Ate here for the first time over the weekend and absolutely loved it! Great atmosphere and decorated nicely for the holidays. Spectacular food, good service, and large portions! I ordered the nachos with chicken and they were so filling and delicious that I didn't order an entree for dinner. My brother had the fajitas and he can be picky! He said they were delicious. The drink menu is generous. They offer some unique margaritas that are a bit pricey but worth it in my opinion. The blueberry lavender margarita tasted amazing - it was very sweet! We will definitely be back, especially with the location being conveniently located in downtown St. Charles! read more

La Mesa Modern Mexican - Blueberry lavender margarita - Mexican Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

Always wanted to try this place--heard good things! I got a piña colada, which was really good, though it didn't pair well with my meal since I had something spicy. That was on me, but still, the drink itself was solid. For my meal, I got the spicy shrimp appetizer, and we also shared guacamole and chips--probably the best guac I've had yet! The chips were light and airy, which I really appreciated. Our friends got the fish tacos with a side of rice and beans--also very fresh and flavorful. The tuna tacos were great too. Our waiter was really nice and had no issue splitting the checks for us. The inside is nicely decorated, and the wall of tequila adds a fun touch. The outdoor seating felt a bit cramped though--where we sat, it seemed like we were super close to other tables, and it was a little tight for the waitstaff to move around. Overall, a really good experience! They weren't kidding when they said spicy shrimp--it was definitely spicy, but in the best way. The breading and flavor were on point. read more

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Mixed up our drinks and food . Not sure we will go back . Waiter too was not a happy person and not welcoming. read more

Food was good, pricey for what it is since it's not real authentic Mexican food. I will say they do not advertise their specials that they have during the week. A waitress told us to come on Wednesday for their $10 burrito special (because they are originally over $20). When we went and got the bill, they didn't apply the special. When we told the waiter, he was almost shocked we knew what that was and had to change the bill. Overall, the food came out fast and the restaurant was very clean. It's a huge space but always seems to be empty read more

Jack was an amazing server. Oooooooo this food is GOOOOOOD. I think I'd call it fusion Mexican. The vegetarian tacos are to die for. The margaritas!!!!!! The ones I got were spicy and unique. See my pics. We were only getting a little snack but I want to try more someday. This place is huge and has very cool festive decor. There is an enormous outdoor seating area but it was too hot to sit out that day. I would come back here for dinner for sure. read more

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Very nice modern restaurant I was very surprised that it was the mother's day weekend and the restaurant was empty. The service was great the food was good I really liked the rice and the beans I had the skirt steak but it was very chewy I don't like meat that you have to chew so much to be enjoyed they need to work on it to tenderize it. I had a drink I was hoping to be like a wow factor but it was just ok the tortilla cheap were very oily but good. I probably will never go back agin too pricey for the lack of quality of the good read more

La Mesa Modern Mexican - Menu - Mexican Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

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1. Made reservations and showed up 2. Came with my service dog, and they wouldn't allow entry because the staff said "where's its vest, how can we identify if your dog is a service dog" - this is against all ADA policies. You can ask what type of service dog I have and not ALL SERVICE DOGS are the same, they perform different task. I had to show them documentation. 3. The staff in the front was clearly drinking. 4. Our waiter, tall blond was sitting in the front and clearly was in a bad mood. She treated my entire family differently than others. We saw her take pictures for a family sitting next to us, but didn't even ask "how the food was". We asked where my nephews orchata was, and she informed us they were still making it. It took them 32 minutes to get this. 5. THEY ARE SHADY. Our waiter tacked on a 20% gratuity on our bill when we were a party of 5. No where on their menu it informs you of this. Their website documented 6 or more - that's when they add the 20% gratuity. While we were sitting on the Patio, we called the restaurant and asked the host what's their policy on tips for large parties, they host said "PARTIES OF 6 or more we add a 20% TIP". We proceeded to ask them to remove this, and the large, tall blond waiter had a huge change in their demeanor, she was upset she got caught. This would given her an EXTRA $28 tip for terrible service. 6. HOSTILE THREATENING STAFF AND INEBRIATED OWNER. As we're trying to resolve the issues, we decided not to tip the waiter due to her service, being a liar, and overall attitude. This angered their team which then has one of the OTHER WAITER- GINA MONTANA (girl in black shirt in the video with black hair) runs up on us FRKM BEHIND and say "get the fuck out of our restaurant" - trying to intimidate us. She wasn't involved in any of the conversations with the owner, clearly a hostile and intimidation tactic. They proceeded to call the cops on us. As you can see from the video, the owner didn't want to listen to us as we tried to talk to her, when we called out her staff was using profanity to speak to us, she asked us to leave, instead of correcting the behavior of her two waiters. The cops were respectful and agreed with us on their shady practices. We also have proof of the receipts and number of people in our party that didn't call for the 20% gratuity to be added incorrectly. La Mesa Modern Mexican Grill illegal, Unethical & Hostile La Mesa is not just unethical, it's illegally negligent: * ADA violations (service dog discrimination) * Potential liquor violations (intoxicated staff serving customers) * Fraudulent billing practices (undisclosed automatic gratuity) * Hostile, abusive behavior toward patrons If you're in St. Charles and value respect and honesty, this place is not worth your time, or your safety. read more

