Wanted to try a local walkable restaurant close to my friend's house and found El Mezcal Cantina on Yelp! Surprisingly he has never been to this restaurant. The gentleman that greeted and helped us was friendly and had great knowledge of the menu. The tacos and drinks were delicious. The guac was different - it had roasted corn and chipotle in it. Which was a nice twist but I could not enjoy it with beet and spinach chips that were provided. The gentleman asked if I liked it and I was honest and he gave us different chips to try with the leftover guac to go. I will come back Again ! read more

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Very much enjoyed our dinner at El Mezcal Cantina! We walked in and were able to snag a 2-top near the open kitchen/pizza oven. Loved the wall mural, the atmosphere--lovely service throughout the evening--and the michelada! We shared: - Guacamole Chipotle (chipotle, roasted corn, served with tostadas), which I could've eaten two of--the chipotle gave a lovely smokiness and heat, but the latter was not overwhelming. - De Trompo tacos (marinated pork, adobo, cilantro, onion, pineapple), which were so. darn. good. Will definitely be getting them again. - Carnitas Al Mezcal brick oven pizza (pork ribs in black marinade, jalapeno, mezcal sauce), which had a delightfully chewy and crunchy crust. The ribs had some tough bits, but the green salsa served alongside was terrific! Cannot wait to return with a larger dining group so we can try the remainder of the menu! read more

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Very cool ambiance here. Enjoyed a watermelon margarita with my de trombo tacos with pork. Delicious food. Overall the service was solid. Very authentic food in my opinion. read more

El Mezcal Cantina - De Trombo tacos. Pork with pineapple. Very filling for around $18. - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Very happy I went to try this spot because it was even better than I expected. Possibly the best nachos I've had in the city? Also especially delicious margaritas that were so flavorful the tequila was a bonus. Service could not have been kinder or more attentive and those pastor tacos were delish! Definitely worth your time! read more

El Mezcal Cantina - Ceviche Azteca - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My favorite restaurant!!! Everything slaps, new marg flavors daily/weekly!! Live very close and it quickly became a staple for my household

Straight up spectacular. We wandered in randomly and want to just stay here eating forever. Service was gracious and attentive. The guac, clearly made fresh after we ordered it, had a spicy bite, without losing any of that avocado smoothness. I had the Huevos Rancheros - spicy, fresh, tasty - absolutely delicious. My partner had the fish tacos - fresh mango and cucumber, perfectly cooked. We also had the special margarita of the day - a guava mezcal margarita. You know it's a good spot when it just comes rocks, with a tasty, peppery salt rim. (Sorry - drank it before snapping a pic.) Best meal in days. read more

El Mezcal Cantina - Huevos Rancheros - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Staff and food here are great! I came here for happy hour and was going to get the margarita but the bartender told me about the margarita flight (cucumber, regular, watermelon) and he sold me before he finished explaining. LOL. I love me a good flight. And it was only $21!! We also got wings from their happy hour menu and the description was interesting... but yet delicious. read more

El Mezcal Cantina - Margarita flight (cucumber, regular, watermelon) - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Hands down, best sit-down Mexican food and drinks in South Philly. Great atmosphere, wonderful staff, awesome menu, and everything is made with love. Fish tacos, nachos and spicy margaritas are a must-have! read more

It's an authentic mom & pop Mexican trattoria , which is a must visit. Esp for their Buffalo pizza, of all things. It's the best pizza I've eaten, maybe due to the fact that it was made in a wood fired oven Our nachos were a bit too drenched in cheese , but it's a personal choice. Soup was good and warm Red snapper was crispy and baked to perfection in the wood fired oven Enchiladas were made with corn tortillas, but delicious. I'd love to come back. The host/owner is a delight to meet. His love and care in food prep, service and customer dealing is warm and jovial. read more

Food is great ! One of the best Mexican food Ive had! Drinks are awesome! Staff are friendly

We stopped by to grab a snack and a drink during their happy hour. The margaritas were deliciously salty and so so good! We ended up getting 2 pizzas to share for the table and the crust was so nice and fluffy! Both pizzas came out super hot from the wood fire oven. They were also pretty big even though the menu says they're personal pizzas. We also got the tlacoyo and the shrimp was seasoned so well! Definitely a great place to stop by for happy hour! read more

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Love Ez Mezcal! Incredible food, drinks, and service!!! Everything on the menu is delicious. The nachos and the la quintana cocktail are my favorites!! read more

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Such a gem in the neighborhood. Delicious margaritas and excellent food at reasonable prices. Super friendly folks working there as well. Love it here! read more

fire food and flavors, made me realize how bad the margs ive been drinking in this city are. walked in at 5 on a friday for HH (can sit at bar or table). margs were 8, cocktail special 9 (a delicious cucumber drink). got the guac, wings, hh tacos, and a molcajete to split. overall very delicious, strong flavors. lowkey realized we messed up by not buying a pizza (odd) but a definite return to try that and have another drink 2 drinks, all the food above split plus a good amount to take home because it's a lot lmao, tax and tip - $64 pp. they do add a 4% service charge automatically to ur check. imo kinda pricy but i guess the going rate for tacos rlly is 4 bucks each now... the quality is there for sure though. excited to return read more

