El Meson has some of the best drinks . The best michelada in town . A perfect environment and lots of wonderful people .

Margarita - great, really took the edge off. Food - nothing objectionable but nothing to write home about. Service: read on. The restaurant has a wonderful ambiance, with plenty of room, music, and hand-painted furniture. We were greeted promptly and received our water, chips & salsa, and menus right away. The main problem that we saw here was that the management has decided that they "check all the boxes" for a general level of acceptable service, and as long as the customer accepts this unquestioningly, there's no need to go above or beyond. Stephen Covey advises: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Our server seemed completely unprepared to act as an intermediary between the kitchen and management on one hand, and us (the customers) on the other. When we specified what we wanted, she went away for a long time, then came back, only to be told again what we were asking for. Some examples: Drink menu had no prices. We wanted a breakdown because we knew the drinks were oversized, and wanted to share a margarita. It took a couple of requests to get this. We had to reject the 2 oversized pitchers. Then, Instead of bringing us the oversized pitcher with 2 glasses, it was the oversized pitcher with one glass, so one person was drinking out of the pitcher through a straw, waiting for the other person to be ready for a refill of their glass. Awkward. Fortunately, the margarita was superb and (almost) worth the wait. But having to pour from a pitcher with no spout was messy, and of course we had to request extra napkins to clean up the mess. And of course the napkins took awhile to arrive. Might I add, it was a Thursday night and we were virtually the only patrons in the dining room. A good restaurant does not need to have the customers spell out complaints in a Yelp review. Again referencing Stephen Covey, "Be proactive." Anticipate likely requests such as prices on the menu, customers wanting to share a pitcher of drinks, extra salsa, extra napkins, dietary exceptions such as no beans. Chips & salsa: Come ON! Three adults, a modest bowl of chips, and one thimble-sized souffle cup of salsa? After which, when the entrees came, we had to ask for more? We were asking each other jokingly if there were tariffs on salsa that we hadn't heard about. Ordering directly off the menu with no deviations or substitutions was almost guaranteed to get us what we wanted. Still, the portions were heavy on rice, okay on the main dishes, and positively miserly on sauces, dressings, and condiments...the things that most restaurants provide without having to be asked. One member of our party ordered and very explicitly asked for no beans to be included with the carnitas. Sure enough, wall to wall beans, and my friend sent the whole plate back for de-beaning. Again, someone in charge was apparently thinking "Nonsense! Everybody likes beans. There must be some mistake. We'll just give them beans regardless, and they'll thank us for it." No. Give the customer what they asked for, the first time. All in all, we were hungry, and we were fed. But as per the above, there were problems. And when there are problems, communicated to the server, it's vital that the server come back shortly after delivering the food, to ask how everything is, and if there's anything else that might improve the experience. For example, some sour cream would have been nice on the tacos dorados. But the server stayed far away for the remainder of the meal, so there was no opportunity to requvisits. Tellingly, no other senior waitstaff or managers came by to inquire as to our level of satisfaction. They just didn't seem to care. El Meson has occupied their prime site in Chattanooga for many years and can be an enjoyable place to gather. But for smaller parties who know what they want, this restaurant needs to work harder and smarter to earn their respect and return vidits. read more

Fantastic food. I had the Baja shrimp tacos. The price was a little high ($26) but they were delicious, as was the rice and bean soup.

Im disappointed. Service was polite, and Ambiance pleasant however food, eh! Had to peel shrimp, chicken very bland and dry, my salad tasted sour. I do not recommend. After speaking w owner, he was ashamed and did not charge us also reassured us, he would speaking w chef along with checking salad ingredients. read more

got food poisoning from chicken and threw up several times the next day. They should know how to cook chicken.

My family and I absolutely love this place!! It is our favorite restaurant in Chattanooga, and being from Los Angeles, we know good food! Great ambiance, service, and delicious authentic Mexican food. Their Sunday brunch is amazing from their carnitas and birria to their banana pudding...it's all so yummy!!! Highly recommend whether you're looking for a fun girls night out, date night, or a great family dinner pick-up or dine-in...El Mesón is your place. The family that runs it is the absolute best and are always giving back and supporting the community. Support local and give them a try! read more

Delicious Mexican cuisine! Staff were very friendly and it was very reasonably priced. Nice family friendly environment.

