Just went for lunch yesterday at Mother. LOVED IT! I like the remodel, setting private booths in the center of the space was genius. It made for a more comfortable experience. I have to give a shout-out to the wait staff. Maria was amazing! She made recommendations and was always coming back to check on us...and always with a smile. She made the experience and is one of the reasons I would recommend the restaurant. She wasn't walking through the motions - a value-add for sure. Now to the food. We just had water with our meals, but they have a full bar and what looks like a fun cocktail list. We started with the mother.Guacamole. It was FANTASTIC! It's a must have. Then I had the Braised Beef Tacos - which is 3 tacos with a side of salsa verde. You can ask for other sauces, depending on how hot you like it. My friend had the Cured Pork Belly Tacos, which she loved. Since it was my friend's birthday, we shared the Apple Pie a la mode Empanadas - which were delicious. The prices were great too! For all of that, our bill, with a 20% tip was $63.00. (I've had lunches for 2 that end up being about $50 and the food wasn't as good and we didn't have the dessert.) Highly Recommend.....I will definitely be back! read more

We went in with a party of 6 and were given a 30 minute wait time. No problem. We head to the bar. I realize an hour has passed so I asked the hostess. She tells me we are next. She points to a table and say she just waiting for them to head out and that would be our table. 20 more minutes goes by and my husband goes up to ask. He came back after being told it's going to be another hour. They gave our table to someone else. Manager came over and sat us right away. Server was beyond overwhelmed. She seemed to have had far more tables than she could handle. I can't hold the service against her I don't know the reason for that. Food was good although they were out of anything with shrimp in it due to a special they had. I highly recommend the mother guacamole. Drinks were good too but the spicy margaritas were extremely spicy and I love hot food. After 2 sips I gave up on it. I recommend the mother margarita and if you like sweeter ones the Granny Smith margarita is tasty. The coconut old fashion was very light and more smoky. Their old fashion was good and the beers were ok a bit hoppy for my tastes but others like it. Overall had it not been for the 90 minute wait and the overwhelmed server I would give it 5 stars. read more

I'm torn on this one. A 3 isn't representative, more an average.... I've been here three times, twice solo and once with my kids, and the experience has been consistent. First off, the food is pretty good. It's kind of themed, though I'm not sure what the theme is. I think the owner likes 6 things and they just decided to figure out what they could make using those ingredients. Brisket appears multiple times, as do "candied long hots". Everything is tasty, and the portions are generally large, but it difficult to put together a multi-course meal and get variety because of ingredient reuse. I've had the Brisket Empanadas which were good and reasonably priced, the street corn deviled eggs which were excellent but way overpriced (2 eggs for $9 is nuts), duck tacos, the Birria Ramen, and a couple other items. My daughter got a large salad with duck and was very happy. I'd say food is a 4, unless you get bored easily. Now, on to the negatives. The furniture is amazingly uncomfortable. Like sit on a "church pew for a 2 hour catholic wedding" uncomfortable, and it doesn't take 2 hours to make your butt and back hurt. The service also isn't great. They're friendly and helpful if you can track them down, but they just kind of disappear. This most recent time I ate there we went close to a half hour without even seeing our server, though the guy bussing tables did help us out once. Would I keep going back? Yeah. My kids liked it and the portion sizes (aside from the eggs) are generous, but I'd lean towards takeout. read more

