I'm just gonna say it was my first time coming here with my girlfriend and we wanted to place an order for a burrito bowl & a quesadilla, both carne asada... priced @ $11.25 if I remember correctly and subtotal came out to being $35 for just the two items.. while ordering employees were just plain rude, while I commented it was my first time here a younger women starting my order said "same as chipotle nothing different" in a very sour tone and acted as if my girlfriend and I were a burden making an order. Upon cashing out the cashier told me the total and I asked is the prices online different instore, this price seems wrong? And she responded, "not always, you have multiple items. Cash or card" and just giggled after. DEFIANTLY made us feel uncomfortable and will no longer looking forward to coming here, the rice is also very overcooked or just been sitting all day I don't think rice should be crunchy. Thanks tho ! read more

Mesa Grande Taqueria - Burrito bowl - Mexican Near Me - Auburn, New York

Mesa Grande is an Auburn staple. It's one of the few places where I can reliably get a good meal relatively quickly. You're best going in person, but there is online ordering and pickup available. Just make sure you order well in advance, since there's often a 30-45 min+ wait. (And that's a real ETA, they don't usually have it ready sooner, but at least the good is warm). It seems like business has been a little strained lately with price increases and menu options decreasing (RIP pollo tirado) but I'm happy to keep my money local so I oblige. You have the option to eat in if you choose (no table service). It seems like folks opt for eating there less compared to pre-pandemic times. I like eating on site in the summer since they have a covered outdoor area. It's definitely a great place to visit and certainly better than the chipotle that just came to town! I wish they had a rewards system like chipotle, but I still love them regardless! read more

The food is very good, and actually authentic according to my nephew who studied in Mexico and married a great cook from there. Like anything these days, good food is expensive. I'm just reluctant to spend two+ days worth of grocery money on one meal, but there are exceptions. read more

Takeoff on Chipotle Restaurant. Gives small town folks the chance to experience modern big city food!

So I really love variety almost everywhere I go, but for some reason every time I go to Mesa I get the same thing. Well, almost the same thing. Either a burrito or a burrito bowl. Sometimes I get different meats. I've tried them all and they are all good. I load it up with yellow rice, black beans, and lots of onions and peppers. Then shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and finally pico and corn salsa. Tastes wonderful every time. My friends have all had the tacos, nachos, and quesadillas and love them as well. I'll just take their word for it For drinks you can get a soda, margarita, or frozen lemonade. I have had each in the past, but most of the time I just have water with a lemon wedge to save calories. They also have flan and chocolate flan and a cake of some sort. I have not had any dessert there. I can barely get through a whole burrito!! My daughter is a big fan of the two flans though. If you have the Save-a-Round book they have 4 coupons for buy 1 get 1 free entrees which is a great deal A couple times I've eaten there and there was way too much sodium in my meal. Does not happen all of the time, but I tend to want less sodium in my food. Otherwise it is all good! read more

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Always good and fresh food. This is the first time I've been to the Auburn location saddened when the township five location closed during Covid. Staff are always very accommodating and generous with preparing your food. They now have tofu that you can include in your bowl or burrito. It is cut very small and seasoned so it's really nice. We came as a group of four and all left full and happy. read more

The food here was absolutely delicious. I ordered the burrito bowl with Barbacoa shredded beef and the works topped with crunchy tortillas yum. The customer service was very friendly and attentive. The Ambiance was calm comfortable and peaceful. I will be coming back again for sure. Highly recommended!! 5/5 Stars!! A+++ read more

You really can't go wrong... I'm trying everything on the menu now it's just all equally awesome! Here is fun family friendly and they have amazing margaritas are! A perfect combination for a restaurant you want to come back to you again and again! They make brown crispy taco shells and the way to put them together some dreams are made out of! YummyFv read more

Mesa Grande Taqueria - the interior of the restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Auburn, New York

So not only does this place have amazing food and a ton of gluten free/vegetarian options but there service is incredible! That's all you really need to know but if you want a real story, buckle up... Last month I had planned a twenty person suprise birthday party for my brother. We were not able to have a 30th party for him due to covid, so we planned to make his 31st extra special. The venue (that we all love and still do!) called me 3 hours before the party was supposed to start to tell me they had a Covid outbreak ...and needed to cancel to keep us all safe and healthy. We of course wouldn't be charged for the party being canceled but how were we going to host 20 people with less than 3 hours notice AND keep the change of plans a suprise? Alhough I appreciate the restaurants actions it did leave me in an insane time crunch. Mesa Grande was my immediate thought for delicious, allergy friendly food, that everyone loves and they cater! Miraculously the team member who took my panicked phone call walked me through what to order and then contacted her manager to confirm the details. They made it happen! I ordered hard and soft shell tacos, chips with queso, guacamole, salad, and black beans. The Mesa Grande staff were able to get all the food made and loaded into my car in just 2.5 hours! This gave me enough time to grab party supplies, booze, dessert, and get to my moms house to set up before guests and the birthday boy arrived. The party was a huge success My brother was shocked! The guests were well fed and happy. Mesa Grande saved the day. I cannot thank them enough or recommend them enough. In a time of social disconnection, difficulty, and hardship, Mesa Grande was instrumental in safetly bringing my family together. read more

