Mexiquila — Restaurant in Somers Point

During the fall and into the holidays, I enjoyed some really great vegan treats and eats. Some were at local spots and others were while we traveled, but hubby and I are always open to sampling something new. This brings me to my latest local find, Mexiquila. I’d had Mexiquila on my radar since early summer when I was seeing things pop up on Facebook including the words “vegan crema”. Ohh!? Really? Vegan crema? Do tell! I instantly messaged them to ask if they had vegan meal options. I was curious. It took me until October but I finally made it, and I was happy to see a complete renovation, as compared to the former Clancy’s (which was really a fave of mine). If I didn’t know better, I would have thought I had been transported to a completely different restaurant. The decor is now elevated, but comfortable. We sat near the beautiful fireplace in the main dining room, which was cozy on a cool fall day. The menu was unique and I did see a few vegan options. I asked the server some questions (are the black beans prepared with meat, do any of the rice dishes contain dairy…). When you are eating plant-based, you always check and double check (and triple check). The chef came to our table (Chef Bill is awesome!!) and he reassured me that he could prepare something that would work for me. During this first visit, I opted for mushroom tacos, sweet plantain, and Mexican rice (they were out of black beans, which was disappointing). With my meal, I had a Mexican sangria, which was light and refreshing. My husband, who does like his seafood, enjoyed the shrimp ceviche blanco and grilled halibut. He also sampled a flight of bourbon drinks, which he said was excellent. Because we’d been busy traveling, we didn’t get back to Mexiquila until New Year’s Eve and I am so happy we decided to go in for an early dinner. They now have a full vegan menu available (see their website) and again, I had a great chat with Chef Bill. He is highly dedicated to creating exceptional dishes that are Mexican-inspired without being cookie cutter. Between the great decor, the spacious bar seating, and the unique & evolving menu, I can say that Mexiquila is certainly a perfect pick for anyone wanting to enjoy a special dinner, a Taco Tuesday, or a few drinks with friends. Kind staff, very accommodating. Vegan and gluten-free...

🙁This is going to be a tough review for me to write because I really want another successful restaurant for Somers Point.

Unfortunately, I think that Mexiquila can do better in some areas. First, on 8/28/23 and 9/24/23, I reached out, and I attempted to befriend the owner, his initials are PB, by following along with the restoration process of the restaurant, but I got little to no responses, so I guess that I must have done something wrong there, so I am sorry.

On my next experience, which was 2/10/24, my wife and I went to Mexiquila for supper at 5pm on Saturday night, and the wait was 80 minutes for a 2 top. Okay, well, its Saturday night, a new and popular restaurant, so lets wait…. After 76 minutes, I asked one of the hostesses, how much longer, and she looks at an I-pad, and replies “76 more minutes”, but it could be more, or less, “but I am unsure”. So, I press her to give a better answer, and she replies, “you are only a 2 top, so it could be soon, but I do not know for sure”, it could be 76 more minutes. I turned to my wife, and said “we are outta here”, so we left, after wasting 76+ minutes.

On my third experience,2/16/24, my wife and I went there on Friday evening, at 5pm, and got right in. I ordered the Birria Tacos, and my wife ordered the gringo tacos, and a side of French fries. I had an IPA while they prepared our food, and the order arrived in good timing. My Birria Tacos were $18 dollars, and there was 2 of them on the plate, and each one had less than 3 ounces of meat on them. I don’t know, but that seems like there ought to be lots of profit in that dish. In my estimation, NOT a good value for the patron. So, when we were done, we paid $46+9=$55 total for 4 tacos, a side of fries, and an IPA. Definitely NOT a good value. Definitely priced in favor of the restaurant.

So, in the end, I will not likely be back, because I have had 3 negative encounters there.

What did I learn? Definitely make reservations on Saturday night, unless you want to get seated after a long, long wait. Definitely expect the bill to be high, the relative value to be disappointing. You may even go home still hungry.

Mexiquila, I wish you nothing...

This was a disappointment for us. We were so excited to go to this place, we always look forward to new places in Somers Point to go to and share with others. The inside was well decorated and the outdoor was inviting. However, the staff was not.

We got there at 3pm right when they opened (as advised by a nice hostess the night before when I stopped by) because we had a big party and outdoors was first come first serve. The place was empty, but the way the host (manager?) looked at us, you would think we crashed their restaurant at 7pm with a rowdy party demanding to be seated. Our family (grandparents, parents, and grandkids) were told to seat ourselves outside. No one greeted us out there or helped with the tables, staff kept passing us by. So we started moving the tables so we can make a seating arrangement work AFTER we asked the bartender if that was ok. To which she replied while not looking at me “Do whatever you want”. Halfway through arranging the tables the same host/manager ran out, looking upset, saying we shouldn’t touch the tables and umbrellas ourselves and they have to do it on their own.

The service just went downhill from there, we were made to feel uncomfortable to the point that even our teenage kids asked if we can just leave and go to our regular restaurants. I was determined to give it a chance. Our server was neutral. There were dishes that were very good. The nicest staff member was actually a young kitchen staff who brought us food. I asked him for silverware (no one brought us any before the food came) and he was surprised we didn’t have any. He was friendly and accommodating.

It’s sad when we try to support local businesses and have this type of experience. It doesn’t happen often in our great town. I understand we had a big family, but the place was not crowded and we were considerate of the fact we didn’t have a reservation, thus coming in when they opened. We already had a reservation made for and of August for when our friends visit, and I’m not sure we...