. Both the outside and inside are attractive and well kept. There are some outdoor seats with umbrellas that are pet friendly. The servers are sweeties too! The free chips and salsa are very good! I'm a salsa snob, so take my word! The rice is made with chicken stock, so that's a bummer for us vegetarian folk. The beans are in the clear though, and they were the best part of my meal. I got an egg dish with a red sauce that lacked flavor. My lunch date got the fajitas that was a monstrous portion, but I would say the price point is a bit higher than your average Mexican joint, so the larger portion was appreciated/necessary. I will say though, don't order tea there. It was as if someone put a single tea bag in a gallon bucket and squeezed a wedge of lemon. It was legitimately so bad, I'm laughing typing this. The replacement tea, their second attempt, was better but still laughable. Overall, I would go back but largely due to the proximity. read more

Visited around 7 pm on a Tuesday as a party of 4. We received drinks quickly as well as chips with salsa verde. The chips were thick and didn't taste fresh but the salsa verde was good, although served in a small container. I ordered a steak chimichanga, my partner ordered carne asada while my relative and their date both ordered chicken quesadillas. The chimichanga was fried to my taste. I continue to be surprised that it's not served the same as I'm used to in Georgia (shredded cheese and condiments on top vs melted queso on top and condiments on the side). The meat lacked flavor. It didn't taste like it was seasoned much, if at all but overall the meal was edible and the condiments made it enjoyable. My partners carne also lacked flavor. I tasted my relatives chicken quesadilla. The chicken was also under seasoned. I heard a lot of great things about this place but was left disappointed, as it didn't meet my expectations. read more

After a long walk around the park on a hot day, decided to stop by here some drinks on a Sunday late afternoon. Literally no other customers yet, so we had the pick of the (large) place for seating. While looking over the cocktail menu, got some free chips and salsa to start. A heaping pile of thick tortilla chips, accompanied by semi-spicy salsa. For drinks, settled on the Mango Margarita ($8) and Red Sangria ($8) respectively. Margarita is large with plenty of booze inside, however there were chunks of ice that weren't properly crushed, making for an uneven sip. The sangria is also strong and for some reason bubbly - I guess they used seltzer water? To balance out the alcohol, got a side of guacamole - chunky texture that goes fine with the original chips provided. Fairly run of the mill in terms of a Mexican restaurant. Service is good and the space is large, so a fine place for groups. read more

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Came for a friend's birthday. Pretty decent food, a little different than what you find in your usual Mexican spot. Table salsa is green and has quite the kick but leaves you coming back for more. Margaritas were solid. I had the fajitas, which were flavorful and a hefty portion. The only thing I docked a star for was the service. For a large party of 8, the service was very much lacking. The waiter never came to check on us, for refills, and never asked if we wanted dessert, which again, it was someone's birthday, so we wanted to get something celebratory for her at least. read more

Excellent Mexican. Definitely a cut above. We tend to go during off hours and they are always accommodating. Nice ambiance too

My friends and I regularly eat here; one of them lived in Mexico for several years and really knows her authentic Mexican food. Great Nachos, suitable for sharing for 4. Great chicken and pork with mole. Enjoy the Frozen Margaritas. read more

New to the East Rock section of New Haven, I found this Mexican oasis by accident. Great service!!! Thank you, Alex P.T. for the suggestion on the Pina, I agree... read more

Almost 5 stars! Super friendly waiter prompt service, super delicious food & drinks, just a bit in need of a makeover. Very small, street parking. The food though super fresh & the margarita w fresh squeezed lime delicious! Taquitos (chicken) w rice & beans, hubs a veggie quesadilla, complimentary fresh homemade thick chips w a green salsa that had a kick, and a delish margarita made it a great meal. I would return in a heartbeat. 4 tables outside in the summer, but inside has air, bar is not one you can sit at. read more

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Written as a California Native who has spent months in Mexico, this is a very solid offering for Mexican food. More authentic than your average burrito shop with great decor and service. My wife and I have come back repeatedly and recommend to friends as well, all who have come back not believing that authentic Mexican food would be found in New Haven. Our go to. read more

Great Mexican food with a lively and fun atmosphere. Came here for dinner on a weekday night and right away this place looks like a lot of fun. The decor is very festive and you get a good vibe when you come in. Staff are friendly and service is relatively quick. A huge space. They serve a variety of authentic Mexican dishes. I ordered the carnitas plate: a huge huge portion of well seasoned, tender, pulled pork served with a scoop of yellow rice and re-fried beans. The pork was delicious and the beans were great. A really hearty flavorful meal. The prices here are a bit steep but the food is good. read more

We decided to try Mezcal because we didn't want to wait an hour plus to be seated at the The Pantry to be seatedThe wait staff was very friendly and efficient. I ordered the carnitas dinner and my husband ordered the chimichanga both were excellent!! He meat was tender and seasoned well. We also had drinks. My margarita was balanced well and his rum and coke as well. My only criticism it that they should ditch the broken/chipped margarita glasses. We will however be back for some great food and hopefully the service will remain positive and attentive. read more

