Mesa Latin Kitchen

Came here during triangle restaurant week and was afraid that the food was going to be bad based on word of mouth but everything turned out delicious (3.5 stars). What’s interesting is that this place used to be a steakhouse (which was very good, not sure why it closed down), and so the menu is inspired from the previous restaurant.
The menu is extensive and it was hard to choose. I would recommend the guac with fried plantains (so fun to eat). I also shared a shredded pork plate with rice and beans.
Service was excellent. Overall enjoyed my time here. Wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here but it’s very convenient from s9.

The food was spectacular… There was four of us dining and we all ordered something different and shared… Could not figure out what one was my favorite…

Great food and service. The warm plantain chips (served in lieu of bread) are excellent! We had the chicken soup, salad, and tuna tacquitos for appetizers, ropa viejo, Cuban sliders, and empanadas for the main course. All just terrific. The green rice that came with the ropa viejo was so flavorful and moist! Just delicious. The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is that the empanadas and tacquitos were very good but nothing amazing.
They also have great daily specials for drinks and cocktails. We happened to go on a night when they had half off on bottles of win

This was a great restaurant for lunch with great service. There was just two of us on a Sunday lunch trip and there was hardly anyone in the restaurant which was a red flag to me but we trusted the Unilocal reviews and we were right. The Cuban and the steak sandwich was great. The only critique I would add is that there is too much breakfast plates compared to lunch plates. Additionally, the empanadas only come with two and that’s just such a small plate. Other than that the food and the service was great!

I have been three times before I reviewed Mesa. The inside has never been crowded, actually it is rarely half full, but we are promptly seated when we arrive. Twice we have received plantain chips while we browsed the menu and I love these. The food is Latin inspired with some fun and interesting twists. Most of the food items are small plates, tapas style if you will. You will not be full by any means ordering a few items. In the tapas/​small plate style though, you get to try a lot of interesting and tasty things. They have a decent beer selection at the time of this review and my wine drinking friends seemed happy with the selection of wines.
Two biggest ‘plus’ items for me. The ambiance is one where you can very easily have a nice long conversation with friends. You can order a few small plates, enjoy your drinks and as the evening goes on, keep ordering small plates to sate any hunger.
Secondly, the staff is very attentive and will check on you often.
My only ‘wish-​list’ items for Mesa. I’d like to see more items showing up on the menu, maybe seasonal dishes to get me in there more often. Secondly, while this will sound silly, I love churros and wish they had a churro for dessert; they have a good flan, which got me through each dessert course. I’d love to see an expanded dessert menu.
Also I picked $$$ for price range, I would say $$ and ½ if I could.
I was torn because it is small plate style and you end up getting more than one usually. So yes, a small menu item around 10 $, but I’d be upset if I went in expecting my ‘total’ bill to be less than 30 $ and found it higher. An appetizer, one small place and an adult drink and you will probably be in the 20 $ range already. In all the times I have gone we have never been under 30 $ a person. I’d rather people be surprised their bill came out lower than expected, rather than higher and have a bad evening.