A Point Breeze neighbor hood bar and eatery. This place has an excellent selection of tequila and mezcal and they offer very nice flights of both. The bartender is wonderful and very willing to answer any questions you may have. So this use to be a pizza place at one time so brick oven pizzas are still offered with some interesting toppings. Check out the pics of the menu below. Lovely place with a happy hour on weekday 4 to 6 pm. You have to check this place out read more

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Three tacos and guacamole came up to 48$ , thats insane . Not coming back ever . They over charged me

Such an AWESOME place! Very positive, very kid friendly and overall a great environment to be in. But most of all the FOOD. Perfect levels of spice in every dish we tried. It's not your traditional run-of-the-mill nachos you get at a bowling alley, you will be survived authentic dishes made with love you will not forget. The service there is all you could ask for when going to a Restaurant. I think we had about 3 different people come up either to refill our drinks, ask how the food is, or one even came over to just have a conversation. Don't skip this place! read more

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Food was good, the wings were so delicious, we also have the steak nachos and we really good. We definitely going back read more

El Mezcal Cantina - Guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Finally tried this local spot in Point Breeze and was very impressed. The service was a little bit slow but the food and drinks more than made up for it. The drinks were flavorful and strong! The tequila cocktails was beautiful and delicious. We had the guacamole which came with beet/cactus tostada chips. Only complaint there was there were not enough chips for all the guac. Also had the nachos, queso fundido, and the steak tacos. Everything was beautifully presented and delicious. We had no leftovers! read more

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First, I need to establish my creds. I spent 2 years in Playa de Carmen building a condo. I wrote the definitive (at the time) reviews of all the restaurants in the town. I know and love Mexican food. I try them all. Most are O.K., and a few are excellent. El Mezcal Cantina is in a class by itself. The bar has a complete array of fine mezcals and tequilas. You need to sample some new ones to start the evening. The restaurant is not large, and the bar is impressive. But keep in mind that on the second floor, there is a full bar and seating for another 65 people for special events. The bartender and waiter were friendly and very knowledgeable about the food and drink. The menu is quite different from what you usually expect. They have pretty good pizza with an array of Mexican toppings. Pretty good. Maybe not the best South Philly pizza, but very interesting combos, made in a brick pizza oven. Now the food. I have never really liked ceviche, which is a Mexican staple. But the ceviche here is the best I ever had, with a perfect lime juice marinade and crisped tortillas, which seemed homemade. The enchilada in mollo sauce was first rate, with the best mollo sauce I ever had in Philadelphia. The molcajete was perfect with perfectly cooked array of meats, prawns and vegetables with an excellent sauce. And do not miss their churros for dessert. Cream filled and perfectly fried with caramel sauce. Better than what you buy from the churro trucks in Mexico. In short. My new favorite Mexican restaurant in Philadelphia. Even surpassing La Cantina la Martina in Kensington (also, not to be missed.) read more

Food was excellent! Very authentic. The customer service also was as great. Would definitely recommend and will return. 10/10 read more

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Good neighborhood spot. Service is fast, but a little price. Food was very good. The guacamole and fish tacos were my favorite.

Really amazing happy hour fantastic service and flavors. Highly highly recommend. We loved the fish and guacamole. Wish we tried the za

Went for a little late evening snack at one of our favorites. Once again, we dove into the Molcajete a La Parrilla, a steaming cauldron of deliciousness. We sat outside and enjoyed a beautiful evening, and with the friendly service you feel as if you are on a friend's patio. My only regret was not ordering the El Pastor pizza to go, but luckily I am only a few blocks away. read more

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Outrageously good fresh ingredients! Host is a generous welcoming soul. Great cocktails! A gem. Go out of your way to eat here read more

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Every bite I've had here has been amazingly delicious. Found it on a whim and returned after a fabulous first try. Food so good it leaves you wanting more though you're stuffed. I haven't been this excited about a new-to-me place in ages. read more

An absolute hidden gem! I have been going to El Mezcal Cantina since they first opened, and they have the best Mexican food I've had in the city. It's authentic, but also unique, and there are options (like pizza!) that everyone will enjoy. The inside is simple, but nice. I've enjoyed sitting at the bar and never had an issue getting a seat there or at a table. The restaurant was formerly a pizza shop, which is somewhat obvious from the layout/decor, but it doesn't take away from the dining experience, and actually adds to it with the addition of pizza to their otherwise traditional menu. The staff is so friendly and happy to provide drink or food recommendations! During this most recent trip, I got the guava margarita special which was delicious! The guava flavor was strong and not artificial. To eat, we shared the queso fundido (my personal favorite), carne asada, and tacos de trompo. In the past I've had the guacamole as well. Everything was (and consistently is) absolutely delicious! I cannot recommend this place enough. read more

