What a disappointment. Service was disorganized, had to ask for chips and salsa, water to be refilled, things that should be common sense for a server. Ordered the chile rellenos, the cheese in the peppers was cold, not even melted, pulled the "brick" of cheese out it out of the peppers completely intact, refried beans were very watery and had no flavor. The chips and salsa were very good once they arrived. read more

Great food, warm environment, friendly, professional staff. One of reliable places to go for a nice meal. Family, couple, or single dining friendly too. read more

My favorite Mexican restaurant in New Haven county, it's worth the drive from wherever you're coming from. There is parking on the street and there's a lot right next door (behind The Pantry) that I always get a spot at. It's fun here - I like the decor, there's always music playing, and the people here are really nice. Outdoor seating is available here too. Did I mention the food was awesome? You can't go wrong. I typically go for the enchiladas and tostada but I've experimented with other items and have always been delighted. The margaritas taste fresh and juicy and there are some cool items on the drink menu too if you're feeling crazy. OMG the tequila gun!!!! If you're here for a birthday or celebration, you're in for an AWESOME treat. I don't want to spoil the surprise but we experienced this last night and it's the most fun I've had at a restaurant in a long time. read more

Mezcal - the tostada - chicken, beans, lettuce, avocado, and cheese all piled on top of a large fried tortilla. Yum! - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I was in search of a new place to get good Mexican food. I selected Mezcal because of the existing yelp reviews and a good view of the menu. We arrived at 7:45 on a Friday night. We were seated immediately outside per our request. Service: the staff is a bit on the slower side but incredibly friendly and helpful with the menu. Food: outstanding!!! I had the best rellanos ever here. The sauce had an amazing spice and it was exactly what I was looking for. My other half order fajitas, they were good but we always are alarmed when they aren't sizzling upon arrival. Drinks: margaritas were strong and delicious. I had 2 and felt like I drank 4-5 at other locations. This will be my new go to spot for Mexican! read more

A hole in the wall with some exceptional Mexican food! Try the nachos with chicken or pork....wow! You can just have that as a meal. I have had the shrimp enchiladas and it was delicious...flavorful and I'm not a fan of enchiladas! I love the hip atmosphere and the staff is always friendly! read more

Mezcal - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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I didn't know that mezcal Taquila has larvae in it so that was a shock and I had to return my drink and get one without any animal products in it. The drink did taste much better with the mezcal taquila. Then the food we shared was vegetable fajita and that was very good too! Service was poor because it tooo us 30 mins to get the check and we had to constantly flag down our server. Really good food and drinks must go if in the area! read more

Mezcal - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Fabulous... authentic Mexican cuisine! Have been going to this establishment for over 20 years... never disappoints!

The shrimp enchiladas are so freaking good. I don't feel like writing a whole review, but I feel obligated to let you and anyone who cares that this is probably the best Mexican meal I've eaten. Also the service is great. Friendly and knowledgeable. And live mariachi music most of the time I go. read more

Mezcal - Shrimp enchiladas. The look like a heap of cabbage, but they are really REALLY RRREEEAAAAALLLYY awesome!!!!!!! - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I ordered steak and chicken tacos to go. Very disappointed when I got home and discovered this. Just meat on a tortilla with a blob of guacamole on top. The meat was tasteless. No toppings or any attempt to make this presentable or palatable. I won't be ordering from here again. read more

Mezcal - Chicken and steak tacos - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I come from a very healthy Latino population in Milwaukee. Mexican food is one of my favorites. I visited Mescal restaurant and had a fabulous Bistec Compareno...i love nopales..ie..cactus. it was outstanding! Most times it has pickled cactus but theirs was fresh... mild and flavorful. The bistec (steak) was so much more favorable than i am used to. The onions were sweet.... wonderful. My wife had carnitas.... we both loved it... we sometimes trade off who gets to order it. Theirs was the best i have ever had!..bar none! Very friendly waiters (Erick). Outside seating.. not so much, essentially on the side walk. (Was there once.. on our second visit). I hope their cook comes to Milwaukee ! I will gladly give him a recommendation! read more

