Mesa Maguey

The cocktails are top notch and so strong it almost had me understanding the Spanish on the menu. The sautéed shrimp dish I had was incredibly tasty and couldn’t get enough of the sauce it was laying in. Beware though that they do not take the tails off the shrimp in that dish, but it is so worth the little bit of extra work. The enchiladas my partner had were average, so I would not necessarily recommend those, but the menu is full of seemingly great dishes.

First-time visit. Went with a large group. The service was spot on. They have an amazing bar, well stocked. Atmosphere is light and airy. We ordered the beet salad and the Carnitas plate. Both were well presented, and the flavors were fresh and balanced. Prices are very reasonable. Well worth a visit.

We came here for dinner on a Sunday evening. Everyone was very welcoming. I love the decorations. The food was very delicious and felt so homemade, as in not too oily or too salty. You can taste the care and effort they put into the food. The mole was delicious and chocolatey. The homemade corn flour tortilla was so good. The mezcal drinks were very good and strong enough, as in not too watered down. Their chef is also from Oaxaca and there were plenty of clearly labeled vegetarian options on the menu. We ordered the Mixtec with mezcal, Mazoteco with mezcal, Ceviche, Mole Rojo De La Casa, and 2 Taco Plate with grilled chicken. This is a great and fun place for a date or to catch up with friends and family. There is parking in the neighborhood. Checking out was easy and fast. There is parking in the neighborhood and on the streets. I highly recommend. It is important to support these businesses especially during this time.

What a great addition to the neighborhood. Elevated Mexican food, specializing in Oaxacan mole and mescal. Happy hour 2-5. We had Barbacoa enchiladas and chicken enmoladas (corn tortillas, chicken and mole). To drink we had mezcalitas. A little pricey for lunch- but delicious and filling.

Happy hour is a must. My friend got nachos. They were a good portion and she said she loved them. I got tacos, pollo and carne asada. They were fire and what made them even more delish was the homemade corn tortillas they were in. We both got Micheladas, they were solid. The rim was a little too salty but overall good. I got a passion fruit margarita, delish! Highly recommend! My friend got a mezcal margarita, she loved it. In terms of drinks, I recommend Cocktails! Loved this place so much we came back the next day.

Really delicious food and the staff is extremely sweet and understanding! They cater to all dietary needs. Highly recommend this local spot

Great happy hour with good selection of food and cocktails. Both food and cocktails are very colorful and the quality of food is really good. Highly recommended!

This is a delicious and wonderful restaurant! We went last night for our second visit to celebrate a birthday, and it was just as great as we remembered. Thelma was our excellent server, and the bartender—whose name I unfortunately don’t recall—was so friendly and makes incredible cocktails. Each one was delicious. I had the seafood tacos, which I’ll absolutely be ordering again. The guacamole and chips were fresh and flavorful. The other three in our group ordered mole dishes, and they all loved them. We had a reservation - as last time there was a short wait. Last night no wait but we did have a reservation for a nice table for our bday celebration. Great Bar seating too. Thank you for a fun and delicious dinner. We’ll be back again and again!

Good food and good ambience. Service is spectacular. Would recommend to friends and family

Incredible Mezcal collection! impeccably balance cocktails. The food is delicious.. Highly recommend the mole..

Our family popped in on a lively and busy Saturday evening to enjoy dinner. The live music and buzzy crowd made for nice ambiance. Our server stated the kitchen was busy and service would be slower as a result. We expected this given the lack of empty tables. We ordered guacamole and empanadas to start. The empanadas tasted somewhat bland but we enjoyed the different drinks and guacamole. When orders arrived a few items were incorrect - three of us requested no beans and one of those specific orders was without extra rice. It didn't ruin the meal, but we noticed. I had the enmoladas and eagerly anticipated tasting the mole - it was sweeter than anticipated, which felt somewhat disappointing. We each had enough to eat and service was initially attentive but became slower despite the thinning crowd. Maybe it was an off night? Perhaps another visit at another time, because I adore Oaxacan food!