2.5 stars. I'm from south Texas and the food here is reasonable Tex-Mex, mostly similar to what we grew up eating. But, we have stopped coming back to Mezcal -- the service is just too slow. The waiters themselves are good, but they can't continue to staff this place on 1-2 waiters during dinner. Last two times we ordered the fajitas , they came out sizzling but for some reason the tortillas (always only 2 ..) don't come out until like 10 minutes later. Last time this took so long I had to ask them to reheat the chicken. This kind of stuff makes no sense. The prices are a tad steep for a rather divey place. The food is not bad. And to their credit the margaritas are always strong. read more

Our experience here was: it was good, but we were not blown away. The menu is quite extensive, and the tortilla chips with salsa appetizer seemed homemade and was yummy. We had quesadillas con pollo and mixiote verde de pollo; neither dish was very flavorful. I appreciated that they make their quesadillas with Oaxaca cheese - very authentic! But the chicken was a bit bland. read more

I came here on a Saturday afternoon for lunch while in the area and after hearing how great the Mexican food was. We were able to find parking right on the street and didn't need to pay for a spot. The inside was colorful and had cool decorations on the tables as well as the wall. We were also seated immediately by someone and orders taken. They had some options on the menu that you don't see at a typical Mexican restaurant which was great as well as chips and salsa. The food came out in a reasonable time and the portions were pretty big as well. The enchiladas were good and the sauce they were in was flavorful. The mixiote verde pollo I felt needed a bit of salt and seasoning, same with the beans that came with both. But both were filling and enjoyable. It also took us a little bit to get our check and then had to flag the waiter down, but overall it was a nice visit. I recommend it for some good food and a nice atmosphere. read more

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We loved Mezcal! If you have dietary restrictions you know the nervousness when waiting for food to arrive- the staff was knowledgeable and helpful in meeting our needs. Drinks were delicious, service was fast even when they had a full house. Staff went out of their way to make sure we were happy all evening! read more

A total dive with ok food. This place had great reviews but we were immediately disappointed with the cleanliness and the atmosphere. A smell of strong cleaners hits you as soon as you walk in the door. The menus were filthy with pages missing and falling out, tape to try to rectify the problem on every page. The chips seemed like they were fried three times, they were really thick and dark with grease. The woman's bathroom was gross with shelves of spray cleaners sideways on the dusty shelves and a broken mirror clumsily piled under a side table. Most of the food ended up being pretty good and none of us got sick, that I know of, so the kitchen must be a lot cleaner than the rest of the place. The simple, traditional Mexican food was pretty good, as long as you don't mind a dirty, divey atmosphere you'll be ok. read more

Mezcal - Menu so dirty! - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

So delicious! The staff was amazing and helped make space for my son's wheelchair with kindness and compassion.

Went here a few weeks ago and I'm sad to say that Mezcal has drastically gone downhill. I ordered the carnitas as my old staple favorite, and it was the driest, saltiest, worst thing I've eaten (check out my photo). I thought about sending it back and complaining, but the service was so terrible, I was halfway through my terrible carnitas before they even brought the tortillas. The tortillas should come WITH the carnitas, not 35 minutes later. My friend ordered the chile relleno and it was also bad. I couldn't even get anyone to give us the bill either. I used to love this place, but now I likely won't be going back for a long time because of the terrible quality of the food, awful service, and overall disappointing experience. read more

Mezcal - Look at how dry, reheated, and unappetizing the carnitas are. So bad!!! What happened, Mexcal?? - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Let me start by saying my food was great, but the service? Terrible! My server didnt come to my table until 10 minutes after I sat. I waited another TEN minutes for WATER. Then when my food came he checked on me 1/2 way through my meal. Collect my plate 10 minutes after I finished and another 6 minutes for my check? He had 2 tables besides me! As much as I enjoyed my meal I will not be returning. read more

My son and I were on our way to a trade show in RI when we got hungry and pulled off of the highway at the next exit. This restaurant came up on my GPS. We both like Mexican cuisine and it was a convenient place to eat and be able to get back on the highway quickly. Much to our surprise, the food here was the freshest, best flavored and most plentiful Mexican style food I have had, and I'm old. As fate would have it, I accidentally left my credit card at this restaurant and was able to enjoy another meal here on our way back home to pick up my card. Maybe that wasn't really an accident. read more

Having deep ties to Texas Mexican cuisine is a must. Mezcal hits me back to Texas and the authentic dishes I love. Mezcal is on point from the ceviche to napoles and camarones dishes. And the cocktails are refreshing and good balance of alcohol. They have outdoor seating if that works for you. Very reasonably priced even with a good bar tab on top. read more

Quite possibly the most forgettable Mexican food I've ever had. So bland. If you are looking for Mexican food that won't upset the tummy, this is it. The sauce served with the chips was promising, with a good amount of heat and kick. Everything after that had no seasoning. read more

We came during the time of corona. As a native Texan I have high standards, and mezcal met them. We started with some lovely shrimp ceviche, and nice and solid chips with excellent salsa verse. The fajitas were only ok, but the enchiladas mole were spot-on. The margaritas were simple and large. Perfect. Service was friendly. We'll definitely be back. read more

