Mezcal, Spirit of Oaxaca, nestled in downtown Fernandina Beach, is your destination for a contemporary Mexican dinner in a fun setting.
The atmosphere at Mezcal is festive and energetic in an upscale setting. The interior is gorgeous, but the outdoor patio is charming.
They have a large bar area with a nice selection of margaritas and other cocktails. If you are dining alone, you could also sit at the bar for dinner and chat with the bartenders.
The cuisine at Mezcal offers a refreshing take on traditional Mexican dishes, and the staff is warm and welcoming.
Start your meal with their secret recipe for Grandpa’s Margarita! I don’t know what’s in it, and they won’t tell me, but it is delicious. They also make a good Organic Margarita and a Fernandina Margarita with silver tequila and Malibu coconut rum.
Mezcal offers complimentary salsa and tostadas, which should be a requirement for any Mexican restaurant, in my opinion.
What I like about their chips and salsa is that they serve you fresh whole tostadas instead of having a big bowl of chips. You break off the freshly made hot tostadas as you eat them. It adds to the whole dining experience because it's just more fun that way!
As with any Mexican restaurant, the hard part for me is not getting too full on the chips.
I like the poblano fundido at Mezcal because it has vegetables. It's full of zucchini,corn, and poblano peppers. Still, you can’t go wrong with their queso with refried beans and chorizo. They are both cheese-y, gooey, and delicious.
The chefs at Mezcal make the accompanying tortillas from scratch each day, and you can tell.
My go-to order at Mezcal is the chili relleno with chicken.
It’s fresh and not overly fried. It's stuffed with muenster cheese and shredded chicken. The sauce is homemade, and they then top it with crema, micro greens, and cilantro.
Mezcal's duck mole enchiladas are a must-try if you have an adventurous palate like mine. The chimichanga has a cute little queso pitcher to pour over it, and the fajitas are steaming hot and delicious.
I haven't tried the street tacos, but I'd like to try the birria tacos served with a cup of beef broth for dipping.
Finish your meal with a Tres Leches cake if you have a sweet tooth. It's a tough decision for me because they also offer flan and churros - two other favorites.
Or you could just try another Grandpa's margarita.
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