The lion roared a third time. We dropped the needle. A heart began to beat. The timeless art of synchronizing both the sound of Dark Side of the Moon and the visual of The Wizard of Oz, or the attempt, commenced to wide smiles and gremlin giggles. As Dorothy climbed to walk the fence post we slowly grew restless. Was the sound off? Was the record too slow? We began a silent panic, frantically glancing from screen to record player to ourselves. Like our ape ancestors in 2001 we pounded the floor, unsurely howing, our joy slowly corrupted by paranoia. To fix or not to fix the sound. To lose our joy of Floyd and the anticipation of the lollipop dance furthered our fury. We stop. What was that?! Was someone outside listening? A paper airplane flew through the opened blogcave window, it read: Dear New Haven Earth beings, 9/1/100 years in the future Regarding your interpretation of Mexican cuisine as a transfatty, lifeless, fourth meal, yucky three cheese gordeda we say end this ignorant practice or face our death ray. You are being deceived by these imitations of food as desiged by those without heart, imagination or courage. We order you to obey your thirst for the delicious. Rub the sleep from your eyes or face the beast of planet Tralfagar. Go to Mezcal if you wish to stay alive and eat great authentic Mexican food. We took their advice. Mezcal escapes all of the common Mexican cuisine clichés, so the restaurant would never use this kind of a phrase, but Mezcal is "on the border". Not an arbitrarily drawn line denoting where a group of red necks stole Mexican land which was stolen from Indians, as is usually alluded to when a Mexican restaurant applies the above mentioned phrase. The border we are alluding to is one dividing our beautiful Elm City from its little sister city, Hamden. For the hungry Mezcal is the last stop on State Street. If you were to follow State Street passing Mezcal on your left, Hamden a few miles north, you would be greeted by abandoned brick industrial buildings, one being the home of the former "Swim Suit Outlet," whose sign draws curiosity from drivers of I-91. A one piece, wide brimmed beach hat and sunglasses never looked as good. Mexcal's location allows it to be Mezcal: a restaurant that serves delicious authentic Mexican food. If Mezcal were situated two miles south of where it currently stands it would not be Mezcal, but instead another watering hole for New Haven's young professional crowd. It would be C.O. Jones (which, to be fair is not a bad bar/restaurant at all, but how many phallic spelling jokes can the city really take?). If Mezcal were located on the green's sidelines it would be victim to the pedestrian tastes of the pedestrian (jay-walking) Yale clientele, turning it either into a white table clothed affair or Taco Bell. We fear it would become the latter. Because of it's out of the way location Mezcal can be what it is: not simply a quick bite for convenience's sake, but a culinary destination. Hans ordered the fish taco, Mendez the shrimp cocktail. The cocktail was far soupier than what we are used to for New Year's Eve hors d'œuvres . The shrimp where served in a tomato based broth seasoned with the help of floating onions, avocado and lime. The fish taco surprised us with its tender tastes. The taco did not, like its distant drive thu cousin, overwhelm the tongue with a flood of sour cream and cheddar. The fish taco is crunchy and meaty. The rice and beans. Mmm. The ceviche is a flavor paradise on your plate. Shrimp, lime, chips. Half the fun is eating. The other half chasing the joy with an import beer of your choice. A carefree afternoon has never been spent so well. The magic of this dish is the sharing. Bring a friend, a family member, or even an enemy and all will be well as you scoop up the delicious. Be sure to ask and they will refill the complimentary chips and salsa. The salsa has the tiniest bit of spice to it. You aren't sure how spicy so you pick up another chip and find yourself asking more questions about the salsa. You will not receive an answer but a full stomach while waiting for a splendid entree. Not only did we avoid the death ray but we found a new favorite New Haven eatery. The food is excellent and reasonably priced. Mezcal is a beacon of hope for those jaded by the Mexican food scene. The ice cold beer and more than generous portions make it worth the walk from downtown New Haven or a drive from a neighboring suburb. Viva Mezcal! www.newhaveneatsit.blogspot.com read more

My all-time favorite place to eat in New Haven - and the best Mexican food I've ever had outside of Mexico. Everything on the menu is fantatic, the staff are awesome, and you can't go wrong with a frozen mango margarita. I've lived here for 3 years - thankfully moving here the same time Mezcal opened up, and we probably go about once a month - and will as long as we're in the area! read more

