They no longer serve their popular lamb shank, bummer. We started with the Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower. The cauliflower had a nice crunch, and the batter was well-seasoned and flavorful. Grilled Octopus was excellent as always, my favorite dishes here. Lamb Osso Bucco was served with orzo rice, peas, morels. Lamb was tender and well-seasoned. Tamarind Glazed Salmon served with kale and red quinoa. The salmon itself was good, but I don't think the quinoa was a good match with the dish. The flatbread was the most disliked item we had. It was a bit bland and too doughy. We enjoyed the Peyrassol Rosé (France 2025), which was not only nice to see but also nice to drink. Love the smooth texture and taste. Vanilla Crème Brûlée was enjoyable, the shortbread cookie was somewhat bland. Chocolate Date Cake was rich and quite sweet. Even we shared it among 3-4 people, we still couldn't finish it. Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience. read more

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TL;DR: not surprised to see this spot close down. The quality of food and drinks were good but the price of each dish was not justified at all. Service was lacking professionalism and timeliness Came to celebrate a birthday dinner and we were immediately disappointed by the service team - couldn't find the reservation (made a month in advance) - sat us without menus - when they did bring menus, they only had 2 for a party of 6... Food was overall good but the server oversold everything. The taste and balance was decent but pricing was 100% unjustified. Review of our table's order - excluding the obvious lack of value and weird plating choices: - mezze dips: skip. rip off. - cauliflower: maybe the best dish of the meal - octopus: sauce was unnecessary and portion size was terrible - caesar salad: not good - lamb shank: tender but the sides were trash - branzino: parts tasted not fully cooked. - lamb chops: DRY. Hammered the protein and drenched in oil...? Do not get. - chicken: large portion and maybe the best bang for buck when feeding large parties. it was ok. No wonder they closed shortly after. I get the high rent given Santana Row pricing but do a little better when hiring service staff. read more

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I just realized I visited during happy hour on a weekday in the same week they closed, which honestly explains a lot. Unfortunately, the staff and service were terrible. I partially blame myself for not walking away after noticing several red flags. The host spent several minutes trying to find the happy hour menu, and once I finally received it, I was told that several items were unavailable. My wine was fine, but the chicken skewers came out essentially unseasoned and burnt. I understand that restaurants may be winding down before closing, but I wish they had either made an effort to end on a stronger note or closed earlier rather than continuing to serve such a disappointing experience. read more

Meso Modern Mediterranean - House white - Mediterranean Near Me - San Jose, California

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Tucked away near the Santana Row movie theater, Meso Modern offers a calmer ambiance from the busy streets. Staff were mostly very good, but it did feel like there was some preferential seating. Food!! (Bill for 3 people was $160 pre-tip, $185 post) Mezze Platter (Opted for 5 dips + crispy lamb) 8.5/10: Really good shareable app, comes with fluffy pita and crispy chips and many dips like hummus, something similar to baba ganoush, and some yogurt-like varieties. the lamb was supriisingly very good, but it is a small portion probably meant for 2 people max. Falafel Bites 9/10: Would be closer to a 9.5 but there's only 4 tiny falafels included. That said, they are some of the tastiest and moist falafels i've ever had!! love it with the sauce plated underneath. Filet Mignon 7.5/10: Just a decent filet. They nailed the medium rare cookery, but the flavors felt a bit on the sweeter side for me. Meat quality felt solid, but nothing special. Octopus 7.5/10: Pretty good octopus but nothing too memorable compared to other spots. Harissa flavor was subtle for me. Za'atar Chicken Half 7/10: Flavor felt lacking and it was fairly dry/overcooked. This is the only item i regret ordering, and i'm an avid chicken lover! read more

