Mesita

Those who know me know I’m not super fond of this cuisine. Mexican food is only so good. But this place serves up Mexican as good as it gets. Everyone on our table was absolutely delicious — tableside guac, «street corn», tamales, fish tacos, steak tacos, steak burrito, and the salmon entrée — everyone raved about the food. Others commented on bad service — that was not my experience. Things were brought promptly to our table and refilled promptly as well. Next time I’m craving this cuisine, this is definitely the spot.

Made a reservation for 4 people for a Wednesday evening. About an hour prior to our reservation we called to see if we could adjust to 6 people instead. Hostess said no problem at all. Once we arrived the hostess said they did not have a reservation for us. It was very busy and they mentioned they were going to see if they can make room, but it was strange since we JUST spoke to them. Eventually another host comes over and assures us that we had a reservation and our booth was ready. Only waited about 5 minutes no problem just a little confusion, it happens.
However, it took the server probably 8 – 10 minutes to greet himself. He brought chips and salsa when he greeted us but said he had to take another tables order and then he will be back to take our drink orders. We are very thirsty people (you’ll see later) that we were a little annoyed with this. Eventually he comes back over and takes our drink orders and appetizers. Drinks were strong and delicious — we were very happy once these came! Frozen strawberry margarita was our table’s favorite. Servers were all very busy running around so I am assuming they were just short staffed that evening. Lots of booths and tables with a nice atmosphere — high ceiling with lights all around. When our entrees came out the food was delicious! Skirt steak is to die for! Chicken fajita was very nicely presented on a fajita board. We were all very very satisfied with our meals. Churros for dessert were served with a warm chocolate sauce — once again delicious!
The bill came out to about $ 375 for 6 people but I’d say about $ 200 of that was on alcohol/​sodas (told you we were thirsty: D). We also had a groupon for $ 100 towards the bill. Other than the confusion with the hostess and the servers delay in the beginning, we were all extremely satisfied and will be back for sure!

Months ago, I had purchased a Groupon for Mesita that was quickly forgotten until I received a reminder e-​mail that it would be expiring in a week. Thus, I suggested celebrating my new job promotion here with a girlfriend over dinner and drinks. Walking in, we immediately took note of the clashing décor: faux streetlights, murals imitating outdoor cafés, retro bicycle centerpiece at the bar, warehouse garage door covered in graffiti, cold dim lighting, etc. Not cute. The only attractive thing was probably the tequila bottles displayed behind a grate fence that separated the dining area from the private party room in the back.
I had made a reservation for 8pm, but arrived 15 mins early. Informed by the hostess we had to sit at the bar until they were ready to seat us, which would have been understandable if it was busy but there were at least ten available tables in sight. When we went to order drinks, the bartender stated they «do not transfer the bar tab to the table» and thus could not redeem our Groupon until we were seated at 8:30. We found out it was nearing the end of his shift, so I’m assuming he was just shirking us at the assumption that we would not tip him.
Yucca Fries — A little too firm for my liking, and served with a subtle honey chipotle sauce.
Tropical Margarita — Literally tasted like sugar haphazardly dumped into Hawaiian punch, ugh.
Fish Tacos — Crispy and delicious! Almost completely redeemed my awful drink.
Flan — Good texture, and not overly sweet.
TL;DR — Service is awful, atmosphere is cringe-​worthy, and food is mediocre overall.

Great Food. Wonderful ambiance. Nice service. Yummy drinks. Can’t ask for anything more on a Thursday out with the ladies. Want to come again and try more things on the menu. Loved the nachos with an egg on top. Amazing time and delicious tapas. Thank you Mesita for making our experience good.

The food was OKAY, but the service was absolutely abysmal. It took forever to get seated (there were empty tables), it took forever for a waiter to come take our order (10 minutes) we were told that if we didn’t order immediately we «would never get [our] food.» Who says that??? And also, why? It was 8pm, not like the place was closing any time soon!
The food came out about 30 minutes later (we didn’t order much, just some tacos). And while the steak tacos were pretty good, the fish tacos left much to be desired. The guacamole was pretty good, too. However, everything was under-​seasoned and not even the tiniest bit spicy. We had to as our waiter to get hot sauce/​salsa for us because there wasn’t any out and no one offered any to us. It came out to us a few minutes later.
There are plenty of good (and authentic) Mexican restaurants on LI to check out… avoid this one. Go to Little Mexico in Old Westbury if you want good tacos, go to Mesita if you want a dirty club-​style bar with mediocre food.