Four stars for the food--with the exception of the salsa. I must admit I'm pretty picky about my salsa. Nonetheless, when you go, you really should try carnitas tacos or quesadilla. Super yummy!!! The service is good but the ambiance is a little subpar. Think of a great hole in the wall. read more

Absolutely amazing food. Very authentic and reasonable price for the food portion. If this is your first time here .... try the nachos... you'll be hooked read more

I've been here many times and always enjoyed the food but tonight I was very disappointed. The food has gone completely down hill as has the service and cleanliness. There were fruit flies everywhere and we spent half the time swatting at them and the other half trying to cover our food and drinks. My pina colada was served in broken glass.My chimichanga was not fried at all and was only half full. Our water glasses were not refilled,dishes not removed it was just a mess. I sat closest to the wall and the wall had many meals splashed onto it and never been washed. This place used to be authentic Mexican and unfortunately it's not about as good as the other franchise Mexican places. Don't think I'll be back,I was just too grossed out by how dirty looking it's become. read more

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We were passing through New Haven one evening and looking to stop for dinner. We includes me, my wife and my five year old son. I used the Yelp app on my phone to check out "restaurants nearby" and discovered Mezcal about 10 mins off the highway. When we got there I have to say I was a bit put off by the appearance of the place. I'd call it more or less a hole in the wall, but we're not the types to judge a restaurant based on appearance. Had that been so, we would have missed some of the best experiences we've had in the past. Mezcal continues that tradition. This appears to be a family owned and operated establishment, always a good sign. The menu calls out the proud traditions of Mexico... Pre-hispanic mexico and the dishes are all based in that tradition. For starters we ordered a dish (sorry don't remember the name) that was described on the menu as shrimp and octopus with lime, onion, garlic and salsa or something like that. The waitress returned shortly saying they were out of octopus so it would be just shrimp. This actually disappointed our son. (We must have done something right.) When the dish showed up it was presented in a huge glass. I'd describe it as a sort of Mexican shrimp cocktail. Sort of a cold salsa soup with shrimp. It was like nothing I've ever had and the three of us LOVED it. Main course was chicken with pumpkin seed sauce which was also outstanding! Again, better I think than anything similar I've had. I would also suggest the Red Sangria or any of their other drinks. read more

Mezcal is solid, but based on the reviews here, I was expecting a bit more. I had enchiladas with mole sauce. The mole had some complexity and was good, but didn't blow me away. Frankly, I like the mole at Baja's in Orange better. The meat in the enchiladas, particularly the chicken, was rather dry. Service was quite slow - it was 15 minutes before anyone took our drink orders, and almost 25 minutes before we were brought chips and sauce (and the chips were slightly stale). Margaritas once they arrived were good and pretty strong. Would agree with the reviewer who pointed out Mezcal is probably not a great spot for vegetarians. Lot of mentions of the term "authentic" in the reviews here. I respect that, but I think that's sometimes overdone - if authenticity was all-important, we'd be eating nothing but nuts, fruit, and meat we hunt ourselves, like our ancestors did prior to agriculture. So even if the mole at Baja's isn't as authentic as it here (I don't know whether it is or isn't), I can live with the fact that I prefer it there. read more

After relocating from New York City to New Haven I was desperate to find a new authentic Mexican place for happy hour... and I found it in Mezcal. Whether it's for happy hour or a night out, Mezcal hits the spot. For only $30 you can get a pitcher of margaritas, which gets you about 5-6. It's a pretty good deal. Also, you have to get the nachos when you come here. I also tried the Chimichanga which was delicious. The first time I came, I sat outside and I felt like I was kind of forgotten about, so I made sure to sit inside the next time I came and the experience was much better. This place puts out some really good food and drinks for not too high of a price tag. read more

Yay! Finally found delicious Mexican food in CT. This place is so delicious, we all ordered various things off the menu and everything was great. Chips and salsa were also really good. I ordered a mezcal margarita, which was heavy on the tequila and triple sec but refreshing. Will definitely come back whenever we have a craving for Mexican food! read more