We visited Mesa last night for dinner. First, the service was quite good. Benjamin, our server, was very knowledgeable and gave us good tips, and we really appreciated his great customer service, particularly in light of the fact that he was balancing us with a 10-​top and a few other tables. The atmosphere and look of the restaurant is charming, kind of a warm modern farmhouse feel. we didn’t spend time in the bar, but it looks cool!
Food wise, we focused on small plates. I’m giving Mesa 4 stars versus 5 because while most of the food was very good, some of it was just average. We started with the malanga fritters (yummy, but very small portion, dipping sauce was delicious) and the cuban guacamole. The guacamole was served with thinly sliced and salted tostones, and was very good.
Next, we moved on to the crab & corn casava. This dish was a bit of a disappointment. It was not overly warm when served, and tasted like crab & corn chowder had been spread on a tortilla. VERY bland and potatoes dominated. Was not much of a hit with us.
Next, we sampled the charred sweet corn (delicious, recommend), the grilled asparagus with tempura lemon (REALLY delicious), and the coconut rice with crab (average). None of these dishes really had portions large enough for really sharing between 3 people, and that was kind of a bummer, because, really, for $ 6, to get a single ear of corn split into 2 small pieces seems a bit much.
We each ordered dessert, as well. The tres leches was very good and very light, but not necessarily traditional, which is okay, but just know that in advance. The chocolate chip bread pudding was delicious, but was garnished with way too many nuts and dried fruits, which were a distraction, not a complement. The guava cake was good, but just had too much going on. The brick pastry seems unnecessary, but the ice cream was very tasty.
I liked this restaurant, we will probably return, but I think the cooking staff need to tighten up on quality. We don’t mind paying higher prices for dinner, but when you do, there is a certain expectation of consistency and quality that Mesa did not always live up to. Being selective in the dishes the dishes you order here seems to be very important.
We ate dinner early on a Saturday night. By about 7 p.m., a really nice latin salsa band had set up and was delivering pleasantly tropical background music that was a nice complement to dinner. In some cases, live music can be a distraction, but this group was perfect for the setting and really added to our dining experience. Thanks, Mesa, for the great service and mostly good food.

For starters, we were probably a little spoiled, as the assistant manager was our waiter. We had a great time, especially because he took his time to really explain everything on the menu. There are some familiar Latin items, but there are also quite a few that we hadn’t seen before. I like to make an educated purchase with my food, so I appreciate the assistance!
The best friend and I are a little experimental, so our selections:
Fried Queso Blanco – not quite as much flavor I was hoping for, but still tasty
Malanga Fritters – ridiculous, MUST TRY!
Exotic Mushrooms Flat Bread Casava – fantastic, probably my favorite part
Cuban Sandwich Sticks – really good, and I hate mustard!
Argentine Beef Empanadas – a little drier than I hoped, but excellent flavor
They also have a great drink selection, though we settled for some house wine this night.
This place is a little pricey, definitely date night or special girls’ night applicable, but very good, and we will definitely be back!

This place is amazing, starting from the staff and ending with the appetizers and entrée, all the way to the food. I am definitely coming back. I cant say that Ive been to many places where I felt the urge to write a review and let a potential customer know how good of a place it is! Love this place, you have to try it.

The service provided was great, but I do have to give three stars in regards to the food. Coming from and living in Florida, I do think the restaurant does make a great effort to represent several latin cuisine options. Unfortunately, the food did not meet my expectations. I ordered the cuban sliders and they were so dry and the amount of meat was probably less than mini sized meatball per slider. The crab flatbread was all soggy and came cold to our table. Other options like the fried cheese and perhaps the malanga were ok, but certainly not impressive. For a newcomer to Latin cuisine, I think it is worth to try at least once.

Experienced a profound sense of déjà vu when I pulled up to the restaurant, and then I realized I had come here 2 years before when it was Gregoria’s Cuban Steakhouse. In fact, when we were about to sit in one of the booths, one of the waiters recognized me from the last time we ate here.
The interior design hasn’t changed much since then, and they still bring in live music around 6 PM, a fantastic touch. Service was flawless, though since it was 5 PM, the restaurant also wasn’t very busy.
Now, on to the food:
Free stuff: the plantain chips tasted much like ordinary banana chips. Tastes great once you add the salsa though.
$ 5 Sangria: special cocktail of the night, nothing too remarkable though.
Colombian Empanadas: very elegant presentation and quite delicious. Cheese and spinach go together well! Only complaint is that the dish had only two empanadas, each cut in half to make the dish look like it had more on it.
Pork Belly: there were three pieces of pork; one was super soft and fatty, and two were well-​done and bordering on becoming crunchy. The variety of textures was interesting, but I preferred the softer piece myself. Also, I was not a big fan of the carrot purée due to its strange aftertaste.
Coconut Rice: dense, milky and rich. Definitely a filling side dish, but it left me craving vegetables. Aside from the salads, everything on the menu tends to emphasize carbs, protein and fat.
Total cost ended up being around $ 48 without tip, which I then split with my BF.
Overall, very solid dining experience.

