Mezcal Tequila Cantina

A lot of people rave about this place, but I think it’s gone downhill since their relocation.
The quality of the food is very mediocre and overpriced. The guacamole was okay but the fajitas were bland and the margarita was disappointing.
I’ve had great service and I’ve had absolutely terrible service. And parking is a real pain, especially if you show up when valet service isn’t available.
They still manage to pack the place, but there are FAR better places in Worcester for Mexican food. I recommend El Patron on Harding Street or even Plaza Azteca (a chain!) on Lincoln Street.

I have mixed reviews about this place, there’s nothing really to complain about, but a few things that could be improved. The food was decent– we had guacamole and veggie quesadillas. They were quite good, but the rice and salad that came along did not appear appetizing (if you wanted beans, you had to order it separately). Upon tasting, they were quite dry and bland. I wish they had more veggie options, we were told the enchiladas were pre made so they couldn’t do any substitutions. It is also might be only Mexican place where I’ve paid for salsa?!
They do have free valet, friendly service and strong margaritas.
All in all, I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here, but it’s a good addition to the dreary Worcester restaurant scene.

This is basically overpriced hipster «Mexican» food. My burrito was bland and tasteless. My margarita was tiny and watered-​down. The tortilla chips were extremely greasy and the guacamole was mushy and in serious need of seasoning. At least you get a lot of it, though. There are way better Mexican restaurants around.

Providence has only one restaurant from the Niche group, Bocado. When I bought my Groupon, the fixed price multi-​course approach was familiar from eating there. The guacamole flight was superb — among the best guac I’ve ever had — but only after we ordered it were we told that it wasn’t part of the Groupon deal. That meant I was spending $ 12 more than I’d planned — and was forced to order more food than I wanted.
The vegetable chili looked only so-​so, covered in excess cheese. Tasted great though! Much of the menu was fried food — and the enchiladas my husband ordered turned out to be fried, which we never expected. Still, the food was good. The patio where we ate was somehow sheltered from the noise of the busy street it fronted, and made for an excellent dining environment.
The menu needs more variety, though. And I’m ticked off about the guac! Either be clearer on Groupon, or let your customers substitute!

Did the all you can eat taco bar with the Groupon. The deal is you pay $ 20 to get 4 AYCE taco bar Groupons. They definitely don’t pull any funny stuff with it, one time I used 2 of my Groupons off my phone on myself and the person joining me for lunch, and another time I showed up on Cinco de Mayo when the place was packed and the taco bar was basically closed, and my taco orders were still fully accommodated. Check comes to 77 cents per person on top of the Groupon if not ordering drinks.
The food was great, of the meats I’ve had the adobo beef, ground beef, and carnitas. Tried the mole rojo sauce my last visit and am glad I did!

I really like this place but I think that the menu needs a shake up. They need more fish, better salad options and some soup beside the vegetable chili. I get that the taco bar is a thing with people, personally I hate the idea and in more than 50 visits have never, would never, eat from a taco bar. We always sit in the bar area and our service has been great. More specials or a revamped menu please!

Much improved since a visit years ago at the old Shrewsbury St location. Great all around experience.
Location is different but plenty safe with lots of options for parking. Interior was fun and unpretentious.
Drinks were a highlight and we were fortunate to have a very knowledgeable bartender who walked us through some higher end tequila options. The cocktails were also excellent, the smoke and ginger being my favorite.
Per the recommendation of our bartender we went with some of the specials vs the generic Mexican fare you can get anywhere. That made all the difference vs my previous visits. Favorites were the mole chicken and pork ribs.
Service was the icing on the cake as highlighted already. Will be back for sure.

Good food.
Fast service.
I like it
I would come back!
Taco bar was awesome.
Wish they have this place around my city.

First time eating here with my coworkers and the wait wasn’t too bad. We actually came around 6 and got sat the minute we returned from the bathroom which was right after we put our names in. Our server was Ricky, and she was super polite and friendly.
Our drinks were delicious as well as our appetizers and entrées, though our appetizer of the fried calamari came with a shortage of the fried pickles and jalapeños. No biggie, my coworkers and I are servers too so we felt for Ricky and just told her about it, and she gladly took it off of our bill.
The wings were addictingly good and I loved the buffalo sauce as well as the housemade hot sauce with ghost chilies.
We will definitely be back soon!