LOVE this place! Having moved here from California recently, I've been dying to eat some real Mexican food. Maybe I'm mistaken, but prior experience leads me to believe that the food here comes pretty close, if not hits it right on the head. The pollo entomotado is just the right consistency, with chicken falling off the bone into a delectable sauce of chipotle, chillies, and raisins. The fried plantains (although not a native Mexican dish) are done just right, somewhat crispy but still tender and not overly fried. It is true the tortillas can be somewhat stale, but whatever. Not everything can be perfect in a new and small restaurant like this, tucked away in the middle of nowhere. It seems like they might be (or will soon be) struggling to stay afloat. Of the 4 times we have been here, one night it was packed and we had to wait for a table, but the other 3 times we were either the only ones in the restaurant, or one group out of two or three. They are still running family style, with random people serving you when they notice you need to be served, but I can forgive that. It isn't trying to be a fancy restaurant with all the bells and whistles, just trying to serve good Mexican food, which in a town like New Haven, is greatly appreciated by people like me. They also play great music, sometimes banda. They do have a liquor license now and while they haven't put together a drinks menu yet (it really is a family operation), they make amazing margaritas, some of the best I've had. That surprised me, since it seemed like Tia Lupe was making them on the fly, without any prior experience, and I was bracing myself for something too sweet or too sour or too alcholic. However, they were just right. And very addictive. I guess one downside is their location - on a deserted corner of State St. (but right next to the Pantry, if that's any measure of restaurant success) - it is far from the madding crowd. Selfishly, I am pleased. read more

Our waiter was amazing and the food and drinks are the most authentic I have found on the east coast. perfect little place for lunch or dinner read more

Mezcal - steak lunch enchiladas! YUM! - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I seriously had just told someone that there is absolutely zero decent Mexican food on the East Coast and then I ran into this place. I would not have gone but I read a review from someone who had lived in New Mexico and gave it 4+ stars. If someone from NM or AZ gives a Mexican joint 4+ then you know it is worth the visit. Next time I am at Yale I will come see you fine folks again. read more

Mojitos on point! And their No. 3 nacho is so delicious with generous amount of toppings. I would come back. Definitely recommend this place! read more

Mezcal - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Love the food, but have to give a review because over the 2 years I went here the service got worse and worse. Servers are nice but completely forget to bring very important things (menus, items ordered, dishes...) They then act like it's completely normal for a customer to ask multiple times for something. I'm patient and have worked in a restaurant before, so am not usually one to complain. Oh well. I do miss the food! read more

Sad. Miserable. What an awful dining experience - save yourself the experiencia. Wishing New Haven Health Department had letter grades for restaurants - this place would not survive. Chips like rocks and boulders. Salsa delivered sparingly. Pulled pork burrito: pulled pork a delight but the burrito was small, sad, and miserable, just like the restaurant! One server and a busperson for the entire place - oh, wait - another server shows up around 7:30 on a Saturday night. Hardly any A/C on a hot evening. Clammy and sweaty dinner guests - not a good situation. I'll never be back. Had a guest from out of town for dinner, had to apologize. Sad. Miserable. My bad. read more

We've had Mezcal three times--once in the restaurant, and twice as take-out for family and friends gatherings. The quality and flavor of every dish has been on point. Fresh, delicious, and authentic, all at a great price. The mole is simply scrumptious. I've ordered just about everything on the menu at any given point, for the gatherings, and I have nothing but positive feedback. Mezcal is not fancy, but the food is good, and the people are very nice, and know what they're doing. read more

Best drinks in New Haven by far. Add great Mexican food and it's a win win! Love it. Try anything...you won't be disappointed. read more

Mezcal - Appetizers and drinks before Cafe 9. Try a glass of Scorpion anjeho Mezcal with an orange slice dipped in spice. - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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This is by far the best Mexican food you will find in Connecticut! Very authentic. The grilled chicken with rice and beans is DELICIOUS it even comes with lettuce and avocado slices. Yum yum yum and the chips seem to be freshly made every time. The staff is awesome! If you're extra fabulous they will even over you free mezcal! Haha they like to have a good time for sure, but I kindly remind them every time that I don't drink haha but A for effort!! Whoever is with me for dinner always takes the shot with the waiter. Oh btw... Cinco de mayo is a must here! read more

