Mezcal Mexican Restaurant & Bar
9958 Reisterstown Road
Owings Mills, MD 21117
(410) 205-7150
I noticed this restaurant in the former China Best site in the St. Thomas Plaza in Owings Mills. I decided to try it out as the exterior looked inviting.
The interior was just as inviting and I find it amazing that this is in fact the same place as China Best, which seemed as if it hadn't been updated since Carter administration. The side wall is stone, the ceiling is dark, and I remember a lot of reds. My friend and I were quickly seated next to the lengthy bar. And what's a restaurant without an array of flat screen televisions piping in the latest mid-day sports news about nothing.
Our server gave us a basket of tortilla chips and salsa, very similar in taste and style to Don Pablo's. Mezcal offers a lunch menu with items under $9 or so. I got a platter where you get 3 main items and one side. I got a hard taco with beef, an enchilada with spinach, and a soft taco with chicken. My side dish was an avocado salad, which was basically avocado over lettuce with a wedge of tomato.
The food was quite good. I slammed down the spinach tamale. I then ate the chicken soft taco, which was good, but the chicken pieces were quite a mouthful. I then ventured to the hard taco. By the time I got to it, the hard taco shell was mushy. It was still tasty, but a bit flaccid.
The service was attentive. My iced tea was refreshed without asking and they gave us an extra basket of tortillas and salsa.
Overall, I thought the place was good. It is very similar to Don Pablo's, but on a much smaller scale. It felt less commercial than the DP.
My only complaint was when we were leaving the manager-type guy asked how everything was. I told him that the hard taco was laying on the avocado salad and by the time I ate it it was soggy. It was a deer in the headlights moment. Not a "thank you for telling us", just an awkward stare in silence. And then we left. I wasn't expecting a free meal or anything, just an acknowledgement. Regardless, we'll definitely go there again. You should check it out.