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This was my first time visiting Meso Modern Mediterranean. They are located in Santana Row Shopping Plaza next the Cinemark Theaters. We met up with friends to celebrate belated birthday. A nice outdoor patio with abundant seating. As you enter into the entrance, you are promptly greeted by the host/manager. The ambience is nice and elegant. The service was nice, but unfortunately, it started off bad as our server didn't know our table was in her section. We waited about 15-20 minutes before we flagged another waiter down to see if he could take our order or send our server to our table. Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower: labneh, honey, orange suprêmes, mint (5/5). This was to die for! OMG. So flavorful and roasted perfection. Roasted Beet And Walnut Salad: red and gold beets, labneh, walnut salsa verde, sherry vinaigrette (4/5). Spiced Lamb Flatbread: yogurt, sumac onions, spicy zhoug , oven roasted tomato, sprouts (4/5). Pomegranate Glazed Salmon: cauliflower purée, shaved root vegetables, pomegranate relish (5/5). This was delicious! Mediterranean Branzino -"A La Plancha": spicy zhoug , lemon garlic tzatziki (4/5). Icecream with Dubai Chocolate - chocolate, rosewater, and another flavor. This was so delicious! Everything was very good! We will be back! Support your local business. read more

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Had a lovely lunch! Booked via Opentable - the ambience is 5/5! If it's a great day, sit outside and enjoy the water fountains. Inside, the decor is very chic. They got me some extra sauces - those were yummy! I had the most healthy salad with grilled chicken. Since it's Santana Row, the prices are higher than usual. The waiters were on the ball - with getting our order and filling in water. read more

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spent belated mothers day here, they were out of some dishes due to the high rush they had for mothers day, but I really enjoyed their food I really wanted to get their branzino, but I wanted something with leas fish bones, and the waited suggested the dourade, which came with the same sides as the branzino. still had some bones, but was very tasty, especially paired with their sides and the sauce. Their flat breads are also very good, even though a but small, both the lamb and mushroom are really good. The potatoes were a nice little side dish, and their half chicken za'atar was still a huge portion. Will definitely will want to be back and try out their other dishes! Service was amazing! And store was nice and well decorated. read more

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We finally went back to Meso and I'm thrilled to say that they responded to and adjusted based on our feedback. As before the place is clean and nice. This time, the service was excellent and fast. The food came out hot and fresh. The pomegranate salmon was delicious. It had a great balance of flavor and the fish was perfectly cooked. The beet salad was also great, especially with the crispy lamb option. Be warned that there are "side effects " of eating that many beets. Google it. Anyway I'll definitely go back soon. read more

Meso Modern Mediterranean - Salmon Pomegranate Glazed Salmon. - Mediterranean Near Me - San Jose, California

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Our most recent meal here was definitely Five Stars. We came at lunchtime and sat inside this time. One appetizer and two main courses. The appetizer was the wild mushroom flatbread. Really tasty! Then I have a short rib eggs Benedict off some special menu for that weekend, which was a taste combination I never knew I needed till then. And we also had the Bronzino off the regular menu, which is a butterfly Bronzino perfectly grilled. And for dessert we had all of cake topped with some kind of sorbet. Service was excellent. Our seating was excellent and we got a view of the entire restaurant. Love dining here. read more

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Long overdue review - we came a while back. We thought the restaurant ambiance & interior were nice! Food was just okay for us. The branzino was the best out of all the entrees. Chicken and waffles was a miss and the shakshuka was super salty and had no tomatoes. The service was a miss unfortunately. We had to ask for the same things various times (they had forgotten our sides a bunch) and one entree came 30 minutes after all the others so we had practically finished while one person was still waiting. read more