Meh! So I’m part Dominican and love Spanish food for every meal. My sister and cousins had a girls night out and wanted food Spanish food so we came to Mesita because I’ve heard great things.
No complaints on the food, we all got different margaritas that were super strong which is always a plus in my book. The three girls got different tacos which they said were flavorful, while I got shrimp fajitas that were on point. For appetizers we for street corn, yuka and guacamole all excellent as well. I would definitely recommend going if you’re looking for a New Mexican spot, when it comes to the food!
Service on the other hand, we waited 15 minutes for our server to come over who very loudly said to the hostess I’m not taking anymore tables in front of us, but we ignored it and went on. I’m not a complainer at all when it comes to dining out, I respect the hustle or a waiter or waitress. But, when our guacamole came to the table we had to ask for chips! After searching around for someone to stop. Our waiter came over to take our orders and drop off the check, never once asked if we needed anything more. Food came out quick which was awesome, but not brought out by him nor did he ask how anything was. Overall experience could have been a little better, but the food, drinks and company made it well worth it. Maybe he was just having a bad night, so we will be back for a second chance!

Fijatas were good. Guac was alright. The drinks were good… Strong but good. I guess it really depends on the person with how you look at that lol. I would definitely make a reservation if you’re dining Thursday-​Sunday. Mesita gets almost as packed as Parlay next door. Parlay and Mestia have the same owners and just taking a step inside, you can tell they are going for the «trendy NYC theme». Being from the city… I’m not buying it! But whatever it is, it seems to be working for them.

I had a great time with a friend here yesterday for dinner. It was our first time there and we found out it was taco Tuesday, that was awesome!
We had two starters, first the table side guacamole, which was really good however, we couldn’t taste any spice, and a little more lime would’ve made it a lot better for both of us. Second, the corn, I think its called elotes. It was awesome, warm and creamy, i thought it would be spicy, didn’t taste any spice but it was still very enjoyable.
We decided to stick to the special and had shrimp quesadillas, steak tacos, and fish tacos. Everything was good but by that time we were already full! & then dessert came, the churros, i took one bite and tapped out. I didn’t care for the churro, it came with chocolate sauce which seemed to be like ice cream topping but the really sweet kind not the one that actually taste like chocolate. Eh I would pass, my friend liked the churro but didn’t like the chocolate either.
All in all, we would both return because she is dying to try the fajitas lol.

I went out to Long Island for the night and was looking for somewhere to get dinner with my family. I came across Mesita on Unilocal and we decided to give it a try. The place is really big, they play loud music and have really cute décor. They really play off the Mexican theme.
We came in on a Thursday evening, and the place was really busy for a week night, so we had to wait about 10 minutes, we waited at the bar and got a couple of cocktails. The bartender was nice and made our drinks quickly, and strong which is always a plus!
When we were seated we were given menus quickly and had waters brought over. Our waitress came over and introduced herself, and took our orders. For an appetizer we went with the guacamole, which they make table side and is absolutely delicious! Mesita definitely has some of my favorite guacamole. As an entrée I got the fiesta salad. The salad was good, but I was surprised at how small it was for the price it is, it looked like it should of been a side salad. The people I was with ordered the chicken and steak fajitas and a chicken burrito, which I tried both and both were amazing. The burrito was sooo good and a great size. The steak for the fajitas was cooked and seasons perfectly.
The food, atmosphere and staff was all excellent. I will definitely be taking more trips from Brooklyn just to come here!

I really enjoyed this Mexican restaurant. It’s spacious inside and the booths are large (they were kind enough to let us squeeze 10 in). For a large group, I thought the service was grand. Our waitress didn’t seem too flustered at all and we had no issues with the level of service we were given.
Food: we ordered two servings of the table side guacamole and we ordered medium spicy. The one on our side of the table was rather mild, but good. On the other side of the table, we heard the other serving was a bit more spicy. I had a chicken burrito and it was delightful — very generously packed it came with yuca fritas which were great as well. Everyone else’s tacos, enchiladas and salads looked great also.
Drinks: I went with a Corona, but tasted a margarita and it was delicious and quite strong (La Granada). Everyone else enjoyed theirs too.
Happy to return for a margarita and some tacos!

I returned to Mesita after a half-​year long hiatus and I must say, things have definitely gotten better. The overall ambiance, the customer service, and the food were all outstanding on my last visit.
As you can tell from my other reviews, I’m usually dining out alone so I sat at the bar & the bartender l, Eddie, was amazing. He was personable, knowledgeable, and hospitable. I would definitely recommend you sit with him for a 5 star experience.

Everything about this place is fantastic! Had the margarita: delicious! Ordered the steak tacos: best and most tender steak I have had in a while. Kudos to the chef! My friend ordered the hockey and she said it was super tender and well seasoned!
Their salsa pre-​dinner– well seasoned and spicy. Even their chips– authentic, crispy, just the right amount of salt. Que Rico!!!
What’s even better?! The ambience! Tastefully decorated, with a feel of Manhattan-​meets-​Cancun! I’m the type that will judge a place by décor, cleanliness and bathrooms– they get A+ in all those areas. Thinking of booking the private room for my son’s graduation.
Our server was Eric– he was friendly, knowledgeable, and his smile is worth $ 1million!
I highly recommend this place, and will definitely be back soon!

