This place sucks. All the staff who were there for years and through Covid are gone. The music is awful. The food is mediocre at best. Condados is nearby if you want Mexican food, and Urban Tap is next door. There are better options within walking distance. Tom, the founder of Mad Mex, stops by some afternoons to pontificate how great Mad Mex and the rest of the Big Burrito Group restaurants are, but I do not see it. Eleven and Soba are at least as good as The Cheesecake Factory. The rest suck badly. read more

Went for Cinco de Mayo and waited about an hour, which was much shorter than the other Mexican restaurants in Shadyside/Lawrenceville. Luckily there's a little bar called the Hideaway right next door so we went over there. The waitress was great! She was attentive, kind, and informative. She didn't seem phased by the crowds or drunk people. I ordered the barbacoa tacos and they were okay but not great (rating 3). The meat taste a bit too much like pot roast. The rice was extremely bland and dry (rating 1) the fire roasted salsa (rating 4) and guacamole (rating 5) were both fantastic. I would come back for apps and drinks but probably not for dinner! read more

Mad Mex - Shadyside - barbacoa tacos (rating=3), rice (1), guac (5), salsa (4) - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Went really late and while we're not vegan/vegetarian, we got the Seitan wings and they were amazing. The Asian type sauce is also fantastic

I came here for a PitAND board meeting with my fellow board members and would give the experience a solid 3 or 4 stars. The waiter was extremely courteous and always made sure that everyone was being served. As such, I was particularly pleased with the customer service. Regarding the qualify of the food I would say it really depends on what you order. I especially enjoyed the crispy tofu as well as the quesadillas - those were a hit. Wasn't as much a fan of the shrimp/mushroom and potato filled appetizers though. The tortilla chips were overly salty but there was a nice assortment of dips that accompanied them. The salsa had a nice bite, the pico de galo was fresh and the bean dip complimented the cheese dip nicely. I would definitely order at least some of the food here again. I didn't think the restaurant was well suited for a board meeting since it was hard to talk over the loud music playing in the background but it was nice for them to attempt to accompany us anyway. Loved the colorful ambiance of the walls and ceiling! we lived the dips and appetizers read more

Really good place for Mexican food. They have pretty few options for Vegetarian. I tried Veggie Enchiladas and it was ok as I didn't like the mushroom in it. But apart from that overall it was perfect. It is served with brown rice, beans and extra money for guacamole. Over all ratings: Ambience- 4.5/5 Quality - 4/5 Cost - value for money $$ Service- 4/5 read more

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Mad Mex. I'll tell you what I like - the portion sizes. I was stuffed when I left this place. But it is one of those places where if you want a lot of food but are kind of indifferent regarding its standoutishness, then I would go to Mad Mex. I don't think it's better than Chipotle. There's no way I would pay full price for their meals like their dinner menu lays out. There's just no way. I would pay the lunch price and think, eh, this is still a little over valued considering I need to tip a server. But $8.75 for a massive burrito and a cup of soup or salad . . . I can't really complain. Our server here really wasn't great. At one point he left for like 30 minutes. I was getting worried about his well being as ours was deteriorating. I want to spend 40 minutes eating at a place like this, tops. Maybe you think I'm fussy - that's okay. We were here for 1hr 10min. Thank goodness we had no immediate plans! The decor was nice! That's what made our long stay bearable (I'm just being hyperbolic). Ceilings are very high and I just enjoyed the vibe in this place! I got a burrito and maybe everything would've been different had I gotten my friend's recommendation of fajitas. But that burrito is the place's #1 best seller . . . The guac was a bit runny, and those of you who love some good gauc, that burned you reading that. You know what I'm talking about. It hurt me too. I won't rush back to Mad Mex. It's popular and maybe so for other reasons other than the things I ordered. And that's cool. But Chipotle is right down the street . . . Dare I say better quality? Cheaper prices? Quicker experience? I might. read more

Mad Mex - Shadyside - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The food is nothing like it used to be years ago so I don't bother eating there anymore. Most of the staff there have a terrible attitude and the management condones this also. I'm done going to this place. read more

