I can't spend time in Boyne with out visiting Red Mesa. On this particular trip, we came to watch a football game. We slid up to the bar and ordered drinks- had to try a couple margaritas- since they puree fruit for the flavored margs, I had a mango margarita, hold the salt. Delicious! The chips and salsa, which the lovely bartender, Misty, kept us loaded up on, is the best. I absolutely love the salsa they make. It's chunky, smoky, and the perfect amount of heat! We also tried the chipotle wings, which were to die for. And the avacado sour cream they serve it with- get outta here! I've had many things off of their menu over the years, and they never disappoint. And I know southern hospitality is supposed to be where it's at, but really, it's all about the Up North hospitality! Everyone is wonderful. read more

I am biased...I work here. But even if I didn't...I'd still visit quite often. Hands down, pound for pound-one of the best restaraunts in Michigan...period. Fresh Fresh Food, Really cool Atmosphere, and great service. Fish Tacos, Fresh Guac, Slow Roasted Tomato Salsa, all made from scratch. Don't worry about spicey, because they got something for everyone. Corn Roasted Wallye, Pork Tenderloin, Stuffed Shrimp, Awesome Salads, Local Whitefish, Tomato soup, Ahi-Tuna, and of course hand squeezed Margaritas. i reccomend ordering a Missy and a Flaming Chili Con Queso..(Flamed table side),,,,.sit back, talk to a local, and enjoy the expierence that is THE RED MESA GRILL! Best time to visit is during happy hour 3-6pm everday. Dollar off all drinks and amazing cheap snacks for 2 bucks. read more

Thank you! Thank you! This was a great experience! Becky, was our server. She was extremely helpful and personal! She recommended the Jack and bacon stuffed shrimp and I was glad she did! It was fantastic! I also had two delicious spicy Mezcal margaritas! My kids had shrimp tacos and the wife had something, which she raved about. Everyone was happy! Being from LA, I know good food! It's pretty hard to beat. Red Mesa Grill could hang in LA. read more

My favorite part of the meal was drinks -- we tried regular, strawberry, and passion fruit margaritas which were all very good. Excellent, and pretty large, too! The chips were mediocre, but the salsa was really good. I had the poblano burger, which was cooked really well. I had expected it to be a bit spicier, but it was more sweet. It was topped with salsa, which worked surprisingly well. I can see why people like this place, it's got a new take on Mexican food and I would definitely visit again. read more

Good, fresh Mexican food in Michigan?? My co-worker has been praising Red Mesa for weeks now, so I had to see if his praises rang true. Being raised in Colorado, I am very particular about my Mexican food and have had some pretty bad experiences with almost any place East of the Mississippi. Last weekend I finally had a chance to try dinner there, and was blown away by how popular the restaurant was. Unable to find seating in the dining room without waiting 35 mins, we secured seating at the bar. The bartender was totally on top of his game, and quickly served us some Margaritas and chips/salsa. The salsa was very good, with a homemade taste and texture. I ordered steak fajitas, and was really impressed with the freshness of the ingredients and delicious spices. My co-worker ordered a pulled pork burrito, which looked absolutely delicious! I didn't see green chile on the menu, but I did see a ton of other entrees that I need to try. I can't wait until I'm in the area again! read more

Tried this place and it was not good at all again the reviews are good but it's not. First the salsa and chips were good but that is it. The guacamole had not taste what so ever it literally tasted like nothing they have no ground beef dishes at all so if you like shredded beef and shredded chicken than that's what they have. The chicken enchiladas were so dry and it did not have any seasoning. The shredded beef tacos were so dry and no seasoning again. The steak fajitas were flavorful but when we went to go eat the second taco their was no steak left. Their were tons of veggies but we only had enough steak for one taco we called the owner to the table and he was very kind about it. The waitress was very nice, but won't go back read more

When you go to a Mexican place - order Mexican! I ordered the grilled avocado quinoa salad and it was meh. It needed a kick of flavor, just all around bland. The guacamole appetizer was average. Not chunky at all - I prefer chunky. And it was almost as if it was whipped or sour cream was added to it. Just ok to me. All the other diners at my table enjoyed their food. Especially their refried beans, they had a really nice smokey flavor - not just run of the mill refried beans. All of the ingredients seemed really fresh. Would definitely give it another whirl when back in Boyne. read more

Onions. More onions. Then more onions. Everything here is prepackaged, microwaved blah, loaded with onions. Staff wasn't concerned about my allergy and seemed annoyed. Cannot recommend. Better options in Boyne for sure! read more

Red Mesa is always a good meal. It's been a pretty minimal wait even during COVID. Great place for Mexican fare in Boyne City.