I found out about this place from a coworker, and I am so glad he told me about this place. Spent many of my Tuesdays there the food is amazing and the entrees are pretty big portions. The margaritas are nice and stiff, I love this place. Very much an older family owned business, which I love to support. This place is a must try in New Haven! read more

I frickin' love Mezcal. Great Mexican food, friendly service and strong drinks. They don't take reservations and there is usually a wait...but it is worth it. It's small inside, but the atmosphere is so awesome you won't even notice. I have yet to have a bad meal here....or a bad time. Also, if you are ever brave enough to try a tequila shot with a scorpion in it...this is the place to do it. Oh, and get the ceviche. Delish. read more

Food tonight was good, overall. Waiter came to the table, but I think he left his personality in the back room. He asked if we knew what we wanted to order before asked if we wanted any drinks, or any appetizers. I started with my drink order and they carry no vodka except Smirnoff.....really? Might as well be Dubra. As i ordered my bottom shelf cocktail, he interrupted and asked if we knew what we wanted to order, seeming bothered that he had to interact with human beings at all. Food wise, the menu never really seems to change and starts to all taste the same. I order the pablano pepper but it had no protein associated so i asked if they could add some of the pulled chicken on the side; thought his head would explode as he tried to calculate my question. I had to explain that i would pay for the side of chicken and finally it may have computer as he walked away without saying anything. I had to guess and wonder what would come out from the back. Appetizer arrived, and waiter quickly dropped it and ran off; not leaving any silverware or napkins. After our search party went and finally found him, we had utensils and napkins! Food arrived, shockingly with chicken on the side. It was decent food, again starting to second guess this place. Now that food arrived, and dubra cocktails were poured it was lovely with the three little kids running rampant around the small place playing tag with no adult supervision, the woman with the voice of a nails on a chalkboard, and our waiter who we had to put out an amber alert for a missing person. Needless to say, got out as quickly as possible. read more

Their food is so INAUTHENTIC. My Pollo Asado arrived unflavored. It was also COLD. When I asked for it to be reheated, my guac and salad was also HEATED UP. Their food is not worth it, if you want real authentic Hispanic food, cook at home. read more

I went this past weekend for lunch. They had tables spaced out, hand sanitizer dispenser by the entrance, and everyone wore masks. The bathroom was very clean and well stocked. I had the taquitos dorados and margaritas. Everything was very good, fun decor, great service! read more

Terrible food. Burnt to a crisp, yet somehow still bland. Our tacos were inedible.

This place is a hidden gem. I am from Los Angeles and it was extremely hard to find a good Mexican restaurant on the East Coast, but this one is definitely a great spot. The Michelada's and margaritas are delicious. The food was also amazing and the meat had a great flavor. Would definitely recommend it to anyone in the area of New Haven. I will definitely be returning when I am in that area again. The waiter was super friendly and very attentive. read more

What a disappointment. Service was disorganized, had to ask for chips and salsa, water to be refilled, things that should be common sense for a server. Ordered the chile rellenos, the cheese in the peppers was cold, not even melted, pulled the "brick" of cheese out it out of the peppers completely intact, refried beans were very watery and had no flavor. The chips and salsa were very good once they arrived. read more

Excellent shrimp enchilada and incredible mole, as others have said. I've been here a handful of times so far, and have loved the service and food. Edit 4/23: just want to add that I had a couple dishes here a long time ago that I didn't love (don't remember which, maybe one was the carnitas?). But I've now tended to stick to the enchiladas, and have never been disappointed. read more

Great food, warm environment, friendly, professional staff. One of reliable places to go for a nice meal. Family, couple, or single dining friendly too. read more

I was in search of a new place to get good Mexican food. I selected Mezcal because of the existing yelp reviews and a good view of the menu. We arrived at 7:45 on a Friday night. We were seated immediately outside per our request. Service: the staff is a bit on the slower side but incredibly friendly and helpful with the menu. Food: outstanding!!! I had the best rellanos ever here. The sauce had an amazing spice and it was exactly what I was looking for. My other half order fajitas, they were good but we always are alarmed when they aren't sizzling upon arrival. Drinks: margaritas were strong and delicious. I had 2 and felt like I drank 4-5 at other locations. This will be my new go to spot for Mexican! read more

This place was incredible! I've eaten Mexican food in Mexico, Texas, and New York. I was impressed by the quality of service and food right in little old New Haven. It looks nondescript from the outside, but inside is a gem. Speaking to various people inside the restuarant, everyone said we couldn't go wrong with anything we ordered. I had just a plain Margarita on the rocks, no need to upgrade the tequila, it's strong and balanced. Carnitas Nachos...to die for. My brother and I were crazy about these things, big chunks of pulled tender porky goodness with home made seasoned chips, mounds of guacamole...I had the mole chicken, it was very tender. My brother had the steak chimichanga, inside was a generous helping of steak, a nicely fried shell. Now...there was a party, I'm eating my food, and I hear singing, and then someone produced a very large glass shaped like a shotgun, and tequila was poured down the welcoming throats of the party. Talk about a good time???!!!! I LOVE this place. To the owner: thank you for bringing this place to my little hometown, it's people like you that make my city better! read more

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