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Visited mother. for the first time recently after it opened with friends. Would return for cocktails, which were delicious, but the food and service were not up to par. Drinks 5/5: The craft cocktails were delicious; I had two Pineapple French 75s and would absolutely come back for another! Service 3/5: server was not very attentive and despite the fact that the establishment does not take reservations, there is nowhere to sit/stand while waiting to be seated. There was a 30 minute wait for us (party of 4) so we waited in the vestibule, which was awkward. Server forgot some of our items and overall seemed a bit disoriented. Chips and salsa 2/5: probably the weirdest salsa I've ever had. It somehow tasted like... nothing? Granted, tomatoes are going out of season, but honestly this salsa was super odd and lacked flavor and texture. Chips are chips. Were complimentary. Chips and guac 3/5: Guac itself was bland and not very flavorful; personally I am a fan of a nice onion- and lime-forward guac but this was very bland; however the red chili on top of the guac was really yummy Pineapple jerk chicken tacos 3/5: ratio of slaw to chicken wasn't great and chicken was a little dry. Wish there was more than one lime for the plate and in my opinion not worth the price. I also ordered "rice for the table" but it was very bland and cilantro heavy. Really disappointing because I love rice but it was just not good. I've never had to leave a category review like this, but the benches themselves were very uncomfortable. We were at a booth across from the bar, and the seat was very high up (none of our feet touched the ground) and it was very stiff. We had to stand up multiple times just to get a bit more comfortable. Would not recommend this type of seating. Note: mother does not take reservations read more

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Loved the atmosphere and the service was alright but little slow and not much attention to detail (like checking on us and refilling our drinks) !! The food however was sorely lacking... Me and my girlfriends all got different entrees and every one of them was just eh. They lacked flavor, texture and a sauce. Was very disappointed in our overall experience read more

Mother - Shrimp Tacos - Bars Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Great food, drinks, & service! Well worth visit. Katie our server was fantastic!! Recommended.

We had already had lunch so we stopped in for a beer. The bartender was very nice. The food that the couple sitting next to us at the bar looked delicious! We will definitely be back. read more

Mother - Bars Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

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Turned us away over an hour before they closed saying the kitchen was already closed. Host was rude, would not come back here

We had a great experience at mother. on a Sunday afternoon. They've completely reimagined the old Estrella space, and the transformation is awesome. The new layout feels so much more welcoming, with comfortable booths that give you some privacy. Unlike Estrella, we could actually have a conversation with the friends who came with us. The whole place just feels warm, unrushed, and inviting. The service was spot-on--attentive without being overbearing. We're big fans of local beer, and mother. definitely came through. Their craft beer list is excellent, including great options from East Branch Brewing, which shares the upstairs space in the old Downingtown firehouse. I've also heard the margaritas are fantastic, and there's a wide mix of craft cocktails and wine if that's more your speed. Most importantly, the food was fantastic. The mother Guacamole is seriously good--fresh, flavorful, and the chili crunch on top is such a great touch. The house red salsa was also really tasty. For entrées we had the Pork Carnitas and Paella Bites, and both were outstanding. We left already talking about what we want to try next time. Highly recommend--can't wait to go back! read more

Food was bland, drinks were not that good, and the booths by bar are completely uncomfortable!

We went to mother. for the second time today and it was perfect! Our server, Roman, even remembered us from our first visit when they opened a couple months ago, which made us feel right at home. The atmosphere, the food and the service were all fantastic. We ordered the smoked brisket empanadas and mother. guacamole - both incredible. I wish I could bottle up the homemade chili crisp they use on the guac to take home! Excited for our next visit. read more

Mother - Mother. Guacamole and Smoked Brisket Empanadas - Bars Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Great vibes, excellent food! The empanadas were cooked to perfection, and the guac is honestly some of the best I've had. And they give you chips and salsa for free when you sit down! Both times I've been the service has been excellent. Friendly and inviting. I'll definitely be coming back next time I'm in the area! read more

I stopped in at mother's for a drink and an appetizer. The specialty drinks and appetizer menu was vast so I had a hard time choosing! I decided on the Carajillo which was a combination of vanilla vodka, cold brew and chocolate shavings, delicious! For an appetizer l, I chose the Paella bites, and they didn't disappoint. The atmosphere was welcoming, the bartenders were attentive and I'll definitely go back! read more

We were really excited to try Mother, as we all love Mexican food, so we went on Friday evening with a party of six adults. We arrived around 7:00, and the hostess told us the wait would be about an hour and fifteen minutes. She took our phone number, and we received a text from "Toast" confirming we were in line. We decided to head over to R5 for some wine and cheese while we waited. When we went back to Mother around 8:20, the hostess -- with a big smile but a bit of attitude -- told us it would still be approximately another half hour. Meanwhile, the Toast system had been showing a 5-15 minute wait and one party ahead of us for over thirty minutes. We spoke with the manager, who was somewhat apologetic but kept saying they couldn't control wait times. We understand that to a degree, but if that's the case, maybe don't give specific estimates you can't reasonably honor. I can't speak to the food or drinks since we never made it that far, but I do think they need to improve their hostessing and provide more accurate wait times. We ended up going to The Social, didn't have to wait at all, and had an excellent meal! read more

