I went to Tequila Mockingbird for the first time last night for dinner, and it was delicious! Located in the heart of downtown New Canaan, this local Mexican spot looks small from the outside, but once you get inside it's actually pretty big! I had 6:30 reservations for dinner and was seated right away. To drink I ordered a margarita, which was delicious! Not too strong and tasted fresh. I read on their website that their bartenders actually attend "Tequila School" in Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, and additionally the entire staff have taken classes provided by the Mexican government. So ya, they really do know how to make the perfect margarita! For appetizers I ordered the elote (Mexican street corn with chipotle mayo and cojita cheese) and the Cowboy Queso with tortilla chips. The elote was delicious and not too spicy. The corn is still on the cob, and they give you a knife which you use to shave the kernels off. The queso was absolutely amazing, some of the best I've ever had! For my meal, I ordered the Pick 3 Combination Plate, and chose Skirt Steak tacos, chicken quesadillas, and chicken enchiladas. All were so good! The steak tacos especially were tender and delicious. I liked the combination plate because it allowed me to sample a couple different items from their menu. It also came with rice and beans. Their dessert menu is fairly small, with just the options of churros or tres leches cake. I went with the churros, which came with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, and they were drizzled with a raspberry sauce. So good! The churros were warm and I was surprised to find they actually had caramel sauce in the center (rather than on the side to dip them into). Excellent! The service was extremely fast considering it was fairly busy when I went. The waiter, Roberto, was very friendly and funny. Even the manager came over twice to ask how everything was. I would absolutely recommend this spot if you're looking for some delicious Mexican cuisine! read more

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I would highly recommend this place to anyone who loves cozy ambiance & amazing food. Our waitress Amanda was awesome, we hardly even had to wait for our food and drinks. I'd highly recommend the cowboy queso read more

Wait staff was great. Food was excellent. We sat outside. I recommend this place. They had a special with molé, it was outstanding. read more

They got my order completely wrong but it was nevertheless one of the best Mexican dishes I have ever had. While I couldn't tell you exactly what I was given, the pinto beans, cheese, guacamole, and cream were all surprisingly fresh. It was just so delicious and pleasant. read more

Dont ever order takeout from this place. They constantly forget items and get the order wrong I typically just deal with but I called tonight when they yet again forgot an item and offered an insulting credit of $5. Then tthe manager got on the phone and dropped multiple F bombs when I demanded a more reasonable credit. I told him they forget something almost every time I order takeout and his response was. "so don't F in order from here anymore". Completely classless.....I will definitely take his advice read more

This restaurant is one of my happy places. Not good for takeout, but great for dine-in. The drinks are tasty, but be careful as they are strong. Definitely not skimping on the alcohol/tequila in their pours. I usually go with the taco platter, which comes with four different tacos, of which the pork is the best (pork has an impressive smokey flavor). Would call this casual, but it's New Canaan so it's still a bit upscale feeling, but overall a pretty straightforward, no frills, tasty Mexican restaurant. read more

Tequila Mockingbird - a skeleton riding a rooster in a mexican restaurant - Mexican Near Me - New Canaan, Connecticut

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Great evening out. We sat inside and we're seated in a booth with a 7:30 reservation. We were served chips and 2 kinds of salsas- the salsa verde was excellent. Margarita was so tasty. We got an appetizer - cheese nachos. I believe there were refried beans underneath the cheese- I've never had such a crispy nacho with such an amazingly generous amount of cheese on each chip. Seriously the cheese to chip ratio was pretty intense and amazingly delicious. So then we had our drinks- Dos Equis and a signature margarita with salt. Very good. Generous amount of tequila - not too tart and not overly sweet. The beef enchiladas and chicken enchiladas were amazing. My beef chimichanga was so tasty. Pork in the enchilada was smoked with love- we weren't crazy about the sauce. It wasn't the salsa verde. All in all- it was a solid experience for want it was. Thanks read more

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My friend's favorite bar/Mexican hang out spot! I'm not sure if they have outdoor dining when we went by there weren't any tables or chairs outside. We got our order to go. I got the steak fajitas and they were really good! Meat not over cooked. Generous portions! The margarita we had while waiting for the food was really good too!! read more

