Easton: Mesa Modern Mexican (May 2016)

My spouse and I and three other family members dined at Mesa Modern Mexican for a late lunch on a Sunday afternoon in early May 2016. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner. You can reserve a table using the Open Table reservation system or by telephone. The owners of Mesa Modern Mexican also own Tapas on Main in Downtown Bethlehem. (The same group also once owned the now-shuttered Pacifico in the Promenade Shops.) Mesa does not have a dedicated parking lot, but there is a small metered public parking public lot immediately adjacent to the restaurant, as well as the city parking garage across the street, and metered parking on the streets (nearly every parking meter accepts credit cards, so you need not be concerned about having the correct change). We have eaten at Mesa two times previously over the past several years, but this review describes only our most recent experience.

Mesa Modern Mexican opened in December 2012 in a portion of the former space of Lipkins furniture store (and most recently, in the space that housed Mex Tex Trio), near the corner of Third and Ferry Streets in Downtown Easton, close to Market Square, the Crayola Factory, and the State Theatre. Mesa serves Latin food (dishes from Mexico, America, Guatemala, and Columbia), and the food is upscale and modern in style, which makes it different than traditional Mexican restaurants that serve spicy rice/beans/protein combinations covered in sauce and cheese. The restaurant has three dining spaces: the bar area, the main dining room, and a 30-seat private dining room (called the “tequila room” because of the assorted tequila bottles that decorate the space); the restaurant also uses the private dining room for overflow customers when the restaurant is busy. Outdoor seasonal sidewalk dining is available in nice weather. The bar area contains a long U-shaped bar as well as some high-top tables. The main dining area contains mostly table seating, with some tables adjacent to a banquette that runs along one wall. The host seated our party at a table in the far corner of the restaurant, with several guests seated on the shared banquette; disappointingly, the leather that covered the seat was so damaged/shredded that it hurt to sit on it for those members of our party who were wearing skirts. Otherwise, it would have been a comfortable place to relax, because the restaurant provides stuffed pillows to place behind your back. Earth-tone walls (in shades of orange), a copper (burnished to a green tone) bar front, and wall niches filled with varied objects complete the décor. Mesa holds a full liquor license, so you are free to enjoy your favorite alcoholic beverage like sangria, margaritas, tequilas, wine, or beer. (We tried a Coco Loco on the day that we dined, which was particularly delicious!)

Our group shared three appetizers: the Palomino guacamole (traditional, with avocado, red onion, and tomato), the scallop tostados (small crispy tortillas, each topped with a surprisingly large scallop, plus guacamole and mango-pomegranate relish), and the carne asada quesadilla (with steak, cheese, onions, and aioli). The restaurant also brings complimentary chips and salsa to your table while you peruse the menu. As entrees, we ordered two dishes from the Sunday brunch/Mother’s Day menu: churro-style French toast (with seasonal fruit and syrup on the side) and huevos especiales (poached eggs atop chorizo, black bean puree, and spicy potatoes served over white rice with a jalapeno hollandaise sauce), as well as a Cuban sandwich (pork, ham, cheddar, pickles, and mustard between pressed bread, and served with fries), the carne asada arepas (steak, black beans, cheese, and chimichurri sauce atop triangles of corn bread), and the crispy cod tacos (small soft shells filled with deep-fried fish, guacamole, red cabbage, and sauce). For dessert, we shared the churros (served with both chocolate and raspberry dipping sauces) and the sweet corn cake (which was a special item on the Mother’s Day menu, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with dulce de leche sauce). The menu contains a wide variety of items at many different price points (most of the lighter/lunch items and appetizers are in the $10 range, with formal entrees priced around $20).

If you are in the mood for some upscale Latin food, be sure to try Mesa Modern Mexican!