Mezcalito Durham — Restaurant in Durham

I love Mezcalito and the food here, however I recently got married and we scheduled our Rehearsal Dinner for here. When I called I asked if they had a party room, I was informed they did and that it could seat up to 40 people. I scheduled our reservation for 30 people and let them know we would have a videographer coming to capture our night they said that was fine. When we arrived they did not have the space set up and I find out that they don't have a party room, they did not reserve the back room for us and it was actually just another part of the restaurant filled with people and extremely loud. We were unable to have our videographer captures speeches and moments that we had planned and before we set down I was told by the manager that our videographer needed to be aware servers were would be walking by with trays of food and the area would be busy. I explained that when I called to schedule the reservation 2 months prior I informed them a videographer would be there and even asked them to put it in the notes! The food is fantastic but it really feels like shady buisness practice to allow someone to believe you have a separate party room space for their rehearsal dinner just so you can get money in the door. There were so many opportunities to communicate this to me so I could have booked our Rehearsal Dinner somewhere more intimate that we could have done everything we planned. They also were not able to accommodate even 40 people all together and had to sit us at different tables, which wouldn't have been an issue if we had the room to ourselves but we did not get to celebrate with our friends and family the way we wanted to because the room was crowded, loud and busy. To management please do not trick people and hide information so you can get a large party in. This was very unfair to us and I just can't support a buisness that treats people this way on such a...

While celebrating my boyfriend’s birthday, we stumbled upon Mezcalito Grill in Durham we had plans to eat somewhere else but spontaneously decided to try it out due to its walkable proximity to Ponysaurus Brewery. A fantastic decision it turned out to be. Though the restaurant was bustling, we were seated promptly on their vibrant outdoor patio, which immediately transported us to a festive, vacation like setting.

From the moment we sat down, the service was seamless. We were greeted with water, chips, and fresh salsa almost instantly a small but telling detail that speaks to a well-run front-of-house. Our server, Gustavo, was nothing short of outstanding. His timing was impeccable, his demeanor warm and professional, and his attentiveness never wavered without ever feeling intrusive. He’s easily one of the best servers I’ve encountered in recent memory.

For drinks we ordered the Spicy Pepino and Spicy Piña margaritas alongside the dip trio for our App. you could tell the drinks were thoughtfully crafted and were so amazing. The app was really good too. For our entrées, I had the Steak ACP, while my boyfriend went for the “El Más Chingón.” Both dishes arrived hot, plated with care, and matched the menu photos to perfection. Both of our dishes were flavorful and honestly just down right amazing.

As an assistant GM at another restaurant, I was genuinely impressed by how smoothly everything ran from the kitchen execution to the service flow. Mezcalito Grill clearly operates with a high level of coordination and pride. Prices were more than fair for the quality and experience delivered.

Although I grew up in Durham, we currently live three hours away but once we move back next year, Mezcalito Grill will absolutely become one of our go-to spots. This is the kind of restaurant that reminds you how powerful great food and exceptional service can be when they...

Honestly a really bizarre experience. I live in Clayton and have only ever visited the Clayton location (which we LOVE) until tonight. The service at the Durham location is far inferior. It started with one drink being brought out nearly 30 minutes after everyone else’s. Then when 2 to-go orders were placed as we finished our meals, one was brought out on a plate and had to be sent back to be boxed up. The other didn’t come out for 30 more minutes. While waiting for that order, another person in our group placed a to go order. We waited and waited for that one and asked our server about it at least 4 times..he kept saying “it’s coming.” “They’re working on it.” Finally we asked a manager about it and he went to inquire and came back saying “the order had been prepared twice already and the food had gone missing and so they were preparing it for a third time and it would be there shortly.” During all of this, one person at the table thought she had misplaced her purse (it was in her car) and after checking the restroom for it, asked the hostesses if anyone had turned in a purse - they said no. Later a server stopped by our table and asked if we were missing a purse, we said yes. He sent the manager over and he asked if we had left a bad review because they had just gotten one about a server stealing a purse. We assured him we had not and tried to explain we had just been looking for our friend’s purse but assumed it must be in the car and he just continued to question and doubt us. Overall a very bizarre and...