Came in 45 minutes ago placed order to go, apparently the kitchen is manned with island work ethic, suffering from Mañana syndrome. If you come, drink & listen to the glorified Karaoke musicians. I'd give less than a star but Yelp doesn't allow
Ari B.
Usually gets really packed at night so if you're looking for a table I recommend you don't go as late. Also know that at night when it gets full, your server will typically disappear for a long while so don't expect to see them often. Overall they always have a great DJ, drinks always hit, the food is good and the vibes are great.
Nikki T.
The service has gotten much better, Im glad they improved that. Drinks are good, pork carnitas are a bit chunky so Id go for the steak tacos over the pork, and the tostone cups are good. It's fun to people watch here on busy nights, the music entertainment is entertaining just be aware it gets really loud.
kam2323
Trying to buy a house on Cape Ann, Massachusetts right now is nearly impossible. But in my travels I ran into a sweetheart of a Realtor: although I lost out on the bidding on his house, I won with his recommendation of a Mexican restaurant in Methuen Massachusetts. What is a Mexican restaurant doing in Methuen, Massachusetts you ask? Don’t ask. Just make a little pilgrimage. After years in Los Angeles and more than a passing familiarity with taco trucks downtown which serve the best Mexican outside of Oaxaca, I consider myself an aficionado of Mexican food. I watch the Mexican food cooking shows. I visit local chains hoping that one of them will someday serve me something that evokes memories of sitting on the sidewalk in downtown LA with best buds in the middle of the night, shrieking with joy and trading bites. It hasn’t happened in the 35 years since I left California behind, not in New England, not in South Florida, and not even in Denver. It happened in Methuen. Like all great food surprises, this one resides in a strip mall, a humdrummy sort of spot with neighbors that include a Dangerous Donut shop. They refer to it as heavenly, but I know better. Walking in, it was dark and deserted at 5 PM on a Thursday but the host greeted me with a big smile behind his mask that lit up his eyes. Tough week he asked; nothing that can’t be fixed with an El Cartel margarita. They call it El cartel. I call it owner Claudia’s Mojo Mango Magic; gold tequila, muddled mango, rosemary, lime juice and agave. ($13) It gave a little squeeze to my appetite for lusciousness to come. The benefit to eating alone is that you’re free to choose from the menu without regard to what anybody else wants, likes, doesn’t like, is allergic to or whose dieting would be offended by what you order. The downside is there are not enough opportunities to sample. I am bringing a crowd next visit: I read the menu and wanted everything. I judge Mexican restaurants by Carnitas, guacamole and margaritas. So that’s what I ordered and this place is TOPS! The guakamole fresko is made to order ($12). I was happy to wait, especially when I saw the results, ripe bites of avocado and tomato with savory bits of onion and cilantro. It’s a personal preference, but I don’t care for guacamole that is fixed like onion dip, blended to the point where you have no clue of what is in the sauce you are eating. I like chunks. The dish was decorated with graceful rings of pickled red onion on top. As much care was taken with the quality of the homemade chips served at the table. I detected a light salty limey bite. And they were served warm and crispy. Sometimes a woman just needs a Burrito Tekila’s. ($13) I opted for it instead of the Cocina Tradicional of fajitas, chimichangas, enchiladas, takos or quesadillas. Mine came with a generous amount of shredded carnitas filling, along with a bit of rice and beans. It was topped with a spicy chipotle, pico de Gallo and a bit of sour cream. It would have fed my favorite New England Patriots receiver along with me... but I digress. More than half of it went into a doggy bag and I don’t even have a dog. But the leftovers were as tasty and allowed me to extend the food joy into a second day. Sad fact of restaurant life: When you choose one dish, you turn your back on others. Here’s what I will go back for: a fried pork belly ceviche made with a creamy Ginger avocado aïoli, flautas, Corn Royale ( a mixture of corn, Jonah crab, aïoli and Tajin) and Mofonguitos, a trio of plantain cups filled with chicken, beef and carnitas. Next time I’m bringing a crowd because I want to try their Sopa de tortilla con Pollo and the Sopa de Mariscos. I was intrigued by descriptions of Salmon al Coco, Mar y Pina and Camarones al Ajillo O Al Coco. And I want dessert; churros, fried ice cream, a brownie sundae or Tekilaza, and I want to know what that last one is because I forgot to ask. Three things I really enjoy in addition to foodie-ism are dancing, watching karaoke and practicing my pidgin Spanish. You can do all of these things here. Soon. Sports fans will
Came in 45 minutes ago placed order to go, apparently the kitchen is manned with island work ethic, suffering from Mañana syndrome. If you come, drink & listen to the glorified Karaoke musicians. I'd give less than a star but Yelp doesn't allow
Usually gets really packed at night so if you're looking for a table I recommend you don't go as late. Also know that at night when it gets full, your server will typically disappear for a long while so don't expect to see them often. Overall they always have a great DJ, drinks always hit, the food is good and the vibes are great.
