Mexican restaurant Mesa Mercado provides for an authentic experience of traditional Oaxacan cuisine with an urban taste. 

At first glance, the establishment is situated in the heart of the Milagro Center in Carmichael, CA. The meeting place is a hotspot with multiple restaurants ranging from Mexican to Japanese to American. Mesa Mercado was also the first establishment to open in the Milagro Center during its opening in fall 2015.

The restaurant provides an assortment of different menus for brunch, starters, The Introduction as their main meal menu etc. 

When walking in, customers will see an array of colors on the walls along with intricate Aztec designs. The colors invite customers in and make for an interesting environment with each cultural painting and Mesa Mercado’s slogan A Religious Food Experience.

The seating was also pleasant with spacious table options or by the bar.

The establishment also supplies customers and bystanders with a range of latin music that can easily be heard by simply walking past.

While the music was a nice touch, it was also a bit too loud for comfort and made it relatively difficult to speak with people sitting right across from you.

When it came to the cuisine, Mesa Mercado did not disappoint. They offer a complimentary snack of diced mangoes in Tajin seasoning which differs from the typical chips and salsa served at most Mexican/Latin food establishments. 

To our grave dismay though, the chips and salsa were a part of the appetizer menu that had to be paid for, but the selection of three different salsas made up for the price.

The customer service was very friendly and the waiter gave our party ample time to choose what we wanted to eat. Once it was time to order, half of us chose from the lunch menu which offers an entire meal for about 10 dollars. The rest chose meals from the full price menu.

We ordered chicken enchiladas with an assortment of green, red and mole sauce as well as chicken tacos. They also offered vegetarian options like cauliflower tacos which we ordered.

I personally had the lunch special of one enchilada with red sauce that came with a side of rice and beans. All of the food was well prepared and plated really well making it appetizing to look at.

Mesa Mercado lived up to almost all of our expectations with its delicious cuisine, and everyone should give it a try.