Ended up here because it was late and choices in the area are few... Service was good but food was below average at best. Chips and salsa was bland. Chips were cheap bulk and tasteless and salsa was not really salsa... More like chunky tomatoes and onions.....I ordered the hard shell tacos and shells were soaked in oil and cooked beyond crisp...tasted like they had been under a warmer light too long. Everything was pretty bland and uneventful. Wouldn't waste my money here...... read more

Being in Boyne, MI this was a pleasant surprise. The place was packed it took about 20 minutes to seat 11 people and a high chair. The chips and salsa were good, but nothing to write home about. I don't like cold salsa. Even if it's housemade, it makes it feel like it comes out of a bottle. I ordered the latino chopped salad and it was really good. It's a nice spin on the chopped salad. I added dried cherries. And it was a big portion for the price. Most everyone in the party liked their food. My husband ordered the shrimp enchilada and made it into a burrito. And he was happy. Definitely a favorite place in Boyne. read more

We will be back for sure. We stayed at the Mountain Run at Boyne and three employees there when asked about a local dinning said if we only go out for one meal make it this place. Two of them said make sure to get the Armadillo Eggs, we did and they were great. We also had the Mushroom Fajita and Pork something. Everything was Delicious, I even ordered a Kids Hotdog because it sounded so good, or tortilla wrapped hot dog that's deep fried, mmmmmmmmm. One note, our server was about 7 feet tall and sucked, so if you get him ask for someone else because all we could see was all the other servers were always running food and drinks to the tables and ours was never around. For the record we tipped the other servers who brought our drink refills and stiffed our server, but he got what he earned. read more

Have come here to eat several times. The food is always good, and we've always had excellent service. Can be a bit loud, but since the service is so good, everyone is in a good mood. Highly recommend read more

This has been one of my favorite restaurants since they opened. I've had most everything on the menu. You can't beat the happy hour from 3-6. $3 appetizers. The smoked tomato ranch should be eaten with everything. Patti is a fantastic server. read more

Terrible service. took over an hour for food yo come out. Chips are bland salsa sucks. Food is microwaved.

This place is just plain awesome - that's why it's always busy. We've been here at all times of the year, and its popularity never seems to wane - a VERY good indication of the food quality and value. Try the grouper tacos, especially on Fridays, when RM has a taco special. They don't take reservations, but if your party is 7 or more, you can call ahead to put your name on their wait list, which helps. If your party is smaller than 7 people, then join their frequent-diner club (free), and you can do the call-ahead thing next time you're in. Absolutely a must-try if you like Latin food and are in the area. read more

Okay, I lived in a place where there was real Mexican and Latin-American food for a looooong time, so I'm a little critical. All-in-all this place does a great job creating Latin-esque food for people with a midwestern palate. This Red Mesa is much better than the one in TC. I don't know why. Great margarita and tequila selection here as well. They also use fresh, local ingredients as much as possible and they actually know how to roast tomatoes! The service here is as good as it gets. If you save a baby duck you get a free dessert! read more

After many good visits over the years to Red Mesa, things have unfortunately slipped. Have always enjoyed their Fredrico platter (steak/bean burrito, chicken enchilada, and pork taco). This visit, the steak burrito has changed to shredded beef. It along with the enchilada sat under the heat lamp too long and had dried the cheese on top to a crust. Even the accompanying pico, sour cream, and guac were narrowed down to just the pico. Perhaps I need to look elsewhere on menu, but Red Mesa needs to stop cutting their costs. read more

Must order the steak & smoked beans burrito when you come here, it's the best thing you can ever eat! read more

