MADRE

"A massive Oaxacan restaurant in the South Bay (with locations in Palms and West Hollywood as well), Madre is the ideal place for dinner with someone you’re just hooking up with. First, there’s a massive list of mezcal and tequila to help you get over the fact that the waiter just said you two make an adorable couple. There’s plenty of space between tables, so you won’t get side-eye from neighbors if things go south and you have to make up an excuse about your parakeet’s fear of being home alone. And if things go well, there are a whole bunch of great things to share here: queso fundido, pork ribs in mole, and tlayudas." - nikko duren

"With locations in Torrance, Culver City, West Hollywood, and Santa Carita, you’re never too far from Madre. This Oaxacan restaurant serves everything from mole to pozole in a casual room with a huge mezcal collection. While we certainly support getting involved with a frozen tequila sunrise on a 90-degree day, the margarita with mezcal joven is our go-to order. The sweet and spicy notes from red chile liqueur and agave balance out the smokiness. $11 Cocktails; $10 House Mezcal; $9 House Tequila" - garrett snyder, brant cox, cathy park

"Madre is an excellent place for a casual weeknight dinner, business lunch, or a date with someone you don’t know very well. This updated Oaxacan spot has plenty of space, so your conversation isn’t going to get derailed because the table next to you is having a heated argument about whether Tupac is still alive. Get the mezcal margarita and order the queso fundido to start. For entrees, focus on the moles—we like the coloradito best—with either chicken thighs or short ribs." - brant cox, nikko duren, kat hong, garrett snyder, sylvio martins

"What It Is: A Mexican restaurant in Prospect Heights with homemade tortillas and a lot of mezcal Perfect For: Casual Weeknight Dinner There used to be a Mexican restaurant called El Atoradero Brooklyn in Prospect Heights, but it recently got a new chef and changed its name to Madre Mezcaleria. This seemed like a good enough reason to go back and check it out - despite the fact that we weren’t huge fans of El Atoradero - so we stopped for some dinner on the little back patio. And it was fine. Basically, the only thing that’s changed about this place is a new emphasis on mezcal. Other than that, the food is still pretty unremarkable. The tacos were decent, we somehow didn’t want to finish our guacamole, and, while the flautas weren’t bad, they also just seemed like something you’d make in a toaster oven after a long day of middle school. Although we did like our mole. The Verdict: Don’t plan a full dinner here, but if you live in the area and like mezcal, come sit at the bar." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg, chris stang, matt tervooren

"Madre is an excellent Oaxacan restaurant in Torrance that specializes in shareable dishes, plus one of the best (and largest) mezcal selections in Southern California. You’re going to want to order a few spicy mezcal margaritas, their chorizo and mushroom-filled queso fundido, and the pecado de mole, a sampler platter of three of their housemade moles that range from sweet and rich to ultra-earthy." - kat hong