Well, where can I start? From the entry off the elevator, to the big surprises awaiting us, this was an awesome dining experience.
We used Open Table for a 6:15 p.m. reservation. We were seated right away. Although the table we got was directly across from the kitchen, and the worst possible place to be seated, we asked for another table. We were told, it would be 15 minutes until they could accommodate that, so we decided to stay put. For the inconvenience, they offered us free guacamole (not included in the Groupon we purchased earlier that day). OMG. It was so incredibly good, I wanted to just spoon it in my mouth.
My pomegranate peach, frozen margarita with sugar on the glass rim was terrific. Matt, our server, was happy I was enjoying it. He made a great difference between good dining and GREAT dining.
The food was excellent! Many choices. We even saved room for their Fried Ice cream with strawberry sauce. It was gone!
Get there early. Going back when they open the glass doors to the patio for outdoor/​indoor seating. Fiesta time!

Great service at bar during lunch. Peach pear apricot margarita pitcher went quickly with a smile enjoyed the sesame seed habanero wings (mild spicy scale, sweet, good flavor) & steak burrito

The food was decent. My salad was yummy but overdressed. The guacamole sampler sounded better than it was, and that was a theme for the entire menu. The guac was a little bland.
The drinks were ok. The first round was better than the second. My second round of the same drink was significantly sweeter than my first.
The atmosphere was friendly but very loud. The décor was cool. The service was very good — attentive but not overly so.
I would go back for average Mexican food if I had no other options or if my dining mates wanted to go.

Good place for mexican food. Love free valet parking
Our server was funny and took good care of us. The food we ordered was tre delicious.
The total bill was little higher than expected but since the whole experience was great, can’t complain about it much
Would recommend to everyone

In Worcester with my wife for business. We stayed at the Hilton Garden near the DCU Event Center and because Mezcal was across the street, we decided to give it a try.
First, the margarita my wife ordered was one of the worst we’ve ever experienced. Tons of shaved ice but very little flavor. The drink was so «thick» that it was impossible to drink. We called someone over and asked if they could possibly make a drink that was… a drink… not a bowl of ice. He was very apologetic and did remake the drink which was nice.
We decided to start with an appetizer of guacamole. The guac was very good. Obviously fresh and with a nice flavor. The chips that we were given were also very good. We realized that we hadn’t been given any salsa with the chips so I asked our server to bring some. We received a small bowl of salsa that was so-​so… nothing special. When I received the bill I realized that I had been charged $ 4 for the salsa I asked for. Really? Charging for salsa at a mexican restaurant? What the heck is that all about?
My wife ordered tacos with chicken — the chicken tasted like it had been made in bulk and then microwaved a couple of times — disappointing.
I ordered a steak burrito — it was very fancy with stripes and all and the flavor was okay — nothing to write home about.
We won’t return next time we’re in Worcester — a Margarita’s chain location is a better deal and the food is better.

My only complaint was that I had not been to this restaurant sooner. I live in Providence, and am all too familiar with Bocado tapas & wine bar, owned by the same group. Our experiences at Bocado, Providence was consistently so good we had decided to check out some of their other restaurants. Prior to tonight we had been to The People’s Kitchen, The Fix, and of course Bocado. We had briefly stopped in Mezcal for a drink before but this was our first sit-​down dinner.
The service: Quick, accurate, and friendly. I mean what else could you ask for?
The Drinks: Had two pitchers of their house Margaritas, which were only $ 20 each, tasted extremely fresh, and went down ohhhhhh too good.
The Food: Opted to get the experience for two, which was under $ 45 (very cheap if you ask me, I’m writing this 5 hours later and I’m still stuffed).
First, we had these delicious jalapeño fried rice balls served with a chipotle-​mayo, then moved on to chips & guacamole. Unbelievably, they allow you to choose a «guacamole flight» if you wish, which we did. Asian, Crunchy, and Tropical I believe we had. All were equally delicious. After those two courses, we had pork tacos, which came with rice and some lettuce & such to top it with. I actually got a side of chipotle-​mayo sauce to add, which was just simply amazing (not necessarily because it needed more flavor, but I’m just a sucker for dips & sauces). After the tacos, we had the ribs. Words can not describe such a taste & texture. I’m pretty sure these were, by far, the best ribs I’ve ever ate. Fall-​off-​the-​bone meat cooked & seasoned to perfection. The cornbread, was an awesome cross between bread & pudding. Wow, words can’t describe how delicious.
I honestly can’t remember having a dinner that hit the spot like this one in a while. I wish Providence had more restaurants from these owners (Niche Hospitality), as they always have great food and service at the right price. It’s about a 45 minute drive from home, and well worth it.