LOVE MOTHER! The empanadas are a must! The beans and the Mother quac were stellar. Highly recommend the Guava Mule to wash it down. And, Jeff, our server was amazing, friendly, and personable. He was spot on with his recommendations. read more

From the margaritas to the guacamole, it was awesome. You get the hipness of Philadelphia without having to get on septa. We went back the next day to get the guac to go. The poke bowl tostada was also a standout. read more

It is so nice to have a great restaurant so close by. Tonight was my first time at Mother and what a delight! My son tried the Spicy Jalapeño Marg and I got the house Marg, my husband had one of their beers and we all were happy with our choices. We got the Street Corn Deviled eggs and the Spiced Maple Bacon Guacamole; both were fabulous. My son got the Pork Carnitas Tacos, husband got the Jerk ChickenTacos and I got the Salt & Vinegar Cod Tacos....let's talk...big portions inside a fresh flour tortilla with delicious spices/sauces. We finished by trying the Smashed & Fried Plantain w/vanilla ice cream and loved it all. Roxy was our server; she was super nice and made us feel right at home. We will definitely be back read more

Was not crazy about the "updated" look, but did like the addition of booths. The margaritas were too sweet. The spicy margarita was not spicy at all. They do not offer coffee (or dessert for that matter) so no espresso martinis. All drinks are served in rocks glasses, including water and soda. My husband doesn't drink alcohol so he'd be done with his soda in 2 sips and it was not easy to get someone's attention for more. As for food, the salsa is very bland. The guac was tasty. The fundido was just strange. There is some grainy, broken cheese underneath some melted cheese. The quesabirria tacos were good but a little bland. They were better when paired with the side of black beans we got, which was probably the best thing we ate. All in all, we'd try again, but not any time soon. read more

I loved the beautiful renovation inside. Drinks were good, maybe a bit on the sweet side. I do wish there was more flexibility to order three different tacos instead of all the same kind. Please consider this option. Overall, a nice spot and a welcoming vibe! read more

Delicious margaritas, excellent street corn deviled eggs, and tasty tacos. We will be back for sure.

Saturday night we started with two craft cocktails (Painkiller & Sage lemondrop martini) they were very balanaced and smooth. Once we sat at our table we got the Poke Tostada-- fresh tuna, fresh toppings, and the perfect amount of sesame. Moving onto dinner we split the house smoked brisket tacos and the salt & vinegar fried fish tacos. I cant say enough of about the flavor combos both of these tacos produced. Service was spectacular, we hope we get Shanna banana when we return. Just a great over all experience. WE WILL BE BACK! read more

Went with a friend for dinner. Loved the vibe and the decor. The menu is varied and not your typical restaurant menu. Kind of a Mexican Caribbean menu I'm guessing. . Not your usual Mexican fare. We had the Paloma cocktail and lemon sage drop martinis. They were amazing but I will ask them not to salt my rim next time. Deviled eggs were some of the best I've ever had. The Paella bites were perfectly spiced and flavorful. The Jerk chicken tacos were very good although we probably should have eaten them first because they were cold by the time we finished the paella bites and deviled eggs. They do bring all your food out at once. I assumed that the " shareable" items were appetizers and would come out before the tacos. You would need to specify that. Service was spot on. Food came out quickly. Not pricey. All in all, A great little eatery in Downingtown. I hope it sticks around. Can't wait to come back and try more of the intriguing menu and unique cocktails and the plantains! read more

i was excited to try this place but i was very very disappointed at everything about it there is a really small menu, they don't sell any quaso or mexican rice the food was very very bland not worth your time or money. i'm also very mad they replaced estra with this place i see them running out of business very soon read more