Mesa Grande Taqueria - Same - Mexican Near Me - Auburn, New York

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The food and service were great. Every time we've been there the staff has been very quick and attentive. Chips and salsa are fresh and good tasting. read more

Can't go wrong. Location downtown and outdoor seating during the summer. Parking not a issue unless you don't like packing in backwards into the street slot :) read more

A friend chose this restaurant to meet and at first sight I was a little nervous bc it looks similar to a Moe's or Chipotle and while I like Moe's I find it expensive and I don't like Chipotle at all bc they put cilantro (aka poison) in everything. But the food here was excellent, cilantro was only in one variety of rice and the salsa but there was plenty of other toppings to choose from and two other kinds of rice. It was less expensive than either Moe's or Chipotle and I left feeling full. Very enjoyable. read more

Place was not really clean. No printed menus, you had to watch the scroll to try to see what was available. No one in front or behind us and server was just pushing us through the order sequence. Most items did not look fresh, I asked and was assured they were fresh. We saw tacos, thought they were $6.95. Anyway my wife and I both ordered tacos for lunch. $28.35 ! Shredded beef was stringy, cubed beef was chewy, really not good, and not a value at almost thirty dollars. We try to got to mom and pop shops all the time. This is locally owned so we tried and very disappointing. One and done for sure, will not return. read more

I'm temporarily staying in Auburn, and was walking around downtown seeing what was out there for food and this place caught my eye! I'm a sucker for a quick burrito and it was definitely quick, the employees are very efficient. That burrito was so tasty, I wish I got pictures but I highly recommend checking this place out and definitely getting a side of queso!! read more

Not impressed at all for the cost; almost $100 for 1 burrito, 1 quesadilla, and 3 soft tacos. I can't even say the food was worth it. Another restaurant over inflating their costs to cover the Covid issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. read more

Food is always great, good customer service aswell, however food is a little overpriced for how much you get.

Extremely good food. There's very little wait time, and they really give you a big serving. I always finish my meal, even though they are ginormous read more

One of my favorite places! The burrito is the size of a small football, the tacos, quesadilla and nachos are equally as filling! Huge portions! My kids love that they have kids meals. They also love their Guac and Queso! Pair them with homemade chips, so yummy!!! I can't fail to mention they have wine slushies! The pricing is decent. A burrito, quesadilla, 3 tacos (hard or soft shell), kids quesadilla, queso, 2 sides of Guac (bc it's too yummy to share), chips and drinks was about $67. I didn't think that was awful, considering all the food we got. read more

Ordered to-go online for a large group for lunch. Our order did take several minutes to finish being made when we arrived to pick it up, however they got everything right. All the customizations and sauces and leave out this, add that we're done perfectly. If you want a salad, get the salad bowl. The burrito bowls have lots of meat, best for carnivores! read more

I saw the word "Taqueria" and got very excited. I was Hoping for some authentic Mexican food. It was not that. It was basically chipotle 2.0, slightly different enough that they won't get sued. I got a salad, which would have been an ok salad ....if they had forks for me to eat it with. Spoons and a salad was not a fun experience. Wish they would have told me they had no forks when I was ordering. C'est la vie ‍ read more

I just moved to Auburn and on my first day I tried Mesa Grande and loved it! Better quality and portion sizes than Chipotle and Moe's! They gave me so much guacamole on my bowl which I really appreciate! I will definitely be going back! read more

Can't say enough good things ! Beats Chipotle and Moe's hands down !!! And don't forget the Tres Leche cake. It is TO DIE FOR !