I'd give three stars for service but I've stars for the food, so I averaged. Recommended the apple cider margarita but couldn't order it, then a sweet tea and they only had unsweet, rough start. Waited 40 minutes for food, but the food was fantastic, made it slightly worth the wait. I would return to the franchise, but probably not to this location. read more

Mad Mex - Shadyside - Grilled mahi mahi fish tacos - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

If I could have given this place 0 stars, I would have. I do not normally write poor reviews at all, but I've never felt more discriminated against as an Asian female. The female bartender (blonde hair, tattoos) YELLED at my boyfriend, who just BOUGHT HIS OWN BEER FROM ANOTHER BARTENDER, when he took a sip of my margarita. The male bartender who served my boyfriend was right beside this lady, and did not SAY ANYTHING to her as she was yelling at us. This was just the end of the shabang, as I had already had enough of her attitude when I walked towards the bar... The beginning moments where she was rude was when I first walked up and politely said I had a question... she goes "what" with the most stern and angry face. This is completely unacceptable, and I am generally a huge fan of late-night mex spots. Maybe she had a bad night, maybe she's going through some personal stuff. Hopefully whatever went wrong does not happen again to other people. So disappointed. read more

My partner talked this place up so much my expectations were pretty high, however, Mad mex Shadyside did not meet my expectations nor my partners. I don't think it was nearly as good as he remembered from years ago for several reasons. 1) The service was mediocre at best. She would not honor the student discount with my student ID for a portion of the check that was not the lunch special. Additionally, there was an added meal on our check that was not ours, and we needed to ask for the desert that came with the kids meal my daughter had. 2) The food was mediocre as well. Chipotle or Cafe rio is much better than this sit down. The burritos have a much higher rice and bean ratio than meat. The chicken tortilla soup was okay, but not great. Also, chips and salsa did not come with the meal like all Mexican restaurants I've eaten at. I thought that was pretty standard, but apparently not here. Also, the guacamole on the side for the burrito was an added 1.50 when I think it really should be included. For a $40 tab I would have expected a better meal overall. 3) I don't think this is the most sanitary place to eat. My water had a black thing within an ice cube that looked like black mold, so I doubt they clean their ice maker regularly. In summary this place is just "Meh" for us. It was not the good quality my partner remembered from growing up, and I don't think we'll ever be returning unless there really is no other option for food, which I don't see happening in any situation. I would skip this place if I were looking for good quality authentic Mexican cuisine. read more

We went to madmex for cinco and our friend's birthday. The server never wrote anything down, but consistently forgot or got things wrong in our orders. If it was a normal, busy cinco, I would understand, but with tables empty for social distancing, it doesn't make sense. Then when we went to get our check, we were told it had to be one check, which would be fine if he didn't cash out a friend who already left from our table. We said okay and then he said he will only divide it equally among all our cards. We said no and wrote all the amounts we wanted on each card (which he could have done with a couple clicks of buttons on the system). He took everyone's cards (6 people) and then came back five minutes later and said, "this isn't gonna work." Our friend said he will put it all on his card and we can Venmo him. Our server took his card and instead of coming back with our check to sign, he had the hostess drop it off at our table instead of doing it himself and avoid med any contact with us leaving. Worst customer service and costed himself a lot more in tip because the bill was $165. If he would have taken the minute to give us our checks, he easily would've gotten $50 for a tip. Probably won't come back to this location. read more

Here you can see two lovely ladies having dinner on a nice summer evening with their two beautiful dogs on the curb outside #madmexshadyside #madmex . Last year me and my husband tried to have dinner at the same spot with our dog , but were told by the waiter that they cant provide us service because dogs are not allowed according to company policy. I would like this company to explain if their company policy is based on the mood of their waiters ? Why this #discrimination ? Mad Mex Shadyside ?? read more

Mad Mex - Shadyside - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I love going to this Mad Mex especially during Happy Hour! The Southwestern Wings and Red Sangria "Big Azz" Margarita are my favorites! The wings are full of flavor and always crispy. And who can resist a 22oz margarita that's only $7??? Unlike the Mad Mex in Oakland, you can have conversations without yelling. By far, one of my favorite places for late night bites in the 'Burgh. read more