Watch your bill. Their policy is parties of 6 or more have 20% gratuity automatically added. Somehow it was added to our party of 5 or more. When I called to confirm and then asked our server Cece to correct it, things got ugly. Paid my bill minus gratuity because I don't appreciate this type of business practice (having owned a restaurant). PS Gina Montana, I was speaking to Kimberly, the owner, who was inebriated (on "vacation" sitting at the hostess desk), you might want to think twice the next time you come up behind a customer and tell them to "get the *uck out". Happy to share videos of our interaction. read more

La Mesa Modern Mexican - Receipt - Mexican Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

Our party of 6 ordered a bunch of different tacos to share. They were ok. Service was good. Place was too dark for an evening dinner.

This is very far from an authentic Mexican restaurant. There is no free chips & salsa here! That's extra... It's very annoying looking over and seeing 8 staff members just sitting by the bar, talking to the bartender while the floors should be swept up. There is food all over the floor & under the tables, tables that need to be cleaned off and the staff is just standing there, giggling & talking. Our server had a very dry personality, not friendly at all! The drinks are nothing special. They somehow managed to screw up a simple mojito. read more

Can't beat the Taco Tuesday deal - 3 gourmet tacos, beans, and rice for 10.00 Great spot in STC. Service is always great and the owner is very nice. Also I did find out this is a MAHA safe restaurant - they use beef tallow and not seed oils. The chips are soooo good. Also big fan of the ambiance and can't wait to sit out on the patio this summer. read more

A bit too bougie for my preference, BUT the place is clean, with a good ambiance and the food was pretty good. Authentic mexican? No. But they do say they're modern mexican so I'll give them credit for that. I think I just prefer the places with bars on the windows, hahaa. They make their own tortilla chips but chips and salsa is not free. My taco dinner came with rice OR beans, I'd have to pay for both and they were already $21. So 3 people ate dinner for $75. No drinks, no dessert. read more

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Coming at late-lunch on a Sunday, there is very few people here. This makes for a relaxed and casual atmosphere, which is probably different than at night or the evenings. The food was good and quality! It was enjoyable to eat and the portions were filling. Nick, our server/bar tender, was attentive, kind, and took care of us without being overbearing with our table being one of the few that has customers. He made the drinks well and they tasted great! read more

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The food was delicious! Drinks were pretty good o feel that they could've been better. Service was great! They have plenty of parking and it's located in a cute little town. read more

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Delicious fresh homemade tortilla chips! My friend had the tortilla soup and she loved it. I had the carne steak tacos- full of flavor and steak. Definitely will be back! read more

This is a great restaurant right in the heart of St Charles. Great location and great food. And their brunch menu is such a great addition to their menu choices. I've only ever had fantastic service. Can't wait until summer because their patio is perfect read more

Almost got scammed. We paid our bill without the itemized charges. Got curious because it seems the bill is too big for the amount we ordered. Found out they added 4 drinks that we did not order. Also the unitemized bill did not say, tip had been included. They were still asking for more tips upon signing. One extra drink is understandable but to 4 is unbelievable. read more

Stopped by La Mesa on our dog walk to enjoy some cocktails. Our waitress Peyton was super helpful and brought our pups some water while we sat in the spacious outdoor seating area. We tried a couple margaritas and rate them the following: BLUEBERRY LAVENDER: 8/10 very sweet and tasty, got a second one and asked for it to be a double which helped make it less sweet. CUCUMBER JALAPEÑO: 8/10 the cucumber makes it very refreshing but if its your first time having a jalapeño Margarita it does have a little kick. My sister ordered this one and mentioned her drinks were too sweet for her liking. RASPBERRY MARGARITA: 9/10 less sweet than the blueberry lavender margarita but still a really good option if you're looking for a twist on a traditional marg. TRADITIONAL MARGARITA: 10/10 a good basic margarita. The chips with guac and watermelon was the perfect combo of sweet and savory. The watermelon added that extra sweetness without taking the flavor away from the guac. Definitely recommend you visit La Mesa wether it be for set dinner plans or whilst on your walk in downtown St. Charles. read more

