Mezcal Mexican Cuisine — Restaurant in Poquoson

Last night my husband and I enjoyed dinner at Mezcal Mexican Cuisine, a new restaurant that opened two months ago in the old Applebee's on Jefferson Avenue in Newport News.

Jhony, our server, was especially attentive, friendly, and helpful. The restaurant was clean and the atmosphere was relaxing and lovely. I loved the white cushioned highbacked seating and subtle, peaceful blue lighting. The music was very nice, as well, and not overly loud, and there were TVs located within our view.

After we were seated, we were greeted pleasantly by Jhony and were handed menus and served our drinks, but no chips or salsas. I asked if these were served and was told that they were for an extra one-dollar charge, which was a little surprise. We ordered a bowl and were glad we did; we thought that the tortilla chips were especially good; they were served very warm and extra crunchy! A little red salsa and a spicy hot white salsa accompanied the chips, however, the red salsa did not taste homemade and was rather bland; we think that the red salsa could have been made more zesty and flavorful, and that both portions offered of red and white salsas could have been more generous.

Though shorter than most, the menu had an interesting and attractive selection compared to all of the Mexican restaurants we've frequented over the years. We both ordered the Southwest Salad and we were surprised by its unique ingredients and beautiful presentation. Halved cherry tomatoes, nicely seasoned toasted pepitas, creamy cubes of colby Jack cheese, black beans, marinated spiced baby corns, extra crispy tortilla strips, and a generous serving of tender, well-seasoned grilled chicken strips were served on a bed of fresh mixed greens along with a vinegar and oil dressing and a hot dressing. After eating the beautiful, delicious salad, I was glad we did not overdo ourselves on the tortilla chips served before our entrée, as too many would have spoiled some of our appetite! We are used to gorging ourselves at other Mexican restaurants, but then we leave feeling a little too full. Perhaps that was why the chips were less emphasized.

We were very pleased with the food, the elegant dining atmosphere and experience, and the service offered by Jhony; we definitely will return! Jhony was very personable and returned to check on us and satisfactorily tend our table throughout our meal There were a variety of other items on the menu that looked intriguing; the strawberry salad that was filled with sundry fresh ingredients also caught my eye, and Jhony mentioned that it was a best-seller all of that day. Some of the plates were offered with a choice of extra sides. There were even Mexican sushi (!) and salmon, fajitas, and carnitas. We noticed that there was also a reasonably priced lunch menu available.

One more observance I want to add regarding our kind server, Jhony: a customer accidentally dropped some white salsas, which splattered down the base of the bar and onto the floor. There were no rolled eyes or excessive clamor or drama by the staff. Jhony calmly and immediately stepped in, addressing the customer politely as an 'Amigo.' He quietly assured him in what could have otherwise been an embarrassing situation, quickly bending down himself to wipe it up. The man responded gratefully and continued enjoying his meal and the salsas were replaced. Situations as these in a restaurant can speedily reveal the true attitude of staff and their genuine willingness to serve. Polite and personable service of any kind can be difficult to find these days, but it usually leaves a lasting impression with customers when noticed and contributes the most to the whole...

Beautiful restaurant but food and service? Below subpar. I’ll tell you why I didn’t enjoy: This is bland TexMex at best. Please don’t call it Mexican Cuisine. Sorry not sorry. My meal came out about 10 minutes after my husbands, inconvenient to say the least. My plate only came with 1 side (I like rice AND beans) so I told my waiter that’s what I wanted. Plate came out with rice. And a side of rice (dry I might add). Was charged $6.99 for a couple of jalapeños to go with our food. Funny enough, that was actually the tastiest thing on the table. Had to ask for water refills. And then waiter left the empty cup on the small table. They also tried to upcharge a side of shrimp by $1 until I pointed out that didn’t match their listing on the menu. I have the $ but I also care about the details, I’m like that. No I wouldn’t recommend this establishment, not unless they changed just about everything about their food and customer...

The environment was really nice and decorated beautifully but sitting above another table looking at others eating and being able to join in their conversation was part of the reason I gave it a four stars. I think that they could have done better on avoiding that part of it. The service was okay, it just took a while for the food to come out and when it did come out we were all served at different times. Chip refills are a dollar and they only give you a small amount for a table of four... so I could definitely get that at a different Mexican restaurant for free and usually a much larger serving size of chips. The food was kind of bland. I did try the fried sushi and it came out very cold. I did not like it at all and sent it back. I got a taco salad instead and it was not as good as other places. Would I recommend this place to others? Probably not. I think you can get better food for the same price at another...