Tequila Mockingbird - Mexican Near Me - New Canaan, Connecticut

My friends wanted to try this spot out so we came for dinner last night. Our waiter was kind, attentive in making sure we were good with everything, and cool. They don't have shrimp tacos (only like this shrimp platter I think it was?) but the waiter hooked it up for me in and had them make me shrimp tacos! Food was delicious and the margaritas were very strong (well-worth it imo). Atmosphere was nice and quiet because we did go at night, but I liked it. The only reason why I didn't take a picture of our food was because we were sooo hungry lol. read more

Tequila Mockingbird - Margaritas did their job! Whew - Mexican Near Me - New Canaan, Connecticut

Tequila Mockingbird, how could you not want to go to a restaurant with such a clever name? From the outside this restaurant looks deceivingly small, but once you enter you will find yourself in a spacious, colorful, beautifully decorated restaurant! My friend and I shared the chicken flautas which were absolutely delicious and then ordered some tacos and she also ordered quesadillas. She enjoyed her quesadillas but we honestly were not crazy about the tacos. The shells broke the moment we picked the tacos up, the waitress was nice and brought us out a few new tortillas but not enough to replace all the broken tacos. I definitely think new tortillas should be used or perhaps serve the tacos with two layers or tortillas instead of one so that way they hold. I ordered the steak taco which had a very nice flavor and the chicken taco which was very rubbery and I couldn't really bite into. I ended up packing up most of my food to take home and recooked them the next day. The service there is ok. The hostess was a bit dry and more into her phone, the waitress was nice and checked in, someone who appeared to be the owner or manager did come and check to see how everything was so it's evident that, overall, this is an establishment that cares for their customers! There was another staff member there that was really sweet and helped us bag our stuff and he took a photo of us for memories! While I cannot rave about all the food I had here I would definitely come here again, eat the flautas again which were amazing and try something new the next visit! Thank you! read more

I agree that the margaritas are excellent. Can't say that about the entire food menu, but we usually get the Arrachera and shrimp fajitas which never disappoint. Atmosphere is fun and the service is friendly. read more

The place looks beautiful inside, lots of decoration, servers are super friendly and welcoming, we got sitted right away. I wish they could have drink menu, but server gave us some recommendations about drinks. Drinks are super strong, my husband loved it. Food was ok, would come back for a drinks and some nachos read more

Tequila Mockingbird - Mexican Near Me - New Canaan, Connecticut

A Mexican restaurant that also has a small bar section attached. We only drank in the bar, so can only comment on that. There's a small selection of wine and beers, including a changing range of fairly local craft breweries. I would have liked to have seen a better choice of draught and craft beers. The main attraction here is the tequila. And boy what a selection do they have. I would estimate over 100 different varieties. Bar snacks were limited unless you order a meal from the restaurant, but there are tortilla chips and dip to nibble on. Staff were friendly and attentive but not intrusive. read more

Decent mexican in the area. The place has fun over the top decorations inside and the staff are very friendly and helpful. The atmosphere is fun and inviting! The food is good, but won't blow you away. read more

A moment of silence for the reviewer who thought the margarita tasted like alcohol lol. The margaritas here are amazing! Two and you are toast. If you can't handle a marg... go down the street. read more

Clearly came for the word play title - but never coming back otherwise. There is no drink menu but rather the waiter claims to have it all in his head which should be code for we don't make anything great so roll the dice and we are not going to tell you the cost until your bill. They put more crappy tequila than mix but not sure that more would help (my Albanian husband makes better). Now the food.....under seasoned and overpriced and the only saving grace was their beans. I know I look white but I am Mexican and know better. read more

Good food, terrible service. No sense of ownership. Just people doing their job or not.

Came here as a group of 6, which we told the waiter, but were given a table with a setting for 4. The nachos are interesting... I feel like they're more like quesadillas. The chicken in the fajita was dry. My friends frozen margarita that she ordered didn't have any alcohol in it. I think the waiters were annoyed of us for the hour we were there but it felt like they just couldn't get it right. read more

Tequila Mockingbird - Mexican Near Me - New Canaan, Connecticut

A nice spot on the water with good tacos. Service was a bit slow, so that's why the 4 stars, even for COVID....was VERY slow. Margarita was good as well. read more

Service is friendly and quick. 5 Stars Food is pretty good 4 Stars Ambiance ...it's Mexican ... so for Mexican 5 Stars Bar is 5 Star Cleanliness is 3 Star Lot of kids and since the staff all sing happy birthday for every single froggin birthday request ... even though the place may seat 70ish people ... there are 3 - 5 "birthdays" every hour ... so it isn't quiet date night material. Its raucous. read more

