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Mezcal
- Hours:
Mon 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
Tue-Thu 11:30 am - 10 pm
Fri 11:30 am - 11:30 pm
Sat 4 pm - 11:30 pm
Sun 4 pm - 9 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
254 reviews for Mezcal
Review Highlights
"My husband braved the fried grasshoppers."
(in 27 reviews)
"Great atmosphere with wonderful Oaxacan food."
(in 13 reviews)
"I'm definitely coming here for happy hour next time."
(in 26 reviews)
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254 reviews in English
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Review from Jordan J.
San Jose, CA
1/29/2012
Good on all fronts - service, seating, ambiance (spelling??), and value.
A definitive go - for the authentic food and good service. -
Review from Edda O.
San Jose, CA
1/23/2012
Good food, great service with very generous pours of alcohol in drinks, what's not to like? Went on a Sunday evening and it was pretty empty with only a handful of tables occupied. I jus had to try the fried grasshoppers (chapulines) and so we did.
It was better than I expected, a strange aftertaste but pretty good with the chips and salsa. The chips were good!! Reminded me of the ones we get at Mi Pueblo.
Also tried:
Sea bass, which was delicious. Fish wasn't the best quality n tasted pre frozen but it was decent. The rice it was served wIth was the star! Seasoned rice sautéed with corn, bacon bits, green beans and tasted like it was cooked in stock.
Flautas - rolled up tortilla that is deep fried which chicken in the middle. Most disappointing, it was dry and bland..
The black beans on the side was delicious!! And we appreciated the complimentary chips with the three moles. The moles were decent but not great.
Overall, Not a bad place. -
Review from Erica e.
Updated - 12/28/2011
We to Mezcal again for a birthday celebration last Thursday and it was hoppin'!
Beer selection is pretty limited, but the food and atmosphere is great!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/29/2011
Had a drink and appetizers here tonight and it was pretty good!
The atmosphere is very cozy and… Read more »
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Review from Julie R.
San Jose, CA
2/3/2012
Had dinner with a friend here last night and I'm really impressed! First of all, the decor was fantastic--the life-sized Catrinas and the lights and lanterns really add to the ambiance. The serving staff was great, really friendly and explained the menu well. The food was really good; I'd not had Oaxacan food before, and it was delish! Will definitely be coming back with the hubs.
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Review from J K.
Washington, DC
1/29/2012
The ambiance was nice and the menu had a good variety of Mexican foods. Also, an interesting (if expensive) cocktail/margarita list.
The food was served luke warm and the service was a little slow. The enchiladas were served "deconstructed" which was surprising as this was not mentioned anywhere on the menu (i.e., folded, empty tortillas were topped with onions and cojita cheese with chicken on the side)
The chips were good, the mole sauces were not as good as I had hoped given that this is clearly a specialty of the restaurant.
I would go back, but it's not my favorite -
Review from Dev K.
Los Gatos, CA
1/25/2012
Love Mezcal! The service is always friendly, the staff knowledgeable. I love the authenticity of the food, the presentation, the atmosphere. If you go on a nice day, try to sit outside, it's wonderful. I've been here several times with friends and every single time, I've practically licked my plate clean!
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Review from Karen C.
12/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been here a couple of times and I really like the food and the Margaritas are huge! My dinner companions had not been here so having them explain the different mole's and how things were served was very helpful when making a decision on what to order.
We got three different items and of them I would highly recommend the Pork Enchilada's. The pork was amazing! Skip the chorizo as they don't remove the casings and they are super chewy if you miss some when taking them off yourself. The chicken was ok but kind of bland if you ate it without the sauce. Overall I'd go back for tasty Margaritas and the Pork Enchilada's!! -
Review from Shanna K.
Well.. we've been here a couple times now so I've tried a few things and it's just ok. The drinks are good, the chips are good, the decor is beautiful and I do like the mole even though it's not the best I've had. I've had chapulines elsewhere and can take them or leave them so I wasn't compelled to try them here.
But I did try the chicken tortilla soup and it was more like a curry (thick and spicy) than a soup... plus it was severely lacking in chicken. There was maybe two small (as in diced) pieces and no vegetables to speak of.