Mezcal Tequila — Worcester MA — 2÷12÷2016
Let’s start with a convenient location, easy to get to, right off the highway and valet parking… Add in the convenience of online reservations and you’re off to a good start…
The restaurant is rather large with a chain restaurant feel. Particularly in the way it’s laid out and the service they provide.
Normally in most Mexican restaurants you get complimentary chips and salsa, not here. Here you have to order it and although you have several choices on their guacamole, I wasn’t really impressed… The salsa was OK… Just OK…
For the main course I ordered the ribs with a side of plantains. The ribs were good, the sauce was tangy, but it felt almost as though it was left cooking too long. I was looking forward to soft juicy and succulent plantains fried just so… That wasn’t what I got. The problem is in order to avoid getting fruit flies, they refrigerate the plantains. This of course prevents them from ripening to the point where they’re ready to be fried.
My server was good and the manager was awesome. I would probably go to any restaurant she managed. Unfortunately though for me, the food has to be good to great and the service has to match. If anyone of those two items is missing or lacking then I really don’t have a reason to go back.
I would say all in all it was OK and you probably would enjoy it. I’m used to a bit more upscale so maybe it was me.

I ordered vegetarian nachos at 7PM for pick up and was told they would be ready in 25 – 30 minutes. Ended up taking an hour. Then I get home to find out my nachos are covered in meat. Guess I’m having pizza tonight. Go fuck yourself, thanks! Never again.

My GF friend ended up with a taco that was def not GF… and they did nothing to comp her or make up for it. My plantains were underripe and gross. They were supposed to bring out cupcakes with candles for a friend’s bday and forgot. So dissapointing.

We were a party of six on a Sunday evening with a groupon and an opentable reservation. Went up to the desk to let them know we were there and was put on hold so the hostess can take a phone order. STRIKE ONE! Then the host told us our table was ready. Most people don’t mind being called by their first name, but for me, unless you know me personally, it is disrespectful. STRIKE TWO! After we were seated, things went better. We ordered two appetizers: Watermelon Salad (good) & Wings (dry). House guacamole (good). Five entrees: vegetarian quesadilla (good), chicken fajita (good), chicken enchiladas (good), winter vegetable enchiladas (good) and three tacos (not so good). Two desserts: fried ice cream (good) & bread pudding (good). Waiter was busy but tried to be attentive. All in all, not a bad night.

Came to Mezcal on a Saturday for lunch before a show at the Hanover. We had a reservation for 11:30am because we had 6 in our party. You probably don’t need reservations unless it’s at night? Maybe it was because we were early or that it was the day after Christmas but we were the second table of diners at that time. We had a couple of pitchers of Margaritas which were really enjoyed! They use fresh squeezed limes so you get a refreshing drink without all the unneeded added sugar found in mixes. We opted to try the tasting of 3 Guacamoles. We had the House, Mediterranean, and the Buffalo Chicken. The Mediterranean was my favorite and I could eat that all day! Also ordered were 3 different tacos from the a la carte menu. The Adobe Pulled Chicken, Carnitas, and Ground Beef. None blew me away, but they were enjoyable enough. Overall the Margaritas and Guacamoles seemed to be the stars of the lunch. I can’t speak to everyone else’s food as I didn’t try it, but no one had complaints. To me Mezcal is a middle of the road place, but then again I don’t live in Worcester so I don’t know what else the Mexican food scene has to offer.
note: If you park in the garage, get your server to validate your ticket.

By far, The best Mexican Resturaunt in this region! I recommend for almost anyone, for the quick in out dinners, to the family event eaters. I was blown away from my expectations with there fabulous food, excellent service, and family friendly space and area to dine and enjoy!

