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    MESU

    4.3 (423 reviews)
    Closed 4:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

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    Wagyu
    James M.

    Mexican-Asian fusion. I will be back! This place was great, having a daughter who is Mexican and Japanese this food hit the spot for her and myself. The food came out quick and was hot. We spend $70 plus, but got the food below which was plenty. Enough seats for large groups and can serve many people. Open table rsvp, we got there when they opened so not telling how packed this place gets at night. Taste of the ramen was excellent, maybe would have liked more noodles, but we had plenty of other stuff to eat. Couldn't even fit in desert, see you folks in August!

    Crispy rice
    Cynthia C.

    I made a reservation ahead of time and even arrived early, but sat waiting for a table for 30 minutes. The reservation was just for a party of two so I was surprised at how long things were taking. I ended up talking to the hostess and she told me that the people seated at our table were lingering and their server notified her that they may be lingering for a while longer. I asked how much longer and she wasn't sure so she offered bar seating which I ended up accepting. This was just a pretty disappointing start to the meal. I understand that things happen that are out of the staff's control, but I would've appreciated if they took the initiative to let me know rather than not saying anything until I came back up to the host stand. As for the meal itself, it was fine. The presentation of everything was a bit unexpected but everything tasted pretty much like what I anticipated. My personal favorite thing that I tried was the crispy rice. The birria taco was also good, but incredibly heavy and filling for something so small. It's a pretty fun and lively place and they've got a bell for people to ring and I think it might just be a celebratory thing in general? Perhaps it was just the timing but there were two bachelorette parties seated as well and they each rung the bell. Fun vibes but I think the start was rather lackluster for me.

    Cocktail Menu
    Megan L.

    I've visited Mesu for drinks before, but this was my first time grabbing a bite with friends on a weekday. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience! We started with the chips and salsa--the chips have a unique seasoning that adds a great kick. We also shared the crab dip, which was incredibly creamy and delicious. Our waitress was fantastic! She was friendly and offered excellent recommendations tailored to our cravings. I also tried my first Leche Martini, and it was a total standout. While the Tiger Roll was good (perhaps not the best sushi I've ever had, but solid), the overall vibe and service made for a great night. I'd definitely recommend Mesu for a night out on King Street!

    Bluefin Tuna Nachos
    Andrew P.

    This place is a great blend of Mexican and Japanese cuisine if you need a quick bite after walking up King Street! The service and food delivery were exceptionally fast and friendly. I had the bluefin tuna nachos which were well presented and abundant with fish, but did have that high quality bluefin tuna texture I'm used to. For my main meal I had the Birria ramen that I ate with excitement, but was a little disappointed with the lack of meat in the ramen and the over abundance of cheese in the taco to dip in their broth. The noodles were quite firm to my liking! I would definitely go back and try out more simple items rather than the "fusion" stuff.

    Tequila menu
    Mollie N.

    Okay, I've been stewing on what to write. Let me walk you through the evening: (also I want to preface this by saying our waitress was great! I believe her name was Lauren.) We had a reservation, arrived with 2 minutes to spare. We told the hostess who informed us that it would be around 5 minutes "until your table is ready." Okay, fine. We are confused as there are multiple empty tables and they don't appear short staffed, but we just say okay and wait it out. About 3 minutes into waiting, in walks another reservation, same time as ours, also for two people. They announce themselves to the hostess who says "okay, follow me right this way!" Huh??? What's different between them and us? Two people? Same time? Same place? AND WE GOT THERE BEFORE THEM. But I digress. We are still waiting, haven't said a word, until the hostess approaches and asks us if we want to sit at this table right in the doorway. (meanwhile it's 39 and windy and right next to the door which is why they weren't sitting anyone there) Call me dramatic but I wanted to not wear my overcoat to eat inside and the hostess totally understood that. I did at this point ask why we couldn't have the table they were preparing in the back and she then said we could wait for it but her reasoning was that "the people at your table haven't left yet." Let me remind, the restaurant is empty. And look, I am NOT one to complain. Look at my reviews, I try to find every little thing good to say, and I'm going to have nice things to say, but I have to get through this first. In comes another group of two, reservation at the same time. Lo and behold, they also get seated immediately. By this point I'm a little more than annoyed but I'm still willing to wait. We finally get seated and it wasn't even a long wait, 10 minutes to be exact. It wasn't the wait that was upsetting, it was the lack of explanation for not only why we couldn't take an empty table but also why other groups with the same time and amount of customers got seated first. ANYWAY, now for the decent stuff. Food was fine; not bad, not great. Couple of things: loved the crab dip and sushi was good. Serving sizes were great, and again our server couldn't have been better. Only other issue I had was the menu not describing what you were actually getting. Two examples: 1) the bao bun. It said bao bun, not fried bao. I was disappointed when my boa bun was crispy and deep fried. I have pictures of the bun and the menu description in my review. 2) the rum runner. Said absolutely nothing about coconut, so please tell me why it was 100% mainly coconut. Description also attached. All in all, fun place to go with friends but remember to have mediocre expectations as to not be disappointed. The end.

