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I haven't lived in Pittburgh for over 15 years, but i used to eat at Mad Mex way before it was ever a chain restaurant.
Even tho I don't live anywhere near Mad Mex, every time I visit, I must eat here.
Not only does it have literally the best food, but for a fee, you get the biggest and strongest margarita ever. Yum!
I used to go here after with my friends 11 when all food was half off. not sure if that is still the same. But what a great place!
Mad Mex reminds me of my time at Duquesne.
I used to run here for the one hour that I could get the Big Azz Margarita for $6 but now I think it's $7 (sometimes before my European Union night class!). My personal favorite is the frozen raspberry Margarita!
Also I love the potato taquitos, who doesn't love a tortilla stuffed with mashed potatoes!!!
I came back after 5 years and Mad Mex is unchanged, hallelujah!
Probably one of the best (and SUPER CHEAPEST) Tex-Mex joints in the entire city. I don't go for the drinks, but man, you can't beat half-priced burritos as a college student. $5 for food that fills you up for a long, long time?
Sign me up. I'll miss you when I go, mad mex.
I haven't been here since I moved away (4 years ago). After a long weekend spent at a family wedding, I got a serious, uncontrollable craving for a big margarita and chickpea chili. The good news is that the chili is still really awesome - spicy and very hearty, even for a "wimpy" veggie chili. I've actually tried to duplicate this at home many times and just can't seem to get it right. Delicious. The margarita isn't the best I've ever had, but it's still much better than most out there (aka, it's not from a premade bottle).
The rest of the food we had was also pretty great - my girlfriend and I split an Angry Hippie burrito (spicy spinach with portabello shrooms) and a steak burrito. The veggie burrito was superb - lots of kick, but not too much to overwhelm anything else. The steak was just okay - there was actually very little steak - every piece I had was kind of gristly and overcooked. The blue cornbread is outstanding.
If you're not familiar w/ MM, it's basically the size of a large walk-in closet. It can get quite crowded (mostly w/ college students), especially during happy hour and after 11pm (half-priced food).
My chickpea chili was good. I still haven't a burrito or margarita at mad mex, so I don't feel like I've had the whole experience yet. But my chili was good.
Hello (reliable) deliciousness! I swear the menu has grown 2-fold since I lived in the 'burgh.
I decided to change it up this time (my standby meal is shrimp funguy taquitos and the black bean and pineapple quesadilla with tofu). I ordered the black bean soup and the Pennsyltucky fried tofu. The tofu was a knockout! So crispy and flavorful, with nice sprigs of cilantro and sprouts on the side. Loved the salty warm peanuts too. The soup was meant to be like the Kiva black bean dip, but the dip is so decadent (read: fattening) and spicy, while the soup is just watery and missing the cheesy rich goodness of the dip, which I guess I should've expected. But still, it was all delicious.
My friends got the burritos, which I think are amazing, but sort of boring compared to everything else on the menu. I ordered a big azz mango marg, per the usual and was not dissappointed. I LOVE this place. Everytime i'm in the city I will go here. It's a must!
I enjoy mad mex and their food very much. I always have a good time when I go there. My only problem with Mad Mex is their servers. My friend and I always seem to get not necessarily a rude server but they just never seem happy to be there. I understand they have to serve drunk pitt kids who come for the margaritas, but when they bring you your food they look like they want to kill you. Besides the service the food is as always very fantastic. My personal favorite is the beef chimi and I absolutely love the bean dip. Mad Mex gets 3 stars
I love everything there!
Mad Mex was one of the first restaurants I visited when I moved to Pittsburgh. I've been a fan ever since. This location (they have several around the state) was the first and helped the Big Burrito Restaurant Group get off the ground.
The space is cozy, and can be somewhat cavernous during the daylight hours. The decor is wild. Staff is nice and consistently busy. The college crowd can take over this place in a hurry, so get to happy hours early and try to get a table just before the late night specials start.