I had this restaurant bookmarked for some time and I finally made it here !! I really, REALLY wanted to like this place but ummmm It's a no for me Mainly cus the drinks were not too good and the service was super slow Inside is nicely decorated They have happy hour There is a full bar A back room with more seating Parking is street parking only and kind of hard to come by Menu has lots of options Drinks have a cute name Iykyk Food was good My friends did not complain about the food Quality is good Price is good and ingredients are fresh It's the service and the drinks TBH NO ONE WANTS TO RETURN A DRINK so you just suck it up for the team Initially service was decent but as more patrons arrived the service was non existent We came to scout this venue for our upcoming Galentines event and we collectively agreed to pass

Probably my favorite Mexican food in the East Bay right now. Great service and great food. Habanero salsa is good. Happy Hour is where it's at. Tacos, Flautas, Nachos. Love the think crunchy tortilla on the tacos. I think the Nachos are probably the best deal. I did like carnitas on the tacos and chicken on the tacos. I would personally pass on the queso fundido. But everything else was so good it didn't matter.

What a wonderful restaurant, they hit it out of the park on food and service. We sat at the bar and the bartender was so friendly and the drinks were amazing. We had the mezcalrita and the flor silvestra, both drinks were very well balanced and beautiful. For dinner we had the special which was the mole negro with pork ribs and the memelas. The mole was hands down the best I have ever had. It was so rich and the depth of flavor was incredible and they had a nice a nice hit of spice. The pork ribs were so tender and very meaty. The memelas are very similar to sopes but they are not quite as thick. I had them with barbacoa which was lovely, tender and rich in flavor. I felt the quality of their ingredients in the food and drinks was really good. We will definitely be returning and we are thrilled to have this establishment in our neighborhood. P.S. check out their happy hour Mondays thru Sunday 2:00pm-6:00pm

Delicious and authentic food! The only micheladas I actually like The service is great and Leo is the best host. I've tried many nice Mezcales thanks to him. I love the experience with their good music too.

We live nearby so I really wanted this place to be good AND IT WAS. Loved the happy hour menu. I got the carnitas happy hour tacos and a turmeric margarita and everything was sublime. My wife got a carne asada plate. The steak was perfect and I loved the rice. Didn't love the beans so much but I'm sure it's a personal preference thing. You might love them. I've heard great things about the watermelon margaritas but they were out of watermelon today. I look forward to trying one on my next visit. The service was friendly and efficient. This place is absolutely on our list. Great full bar if you just want to come in for drinks and a really inviting dining room as well. Just a fabulous dining option on a block that has several.

¡Hola Mesa Maguey! Thanks for coming out of the gate fast when I dropped by for a late lunch, which happened to fall during your happy hour. I usually won't give out five stars on my first date with a restaurant, but you earned it. $10 for two tacos and the Carnitas was slamming? Done! I'm completely impressed with the happy hour here, in part because they have an excellent selection of tequilas and mezcal. Here's the deal. Happy hour 2-6pm Mon-Sun $9-11 drinks $9-11 for apps like queso fundido, 3 flautas, or 2 tacos. The bartender, Leo, was really cool too. I had the house mezcal, Amateco, for the mezcalina and it was completely tasty. Lots of seating, all indoors. There's a space in the back too. Not much as change from the Copper Spoon. But there's definitely a really nice Mexican vibe now, and the salsa tunes were awesome, super-fun mix.

Happy hour options were A1! Great atmosphere with quality, authentic food and nice service.

Tried two tacos and the tamarind margarita. Very refreshing and tasty drink! The tacos were good too, but this is a great place for a date night or for mezcal aficionados.