The molotes (crispy corn shells stuffed with potato and chorizo) sounded great but were complete flavoriess. How does that happen when there is chorizo involved? I was confused. Plus the corn shell was very thick and took away from the filling, IMO. Wouldn't order that again.
I guess stick with the mole and drinks... it seems to be what they are able to put a solid effort into. -
Review from Lauren K.
San Jose, CA
1/12/2012
Meh... It's just not all that great for what you're getting. It's pretty expensive food even if it is authentic or whatever. Especially for Mexican food.
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Review from Lia M.
11/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Mezcal was my favorite place that I visited in San Jose. They specialize in Oaxacan cuisine and a spirit called mezcal, which, like tequila, is also made from agave. Instead of chips and salsa, Mezcal offers diners chips and their three mole sauces for dipping. I love this idea, because I was unsure of which one to try. While all three were great, I decided on the coloradito - a spiced red mole. The traditional chocolate version was flavorful, and the estofado mole offered a lighter taste. Chips were fresh and crisp.
My piece of chicken was huge, and covered with a ton of coloradito mole, plus black beans and tortillas. Needless to say, while I left some chicken, I soaked up all of my sauce with the soft tortillas and chips. I had a drink with mezcal in it, which proved to be smooth and easily drink-able, and something that, if given the chance, I would gladly continue drinking well into the night.
Service was friendly and attentive. The tiled restaurant, bright light fixtures, and mosaic tables add color and texture to a unique space (restaurant opens onto enclosed dining patio). I'll be back next time I am in San Jose. -
Review from LIz L.
Hollister, CA
1/14/2012
Second time at Mezcal and it was great! Love, love, love the Mole Negro. It reminds me of the "enchiladas de mole" from Xochimilco, Mexico that I had when I was younger. The fried tortillas with meat are more like "Enchiladas Estilo Michoacan" which are the bomb if you haven't tried them. The guacamole is awesome but order it with the full jalapenos serving because they didn't have that much spice. The portion size are good and their cadillac margarita is hmmmm hmmm good. Oh! And order an extra order of the fresh tortillas they make on site. They taste good even with a little "limon y sal" and the guac. The service was excellent and I really wish I got the waitress name because she was great.
I highly recommend it this place if you want really authentic Mexican food. I mean like deep down Mexico with no yellow cheese. Also the historic building with the expose bricks gives the place a nice ambiance that it kind of feel like you are in Mexico. -
Review from Sonnia K.
It was my very first time to visit Mezcal for dinner and I was quite full of excitement. Well, I made it as one of my group's Reckless Dinner Event because of the place's exotic food, particularly the Chapulines. I invited several friends to join me into tasting their famous crunchy treat. Not everybody tasted it, but it was one interesting appetizer. Garlicky sour crunch which went well with their Guacamole dip. Fried grasshoppers, what an experience!
For the main course, I had their Rib Eye Steak with Asaparagus and Chipotle Sauce while my heart-husband had their Beef Estofada. I totally loved their chipotle sauce! Spicy! I was happy with my dinner plate indeed. Was not really a fan of their Mezcalrita (Mezcal Margarita). I thought it lacked on tequila. It was served in a giant margarita goblet. Maybe it would have been better served in Strawberry flavor too.
The place was cute and offered outside seating during hotter weather. Unfortunately, downtown San Jose was not parking friendly IMHO. Service was okay. Ordering the cinnamon coffee was quite a drag because they didn't have a ready brew at once. We had to wait for quite a while for it, and after serving it in our coffee cups, it quickly got cold. Oh well. I would go back because the Chapulines were addictive. -
Review from Marisol T.
San Jose, CA
1/4/2012 11 Check-ins Here
The Mezcalritas are flavorful and decently priced. Owner/ staff are extremely attentive. I've tried many dishes here and have never been disappointed. The food quality is great and portion size is perfect. Mezcal is definitely a great place to dine in downtown SJ.
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Review from Channa P.
11/9/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Somehow my travel free spirit led me to eat the damn fried grasshoppers! What type of review can you even give when you do that??? Compared to the grasshoppers at TGIFridays this place is way superior??? Shrugs...