Red Mesa Grill - Latin American Near Me - Boyne City, Michigan

Been to Boyne City multiple times, but usually opt for Cafe Sante over Red Mesa. This was my first time at Red Mesa. Overall, a solid experience. The chicken wings were amazing. I love chicken wings and consider myself to be ultra-critical of chicken wings. These were so crispy that I wanted to ask to speak to the kitchen and find out what they do differently. The dipping sauce for the wings was very good as well. We split a chicken burrito and steak fajitas. The burrito wasn't anything special, but it was good nonetheless. I prefer diced chicken breast over the pulled/shredded chicken and this was the latter. The steak fajitas were amazing - so much so that we ate the leftovers for breakfast the next day. I probably won't be ordering a burrito next time, but the experience was good enough to draw me back and make me want to try new things on the menu. read more

Best margaritas around! Love the happy hour - everyday from 3:00-6:00! Black bean cakes and armadillo eggs are me favorites! read more

Love Red Mesa. Great food, service and overall people. Just wish they would bring back the shrimp enchiladas, those are missed!!!

Ate here recently. Food was ok, nothing special. I had a couple tacos and my partner had a burrito. The service was nice though. The facility is nice and clean as well. If you don't like food with too much spice this may be the place to go. read more

Seems to be one of the hot spots of the town. Stopped in on a busy Saturday night and had about a 20 minute wait. Once we got seated our server was extremely friendly and attentive, consistently checking-in on the status of our drinks and the chips/salsa. Despite the full restaurant our food came out quicker than I would have expected. Certainly would recommend any of their fajita options as our table ordered every type offered. Portion sizes were more than satisfying and had to ask for a few more tortillas to be able to finish off everything. This place is certainly family friendly but with that being said, know that the atmosphere is certainly a lively and louder one which made conversing tough at times. read more

Just wanted to chime in with the other reviewers. Have never been disappointed at the Red Mesa! The appetizers are all good, we really liked the nachos and the armadillo eggs (potato balls with spices and fried) The margarita's are great too. Decent kraft brew selection too, they have Short's on tap! The entree's are always very good, a little on the higher side for price though. A good deal is happy hour where you can get reduced prices on drinks and appetizers. One night we only ordered nachos, armadillo eggs, quesa dills (with pinapple!) and flouta's as our "dinner" and it was reasonable. Staff is always great too. I think Cafe Sante is owned by the same people and both places are very good in Boyne City. read more

The best Mexican food up north. The food was fantastic. The portions were plentiful. The service was great too! I had the chicken mango fajitas. The chicken was oven roasted so it wasn't dry. The spices they used blended terrifically. The mango added a welcomed addition to the traditional fajita. They even used red bell peppers which is becoming a rarity these days. It was if I was experiencing a fiesta in my mouth. My wife had the chicken enchiladas which she enjoyed very much as well. I'll definitely add this to my list of must eats anytime I am in the Petoskey or Traverse City Area. The restaurant was actually in Boyne City. It is well worth the 25 minute drive! They also have another location in the Traverse City area. read more

I ordered the steak wet burrito, it was good, but very spicy! The complimentary chips n salsa was very delicious!! This place is very pricey though! read more

Red Mesa Grill - Steak and spiced bean burrito - Latin American Near Me - Boyne City, Michigan

Sour cherry margarita was great - but for the price it was on the small side. Great salsa and quality food. Portions just the right size. Will definitely make this a regular stop whenever I am in the area. 10 mo later--On return trip the only thing I still enjoyed was the margarita and salsa. Quality and taste of food was much lower. Will stop again for drink/snack but not dinner. read more

We came here with a group of 18 girls for a bachelorette party and they were fantastic!!! Jason G. Was super helpful in getting everything squared away for us. Our server was so sweet and the food came out in a timely manner. Drinks were delicious, I had a jalapeño margarita which was super spicy just how I like it :) usually with this big of a party I expect some sort of hiccup dining out but everything went off without a hitch. Thanks Red Mesa!! Also- if you are staying at boyne mountain, Boyne City Transit will come and pick you up and drop you off for $2 each way! Just call beforehand and reserve and then you can take all the tequila shots you want :) read more