I hate giving 2 stars, I do. And let me say I'd come back and try again if a friend wanted to meetup or I had a reason to return. However... a recent lunch left something to be desired. By no means was it bad, it just was not good. We left not feeling any sort of value for the money. The space is lovely. We went mid week lunch, later in the afternoon, and it was empty and service was fine. We went with the queso (on a happy hour menu), shrimp tacos and the steak plate. The shrimp taco was the best out of the three, but had its own flaws, and the other items were just a let down. The queso: not the Tex mex kind, let's get that out there. It was a stringy cheese that wasn't necessarily served warm topped with room temp, crumbled charred chorizo and a side of generic corn tortillas. Nothing about this was good and it wasn't cheap, even at happy hour prices. It mostly went untouched after initial bites. The steak plate, which I've had iterations of this at other Mexican spots, was also a let down. The steak was pounded so thin resulting in a terrible consistency and it lacked any sort of flavor. It came with vegetables, also bland, a little side of rice and beans and a grilled halloumi style Oaxacan cheese. Again, not a a cheap dish and did not live up to the price tag. My dining partner and I just were not fans. The shrimp tacos were solid. Messy, as it was almost more like a tostada. Shrimp atop a thicker grilled corn tortilla (this one seemingly better quality than the ones served with the queso). It was topped with the aioli and slaw (and cheese, which I asked for without) and it was fine. It was a large taco, a light meal in itself, but also priced at $7+. Overall, prices were higher than quality of food and preparation warranted. A pass for me. Margs and chips and guac may be the move here.

Happy Hour! Currently they have happy hour 7 days a week from open until 6pm Food: The food came fast, was hot, and delicious! I had never had memelas before but I would definitely get them again. The green sauce that comes on the tacos and the memelas has a nice little kick which I appreciated, but if you are sensitive to spice you might want it on the side. Service/Ambiance: I went on a Monday and it was quiet, but they have a lot of space! They have a small TV in the corner which was nice to watch the Niner game, they told me they are installing a second TV soon (just in time for football season). Service was fast and friendly.

Such a good happy hour! I had a watermelon margarita, which was made with real, fresh watermelon, then shared a few plates with a friend including the nachos, queso fundido and chicken flautas. Everything was delicious, the cream sauce seemed to have a little kick to it, and I absolutely love refried black beans on nachos.

Came here for dinner as a party of 4 on a Saturday night: truly a great experience. The place had a wonderful atmosphere and really nice and welcoming service! There was no wait- and the food was extremely delicious. We started with the guacamole plate, and we finished it incredibly quickly, a testament to how great it was. I ordered the two taco plate, one with the beef barbacoa and one with the pork carnitas. The carnitas were delicious, but the barbacoa was definitely my favorite. It was incredibly flavorful and topped with delicious pickled onions. A friend of mine ordered the Plato De Tasajo and raved about it- so I recommend that dish as well! Great place to try if you're looking for Mexican food in the area.

You had me at microgreens. The guacamole - seasoned perfectly, loved the hollowed jalapeño, fresh radishes and the finishing oil also. Bright green and all the fresh garnishes - super. Chips and salsa - paper thin and sprinkled with salt, the salsas had a good amount of acid and heat. Memelitas - satisfying toppings on toothsome tortillas. Really impressed with this spot. Tastes like real handmade food. Can't wait to order again or eat in at some point. Delicious.

Was wildly surprised by how delicious the food was here. Some of the freshest guac I've had in the Bay, delicious fish and shrimp tacos, and a solid range of cocktails and mocktails. I went with a regular and dry Paloma, and both were great. Ate at the bar, and if you're able to get a spot in the front section, I'd highly reco for a good, easy/low key date night spot.

Love this place! A gem of a restaurant for both food quality and atmosphere! Highly recommend.

Delicious food and drink - had beef barbacoa that comes with warm fresh made tortillas, fish tacos, and chips and salsa. The service was great as well.

I made a reservation and the restaurant wasn't opened. Google and Yelp said the place opens at 11 and we got there at 11:09.