This is not your typical Mexican restaurant so don't expect the standard burrito, enchilada, rice combo. The food wasn't amazing, but I enjoyed my other food that wasn't insects.
I went twice once on a packed Friday and again during lunchtime the following Saturday. The bartender was nice enough to let me watch the Tennessee v. South Carolina football game, so anyplace that supports my SEC is okay with me. -
Review from Catherine C.
San Jose, CA
12/17/2011
This place decorated really nice and the staff is friendly too. My favorite item is the estafado mole! Bartender Brian is the shit! He makes a really good drink!
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Review from Cindy C.
Silicon Valley
10/10/2011
I love a good mole. Unfortunately, this is not really the place to get really good mole. The mole is not bad, but it's not great either. It sort of bland and watery and the chicken was kinda dry in spite of the mole sauce.
The margaritas are pretty tasty and it's probably fun to sit outside on a summer evening downing margaritas and nibbling on appetizers. I didn't bother with the grasshoppers - no matter how novel it is to eat bugs. I did like the memelitas, which are corn toritillas topped with pork cracklings, black beans and cheese. I thought these were yummy but nobody else at the table was as impressed as I was. What can I say? I love pork rinds. I also enjoyed the molotes which was sweet potato and chorizo wrapped in a sweet corn dough. Pretty tasty. The fresh guacamole is good too, but could use a little more lime - I like it tangy.
We've also tried several of the entrees, but we prefer doing appetizers and margaritas for our money.
Cool place to hang out for drinks and nibbles downtown. -
Review from Chris C.
10/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Mezcal is a pretty good place and the only other place I've had Mole at that I can compare it to is El Agave in Old Town San Diego.
Here's the good and bad of it:
The good: Pricing is pretty good and I really dig their Moles. I especially dig their drink menu for the fact that they use labels I've never had before. Service was also on point. I sat with my friend at the bar for our meal and the bartender was very helpful with explaining a lot of things about the place and its food to us.
The bad: Menu IMHO could use a few more selections. The problem I had with El Agave was that there's so much great stuff on the menu that I have a hard time picking. At Mezcal, while the food is great, I found my eyes wandering around for more items many a time. Also, I feel like their drink menu should include a master list of spirits instead of just listing their cocktails and wines. When I come into contact with something new (in this case they had a delightful twist on a rum and cola) I'd like to taste the spirit by itself and while I could just ask and order a shot of it, a master list would make me a very happy camper.
It may look like there's more bad than good in this review but really my complaints are just me nitpicking at an otherwise good joint. -
Review from Virgie S.
Santa Clara, CA
Updated - 12/28/2011
The Chicken milanesa was great!! The moles were also awesome. The customer service was great too. We've been here before but only for the drinks, I'm glad we chose to have lunch here last night :)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/9/2011
Last summer I attended a Tequila Tasting hosted by a the Chicano/Latino SCU Alumni Chapter. It was a… Read more »
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Review from Kelly C.
Sonoma, CA
1/22/2012
Mezcal has consistently excellent Oaxaca food. Great selection of Tequila and Mezcal. Friendly knowledgeable staff.
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Review from kess g.
San Jose, CA
11/5/2011
Nice decor and prices are pretty good for a downtown location (right across the San Jose Museum of Art).
Food is decent - I would not call it spectacular, but everything I tried was okay. Kid's menu is a steal - portions are large enough to feed an adult, plus an ice cream sunday included!
They are pretty good with gluten-free options - ask the server what will work, and they will consult with the chef. In general, avoid moles that come with free chips (chips as well for that matter) or anything fried, since everything - including breaded items - is fried in the same oil.
I'd give it 3 stars - extra star for the kids menu. -
Review from Tracy L.
Cupertino, CA
8/28/2011
I adore Mezcal! It is one of the places I frequent often in downtown San Jose. I love eating the crispy chips and sampling the moles they bring out at the beginning- the depth and contrast between the different moles is awesome!
Also, I loooove the taquitos. Probably one of the best things on the menu. The grasshoppers are fun too! Roasted flavoured. It's best to eat them littered onto a chip with guacamole... to top!
I've also had the tamale there, which is wrapped in banana leaf. Nice and tender and full of flavor.
