Mex 1 Coastal Cantina — Restaurant in Mount Pleasant

My husband and I have loved this place since it opened. It’s close by and always a solid choice. The food is great and the drinks are spectacular. We even celebrated a couple anniversaries and other important events here. The reason I’m giving 4 stars vs 5 stars is for the staff turnover. I’m fully understanding that staffing is difficult, especially now. That being said, Jessica is a gem of a human and I’m sad to see her go like many of the others who have been the reason we’ve kept going back (Lee, Kira, Cody, Brian, etc.). Keep Michelle at all costs - she’s the only one we know anymore. We’ve seen a downturn in regulars and I’m 100% sure this change in staff is why. These wonderful people become family, know us, have our drinks ready before we walk in the door. We’ve seen such a turnover lately and it’s taken away from the charm that this place once held. With all of the places about to open nearby with the Bend finishing construction, I’m worried about this place being able to compete without the one thing that was keeping us all coming back...

Well, it's gonna go by Meh-x 1 from now on. It's standard Tex-Mex/Mexican fare that is nothing to write home about. It's fine for a night out with the family. One aspect that stood out was the service - our waitress was fantastic! The best things we had were: The pineapple habanero margarita - though the first one was very good and the second one markedly less so. The side salad - fresh and tasty with a yummy lime crema dressing. The fresh fish taco (catch of the day- snapper) - quite good. The corn elote bowl - tasty. Carne asada taco was not Carne asada - it had almost no flavor at all. Same with the Carnitas with pineapple. Nachos were ok, but not great, and the ridiculous number of chips on the plate, coupled with the fact that 70% had nothing on them was both a pity and a waste. Same with the special order nachos that had so little cheese, it was hard to call them nachos. Chocolate cake was OK and very sweet. Overall, it's a cute place with a good atmosphere and very good service, but don't go...

This used to be a favorite in our rotation, but the food prices have gone up, while the quality has gone remarkably down. They have my favorite margaritas, so I keep going back for them, but I won't buy the food anymore. The last few trips have been really bad. The bangin' shrimp bowl is now pitiful...fewer shrimp, hardly any bangin' sauce, mushy rice, thrown together. On another trip, I tried the fresh catch salad. It had the smallest piece of swordfish I have ever seen, about a tablespoon of pico, and tons of romaine. that's it. that's all. $15. It was supposed to have avocado, but mine did not. When my server came back, I noted that it was missing. He brought me out the equivalent of one small slice of avocado. Like 3 bites. I basically paid $15 for romaine. For 2 people, 2 drinks each, we dropped $100 for subpar food. I know staffing shortages abound, and we have given them multiple chances, but the last 3 visits have resulted in incredibly disappointing food. ...