Leah S.
Yelp
When we came to Sullivan's Island, we initially planned on dining at Poe's, however they were closed for the week that we arrived for renovations. I'm really glad that happened because if they had been open, it's unlikely we would have found Mex 1. It was restaurant week when we came to Charleston, which was not what we had planned our trip around, however it was just a really awesome coincidence.
We picked the restaurant week menu for Mex 1, which was a three for $30 deal. For our starter, we picked the three dips and chips which included a smokey salsa, a wonderfully chunky guacamole, and a zesty queso sauce with crunchy chips. For our entree we were able to pick two tacos off of the menu as well as one of their bowl options, so we opted for the cauliflower taco and chicken taco, as well as the Baja bowl with mahi.
Our waitress was super friendly and outgoing, was talkative and had lots of recommendations about places to try while we were in Charleston area for restaurant week. When the chips and dips came out, we were very happy to find the dips of high-quality and packed with flavor, alongside a well-made and salted chip. The cauliflower tacos were excellent, lightly charred, with a delicious soft tortilla and zesty sauce. The chicken taco was eaten by my husband and he said it was very satisfying with juicy marinated chicken.
The other entree was the mahi-mahi Baja bowl, which was not only a beautiful dish but also well seasoned. The mahi was delicate and not dried out, perfectly cooked alongside cojita cheese and guac. The bowl itself was packed with lots of yummy items and was very filling. For dessert on our 3 for $30 choice, we picked the dulce de leche cheesecake, which was too sweet for my liking, but was the only thing we didn't totally love.
The restaurant is super conveniently located off the main drag in Sullivan's Island, with lots of street parking and tons of indoor and outdoor seating. I appreciated the fact that their salsas were bold and not too sweet, with lots of spicy and smoky flavors. Their guacamole too was very good, chunky and smooth at the same time. I felt like overall, their food was very fresh and well made, with delicious flavors and an obviously successful goal at making sure their product is beautiful as well as delicious. The ambience of the restaurant was inviting, with a Mexican/Hawaiian vibe that made me feel like I was in Haleiwa, Oahu. I would definitely return here on another trip to the Charleston area.