Mezcal - Mezcal shot - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Second time coming here and they deserve all the praise they can get . It's a small restaurant seats on or about 50 people. The service is really good, nothing special but they are nice and persistent . The food??? Incredible !!! Two times I had a burrito (one with steak the other with carnitas) and they were both amazing. Not only was the food good but the presentation was just as great. It's huge portions of food and the flavor was superb. You will definitely leave this place full . The price was also really low priced for the amazing quality and taste of the food. Overall, presentation, quality , taste, everything? Amazing you will not be disappointed! read more

I have been searching for decent Mexican food since moving to the east coast from California six years ago. This is the best I have ever had. The mole tasted like heaven, on chicken so tender it fell off the bone. Bonus: a shotgun full of tequila shots. read more

Love this place. I'm a regular since i live in the neighborhood. My fav plate is the loaded nachos with steak. Two people can eat from this, it's definitely loaded. read more

Mezcal - Heavenly nachos -loaded steak nachos - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I absolutely love Mezcal. When you sit down, you'll be greeted with a bowl of freshly fried tortilla chips and homemade salsa (sometimes with a note about how the salsa turned out that day - "Careful, it's a little spicey today"). I have had the enchiladas mole, burritos, and carne asada. All are very tasty and fresh. I especially love their beans and rice, which come with every entree I've had. The star of the show for me is the nachos. Their homemade chips really stand up to the mountain of toppings. Their carnitas are absolutely incredible on top. Their margaritas are also fantastic, and the don't skimp on the booze either. One note is that while they will do take out, it is cash only (otherwise dine-in they take cards). Overall, Mezcal has to be one of my favorite restaurants in the area. Their prices are great, the service is friendly, and the food is homemade and delicious. read more

Really a fantastic Mexican joint - great pitcher deals, amazing tequila selection and increíble chicken mole enchiladas. Service was quick and friendly! read more

Best food, service, and margarita I've have in a long time! Wonderful atmosphere also

Good menu, good flavors. A bit greasy, understaffed table service. read more

I wouldn't have given this place 1 star if it weren't for the service. Even then, the food was not spectacular. We ordered guacamole, which was alright but tasted like the store-bought kind with diced tomatoes inside. We placed our order - an order of Filete de pescado al ajillo and Camaribes al mojo de ajo - and waited for half an hour. During this time, our waitress didn't even look at us ONCE, but seated 3 other parties who all ordered AND received their food before us. At this point, my wife spoke up to another waitress, who apologized. We waited another 15 minutes, again without apology, before our food arrived. Not sure how the food warrants such great reviews; almost every other Mexican restaurant I've been to tasted infinitely better. After we finished another waitress brought over a desert on the house while our waitress stood back and watched. That was nice, but again, our waitress's cold and neglectful demeanor, along with our long time waiting and subpar food, made this one of the most unpleasant experiences we've ever had.d read more

Growing up in Dallas and visits to west Texas have me frequently missing Mexican food. We found some highs from this restaurant but also had some dislikes. We found the food to be flavorful but missing heat. The salsa was mild at best. We started with the carnitas nachos which were good but again not hot at all. I ordered the fish with the quarillo peppers and roasted garlic. The fish was spiced and cooked well. The jalapeños were visible in the pico of my salad but had no heat. We're not looking to bite into ghost chilies or expecting to be perspiring due to the heat while eating, but jalapeños are a staple to a lot of Mexican food and I was missing that. My boyfriend ordered mole con pollo which he enjoyed and reminded him of his grandma's cooking. Lastly, I would like to comment on the service. We arrived to a pack house so we were expecting to wait a little bit. But then table upon table started to leave. There were 3 tables open and a large group that left before we were even seated. Throughout the dinner, my boyfriend and I would comment back and forth, where is the waitress. We just weren't impressed with the customer service. read more

