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Mez
Rating Details »
Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: First WardEpiCentre
210 E Trade St
Charlotte, NC 28202
(704) 971-2400
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner, Late Night
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
18 reviews for Mez
I've enjoyed Mez several times now both alone and in groups. Each time I've thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere, food and service.
It's chic, club-like interior isn't over the top or trying too hard. Just a modern, handsome, dark space with a decent atmosphere.
The menu is an eclectic mix of current trendy items like Mediterranean mezza plates and standard entres. The truffle oil is heavy handed and makes the menu try harder then it needs to, but it's all tasty nonetheless.
The in house movie theater is worth two of these stars with it's plush, oversized seats and love seats. I'm a particular fan of the assigned seating which always wins my favor even if it is a steep $12 per ticket. That's even pricey by my San Francisco standard (I complain about the $10 tickets there).
All in all the four stars are for the consistent delivery of great food, atmosphere, and theater options.
We went to Mez for a group dinner and had very groodservice. The food was actually very good and the portions are big. It's a good festive place overall.
Unfortunately, I can't get over the location- I'm not a fan of the 'Epicenter' and the cheesy mall feel. The theatre escalators exit into the bar which is awkward. The bar tender was also struggling and had to take out order 3 times.
food is solid (and LARGE), both bar bites and entrees. drinks are special and good, of the fancy mixologist cocktail sort. but it's waaay too pretentious for charlotte. very obviously trying to be a NY (hellooo hudson hotel), LA, Vegas style bar/restaurant/lounge. but in NC?! I'd rather have bbq thankyouverymuch.
ok, that rant aside, it's a decent place to grab a drink and bites. granted i've only been here for work events so might not be that enjoyable on a personal level. especially since it's in a mall.
Great atmosphere and very stylish. Perfect for a nice dinner uptown or a drink at the bar after work.
Horrible birthday experience! They called an hour before to confirm the reservation and left a message saying they would cancel if the call was not returned, I sat on hold for 10 minutes while waiting to confirm reservations. We were never told the entire party had to arrive before being seated nor that individuals would not be allowed to enter the restaurant after 9:30pm without having their name on a "list". Once seated the waiter got the drink order mixed up several times and told several members in our party that what they ordered for their meal was "horrible" and requested that we pick another item off the menu. After selecting a forth item off the menu I was disappointed in what I received. I will never spend a dime here again.
Excellent food... decent size restaurant / bar / club, great atmosphere
had about 10 different appetizers but the "Shrimp cakes" were my favorite.
Mez is a great place to go if you are visiting and don't have time to research.
great place!
The food is oustanding! Highly recommend the organic chicken and corn
The staff is rude.
The food is so-so. Not worth the price (you're paying for the location).
The atmosphere is cool. But that doesn't make up for the staff's attitude.
I have been a few times and been treated poorly in some way each time, when you're dropping $100 or so on drinks and a movie in one spot I think that it isn't too much to ask that the staff be courteous.
I guess I could get over the food that's half way good if the staff was just nicer. Over the 4 or 5 times that I've been there though the staff has progressively gotten worse.
Keep in mind that this review was written about a recent visit to the Mez BAR that occurred during early evening hours before the place morphed into a boom boom club. We went at around five and the light coming through the wall of windows lit the whole place up warmly. We ordered food from the bar menu, which was impressive but a bit pricey.
Standouts were the gnocchi, which was really about as good as I've had anywhere, and the Mez black cod, which is prepared in a light and clear miso sauce. The black cod was superb, just fantastic. If I went back I would order the entree version in a second.
Go early, enjoy yourself, and get out before it turns into night at the Roxbury.
Whoa. The owners of this place definitely built to impress. And impress they did, but not necessarily in a good way.
So, first of all, the place is located in a mall-- a fancy downtown mall, but still a mall. There's a red carpet, a rope, and two bouncers by the entrance at 6 PM on a Thursday night -- and no crowd whatsoever. Needless to say, it was a bit intimidating for two casual diners but we persevered. There's nothing on the first floor so you need to take the escalator up -- an escalator that lights up 10 different colors and takes you through the walls of fuzzy carpet -- funkalicious but yet again, out of place early in the evening when only other visitors you see is a couple of business travelers wearing jeans and sweatshirts. Upstairs, the place is huge, industrial looking with modern decor.