The food is amazing!! The staff and owners is the best ever !! We eat there everyday !! Best margaritas i have ever had !! Love you guys so much!! Oscar and Ruth are amazing !! read more

El Meson Restaurante Mexicano - Margaritas are the best - Mexican Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

AWESOME. Cousin Eddy does a great job. He will take your request and make it into a majestic experience. He will take a pepper, leave and give you the best salsa you have ever had. read more

El Meson Restaurante Mexicano - Cousin Eddy...The Pepper Man - Mexican Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

The server was amazing and the ambiance was really beautiful. The carvings on the chairs and tables are beautiful. I really enjoyed the artwork. The food was not that great in full transparency. I am Hispanic and I was completely floored by the lack of taste. The food was not seasoned and the traditional seasoning was not used, it was bland and not very good. I loaded salsa, pico everything and it still was not good. I even asked for more seasonings and they took it back and it came back still lacking. I really hope they add some Sazon and Adobo, garlic and seasoning to the food. We will not be coming back. There was this one server who kept sneezing INTO his hands and he didn't wash his hands. I was so grossed out. The restaurant was also not the cleanest. read more

See all

Worse restaurant. Bad service food was horrible. Not authentic Mexican food... they need to improve on everything

I've been coming to this place for more than 20 years...on and off because I don't live in the state anymore. I came around 3pm on a Thursday this time so there was ample parking and there was no wait for a table. You get complimentary salsa and chips, and I usually get queso to eat with the chips too. The chips were still warm when they got to the table, very fresh, not overly salty like some tortilla chips. I also ordered my tried and true chimichangas de papas. Everything was delicious! Often places that you go to a lot over time the menu changes or the quality of the food declines, but my opinion is that El Meson has maintained good quality, great tasted, fresh Mexican food. The portions are huge so be prepared to maybe not be able to eat it all in one sitting. The restaurant is beautiful with art on the table and chairs. Mexican music plays while you enjoy your meal. I'll keep coming back! read more

See all

I was at El Meson last week. My lunch was awesome. Oscar was our server and he was very good. He kept our drink glasses full and made sure we had everything. It was a wonderful experience and I'll be going back! read more

Disgusting food. Very subpar and not authentic at all. Never coming back again. As a matter of fact. Close it.

The place is super cute on the inside, but that was about the only good thing about my friend and I's experience. We stopped in for a quick bite on our way through town. The service wasn't very good and shortly after we were brought our drinks we found a hair in our salsa. After that, we decided not to actually order anything, finished our drinks, and left read more

ha ha I'm at the restaurant right now and I ordered a margarita one single one and the man server waiter waitress whatever have you rushed me through ordering, so then finally he's like look the kitchen is about to close. so there was no one so I had to basically go and seat myself and they kept saying oh I'm sorry, so he messes up my drink order and brings me TWO margaritas but since he already made the drinks and I'm a server I felt BAD for him that he already wasted the alcohol and he would get in trouble so I told him well. I'll go ahead and drink it, but can you charge it as the big one since you screwed up so immensely already you brought me two margaritas I ordered one Uno. my server literally takes my margarita off the table in front of me and then goes over to the bar and he's gonna make his own new drink or something no honey you already messed up my original order. All I did is ask you to poke a button on the point of sale. It's incredibly easy, but no, of course he had to go back to the busy bar and get caught up in all that mess and finally I had to go over and get my drink from him and serve it myself. now instead of having what I ordered a cute little drink that I kept saying small over and over to this man it's in a big gigantic glass like I think that in 2024 honestly women should be able to be listened to by men, especially if I'm ordering something from your restaurant. I think it's a little annoying and it's kind of reckless of a restaurant to just completely ignore what the customer asked for. So no, I'm not thankful for this place.. It needs to be torn down and made into a green space. PS now that I've left the restaurant after I drank that gigantic margarita I didn't ask for it's raining and I'm wasted thanks a lot. A lot of people would be excited, but that's not what I came for! This place sucks.FAIL MESON read more

See all

We were passing through Chattanooga on the way south. We were unsuccessful in finding our top preference, Abuelo's, when we found El Meson. We checked the reviews and found they were decent. We decided to try the restaurant. The ambiance was colorful and engaging. The waiter was friendly and efficient. The soft drink was cold. That is the list of the positives. We ordered the chicken enchiladas with green sauce. The chicken was grisly. The tortilla shells were rubbery. The rice was dry The chips tasted like old grease. The salsa was bland. We did not have the heart to share our displeasure with the waiter when he came by with a big smile. We knew we would never be back. Why ruin the waiter's evening? Stay away! We wish we had. read more

We chose this place upon arrival to Chattanooga because we were craving margaritas and Mexican food and El Meson was close to our hotel. Turns out, we found a place worthy of 5 stars that we'll think of first next time we come to Chattanooga. The listed closing time was 10pm, we arrived about 8:15pm. We were greeted by a huge genuine smile and guided to a high top table near the full bar. That was perfect for us as we were on the hunt for jalapeño margaritas-- which we found on the menu and promptly ordered a pitcher of. Chips and salsa were served up and we toasted the evening with our salt-rimmed glasses and perused the menu. Dorados Tacos (beef) and a combination platter of flautas and a mini chimichanga, one with poblano rice, the other with rice & beans, definitely hit the spot. The jalapeño margaritas hit the spot and washed everything down. Actually, we couldn't finish everything right then, so we took some home and I promise you, nothing went to waste. Almost as good on day 2. Almost. Service was excellent, food authentic. Five stars. *** During our meal, we observed a different server deal with a challenging guest at a nearby table. The way in which he handled the guest and the situation only solidified our new love of El Meson. As we left at 9:45pm, we saw other customers being seated with a smile -- another kudos as it was nearly closing time. Thanks for a great evening. We'll be back! read more

See all

Drinks were great! Miguel was an excellent server! Great food! Great atmosphere. Will come again.