I've been to Mezcal a few times and I love the atmosphere. It's always packed no matter which night of the week. They have a few tables if you want to eat outside, and the walls of the restaurant are covered with a colorful mural. I love this place for its happy hour: you can get a margarita for $5, and their margaritas are awesome. My favorite is the mezcal margarita which comes with chili powder around the rim. It's perfectly smoky and tart, and you can tell they use fresh limes. And of course they bring you free chips and salsa. I love their chips because they're thicker than tortilla chips I'm used to eating, and they're deliciously deep fried, which pairs well with their fresh, homemade salsa. Besides chips and salsa and drinks, I find the food to be somewhat bland. I've had the enchiladas verdes before and they were pretty dry and didn't have any spice to them. Likewise with the quesadillas, etc. As for the service, I know the waiters/waitresses work very hard because it's always busy, but whenever I come here I have to wait 30 min to get the check. Something to consider if you're in a rush. But overall it's a great place to come for happy hour and a snack. read more

Food here is good. I love their mole sauce and their burritos are excellent. Good chips and salsa and vegetarian options. I'm not giving this two stars for the food. I'm giving this two stars for always being understaffed and therefore having slow, poor service. I tried to call in food for over 45 minutes to have my call ignored, then came in and waited another 10 minutes for someone to take my order, and another 15 minutes for the food. The place is not that busy. I've also eaten in and it always takes way longer than it should. I worked in food service and can say this is not a restaurant that is well organized. Also, to go orders are cash only while they accept credit card transactions for eating in, which is kind of annoying as a customer. If they had better management and staffing I would leave more stars. Lots of room to improve. read more

Food is always great and authentic! I've been here during the week and after work hours. During the day is slower, but if you're going for dinner, expect a wait. The food is that good! read more

Excellent mole sauce.. decent margs.. great chips and salsa while you wait. The decor and atmosphere feels a bit cheap but the food is definitely tasty and filling. Seriously though, the mole sauce. read more

Overpriced for what it was. I got the steak a la Baja California and it was nothing special but still very good!

Fun and festive looking atmosphere. Perfect margarita and exceptionally well seasoned steak in my burrito. Can't believe I've lived in New Haven for almost 4 years and hadn't checked this place out before. read more

We went for Cinco de Maio so it was packed as to be expected. The decor was very lively and colorful. The staff was very attentive. We only waited about half hour. They had seating outside and in. We sat on the inside - very close to our neighbors. Being that it was just two of us I would preferred better seating where we could hear each other. It was very loud and geared more to a younger "party" crowd. They were even pouring shots of tequila out of a bottle shaped like a gun. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. The drinks were great. My mango margarita on the rocks was delicious. I wasn't crazy about the chips on the table and the green salsa was too spicy. They should give the average diner a heads up that it's spicy or make it less so for all to enjoy. I know it's the free stuff on the table while we wait but I couldn't enjoy it at all. We ordered the shrimp ceviche and we barely got to taste it when the food all arrived all at once. I normally wouldn't mind getting the food so fast but we hardly had any space on the table to begin with and now all at once. The shrimp ceviche had too much lemon and it was very bland. It needed more salt, cilantro and flavor. For the main meal I got the pulled pork "carnitas" with rice and beans. It was good but not the best I've had by far. Overall the experience was ok. Nothing to rave home about. read more

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Best Mexican in New Haven and also best bargain. When it is packed it can get a little loud but if you give yourself over to the experience you will have a great time. Terrific staff. Best margarita and nachos in the city. Shrimp ceviche, chimichanga and the sizzling steak are my faves. Stop by and you will come back again and again. read more

It's decent but nothing special and I think it's not worth what they charge. Puerto Vallarta is cheaper and better but unfortunately not close to New Haven. read more

I eat at Mezcal all the time and it always satisfies. Always a good time, great service, and amazing Mexican food, the best in New Haven.

Always good music. Very traditional decor. The worm is a must (for what my boyfriend said. I didn't do that!) tacos and margaritas are good as well and the service is quick!!! They have couple of tables outside. read more

Mezcal - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Love this place. The chips taste like the ones in Mexico. Love their carnitas too. And now you can get their amazing margaritas to go.

I came to the restaraunt as a last minute resort due to a previous location being unprofessional. This place was amazing, as soon as we entered we were greeted. Our waitress quickly escorted us to our table where we were given chips and dip. I knocked off one star because my frozen margarita wasn't as good but my fiancé sangria was amazing, very strong to. The food I could not complain was very good. If you were hesitating on coming to this place don't its worth coming in and giving a chance. read more