Mesa

Hello again Dallas restaurant goers!

Last week, Meal of Food Friday was at Mesa, a Mexican restaurant in Oak Cliff. I originally thought that we would be heading to the Bishop Arts district, but Mesa is actually a bit hidden in Oak Cliff a little way off of IH 35. The restaurant is small, but has a large bar with stools and a big enclosed patio, which is where we sat. You can tell that the place is fairly new, and the decor is modern and tasteful.

Unlike most places in DFW, Mesa is a Mexican restaurant rather than a Tex-Mex place. That means that they use more traditional ingredients and shy away from more Americanized dishes. I personally like both traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex food, and the more traditional fare was a nice change of pace!

I tried the Mesa Rita, which is essentially a skinny margarita. It's made with fresh lime juice, agave nectar, and tequilla. It was very tasty and pretty strong! One was plenty for me.

There is no better summer drink thank a margarita on the rocks with salt.

We had the guacamole as a starter, and I have to tell you, it was some of the best guacamole that I've ever eaten. It was creamy and delicious! The chips were good too - they are thicker than regular tortilla chips, so they did not break off in the guac.

I could have just eaten this for dinner and been perfectly content.

Because it is still Lent, I decided to order the Enchiladas Vegetarianas. As you can probably guess, this was veggie enchiladas. They came carrots, mushrooms, onions, and other veggies in two tortillas covered in mole (pronounce mo-lay) sauce. If you aren't familiar, mole is a type of Mexican sauce made from chili peppers, spices, and a little bit of chocolate. I like mole sauce.....but a little bit goes a long way as far as I'm concerned. I liked my dinner well enough, but probably would not order it again. There was a pork dish and a carne asada option that both looked really good. If we ever go back I will give one of them a try!

The drinks and guacamole were hands down the best part of the meal. If you ever go, I strongly encourage you to try them!

I liked this restaurant, but I felt that the entrees were a little pricey. The cheapest entree (which is the one that I ordered because it was one of the only meat free options) was $15.95. The drinks and appetizers seem pretty on par with other places around town. I'm cheap (or maybe I should say frugal? does that sound better or worse?) and this just seemed a little expensive for veggies wrapped in tortillas. I don't know that we will go back, but I'm glad that we tried it!