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Food reminded me of how great Meso is when it comes to eats but the long waits, the MIA server, & lack of customer service reminded me of why I stopped coming to begin with.... First & foremost, shout out to my bosses for going out of their way to set up something nice for our office in celebrating the holidays & year end! While we've celebrated at a few places in Santana Row in previous years, I was kind of excited to hear we were all heading to Meso Modern Mediterranean. My last visit was a few years back when I had a birthday dinner to commemorate surviving another year around the sun. That visit didn't end up so great which led me to pumping the breaks and refraining any future visits. With this reservation planned, I hoped for a better experience. Our party of 7 arrived and was seated fairly quickly. The table provided was a bit small factoring in everyone in our squad being big eaters. With that said, the restaurant was lowkey busier than usual due to other parties gathering and celebrating just as we were. Our server arrives and immediately asks if we would like to order. We start off with a bunch of appetizers and continued to look over the entree menu. Starters for the evening: *HOUSEMADE MEZZE PLATTER [pita bread and pita chips served with 5 different dips] *EXTRA ORDER OF PITA *CRISPY BRUSSELS SPROUTS x2 *GRILLED SHRIMP x2 *GRILLED OCTOPUS *BEEF & LAMB MEATBALLS x2 *WILD CRISPY MUSHROOM FLATBREAD *SPICED LAMB FLATBREAD *ROASTED BEETS SALAD x2 [[ as I mentioned above, we are BIG EATERS!! ]] Appetizers were great, although the portions are kinda small. So small that multiple orders needed to be placed. Playing Tetris and consolidating all of the plates was a must because food came out promptly but empty plates look a bit of time to be removed. Our server was no where to be seen a lot of the time. Water cups were left empty and our requests for refills on sodas|teas were either forgotten or put on the back burner. Once the clutter from the appetizers were cleared, our group began to order entrees. Entrees of the night: *ZA'ATAR ROASTED CHICKEN [half chicken] *ZA'ATAR ROASTED CHICKEN [whole chicken] *POMEGRANATE GLAZED SALMON *FILET MIGNON x3 *RICE PILAF Food was delicious. Steaks were cooked well, the roasted chicken was moist, and the salmon was beautiful. Unfortunately, the rice was not good. Still our server was missing for a majority of the night. We attempted to make requests or add additional orders with the restaurant's bussers but they said we would need to wait for our server. After a long period of time, the busser mentioned that they would get our server out to us. Time passed and still nothing. Eventually our server came out and we repeatedly asked for refills. She disappears in true magician fashion only to reappear a lot later. This was the standard for the night and it honestly didn't surprise me since this was the same experience I had the last time I dined at Meso. Fast forward, the server comes out towards the end of the meal and asks if we would like dessert. Menus were passed around and everyone made their choice. Dessert consisted of: *VANILLA CRÈME BRÛLÉE x2 *OLIVE OIL CAKE *PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING *HOUSEMADE ICE CREAM/SORBET/FROZEN YOGURT [double scoops of guava] *HOUSEMADE ICE CREAM/SORBET/FROZEN YOGURT [guava & mandarin] *HOUSEMADE ICE CREAM/SORBET/FROZEN YOGURT [coconut & mango] I kid you not when I say our dessert took at least 25 minutes to come out. AT LEAST!!!!! And when everything arrived, a majority of the ice creams/sorbets were melted. I get and appreciate the restaurant wanting to deliver the desserts all at the same time but the obvious thing to do would have been to scoop the ice cream last as opposed to scooping and waiting for all the brûlées and cakes to be done and ready to deliver. The server was very unapologetic and insensitive to our complaints which added to our frustration given her spotty customer service. 2 stars overall and it is such a shame!!! The food is genuinely good but staff & lack of customer care really couldn't be overlooked. Kudos to the bussers- they are the ones who truly work hard and actual provide any kind of attentive service. Personally, I don't believe a return visit is justified no matter how great and authentic the food is. There are too many other eateries neighboring this joint to deal with Meso and their Houdini approach at customer care. read more

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Prepare your tastebuds to be wowed! The array of flavors and the combination of ingredients was magnificent. Absolutely delicious tastes in every bite. Combined was very attentive service and a very sophisticated vibe. The experience was one to remember. read more