Mesita has a really fun and trendy atmosphere. It’s definitely loud but it’s a great lively vibe. Came for dinner on a Friday night with my wife and it was pretty crowded — we had to wait about 30 minutes.
Right after we were seated, I started off with a free draft beer check-​in. My wife chose the strawberry margarita which she really enjoyed. Complimentary chips to start and salsa which was on point and had a nice kick.
Our appetizer was yuccas fritas. We each decided on tacos, I had the fish tacos and my wife, the pulled pork tacos. The fish tacos were amazing. I strongly recommend ordering them.
Mesita offers great Mexican cuisine in a fun environment. However, I think they’re charging a little bit much for the margaritas — this is not NYC.
I want to come back for fish tacos!

We came in on a Tuesday night and was surprised how big it is since the outside of this establishment is very unassuming. It had a lot of other customers but not extra crowded being a weekday but enough were here to show just how good their food may be. We were seated right away and had our waiter Eric serving us. We took a while searching over the menu as there were many delicious options to choose from. My husband and I opted for the tacos. I had the steak tacos could barely fit two! They come with 3 tacos. My husband had the chicken tacos and loved the cheese they stash at the bottom!
Overall we had a great dining experience here and especially loved the décor here! We will be back and will bring friends !

I can easily say that Mesita is the best Mexican restaurant in RVC. However, that isn’t saying much because there aren’t any other good Mexican restaurants in RVC. Cabo is the worst. Salsa Mexican is just better than Cabo, but they are a complete ripoff. El Mariachi is sort of ok sometimes. Actually Green Cactus was the best of all of them which is just sad…
Back to Mesita… They are a very trendy, upscale American style Mexican restaurant and they’re owned by the same people who own Parlay. Think of this place as a reasonably priced Besito.
The food is good, but not amazing. My wife and I had their street corn, table side guacamole, enchiladas verde, and steak & chicken fajitas. The corn was poor quality and served still cold on the inside, so we weren’t thrilled with that. Maybe the corn will be better when local corn is in season? One thing that I found odd was that our waitress told me that I had to choose between cheese or guacamole as a side for my fajitas… Why don’t they come with both?!? Everything else was good and we enjoyed our meal overall. Portions were average to slightly small and everything was plated neatly.
They offer a taco Tuesday menu that looks very tempting, but one problem that I have is that the fish tacos are made with Tilapia. I love fish tacos, but I refuse to eat garbage! I wish that they used a quality fish instead.
When considering the other Mexican options this place shines.
This place is a solid 4 stars and a worthy and welcomed addition to RVC.

Got $ 35 groupon for $ 60 value. Great deal and highly recommend trying out spot for some Mexican food in RVC.
Pros
— good friendly service by Danielle
— fresh homemade guacamole made next to your table. Super good $ 12.95 highly recommend
— homemade flan dessert. Super good $ 7 highly recommend
— hip trend spot with Latin music playing
— we got chicken, shrimp and steak fajita dishes which we both enjoyed
— high top bar tables for apps
— small lounge area for drinks while waiting for a table
Other tips
–made reservation for Thursday night as it picked up as night got later.
— get $ 15 gift card if you fill out review card from server
— dj plays on Saturday night
— parking on on street and across street has parking that is metered but is free after 6pm