    Tempura Tuna Roll
    Nick S.

    Tacos & Sushi? Sign me up! Mesu is an awesome Mexican Sushi fusion restaurant on King Street! The aesthetic here is great & the vibes are perfect for a meal with friends or a date night! There's bound to be something for everyone no matter what you're craving; & it's all delicious! If you have a hard time choosing between so many tasty options, I totally recommend trying a little bit of everything! The sushi is incredibly fresh and well prepared. The bao bun rocked & all of the taco combinations hit the spot! You need to check them out!

    Paige D.

    I have been on the fence about trying this spot because sushi and Mexican food didn't sound like a good mix. Through a Yelp experience I had the opportunity to try it and I am happy to report that the food was amazing!! I was pleasantly surprised. I was there for a Halloween event so all of the spooky cocktails were crafted to fit the occasion and tasty. The bartenders were the only staff members I had the chance to interact with and everyone was nice. The food itself: there was an assortment of sushi to choose from, street corn ribs, birria, dumplings, and tacos. Every bite I had was great. I'll def be coming back with my friends so they can enjoy a Mesu experience as well.

    Katie F.

    Tonight I crept into the Mesu Halloween Bash, and it was such a vibe! The place was alive with hauntingly good music, eerie lights, and plenty of spooky energy. My top food picks were the crispy rice and the Mesu Roll -- a lighter sushi with ahi tuna (my fav), avocado, white fish, tomatillo salsa, and cilantro. It was a fresh, flavorful contrast to the other fried treats at the party. The restaurant was transformed into a haunted hideaway draped in cobwebs and Halloween décor. The wait staff kept the plates coming and the tables clear. The only slight delay was at the bar, where our spooky-themed cocktails took a bit longer to brew... but honestly, with the high vibes, we didn't mind.

    Noor S.

    We went to Mesu for dinner and had a great time! They were kind enough to seat us with about 5 minutes left before the kitchen closed which we really appreciated. We started with the street corn which came cut into long pieces instead of on the cob and it was incredible. We also got the guac queso and salsa sampler which is such a good app choice if you're with a group. The sushi was surprisingly really good too and super fresh with no fishy odors. We tried a few different tacos and the Baja fish taco had a bit too much slaw on top which kind of took away from the other ingredients but overall everything else was solid. Definitely would recommend this spot for small bites and drinks!

    Brandi W.

    I recently visited Charleston for our birthday getaway and this was the first place. I stopped and got some food. It was really close in the neighborhood that I was staying so we were able to walk to it. We went during happy hour wish a happy hour from 4 to 6. They had a new appetizer which was the calamari and pork belly and I decided to try it. It was pretty good, but I will say that it was overpriced for the portion size. I believe I paid 22 or $23 for it. The margarita was also on the happy hour menu. And it was a great price and tasted delicious. It's for my entrée. I got the brisket nachos, which was an amazing portion for the price of $20. I found it interesting that they used Gouda cheese, extra cheese a choice on their different tacos and nachos. I thought it was an interesting mix of flavors because the spot is a Asian Mexican fusion. I really enjoyed everything that I had. I love the ambience inside. It's a very cool spot. Loved all the different pictures on the wall. And the service was really good. We asked the young lady about the different items before we ordered and she gave a really honest opinion. And I really appreciated that. I would definitely come back and try some more items when I'm back in town!

    Pulled chicken taco
    Liz G.

    I'll preface my review by saying I definitely would come back and try this again. Maybe I just didn't order the right things. I was super excited to try this spot because it's a mix of my favorite things - Mexican and sushi! The queso was very good but I didn't love the seasoning on the chips, it was a bit overpowering. The fried pickles were delish! I ordered a smoked chicken taco - there was a ton of slaw on it, like way too much, and the chicken flavor was good but SO rich that I couldn't finish it. I ordered a shrimp tempura roll and it was very good but was missing cucumber. My friend also got the same roll and hers had cucumber in it. A mistake for sure but I was disappointed. However the atmosphere and service of this spot is awesome! They were able to accommodate a large group of 12 and was fast and friendly. Like I mentioned before, I would definitely try this place again but would order different things.