As others have mentioned, you can either eat in the dining room or grab food from the bar and go watch a movie on one of their 5 screens (and yes, I do admit that's a cool idea.) In the restaurant section, the menu is actually pretty decent with a variety of international fusion choices. The Croatian Illegal bread is yummy and their crepes dessert is nice. Prices didn't scare me as I come from the coast.
Bottom line: a pleasant experience but you can tell that the place is trying way too hard and unless they make up for the emptiness with some crazy packed parties on Friday and Saturday nights, I give them a year until the money runs out to operate this gigantic space with expensive fixtures and numerous staff. I will probably be back because the rest of downtown dining options are way more boring than this.
Mez, more chill than suite. Easier to have a conversation. Crowd: young professional-older.
This is the sexiest restaurant in Charlotte.
No lies, no exaggerations.
The.
Sexiest.
Restaurant.
In.
Charlotte.
Dim mood lighting, ambient house music, and an American menu that is sure to please.
Even the hostess was hot! But her hotness decreased when she (a) took a phone call before speaking to me and (b) addressed this Russian woman in a long camel coat after said phone call, although she knew I'd been standing there longer. I had to let my City out, stand up to the hussy and say, "I'm sorry, I was here first, thank you." Bloody hell.
We (my mom, my older cousin, and I) were seated in a dark corner, which I thought was brooding and sexy, but my mom and my cousin complained that they couldn't see what they were eating. My scan over the menu revealed options for discriminating tastes, essentially, something for everyone. Prices were EXTREMELY reasonable (then again, this is Charlotte, not DC or New York), ranging from $6 for salads to about $30 for entrees.
I ordered the barbeque chicken pizza, which was niiiiice. The chicken was tender and pleasantly seasoned, and worked well with the savory tomato sauce. The parmesan cheese, which I'm not used to on pizza, was excellent.
My mom and cousin just got the house salad, which was supposed to include all sorts of pomp and circumstance in the form of apples and pecans, etc etc, but when it got to the table, it was really unsavory. My mom's lettuce was brown and the salad didn't have any of the pomp and circumstance. One of my biggest fears is sending something back to the kitchen--for fear of getting a spit or urine surprise--but my mum's got chops. Boy, do these people take pride in their dishes: The executive chef, Klime Kovaceski, made her another salad and brought it out to her himself. Ace service, man. Our waiter was very attentive and had a pleasant NC accent.
And as penance for the unsavory salads, we got dessert on the house. The Chocolate Bomb is choco-lious!!!! A little scoop of chocolate ice cream on the side, plus a drizzle of strawberry and mint sauces.... Heeeeeaven!
We didn't drink because of our religious cousin, but next time mommy and I come to Mez, we're hitting up the wine list, which was quite impressive. There's a book of reserve wines by the bottle, and a very extensive list of by-the-glass options. The cocktail menu was also fabulous, but the prices amazed me, averaging $10 per drink, which is pricey for Charlotte, but this place is poshy enough for it to be worth it.
So go pick up some sexy at Mez. It's more expensive than Charlotte's used to, but it's well worth it, even if it's just to feel poshy for a little bit.
Cool decor, good service and unique menu. I would avoid the "Live-at-Five" crowd.
Mez is cool. Oh, sorry, I'm supposed to talk about the food. The food is okay. Great menu the prices are around $10 (minus tips). The atmosphere is what you are paying for. Its a very chill place to get something to eat and watch bankers with their Nose in the air plotting on how to get that next raise by stabbing Caesar in the back.
Good thing is.. They have an AMAZING BAR and LOUNGE. This is a good place to rest your nerves.
Thelonious likey the LOUNGE.
Before any drink or bite of food is consumed, there is lots to Mez that will win you over. The setting is so inviting and impressive that it's easy to get cozy with it quickly. Dimly lit with candles, floor to ceiling windows looking out to the city, large ceilings, and it has a smoky sexiness about it (although I didn't see anyone smoking in there; I am almost certain it isn't permitted). Swanky.
I was impressed with their Monday night crowd. This is one of the few places I've been to on a Monday night in Uptown that actually had a pulse. Good to know. But before I go into my dining experience, I'd like to offer the disclaimer that my husband and I ate at the bar, not in the "restaurant" part of Mez. I was sad to read the previous reviews from people who went in groups and got poor service, and because of it I think it would be a while before I attempted to round up the group for a dinner there.