Actually, I'll say I love all their appetizers! They are so awesome and unique, and if anything tickles my fancy, it's intriguing chef creations. :)
Totally Dishcrawl approved! -
Review from Albert H.
8/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
There's hot sauce on the tables. In little vinegar shakers. My companion thought it reminded her of something.
I swear it tastes exactly like Taco Bell's Medium Spicy Sauce that comes in those little packets. Which is addictive. Especially if you don't have to keep opening all those little plastic packets. I started putting it on the tortilla chips.
We came for happy hour, running down 1st street for a couple blocks and making it just under the wire before 7pm ( 3-7 M-TH, 3-6 F; $4 beers, $5 well drinks, $5 apps ). They have something like five mexican beers on tap and specialize in smoky tasting Mezcal cocktails. The Mezcalrita is pretty good. We also got a fruity Mezcal cocktail of some sort ( I forget the name ) which was excellent.
Chupalines - fried grasshoppers - are a bit of a draw, but frankly taste like very salty fried stuff. Looks like the legs are removed, and they are fairly small, young grasshoppers, so there's no taste in particular aside from "fried."
They are quite free with the corn chips, which are of decent quality and fresh. We got two salsas - a rather spicy red one and an even spicier green one.
Moving from the bar to the table, we were presented with a tray of their three moles along with more chips. The moles are all decent, but none is outstanding; flavors are generally strong and a little sweet, but not as complex or fresh as might be wished for.
We started with the Sea Bass Ceviche, which was acceptable, though somewhat muddy in flavor and lacking in fresh taste.
For our main course, we had Enchiladas with pork and mole coloradito, and Tamales with mole negro served on the side. The pork was extremely tough, though thin, and the form factor is not quite what one is used to from cal-mex cuisine. The tamales were decently flavored, flat and wrapped in banana leaves. Everything seemed to come with another side of chips, plus decent black beans and a small but mushy pyramid of rice.
In the end, we pronounced it somewhat better than Consuelo, but that's not saying all that much. Service at the bar during happy hour was fast and friendly. Service at the table during dinner rush on a Tuesday was lacking in at least the fast component.
I'd go back, but mostly because I want more hot sauce, and I hate opening those little plastic packets. -
Review from Phi L.
San Jose, CA
9/20/2011
As we traversed the sidewalk toward the entrance of the joint we passed a band of mariachis perhaps waiting for the rest of their ranks or just off the end of a cigarette break. Whatever the case mariachis divested of their familiar context just seem criminal somehow and images of mariachi desperados firing rocket propelled grenades from their guitar cases while rogue DEA agents spray the stucco archways with hailstorms of ordnance filtered into my head.
But whatever with that I thought because I was here for one reason: to do gastronomical battle with a little arthropod foe they call EL CHAPULIN. It was more than just a matter of culinary exploration for I am loathe to fall prey to hipsterish foodie impulses (ok maybe not that loathe)--it was also a matter of having talked a pretty lady into trying the critters and thus not wanting to seem meek in the face of the challenge myself.
And what I'm going to tell you next will probably be somewhat anticlimactic but the grasshoppers really just tasted like pumpkin seeds with a hint of lime. The guacamole doesn't really cover up the taste, just the appearance. So much for that battle. But the next battle would prove to be formidable: trying to carry on a conversation while an army of mariachis fired off full-auto belt-fed metal-jacket assaults of singing and playing and merry-making.
The food was unique if only because I'm not too familiar with Oaxacan fare. I had some quesadilla-like plate with a slightly pungent cheese and pork skins which strangely enough I could not visually identify but definitely could taste. But perhaps I did not enjoy it enough to get over the fact that I simply could not carry on a conversation with the lovely lady sitting across from me as every other sentence that came out of our mouths would be rudely cutoff by a sudden outcry of loud mariachi music.
But maybe that only happens on fridays. -
Review from Alan W.
8/5/2011
Not particularly exciting food, unless you count the Chapulines (grasshoppers). Actually, I was excited about these, but after ordering them, they're just extremely sour. "Fun" factor for food can only count for so much - it was just not tasty.
Chips + mole + salsa = all just okay to subpar
I thought the tamales were cooked well enough, but not seasoned well enough.