We dined at Mesa for lunch this past Saturday and everyone in the party was pleased and stated they would return. The restaurant is large so you’re not seated on top of other diners and is decorated beautifully. A date night place for sure and they boost a generous parking lot that is rare for the area. Ben was our waiter and he was the perfect mix of sociable and professional. He explained to us that dinner is set up more for Tapas while lunch is more individual meals with the menus for each being completely different from one another. They serve lunch Tuesday-​Saturday from 11 a.m.-2:30 p. m and Brunch on Sundays from 11 a.m.-2:30 p. m when they offer $ 2.5 mimosa and $ 10 sangria carafes. I plan on returning to check out their dinner tapas and highly recommend this Latin eatery. Please note you can make reservations on Open Table and they have several sizeable tables so they can accommodate larger parties.

We had been wanting to try Mesa since it opened, but just now found a night to go. They provide plantain chips to start you off that are thinly sliced and perfectly crunchy. The food was delicious… smaller, tapas size portions but great flavors. We had the surf&turf special (ribs+shrimp), Colombian empanadas, and malanga fritters and enjoyed it all. We also took advantage of the $ 5 cocktail special!
Overall: easy parking, convenient location, live music (that wasn’t overbearingly loud), and delicious food!

I can’t believe the disconnect between the reviews here and how bad this restaurant was. All night my dinner companions kept saying «who made us come to this lousy place?» It was embarrassing. I blame you people.
And it wasn’t like we just tried 1 or 2 things — we got NINE different plates. Only one of them was actually good: the Cuban sandwich sliders.
There was consensus that all these were bad:
— Octopus — rubbery
— Both empanadas — terrible
— «Smoked tuna taquitos» — this was «tuna fish» not tuna, and it tasted awful. Everyone agreed that this was the worst thing we ordered.
— Crab flatbread. Soggy.
These got mixed reviews:
— Smoked pork ribs.
— Cuban guacamole. I forget what I didn’t like about it, but I didn’t like it.
— Smoked bacon-​wrapped dates. One person at our table liked these, but I think she has it in for dates.
Drinks: The house mojito was listed at $ 10, but when we went it was half off. Which is fortunate, because I would have been really pissed off to pay $ 10 for that weak-​ass cocktail, but at half-​off it wasn’t bad.
There was really loud music playing outside but we were with a guy who is deaf in 1 ear so we had to sit inside. Maybe that makes the food taste better.

Ah, I do love me an upscale Latin restaurant! I always think of Latin food as this really traditional, made in your mama’s kitchen kinda food, so it’s a nice change to see a chef present classics in a unique way with a twist.
That being said, if you enjoy your Latin food in the typical sense… don’t expect that here, because you won’t get it.
I came here for a late dinner on a weeknight and the place was almost empty, maybe 2 other tables filled. On entrance, I immediately fell in love with the décor and ambiance. Candles abound, warm colors throughout, live guitar playing in the background… it feels so inviting, relaxing, and yet still intimate. Even though this is the old Gregoria’s location, there’s not a hint of Gregoria’s in it!
The BF and I split 2 small plates and a large plate. For small plates we tried the beef emapanadas and the shrimp ceviche. The shrimp ceviche is not like a traditional ceviche where all the ingredients are mixed together with tostones on the side, but rather all the ingredients are stacked on a single tostones and drizzled in sauce. The tostones are also very thin, like a potato chip, not as thick or dense as you might expect. I really enjoyed the shrimp ceviche, the flavor was up my alley. However, my BF was expecting a more traditional ceviche/​tostones combination, so while he thinks it was good it wasn’t great for him. The beef empanadas were really good as well, full of flavor with a perfectly airy, fluffy pastry. You get 2 empanadas and 3 shrimp ceviches. I thought the small plates were a little small and wished I had ordered more food…
As for the entrée (large plate) we got the brisket steak, which was tasty but the presentation was a little lacking. The brisket is tender, but could have been more tender, and had good flavor. The brisket sits atop a plateful of mashed potatoes, unlike any mashed potatoes I’ve had. The texture was very different! Every time I scooped some with my fork, you could see it coming up in strings, much like cheese. The mashed potatoes also hold their shape really well, they’re not firm, but they’re more firm than typical mashed potatoes? Tasted good though, just a little odd.
Oh and the sangria! Sundays are $ 10 sangria carafes so of course we got one! Ah the wine glass comes perfectly rimmed in a pink sugar and pairs so well with the sweet sangria. If you don’t really like sweeter sangrias, you may find this one too sweet! It’s probably the sweetest sangria I’ve ever had in a restaurant, but I prefer that!
This would be a fabulous date night spot!