Quick service, friendly people and AMAZING food. If you're looking for authentic Mexican this is the place to go ! Although not listed, they do have cheese enchiladas which is what I typically get. My boyfriend is obsessed with their steak burrito as well. We go at least one a month. I just wish their salsa wasn't so spicy. read more

The first thing you'll notice when you walk into this quaint restaurant is the murals--walls and walls filled with colorful, intricate, culturally-themed paintings. The second thing you'll notice is the large amounts of heavenly food on everyone's tables, with one entrée easily feeding three. After flipping through pages and pages of menu items (how is it possible to have so many??), I decided on a mango margarita and the mixiote verde de pollo, thanks to my waiter's suggestion. The margarita was HUGE, delicious, and tasted just like a mango smoothie, yet deceptively strong, as I was drunk halfway through. The mixiote was unique: the waiter brought out chicken steamed in a parchment, unwrapped it, and poured out the massive contents onto my plate. It was light and flavorful--a contrast to the heavier Mexican food I grew up eating in LA--although the accompanying vegetables were oversteamed and a bit mushy. My friend also grabbed the fried fish dish and loved it. Overall, cute place, great drinks, & endless menu items--if you're not completely satisfied with what you ordered, just know that there are 70 other items you could be down for. read more

Mezcal - Mango margarita--amazing - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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One of the best Mexican restaurants I've been to. I went on a Sunday afternoon and it was pretty chill. I love how colorful the place is and the service was good. I ordered a mango margarita which was delicious. The only thing was the presentation was really bad. The glass was overflowing and also the base of the margarita glass was chipped all around. I don't remember the name of the dish I ordered but I would def recommend it!!! I didn't leave any food on my plate. read more

Mezcal - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Best Pulled Pork in New Haven - hands down. Gives anyone a run for their money. I've eaten all the champs from VA to GA. Can't go wrong with Carnitas. read more

I wish I had a good experience considering how much I had heard of this restaurant but it wasn't my night it seems. Besides the entrance door slamming shut every 15 seconds, the server taking forever to get our water, and the food being an unseasoned, unchewable and overpriced nightmare, the ambiance was nice. Giving it two stars because it wasn't completely inedible. Guys, please invest in a soft closing door. My ears couldn't take it anymore and we were seated right next to it. read more

A go to east rock establishment. As stated before, huge portion size and quality food. I find myself craving their nachos despite having moved to TX! read more

The best Mexican food in new haven. The nachos are huge, full of meat and lots of guacamole, and the chips are always fresh and home made. They're especially good as take out (cash only). The mole is out of this world and enormous. Likewise for the fish tacos. Servers are friendly and experienced. We have been coming here for years and we always see the same faces. The space is large and can get packed and slow during a dinner rush. The mariachi band that comes once a week is always worth it. read more

Arrived around 3:45 in the afternoon on a Friday. There was 1 other couple in the restaurant and I waited 30 minutes on a order of enchiladas. They were floating in a pool of enchilada sauce and bean sauce. Not very good at all. The restaurant is a little dirty and the refills are not free. read more

Mezcal - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Two thing this place has going for them: its proximity to East Rock and the huge portion sizes. Otherwise, the food isn't fantastic, I definitely have had better Mexican food elsewhere. I got the simple Carne Asada California (has guac), but the meat was so dry and the guac was essentially the dressing on their chopped ice burg lettuce. I was with six other people (they did take reservations, but still made us wait 15 minutes) and their food was also mediocre. It look appetizing and large, but it was bland upon the taste test. When I politely inquired if they could split the check for 6 people, the female waitress just gave me a blank look and scurried off without a word. Another waiter returned saying they can only split two cards per bill. It has a fun atmosphere that is not common around the East Rock area, but the food is lacking and is not worth the price (a minimum of $16 per person unless you get two hard shell tacos or something). I might come here for the giant margaritas, but aside from that I'll pass. read more