Overall, this place has fancy decor and a different selection of food and drink from your everyday Mexican taqueria, but when said everyday taqueria one-ups you on the food, well... -
Review from Steve T.
San Jose, CA
9/27/2011
This was the first time I ate grasshoppers. They weren't bad, tasted okay on the chips with sauces.
Its a spot downtown so if you're able to get parking, this place is dope -
Review from Yelp M.
San Jose, CA
11/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
It is difficult to rate supposedly authentic food from a region if you have no frame of reference to compare it to. All you can do is use your own palate and taste to judge. For me, Mezcal misses the mark. It could be I just don't appreciate Oaxacan food, but dish was not savory. All of the components were bland, from the crispy cracker bread to the mexican cheese. And I am definitely not a fan of mezcal; tequila tastes like scotch in comparison. service and ambience are great though.
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Review from Jerome R.
San Jose, CA
7/25/2011
Ummmmm... YUM! I've been here about three times now and the food and drinks have been pretty good each time.
The first time, I had the tamales en mole. I loved the texture of the masa and the different take the that mole had to offer the dish. The portion was just right and it was nice and hot when it came to the table.
I forgot what I had the next time, but I do remember it being delicious as well! I do remember that we had the sea bass ceviche. SO GOOD. The fish was tender and fresh and the dish as a whole was well-seasoned.
The last time I was there, I had the Enmoladas, which was kind of like a deconstructed enchilada and obviously with mole instead of chile. They give you the option to choose your meat and I went with beef. The steak was nice and thin, but not at all dry, and with great flavor.
I had the pecan ice cream. If you order it, expect it to be more ice than cream.
Finally, the cocktails... I don't remember the names of all of them, but the last one I had was grapefruit juice with tequila and other stuff and it was pretty tasty. I think I ended up having two.
Service here is pretty nice, definitely better if you are in a group having a good night and have time to kill. -
Review from Mike M.
Hayward, CA
7/24/2011
Decided to finally check out what the buzz is in San Jose with Oaxacan cuisine, because of recommendations from co-workers and friends. Sure was not disappointed, and it was a change from the usual nacho, taco and burrito restaurant!
We arrived at 9PM and I thought that the pre-party crowd would fill up the restaurant, but saw it was not crowded at all. We were seated quickly and did not wait long before the waitress arrived with fresh chips (more than other restaurants) and a trio of excellent moles, which were flavorful and people don't understand that they are not heavily seasoned due to not being part of an entree. My chelada drink with lime, salt and chile powder rimmed glass was refreshing and delicious! Spicy beer went well with all our dinner selections.
Being an adventurous diner and fan of Bizarre Foods on TV, I chose the chapulines (grasshoppers) which were crisp and delicious, with the flavor of mild shrimp, chili powder, garlic and lime and went well with my combo (beef, pork and chorizo) tlayuda, guacamole, as well as the chips and mole. My fiance chose the chicken quesadilla made with Oaxacan cheese and was more flavorful than those made with regular jack cheese. My future stepson ordered the pork estofadas, which were like deconstructed enchiladas and presented with the sweet mole.
All in all, our first experience at Mezcal was excellent and we will be returning very soon. The customer service, food, drink and grasshoppers were all high points! Enjoy! -
Review from Jaime O.
Milpitas, CA
8/28/2011
Gorgeous spot. Comfortable patio. Slow bar. We waited too long for drinks. Ordered the tableside guacamole. He made it without citrus or salt. It was err, miiild.
I would love to love this place, but the service was so slow. 1 waitress supported by 8 bus-people; translates to 1 person taking orders and bringing out food. 8 people moving tables and chairs and plates. -
Review from Bryan C.
7/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Was travelling for work when I came across Mezcal and it made me yearn for home just a little bit less. I had a wonderful meal and a wonderful experience.
I sat at the bar and was promptly greeted by the bar tender who fixed me up a very tasty (and very stiff!) margarita on the rocks.
I then sampled the trio of moles with some tortilla chips, and after deciding upon my favorite (the estofado, in case you were wondering, which was slightly sweet, and a little spicy), decided to make a meal out of it. I ordered the estofadas entree which is essentially the classic version of the enchilada made with said mole - fresh corn tortillas dipped in the mole, fried, and rolled. It was served with a mouthwatering chicken breast and topped with some queso fresco, and was eaten up by me in a manner of minutes.
