Mazatlan Mexican Grill & Bar — Restaurant in Framingham

I don't typically write reviews for restaurants, but my experience today merits a review as it was extremely disappointing all around.

I was quick to jump on a new place right cross the street from my office building as a lunch option. I called in my order at 3:00pm and picked up at about 3:20. My burrito bowl that I thought was $13 (per the menu I looked at) was rung in as $20, and when I inquired as to the difference, I was told the $13 price was on the lunch menu and that menu changes over at 3:00 to dinner. I was disappointed as no one mentioned this when I called in at PRECISELY the time that the menu switched (checked my phone for the time of the call), especially where this place JUST recently opened its doors and hasn’t yet established a customer base familiar enough with hours of operation. Additionally, when I looked back at their website, there’s no time stated as the start/end of lunch anywhere EXCEPT if you click through the online menus, where it states in extraordinarily SMALL WHITE font near the bottom that lunch starts at 3:00pm.

Had I ordered at 3:10 or 3:30pm I would have relented, but I called at 3:00 on the nose.

As a longtime customer service industry employee and a former waitress, I saw a number of ways the manager could have made this right. She could have offered a lunch voucher, or simply refunded and then recharged my food honoring the lunch price. Instead, and what I feel is most insulting, she offered to give me $5 cash from a check slip (which was very clearly someone’s tips and didn’t hold any significance with regard to making me whole). I told her I wasn't going to take someone's tips!

I might have able to forget all about this mishap had I gone back to the office and enjoyed my food, but I did not. The burrito bowl lacked any real flavor, and the bottom of the bowl was ‘soupy’ with liquid (Salsa on the side, so unsure why it was so wet).

Had the women who I’d spoken to even remotely tried to make do right by the customer, by offering any other method of consolation, I might have considered coming again for post-work drinks/apps – instead the $16 difference in the cost of my meals that she was so adamant to keep left a bad taste in my mouth and ultimately cost them a whole lot more with the loss of an entire office full of customers.

Perhaps not sad enough to say, I won’t be heading back. I should have gone...

Mazatlán is a fantastic spot! There’s plenty of parking, and the restaurant itself is large with lots of seating. The décor is colorful and authentic with a strong Mexican theme, and the lighting sets the mood nicely—bright and lively in the dining area, while the bar area has a cozier, dimmer vibe. The atmosphere was great, with music playing in the background, but never too loud—just right to enjoy your meal and conversation.

The staff was super friendly and helpful, switching easily between Spanish and English. The menu is extensive with lots of pictures (which I love—it’s always nice to see the food before ordering). There are tons of options, including a dedicated vegetarian section. Prices are fair, and portions are huge. Right away, they welcome you with tortillas and sides of hot salsa and a red bean dip, which was a nice touch.

We tried the House Margaritas, and they were excellent—very tasty and probably double the size of margaritas at other places. For food, I ordered the Mazatlán Chicken Chimichanga, which was seasoned perfectly, flavorful without being overwhelming, and surprisingly not heavy or greasy for a fried dish. We also had the burrito bowl, which was absolutely delicious (though I would have loved just a little more cotija cheese). For dessert, we shared the tres leches cake. It was good, though I think it would be even better without the chocolate drizzle—dulce de leche would pair more naturally with the cake.

Overall, Mazatlán offers delicious food, generous portions, a lively but comfortable atmosphere, and excellent service. We left full and happy, and we’ll definitely...

Had a 5 star experience our first time for lunch on Mon 1/9. Server was great then. Food was fantastic, fast and well priced for lunch ($15 steak fajitas). Told friends how good this place was and we were excited to return. Went back for lunch on Mon 1/16 and was sadly disappointed. They gave us a dinner menu where the same fajitas were $21. When asked about a lunch menu they said it was a holiday (MLK Day) so it’s the dinner menu only... The male server did come back and say they’d honor the lunch menu prices after we asked about it but he was grumpy and short with us the rest of the meal after that. Food took about 20-25 minutes and there were only a few tables there. Female server was very nice but she was not our main server, but she filled waters and offered more chips. Food was very good but we are not as excited to return again, which is disappointing. Will try one more time and hope the second time was the fluke and not the first. Hope after the 3rd time, this review will be changed to a...