I'll start by saying the food was very good. But, with not being seated for 10+ minutes when a table was available, then having to wait another 10 minutes for ice water and chips, out experience did not start off on the right foot. They gave us our menu right away, but no drink menu. Took another 10 or 15 minutes to get a drink menu, and another 10 minutes to get our margaritas. My friends ice water was served with some dried floating dishwasher garbage, and no ice. The margaritas tasted watered down (I think because they sat on the bar before being served). So overall, the service killed the experience for us. I'm being a little over-generous by giving this place 3 stars, but again, it's only because the food was very good. Maybe on a different day the service would be better. read more

It was packed but service was great and food came out fast and yummy!! We happened to come on mariachi night too! I've been visiting from west Texas where Mexican food is in abundance. And after a week without it, this place definitely hit the spot! Felt like a taste of home! read more

Mezcal - Tostadas and a chimichanga - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

If you're hispanic and know about cooking, don't waste your time...you'll be disappointed. Food came cold, bland flavors. You could whip any of their dishes up at home for a lot less money And actually be able to eat it hot and flavorful. Way Overpriced for pretty basically cooked food! read more

The steaks fajita is such a fake dish, I could not seen the beef, it was only vegetables ‍ However, the attention is amazing and also the vegetables weren't bad. read more

I'm not an expert on Mexican food but Mezcal was very good. They didn't take reservations but at 8pm on a Saturday night we only waited about 15 minutes for a table for 2. The service was quick and very well done. I highly recommend the Chicken Soup. Yes, the Chicken Soup is wonderful at Mezcal. Quite a nice surprise especially on a bitter cold night. We also ordered the Cactus Salad which I guess you have to really like cactus to enjoy. We took it home to eat later. The other app was the Shrimp and Octopus cocktail. Not for me but my date loved it. For dinner I had the Carne Asada. I thought it was very good but again I'm not an expert on Mexican authenticity. The second main course was the Chicken in Pumpkin Seed sauce. She loved it. The house margarita was excellent. Although it was a bit noisy (it was packed full) all in all I thought it was a great restaurant. The atmosphere and the food were excellent. I would go again. read more

So far, this is my favorite Mexican restaurant in New Haven. Drinks are pretty good. We were able to sit outside and enjoy the weather. The nachos were a little soggy. I had fajitas and they were delicious. A little difficult to get to this place unless you bike - parking can be painful and it's too far of a walk for me. read more

The atmosphere and the service here is great. However, the food itself is hit or miss. The pina colada is amazing,as is the enchilada verde and then carne asada. However, the chicken chimichanga is nothing to write home about and the chips and salsa are not good at all. Likewise, although the food is good, it is not consistant. read more

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One of the best gems in New Haven! Delicious and authentic Mexican food including chicken mole, chicken pipian (pumpkin seed sauce), carnitas and a range of salsa made fresh that range from spicy to smoky to sweet and fresh. The other stand outs are the amazing staff who are friendly and priced top notch service. We have been going here since we found it 10+ years ago and also recommend it to friends or folks traveling through New Haven. read more