Food and service was excellent! Vanessa is the best! Thank you for a wonderful meal. The California burrito is muy delicioso!

Food wasn't great, but nice environment and friendly staff. The cheese dip was good though.

Food is great and service was quick. Love the margaritas to go. I can't decide if the strawberry hibiscus or watermelon is my favorite. Guess I'll have to keep going back until I can decide. read more

The whole store smells like a literal toilet at least when I went I don't recommend here lol the floors and walls are gross too The chips and dip is okay tho the out side looks cool at night they just need to work on the inside of the store. read more

One of the truly best Mexican restaurants I've ever been too. The service and food were impeccable read more

El Meson Restaurante Mexicano - Steak poblanos to go - Mexican Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

The squash was overly seasoned. The cheese was very dry sticky. I'm not use to Queso not being saucy texture. Chicken not seasoned. The pollo messon was ruined for me. This is my opinion. If you like it eat. It's a no for me dog. My rating is based on food alone read more

El Meson Restaurante Mexicano - Pollo Messon - Mexican Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

See all

Service is good. Vanessa was very attentive. The food is delicious and reasonably priced. Portions are generous, too!

Always great service. And their Sunday buffet is AMAZING! The tres leches cake Is to die for!

I always have to come here whenever I'm in town. The food is soooo good. I ordered the chimichanga with fajita beef. They also have a margarita flight. Where you can try 6 different flavor margaritas (3 frozen 3 on the rocks). Staff are wearing mask and tables are spaced out enough to allow for SD. read more

El Meson Restaurante Mexicano - Chimichanga - Mexican Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Good food how ever me and my family got food poisoning from the Queso. Other than that the food was average from el meson. Over all would go again but not anytime soon read more

I love El Meson! The serving staff is always friendly. The drinks are amazing. Food comes out very fast!

I came here pre Covid quite a bit and it was amazing... we stopped in for lunch yesterday and the service was terrible. We were seated and had to flag someone down after waiting with no waters or anything. Chips were greasy and old looking... my food came out 7 minutes after everyone else's and I sent it straight back. It looked like a microwave meal, and my wife's beans looked like straight up brown water. Ceiling had water dripping from registers and the floor was disgusting... we didn't even have a manager cone to table after I sent mine back. Never once we're we asked for refills.. NEVER AGAIN! read more

i absolutely adore this place. the staff are always so sweet, especially miguel! the food is always phenomenal and the drinks always get ya feeling good! read more

Salsa was blended canned tomatoes with no heat whatsoever. Queso dip is melted pepper jack with no heat or spice. Very boring. I had the gordo burrito. No heat, no spices. So very boring. The cocktail was alcohol poured over ice in the glass and juice poured on top. No shake to mix. I didn't drink half of it. It was called "relax". My wife's tamale was all unseasoned masa. The ratio of meat to masa was way off. The masa was so thick that the middle part of the thick masa was undercooked. The service was great. I have no complaints about the front end. They were the best part of the meal. I am giving up on finding good Mexican food in this town. read more

Miguel is the best! Ask for him when you go. Great service!! He remembers my name and order. Greets me with a smile every time!!

No one acknowledged me for about 10 minutes while I was waiting to be seated, and when I did sit down, no one came by for a while. The rest of the service ended being okay. The food: I chose a pick 3 deal for $9.99 and added guacamole on the side. My 3 items were tamale(pork only), enchilada, and burrito, all comes with refried beans and Mexican rice. Pretty much the only thing I enjoyed was the enchilada. The tamale was hard and dry, even though there was a bunch of red sauce thrown on top. I'm not sure if there is a substitute for guacamole, but it would taste like what I ate. The burrito was almost the same as the enchilada but had so many vegetables and tasted no cheese. The Mexican rice and beans tasted okay. The interior was very decorative, and the bar area had several large flat screen TVs. Overall it wasnt terrible, but it wasnt good either. Will opt for somewhere else next time. read more

El Meson Restaurante Mexicano - Enchilada, burrito, rice, beans - Mexican Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