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The positives? It was a beautifully decorated space. Tasteful, clean, and airy. No complaints there. Went for lunch for group outing. Lots of other folks too. Not a lot of shoppers or kids on a weekday afternoon here. Joyous sounds, gift giving, and smiles. Expensive and mediocre food! Decor snd full service bar don't justify the cost and disappointingly average food. Portions were tiny. Since the boss was paying, I ordered the $9 lemonade. Good but in a skinny glass. I knew they'd charge me another $9, so I asked if I could get a refill of plain iced tea instead. I peeked later and saw they charged us again, $6. Bright spot was the orange cauliflower. Can't go wrong there. $14 for a small plate of sauted veggies but whatever. My entree was disappointing. Lamb skewer lunch plate, with rice and hummus. It was basically two little sticks (same as my buddy got for appetizer) but with a cylindrical tower of rice and a marshmallow size humus ball. Yeah, but no. Dessert was ok. Maybe next time we should meet for just dessert and coffee, to enjoy this pleasant space, without wasting the company expense account. read more

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We celebrated our anniversary here last year, and it was such a memorable evening! The ambiance is beautiful, but the food is the real star. Often at Mediterranean spots, the vegetarian options feel like an afterthought, but at Meso, they are too good. Everything we ordered tasted incredibly fresh and was seasoned to perfection. If you're looking for a spot that treats its veggie dishes with as much care as their proteins, this is it. Great vibes, great service, and even better flavors. Can't wait to come back! read more

This review is a long time coming! My husband and I have visited Meso so many times! We've come here with friends, with our puppy and dined in their patio, had our date lunches and diners here and it has always been a sweet experience service wise. Food wise, some visits were great and some not so much! We love the drinks here. Their passionfruit drink is on point! Their lamb flatbread is my favorite! The shrimps are buttery delicious. Ask for some extra bread on the side for the sauce. So yummy! For the mains, we stick to our usuals- Whole roast chicken, the Branzino and the Lamb Shank tagine double. My husband loves the lamb and gets it everytime. He's not a fan of couscous but tolerstes it with the fall off the bone lamb. Branzino has always been a hit. For fish lovers, this is honestly the best dish in the Bay Area. As for the chicken, I always get their roast chicken whole. The best roast chicken was served on a weekend dinner when we went there to dine with friends. When I ordered it for lunch one day, it was very dry and they changed the dish for me with the smallest branzino. That was disappointing! However, the roast chicken was perfect the first time I had it here for a weekend lunch. Their patio is dog friendly and I appreciate that since we sometimes like to hang around the Row and dine with our pup. Service has always been great and the new server in training also did a great job! The potatoes served on the side need improvement! They need seasoning. They are outright bland and get their flavor only from the sauce. They have no salt and it spoils the flavor of whatever is paired with it. We've had two deserts here, the nest and the portion was tiny; and sorbet which was great! I love Meso and I will keep coming back even if their menu never changes. Please work on the consistency in texture and flavor of the roast chicken and the potatoes on your menu. read more

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I used to LOVE Meso and always recommended it to friends and family, but after returning for the first time in about two years, I left really disappointed. I always ordered the chicken dish, so when it came out this time, I was genuinely confused. The menu describes it as having a garlicky yogurt sauce, but there was none. I even checked their website afterward, and the dish I received looked nothing like the one advertised. I also looked through recent reviews and photos from other customers, and even those dishes looked very different from what we were served. If the recipe or sauce changed, I really think customers should be informed. When I asked the waitress, she explained that it now comes with a zhoug sauce instead, but that isn't mentioned anywhere on the menu. Oddly enough, the same sauce was also used on the Dorada fish dish. We also used to love the lamb, but they changed that dish too by removing the sauce and couscous base. I'm not sure why the changes were made, but it's just not the same anymore. Overall, it was really disappointing, especially since we chose to spend Mother's Day here. The food quality has definitely gone downhill. On top of that, the restaurant seemed extremely understaffed -- there appeared to be only about three servers working the entire floor all night. The ambiance was still decent, but the overall experience just didn't feel like the Meso we used to love. Unfortunately, I can't recommend this place anymore. read more