I recommend the Kristy's Big Sister Red Velvet Quesadilla. It's chicken, cheese, zucchini, and spinach combination is great with the salsa, guacamole and just a dab of sour cream. Wing fan? Try the San Francisco glaze with either the "mild, wild, or insane" hotness factor. (I can't eat the insane wings...just too darn hot). Also, try the variety of Monday through Friday lunch combinations.
They have multiple locations across the state of Pennsylvania and one in Columbus, OH. I have only been in the original location, which is in the Oakland neighborhood in Pittsburgh. It is a tiny building, and it is often *loud*. The later you go, the louder it gets.
Personally, I think a lot of their burritos taste the same, though it is a very good taste. I like their pickadippa and potato taquitos. They also offer lots of options, like meatless or vegan versions, or the choice to turn a burrito into an enchilada, and vice versa. Everything is priced decently, with half-price food at a variety of times (depending on the location) and lots of great specials for holidays and such.
The Big Azz margaritas are enormous. I enjoy the frozen strawberry. I often get the small, and I usually can't finish it.
Mad Mex has been one of my truest loves for about thirteen years. As a taco connoisseur I know a good plate of them when I see it. And I did more than see these guys! I love this restaurant. It has the convenience of a chain restaurant with the quaintness of a GOOD restaurant. And I want to high-five whoever wrote their menu.
Mad Max is a great place if you're looking for good burritos, and if you have vegetarian or vegan restrictions since they have vegan sour creme and cheese. This little place can get packed and you'll be shoulder to shoulder with someone you don't know, but the food is well worth it.
I used to play in a band and was taken to Mad Mex after a show in Pittsburgh. Maybe my opinion is swayed by finally getting to eat around 1am, or the half priced burritos, or the cheap beer. Whatever the reason I dug the place.
As a side note, the guy who took us there was crazy. He squatted in an abandoned apartment (I opted to sleep in the van). I asked him how old he was and he said he didn't know... then he started to cry. That crazy bastard knew where to get a good burrito though.
Total bargain for students, with 50% food up until 4pm daily.
Kudos to our server for coughing up some attitude at my 40 year old cousin who tried passing off her student ID to get the student discount.
Don't take the attitude out on me because I was the one that outed her as you scrupulously eyed up the tattered ID. You weren't the one to face the wrath of my aunt and cousin for the rest of the week for outing her on her real age.
Enough family drama, perhaps CA living has made me a bit jaded or that I'm a little older, but the food here is bit lackluster. Lots of volume, and very little substance. Just like college kids! The menu is creative and offers a lot of variety and a number of veggie options and the prices are great, but its nothing worth driving cross town for.
Ok, maybe that blue cornbread.
Mad Mex has THE BEST burritos I have ever had hands down. My first visit was sometime during the summer of 2005 and since then been a staple dining place until I moved to Chicago.
Not only is the food delicious but the Big Azz Margaritas are awesome, especially if you're there while they have a special.
I have a love/hate relationship with this location for the simple fact that it is always so crowded. I love the half price after 11 and the food is always excellent but you're often waiting a while for a table.
Ive been to several other Mad Mex locations, and while they don't offer the half price special, the atmosphere seems more like a restaurant than a crowded bar.
seriously awesome food. I can't wait to take a trip back to Pittsburgh and stuff myself with a burrito.
Drinks? Big and yummy and cheap. 4 stars.
Food? Filling but not spectacular. Let's go with 3 stars.
Environment? Fun, chatty, and crowded--luckily I've always been in the mood for this each visit. 4 stars.
I love Mad Mex, despite the fact this location is tiny and crowded. Any Mad Mex is going to be great in my opinion, but this one is close to my heart since I spent my 21st birthday there.
We come pretty often for happy hour (4:30 - 6:30) where you'll find half-off drafts and wings. They don't advertise it, but I think you may get a discount on all margaritas, not just the big azz ones ($7 opposed to $10). The margaritas are THE reason to go, in my opinion (avoid the hibiscus peach one - it's pretty hard to drink and $12). Until the end of November they have cranberry and pumpkin margaritas as well. The pumpkin is surprisingly delicious. I'm not sure if it's only during happy hour, but you get free (and refilled) chips and spicy salsa at the bar.