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Service and bartender both very knowledgeable of not just the menu,but can tell you about tequila and agave the history the flavors! The food is light flavorful!! By all means many need and should go enjoy the atmosphere I'll be back soon read more

A quaint, cozy hole in the wall Mexican place with an authentic feel from the painted dining room mural and día de los muertos decor. I came here yesterday on a Wednesday evening and there was only one other customer, which was somewhat expected for an off day and not an issue. The owner (presumably) served our table and gave us a breakdown of the daily specials before handing us the menu, which I loved and made the place feel like a proper upscale restaurant, not just a chain. He was friendly and upbeat, and seemed to really care about the food which I can appreciate as someone who loves cooking creative meals. My friend and I ended up getting the steak plate (I forget what it was called, but our server described it as a "deconstructed taco"). The presentation was average, as the board seemed a too large for the portions, giving an illusion we were getting less food than we really did (and for 20$? Maybe I should've just gotten tacos). However, the asparagus, roasted jalapeño, charred bulb onions and two spicy sauces tasted AMAZING! Unfortunately, the steak also left something to be desired, as it was somewhat thin and therefore medium-well cooked, and the large cilantro leaves on top masked its glory. Overall, I really love the vibe this place gives but there's def room for improvement. May come back again once they've been in business longer (I think it's a new place?) and have more experience. +ten points for having adorable red corn tortillas, though!! read more

El Mezcal Cantina - Carne asada plate - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Friendly service and tasty food. Got the tacos pastor, and it was wonderful. Three tacos and two would have been enough. Hope to go back as soon as possible. read more

Finally went for happy hour which runs 4-6. It's gonna be hard to beat their happy hour specials anywhere in Philly. The two of us sat at the bar and ordered an order of tacos de trompo (al pastor tacos), tiradito (red snapper aguachile), and the pizza special which was an al pastor style pizza. We also had two drinks each. Our bill was under $60! The service was attentive and friendly and the food was delicious. The watermelon margarita on special was so tasty and refreshing. Will definitely be back! read more

El Mezcal Cantina - Watermelon margarita special - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The food is amazing and the service is excellent. Cocktails are very good as well. I've been here 4 times already and will be back!

I've been wondering where the Yelp page for this restaurant was! Great new spot in Point Breeze. I stopped by around 5pm to meet a friend for hh at their bar. Margaritas were great - I had the happy hour marg then one that had ginger. Delicious and not too sweet! Tried all of their happy hour bites too. Will definitely be back! read more

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Casual Mexican Restaurant. The guacamole and the drinks were great! I ordered La Paz and it was like a cold gazpacho with seafood, but it was spicy. I would say like medium spicy where your tongue is hot and it came with a side of chips to dip into. My fiancé ordered the carnita asada which was also good but the tomato sauce used to turn it into a taco was also spicy. read more

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A completely unassuming place with flavorful food. If you're looking for friendly service, authentic Mexican food and great flavor, this place is a must visit. Ive been here twice and plan to keep coming back. Loved their Al pastor cocktail! Try their pizza, Guac Chipotle, Enchilada Poblano and Red Snapper from their Aquachile bar. read more

Food is excellent. Tacos are perfect, nachos are great, the ceviche bar is a brilliant idea and executed perfectly. We also have had the fundido, way better than the last place we had it, and the enchiladas, featuring a pretty balanced mole sauce. Been here twice and feel very lucky to have this spot in our neighborhood. Can't wait to try whatever comes in the giant mortar and the ribs looked amazing last time. Outdoor seating, upstairs seating, bar seating, plenty of spots to chill. The tequila and mezcal options are top notch and the bartenders know their stuff. Oh, and they have wood over pizzas! Go, now. read more

I just moved to the area and wow is this place a hidden gem! The name alone should tell you they having authentic and spicy tequila cocktails. The nachos melt in your mouth and the adobe tacos with pineapple are to crave for! read more

El Mezcal Cantina - Nachos (vegetarian) and adobe tacos made with pineapple! - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Food is always delicious, staff are always incredibly friendly and will remember you after a single visit. It never is too loud inside or outside of the restaurant. You will feel like a regular at the end of your first visit! read more

Stopped in after seeing the great reviews. They have a really good happy hour. The trompo tacos are incredible. Loved the sangria. I ordered the snapper and didn't know they served it raw. Raw is not my thing but the flavors in the sauce was amazing. I could see why it's a hot dish. The restaurant was really cute and I loved the brick oven. The bartender and worker were super friendly. I can't wait to stop by again. read more

El Mezcal Cantina - Sangria - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Great Mexican, good drinks. Awesome pizza! Friendly staff. Saw a review on Check Please. Definitely worth a try.