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Came here for a group dinner and shared a few items. We got a flatbread, goddess pasta, the brick chicken, branzino, brussel sprouts, potatoes, and a few desserts. I have a lot of contrasting opinions on the main course and sides so couldn't fully enjoy them. The flavor is the chicken was good, but it was a little dry. The branzino was nice and crispy, but the greens on top of it were unbearably salty. The potatoes didn't have much texture going on with them. The saving part of the meal were the desserts. Pumpkin bread pudding was amazing the first bite with its super crunchy texture. The nest was also beautifully presented. read more

Warmly greeted for our earlier than usual dinner reservation. Quentin was patient as we were trying to select our cocktails and appetizers while catching up with guests we haven't seen in a while. He made some awesome recommendations, including how much to order as we opted for an evening of family style dining, as it was everyone's first time at Meso. We wanted to try it all! The Old Fashioned satisfied my taste, but one other sent his back for a Passion Fruit Mojito, which he said was outstanding. We started with the Housemade Mezze Platter with extra pita and crudités. It went over well with the entire table and was gone in no time! For our shared entrees, we ordered the: 1) Mediterranean Branzino à la Plancha - tied for the Star of the show with the Lamb Shank Tagine. Some bones if you get away from the meatier filet portion, but very tasty and nicely seasoned. 2) Artichoke Ravioli - Nice and creamy with plenty of artichokes inside and out. 3) Vegan Moussaka - A tad on the bland side. 4) Roasted Eggplant and Salata Hara - One of my new favorite ways to enjoy eggplant! 5) Green Goddess Pasta - Pesto pasta, is all, but delicious. 6) Harissa Patatas Bravas - Small, flavorful tender potatoes; and 7) Double Lamb Shank Tagine. Very tender meat, not overly seasoned, but a nice portion, especially with the couscous. Again, it tied with the Branzino, IMO. And for dessert, the Dubai Chocolate Sundae. The menu says it serves 2-3, but honestly, I could easily consider it for one (me.) We ordered two, but could have easily ordered three. Quentin was available and attentive to our entire table of seven. The ambiance and decor was elegant casual. No dancers last night, if they still do that. A tad spendy, but an easy choice for date night or a special occasion. Meso was a pleasant find. I'm surprised it took us this long to discover it at Santana Row. It's tucked away on the south side near the Cinemark Theaters. We will definitely be back soon! read more

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The grilled sea bass is just excellent! Branzino. The fish is crispy outside and super tender inside. At the same time it's very flavorful. The sauce brought out the fish flavor with a different kick without overrun it. Truly a must try. We only have two people and we also ordered chicken waffle and a side of pita. We finished everything! Chicken waffle is also delicious. Chicken is crispy and not dry. Mochi waffle is chewy. Both are really good. Service is wonderful and decor is beautiful with a nice outdoor patio that's dog friendly. read more

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Met up with some high school friends for lunch at Meso Modern Mediterranean in Santana Row. Large beautiful restaurant located at the end of Santana Row. It's on the ground floor of a building. We were a party of 7 and were seated toward the rear. The restaurant was not busy but very understaffed. The menu is pricy for what is served. The kabobs and lamb were terrible very tough. The rest of the items tasted ok but the portions were comically tiny. The server seemed like he was the only one in the restaurant. read more

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***USP: upscale Mediterranean restaurant with beautiful ambiance, located in the hip and happening Santana Row. ***AMBIANCE: indoor ambience is beautiful with a modern take on the traditional Mediterranean setting with tiles, arches and even a faux lit up olive tree which surprisingly didn't look tacky. ***FOOD: this is where I was left disappointed. We got the following- *Appetizer sampler:3.5/5: we got the three dips- hummus, smoked eggplant, red beet labneh. They came with some pita bread and chips. The hummus was thick. The smoked eggplant had smokiness but everything else fell flat in terms of flavor. The labneh was topped with some kind of sweet beet marmalade. Overall, though it was kind of decent, nothing got me stoked. *chicken kebab plate: 3/5: the chicken was flavorless and overcooked on the outside. The rice on the other hand was decent with nice fluffy separate grains but the flavor of saffron was overpowering. A little saffron goes a long way, so they need to be a little judicious with its use. *Mediterranean bowl: 3/5: this was just a glorified salad bowl with a little quinoa and chicken. The roasted or fried chickpeas stood out as they had a weird half cooked consistency. read more