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Went here on a Saturday around 6 pm and got a table immediately outside without a reservation! Highly recommend a classic margarita, the flavor was delicious and so fresh. We also had the elote fries, and WOW, I would go back just for these! Prices were reasonable and the restaurant was clean. I would go back! read more

As soon as we walked in, we walked out. The irony of walking in a Mexican restaurant as Mexicans and getting a dirty look from the hostess. We didn't even got to our table before she threw the menus onto it and walked off without batting an eye. We ended up dining in next door at Alter brewing where the service blows them out of the water. The review is solely to the hostess which was enough to walk out. read more

A bit dark that it was hard to see the menu. My tongue was sensitive to their spices because everything that was not spicy was still spicy to me. I was eating my food with running nose and teary eyes. The waiter left me the entire bottle of water and asked if I wanted a cup of milk but I refused and told him I will take it like a champ. Other than that, the food was delicious and the salsa with chips were addicting. read more

La Mesa Modern Mexican - Chicken Flautas - Mexican Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

Our server was dismissive when asking for tequila recommendation saying "there are like a thousand, I don't know" when we got our food (enchiladas) we were so excited but they were unbelievably salty. My husbands nachos and margarita were good but my father-in-law got a chicken burrito with next to no chicken in it. Great location and beautiful restaurant but I don't think I'll be back because the food was really not good. read more

Third time trying to go here. Today's adventure consisted of waiting outside after 4:00 only to finally look in and see the place set up for a wedding! Well, congrats to the happy couple, but we're off to another spot in Geneva where we know they will be open. Can't seem to find this place open when we try to go. read more

My group dined in on a busy Taco Tuesday (4 for $10, but you cannot mix and match) evening. The hostess at front warned us in advance, but we ended up waiting 45 minutes for our food to be served. Our server was forgetful (one of my friends had specific requests due to certain dietary restrictions), but he was nice and made up for it by giving us queso and salsa on the house. Which brings me to my next point, La Mesa has the BEST TORTILLA CHIPS I've ever had!!!! I'm literally craving them as I'm writing this review. They're thicker chips with amazing texture. The air pockets lend to an almost flaky tortilla chip, and they are seasoned well. The salsa roja also had amazing flavor development, and the queso was equally delicious. I normally don't finish the chips at restaurants, but I devoured them at La Mesa and took the extra to-go. As for the tacos, I ordered the seared tuna. The tuna was fresh and soft, the slaw and mango pico were incredibly flavorful, and the aioli added a delectable creaminess. However, I wish they had salsas on the side like most other Mexican restaurants do. My friend ordered a side of guacamole, which was more on the chunky side, and notably spicy with the Serrano peppers. I personally prefer a smooth guacamole, but I still liked it in the end. Overall, there is a reason why this place gets so busy. The food is delicious, but be prepared to wait. read more

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This place has a great outdoor seating for the summer time! It's always full of people and really enjoyable. The steak and shrimp tacos were both so good. The chips are fresh and really light so you'll have a hard time stopping! The margarita was decent, not super spicy at all, more on the sweet end. Would go back for the tacos and atmosphere. read more

La Mesa Modern Mexican - Steak tacos - Mexican Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

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Wanted to love this place. It was clean, nice looking and had outdoor seating. We ordered the crispy cauliflower as an app. I think they gave us one made last night. The cauliflower was total mush, overcooked and oversauced. I could only eat one or two pieces (to be nice). When I told the server we were done with the cauliflower, he said 'ok' and left it there for the rest of the meal. The Al pastor tacos needed salt and the shrimp tacos were covered in so much sauce, I think that's how they kill the shrimp. One good note, the old fashioned was delicious! read more

We went back after a long absence . We were not happy with the hostess and her unwelcoming attitude , further more the corn tortillas fell apart. I contacted the business and was not happy with their response/feedback read more

We were excited to try this restaurant as it was voted best Mexican and best tacos in one of the local papers. we have tried many other restaurants from this list and they were all wonderful Recommendations! This was an EXTREME disappointment. The food was TERRIBLE! I will start with the good. The Margarita was very good, but did not taste like a margarita. The chips and guacamole were good. They do not have typical red salsa. The atmosphere was lovely and the service was good. The entrees however were absolutely awful and tasteless. We ordered tacos and skirt steak. The taco meat (ground beef) was awful and tasteless. The refried beans were just a creamy mush, more like a sauce. The skirt steak was awful. Overall went away still hungry! We will absolutely not be back. read more

We found this spot a year ago while visiting the St. Charles area and the food was delicious. We still talk about it to this day how great it would be to have La Mesa here in MA! The owner was our waiter unknowingly to us. She was very humble and even gave us suggestions on other local Mexican restaurants to try. The music and the atmosphere were great. I would absolutely go here again. We have thought about going back to St. Charles just to go to La Mesa! read more

