Mestizo — Restaurant in Iloilo City

𝑨 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅.

We’ve been going at this restaurant for years and the food and service never declines. This review is a love letter to our favorite restaurant.

We usually order lots of tacos and some drinks but tonight, my companion and I decided to go easy during dinner-time.

Steak and Eggs - steak cooked to perfection. We asked for medium rare and Mestizo served it nicely. The meat was not chewy and it was seasoned perfectly. The garlic rice complemented the perfect runny eggs and it made a beautiful combo of a breakfast meal turned to a dinner meal. We loved it and this is the second time we’ve ordered it. Next time, we’d like to try the patatas bravas as a side dish instead of the rice.

Tacos (Carne Asada & Carnitas) - a note: I am not entirely sure which is which in the picture but as always, their tacos tasted divine. This is one thing I’ve liked about Mestizo, the quality of their signature food does not decline. I dare say their food gets better with time. I’m not a taco enthusiast but I will say that the soft taco soaking up the juices from the meat and other ingredients is just chef’s kiss. The pickled red onion adds a tangy taste to the taco coupled with the perfectly roasted and seasoned meat. I did enjoy tasting pineapple in the Carnitas. It was a new taste I was skeptic to try at first but it had a sweet and roasted taste.

Pesto - This one had a strong, nutty taste. I don’t like pesto so I’ll describe how my first bite went - it felt like I was kicked into consciousness by a pasta then the parmesan bits in brought me back to savory heaven. So that’s great all in all.

Special Mention: Eggs Benny - a must try if you love eggs! I ordered this last time and it was so perfect when I had my first bite I felt like I was jumping on a giant fluffy egg. The flavor was rich and the texture was perfect. It was paired with their sourdough loaf. I regret not ordering it tonight.

Service - The staff were attentive. They had a good attitude and that’s a great start. They were very responsive to our needs and always checked if our water needs to be refilled.

Final Notes: Mestizo is one of the restaurants we really splurge on and choose to celebrate our special moments with because it’s a restaurant that doesn’t decline with quality food. However, I lacked a star in the food rating because I felt that I lack more in reviewing their menu - I haven’t tried most of their drinks (cocktails) and they had more promising dishes worth ordering in their menu. With that said, Mestizo is a restaurant worth coming back to and I do hope next time I’m trying their...

Overall, it was a good dining experience. (Even though I've lived in Mexico & have eaten authentic Mexican food, I won't judge it by that but rather vs similar restaurants or "Tex-Mex" places in order to be fair.)

The breakfast burrito is easily the best I've eaten! Honestly very good and fresh. The tacos were good overall, but the version of tortilla they used quickly became soggy, but the taste overall was still very good. The quesadilla is ok, and tasty, but a bit thin. Still, it's a good choice overall I think.

However, the mixed drinks such as the Tom Collins weren't very good and didn't seem mixed well. I'd recommend sticking with beer or another drink instead of cocktails.

Sadly they were out of churros so not sure how those are. Also note that if you arrive after 8:30 it's too late to be seated & served

Service is ok, but yeah I agree it can be slow for a smaller restaurant like it is. Seating fills up so be sure to avoid waiting too late to go!

Would I go back or recommend it to friends? Yes definitely! There are minor things to improve of course but on the whole, it's a good dining experience and a fun change of flavor. I think you'll...

Kept coming back here for their birria and buritos. Had their horchata for the first time, and it dethroned the one I had in La Union.

But their other drinks, orange basil is also refreshing. Their nachos with artichokes was new to my palate. And the calamansi (?) Mousse cake melts in the mouth. Not a fan of churros. But mestizo's made me change my mind. If served warm, dig in instantly. Dip it in yema or chocolate dips that comes in the serving.

Will surely come back again.

Brought our German exchange student here last month and she loved the vibe. And was happy that they offer plant-based and vegetarian options...