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I once dined at the former Mediterranean spot in this very location a long time ago. Finally got to check out Meso with some friends, including fellow Yelper Harmanjeet K.! Make a rezzie because it's packed even on Thursday evening! Gorgeous interior with vibrantly lit trees smack dab in the middle of the place. Great service from our waiter and he made us feel at home. They accidentally brought over Brussel sprouts that we didn't order but comped it for us anyway. We had a feast! Drinks: *Passionfruit Mojito x3 *New Santorini *Hibiscus Spritz refresher Eats: *Wild Crispy Mushroom Flatbread *Spiced Lamb Flatbread *Roasted Beet Salad *Crispy Brussel Sprouts *Artichoke Ravioli *Feta Brined Chicken *Branzino "Plancha" style *Harissa Patatas Bravas Dessert: *Mango Sorbet *"The Nest" Dubai pistachio chocolate crumbles with ice cream The Brussel sprouts were definitely crispy! However, the mushroom flatbread was not. Good flavors though and texture was enjoyable. Beet salad was refreshing and I loved the creamy labneh yogurt underneath! The chicken!! It was moist, brined in feta, and so juicy! I got a half portion and almost finished everything. Soo happy I got that instead of just a kale Caesar with chicken (which probably would've been a good choice too, don't get me wrong). Patatas bravas were whole round golden potatoes in a red sauce topped with tangy lemon garlic tzatziki. Kinda wish they were halved so the inside could soak up the sauce flavors. Passionfruit mojito was my libation of choice. Also refreshing and not tart, just the right amount of sweet. The Nest was advertised as serving 2-3 people. Scoops of ice cream could've been bigger. The single scoop of mango sorbet portion was larger. I would come back for the laid-back vibe, feta brined chicken, crispy Brussel sprouts, and passionfruit mojito! read more

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Service 5/5: Mo did amazing. He was attentive and met all of our needs with efficiency. Great job! Ambiance 4/5: The room is nicely lit with the bright tree. Accents are well thought out. Appreciated the playlist and the volume of the music. Bathroom was not clean with bathroom tissue all over the floor. Food Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower 1/5: little flavor, small portion Falafel Bites 3.5/5: nothing special, small Harissa Seared Octopus 3/5: great taste, octopus cooked well, only 4 pieces of octopus in the whole plate for $22 Pickled vegetables 3.5/5: sour, good bite Za'atar Crusted Halibut 2.5/5: little seasoning, halibut dry A la Plancha 4/5: sauces paired well with the fish Harissa Patatas Bravas 3.5/5: cooked well, good portion Dubai chocolate sundae 4/5: chocolate was delicious, ample amount of crunchy kataifi spread, ice cream tasted great read more

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We were here due to my bf's step-dad being vegetarian and so we needed to pick a place that provided both options of meat and veg. There were 7 of us and we got a table outside. Weather was nice and it was well lit. Waiter was diligent. I got the Fig and Prosciutto flatbread with side of potatoes. Trio of dips to share. - Flatbread was solid, wished there was a little more prosciutto, but it was good. - Potatoes are always good! These were slightly crispy and the sauce just topped it off. - Trio of dips, were... dips... eggplant, beet with yogurt, hummus... house made pita was good. Drinks were good! Passionfruit mojito. Yum. read more

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Very disappointing experience. My latte was served cold and did not taste good. The food took an extremely long time to arrive, and after waiting so long, it was not worth it. I ordered the short rib eggs Benedict, and the meat tasted old, like it had been sitting since the day before. The service was also poor. When we were ready to pay, we waited for a long time and no one came to help us. Overall, the food quality, service, and wait times were unacceptable. I will not be returning. read more

When craving Mediterranean, this place always comes up. The lamb and the fish are good. Perfectly cooked. Service is ok and ambiance is nice. Now that the weather is nicer it's nice to be able to sit outside and enjoy a good meal with good company. Can't wait to go back. read more