We were in the area to see Toruk at the DCU and decided to come here. It was solid, tasty food and I would come here again. Why the 3 stars? I’ll tell you…
We walked in and were greeted right away. No chuckles or laughing about our 3pm reservation, just a quick walk to our booth. The restaurant itself is a nice space with a great window-​ed side allowing you to see what’s going on. Simple furniture and décor that was just right for me, though nothing told me it was a Mexican restaurant.
Our waitress came right over to take drinks, then popped back over to see about appetizers. We went with the queso dip and a sode of guac. The queso dip, though puddled with oil was tasty. The guac, while good, wasn’t rave worthy to me. A little lackluster considering they have a guac bar option.
We ordered the chimichanga and steak fajitas. I heard the chimi was good, but i didn’t try it. My fajitas were well seasoned and I loved that they tucked the tortillas against the skillet to keep them warm. That said, the steak was cut and cooked unevenly. A few pieces were medium rare bordering cold in the middle. The rice was a little mushy and bland.
Our waitress checked in again and got me a refill without my having to ask.
We finished the meal and waited a bit before being asked about desssert; we shared the fried ice cream. We both asked for coffee and neither of us received one. It was also quite a while before we saw our waitress again. That ended things on a less than great note.
The food could have been better executed, especially the rice, and the service really dropped off as the meal went on. Flavor wise most things were pretty on point. While I didn’t mind the atmosphere… there really wasn’t one. If they changed to a Chinese restaurant next week, they wouldn’t need to remodel.
I really wanted that coffee.
3 stars overall. Would visit again.

Overpriced for the quality of food. I have never been impressed with anything other than their guacamole and margaritas.
Pros: Good and tasty guac options. I like their diablo margarita (spicy). As I said, if I come to Mezcal, I only get their guac and margaritas. Lots of seating space — good for large groups. The outdoor seating is nice for the summer/​warmer season.
Cons: Everything is overpriced. Rest of the food isn’t tasty, especially for the price. Service is inconsistent. I’ve had good and bad service here. Even though their new location is larger and can seat more people, I liked the vibe of the old venue a lot better. The new venue now has a cheaper, ‘chain restaurant’ feel.
The last time we came, our service WAS NOT great. Clearly some of their wait staff need training further training and some common sense. Here’s what happened:
We were in the process of picking margarita flavors and my roommate, who is allergic to oranges, asked the waitress for flavors that did NOT have orange. My friend ended up choosing the passion fruit margarita because the waitress said there weren’t any oranges/​orange juice in them. When the margarita came, it had an orange tint. Yes — passion fruit is yellow/​orangey in color but my friend wanted to double check to be safe. So, he asked another waitress to check for him. Turns out, THERE WAS orange purée in the margarita and the first waitress did not consider that to be an issue. WUHH?! Orange purée is literally crushed oranges.. .
So yeah, if you want to avoid mediocre food for triple the price and potentially an allergic reaction, then I would not come to Mezcal.

Found out they moved to a new location when we went this past weekend! It’s been a while since we came back to Mezcal but the new location is much more roomier with more space. We will definitely be back again. Our server was awesome so our experience there was great. Their guac is always delicious — def recommend the Thai rooster if you’re a fan of sriracha. Personally it’s not spicy but adds a good taste. We also got tried the mini Tostados, the shrimp and risotto, and the pan seared mahi mahi which my fish was a bit overcooked but we had a pitcher of pomegranate peach margarita to forget about the overcooked fish so it was still a great time (you can def get 6 – 7 cups out of that) & Did I mention our server was great — it makes all the difference! Perfect place for a date night or a night out with your girlfriends over snacks and drinkkkks! Will be back!

Had a dinner part of 12 here. I’m not sure if the size of the party or time of day made an impact on the service, but the waiting staff was quite slow in taking our orders and getting the food out in a timely fashion. I also had to keep asking to have my water filled (had ~15 min stretch with no one to stop by and ask how we’re doing), even when we were essentially the only people in the restaurant.
I should note, there was a Grateful Dead concert that evening and the place was PACKED and LOUD when we got there. Our dining experience was much quieter once the concert started. It’s possible the wait staff was exhausted by the time we sat down, but we’re also paying customers and that is no excuse to slack off.
As for the food, the guacamole is DELICIOUS. Definitely start off with a plate of those. I got the Fajitas, which was lukewarm by the time it came out and my wife got the taco salad. Portions are good for dining. Definitely not authentic Mexican, but they do a good job.