I will definitely be back and will most likely order the same thing the next time I end up in SJ. -
Review from Mary Ann A.
San Jose, CA
1/9/2012
I really wanted to like Mezcal, I did. It's very close to where I work and the decor is unique and cool. Both times I went there, I was encouraged by the chips and sauce - delicious. But then came my entree. Both dishes involved beef. The first time, the dish was edible but certainly not worth the $17/$18 price tag. The second time, I took one bite of the beef and had to put my fork down. It tasted awful. I thought at first maybe I was just being picky but when my colleague tried it and immediately made a face and described it as "terrible," I knew it wasn't just me. To their credit, I returned the dish and they removed it from our check - but it was so bad, I am not sure I will ever voluntarily eat at Mezcal again. What a disappointment!
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Review from Yum E.
Came by for lunch the other day after walking by numerous times to a half-filled restaurant. Arrived at ~ 11:50 am to a relatively empty restaurant.
...apparently this place specializes in grasshoppers...I'll pass...
They started us off with some chips and mole. ...nothing spectacular.
We ordered some guacamole which they made next to our table. ...it was very bland so much so that folks at my table grabbed the salt numerous times...
Ordered a shrimp quesadilla which was mainly cheese and bits and pieces of "prawns"... Quesadilla did come out hot and tasty.
...by the time we left at 12:40 pm...the restaurant was maybe at 10% occupancy? ...bizarre...
...oh...do check out the TV they have above the bar...they play some mariachi music and use the TV to promote a screen-saver like display of the track and artist....very bizarre...omg -
Review from Alexander S.
San Ramon, CA
9/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Happy hour is a fantastic time to go. Beers are $5.00 as are the appetizers. We had the calamari, which were fried perfectly and included fried peppers as well (spicy!). They also serve chapulines (grasshoppers), which is the closest place I know that serves them. Great taste (heavy lime and light crunch) and enough for two people (served with chips and strained avocado).
Alas this was only the beginning of the meal. Just this portion alone would warrant four stars, but it was only the star of the main meal.
I ordered the mole negro. While the sauce was good, it wasn't great. It may also have been the presentation that threw me off. The plate was probably sixteen inches round with a small chicken breast in the center. Above was a very tiny pyramid of rice. The actual food may have only taken up 20% of the plate as the rest was sauce. Couple this with good homemade tortillas (2) and an odd serving size of black beans and you have a dish that's decent, yet visually unbalanced and nothing to rave about.
Service was great (thanks Martha) and appropriately tipped.
I'd return for happy hour, but probably not for dinner. -
Review from yuriko b.
Union City, CA
6/19/2011
Came here on a Tuesday night, there was a good amount of people, but wasn't too busy. The service was incredibly slow, I think they were just understaffed, maybe only one waiter for the whole restaurant.
With that said, the food was nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary. Everything was basic and nothing to rave over. Maybe people here go crazy over the grasshoppers because they want to sound adventurous ... like, "omigod i tried grasshoppers, wtf righhhttttt???!!! i'm sooo keewwwelllllll and rebellious." hahah just kidding i'm a jerk. but really, the food was a bore! Even more so because the service was as slow as a tortoise. The ambiance was nice and cozy, but that's about it. I think it's just a bougie, upscale, wannabe hollywood restaurant. Sorry . . . -
Review from Diane B.
Moss Beach, CA
10/6/2011
Okay, okay, so they have grasshoppers on the menu. I'll give you that. I came here last week, and totally uncharacteristically for me, wasn't very hungry. I'd had a bunch of pretty good appetizers at a reception accross the street at the Fairmont, and then met my niece for an early supper. They couldn't have made us feel more comfortable. The host, the waiter, and later the owner (I think) were all friendly and tolerant of the fact we stayed at our table long after our food was finished.
Eating at 5:15 has one advantage for sure. It's still happy hour. We tried their signature drink, the mezcalrita - mezcal, various fruit juices and a rim dipped in smokey chili powder. I almost never get mixed drinks except martini's, but I liked it. I think the juices were freshly squeezed.