normally when an establishmen is trying to tell you how authentic they is carl s goes somewhere else. The only thing worse than not being authentic is saying you authentic everywhere. lemme break it down for you ppl: you tryna buy some coke. You dealer tells you "aw man this coke is rilly rilly good b you should buy it b/c it's going to make you feel like charles sheen" you strach you chin a little and you think "why is homie tryn so hard to sell me this coke in particular? is it wild good, or does he just want me to think that and then my expectations will determine my pleasure satisfaction?" but lemme tell you this: you needa forgit that Meztcal is fronting with they authenticity, because this is a really good restaurant i got the mole enchilados which is spanish for "sause" its really good mmmmm yea i gots mexican contacts sometimes. ill hook u up if you looking for a burrito or a taco. im tellin u its difficult to find good mexican places in new england tho. This is why you have maniacs telling u that chipolte is a good restaurant smh. next time you walk by chipolte take a gander at the really sad depressed people in there that have stooped so low as to eat dog meat and feces in a burritato. also oaxaca is a joke restaurant run by animals dressed up as people #makingpeoplemad mezcal offers a lot of dishes so dont be confused when u sit down. just go to the back of the menu for the mexican specialties and order something at random itll be good #pbrchicken @pbrchicken (hahah thas me on twitter) haters are currently spreading rumors that carl s is not real. Lemme set things straite RITE NOW: carl s very real es la verdad u c me writing reviews, doing twitter things? yea thats me. dont beliebe the haters dont give them ur beliebs. Also dont trust anyone that is insisting that they is carl s, because as i showed you earlier in this review - ppl be frontin, ppl be spreading lies #QED #latinbitchslap Also the shredded beef is really good here - its real tender and jucy #reviews all right love each other and make babies ppl go forth!!!!!!!! YES YES YESSSSS HORCHATAS read more

This small (and loud!) Mexican restaurant is a real East Rock treasure. I've heard lots of negatives, mostly from people who come here and order burritos/nachos/etc. They are missing out--and spending too much money--considering that you can have truly authentic Mexican dishes like pollo con pipian (a leg of chicken slow-cooked with pumpkin seed sauce) and some of the best mole in the region. The chicken dishes are all top-notch: they are primarily a leg of chicken, slow-cooked, with varieties of sauce. Most come with beans and rice. The sauces range from a really beautiful and fragrant light tomatillo sauce to a luxuriously deep and rich mole. I will repeat: You are wasting time and money if you come here and order a burrito. CO Jones has great burritos at half the cost a block away. Here, you have a large selection of unique, INEXPENSIVE, and authentic Mexican dishes, why waste 9 dollars on a burrito? I don't recommend Mezcal for vegetarians. While there are good options, they simply aren't as good as the food for carnivores. I don't eat much sea food and am allergic to shellfish, so I mostly order from the chicken/steak/pork menus. The carnitas are wonderful--slow-roasted pork which is moist and tender--and the steak dishes are all worth trying. The average entree is about 14.99. Served with home-made tortilla chips, salsa, rice, beans, often guacamole, appetizers are not necessary. I usually eat half of my entree and save the rest for lunch. The steak campirano comes with a cactus, making for a really interesting presentation and taste. The service is VERY friendly, and rarely slow, despite the over-full dining room on Friday and Saturday. Make a reservation if you are coming either day. The margarita traditional is delicious if a bit expensive: but it is made with fresh-squeezed lime juice, and well-worth the price. The margarita made with mix is cheaper and not as delicious. I would pony up the extra money for the real thing. Besides, at eight dollars, it is cheaper than many margaritas down town, and made with much better ingredients. Don't order too many: The owner usually goes from table to table starting around 8 with a bottle of good mezcal and shot glasses. To reiterate, the burritos and other dishes that are often associated with Mexican cuisine at Tex-Mex/California style restaurants are not the reason to come here. The chef was trained and born in Mexico, not on Mission street, and the food reflect that. I can't really count that as a negative--the only actual negative about the restaurant is the volume. It is a very small space, and voices have a tendency to reverberate and become a noisy din. However, if you can overlook that one small flaw (and for heaven's sake order an authentic Mexican dish that you haven't seen elsewhere), you will have an extraordinary experience. read more