Meso has a lot of potential to be a great mediterranean restaurant. It's conveniently located in a busy retail area, the space is modern and well decorated, and the front of the house staff is friendly, attentive, and open to feedback. The back of the house/kitchen staff seems to be where there might be room for improvement. There seems to be some efficiency issues, as it took about 50 minutes for our order to arrive. While the flavor profiles, sauces, and presentation were good, all the dishes were room temperature at best, not hot. The chicken and falafel dishes were both dry/overcooked. The lamb flatbread was the highlight of the meal. Perhaps they had an off night. We'll give them another try the soon. read more

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Service: 7/10 was just okayyyy nothing special Drinks: passion fruit and lavender lemon drop 10/10 Falafel: 6/10 not my favorite but my friends liked it Squid app: 9/10 perfectly cooked Extremely pricey for 3 drinks and 2 apps Small menu! Would recommend coming before the menu switch read more

Meso Modern Mediterranean - Mediterranean Near Me - San Jose, California

This review is overdue but Justin & Talia made our second experience incredible and we cannot wait to come back. We revisited with friends from out of town upon Justin's outreach to make things right, given our poor experience the first time. Upon Talia's recommendation we got the Branzino, Tumeric Cauliflower, Lamb shank, and Grilled Octopus. All of these food along w 4 cocktails, left is overly full and happy. The Branzino will always be my persona favorite and I really enjoyed the cauliflower and octopus. My husband and our friends loved the Lamb Shank, plus the portion was huge! We can't wait to come back and introduce Meso to more friends. read more

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We decided to dine at Meso for our special occasion because they never disappoint... our server was nice but the food definitely was a let down we ordered meatballs and shrimp as an appetizer and they were both very cold, we ate it because we were hungry but not as good as they usually are. I had been raving to my family about their lamb shanks and chicken which usually they are to die for , but this time the lamb was just meh and the chicken was just that chicken, I was hoping for the brown skin chicken that I love from Meso but with was pale, pale bland chicken. I am not sure if they had a change of chef but I was definitely not impressed. read more

Came here on a Sunday night after driving around San Jose all day. The interior looks very nice and we were seated right away. It wasn't too busy either. As far as food, I would say the falafel bites were a little dry, but the flatbread was great. I got the filet mignon while my boyfriend got the lamb chops. I think the pumpkin bread really topped everything off beautifully. My only complaint is that some of the food can be overpriced. Our bill was a little more expensive than I thought it would be. I also wanted to add that we told the restaurant we were celebrating something special tonight when confirming the reservation. I just wish they made our night a little more special, either through an add on with the dessert or even just noting it at the table we were seated at. Overall, I would recommend to at least just try if you're in the Santana row area. read more

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Went there for happy hour that rolled into dinner. The lemon drop-lavender cocktail was amazing. The meatball appetizer was a bit dry and over salted + 3 mini, not worth it.. The fried artichoke app was good--anything fried generally is. Beef loin was excellent and perfectly cooked with a good crust. read more

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Pleasantly surprised! I was initially worried this would be an aesthetic restaurant with underwhelming food, but I was incredibly impressed at how well everything was executed. For starters, the space is gorgeous and well-decorated, and conveniently located by one of the Santana Row parking garages. We started with the mezze platter with pita bread and chips. Each of the dips was very unique and the pita chips were addicting -- I could probably eat a whole bowl. The octopus was also tender and paired perfectly with some gently cooked potatoes and tangy yogurt. And the star of the show! We ordered a single piece of lamb shank but received two. When we flagged a staff member down to clarify we only ordered a single, they let us know that the original piece was on the smaller side so they went ahead and gave us two -- such great attention to detail and service! This lamb was sooooo tender and literally fell apart when pushed around with a spoon. I'm surprised they were even able to plate it while maintaining it's shape! It had a lovely balance of fat too which added tons of flavor and made each bite super unctious. The couscous base added some much-needed carbs to contrast the savory lamb, and was also the perfect vessel for the ratatouille sauce. Definitely coming again! read more

