Mestiza — Restaurant in St. Louis

Went with two of my besties on Saturday night, and this place did not disappoint. They’ve updated the interior significantly, and the employees here are super customer service oriented; you can order at the counter, or they will take your order tableside.

We ordered all sorts of tacos, and this restaurant concept is to emulate all the different styles of street tacos available in Mexico. We had the carne asada, longaniza (which was described as similar to chorizo and was delicious), el de tinga, and I had the mushroom (casi alucinógeno is what it is aptly named) in addition to the sweet potato taco they brought us with the house’s compliments. All tacos are accompanied with four different styles of salsa, cilantro, onions, and plenty of limes.

The beverages were equally tasty and served in the most beautiful ceramic mugs. You can imagine called cantaritos.

I would have loved some chips and salsa to start, and I will say that the menu was quite confusing. Everything is in Spanish, and even for someone who speaks fluent Spanish, I really struggled to remember what all the different options were when it came time to order. This was despite the owner giving me an amazing education of the menu; I still found myself pretty perplexed.

This restaurant is an amazing addition to the neighborhood, and once word gets out, I think it will be slammed every night, and for good reason. Their sister restaurant, Malinche, is an absolute gem, and this place is shaping up to follow in...

Had to try this place after the write-up in the paper.

You order your tacos when you come in, before you're seated. I believe we tried them all, as well as the chicharones with guac (excellent choice for keto) which came out first with our drinks and water served in a patron bottle with fresh mint.

The tacos were served with a side of the traditional garnish (chopped cilantro and onion). I tried the al pastor, beef, and pork tacos. We were also there close to their opening so we were granted potato tacos on the house (which I had to try to spite the keto). Everything I tried was fantastic, but I want to elevate the guacamole, I don't really enjoy guacamole but eat it for keto, however I really enjoyed theirs, especially paired with the chicharones.

Literally the only semi negative thing I would say is that it did seem to take a while to get out food, but I believe it was because they gave us free extra tacos (Your milage may vary in the freebies). I will say that I had just shoveled the crazy snow we had and was famished, so that may be subjective.

All in all 10/10...

If you haven’t tried Mestiza on Hampton Ave yet, you’re seriously missing out. Once you walk in, you know you’re in for something special. The tacos are absolutely amazing—full of flavor and totally authentic. I’m talking about the kind of tacos that make you wonder why you ever settled for anything less.

And the sauces? They’re next-level good. There’s a bunch to choose from, so you can try something mild or go for one that packs a punch. Either way, they make every bite even better.

But what really makes Mestiza stand out is how friendly everyone is. The staff genuinely makes you feel welcome, like they’re happy you’re there. Oh, and you have to try the cantaritos! They’re these tequila cocktails served in traditional clay mugs—super refreshing and just the right amount of sweet and tangy.

Honestly, Mestiza feels like one of those places you just kind of stumble upon and then can’t stop talking about. It’s a total hidden gem, and I can’t believe more people don’t know about it yet. If you’re ever on Hampton, do yourself a favor and check it out. You...