Love this place! Delicious guacamole & delicious margaritas! What more do you need?!

I really enjoyed Mezcal we had a great night. The service was phenomenal, great appetizer, great entrée, great dessert, and even better margaritas. Thank you!!!

This is our 4^th time coming to Mezcal Worcester, and it’s been getting progressively worse. Tonight, I have to be honest, it was really a letdown.
1. It started off with trying to make reservations, to which the host said ‘We have nothing until 9pm… which is understandable, but that was literally the end of the conversation. No suggestions or alternatives. We decided to try anyways, and got there by 615 pm.
2. When we arrived, I saw plenty of tables, and still had to wait 45 minutes. The bartender didn’t seem too interested in my appetizer order, and it was reflected in the order showing up wrong. I grabbed a waiter, who fixed it for me. Also… the margarita pitcher was a step above fruit juice. I can’t believe I paid that much $$ for essentially a non-​alcoholic drink.
3. When our table was called, I went to the front desk and told them my table had been called. The hostess said ‘Are you sure?’ I said… Yes… you texted me. She said ‘Are you sure?’ again, which turned out to be an awkward attempt at a joke. She then told me to ‘lighten up’ to which I replied… I have no idea what you are talking about… I’m confused. She led me to a dirty table in the bar that wasn’t plated, and we sat down. They wiped it down while we sat there.
Overall, the customer service has really been suffering over our last few visits

I think this place is a tad over hyped. The food is by no means bad .just a little bland. Their fish tacos are really good but the side of rice that comes with it is bland. I was really excited I love yellow rice but it just didn’t have any flavor. They have awesome drinks
Sangria. Love it really. I’m a huge fan and they had a ton of options for margaritas, like raspberry coconut, and you can get a pitcher delicious! It’s so unbelievably packed during weekends make a reservation in advanced! They also have free valet which is soo appreciated. I’ve heard great things about the ceviche but didn’t have the chance to try it

At the old small location this place was a 5 star experience at the new location, well lets just say I stopped recommending Mezcal. At the old location going to Mezcal was a nice dining experience, nice ambiance, service was great, the quality of food was fantastic, the margaritas (most important) to die for. At the new location the ambiance is Unos, open ceilings with ductwork exposed, service is slow and the servers are inattentive, the food all tastes bland and the margaritas are watered down. Everything youd expect from a chain restaurant, too bad this place isnt a chain.
I ordered some to go food on ⁷⁄₂₉: the (pork)nacho to go box, the (shredded chicken) taco to go box (ten soft shells and fixings), large (classic) guac to go and a taco salad. There was a two dollar charge on the tacos for jalapenos, im thinking awesome, if their charging me they must by fresh… nope, two bucks gets you one of those small 2oz-​ish sauce containers, for a total of 10 normal sized (canned) jalapeño rings and two small end pieces (I added a picture to the pictures here on Unilocal). The shredded chicken for the tacos was pretty tasty, the 3 knuckle bones and the large amounts of ligaments werent. Its almost as if their getting shredded chicken pre shredded from sysco, I make shredded chicken all the time, its not hard to keep the bones and ligaments out.
The 13 dollar guac got us this bland overly creamy guac, almost like the kind you get at the grocery store next to all the hummus. I can see how it can serve 5 – 6 as its not very appetizing, I ate it out of spite because i paid 13 bucks for it. The nachos werent too bad, the pork was a little sweet for my tastes but thats more personal preference. The Taco salad lettuce was that finely shredded iceberg lettuce thats great for tacos (was included in the taco to go box) and underneath burgers to catch all those delicious drippings before they hit the bottom bun. It does not belong in a salad.
Overall everything is now an overpriced letdown, the nachos were passable but I can get more volume and tastier nachos at Acapulcos. Plus Acapulcos has better ambiance, I actually feel like im at a mexican restaurant and not Unos. As for margaritas maybe if you want one of those fruity numbers maybe Mezcal is better. But if you want a real marg: tequila, lime juice, cointreau (or triple sec), ice, kosher salt; thats not watered down to all hell the Acapulco’s Presidente beats Mezcals «skinny”(not skinny girl) marg anyday. Except at the old Mezcal, the skinny marg I had there was hands down the best margarita of my life, I feel like im chasing the dragon now.

