La Mesa Taqueria — Restaurant in Marco Island

Disappointed Again – Not Worth the Price

This was my second visit to La Mesa Mexican Restaurant, and unfortunately, it confirmed our first impression.

The first time, there were four of us, and they crammed us around a tiny 2’x3’ table meant for two. We were practically sitting in each other’s laps. Several months later, we decided to give them another shot, hoping things had improved. They hadn’t.

Upon arriving, my wife and I were once again led to the same tiny two-top, despite the restaurant being only half full. We asked to sit at a proper four-top, which thankfully wasn’t a problem—but the attitude was already off.

The waiter immediately pushed alcohol before we’d even settled in. We asked for water and politely declined, but he kept trying. Eventually, we ordered dinner—steak fajitas for me (his suggestion, and the most expensive item on the menu), and a chicken burrito for my wife. We also had the tableside guacamole, which was one of the few bright spots—well-prepared and the young man making it was friendly and professional.

Chips and salsa were decent, though the salsa portions were barely more than a couple tablespoons. We ordered margaritas next and were upsold again—this time on “designer” margaritas. I asked for the house version, assuming a Mexican restaurant could at least do that well. I was wrong.

The house margarita was the worst I’ve ever had. Pre-made and dispensed from a gun, like soda. Tasted like something you could buy in a can at the grocery store. We sent them back, and while the waiter did credit us, he kept pushing new options. We finally agreed to try one made at the bar—better, but still nothing special. I’d give it a 6.5/10 at best, and certainly not worth the $13.

When the food arrived, my fajitas came out sizzling on a hot steel plate—with the beans and rice also on that hot surface. They were burnt to the plate and nearly inedible. The steak itself was tasty, but the presentation and care were lacking. The accompanying cheese came in a half-full plastic ramekin—enough for maybe two fajitas. It all felt careless.

Worse yet, there appeared to be no one over 25 in the restaurant—no manager, no leadership. It felt rudderless, and it showed.

Our total came to $110, including tip. For a subpar meal and mediocre drinks, that’s unacceptable. It seems the owners are more focused on short-term profits from vacationers and tourists than building long-term quality and loyalty.

We live here most of the year. We want to support local restaurants, but experiences like this push us to stay home or drive to Naples for a decent meal. If you want off-season locals to support you, raise your standards. Serve better food, train your staff, and take pride in your service. Until then, we’ll take our...

I have tried this twice prior to leaving a review. I was very disappointed both times. Both times the food was pretty bad. I wanted it to be great as it had so much potential. The way it looks is so neat but that’s where anything with excellence ends.

The first time I had the carne asada (at market price) and it was a chewy piece of leather and th le salsa are bland and served hot. O thought that was some sort of accident. The second time it was hit again. Maybe this is a “thing” but it shouldn’t be.

We got the guac both times and it was ok but not great.

The second time we went the server was so incompetent she never put orders in. We have 3 children and we sat at 6:30 We were not served dinner until almost 8:00. She blamed the guy making the guac when for an appetizer when it never came but she simply never entered the order. The same happed with our dinner. We found some highlights in a decent margarita but it is a half size and full price. I got the tacos personally but there were 8 of us and all of us were disappointed

the second time there was also live music but it was played so loud it ruined the experience because it was so loud we We’re not able to speak to anybody other than the person directly next to us, and even at that point we had to yell. To further that point so that you don’t think I’m being dramatic, the server had to come up to each one of us yelling to get our order and even then she had to say “what” and we had to repeat ourselves multiple times to get our order out in. This caused us to get home extremely late with three young kids that sat patiently waiting for dinner that just continue to not come

To be clear I wanted this place to be good so much so that we went twice! I gave it 1 star because it is a great atmosphere, but that’s where the enjoyment ends. I have to be honest and give it a one star review, and the only thing that gives it one star is how neat the space is. I hate that I have to give it...

This restaurant was a massive disappointment and fell far below even the most basic expectations. It seems like they were attempting to create a trendy, Pinterest-inspired atmosphere, but they only barely managed to capture the aesthetic without any of the warmth or inviting charm you’d expect. The entire experience felt hollow, as if they were more focused on appearances than substance.

The staff seemed completely disengaged and uninterested in providing any sort of decent service. They were inattentive and seemed checked out, which only added to the overall frustration. When it comes to the food, I don’t even know where to start. The chips we were served were so overcooked and burnt that they were inedible. The tacos, which should have been the highlight of the meal, were downright awful. The al pastor in particular was a major letdown. It lacked any flavor whatsoever, which is shocking given that it’s supposed to be a bold and vibrant dish. It felt like they had forgotten to season it entirely.

As for the drinks, the mezcal Paloma we ordered was equally disappointing. Instead of a smoky, balanced cocktail, it tasted like it had been made with the cheapest, lowest-quality mezcal available—essentially, it was like drinking bad gasoline. It was completely undrinkable and demonstrated a lack of care or expertise behind the bar.

The overall impression is that this place relies entirely on prepackaged, low-quality ingredients, likely sourced from a generic supplier like Gordon Food Service, rather than showcasing any kind of real culinary creativity, skill, or passion. It feels like a restaurant that’s trying to fool people into thinking it’s something special when it’s really just serving uninspired, poorly executed food and drinks. I would not recommend this...