Accidentally went here with a party of 6. Had two drinks and could not finish either of them... Very alcoholic and poor tasting. Spicy Margarita was awful. Tasted like battery acid. Food was okay, but not very appetizing read more

Strange vibe. Bartender was curt w a dry humor. Decent tequila selection & homogenized margaritas. Typical background music Very colorful Mexican decor. Loved their tomatillo green salsa. Food is average. read more

I am very surprised that people have such different experience when they came here dining, I suppose I am very lucky, my experience is certainly a 5 stars. Food, drink and service were all excellent. I love both their Margaritas, both frozen and regular, they are very strong and you certainly feel it. Extensive menu with lots of specials and EXCELLENT salsa! The ambiance and decor are so lively, it's very casual and cozy, good for groups, too! Will come back here for sure! read more

Now called : Tequila Cockroach!!!!!!!!! OK! ....well I kind of have been putting off this review because my family and I used to love going there and they had decent food and a awesome supply of tequila and it was close to home. That wasn't till my son brought to my attention that there was a bug on the wall....... so I turned to look and to my surprise and disgust it was a cockroach!!! YES A COCKROACH PEOPLE!!!!!! ........So I grabbed my son shoe and tried to kill it but it fell on the floor still alive of course and that's when I noticed that the floor was absolutely disgusting!!!! A dark, perfect place for a cockroach!!!! Then I start looking around at the cleanliness factor and it was seriously lacking because the shields that they had between each booth was coated in grease little fingerprints from children and old crusty food!!!! I'm sorry to say I don't think I will ever be going back there or visiting any of the restaurants that are built on next to this restaurant because where there's cockroaches in a building ....they definitely spread out pretty fast!!!! So needless to say we finished eating our meal rather quickly with our feet tucked up underneath us on the bench so we didn't bring anything home with us and we left disturbed and disgusted!!!! read more

Great place just moved to town a few months ago and trying all the places in town. It's a very fun environment and super friendly staff especially the bartender Justine! Definitely would recommend for food and drinks! read more

Tequila Mockingbird - Mexican Near Me - New Canaan, Connecticut

I recently visited with friends and the food was delicious and authentic. I also loved the decor. My favorites were the guacamole, the quesadilla and their banana cheesecake dessert. The waiter was super friendly but there were a few times when we needed something and he was nowhere to be found. My friends ordered mango margaritas and said they were really good. Overall, I would recommend going and would visit again if I was in the area. read more

Ordered takeout from this place, will NEVER do it again. Firstly, I checked the menu on their website and ordered based off that. Once I arrived to pick up the food, they informed me the prices were wrong on the website and the cost was almost 33% MORE than what was posted online. And rather than honor a mistake, they just shrugged their shoulders and said "too bad". I might have been able to forgive this if the food was good, but it wasn't. Both the quality and quantity were subpar. I ordered Arrachera (skirt steak with rice/beans). The skirt steak was over cooked and tough, while the rice/beans were mushy. Considering it cost almost $30 for the plate, I expected WAY more. read more

Tequila Mockingbird - Mexican Near Me - New Canaan, Connecticut

If you're looking for a tasty but strong margarita this is your place. A very cozy and fun atmosphere, the staff are friendly. Food just ok. We got the guacamole which was good, the pork jerky tacos ok, the taco platter not so much and the rice and beans kinda plain. Worth checking out if you're local but if traveling far maybe not. read more

Tequila Mockingbird - Mexican Near Me - New Canaan, Connecticut

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Unfortunately, this was always a good spot but it seems to have gone downhill since new owners came in. We had a party of 6 and met at the bar before dinner. The bartender stood with his back to the bar for 5 minutes texting and we couldn't get a drink. Finally, I had to say "Hey, can we get a drink?" Service at dinner was slower than normal and the food was average as a whole. Some meals were good but not what they used to be. In a town with good restaurants we would not come back here. We have given it a few goes since the change of owners but we won't be returning. read more

Love the food and the environment in the restaurant! I love to order the quesadillas or any dish with their steak because its so good, but my favorite dish would have to be the "camarones al mojo de ajo" so good! read more