Ugh. It kills me to downgrade my rating for restaurants in Rockville Centre — I love this area and come often because it’s so close to home. I’ve been back to Mesita twice after my initial visit and find myself more and more underwhelmed each time.
I’ll start with the positives. It is obvious that they are trying to be a trendy-​NYC-​esque spot. And as far as aesthetics go, they are doing just fine. The restaurant/​bar is still beautiful, huge, dare I say upscale with a modern, industrial look. I think they’re trying to move away from the divey, sports bars that infest the area. This place is much more classy. RVC caters to many age groups and Mesita certainly fits right in for those that are past their fake ID/​college days.
*****Where they went wrong was paying too much attention to appearance/​atmosphere and not enough on food quality/​service. The food is painfully bland, which is shameful for a Mexican spot.*****
I’ve had the fajitas on all 3 visits and I guess they’ve decided to change things up. The portion is smaller now. It’s served on a really cool looking tray with small individual dishes for the rice, beans, pico, etc. to make it appear bigger but don’t let that fool you! Everything about it is small and lacking any flavor. ALSO, fajitas, no matter where you go is supposed to come out SIZZLING. Everybody knows that… there was zero sizzle!
But enough about the fajitas — the chicken tacos were EVEN more bland! I don’t care how beautifully presented our meal was, flavor trumps all. Yes I am of Indian descent, but I cannot handle spicy food so my palate/​expectations are not unusually critical. But here I am at Mesita adding hot sauce to everything, even the guac (which we requested to be made spicy)! I never add hot sauce to anything. That’s how you know…
Service was meh but not for lack of trying. In general, I’ve noticed that they’re all very nice for the most part but service is spotty and unpolished which does not match the image that they’re trying to portray with the rest of their set up.
Aside from the bland, far-​from-​authentic food, Mesita is still OKAY for Rockville Centre. The atmosphere is upbeat and I will come back in the near future for a drink or two. I rarely find myself at happy hour but if I did, I would consider Mesita. The drinks ARE pretty good and there’s a huge selection! But definitely not for dinner. The food is just not suitable for a discerning palate. And the issue stems from the fact that the area simply does not demand quality Mexican so in reality, Mesita is good for it’s location. But if you’re still reading this novel of a review, you must care a lot about what and where you choose to go. Unless you’re only here for the nightlife, do yourself a favor and venture a little west into the five boroughs for some REAL, authentic, flavorful Mexican.

I came here with a friend on a Tuesday around 10pm, but I wasn’t expecting to see so many people. Right away that is how I knew I was at a great spot. For people to be out so late on a weekday for food and drinks; this place is a winner.
To my surprise the restaurant is very big. They have more than enough seating, which is why I will make this my go — to spot any day of the week. It’s dimly lit, and the music is pretty decent, nothing to dance to though. The bar is pretty big also. They have a huge selection of vodkas and wines. I really loved the candy skulls they have displayed in random spots on the walls.
We were instantly greeted when we walked in by a smiling hostess and seated against the wall at a simply decorated table. They have a great selection of margaritas and mojitos. However, I wasn’t in the mood to drink so I got a water. Next time I promise to try them.
Anyways, I ordered the chicken tacos and my friend ordered the salmon. At first they only served me one taco. I was so confused as to why, because I knew I was suppose to get 3. My lovely waitress came to my side and apologized for the mix-​up because the kitchen thought I was doing the Taco Tuesday special where they serve you one taco at a time I’m assuming. But nope, I ordered the full meal. the other two tacos came out with a cool plating presentation. They were very good and the tacos were a decent size. I could barely finish the third one. My friend said her salmon was bomb. She raved about the mango pieces they added to it. Awesome.
I cannot wait to come back ! I would recommend.

Mesita, Mesita… Oh how you’ve won me over :)
The spot is huge. Very nicely decorated. They have such an eclectic style: dia de los muertos resonates throughout the restaurant. They have a garage style door on one of the walls with graffiti writing on it. Standing tables behind the bar for when it gets crazy. Seating in the front of the restaurant next to the bar where people can sit and have drinks or even eat. There are two bars in the restaurant, both have TVs. There is a private section in the back besides the regular dining area. It’s just super cute.
The service I received was impressive. I was questioning whether or not they knew my friend & I were elites & going to write a review because the service was just that great lol. We made reservations and were seated immediately upon arrival. By 8pm the place was full with people dining, as well as by the bar. As soon as we sat down, salsa and chips followed a minute or so later. Our server Karina was super attentive and just really great.
We ordered table side guacamole to start. A guy came over with a rolling cart and actually made it in front of us and I swear he used at least 3 avocados. They make sure you get your money’s worth because we didn’t even get to finish it lol. I ordered chicken tacos for my meal and this is where they lose that one star in my book. The tacos were lacking flavor. They chicken was bland and it was missing a lot. I kept throwing guacamole on it to make it more palatable.
The drinks were on point! –strong but tasted good. Chupacabra (initially I couldn’t pronounce it and now I can’t stop saying it– you try! Lol) that was the name of the drink I got and it was amazing. So amazing that after we bar crawled our way around RVC, we returned for more drinks. Upon our return, we sat at the front bar & I used my free check in and got a pumpkin beer lol even though I’m not a beer drinker. We also tried the house pineapple infused tequila that they have ($ 10). That was okay. A little pricey but hey.
All in all, this spot is dope. Even if I never come back to eat a meal. They will definitely see my face for more of those awesome drinks & A1 service.

Mesita has potential but it’s just not there yet.
We went here on a double date Friday night. We were immediately served some chips, but it took a while for water and our drinks to come out. I had the tropical margarita. The flavor was really great, but it was light on the alcohol.
The waitress was nice and definitely tried to give recommendations.
I ordered the chicken enchiladas which were good but nothing to rave about.
The person serving the food was all over the place. Bumping into everyone and asking us to pass things around. He definitely tried hard but it’s not the restaurant experience we wanted.