El Mezcal II
- 1819 W. 23rd St. Lawrence, KS
- 785-832-8775
- Visit website
Description
El Mezcal burst onto the Mexican restaurant circuit in Lawrence in 1999 and was an instant town favorite. An extensive menu is loaded with both traditional favorites and Mezcal specialties, all reasonably priced. Selections are not greasy or otherwise hard on the stomach -- just good. Be sure to try their white cheese sauce to compliment your free chips and salsa.
Their Southside location has a shaded patio perfect for sippin' Margaritas. For more reclusive Mexican lovers, the Midtown location offers basement seating. Also locations in Topeka (2), Ottawa and Osage City.
Comments
idarastar 13 years, 9 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
This is definitely the frozen margarita spot!!!
royalpain 13 years, 11 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
What was the name of the restaurant that was in this building before El Mezcal? Wasn't it a fast-food type Mexican place with a drive-thru? I only went there after 2:00 am when I was in town on weekends in the 1994-97 era. Can't remember the name because I was was too drunk when I ate there.
jayhawkrockdoc 14 years, 9 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
Beware that this place does not use separate utensils to prepare their vegetarian entrees. Not only did I find a chunk of chicken in my quesadilla from their "Vegetarian Dishes" menu section but the waiter couldn't have been more indifferent when I asked to return the dish and not replace it with another one.Although these guys bring your food fast, the lame margaritas and tacky atmosphere make Ixtapa (or anywhere else) the much better option.
thecaptain 14 years, 10 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
Why trash on El Mez? I love it.The food is good. I'm a picky person and I LOVE that I can order a cheese enchilada without onions and other crap hidden inside. Their cheese dip is to die for. Good chips and salsa. Service is just OK. Nothing special, but they aren't rude either.This is a simple Mexican restaurant. Nothing fancy. The food is simple. That's why I like it!
mongchau 15 years, 3 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
Oh I forgot to mention I had an upset stomach afterwards. Not going back even if it was someone's treat!
mongchau 15 years, 3 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
Poor service! The price does not match the quality and taste of the food. I expected more flavors, spices, and sides. The chips are okay but the salsa? It looked like spaghetti sauce since it was basically pureed tomatoes; the taste was terrible and the aftertaste bitter. I ordered the tacos carne asada. I was not happy with the presentation: the "tacos" or soft tortillas were wrapped in aluminum foil (maybe pre-made) and the pico de gallo that came with it was inadequate for the tacos. They were bland and missing veggies and other tasty Mexican flavors that I craved. I think this restaurant is overrated. I went on a Friday night and a bunch of drunk sorority girls and guys made my experience worse with their annoyingly loud obnoxious behavior. I would rather go elsewhere than here! Yucko!
David Borys 15 years, 6 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
El Mez is packed every day of the week for lunch and dinner for good reasons. The food is very good on a consistent basis. The fajitas and margaritas keep people coming back. As mentioned above the outdoor patio at the 23rd St. location is great for an evening meal in the summer, and the basement of the 9th St. location is great for parties or large groups. The menu is very large so even picky eaters and kids will find something to enjoy. While El Mez can suffer from slow service due to being over crowded I believe this is common to many establishments and unlike many places you do get drinks and free chips and salsa while you wait for your meal. There food is not for everyone (what restaurants is?) but it keeps all my family and friends coming back whenever they visit. While I agree with the first comment here that Ixtapa and La Familia also have good food, there menu and offerings are quite different than El Mez and the margaritas cant even compare.
David Albertson 15 years, 9 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
The same people that leave these negative comments are the same people that you will find in the Taco Bell drive-thru at 2 AM. There's a reason why both El Mezcal locations are packed most evenings, especially the weekends. Go see for yourself. As for the white cheese - cheese is made from milk, milk is white. These gringos are used to their cheddar, colby and velveeta that is dyed yellow, go figure.
beanpoll03 17 years ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
The "white cheese" is used in traditional mexican food it's called queso blanco, but since most haven't had it they don't know what it is! I thought the food was pretty good for the value, the chimichanga was on the small side but good. the salsa was really good, just enough kick to it. The service was fast and the amosphere of the restaurant was very festive. It's definatly not the blvd in KC but a good place to go if you are craving something better than Taco Bell.
kc4kg 17 years, 1 month ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
Whatever white cheese is, its the bomb (the reason I go back) oh and the margaritas on Thursdays are cheap....Good way to start the night off
kc4kg 17 years, 1 month ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
Whatever white cheese is, its the bomb.... (The reson I go back) Oh and the margarita's on Thursdays are cheap!
nicole 17 years, 2 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
The comments about this resturaunt don't represent at all the experiences that my friends and I have had at this resturaunt. First of all, the food is good tasty mexican food with flavorful sauces, and a wide variety of dishes. There's a reason why "everyone seems to like El Mezcal." Good hot food that is served in a VERY timely fashion. Also the staff is very courteous, although busy, and the vibe of the resturaunt is always lively and of course beautifully decorated. Also, don't forget that you can get this amazing mexican food for carry out. Last time I did that, they had it ready in like 10 minutes! Franky i'm appalled that Matt would recommend Ixtapa over El Mezcal. In fact the service and food was SO terrible at Ixtapa, I firmly believe that it is a front for another kind of business... that's the ONLY possible explanation.
seymoursmart 17 years, 4 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
El Mezecal is overated. If people care for good Latin American cuisine, then go to La Parilla. The service is great. Plus, the employees at El Mezecal are rude. Don't care for rude service.