We went here for the first time, it was okay, would give it another try. The ambiance is very festive and fun. The food & drinks were pretty good. The service was terrible. Probably the worst I've ever had. We sat at the bar to have drinks, apps and dinner, and there are too many details to write but the bartender was horrible. She kept complaining about how busy she was and about her coworkers to customers. We had to ask for everything because she kept forgetting to bring everything (food, napkins, silverware etc) we decided to have our drinks and our cold nachos and leave. We went somewhere else for dinner. read more

I thought the food here was delicious! Different than the more typical Mexican place but still with all those flavors that I love! We sat outside on a beautiful night. Also, the margaritas were very good too! We'll definitely be back again. read more

If this place were being graded solely on the bartender, Ryan, it would be getting five enthusiastic stars. He talked up and then delivered on an amazing margarita for the lady. He also convinced me to try a new beer based on my 'safe' order and was spot on. He engaged us in conversation, let us try the hottest hot sauce ever in a relatively safe manner, and gave us great shortcut directions to the train station. He also seems to be a real heartthrob for the ladies of New Canaan, CT... And that brings us to the reason that stars are being knocked off the scorecard. The bar was filled with self-absorbed, overly-done-up, obnoxious photocopies of your stereotypically vacuous and privileged desperate housewife. To be fair, that last sentence could have simply read, 'The bar was filled with women from Fairfield County, CT.' Case in point: There are maybe ten bar stools in this place. A woman was sitting in one seat, with her giant purse (left wide open) on the seat to her right, as she leaned across the seat to her left to chat it up with some guy whose bank account she was probably planning to suck dry. There are more examples but no need to bore you. (Minus 3 stars) We didn't eat the food, but the chips and salsa were good and other people's meals looked and smelled quite tasty. The guacamole wasn't spicy enough, but was fresh. (No change in star rating) Now some mitigating circumstances... First, it's not really fair to judge a bar by its patrons, especially in a town like New Canaan. (Plus 0.5 stars) Second, the bar has a witty name. (Plus 0.5 stars) Third, middle school aged boys come in here with their ice cream from a store around the corner and watch the ends of basketball games without being accosted. (Plus 0.5 stars) Fourth, a young child (maybe 8 or 9) came in to grab pick up while his mom waited in the car. After about 10 minutes which included him spinning around 15 times and almost getting run over by countless staffers and guests, his mom finally came in and took care of the transaction. You have to love a place that will ignore children, even when they're waving money around and standing in a place that could lead to injuries. (Plus 0.5 stars) read more

My husband and I go out for dinner at TM at least twice/month. Here's why we can't get enough: #1 - Roberto is the best waiter ever. He came up and introduced himself to my husband and I after seeing us come in to the restaurant several Fridays in a row last winter. He not only greets us every single night we're in, but also constantly makes sure that our waiter is taking good care of us if he isn't in our section. #2 - When I call in to make reservations, the hostess will reply back "Hi Jessica, how many tonight?" Its just a crazy nice feeling to be recognized. #3 - The Margaritas! We have shared a house with an amazing chef for the past 5 years who does not believe in any kind of "Mix" when it comes to making margaritas. Its fresh squeezed lime juice, orange juice, and tequila, (I won't give away the rest) and its amazing. TM makes theirs with Don Julio which is another staple in this household, and also takes it easy on the sweetness that we constantly find in other Mexican restaurants in Fairfield county. Two and I promise you'll be set for the night ;) #4 - (...and last but not least!) The deslish food!!! If you can't decide what to get after scanning through the menu for the first time, my suggestion would be to pick one of the fajitas (skirt steak is my fave) and choose one of the specials. You won't be sorry!!! Thank you, Roberto for being so awesome! read more

This was one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. When we entered the restaurant, me and my wife had to push our way through 20 or so frat boys who were screaming at the soccer game on tv. The restaurant is not a sports bar and it's ridiculous that this type of behavior is allowed to happen completely unchecked. We should have left right then, but we unfortunately decided to give it a chance. When we finally found the hostess, she refused to seat us outside, even though they had free tables because we were only two people. After we were seated, we were greeted by three different waiters, the last of which took our order after 15 minutes of waiting. After, (and this is not an exaggeration), 40 minutes of waiting I asked our waiter to check on our food. He did just that and came back to tell us that not only did he not put a ticket in for our order, but also that they were out of one of our dishes. He did offer to replace that meal for free - the only redeeming factor of the entire experience. After another 20 minutes of waiting I had him change our order to go and asked for the check. The food was mediocre Mexican and the margarita I had was a disgusting glass of triple sec. I will never eat at this restaurant again and would deter any other person from going here. read more