If you were to judge Mezcal by the neighborhood, you might consider another, less "stabby" place. If you were to judge Mezcal by the service, you might decide to take your money elsewhere. If, however, you were to judge Mezcal strictly by the qualify of their authentic Mexican dishes and drinks, you're going to be hard-pressed to find something better in New Haven. Sure, the place kind of looks like a front for harvesting organs, but once you get inside, you'll find a rather adorable little place with lots of cute Mexican decorations. The food itself is a little on the pricier side, but the quality is top notch and the dishes are some of the most authentic I've seen this side of the border. They have some really interesting recipes and I urge you to go outside your comfort zone and order one of the more interesting dishes. They also provide free homemade tortilla chips and some pretty kickin' salsa, but their inability to provide water in a consistent manner can make the salsa a bit of a risky gambit. The service is fairly terrible. You can fully expect to have to remind them to bring you more water or drinks. Sometimes it's not even clear that they know they're supposed to be keeping track of the customers. However, once you get past the drawbacks, it's hard to be angry when your mouth is full of delicious authentic Mexican food or a well-blended daiquiri. read more

My favorite Mexican place in New Haven. The chips and salsa are homemade and its hard not eat them all, which would totally spoil your appetite for your meal. Every time I go here I only get two things: 1) A margarita (or two) and 2) Anything with mole. The mole is quite tasty. I especially like to get the chicken enchiladas with mole sauce. read more

Great dining experience and great Yelp experience! We were driving along I-95 out to Rhode Island. It was late-ish -- almost 9PM and we still had another hour and a half to go, were very hungry, and didn't know the area. The easiest course of action would have been to pull off into one of the service plazas and just eat at a fast food place. However, I knew we were near New Haven, and figured there to be a good restaurant scene there. So I pulled up Yelp on my iPhone, and Mezcal came up as one of the well-reviewed restaurants that was also reputed to be kid-friendly. I touched the Directions button, the Maps app took us right into town to the restaurant. Although the place was busy, noisy, and bustling (it was Friday night and all), we were seated very quickly, and it didn't take terribly long to get our margaritas. Although the servers were all pretty busy, it didn't take too long to get served. And the food was absolutely outstanding. I had the mole poblano over chicken, which was one of the best moles I've ever had. My wife had an amazing shrimp enchilada. My two kids ordered much more pedestrian fare (quesadillas and tacos), but they both seemed to enjoy it as well. Thanks to Mezcal for a great meal, and thanks to Yelp for making it easy for us to find and get to a great locally-owned restaurant! read more

OK, so now I've had the carnitas and the pollo con pipian and the enchiladas and the chicken with mole and . . . It's all totally delish and very sustaining. Hearty. Not too spicy, just nice, warm flavors. And the chips and salsa were good too. I think they sort of rotate their salsas; the first time we went it was one of those thin, soupy green tomatilla salsas and the heat really grew on you. The second time it was a dark, smoky salsa that was pretty damn hot. Especially after the margherita, which was excellent and, as others have noted, made with fresh lime juice. For some reason, which is unclear to me now, we moved on to mojitos after that and I think (I think) I can positively say that this was the best mojito I've had in years. It was strong, but the flavors were well balanced. The menu is really extensive and has everything from nachos covered in sour cream to nice dinners with mole; I've had some lackluster seafood and steak dishes. And the portions are pretty big, so I'm a little worried that I'll never be able to try the desserts. Can you share meals? The crowd is an interesting mix of Yale and local folks, and there are often kids there. I think the decor is cute and the service is good. And I think the pollo entomatado might be the best dish in all of New Haven. Take that, overpriced downtown hoo-ha. read more

I was going to give it three stars, but the service was excellent (even though there was one poor waitress for a full dining room). I was going to give it three stars, but the restaurant was jammed and it was early on a Thursday. I was going to give it three stars, but the margaritas were strong and delicious. I was going to give it three stars, but the Mariachi duo was actually pretty enjoyable. I was going to give it three stars, but the Mariachi duo played a mean Johnny Cash cover. I was going to give it three stars, but the mole was delicious. Next time I will be trying the pipian. read more

