clandestina mezcalería & tequila — Restaurant in Cleveland

Fun, moody Oaxacan themed bar on W 25th. In line with its namesake, not everyone has heard of Clandestina yet and you'll likely be able to get a spot in the small dining room if you come with just one or two other people. For larger groups, would recommend going earlier to guarantee a table as there are no reservations.

The high top tables are a little awkward in terms of height relative to the chairs, but the dark lighting, candles, and huge backlit mirrors behind the bar give you a fair amount to be distracted by. I would go mainly for the tequila and mezcal-driven cocktails, which were well-balanced and perfect for fans of the agave-based liquor. Or, test your palate against many of the other beers, wines, and non-alcoholic drinks.

To pair with your drinks, Clandestina offers a limited food menu. The Tlayuda was a pleasantly tasty combo of crispy tortilla, grilled adobo chicken, and condiments, but the Tamales and Burrito were just okay, with the tamales being fairly bland without the accompanying mole, and the carnitas also lacking the juicy richness I would expect. Overall though, for the seductive atmosphere and reasonable prices, I wouldn't be mad sharing some street food with the next person I come here...

My wife and I stopped in for “memelas”. I put that word in quotation marks because what they serve are NOT memelas (disclaimer: my wife was born and raised, and I lived for quite some time in Nayarit, Mexico where memelas are common).

The tortilla was massive, dry (no doubt they didn’t add enough water to the maseca) and overcooked. It came out looking like a burnt hamburger patty.

The cheese was not melted, the beans were not cooked thoroughly, the “salsa” may very well have been ketchup judging by its appearance and taste. The onions were raw, not even sautéed and to top it off, there was not even any kind of meat, which a traditional memela has.

The ambiance was cool, and the service was fast. They had an extensive tequila and mezcal selection (which we didn’t try), so if you’re looking for a neat spot to have a drink, this place might be for you. If you want traditional Mexican food, or even good food at all,...

Give this place a look! It is excellent service, excellent tequila, excellent atmosphere, excellent patio and excellent food. Kerry was our main server slash tequila/mezcal expert and she was amazing. The other service staff came to our table for various food/drink deliveries and they were friendly and attentive as well. We arrived early on a Saturday (5:30ish) and the dinner /game crowd shuffled in soon after. There were plenty of seats and plenty of staff. We had an amazing time!! They even let us go down into the Smoke and Mirrors Bar in the basement that becomes a dance floor at 1000. If you like tequila and mezcal they have a lot of very unique selections that are hard to find! They have an amazing elevated/roof patio out back as well that connects to the Nano Brewery. ...