Decided to try this place in a cool downtown area Walked in at 6:30 on a nice Saturday night & the place was pretty empty & dirty tables & floors under tables all over the place. There were 20 staff standing all around doing nothing while the place looked a mess We ordered a couple drinks & an app to start. Waiter said queso fondue app would take a few mins, no problem we're in no hurry. We waited a good 15 mins B4 ordering our meals so we would have time to sip our drinks & enjoy the app. Drinks came quick but no app, didn't say anything cuz it'll take a few. We don't see our waiter & Our meals come out next brought out by someone else -hate that Barbacoa was big, potatoes were ok & little carrots where fine, it had tons of braised beef but it was just not that tasty. Jefe (shrimp) tacos were not good, it was a soggy mess with tough shrimp. So our app never came & I never said anything cuz when our meal shows up we don't need/want the app anymore. Bill came out & app wasn't on there at least, bcuz he's 1 of those waiters that tries to impress you by not writing anything down. So he just completely forgot & never put the order in. Bill was $79 for 2 subpar dinners with a margarita & a draft beer. We will definitely not be back read more

La Mesa Modern Mexican - Mexican Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

Terrible service reservation for 12 on taco Tuesday night and we get the bartender for our server. He also has other tables. Drinks took forever and no check after meals served while other servers wander around with nothing to do. He should have had back up at least a manager check in or something. Two meals inedible due to over cooked couldn't even eat but not taken off the bill. And of course the no chips and salsa. We won't be back. Last chance read more

I stopped by to order tacos to go due to being in the area for an event. The place here is beautiful! I ordered the Baja style fish tacos. They were delicious but the only down side was that there wasn't any salsa offered for these tacos. It had a mild Chipotle mayo but the taco was too dry. I added my own home cooked salsa and it tasted ideal! read more

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The food was good. However, the service out a huge dent in the experience. They give you tap water that tastes terrible, so you're forced to BUY water. Our server at one point told us they had no spoons to give us???? We saw our server take a shot at the bar??? It was just not what I expected. read more

I will preface this review by saying that the food here is actually really good. That being said we stopped in yesterday (3/9/25) for a late lunch with our kids (roughly 2-3pm). After eating most of the spicy cauliflower appetizer we noticed a dead lady bug in the lettuce that is plated under the cauliflower. When we brought it to the attention of the older blonde woman working that afternoon & the response of "Oh, well you're lucky it was a lady bug" as she walked off with the plate. Needless to say, that was not the reaction most restaurant workers have when you find a dead bug in your food regardless of the species. On top of the unwanted protein that crawled its way into our vegetarian appetizer they managed to also tuck 1 chicken flauta in the middle of the mushroom flautas that my husband had ordered (comes 3 to an order)...I guess it's a good thing he isn't a vegetarian. Starting to understand why the stars are what they are. read more

The food was all very yummy, the service was good. Very Americanized Mexican food, salsas not spicy at all. But the ambiance was great and the party I was with had a wonderful time. Lots of vegetarian options on the menu! read more

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I really enjoyed my meal here, but I wish their menu had more variety. I was in the mood for a chimichanga or a burrito but tacos were the main option. I also found the spiciness a bit confusing. We ordered the hottest salsa and didn't find it to be spicy but then we ordered the tampiquena, which wasn't advertised as spicy, and found that to be overly spicy! So something seemed off. Other than that, I thought the waiter was great and they had a great outdoor space to eat at. read more

Lovely atmosphere and great service. The drinks were strong and delicious as well. The chef here was very accomodating and made us some delicious vegetarian options that were not on the menu but phenomenal in taste. I believe Kim was the one taking care of us and she did a splendid job to make our meal here memorable. read more

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I went here years ago and remembered it being good. I went with a group of friends and we were all disappointed. The food was bland and Americanized Mexican, I sadly won't be going back very unsatisfying food. read more

One of the best modern Mexican restaurants I have been to. Have been here twice now and the service and food are incredible. Would highly recommend getting the elote and chips. They are both homemade and super fresh! The Birria Tacos are hands down incredible. The inside has an amazing atmosphere along with great signature drinks! Would come here again and recommend it to anyone who is looking for yummy food. read more

Very clean. Tasty cocktails. Great service! More than enough servers! Food came out at a good pace. I really liked the appetizers. Their bean dip is wonderful. With their location, they have to compete with a lot of other restaurants and they hold their own better than most. I ordered the elote fries and everyone at the table helped me to devour those. read more

La Mesa Modern Mexican - Frozen mojito. Very tasty. - Mexican Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois