Detroit, MI — I’ve always been a huge fan of the wonderful tacos and food that I’ve enjoyed at Mezcal Mexican Restaurant over the years. So I was honored when the restaurant group invited me to their Midtown location as they celebrated their third anniversary.

Owned by siblings Sandra Haro and Jose Granados, Mezcal Mexican Restaurant opened near downtown Ferndale late in 2021, with an official grand opening celebration the following spring. A few months later, I moved back to Michigan from Phoenix, and Mezcal was one of the first restaurants I visited after several friends had recommended it, knowing that I was probably really missing good, authentic tacos. Well, my friends weren’t wrong about me missing tacos, but they were all absolutely correct in directing me to Mezcal!

I’ve been an avid patron ever since, and now that I live only about a minute’s walk away, I usually pop in for some quick tacos at least once or twice a week. Admittedly, I had never been to the Midtown location before, and I haven’t been to Detroit’s Midtown District as much lately as I’d like, so this foodie adventure was a perfect reason to swing through Midtown after work and enjoy some top-tier Mexican cuisine and learn more about one of my beloved local restaurants.

I arrived at Mezcal’s Detroit location along W. Forest Avenue, just west of Woodward, early Wednesday evening, just a few minutes before the planned 6 p.m. arrival. I used this time to quickly capture exterior photos and b-roll, as the sun had reached a position in the skyline that was starting to cast a rather golden-hour light upon Mezcal. I met up with my friend who had prompted the foodie adventure at a table inside and was introduced to the General Manager, Alex Galvan.

Before conducting an interview with Alex, I walked around the space and quietly took a few photos of the interior. The front of the house was serene and calm. A beautiful, vibrant mural stared back at the entrance. On the other side of the large, middle dividing wall, the restaurant had several large booths and more tables, where quite a few groups and families had taken seats.

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The bar area served as a hub of activity for servers to collect drinks and enter/exit the kitchen from either end of the bar, with an open-kitchen window concept behind the bar. I chatted with the bartender who was making a premium margarita, noting the size of the glass. Cheers to whoever enjoyed that drink! After collecting what I needed, I headed back to my table and prepared to interview Alex.

I asked Alex a few questions about Mezcal Mexican Restaurant’s Midtown location, curious to know what made this now 3-year-old location unique, what was different about the experience and menu, and what’s ahead for the restaurant group. I started off by asking Alex how the Midtown location celebrated its third anniversary on June 28.

“What we decided to do, because it was a little bit of a compilation and, not gonna lie, it was a little bit of a rough month, we kept it simple. We gave everybody that was here a 15% discount, just as a way to give back to returning guests and any new patrons that wanted to come check us out that day. And there was a mariachi band that day as well,” Alex said.

I followed up by asking Alex what the Midtown location’s journey had been like over the years and what stood out to him as wins and growth for the restaurant.

“Every year we’ve seen a switch up on the traffic that we gained, but just being able to have recurring guests, you know, a lot of places what ends up happening is after the first year you think it’s going to be busy all the time, and then you start to see a change on the dynamic and change on the people that show up more so. And so the one thing that we’ve been really good at is the consistency of our guests,” Alex explained. “This year we saw growth every month. We’ve seen an average growth not just in sales but in traffic. And it’s nice to be able to build up on that community that you see the same people at least once a week, sometimes a couple times a week. And it’s just that trust that they have in you, that almost feels like family, basically.”

I asked Alex how he would describe Mezcal to prospective guests who had never dined at the restaurant before, and how each of the three locations is unique in its own way.

“The biggest thing in that sense is the fact that we stay traditional to Mexican food, but it’s not your average Mexican place; we kind of want to elevate it slightly. So, because of that, we’re able to bring in certain dishes that you will not find at a normal Mexican place, such as Tex-Mex food, South American dishes, or even some Asian cuisine. When you can have that fusion of flavors, it allows people to have a lot more options as well,” said Alex. “One big thing about all of our current three locations is that they all have a little bit of a different substance to them, in the sense that you can find certain things here that you won’t find in Ferndale, and then certain things in Dearborn that you won’t find here. It keeps it exciting, so there is a reason to check out every location and probably find something new every time you go to a different location.”

While reviewing the Midtown menu, I noticed certain appetizers and entrées that weren’t found on the Ferndale location’s menu. Alex explained to me that the Midtown location is slightly more of a sit-down, big-plate dinner experience. The Ferndale location is more geared toward casual dining, tacos, and a more active bar scene. Mezcal Express in Dearborn, which is the group’s newer location, is more focused on takeout options, birria, and burritos.

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Slightly different menus and vibes aren’t the only things that differentiate the locations from one another. Mezcal’s Ferndale location is well known for hosting a Cinco de Mayo festival every year. The restaurant group also partakes in taco festivals around Metro Detroit and has a food truck for various occasions. Alex elaborated on some of the other functions and special gatherings hosted by Mezcal.

“We all organize different events. My location, the one thing I love doing is the tequila tastings or specific dinners for catering. More recently, we started doing bridal showers. People want to come in here and have their baby shower, and the fact that we have a nice separate room has allowed us to build up on that. And aside from that, we try to keep it fun. Every Friday, we have a DJ here; we actually have two different ones. One of them specializes in one thing, the other one does a separate thing, basically. So it’s a smaller event that kind of keeps people engaged. Why not come out and dance a little bit while you’re enjoying some good food?” Alex stated.

Aside from the multitude of food options between the three locations, activities, and events, Mezcal also recently launched an entirely new endeavor in Ferndale near its restaurant along 9 Mile Road between Bermuda and Leland streets.

“For those who haven’t heard, we currently have a different place that’s slightly different from our current brand, which is Mezcal. This place is called Balam, which is essentially a coffee shop. In the back of it is a speakeasy, which is more like a hidden bar. And even though drinks are great at the two locations that we currently have, which are Ferndale and Midtown, Balam is a little bit more elevated. So it’s something exciting to try,” said Alex.

I adventure to Balam quite regularly for coffee, and always walk away very pleased with the coffees and signature drinks that the staff creates, or my usual Americano. I explored the speakeasy bar once as well, and I definitely agree that it’s an elevated experience in terms of the aesthetics and unique tequilas and libations crafted and found at this bar. Whether you’re seeking coffee or a fun, intimate spot for cocktails, Balam is absolutely worth checking out.

I thanked Alex for his time and carried on to the meal portion of the adventure. Since some of the Midtown location’s menu items were new to me, I decided to indulge and ordered several items not found at the Ferndale location. I decided to kick things off with two appetizers: the Chicharron Ribeye and Empanada. And for my entrée, I ordered the Enchiladas with Mole.

The Food

I’ve always been a fan of the famously fried and savory pastries, including baked versions from Argentinian establishments in Northville and Los Angeles! So when the Mezcal variation was placed before me, I was extremely happy to see that this empanada was fully loaded on the inside AND outside. The crispy pastry was drenched with a zesty chipotle sauce and Mexican crema, with a lovely sprinkling of cotija cheese as a sort of cherry-on-top comparison. When I bit into the empanada, there was an explosion of flavors from the toasted fried pastry to a creamy, piquant sauce duo, and juicy, shredded chicken still steaming on the inside. Mezcal stuffs its empanadas with tinga, or shredded chipotle chicken.

Even the cotija cheese dusting added a noticeable, pungent back-end twist to the initial heat. When I initially ordered the empanada, I was a bit worried about the limited interior ingredients, but once I tried Mezcal’s version, I was beyond satisfied! Rather than overcomplicating, Mezcal perfected the simplicity of ingredients by ensuring that the quality and blending of textures and flavors would combine into a delicious final product. The sauces and cheese paired perfectly in one’s mouth, with the copious shreds of tender chicken coming in and adding its own kick to the taste buds. Even though I had another appetizer and entrée on the way, I couldn’t help but inhale every bite of this downright delectable empanada.

Up next was the Chicharron Ribeye, which consisted of little fried ribeye bits atop a heaping pile of fresh guacamole and sliced radishes. I tried a few of the fried ribeye pieces individually to get a taste for the first layer of flavor. The meat was very crispy but seasoned very well. Each piece had a salty yet hearty steak profile, sort of comparable to a less intense beef jerky. I really enjoyed the fried ribeye, and could definitely see this being utilized in other dishes, similar to the choriqueso or perhaps another filling for the empanada.

The dish also came served with a basket of warm tortilla chips, which were the perfect conduit for taking plump scoops of guac and ribeye, which was a marvelous combination. The earthy and limey guac contrasted the savory meat very nicely, and I quickly found myself having to cut myself off halfway through this dish to save some room for the enchiladas. Had it not been for the discipline to wait for my entrée, that plate would have been cleared entirely of any guac or fried ribeye. This was another knockout appetizer; Mezcal Mexican Restaurant’s Midtown location has some unique gems on its menu that really make a visit worth it.

The enchiladas with mole arrived just as I hit the halfway point of wolfing down the chicharron ribeye. They were coated in a thick, rich mole sauce, with sliced red onions, sesame seeds, and microgreens on top. A baseball-sized clump of rice and beans came alongside them, and they were stuffed with shredded chicken, per my request. I was just really in the mood for chicken and mole that day, apparently!

I forked a bite from one of the enchilada ends, making sure it was fully encased with mole. The enchiladas were very soft, putting up zero resistance to my fork. The chicken inside was steaming hot, and the thick mole sauce quickly dampened its heat as the bite entered my mouth. The chicken was very tasty and well-seasoned, and I spent a good 30 seconds just appreciating how wonderful and perfect the mole sauce was.

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It had been several years since I had last had mole, which I used to enjoy fairly regularly at Phoenix establishments. The Mezcal rendition was a wonderful flavor blast from the past, hitting all the notes of sweet with hints of chocolate, a peppery heat that sneaks in to briefly linger, then leave, and a perfect texture and mixture consistency. I really enjoyed that mole and its robust sweet/heat punch, enhancing an already winning chicken enchilada.

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After reaching the halfway point yet again, I decided to tap out and request some take-home boxes. Aside from the thrill of leftovers for lunch the next day, I was also overjoyed at how well my meal turned out at Mezcal’s Midtown location. I rarely venture from the tacos, tortas, and a few starters at the Ferndale location, so I’m glad that I was able to try some different menu items only found at the Midtown location, because everything was fire.

Whether it’s the tacos, enchiladas, appetizers, cocktails, bar vibes, or unique location experiences, Mezcal Mexican Restaurant is full speed ahead and heading in a great direction. After interviewing the General Manager, I learned from Mezcal leadership that the restaurant group plans to open a fourth location in Troy later this year. Not only is this wonderful news for the foodies and families in the Troy area, but it’s great to see a local small business continue to expand and share its story with more people. Because, believe me, Mezcal Mexican Restaurant has a wonderful story, team, and food!

For more information about Mezcal Mexican Restaurant’s Midtown location, click here. To learn more about Mezcal Mexican Restaurant’s locations, click here.