We have been here probably 6x now. Perfect for a midweek family dinner, evening out with friends before a show at The Fox or our favorite happy hour sitting at the bar. This is the best sit-down Mexican place in Oakland right now! I love the verde enchiladas and chicken mole, my wife loves the tlayuda and memelitas. Happy hour nachos are a great value too. The house margarita is really solid (a rarity) and our friends who are mezcal fans (im not) say their mezcal knowledge and drinks can't be beat. But the best thing about this place is the people. You really feel welcomed and that they are doing something they love. Please support these guys! Only thing that could improve it is a bit of decorating in the front room. Add some textures and maybe upgrade the tables/chairs.

Enjoyed this spot - the happy hour specials were great and Saturday was included. The margs with mezcal were really tasty, as were the nachos and also the queso. Servers were really friendly and a fun energy throughout the restaurant. Bonus - they had a mezcal tasting the evening we were there! Highly recommend this spot

We had an amazing experience at this spot! The food, service and overall experience was one of a kind. Leo was so kind and it's been a while since I have been treated this well in an Oakland restaurant. The queso fundido was delicious. The Barbacoa (not pictured) was so flavorful. The dinks and dessert were also amazing. This place has all good vibes and deserves all the praise!

The food here is incredibly fresh and made with high-quality ingredients. I love the lightness of Oaxaca's cuisine, and every dish I've tried has been delicious. The decor is charming, and the Mexican rock playlist adds to the ambiance. On my recent visit, I enjoyed the flautas and a barbacoa taco, while my husband had the carne en sus jugos, which tasted just like grandma's cooking!

[Review of service, not food] Service can make or break a restaurant experience, and Mesa Magey is definitely lacking in it. We were walking on Piedmont Ave and saw a sidewalk sign for Mesa Maguey. We loved the vibe, looked it up and saw that it was on Broadway and had 5 stars. It doesn't have a website, which is kind of weird these days. But we were like, let's go! So we walked there at around 5:10 pm on a Friday. The menu looked good. Memelas, tlayudas and flautas - sold! Good cocktails. Perfect! The place is big and inviting, with an extraordinary selection of agaves. 4 men with front of the house clothing were outside. One walked in with us and went to the back of the restaurant where another staff member was, we thought to maybe get some menus and sit us. Nothing. There was a single table ordering. Nobody greeted us. Nobody said, "hold on," or "welcome we'll be with you in a moment." It seemed so odd for a restaurant promoting itself all over the area with sidewalk signs to not be "ready" to at least greet new customers. We stood there in an empty resultant with what was now 3 people outside and 3 people inside who did not acknowledge us in any way. 5 minutes passed so we decided to leave and got a delicious (and perfectly friendly and professional) meal at Brenda's. So next time you see one of Mesa Maguey's sidewalk signs, just know that they do not want your business and keep on walking.

This place gets ALL the stars and I can't figure out why this place isn't always packed. Excellent Oaxacan food, well stocked tequila/mezcal bar, reasonable prices, 2pm happy hour, even the desserts are amazing. Highly recommended! My neighborhood goto, especially for happy hour!

Amazing spot with fantastic food drinks and service. The enmoladas and the memelas are especially good. I am excited to go back and try the tlayuda. The drinks are fantastic, particularly the Hierve El Agua and the Monte Alban. Fantastic mezcal selection too. The bartender is a master, the space is great, they even do comedy nights in the back. Overall a wonderful spot - worth a visit!

The food was really good, albeit a tad too salty. The pork was very flavorful, and the beans were excellent. And the service was impeccable, as well as the ambiance.

I just have come here on an off night because I had a subpar experience. I totally get new opening kinks- it takes a while to get your rhythm and the team was understaffed the night I came here. Pro's: Kind, hardworking staff. Everyone was busting their behinds to help customers and doing their best. Cute ambiance. The bar reminded me of Calavera (RIP). Great location, I believe where Copper Spoon used to be. Good menu selection with quite a few vegetarian options. Cons: Inconsistent service - our food went to other folks by accident and we got our entree over an hour after being seated. The chips and salsa were fine, the green salsa was delicious. I ordered the ceviche which was a generous portion and tasty, though my friend didn't enjoy it. I ordered enchiladas verde with beans and rice, but the sauce was overly salty- and I love salt. Overall, I think the place has potential with great staff and location. I hope they can get into a good groove with their service and ensure the food quality matches the price point! Con.