We grabbed a seat at the lush looking bar and were quickly acknowledged by the male bartender who offered us drinks and a menu. Just two minutes later we had or drinks in front of us, and were asking questions about the food (which were quickly answered). Our bartender was sweet and accomodating, and very attentive despite being the only one behind a half-full bar. The kitchen was a bit slow, (we had tickets to a 7:10 show and cut it super close) but it wasn't anything to complain about. I have full confidence that this aspect is a growing pain and will get better with time.
I started with a french onion soup, which was just okay. Cooked right and had some nice flavor, but nothing spectacular and was a bit sweet to the point I couldn't finish it. But THEN came the main course: Mahi-Mahi with capers in a light lemon sauce, over mashed potatoes. Brace yourselves: this may be THE BEST dish I have ever eaten in any Uptown Restaurant. THE. BEST. The size of the piece of Mahi was enough to feed two, maybe three small families. And I couldn't eat it fast enough. It was cooked just right, very tender and juicy, and seasoned perfectly. I don't know what they do to their mashed potatoes, but they are infused with some sort of savory deliciousness that made me deaf to the sound of my fork scraping my plate in search of more. My husband got the Macadamia-crusted grouper which he loved just as much, but he admitted to some serious food-envy after tasting my Mahi. I had no time to taste his because I was too busy stuffing my face with mine. We finished up just in time to head into the movie, our drinks in hand. Excellent experience. (PS : They will validate your parking when you first walk in - ask the snotty girl behind the desk.)
I've only eaten dinner here but I know you can watch a movie during your meal. I went with a party of 4 and we had reservations. The interior is very dark and modern with club music playing. The wait staff was very friendly. The olive oil, tomato dip they serve with the bread is very tasty! I ordered the Duck as my main meal and it was very moist and flavorful with the raspberry glaze.
I was very impressed when i walked in - a loungy atmosphere. My date and I plus one other table were the only ones on the second floor when we arrived around 7:20 with reservations. I was suddenly turned off when the waiter went through his spiel and then said "I'll get you started off with some water; can I get you Sparkling, Spring, or Tap water".... really - if you're going to pressure me into buying water why don't you just come out and say it instead of making me feel cheap because I don't care if it comes in a bottle or out of a faucet....
Anyhow! All we ordered were a few appetizers and munched while talking. We got sweet potato chips with aioli sauce - they were okay, but the chips were a bit undercooked. We also got the humus sampler dish and that was really good. The humus had cumin in it which I'm not accustomed to but it was a nice twist. And the tziki (however you spell it) suace was yummy. I even dipped the sweet potato chips into it.
So soon after we arrived the place started filling up with parties of 5 and larger. After we got our appetizer/meals we never saw our waiter again! I ran out of my TAP water and sat there for about 20 minutes a bit parched. My date flagged down a water boy who refilled his drink but didn't even glance at my glass. His glass was refilled 3 times before I got snippy and asked for some more water. When we were finally done talking and had been ready to leave for 40 minutes we flagged down someone else for assistance with getting our check. The person who helped seemed to be a busser of sorts. She pre-bussed the table before leaving to get our check. When she came back with a receipt for us she bussed the rest of the table. I've worked in restaraunts for most of my working life and you never take silverware or breadplates off the table until the guests have left. While saying "have a good night" over the chinking of the silverware she was hastily gathering I was ready to throw a temper tantrum.
THEN!!!! We went to leave and get our parking ticket valitdated by the hostesses. They told my date they couldn't do it since we had a server. Now by this time I was blowing steam out of my ears from the lack of compentency running that establishment that I took the ticket out of his hand and went up to them and demanded to see either a manager or to get my parking ticket validated immediately and that I wouldn't wait ANOTHER 55 minutes to get appropriate service. Finally we were free!
I DO NOT recommend this restaurant for anything other than a late night trip uptown. The service was horrible. The food = hit or miss. The only thing going for this place, in my opinion, is the atmosphere which would be enjoyable from 11 p - 2 a as long as there aren't a bunch of drunk frat boys running around....
My friends and I thought your restaurant was amazing, but the service and attitude of your manager was outrageous. My girlfriend and I, and our nearest 20 friends will make sure never to spend money with people that act as unprofessional and rude as you. We'll take our $700 elsewhere every month. Hope you learn in time how to treat your customers. We were referred by a good friend of Kevin. Hope you learn from your mistakes, your reputation means everything!
