Mexhico Restaurant — Restaurant in Barrie

While driving, we asked google for a Mexican restaurant in Barrie...

It didn't mention anything about the type of foods being served, so we figured this joint was a nice, traditional Mexican place, right downtown.

Went in, boring looking place. the owner calls " minimal Mexican LOL " no coatracks, so your winter coat hangs on the shabby floor & Your drink will spill on the poorly made tables.

... when we are seated, there is no mention anywhere from menu, staff or owner who doesn't share his name, that the place is Vegan.

We have eaten at many plant based places in the past and the host people or servers always explain they a Vegan joint and ask us if we have allergies, which is the right way, as this restaurant doesn't do that.

The physical menu only says gluten free with some items.

We ordered the Mexican Nachos with Cheese & Barbacoa, which at every other Mexican restaurant is Lamb, or at this place, you can order Chicken or beef, which is usually meat, according to the menu.

We received our Cold Nachos in less than 5 minutes, even before drinks were served to us ( no no ), which were ordered at the same time as the nachos.

The food tasted strange, as we expected meat and real cheese.

I asked the nameless owner to please heat up the nachos.

He brought them back, and the cheese was not melted, and ( unaware to us, thinking this was real lamb ) fake meat on top was cold.

I was like, hey, what's up with this?

He said to me that the nachos were meant to be served cold ( not mentioned on the physical menu ). and the cheese was fake ( also not on the physical menu ), and Daiya doesn't melt.

There are other fabulous, better Vegan brands that taste much better, and do melt : )

Before writing this review, I sent an email to the business, hoping they would improve their transparency and menu/signage, so others don't spend 90 bucks on food they didn't order.

The response never happened, so I sent another email after 4 days.

The response from the owner was bitter and non productive, and said " we don't owe you an explanation about our signage or menu " they didn't apologize or offer us another experience and for that, you deserve 1 *.

Edit based on the nameless owners response:

Dear Owner,

You can blame the new girl you hired, however, the ultimate responsibility is yours, and not mine, nor your reviewers and clientele.

You mentioned you had " we are Vegan " on the door, but that simply was incorrect!

You can publish my emails if that helps you sleep at night... and perhaps your name as well, to take the responsibility.

I am happy to permit that.

Prior to writing a review, I wrote not one, but a second email responding to yours that was dismissive.

I was as kind as possible in my second email so we could work together to fix your problem, based on the experiences of 2 Customers, prior to writing my review.

Similar to my first email, which took 4 days, and my nudge, you did not respond.

The fact that there is nowhere in your restaurant, from the server, nor the physical menu, nor indoor or outdoor signage indicating that you are full Vegan, is the root cause of the complaint here.

As you told me in response to my first email, that my partner & I should have read the Google reviews & page before visiting your place.

You cannot expect that every stray, starving cat walking in off the street has read any of your Google reviews, nor Google your page.

These cats are hungry, and would like some good food and good service.

As mentioned, every Vegan restaurant around the world that we have dined at, takes pride in the fact that they are vegan.

Based on your crummy response, you require a lesson in gratitude, as we still tipped 18%, as well as a chance for you to EARN fresh clientele after some mild concerns to you, in person.

You never offered to make it right while we were...

Straight up phenomenal! We drove from Oakville to Barrie, Ontario just to check out this new VEGAN Mexican restaurant… and we were beyond impressed! We were greeted warmly at the door by one of the owners, Jessica Weir.

Everything was immaculate, staff would carefully disinfect EVERY surface after a client left & everyone was masked up. COVID prevention is taken very seriously here.

We ordered: Cocktails! One was a mango margarita and the other was a blend of mango, pineapple, something else we can’t remember, and jalapenos. Both very tasty! Mexhico Loaded Fries with Ground “Beef” – The portion was HUGE! The flavours exploded in our mouths. These fries didn’t stand a chance! The platter was destroyed! Chikn Alambre – This was corn rice, refried beans, and rolled tortilla deliciousness! Oh wow, we really enjoyed the blend. Tacos de Barbacoa – Ok… we don’t really know what was in there (other than mushrooms) but the combination of ingredients AND the sauce with a touch or lime… hands down the BEST tacos we’ve ever had. We don’t make this claim lightly. Desert was Cayenne Pepper Brownie – this came with ice cream. The cayenne pepper gave it a bit of a kick but not too strong; the ice cream really balanced out the flavours.

Hard to believe the whole menu is vegan. This food blew our minds!

The chef (also one of the owners), Emmanuel, came out to greet us with every dish to make sure it was to our liking. He took time to explain each dish. What impressed me the most was to see him take the time to go to each table and converse with the guests. This extra personal touch is exceedingly rare – we really appreciated it.

One of THE best restaurant experiences we’ve ever had. It was worth the 1.5-hour drive to Barrie. We will be...

Literally one of my favourite restaurants! I always make a point of stopping here when I’m in Barrie (I live in Toronto) with my family. The food is INCREDIBLE. And if you’ve ever had vegan cuisine before, you know delicious & vegan do not always go hand in hand.

I am also a self admitted picky eater who loves a balance of great flavours, textures and quality food. Mexhico his the mark. I also have 4 & 6 year olds who are even pickier eaters than me, and they always finish all their food here. The adorable dinosaurs that my kids fave vegan cheese quesadillas are served on and great value of their kids menu is fabulous. The owners & chef have created an exceptional menu of delicious, healthy and beautifuy flavoured Mexican cuisine that we love. One of the owners Brad truly went above and beyond to accommodate us. We called our most recent take-out order to eat in the car driving back to Toronto. We walked in to pick it up and decided to stay. Even though all our food was packed and in a bag to go, they were amazing about having us sit and enjoy. They brought us their AMAZING homemade hot sauces to compliment the tacos and loaded fries. They even made a fresh batch of Chicarrones for our kids to try.

Mexhico is a truly a gem. I am not vegan, and eat most foods. But unfortunately, meat and dairy do not always make me feel great. I never feel bloated, stuffed or hungry when I leave here. I feel great, satiated and nourished. I love bringing my family here for meals together.

I also love their little market where you can grab sustainable housewares, vegan groceries or a little gift from a local maker.

Thanks again Brad and your wonderful team for an always-awesome, tasty, healthy and fun family...