Food quality: 3.5 Margarita quality: 4 Value: 2 The Mexican food is as authentic as you're going to get in Connecticut, but the prices are very non-authentic. I might be spoiled from having lived in Southern California for a few years where you can get a real burrito the size of your head for $7, but $13 for a burrito and $15-20 for many main plates is a bit absurd for Mexican food. The margaritas are very tasty, and they do not skimp on the tequila. This place would easily be 4 stars if they lowered their prices to align with what they serve. read more

When the g/f said she wanted Mexican food, Mezcal was the first place that popped into my head, and the food was delicious. I had an appetizer of chorizo sausage which was chopped up and mixed with Oaxaca cheese, and served warm with soft tortillas and beans. It was definitely something new for me, but I loved it. I also had a chicken chimichanga, and the g/f had beef enchiladas. Both of our meals were fantastic. My chimichanga leftovers (and there were definitely leftovers, it was huge) were even good reheated the next day. Definitely the best place in New Haven for excellent quality Mexican food. read more

What a GREAT night at Mezcal ... my first (and certainly not last) time there. The staff: exceptionally thougthful (our lovely server Erica even made certain we got happy-hour prices for our first round, even though we had just hit the cut-off time). The food: VERY yummy...i.e. best guac I've had since moving here from Los Angeles last year). The atmosphere: soothing....gently lit, no super-loud music, and fun locals made for friendly exchanges btwn tables. Add to that Ricardo - the fabulous owner, electric with genuine hospitality - who graced our table with a visit AND a bottle of mezcal (and a hot pepper accessory) to share.........well, we had fuh-UN. Good/naughty/delicious/genuine fun. read more

What?! Looks authentic! This was a diamond in the rough as far as finding great Mexican food in New Haven is concerned. We were driving through to visit campus and needed a place to eat. Thanks to Yelp, we found Mezcal! I had the machacha which was quite good. Every meal comes with free chips and salsa (chips are homemade). And the service was decent. Would definitely go back again if I'm in the area. read more

E recently wrote a review about people ending up on the bathroom floor (and kitchen floor) after drinking sangria here. I was the bathroom floor, my closest friend was the fellow sangria drinker, and she was the kitchen floor. We went here one warm spring afternoon recently with the idea of having a quick drink and chatting. The wait staff was awesome, regularly checking in on us and talking us up. A friend walked by and we invited her to sit with us. There was never any hassle about adding another person to the table (outside tables), concern about the checks, etc. The staff was really just ready to roll with the punches. We ordered food, multiple drinks, and somehow it was really late at night. I seek out good sangria everywhere I go, and typically it's sweet and fruity, not the way sangria should be. Mezcal's sangria is HANDS-DOWN the best sangria in New Haven. It might have something to do with the alcohol content, but I've forewarned you about that. It's all in the details: -fried plantains just like they were when I had them in Honduras -spicy kick-your-butt salsa, the way it should be -worth repeating how amazing the sangria is (comprable to Dominick's in Ann Arbor for all you Michiganders) -no qualms about a dog being outside at the table with us -humored the number of times i drunkenly told them to not bring me another drink -best secret in East Rock, though I question writing this review and not being able to enjoy the secret again... read more

In the mood for a Margarita? Go here! The rocks version is perfect. Strong, not too sweet, not too tart. Food-wise, I've only been here once so far. The servers were nice (and anytime anyone walked by us they asked if we needed anything or if everything was alright, hence servers being plural. I'm not even entirely sure who our actual person was). Free chips & hot (YEEESSSSS!) salsa. If you don't like the spice you might want to back off the salsa. It makes me happy when it's actually hot, so I hope they never change it! I had the chili relleno & it was good. I really liked the sauce they put around it. It was tomato based and was really nice with the cheese and pepper. The cheese they use is also awesome! I would get this again, I practically licked the plate I liked it so well. I'll definitely be back to Mezcal. You should go too! read more