Mad Mex - Shadyside - Southwestern wings are the way to go! - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I looooove Mexican food. Burritos, tacos, you name it. I'll eat it all! So it doesn't come to a surprise that Mad Mex is something I'm a fan of. We ordered takeout from this location last week and the food was great! I ordered the Chicken Fajita Burrito which consisted of chicken, beans, rice, lettuce, tomato, peppers and sour cream. Yum! It wasn't anything that made me go crazy,, but consistent to what I'd imagined. What left me most impressed, however, was the size of the burrito. It was freakin' huge! It pretty much took up the entire take-out container. For $10, I thought they could have thrown in some chips or something, but all in all, a great meal! They do a great job at packing their take-out orders as well. Everything was neat and situated well with no room for any spills or accidents. They even pack things like lettuce, tomato and cheese separately for things like tacos so you can put on as much as you'd like. Good service and good food. It was must first time eating from Mad Mex in years and I'll definitely return after my last visit. read more

Mad Mex - Shadyside - Chicken fajita burrito. So good and huuuuge! - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The 3 stars are for the hostess and waitress. Very friendly and attentive. The food is below mediocre. Had shrimp tacos. Steak fajita very and 2 kids meals. All was very average the restaurant itself is decent. I doubt i would go again read more

Mad Mex is a loud Mexican restaurant with an excellent children's menu. The brownie and ice cream with the kid meal were excellent! The tacos were quite spicy. read more

What's better than a margarita? A big Azz margarita and I had two. The interior of this location has a great loft feel and is breezy, chill and laid back and has plenty of room for every one. The house was packed on a Sunday at 6pm but I was still seated within 5 minutes. My eyes lit up when I saw on the menu Kaya's Yucatan Black Bean Dip! Whomever at Madmex put that on the menu kudos to you Sir or Madam. So for my other two dips I ordered the, Tomatillo-Avocado, and the pico de gallo. The pico de gallo was dry and way over peppered the whole thing tasted of pepper and not much else. I am trying to clear off my calendar so that I can get back to Mad Mex for some more tequila and good eats! Listen pals get the Black Bean Dip! read more

Mad Mex - Shadyside - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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We had an amazing evening here. This was our first time at mad mex, and we will be back many more times. We ordered some nachos, and a burrito. For the price we paid, we got huge portions, and their quality was great! The homemade chips and guacamole on the nachos stood out, and the burrito was delicious. This is one of the first times we could not finish our food, and had to take some home. The setting was awesome with various artworks on the walls and Spanish decor all around. The service was great, and the atmosphere made me feel like I was in another city. I would highly recommend if you have never had their food or drinks! read more

Mad Mex - Shadyside - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Ordered online 2 hours before closing there was NO toppings on my burrito bowl. Only cheese chicken and rice. I do NOT recommend.

Service was excellent- no complaints there, our server Josh was on his game! However, food was less than desirable. The queso tasted like they melted velveeta..but if you're into that, you'll like it. My coworker did not even eat his burrito and I could barely stomach a sliver of my quesadilla. No flavor- chewy steak- overall just bland. The best thing we had was the boneless wings! Those were actually delicious! read more

Mad Mex - Shadyside - Mad Mex Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I've always been a fan of Mad Mex - endless burrito combinations and their margaritas outpace almost every Pittsburgh restaurant - so when I found out they started a prix fixe brunch I had to try it! Only $12 for a meal and a breakfast cocktail (or even a margarita!) I ordered the carnitas Sunday Street tacos with a Mad Maria. Amazing flavor with the cilantro and loved how they accompany them with over easy eggs for dipping. They give you four tacos, but they are pretty small so you're not in a complete brunch food coma when you leave. The Mad Maria (Bloody Mary with Tequila) was a nice twist from the standard drink and was the right amount of spicy. My friends ordered the chicken and waffles and the steak and eggs skillet, both of which they recommend. Especially if you sub over easy eggs on the skillet. read more

Mad Mex - Shadyside - Bloody Maria - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I've been going to Mad Mex since they had only one location and HOW did I never know about their birthday coupons?! I recently went with a friend and she busted out a coupon that they sent her for her birthday so her entree was free. You just need to ask the waitstaff for a card to sign up for their email list. In a couple of weeks, you get an email and then if you click on the link and complete sign up, they will send you a coupon for a free entree and then you get a burrito coupon for your birthday. As for the food - in all my years in attendance, I almost always get the same dish (the chicken chimi). It's just too good so I can't stray! Though I did try a gobblerito once. Has to be done! The chips and salsa are a must and their frozen margaritas come in all kinds of yummy flavors. Great spot for happy hour, late night, or any time really. Good number of vegetarian options as well. read more