The restaurant deserves five plus stars! Food, service and drinks were all perfect. The decor was cool and comfortable. They have a non alcoholic strawberry mango smoothie which I enjoyed thoroughly. The chips and salsa felt homemade, full of flavor. Our server made the recommendation of the stuffed shrimp, which I'm glad she did. Great favor and authentic. My wife had grouper tacos; I only got one bite but again full of favor and fresh ingredients! Service was attentive and helpful! Lately the fried ice cream is a must try. Something about spicy ice cream is awesome. Not sure why but it just is! read more

Red Mesa was a 'must' for us because my husband raved about coming here with a group of friends almost 6 years ago. He made me laugh about the spicy sauce they have here called Satan's blood. Just s disclaimer, that stuff is NO JOKE and rightfully named! I didn't even try it, but got some on my hand and wow!! So hot!! During our visit, we shared the black bean cakes and the pineapple quesadilla as a starter. The black bean cakes are an acquired taste, but the quesadilla was awesome! You can add chicken, but we opted not to, and it was still so so good! For dinner we had Fredrico combo and the Guatemalan Chicken. Both were really good! They are huge portions, so be prepared to eat a lot or take a box home with you. We also had the habanero fried ice cream which was delicious!! Overall, we would recommend going to Red Mesa! It's a nice atmosphere and the food is delicious!! Get a bloody Maria and margarita while you're here!! read more

Took family there for dinner and Margaritas. Ours came in Margarita glass but sons came in water glass. Brought that to waitresses attention. Said they must be out of glasses. Wow - not that many people and was not impressed with service. read more

LOVED this place! I believe they have the largest tequila selection in the state. The margaritas were a little pricey but so SO worth it! The cuban mojitos were STELLAR! Food was wonderful, wait-staff friendly. We were in the area for the weekend and ended up here for dinner both nights. Drinks we tried and LOVED: Don Julio Margaritas! Cuban Mojitos Food we tried and LOVED: Jack Stuffed Shrimp (appetizer) Three Amigos (appetizer...guac, refried smoked pintos, taro hearts of palm dip) Brazillian Steak Taco Combo Whitefish Taco Platter Corn Salsa Walleye Taste Agave 3 course menu read more

Red Mesa Grill - TEQUILA! - Latin American Near Me - Boyne City, Michigan

Super clean with extremely helpful service. Salsa was mild with the perfect blend of spices. I had the steak and black bean burrito which was amazing. Fair prices for the quality of the food. read more

Red Mesa Grill - Latin American Near Me - Boyne City, Michigan

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If you like Mexican food then this restaurant is a must!! It is a favorite of both my husband and me, which is saying a lot. The food is excellent. You'll love their salsa and chips from the very beginning. You must try their Black Bean Cakes for an appetizer! Order anything for a entrée, it's all yummy! The drinks are great and the staff is superb! They also have a vegetarian, vegan and celiac menu! read more

We walked in and a lucked out with 2open seats at the bar on a crowded 4th of July week. Chelsey is a talented bartender who out paces her cohort 3-1. Food was great . Chelsey is a pleasure and our glass was never empty. Red messa needs to give her a raise above the rest. Don't loose your talent. She's been there for 5years read more

Food was just ok. Pretty bland. Service wasn't good. Waiter seemed like we were bothering him. Had to ask for everything. Didn't even refill our salsa. Not impressed at all by this place. read more

Excellent food & wait staff. Long happy hour every day. Always a must for us when in Boyne city. read more

Solid Mexican restaurant. We got right in with a group of 8. Highly recommend the Cuban torta (Mexican sandwich). Margatina's were pretty good. read more

Great atmosphere through out the entire restaurant, capturing the great essence, spirit, and culture of Mexico. The menu is a bit small, but it provides variety at a fair price. The chips and salsa were excellent and the pulled beef taco I ordered were cooked to perfection. The service from our waiter was fast and polite. However what drags this place down we're the other waitresses and hostesses. First of all none of them had any welcoming or polite expressions. At one point I had to use the restroom and while I was walking there, one pushed me out of their way and replied with a snarky "Sorry." Would definitely recommend this restaurant for its great food, but some of their employees need to step up their manners. read more