The most recent order that we got wasn't even right after we got home from ordering online. The order was missing 2 soft drinks and my food wasn't right. Not consistent the time previous to this the food was outstanding dont really know other than the consistency level of the ordering being right seems to be not there all the time. read more

Really good burrito bowl but service was rushed and impatient explaining things. The woman serving kept saying "is that all?" Even though I clearly wanted more toppings. read more

Very tasty Mexican food choices! This was my second visit and the food was just as fresh and flavorful as my previous order. I got a bowl with rice, black beans, grilled chicken, peppers and onions, pico de gallo, corn, Romain lettuce sprinkled with freshly cut jalapeño peppers! The staff is friendly and accommodating, there's a decent selection of beverage choices. They also took my company American Express card; which can be difficult at some restaurants nearby. read more

Don't visit that often. Foods usually pretty good but NOT the first time, rice was a little hard.

Only 3.5 stars ... very good food, BUT floors, tables and bathroom was not clean. We will order takeout next time.

I was reluctant to try this place since so many businesses have failed here. We have eaten here several times and every has been good. Granted they need more staff, we have seen them work very hard but everyone has been very nice. read more

Best burrito bowls ever. Upset they discontinued the pulled chicken though. The Roja and guacamole are spot on

Fresh, fast, cheap! Get the burrito bowl! The food was actually one of the best Mexican places I've ever seen anywhere in the East. I love Mexican so this actually is saying a lot. I try Mexican all the time and all over the country. The Margarita here was also surprisingly decent for a place this cheap. Impressive. read more

Mesa Grande Taqueria - Cheap and good! - Mexican Near Me - Auburn, New York

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Ok, if customers stop in an expect this place to be Chiptole...it's not! It is so much better!!!! I admit when I walked in and saw it's modern decor, I thought it would be a typical new-american type Mexican food. I tried the burrito bowl, and it was amazing. All fresh ingredients and the hot sauce is actually hot. If you are ever in Auburn, and need a Mexican food fix. This is your place.!!! read more

What I loved about this place is how you could immediately tell that no owner was there, as no one gave a damn. I was new to the place and I appreciated how the lady was quick to repeatedly ask me what I wanted, as I stared blankly at the menu. Being rushed but not assisted or taught anything about how the place ran gave me good experience in how to immediately make a decision not knowing what the hell was going on and while under pressure. The way she kept mumbling so I had to keep saying I can't hear you, between the mask and background noise, was a nice touch to add on to the rushed ordering and general atmosphere of no shits being given. So now I know what it's like for an 80 year old at a typical store. The food wasn't poisonous so that was nice. read more

I didn't physically step into Mesa Grande. I happened to be at an event catered by Mesa Grande. The buffet was make your tacos with all the fixings. The chicken and beef were both delicious with a slight bit of zest to them. Their chips are different, they are a little thicker than your average tortilla chip, I actually liked being able to take a dip of guacamole and not have the chip snap in half for once! Anyway, based on other reviews, I hope to stop in to the actual restaurant and enjoy other selections on their menu soon! read more

The food was good, I will admit that....but the experience was gross. dirty....the food looked as though it had been sitting in the same pan from two days ago. Not the most attentive employees either. read more

Good burrito/nachos/quesadilla place in downtown Auburn. Not unlike Chipolte and Qdoba. Went a little after noon after leaving the nearby DMV office. Line was a little long but the workers kept it moving. Had my burrito made and paid for within 10 minutes of stepping into the place. There is also some nice seating outdoors. read more

I don't think I have ever had a problem with this place, food is always fresh and the help is great .....just needs a parking garage..lol

There are vegan options here and the staff actually knew which options were or were not vegan, which I appreciate! The food is very tasty and reasonably priced. Good chouce for a quick bite. read more

It's good for upstate NY. Better than chipotle and I appreciate their cholula collection and fresh ingredients. But I have to stop looking for real Mexican food in Upstate. They only offer hard shell "corn" tortillas and soft flour tortillas. No real maza tortillas. So if you're looking for real Mexican this isn't the place. read more

I debated on giving this 3 or 4 stars and I'm going with my gut. Going with 4. The barbacoa - shredded beef, that's dry rubbed and then smoked - might be one of the best burrito fillings in CNY (granted, there's not much competition in these parts, but still...). Actually, most of the meat fillings are good, but I usually gravitate towards the shredded ones as they tend to be a little more tender. Solid salsas too. I'm a sucker for pico de gallo (in general), but the chipotle salsa is not a bad option either. It's cafeteria style and quick service. They also have deserts like flan (which I have yet to try) and Mexican Coke in glass bottle form. Their strongest suit though is their consistency after every visit and their quality of produce and ingredients. All and all, definitely worth a visit. read more

Clearly ripped off Chipotle for their ideas and design. Employees didn't listen to requests (light sour cream, a LITTLE cheese) and were not at all friendly. Eh, it's fast food don't expect more? read more