Came in only 3 weeks after opening, and I can't wait to see this place blossom! We sat at the bar on a Monday for HH (2pm-6pm) and got margaritas, nachos, and flautas. Drinks: 9/10. Super fresh, nice and strong, and bartender was really nice and attentive. I got the Watermelon Margarita and it was so refreshing on an 80 degree weather day. I loved that they used fresh watermelon that they pureed, however I was choking a bit on the seeds lol. If they can find a way to still get that fresh watermelon in there with less seeds, they'd get my 10/10. Flautas were pretty ok: 7/10. I really liked the crunch, but there was something that tasted like Mayonnaise (not sure if it was the chicken or the cabbage slaw underneath), and it was slightly off putting. Nachos had such GOOD flavor! 8/10. I think it was the beans and the guacamole. Almost wanted them to box up a side of both for me to take home. My only weird thing about the nachos were the carne asada pieces. They looked like beef jerky and there were only about 5 pieces on it. Found it a little bit bizarre.... But I would just recommend them to cut them thinner/smaller so it looks like there's more. Overall though, I definitely want to come back and try more things!

Yummy food, great cocktails and the seviche was to die for! The art and ambiance are great and the prefect place on the Broadway corridor. Definitely recommend! Service was great as well. Very kind and caring people.

Amazing dining experience, and some of the best fine Mexican food you can find! Leo is the do-everything part owner of the restaurant, and he will guide you to a wonderful experience. The memelas are a must try! And the queso fundido is a flavor explosion. A bargain of a price too

I chose this restaurant for my girlfriend's birthday after doing a lot of research, hoping for a special experience. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to expectations. We were seated at a small table in the corner of the medium sized restaurant. It was extremely cold in there, everyone had jackets on . Our drinks and appetizer came out quickly, but after that, the service went downhill. It took 15-20 minutes for our server to return, only to tell us that the one dish my girlfriend wanted wasn't available. She had to make another choice, and when we asked for a couple more minutes to decide, the server didn't come back for another 20 minutes--only after we flagged someone else down. When the food arrived, it was disappointing. My soup, described as having meat, beans, avocado, and radishes, was a watery green broth with floating avocados and what looked like scraps of meat and beans. My girlfriend's green chili enchiladas were so spicy they were inedible. We sat with these unsatisfying meals for nearly 20 minutes before anyone checked on us. When we finally voiced our concerns, the staff refunded our meals, which was appreciated, but the poor service and subpar food made the evening a disappointment. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this place and don't plan to return. This version is Yelp-appropriate, straight to the point, and conveys your experience professionally.

The food and drinks are pretty good and it's awesome to have a more oaxacan oriented restaurant in Oakland! 5/5 for the menu options. But a 3.5 for ambiance. If you sit at the bar the ambiance is fine. But the tables and chairs and setup just don't match the menu and price point. It's very not cozy and not grown n sexy and I'm looking for one of those at these prices and for the kind of evening I want at a place like this.

Great new spot in lower Temescal. Friendly staff. Oaxacan inspired dishes. Def. Coming back. Food 5 stars Service 4 stars Ambiance 4 stars Value 4 stars

No one (noooo one) cooks better than my mom. Oh wait... this place might! 10/10 salsas, meat/chicken always taste fresh, savory and never chewy. This is the only restaurant I'll continue to visit. Great customer service and the food always seems to be freshly made. I love you mom, if you're reading this.

Amazing food, fantastic service. Great mezcal selection. I wish I lived closer, this would be my regular spot. Leo is so knowledgeable about mezcal . This is the epitome of a spectacular local spot. Go support your neighborhood restaurant . You won't be sorry .

Visited this gem this past rainy Saturday after hearing about them from Instagram, and I'm so glad we did! It was myself, my partner and best girlfriend and we arrived at the beginning of their happy hour. We order apps and drinks from the HH menu and entrees from the main menu. LET ME TELL YOU! the food, drinks, music, service, decor, 10 out of 10!! Absolutely delicious and we will definitely return! It's a new restaurant, I believe less than a year, and I wish them many success within the industry!!