    Emma P.

    I think I need to give this place another shot. I was super unimpressed with the food but it has such great ratings. The meat in the tacos was super dry and bland. The bun bao were good and I'd definitely order them again. Dessert tasted like a grocery store frozen cake. I'll go back and update my review because again, everyone seems to love them place.

    Tequila list
    Mia L.

    This place was incredible from start to finish! Such a fun artistic atmosphere. Great service. The drinks were all creative and delicious- not overly sweet, just the way we like them. Every item we ordered off the menu was a home run- we will be going back to try more. We got a bunch of Mexican and sushi rolls for the table to share and were so glad we got to sample so many things. The sushi rolls were all very creative and delicious, out of the ordinary sushi rolls. The tacos were perfect and I have never eaten a better torta! Our kids enjoyed everything with us, including the mocktails. This place deserves a star! Can't wait to visit Charleston again to return here!

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    1 year ago

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    Lamar B.

    Thank you, Tori!

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    3 years ago

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    4 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    Thank you, Stephanie!

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    5 months ago

    I loved the aesthetic of this place!!! Will was so great and helpful. Definitely will be visiting again

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    2 years ago

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    Thank you, Scher!

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    1 year ago

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    Thank you, Taylor!

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    5 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    7 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    Thank you, Payal!

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    1 year ago

    Visited here for my birthday! The staff made me feel so special and it was so much fun!! The food and drinks were excellent too!

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    8 months ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Thank you, Lowanda! We’re so happy you found us!

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    2 years ago

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    9 months ago

    Hands down the best vibes!! You would think the combo of sushi & Mexican is odd but it hits every single time. Love love love this place!

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    Thank you, Krista!

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    4 years ago

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    Thank you, Ron!

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    Page 2 of 11

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    Rancho Lewis

    4.1(318 reviews)
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    In town for work, and my coworkers suggested this as one of the best places for Mexican food. My…read morefirst impression when I walked in was how beautifully designed the restaurant is. It definitely has a more upscale feel than most Mexican restaurants I've been to. It's a bit pricey, but honestly, the complimentary salsa bar with perfectly crispy tortilla chips is worth it. I don't know what they put in that green sauce, but I kept going back for more. And yes, another refill of chips, please! I had the chicken fajitas as my main entrée, and that chicken... easily some of the best I've ever had. It was incredibly moist, loaded with flavor, and perfectly cooked. I also got to try the quail from the JJ, and that was definitely the star of the show. So flavorful. I could eat about 10 or more of the quails. Great atmosphere, delicious food, and plenty of reasons to return. Highly recommend!

    We absolutely love Lewis BBQ and didn't feel like fighting Charleston traffic and parking on a…read moreSaturday night, but this was a miss. While the queso and the meat were good (not much of it though), everything else left a lot to be desired. The sauces were not good and kind of ruined the food for me. I'm surprised by how unimpressed we were. It's certainly not awful but wasn't worth $70 for two dinners (no alcohol). I don't recommend it and don't think we'll be back, unfortunately.

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    Ambiance was good, modern and young crowd with music and fun lighting. Service was quick and easy…read more ONE THING - The pork belly bowl NEEDS to have a spice warning The menu had no mention of the spice level and the bowl included chopped up jalapeño throughout the bowl as well as a chili sauce on top, which made my stomach hurt after eating and my lips burn. I ended up barely eating it. Besides the spice level, the meat itself was as described and very good.

    Bartaco is always one of our go-to spots whenever we're shopping along King Street. It's the…read moreperfect place to take a break, grab a bite, and recharge before heading back out. One thing I really appreciate is their QR code ordering system. You can order at your own pace, whether you're looking for a quick meal between shopping stops or want to settle in and enjoy a more relaxed dining experience. It's a simple system that makes the whole experience feel effortless. Our group's go-to order is the trio appetizer to share, followed by one or two tacos each. Everything is flavorful and just the right portion size, making it easy to mix and match different tacos each visit. Bartaco is almost always busy, so expect a 10-30 minute wait during peak times. Thankfully, with so many shops nearby, the wait goes by quickly and is well worth it. Between the convenient location, good food, and laid-back atmosphere, it's a spot we find ourselves coming back to again and again.

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