just went for a drink and chips and guacamole. The guac was pretty bland with a giant piece of avocado that i had to cut up. Salsa was pretty good but watery. The chips were out of a bag. margarita was pretty tasty.

soo apparently the only time you receive service and food in a prompt manner is if you come when the restaurant is dead, and there are no other guests.
four of us came here on a saturday night, with a reservation for 5:45. we had an event at the DCU center across the way, which started at 7:30. i had a groupon for 2 apps, 4 entrees, and 2 desserts.
our appetizer of «queso» was melted cheese that quickly fused back together as it cooled. difficult and embarrassing to eat. the fried calamari was just eh, and didn’t come with any sort of dipping sauce.
we waited a long while for our entrees, even having to refuse a server not once but twice when the wrong food was delivered to our table. when our entrees did finally arrive, we only got two of them. then we waited. and waited. and waited. our server stopped by and didn’t even acknowledge that a) we were waiting a long time in general and b) that we had been waiting at least 5 minutes for our other two entrees to show up. when they did arrive, we were all underwhelmed with what we ordered. none of the flavors popped, and everything was just so-​so.
needless to say that when we left the restaurant at 7:40 (already late for our event…), we’d only received apps and entrees. our server offered to wrap our dessert to go but, considering how late we were, and that none of us were going to be home for a good 4 — 5 hours, we declined. no adjustment was made to our bill, and no manager ever came to our table to check in or apologize.
i will be steering clear of this place from now on. this dinner was just the right thing to turn me off on coming here ever again in the future.

It’s very hard for a restaurant to earn a 1 star review from me.
Plus:
The food was acceptable.
The presentation of the food was Excellent.
Minus:
Service was dog slow. We saw the waiter about once every 20 minutes.
The venue was LOUD (and acoustics). My db meter set it around 76 db+. I had to yell to speak to my wife sitting right beside me.
The kitchen was slow. An order of nachos took 25 minutes.
The drinks (bar) were slow. A glass of iced tea took 15 minutes.
Tips:
Bring earplugs
Make reservations
I would only come here if there was no where else available.

The Good: Loved the atmosphere of this place! Very hip and well decorated.
The Okay: The food. Now, some of it was very good but laughably priced. Thank goodness for Groupon! The nachos needed more of a kick (although the portion was fair), and the sauce on the chili rellenos was more bbq than Mexican (I’m aware this is my personal choice so my rating isn’t impacted by this dish). The highlight was the shrimp risotto.
The Bad: The service. Our server was pleasant and friendly… when he was around. I fault the management though for poor staffing… we heard our waiter say he had ten tables… and he was also the bartender! Absolutely inexcusable for a restaurant that is supposed to be slightly upscale.
In Summary: Honestly this would be a two star review if not for the great Groupon deal. Overpriced food, slow service, and hit or miss dishes make this a place I’d only return to during a promotional period. Worcester needs better Mexican!

Mmmm… overpriced avocado and toppings, delish!
I meet my best friend here every year around Christmas time. This was our first visit to the new location. We made reservations, not knowing what the new space would be like. It’s open and well lit, and plenty of seating available, unlike the old location.
The guacamole flight is a must. I have to say, the Thai Guacamole is my favorite! Lime, sugared pineapple, sriracha sauce, avocados, a few other things. It’s sweet and spicy and goes very well with salty chips.
I ordered the chicken enchiladas «extra spicy». Our waitress wasn’t willing to accommodate my request in the kitchen, but she offered to bring me hot sauce, which she forgot. When another waitress checked in on us, she apologized for the first waitresses’ error and brought me a really delicious homemade ghost pepper hot sauce. Be afraid, be very afraid! It was very spicy, and exactly what I wanted! I like the red sauce here, but the verde sauce is bland, and I would opt for just the red sauce next time.
The margarita’s here are very tasty, but many are too sweet and contain too much ice for the price.
Also, there is a «complimentary valet service» that will park your car since there is no visible public parking near the restaurant (that we could find in the dark). I am one of those people who feels incredibly awkward not tipping, so although it was supposed to be complimentary, I felt social pressure to tip, making an already pricy meal even pricier.
Overall, this place has buck but lacks bang.