The service has gotten much better, Im glad they improved that. Drinks are good, pork carnitas are a bit chunky so Id go for the steak tacos over the pork, and the tostone cups are good. It's fun to people watch here on busy nights, the music entertainment is entertaining just be aware it gets really loud.
Trying to buy a house on Cape Ann, Massachusetts right now is nearly impossible. But in my travels I ran into a sweetheart of a Realtor: although I lost out on the bidding on his house, I won with his recommendation of a Mexican restaurant in Methuen Massachusetts. What is a Mexican restaurant doing in Methuen, Massachusetts you ask? Don’t ask. Just make a little pilgrimage. After years in Los Angeles and more than a passing familiarity with taco trucks downtown which serve the best Mexican outside of Oaxaca, I consider myself an aficionado of Mexican food. I watch the Mexican food cooking shows. I visit local chains hoping that one of them will someday serve me something that evokes memories of sitting on the sidewalk in downtown LA with best buds in the middle of the night, shrieking with joy and trading bites. It hasn’t happened in the 35 years since I left California behind, not in New England, not in South Florida, and not even in Denver. It happened in Methuen. Like all great food surprises, this one resides in a strip mall, a humdrummy sort of spot with neighbors that include a Dangerous Donut shop. They refer to it as heavenly, but I know better. Walking in, it was dark and deserted at 5 PM on a Thursday but the host greeted me with a big smile behind his mask that lit up his eyes. Tough week he asked; nothing that can’t be fixed with an El Cartel margarita. They call it El cartel. I call it owner Claudia’s Mojo Mango Magic; gold tequila, muddled mango, rosemary, lime juice and agave. ($13) It gave a little squeeze to my appetite for lusciousness to come. The benefit to eating alone is that you’re free to choose from the menu without regard to what anybody else wants, likes, doesn’t like, is allergic to or whose dieting would be offended by what you order. The downside is there are not enough opportunities to sample. I am bringing a crowd next visit: I read the menu and wanted everything. I judge Mexican restaurants by Carnitas, guacamole and margaritas. So that’s what I ordered and this place is TOPS! The guakamole fresko is made to order ($12). I was happy to wait, especially when I saw the results, ripe bites of avocado and tomato with savory bits of onion and cilantro. It’s a personal preference, but I don’t care for guacamole that is fixed like onion dip, blended to the point where you have no clue of what is in the sauce you are eating. I like chunks. The dish was decorated with graceful rings of pickled red onion on top. As much care was taken with the quality of the homemade chips served at the table. I detected a light salty limey bite. And they were served warm and crispy. Sometimes a woman just needs a Burrito Tekila’s. ($13) I opted for it instead of the Cocina Tradicional of fajitas, chimichangas, enchiladas, takos or quesadillas. Mine came with a generous amount of shredded carnitas filling, along with a bit of rice and beans. It was topped with a spicy chipotle, pico de Gallo and a bit of sour cream. It would have fed my favorite New England Patriots receiver along with me... but I digress. More than half of it went into a doggy bag and I don’t even have a dog. But the leftovers were as tasty and allowed me to extend the food joy into a second day. Sad fact of restaurant life: When you choose one dish, you turn your back on others. Here’s what I will go back for: a fried pork belly ceviche made with a creamy Ginger avocado aïoli, flautas, Corn Royale ( a mixture of corn, Jonah crab, aïoli and Tajin) and Mofonguitos, a trio of plantain cups filled with chicken, beef and carnitas. Next time I’m bringing a crowd because I want to try their Sopa de tortilla con Pollo and the Sopa de Mariscos. I was intrigued by descriptions of Salmon al Coco, Mar y Pina and Camarones al Ajillo O Al Coco. And I want dessert; churros, fried ice cream, a brownie sundae or Tekilaza, and I want to know what that last one is because I forgot to ask. Three things I really enjoy in addition to foodie-ism are dancing, watching karaoke and practicing my pidgin Spanish. You can do all of these things here. Soon. Sports fans will
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