What a weird place. It's like stepping into a bar in the Caribbean in downtown New Canaan. We ended up here for a drink with some time to pass until our train home. I am glad we did not eat here - the bartender was eating his own fajitas, with his hands, basically licking his fingers, then sticking a lime into our corona. Vom. read more

This is a review from sitting at the bar. Hopping busy summer Thursday night in New Canaan, but the bar here had some seats. Nice margarita, although on the small side for 10 DOLLARS (I guess I forgot what town I was in. 10 DOLLARS?????). I had huevos rancheros with steak. I did not expect such a nice (and large) piece of meat. Very tasty and the rest of it was good as well. I'd go back for sure. read more

In a typically which came first, chicken-or-the-egg argument, one may consider---to be a great Mexican restaurant, does it start with having great Mexican food first and then build the restaurant around the menu? Or does it start with a well managed, well run restaurant first, in which case any specialization in any cuisine could be fostered successfully? Tequila Mockingbird suggests a solution in how its business and culinary strengths flow together. It is not just "another Mexican restaurant" -- rather, it's a well run restaurant whose creative culinary emphasis is Mexican cuisine. Tequila Mockingbird is a multi-sensory dining experience from start to finish. From the moment you walk in, you have stumbled across a festive, colorful street party in Mexico somewhere that a local traveler has tipped you off on. From the colorful banners, splashes of neon, and decorative flourishes of tequila bottles and Mexican flair, you have entered into a weekend daydream that possibly once belonged to Frida Kahlo or Diego Rivera. The menu's offerings show that there is indeed a difference between "Mexican food" and "Mexican cuisine." In the case of chiles relleno, "Mexican food" is some inattentive place that serves a freezer-burned pepper caked in excess with cheese, using mass density as a substitute for flavor. In "Mexican cuisine" -- and by that I mean "Tequila Mockingbird" - chiles relleno means a triplet of lightly breaded peppers where the cheese is representative enough to remind you that it's there, but leaves the chiles as the true stars of the show. And by show, I mean a festive plating of an orange mole-esque sauce veiled in a net of lighter sauce for an almost artistic upgrade of an otherwise historically abused dish. As my encounter with the chiles relleno suggests, the best bet is to take advantage of the specials menu, the regularly changing paper insert attached to the inside of the menu. What is so engaging about the house specials is that each dish has its own story as to how it was inspired and how it has been reinterpreted or altogether reinvented under the culinary standards of Tequila Mockingbird. Many of the descriptive vignettes come from the chef's own childhood experiences---consider them to be an edible anthropological compendium of favorite childhood dishes that have become realized in contemporary maturity. Some standard menu items include the fish tacos---in the house lightly fried "Baja" which again, use the preparation as a nuanced enabler of flavor,leaving the tilapia to fend for itself rather than other places that may use deep frying as the path to escape culinary stewardship. Service is attentive and friendly. Coming here with groups much larger than 5-6 people can be a tight fit but certainly doable. The chiles rellenos, when available as a house special, are $16.95. Baja fish tacos are $16.95. For a grilled alternative, a swordfish version of the fish tacos are available for around $19. Margaritas are short and sweet and to the point at $9.50. Parking is on the street if you are lucky enough to claim one, otherwise neighboring lots are good options, particularly during dinner time. read more

I went to this restaurant based on all the great word of mouth reviews I heard. The service was terribly slow, and disorganized. I ordered the Spicy margarita after being told it was one of the best, it was actually one of the worst I've ever had, very watered down and not spicy at all! The server was kind enough to take it off my order when I explained I didn't want it. The food was just okay, I've had better in the area. We had to add salt to the guacamole because it was so bland. This restaurant was not what I expected at all, maybe they were having an off night. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants. The staff are super friendly, the food (order from the specials menu) is intensely flavorful, and the margaritas are great. My favorite dishes here are generally the stew type dishes (the "Olla", "Chili Colorado", etc...) the chef cooks many of these slowly and the result is excellent, deeply flavorful food. Fun atmosphere, one of a kind in the area. Order off the specials menu and you can't go wrong. read more