See all

Soooooo, I've been to this restuarant before and it must have been at night or the lighting may have been dim. BUT, before I explain the above...let me babble a bit about the food. The salsa is a bit soupy but, it still can rival other mexican places in taste and spice. Cheese dip...this is a very big deal for me as the cheese dip can make or break the Mexican dining experience for me. Surprisingly enough though, the cheese was one of the best I've had. Perfect consistancy, good blend of mild and hot, and a fair amount of it. The meal...I had the fajita steak salad. The shell was a bit over baked, there was not a whole lot of "steak" and a little too much of everything else. BUT, over all...not a bad dish. Now, back to the issue at the beginning of this post... As I said, we had been here before but, I do remember it being crowded and it was either late evening or night time. The table, the wall, the light above the table and the floor...DIRTY! Now, maybe not dirty enough for us to get up and leave but, enough that this place should shut down for a week and do some serious deep cleaning. Not going to go into the "dirty" details as pictures will speak for themselves. See attached. Also, (and I hope they can read this)...Your hostess, being your first point of contact, should be somewhat friendly and less bitchy and shouldn't try to sit guests (with a baby) in a crappy, shady table that looks half broke down right next to the bar. Would I go here again?? Maybe but, they need to make a few changes...unless they dont mind being shut down by an inspector. read more

See all

I got door dash today 6/8/2022 It took them forever my door dash kept texting me apologizing on the wait When I got my food my husband was going to work he was going to eat it on the way I ate mine at home with my son I gave my son a bite of rice and beans and he refused and spit it out I thought he wasn't hungry because he loves rice and beans I took a bite and they were salty my face Sourd up not to long after my husband calls and asked where I had got the burrito because it was the nastiest one he had in a while Just disappointed my first time here never again. read more

I was driving they from MA to New Orleans & stayed one night in Chattanooga. It was close to my hotel & I arrived late & so I ran over here for a quick bite & even more importantly a needed Margarita! It's a LOOOONNNNGGGG drive & I was seriously road weary. Anyway. This place is heavily decorated in cheerful, fun, whimsical Mexican memorabilia. A great round bar area with several flat screen TV's & a friendly barkeep. There is one main dining area & then 2 auxiliary dining areas on either side which makes it nice, cozy & intimate. Side note: The restaurant & bathrooms were CLEAN. That's always important! I was greeted with a smile immediately by a friendly server when I walked in the door. The place had a good mixed crowd. A few younger folk at the bar area but peppered with a few professionals, some single ladies & a few families. My waiter was super friendly, nice, courteous & efficient. I ordered a golden margarita on the rocks with salt. It was excellent. So many places make average or bad margaritas. These guys put Grand Marnier in it to soften the acid of the lime juice. YUM! The corn chips & salsa were delivered lickety split & they were good. Not chunky salsa but more of a thinner red savory salsa. It was good too. Not hot but a nice savory flavor. For my entree, I ordered the soft tacos carne asada dinner. I changed the regular rice to poblano rice which was DELICIOUS. It comes with Charro Beans which were also DELICIOUS. (Definitely skip the refried & the regular Mexican Rice. IT'S WORTH IT!) The 3 soft tacos carne asada were prepared traditionally: Double homemade soft tacos wrapped around chopped stir friend steak & a slight topping of chopped cilantro, tomato, onions. They were yummy! I really enjoyed my dinner here. The Service, Ambience, Food & Cleanliness were fabulous! HIGHKY RECOMMENDED! read more

See all

What a great place to go to. I had a first date and she suggested that their margaritas were pretty good. Actually the margaritas seem pretty weak compared to what I normally drink for myself. However it was OK. But you must try there are handmade guacamole along with the typical chips that you get at a restaurant of this type. The guacamole was excellent. We decided to get the chicken fajita quesadilla as well as the southwest roll, like an eggroll, named after the restaurant. The sauce that they served with it was excellent and I am sad to say that I had to share it. I want my own dammit! OK It's that good. read more

El Meson Restaurante Mexicano - Mexican Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Last night, some friends and i decided to go to El Meson for drinks. I haven't been in a while. The building is falling apart. The ceiling was dripping in many areas. And when we walked into the restaurant we are greeted by this disgusting fountain with stale water and trash in it. It looks like it once was a working fountain but now it's just sitting there, with stale water and trash in it. It was really disgusting. We were seated pretty quick but later asked for a different table because there was a leak above our table. It was no issue for us to move. We placed our orders for our drinks. I got the Caronaritta and asked for no sugar or salt around the rim. My friend also got a caronaritta but only wanted sugar around the rim. When the drinks came, they both had salt and sugar around the rim so they had to be remade. Granted, my foowas great, and our waitress was great as well. I think this restaurant could use some remodeling or even some deep cleaning BC i also saw cob Webb's in the corners read more

See all