Best Mexican in Oakland! We absolutely love Mesa Maguey. We've been twice. The food is outstanding, creative and authentic. They have terrific cocktails. One of the best parts is the service. Amazing guy. Not sure if he is the owner or just works there - but so sincere, attentive and great. Their sauces rock!!

Great new spot and open for lunch. One of my favorite chicken burritos in town. Killer mezcal selection and ipa on tap in a really nice atmosphere.

Mesa Maguey is tough to review. The front dining room is beautiful, and suggests high-end, modern Mexican cuisine. But be prepared to be escorted to the back dining room, which has all the charm and din of a school cafeteria with cement walls. The back dining room is truly terrible, but it might make sense if you have kids in tow who can happily be more boisterous in an already loud and uncomfortable room. The food, however, is really good. It's much more traditional than modern, but high quality regardless and Oaxacan-focused. Try the tasajo. Look past the fact that most dishes seem to come with the exact same rigid complement of rice/beans/grilled veggies without variation. The cocktails were excellent, as you'd expect, and reasonably priced in this day and age of $15-20 absurdities. I'll 100% be back, but only if I can get seated in the front room.

Everything was delicious. My friend and I shared the taquitos and queso and it was beautiful and filling. I also enjoyed their passion fruit and watermelon margaritas. They also check in a lot with you. I am looking forward to going back.

Great cocktails and cool bar. Mole rojo, chips and salsa all tasty. My wife's enchiladas came out cold. Other than that I'd recommend and would go back.

I admit I was really sad to see Art's Copper Spoon gone, it this place is so yummy I was very quickly consoled. I've only had the chile relleno and the enchiladas but they were soooo good, and can accommodate my vegan mom (flautas and beer salad). Margaritas with fresh fruit so so tasty too! So happy to have this addition to the neighborhood and I plan to be a happy regular! (Oh and my BF had the shrimp burrito and loved it!) can't wait to come back!

Went for the first time last week and really enjoyed everything we ate. The service was attentive, and I'll definitely be going back.

My wife and I had a very pleasant experience. Mesa Maguey on Broadway is a five month old Oaxacan-themed restaurant, run by two brothers and boasts a good selection of tequilas and mezcals, We went for early happy hour and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of food and libations. The portions and prices were good, the music lively and the service friendly. We'll definitely return.

Food is absolutely delicious and authentic. Feels so homemade it's as if abuela is in the kitchen hooking it up. The guacamole is the BEST guacamole I've had in some time. One of the partners in the restaurant was my server - super chill and kind, suggested I try the chicken enchiladas and the dish did not disappoint. So flavorful. I substituted salad for the rice and beans and the salad had fresh greens and multiple veggies. The margaritas were banging. I look forward to tasting more dishes on future visits. The space is beautiful and perfect for lunch/brunch alone, a romantic date, and large gatherings with friends. Please support this business! Buen provecho.

Delicious Oaxacan food, great Mezcal collection and affordable prices. Super friendly service!

First time here and I am becoming a regular. Not only is the space welcoming and spacious the ambiance and food is extraordinary. From the greeting to getting our drinks and food the service was exceptional. We ordered a variety of items and cocktails and the SASON, I personally ordered the fish tacos and their sauce and taste was delicious. Even though I thought I wouldn't get full these tacos were very filling. I also tried my friends carnitas plate and I am definitely getting that next the flavor and seasoning was amazing, it was plated with rice and beans and salad it was a top pick at the table. Overall EVERYTHING was on point the drinks were delicious and overall I would highly recommend this new gem in Oakland! We also tried their desserts and they were the cherry on the top to our first experience of Mesa Maguey. Definitely visit and try their variety of food and drinks you will not regret it. If you have an event they also cater. Leo is awesome! When you visit make sure to take a mezcal shot with him!