No Mames Mexican Cantina — Restaurant in Wethersfield

My recent visit to No Mames Mexican Cantina in Wethersfield, while promising on paper, unfortunately fell short of expectations, leaving me with a distinctly underwhelming experience. While the "Tulum vibe" is certainly present in the creative decor, the substance of the meal and service didn't quite live up to the vibrant facade. I really wanted to like it, but…

Stepping in, the atmosphere is indeed lively, bordering on chaotic. It's clear they've gone for a fun, energetic feel, but for me, it translated into an exceptionally noisy environment where conversation was a struggle.

The menu, while offering a range of "Mexican street food," was ambiguous, almost cryptic. It didn't deliver on the promise of fresh, scratch-made quality in execution. The Smoke and Berries cocktail, which took an absolute eternity to prepare, had undetectable amounts of pureed strawberries. I could not taste their flavor, even though they were listed as a key ingredient. The chicharron appetizer should be taken off the menu. Neither its taste nor its appearance do the restaurant any favors whatsoever. It is unclear which sides, if any, accompany the main course dishes, so I ordered a side of yucca fries to be safe, only to find out that my main course indeed included a side of yucca. It would have been nice to know beforehand. The description of Cemita turned out to be so devoid of detail and so much subject to interpretation that one can imagine my surprise to discover that it is actually a bun filled with avocado and some al pastor pork instead of a platter as one may have been led to imagine when studying the menu. My family's experience with the tacos, touted for their housemade tortillas, was disappointing. The tortillas themselves were fine, but the fillings lacked the vibrant, distinct flavors one would expect from authentic street food. They felt a bit muted and uninspired, missing that essential punch of fresh herbs, zesty lime, or smoky char. The tacos were miniature in size.

Service was another point of contention. Dishes arrived somewhat haphazardly, and getting a refill on tepid water or catching their eye for assistance proved to be near impossible.

I appreciate the effort to bring something different to Wethersfield, and the concept of authentic Mexican street food is extremely appealing. However, No Mames, in my experience, didn't quite hit the mark. The lively atmosphere couldn't compensate for the lackluster food and spotty service. While it might appeal to those looking for a loud, high-energy spot, for me, it was a two-star experience that left me wishing for more substance...

Last weekend my partner and I had dinner with some old friends at No Mames. We were having a little celebration and it couldn't have been more perfect. The decor was beautiful and comfortable.The food was an exciting and new take on Mexican food for me and was a uniquely delicious experience. YUM! To start we had Guac and Queso Fundido. The guac was the perfect consistency, and the queso was a bubbling delight of cheese with pieces of chorizo. Not your run of the mill cheese sauce but a stretchy pully experience of real cheese being pulled apart and shared. From there, we split the taquitos and quesabirria. The taquitos were a crunchy delight. Soft chicken beautifully rolled up and the crema added a light freshness to the crunch of each bite. The quesabirria (which I'll admit I had no idea what to expect), were half moon pockets, similar to mini quesadillas. They have a wonderfully rich short rib that was tender and absolutely delicious. With the 6 of us wanting to keep the party going, for our next round we ordered the Shaved Broccoli, the Elotes, and a selection of tacos. The broccoli was like no broccoli I have had before, it was shaved thin creating small crunchy cross sections of broccoli florets with a creamy covering that had a little spicy zip. I loved the elotes, the crema and queso goes so well with the corn and the three pieces in the order I think lasted precisely 3 seconds. The tacos were wonderful. With 3 to an order they were a good size to try different flavors. We had the Al Pastor, which is my favorite with the sweetness of the pineapple and the crunchy delicious pork, the Carne Asada(fantastic!) and something I had never tried, the Lengua which were small chunks of meat that were soft, savory, and delicious with the salsa verde adding a little brightness color. To make it a proper celebration, most everyone ordered spicy margaritas which were delicious, I branched out and got the We Rum This Town, which came in a delightful chilled terracotta cup, and I definitely saw a espresso martini cross the table (complete with foam art) but sadly didn't partake in that. It was a celebration so we gave the La Lima a try. It was a quite the treat. I can't really begin to describe it accurately, but it looked like an oversized lime sculpture. It had a bright lime flavored shell similar to white chocolate, with a custard-like interior on top of cookie that was equally as beautiful as it was delicious. It was a wonderful meal, with wonderful friends. I can’t...

Beautifully decorated restaurant, with attentive wait staff. Our server explained the menu clearly and gave recommendations. She also asked us how the food was several times which we lied about because I am not really sure what to say when food is bland and not really cooked properly. The tostada chips are pretty bland and they lack salt. The beans side dish that came with the taco had absolutely no flavor except beans. The tacos al pastor may have been the most bland Al Pastor I have ever had. I lived in mexico so I always look for authentic versions of this dish and I was excited to see a trompo. Unfortunately, they didn't thin slice the meat and the marinade didn't have much flavor. Al pastor should never taste like dry chunks of pork chop covered in fairly bland sauce. Pinapple Guacamole was $17. The guacamole was refrigerator cold which mutes the flavor. I felt it was fairly one noted flavor wise. None of the dishes had the symphony of flavors that mexican dishes have. This is Mexican for people that don't like "ethnic" or "spicy" foods. They also wouldn't let me use the gift card that was purchased for fathers day becuase it said casa doro. The person who got me the card specifically bought it for that restaurant from the website. They tell me they were directed to buy that card becasue at the time the restaurant was new. The manager refused to honor it. Keep in mind both restaurants are owned by the same group. I will not be returning. Lunch for two was $72 with tax and tip for two diet cokes, 6 small tacos, and...