nblue91879 17 years, 4 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
Granted, we arrived at a very busy time, but we waited 45 minutes only to realize that people who had arrived after we did were being seated before us. When we asked the host why we hadn't been seated he told us that they had called several numbers, but no one had answered. There were two other groups of people that "didn't hear their numbers called" either. We were seated as soon as possible, but the waiter was rude. They were trying to run people through the restaurant like a herd of cattle.
nblue91879 17 years, 4 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
Granted, we got there at a very busy time, but we waited in for 45 minutes. Some people that should've gone before us realized that people that had arrived after us were getting seated. When asked why we hadn't been seated, they told us that they had called several numbers and no one had answered. We were seated as soon as possible, but the waiter was rude and they were running people through the restaurant like cattle.
turtlegirl37 17 years, 9 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
El Mezcal is hands-down the best restaurant in Ottawa (and I know that's not saying much, but it's a great place to go when you don't wanna drive.) We're vegetarians and always split the huge veggie quesadilla ($5!!). We also enjoy the 99 cent margaritas on Tuesday and Thursday. The service is always average to excellent. So, if you're ever trapped in Ottawa, check it out.
jd 17 years, 11 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
They are definitely taking their customers for granted. Service was always iffy but I used to chalk that up to the language barrier (would it really kill them to try to learn enough English to take an order?) and the food made up for it then. Now, I think they just don't give a damn.
One family outing a few months back, we had about 20 people in our party. We left a generous tip but the manager copped an attitude and accused my niece of not leaving a tip. She didn't know we had already left one and gave him another. Fortunately her dad blew a gasket and demanded her tip back. The manager reluctantly obliged but offered no apology.
Never going back.
smerdyakov 17 years, 11 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
El Mezcal USED TO BE the chronic...they had pretty good food for remarkably little money, the servers were pro and cordial (if not talkative), and the in-and-out speed was fast.
These days the only thing worth going there for is take-out white cheese sauce. The wait is excessive and once you're seated you'll be treated to the no-words, no-eye-contact, rarely-at-the-table service of the waiter. What else does the waiter have to do while working? Direct all their (visual) attention to the loud, drunk-on-margaritas sorority girls - regardless of who's table it is.
The food is also decidedly bland - most everything is just drowned in red sauce, which isn't good itself. Seems the only thing they've invested in since they opened is the gawdy overload of kitchy decor. Too bad...this used to be my favorite summer patio restaurant.
xbaio 18 years ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
service was terrible, never refilled drinks or chips. food was decent, good chips and salsa, but my date and i were ill afterward. probably not going back.
katielp7 18 years, 4 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
Know what's even better than El Mezcal in Lawrence? That's right, El Mezcal in Ottawa. It's not overly busy, yet it still offers the same choices and price range. And the waiters are nice to you, if you're nice to them ;)
Centrist 18 years, 4 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
Nah .. no worries! Good Mexican tucker .. and CHEAP. Share a Fajita between 2 people and you'll get the idea. Quit being so fussy, people! Good dosh, and doesn't cost too many bikkies .. compare this to tired-old Carlos O'Kelly's .. which sucks! Me and the missues ... We LOVE El Mezcal!!
gamer 18 years, 4 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
While not abysmal, El Mez is one of the most highly overrated restaurants in Lawrence. Combining rude service and bland, bland versions of the best of Mexico City, I marvel at how both locations stay in business. While the cheese dip is really good, nothing else is.
Good Mexican? Ixtapa, then La Familia.
Jillster 18 years, 5 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
El Mezcal is, in my opinion, the best Mexican food in Lawrence. The prices are reasonable, and the service is outstanding. Best time to go is around noon on Sundays...it isn't packed like it is most other times.
Rose Foster 18 years, 11 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
Ok, everyone seems to like El Mezecal. The chips and salsa are ok, and they keep 'em comin. That's good, but I always get the feeling they want us to get the hell out of there as soon as we sit down. What is white cheese? And, my biggest complaint: the smell of lysol permeates this place everytime I am there. Lysol and refried beans. Yuck.
shorty 19 years ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
El Mezcal used to be a place to go to with friends to enjoy good cheap food and quick friendly service. The food is horribly bland and the service is awful! Don't even think about getting any decent service if you are not in a group of females looking to get drunk. Once you get past even getting some service, you must endure staring and comments by the wait staff there. I used to enjoy El Mezcal, but unfortunately, I can no longer recommend it to anyone cause I won't be going back.
wdw 19 years, 3 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
I used to obsolutely love el Mazcal. It was my favorite place. The food was great, and made it worth the wait at the door. But lately, the wait has gotten longer, the place has gotten louder and louder, and the food has gone downhill, quick. I think they have gotten used to being so popular that they are taking their regular customers for granted.
meha 19 years, 4 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
After living in L.A. and Phoenix, I admire the family who owns/runs this fantastic retaurant. Best Mexican food we've eaten. Service is fantastic as the only waiting is a little one to be seated as the place is always full. These guys have always been courtious and friendly and have made it a great place to eat great food. Continued success to them.
Ray Miller 19 years, 5 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
The food is really good, but heaven help you if you try to substitute anything in the combo plates. I had to talk to three different workers and a manager to convince them I didn't want refried beans. Still, the food was well worth the hassle. I highly recommend the enchiladas.
ladysilk 19 years, 6 months ago on El Mezcal II
El Mezcal II
I love the El Mezcal food! I eat here often with friends. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable around the staff. They stare and talk about the customers in spanish when they think the customers can't understand (here's a clue...some of us can). Anyway...if you can get past the service and vibe (only on occasion not all the time) this is a GREAT place to eat.
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