They make a big deal out of describing the moles they bring out with the chips. Oaxaca is of course famous for its moles. I was pretty unimpressed. Even the dark brown mole, which usually has lovely deep flavors was very superficial.
I got an appetizer sized tricolor salad. I liked the various components, lettuce, radish, cabbage, but the dressing was very lightly applied and had almost no flavor. Then I opted for the Oaxacan appetizer sampler plate. It included 2 each of taquitos, bean, chicharrones and cheese open faced taco, a fried pupusa type thing which was supposed to have sausage and potatoes and one other thing, which I can't even remember.
I always remember my food; this is a bad sign. Everything felt heavy, starchy and none of it was very hot. Also there was a heavy covering of queso fresco (which didn't melt because the food wasn't hot) over everything. I detected a bit of smokey meaty essence from the chicarrones, but there was no actual physical evidence of them. There was no sausage present in the potato and sausage thing.
My niece had a vegetarian sort of enchilada type thing with the dark mole. She finished it all, so I guess she liked it well enough, but I never tasted it. I only ate about half of mine. No one asked if I wanted to take the rest home, but alas, I had no desire to reheat that.
So great conversation and a wonderful night with my lovely niece all to myself, but not a food triumph. Fortunately, it wasn't expensive - my two apps, two happy hour cocktails and the one entree was about $50 including tax, but no tip.
Food: 18/40
Service: 17/20
Atmosphere/facility: 15/20
value/intangibles: 14/20
64/100 = D -
Review from Dave D.
San Jose, CA
10/18/2011 25 Check-ins Here
This is my favorite Mexican place. Everything on the menu is excellent. Get there early for the happy hour Mezcalrita!
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Review from Dave B.
San Jose, CA
7/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Start with a margarita. I know it's cliché. It's worth it. Very good here.
Tasty Oaxacan mole served. Was understaffed in the restaurant, and the waitress was having difficulty due to two large parties (mine being one)
Good looking place. If there was an extra server this'd easily be 4 star. Maybe I was there the one night no extra staff could be found. It was tasty and I liked it, and hope to retry. -
Review from Chris K.
San Francisco, CA
10/17/2011
I was looking forward to trying the variety of moles here, and I'll qualify this statement by saying I'm not Mexican, but the sauces all seemed rather sweet compared to other moles I've had. While the chicken nachos and the drinks were good, the chicken that came with the main dish mole was rather dry, and the waiter was not terribly attentive (to be fair, I think he was the only one running the bar and restaurant), and at the end he didn't even offer dessert, which I might have tried. So no driving need to go back here, unless it's for a drink & appetizer on their outdoor terrace.
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Review from Kim D.
San Jose, CA
6/23/2011
I had always wanted to try this place, because it's been made known to me through word of mouth. And also, last year I had my birthday at Billy Berk's to which Mezcal is situated directly behind.
So on Monday, on the perfect occasion, I had some wonderful company and we enjoyed some patio seating.
The restaurant itself is charming, their patio is fun to sit in because it makes you feel like you might be in some other city than San Jose. The inside is nice too, the décor really reflects a keen sense of what type of experience you might be getting here.
Service was a bit off, she started off well, but seemed a bit busy in the end and maybe forgot about us.
However, the Salmon Salad I had was perfect. Fresh spinach, a perfectly seasoned filet and some almonds for texture. Accented with some cherry tomatoes, I ate everything.
A good first impression, I think the place more in between a 3 and a 4, but I wouldn't hesitate to come try it again after the first time. -
Review from Jennifer B.
Los Angeles, CA
5/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Enfrijoladas, te amo. I took a gamble on you -- I almost went for some tried and true enchiladas suizas. But boy am I glad I chose you, with your tender pieces of chicken in corn tortillas, gently enveloped in a black bean sauce.
I also sampled my friend's chicken flautas - very tasty. Hearts all around.
The chips and salsa (gratis!) hit the spot while trying to decide on what to order. The salsa wasn't the usual pico de gallo or what-have-you that is usually served, it was a spread of three mole sauces for you to sample in order to better hone what you'd like to order. Smart!
Yes, we tried the chapulines and they were okay. Nothing special, try it for the experience but don't expect to fall in love with them.