My husband and I come here soooo often, probably once a week. The happy hour is the best. 4:30-6:30pm half off drafts (they always have an AWESOME selection) and wings, and $3 12oz, $7 22oz house margaritas (they have a 16 oz but I can't remember the price). I know you may think "wings at a Mexican place?!?" but 1. It's not Mexican Mexican and 2. The wings are soooo good I crave them all the time. I like the southwest and San Francisco wings. I've never tried the other ones because I tend to stick to what I know and love haha. We always get the veggie burrito which has delicious portobello mushrooms, corn, zucchini, black beans, rice, onions, and peppers. If we're feeling adventurous we will add meat which is an extra charge but worth it if you're craving meat. My husband and I split it because it's so big. We also tend to get the 5oz black bean dip which is the perfect size for us.. we are pretty light eaters. I have been here soooo many times and I feel like this review is well overdue. I have NEVER been disappointed with the food or the service here. All the staff have been so amazing to us. Thanks Madmex shadyside. :) read more

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Came here for their gobblerito special, which essentially is a Thanksgiving meal inside of a tortilla. It's worth to go just to try that alone. read more

Much more spacious and cleaner than the Oakland location, which is tucked on a quiet residential street and a bit dingy. This place is pretty darkly lit as well, but the atmosphere is very different, as is the demographics. More lively. Same yummy $7 happy hour giant margaritas though! Although it's always a bit extra sour here... read more

I like this location and I am a huge fan of margaritas and tacos. I always order the tofu tacos here. Trust me, they are amazing. Even Bobby, who does not care for tofu, thought they were good! Overall, it's a decent restaurant and it's nice that they offer valet service. Wait times are very unpredictable, though, so if you don't go on a more quiet night, you could be waiting for awhile (and probably outside because the foyer is so very small!) Last time we were here we were seated upstairs. I thought this would be cool but it actually just seemed to result in slower service. I would request seating downstairs if the wait time isn't crazy. The food is consistently good so we keep coming back! read more

Mad Mex - Shadyside - Apple cider marg! - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This place has the best Margarita's in Pittsburgh by far! Every month they have a flavor of the month but the best is the Strawberry! Also the pick a dip is a great deal. read more

Don't walk RUN the other direction... it saddens me to say but Big Burrito really let this place go. I would be ashamed to give this food away let alone charge for it... read more

This Mad Mex is pretty good. Their service has always been really good and their food is consistently good. The XX Queso is delicious, but I feel like they've taken the spice level down and the taco platter is very good, especially if you're looking to split it. Parking is a headache, you better be good at parallel parking. read more

It was amazing!!! The staff was great and the food was even better!!! And the Margaritas they are strong and tasty as well!! I say if your looking to fill your belly up this is the place to go!!!!! These are just the burritos... I ate mine my girlfriend couldn't finish bc she was so full!!!! read more

Mad Mex - Shadyside - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I have mixed feelings about Mad Mex. It's a love/hate relationship---I love it so much and hate myself for eating too much. Happy hour is of course fun. Central place to meet up with friends for a laid back outing. read more

Terrible food and even worse service. Do your wallet a favor and don't even think about going to this restaurant.

We visited the Mad Mex at Shadyside and the ambience was pretty great and service as well was pretty good.. We had the burrito and it was really nice, the filling wasn't too spicy. We split it amongst two of us and so it was pretty filling as well.. We went on a weekend and had to wait for some period of time before being seated ... The menu is slightly on the more expensive side as well.. read more