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FLAVOR (4/5): I don't usually eat mediterranean food but it was pretty good here! Falafel was crispy, steak was a bit charred but the sauce that went with it was amazing. INSTAGRAM WORTHY (5/5): The restaurant is gorgeous inside and out. The outside is the tail end of Santana Row and the interior is tasteful decorated. The bar area looks super cute and we sat under this tree that was lit up in the middle of the restaurant. SERVICE (4/5): Made reservations and they let us sit a bit later because we wanted to take pictures outside. For a large party they took decent care of us! TAKEAWAYS: Great spot for a date or girls celebration. read more

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Beautifully designed Mediterranean restaurant. Love the bar area. The ambiance alone is a reason to visit. The menu is simple yet fresh. Loved the array of vegetable-forward dishes. I ordered the Turmeric Cauliflower and the Brussels Sprouts. The cauliflower was fantastic, although I would have enjoyed it better with a bed of hummus or a heavier purée rather than just plain yogurt. The Brussels sprouts were perfectly crisp; the accompanying cilantro dipping sauce was zesty, tangy, and oh so delicious! Looking forward to my next visit! read more

Meso Modern Mediterranean - TURMERIC ROASTED CAULIFLOWER - Mediterranean Near Me - San Jose, California

This was honestly some of the worst Mediterranean food we've ever had. The mezze platter looked nice visually, but every dip was bland. The only enjoyable part was the crispy chips, which actually had some texture and flavor. The "crispy" Brussels sprouts were not crispy at all and lacked both seasoning and texture. The dish needed another element -- maybe toasted nuts or a bit of citrus -- to add depth and balance. The beef and lamb meatballs were probably the biggest disappointment. The meat itself had a strange flavor and dry, cardboard-like texture, sitting in a watery sauce. We each tried one and couldn't continue eating them. The lamb flatbread was unfortunately even worse. It was extremely bland, and the lamb had an overpowering gamey flavor. I took one bite and genuinely lost my appetite. We've traveled to Greece many times, and this restaurant does not reflect the freshness, brightness, and flavor we usually associate with Mediterranean food. read more

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The service here is really good and the workers were friendly. There's plenty of parking all around at the surrounding garages but it can be really busy and hard to find parking depending on when you go. The interior is modern, clean and spacious. This place is good for groups and dates. This place is on the pricier side. Everything we ordered was enjoyable from the food to the non-alcoholic drinks. The lamb chops were my favorite. The branzino was tender and the lamb shank was flavorful. read more

Absolutely love this place. Highly recommend making reservations ahead of time. My first visit was as a walk in and it made the experience start off rough. Food is incredible. Highly recommend the pickled vegetables, shrimp and olives. After a few visits, I do feel the service is a bit hit or miss. The place itself is overall beautiful and clean. read more

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Wonderful dinner to celebrate the last night of our honeymoon highlighted by excellent service from Gustavo! We arrived at 9pm to enjoy an outdoor Mediterranean dinner, and brought our dog along for the night. The outdoor area is nicely lit with views of Santana Row and plenty of heaters to keep you warm. Gustavo welcomed my wife and I with a toast of champagne to celebrate being newlyweds. We decided to share a plethora of appetizers since neither of us were super hungry. The Brussels sprouts were excellent, crispy with just the right amount of salt, and paired with a nice feta sauce. Our housemade mezze platter included a red beet Labneh, garlic Tzatziki, and Hummus. All 3 were excellent, my personal favorite was the garlic tzatziki which had the right amount of garlic and still tasted refreshing. We also enjoyed the Falafel (crispy and WARM) along with their wagyu beef shish kebab (excellent). We paired our appetizer buffet with a glass each of Charles Krug Sauvignon Blanc. Gustavo capped off our night with a complimentary custard dessert. His service and kindness truly made us feel extra special on our romantic evening. Meso Modern Mediterranean is a must visit for anyone in the San Jose area! read more

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