But wait, there's more: they serve damn tasty food! And with half price starting at 11 (luckily one of the "select items" are the burritos), you can't pass it up.
Mad Mex is small quaint place. The decor is dark but vibrant. There is always a number of people and while you're packed in with tables it doesn't feel too crowded.
The food is good if you stick to the Tex Mex, otherwise it is hit or miss. The beer selection is good and the prices are dead on (especially if you have a student ID.)
This is the least authentic Mexican food ever short of wrapping sliced cheese and jelly beans into a fruit roll up. HOWEVER, you don't go to Mad Mex for authentic Mexican food, you go there for delicious fusion burritos, cheap and deadly margaritas, and loud music.
I live in California, home of the burrito, and I still miss Mad Mex. When I get a chance to come back to visit Pittsburgh, I make a point to enjoy myself a red velvet burrito or a dance marathon burrito, and of course a Mad Mex Margarita. I was pleasantly surprised last time I visited to find the new no smoking policy here. Anyways, this place is great for half-price food and half-price margaritas. It isn't just because I was in college either.
I would also mention here, that drinking 33oz of generously tequila-ed margarita isn't the best (and certainly not the worst) idea before attending your ex's wedding. If you decide on this, I'd recommend not breaking the seal and making sure it isn't a catholic wedding first.
Meh is right.
It's always ridiculously crowded. It's in that generic Cali Tex Mex restaurant chain style where quantity matters over quality. The drinks may be large, but the tequila they use during happy hours is borderline mezcal. The food is mediocre and overpriced. Service is VERY uneven. Dim lighting probably hides a multitude of sins.
Be sure to carry multiple IDs if you are not American. I had issues getting in with my passport. Yeah, are you freakin kidding me? I guess that's typical of a place where many underage kids try to get in. However if they don't let you in, that might be doing you a favour.
i came here late at night for the half price burritos and cheap huge ass margaritas. i had the angry hippy with portabella mushrooms. the food is tasty and the margaritas are delicious. it was a friday and it was packed. the atmosphere was lively and fun. the waitress/bartender was really nice, fast, and very attentive.
Pretty good Tex-Mex. Mad Mex is part of a chain of semi-themed restaurants by the Big Burrito Restaurant Group. Sometimes the theme-ish-ness can be a little overdone, but I think it's fun.
At night the place gets really loud and filled with college students there for drinks. During the day they have some great lunch specials. It's always really dark.
There's much better Tex-Mex in other parts of the country, but this is some of the best you'll find in Pittsburgh. I enjoy some of their experiments (if you're bored of a particular dish try the shrimp version).
If you're not one for loud, crowded restaurants, I do recommend trying it during lunchtime. You might want to bring a flashlight to read the menu though.
Boy oh Boy. I was pretty fuckin bummed when I moved out here to to only have more bad news on top of no good Chinese food but NO FUCKIN MEXICAN FOOD! For anyone that knows me ... DAS MY SHIT! Sooooooo bummed. But ... I went in to this spot around the corner form my spot in S. Oakland and gave it a shot ... all I gotta say is thank god I found some place! The Thai Burrito is my jam over there. Hold the extra supa doopa burn yer asshole off spicy pineapple salsa. Unless you wanna feel like somebodies droppin' matches out of your ass I highly suggest don't fuck with the spicy pineapple salsa. No Joke. Aside from that, big ass Margaritas and .... every night .... NAKED GIRLS! Just jokin ... every night after 11 pm ... EVERYTHING IS 1/2 OFF! Couldn't beat that with a woofle Ball bat.
I fux wid it!
Before I moved to Chicago I asked the waitress for her phone number. She was cute and had the punk rock getup. She had a boyfriend. I came back two years later and she was still working there. She remembered me, I asked her what's new and she said it was her last week, she got engaged and got a masseuse license.
Freshman year I ordered buffallo wings (when I still ate meat). They asked me "mild, wild, or insane". I said insane. It was so hot my nose started sweating.