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UPDATE: The business manager was kind enough to provide coupons for our entrees if/when we come back. We went to a different location (Waterworks) and had a great experience! We probably went to the Shadyside location when the waiter was having an off day. I'm giving a 3 star rating (originally gave 1 star). The food was very good, but I don't know how this location would have been second time around since we went to the other one. Thanks, Mad Mex! I'm surprised this place has such high ratings. It's been recommended to me by several people whose taste buds I may not trust as much anymore. My boyfriend and I ordered two different kinds of enchiladas, and they were both so disappointing. The enchilada was literally two sad corn tortillas topped with an even sadder amount of cheese with a small amount of meat inside. That's it. I'm Latina, so of course I'm prepared for Tex Mex to be different than homemade goodness, but I've been to some really great Tex Mex places. We paid extra for guac for both of our entrees and surprise surprise we didn't receive it (still had to pay) or any of the other condiments I ordered. I don't see the craze, nor am I really interested in trying to find out by ordering something else. Everything is pricey and below average. If you go here... good luck. read more

Just when I thought I couldn't love Mad Mex anymore then I already did, I discovered the shady side location offered brunch!! I got the huevos rancheros with a Bloody Mary. I would not recommend the Bloody Mary because it tasted a little watered down. The meal on the other hand was probably the best huevos rancheros I've ever had. It had a nice kick to it and it had plenty of toppings and who doesn't love toppings?! I would also like to add that I love the set up of this Mad Mex. I've been to multiple locations but none are as open as this one. It makes the restaurant appear much bigger and it allows for natural light to get in. The other locations feel so small and dark. read more

Mad Mex - Shadyside - Huevos rancheros - Mexican Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Huge portions. Vegetarian options available. I'd reccomend the veg enchilada. Lovely decor and polite service. read more

Mad Mex is always consistently good. Tried the tomatillo-avocado salsa with our chips today. Delicious with a pronounced lime flavor and a little heat. The carnitas burrito was tasty and I really like the blue cornbread. Our server, Joe, took good care of us, but when he found out why we were there, he went the extra mile. My wife and I had our first date, 12 years ago to the day, at the Oakland location. So, once we had finished our meal, Joe came by with a menu and informed us that dessert was on the house. Sopapillas, long weekend style, for the win. Thank you Joe, and Mad Mex! read more

Sorry but this has got to be the worst Mexican chain/restaurant I have ever been too. Start with the house Margarita which was a great deal but horrible...seriously the worst I have ever had. Chip and Salsa...haha...I have never paid for this in a Mexican restaurant perhaps that's a burg thing.....typically Free...I really don't mind paying but just not good. Tortillas...really....I can't believe this is a chain...Who goes here? To sum it up...I have lived in Texas for 20 years...been to Mexico at least 25 times....have been to at least 40 states and have never had Mexican food this bad. My rating is zero point zero. Of all of my reviews this was the worst experience ever...Service was sub par as well...Three basics Good Margarita, Good chips and Fresh Tortillas. read more

I went on a Saturday night and I got seated right away, and my server, LG, was very helpful about the menu and the wine selections. Nobody ever said Mad Mex is Mexican or even Tex Mex, it's definitely California Mexican...and as long as you understand that, you will do better there. Having said that, I don't think they have a very good Margarita (which should be tequila, triple sec or Cointreau, and fresh lime juice). The food at Mad Mex tastes great and it's made from fresh ingredients. The decor is consistent with the Mad Mex branding, and there's original artwork throughout the restaurant. I love the high ceiling, the different seating options, and the huge open wall that faces Highland Ave. This is by far my favorite of all the Mad Mex locations. read more

I ate here yesterday for lunch with a dining companion. The decor of the restaurant was unique with many different wall paintings and oddities but probably familiar to those who have ever been to a Mad Mex restaurant before. Upon sitting down I noticed that they had a nice beer list but did not order any due to it being lunch on a Sunday afternoon. For lunch I ordered the Wing-A-Rito burrito with insane buffalo sauce while my dining companion had the Thai Curry burrito. My burrito was comprised of rice, cheese, beans, chicken and the buffalo sauce which did not disappoint. It was hotter than most sauces that I have ordered yet still had a good solid taste to it. It was served with a side of salsa which was all that was left on my plate whenever I had finished. My dining companions burrito also tasted good and did remind me of a nice Thai curry dish. It was topped with bean sprouts and came with a side of slaw that was vinegar based. Overall we were both very satisfied with our meals and nothing was left except for the salsa whenever we were done. The bottom line for me is that I will definitely be back to a Mad Mex in the future. They have not only a wonderful selection of Margaritas and beer but the food is good and does not lighten the wallet too much. read more