Great food and Joel makes a great martini. Dry gin Thursday $ 5.00 special. Music starting around 7 in great area and close to Duke and walking distance to ninth St. Love it.

Mesa Latin Kitchen brings a new sensibility and playfulness to Cuban eats in nuevo latino style! I’m excited about this new restaurant in Durham because I really can’t think of much that’s similar in the Triangle. Given that my meal is comped, I’m going to focus on the food that Mesa Latin Kitchen put out for my media event.
Inside, Mesa Latin Kitchen has been refreshed from the old Gregoria’s space. There’s a neon-​purple bar along with Latin highlights in the main dining room. Over the course of two hours, we were served a variety of items off the menu. Highlights for me were the Cuban sandwich sticks, seared trout and charred sweet corn. Desserts were remarkably good, ranging from a super-​creamy goat cheese flan to warm guava cake. You get the flavors of the islands in a more creative presentation here at Mesa Latin Kitchen.
Prices on their menu seem really reasonable for what you get! All I can say is to check Mesa Latin Kitchen out and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised…

Absolutely the BEST restaurant in Durham! My sons were visiting from out of state and were totally blown away by the food, service, and ambience. They both have traveled quite extensively and thanked us over the evening for treating them to this amazing place. If you’re lucky enough to get Benjamin for your waiter, it will be an experience that you will not forget.

The décor was pleasant and fresh, the wait staff very attentive and knowledgeable, and the menu full yummy plates. Tapas and full plates, a nice beverage selection too.
It’s a large venue, so you could come on your own or bring a pretty decent sized party.
Hubby and I showed up shortly after they opened for dinner. The place quickly started filling up.
Started with some plantain crisps with a delicious smoky tomato salsa. Nice pairing.
We decided on full plates rather than tapas. Hubby chose the pork belly while I couldn’t resist the trout.
While we waited, we also had some of the nicely seasoned guacamole with root veg crisps. Very nice.
Nice sized portions on the large plates. The pork belly was flavorful, served with couscous and carrots. The trout is smoky with spinach. I’d definitely have again!
We were too full to have dessert… All the more reason for having to come back for more :-)

This place is amazing. I loved it’s predecessor Gregoria’s, and they have what seems to be an amazing chef (Douglas Rodriguez) coming up with creative bites for Mesa.
What we got and loved: malanga fritters (app), avocado and tomato salad; dates wrapped in bacon; exotic mushroom flatbread; basil cucumber martini.
What we got and just sort of liked: shrimp ceviche and the watermelon martini (way too syrupy & sweet for us).
in total we shared 5 small plates plus one appetizer between 2 people. We left very pleasantly full.
I can’t wait to try more dishes. This will definitely be my new happy hour spot, or place to go for a good meal + drink.
Also — the wait staff were super helpful and friendly. They also had a guitarist that was really skilled. All in all just a great experience.

We went to Mesa last night for the first time. We asked to seat in the patio to enjoy the band.
We had appetizers: malanga fritters with cucumber and basil martini. Then we ordered tapas: coconut and crab rice, cuban guacamole with plantain chips and smoked tuna taquitos.
Everything was delicious, fresh and we enjoyed very much trying new tastes. The portions were just right and the dishes well presented. We shared the goat cheese flan for dessert which was to die for with café cubano.
The waiter was attentive without being overbearing, had a good knowledge of the menu and helpful to make our order.
We also liked very much the décor, the ambiance, sophisticated but still casual.
We are so glad a place like Mesa, upscale latin cuisine, opens in Durham and we wish them all the luck they deserve for the future. We’ll surely be back soon.
Our evening at Mesa was just perfect!