Dates Worthy Place?
It's a great place to take a date because it's loud!
If you like the girl (or boy) you have to lean in close to talk.
Nothing says "i love you" like burrito and hot wings, unless she's vegetarian, then stick to the chickpea chilli burrito.
"big ass Margaritas" are 1/2 off from 10 to 11. then from 11pm on it's 1/2 off Food. Pittsburgh is so cheap!
Wall-to-Wall Studios did their graphic design work.
vegetarian: Super friendly! vegan tofu sourcream to soy cheese.
Loud, annoying and uncomfortable.
Perhaps, I am a Californian at heart, but the several times I was here, it was not the greatest experience. Tex-mex food. The menus are trying too hard to be witty. My friend wanted to order the Area 51 burrito, but it was a joke item and was embarrassed when the server said it did not really exist.
Not a place to have a conversation, but hey come here for a couple of drinks down in the Oakland area.
Ok. It isn't really Mexican! I mean, sometimes it is, but lets face it they serve an amazing hummus and their chicken wings are great. That's just not mexican. But if you can deal with the fusion-whatever, it is great.
The picka-dippa (three dips & endless chips - is a must).
4 stars for Pittsburgh. Competent service, good drinks. I don't love the theme-ed-ness or, for that matter, the food. But they have lots of great specials and the California salad with lime cilantro dressing is one of the best salads in the 'Burgh.
If you don't like the noise, go for lunch, especially a weekend lunch or early dinner. Other locations are fine too.
FYI, vegetarians, the dressing has cheese in it. And it's so good, I bet it's actually real parmigiano reggiano, too, or close to it.
Are you in Pittsburgh? Do have a craving for chips and salsa but are unable to satisfy it because you're Pittsburgh? Just go to Mad Mex. It's my absolutely favorite uber-americanized-californized-tex-mex-bar-restaur ant-voodoo-lounge in the whole world!
They're unabashedly american-tex-mex here, but they also respect their Pittsburgh roots. You can get a buffalo chicken burrito here. Try finding THAT in San Francisco! You can even get your burrito with cross-cut fries. oh Pittsburgh - i miss you - sometimes.
That said, they actually do have awesome, humungous, fork-and knife burritos such as Super Mad Mex with Steak. So good. When they say spicy, they mean spicy. The restaurant has the coolest logo ever (I bought 2 pint glasses to take home with me). The service is great, if not eccentric.
They have half-off food after 11pm, in the Oakland tradition. However, its typically way too crowded at that time to eat successfully. The lesser-known secret is they do half-off lunch from 2-4pm Mon-Thursday. This is a much better way to go.
FYI: The chips/salsa are free at the bar but not at the table. Also, they will try to sell you guacamole and sour cream with every dish - but it's not free!
Mad Mex also has a decent selection of beer on tap, including, at various times, Rogue Dead Guy, Delirium Tremens, et al. And of course, they have IC Lite and Yeungling for the pittsburgher in you.
So go, get a huge-azz margarita, some beer, some great food, and stumble down atwood street drunk with the rest of the crowd.
Mad Mex is awesome! And is one of the things I miss the most about Pittsburgh. The Pico Burrito is fantastic (probably the thing both I and my non-veg friends ordered the most while there) as is the Potato & Black Bean Taquitos. For non vegetarians I have heard great things about the Tortilla soup and some of the other burritos...
In terms of crowds it totally depends on the times, if you are going for half price food which was available between 2-4 PM with student Id or after 11PM then yes its crowded but for 4 bucks for a huge burrito in a town full of college students thats expected. The atmosphere is quieter and better for talking during peak dinner/lunch hours when the food is not half off.
Mad Mex offers vegetarian burritos with seasoned tofu that are pretty good.
It gets pretty crowded and noisy, so keep that in mind.
I remember few of many nights here. They all ended in craziness of sorts. Once after eating and imbibing, a friend ended up screaming that she wanted to sleep on the sidewalk. "Just leave ME HERE! (sigh)"
The other time another stranger came by and brushed my shoulders with her fingers whispering hush-hush "I like asian boys". But alas, the one major thing I could hanker for is the half-off menu past 11 PM and their hugeass margaritas. This beats chile's or chi-chi's.
1/2 food and margaritas after 11pm!!!
Love their margaritas,
food is ok,
usually a wait after 11pm.
Ten years ago, this place was inventive and delicious. It is still a very consistently decent place to eat, but other establishments, including the fast food places have closed a lot of ground. Mad Mex still has great chickpea chile, and nachos etc., and the burritos are still a bit different from the standard chicken, beef, pork fare at Chipotle or Qdoba. But these other establishments are no longer miles away. Mad Mex could probably do with updating their menu. At least they still have the thriving bar scene that differentiates. I think in general, that too many of the reviews revel in the 50% off value as opposed to the intrinsic value of the place. This is -- to me -- an indication that something needs to give.
Half price after 11PM, which is a good reason to go for college students. I went here pretty often. Things to try for sure are the blue cornbread and any of the burritos. The quesadillas and nachos aren't bad either.
WHAT'S UP COLLEGE? THis place was the FAVORITE when I was in school at Carnegie Mellon. Given that was nearly a decade ago, and who cares that I'm reliving my youth through memories of a kickass restaurant, I still think this place kicks ass. And I'll kick the ass of those who don't. (fine, I won't).
Seriously Mad Mex was a place that was known for its after 11 "half price food" and kickass drinks. I remember a night with my friends where we sat across from a table of girls that were more interested in each other than us, we ate a shitload of food with habanero sauce on it, and we drank a lot. College was exactly that. The observance of women, the ingesting of food, and the imbibing of beers. Awesomeness that I'd love to repeat. Daily.
Just go there and love it. Don't debate its qualities of food or its noise-issues. Just love unconditionally like a dog. I do.
The FOOD = awesome. But the aptmosphere sucks...
We used to come here for 1/2 price after 10 or 11 or whatever it was, in college. I fell in love with their chick pea chili burritos.
Con - they wouldn't or couldn't make them without onions for me and it's too fucking dark to see to pick the onions out.
Pro - since it's too fucking dark to see to pick the onions out I just gave in and ate them and learned to like something I otherwise might not have tried/liked.
I really hate how dark and loud it is here. It's kind of pointless to go in a big group because you're only going to be able to talk to the people immediately next to and across from you and it's a pain in the ass to get seated. I much prefer the McKnight Rd location - is it still there?? Every time I am back in Pgh I mean to try the Robinson Town Centre location but I always forget until we are driving to the airport and I see it. Maybe next time...
Love their chips and salsa. Love their black bean garlic dip. As I said already love their chick pea chili (have learned to make a knock-off to satisfy me out here in CA but it's just not the same...)
But avoid this location unless you're hurting for cash and/or have no transportation. It's worth a little extra money to be able to see your food and hear your dinner companions.
I have have to disagree with the below poster. I was turned onto Mad Mex during my college years because the opportunity to eat out at half price was worth it. Furthermore, their veg. friendly menu was satisfying and NEW at that time (tofu in a dish... WHAT?). So I have continued to deal with lousy service and horribly lighting for my tofu burritos =)
Drink atleast 5 of the BigAss Margaritas, Trust me on this one. A burrito will soak up all the booze from atleast two of those puppies right?
Best burrito in town, and essentially a copy of San Francisco cuisine. Show up for happy hour after 11, it's half priced food and half priced stellar margaritas.
This place gets four stars because it is vegan friendly. A bit pricey, I admit, but try and go for the half-price menu, after 11 pm and if you are a student, sometime during the early afternoon (can't remember the times). Happy hour is always crazy, with half off Margaritas and wings. (Get the San Fran - yum!) Take note - it's dark and NOISY, so don't go here for some intimate talk!
Pittsburgh, PA
Category: American (Traditional)
Pittsburgh, PA
Category: Restaurants
Pittsburgh, PA
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