Red Mesa Mercado

Tacos Al Pastor… amazing! The pineapple add a nice touch. The burrito was filled to perfection. Not overfilled or under filled. Just the right amount. The esquites (corn) was yummy. We were looking for something quick, delicious and reasonably priced and Red Mesa Mercado fit all three. I would highly recommend!

This place is okay if every other Mexican place is closed. Of the three Red Mesa concepts in St Pete, this is the least impressive. Mercado’s sister stores, Red Mesa on 4^th and Red Mesa Cantina are both excellent so in not sure how this one is the black sheep sheep of the family.
My boyfriend and I have tried eating here twice. I ordered veggie tacos the first time and a grilled shrimp burrito this last time. Both times the food was average. No wow-​factors, no spice. They boast that the flour tortilla is made in house, which is great but it is way too thick.
I love the outdoor area, compete with shade and fans and a dog friendly area. With so many other better options, this would not be my first pick to satisfy that Mexican food craving.

Decidedly SoCal, with the vibe and quality of food to match (those are both good things). After finding a great hidden street (Baum) to park for Rays games, I wandered over to Mercado for what would be the first of many.
Their menu, faded paint job and outdoor (but covered) patio are designed to install confidence in the cuisine and relaxation in their patrons. Both are highly effective.
I ordered 3 soft taco’s, two ground beef and one with chicken. Came with a side of rice and beans and for an even $ 10 it’s a pretty good deal. The grub was prepared to order and everything came together well. The quality of the ingredients is obvious and goes to reinforce the magic that happens when a no-​frills establishment focuses on something it does really, really well. In this instance, Mexican.

Been to Greenbench next-​door many times, but never visited here until recently. This places within walking distance to a lot of good things in this part of the neighborhood including the Tropicana stadium.
This is an outdoor eatery which provides for a lot of take-​out Mexican food. I had the enchilada style burrito here which was amazing. The sauce that they use really set the tone for anything I would ever want to eat again from them. The nachos were great! I also enjoyed the hibiscus tea. It reminded me of sorrel, but without the spices. Very refreshing!
There’s plenty of seating outdoors with two covered areas. The main seating area features ceiling fans while the secondary seating area with benches features a outdoor AC unit which blows in the direction of the seating during those hot months of the year. The restrooms are located outdoors, but attached to the building. The vibe is casual. As expected, the crowd happened to spike in volume around dinner time (6 PM-​ish). Thankfully, we got there an hour before then.
I would say I had an overall good experience here and would do it again if I was in the mood for Mexican food (Or close enough).

Stumbled upon this restaurant during our mothers day weekend celebration and wow the food was just amazing! I highly recommend the grilled shrimp burrito. I ended up ordering a second one from how good it was. Service was also very good.

Oder and pick up at the window. Nice outdoor, covered seating. Ordered two chicken soft tacos combo. Came with rice, refried beans and guacamole. So delicious. Very good guacamole. Tasty tacos. And I had the corn on the cob (Mexican street corn) yummy. So flavorful and a big piece of corn. I was very happy and full here! My brother had three crunchy tacos and loved the chopped meat one. He couldn’t get enough. I couldn’t even get a pic! I liked the atmosphere and chill vibe going on here.

I was always hesitant to try this place because their menu looked so plain, but I finally gave it a go today. All I can say is, the flavor is NOT plain at all! I got the house special burrito with chicken, enchilada style. The sauce they use on top of the burrito is out of bounds! (#guyfieriwouodbeproud). A few of my co-​workers got different burritos and everything looked really good! I will definitely be trying this place again. Also, for lunch, it is very quick and convenient. A great lunch hangout for downtown st Pete employees.

Food was pretty good, but not mind-​blowing in my opinion. Why was I expecting mind-​blowing? Because $ 90 for lunch, that’s why. Now, to be fair, there were 5 of us (2 adults, 3 kids). My boyfriend had a beer and I had a sangria. But still — NINETY dollars for tacos for lunch on a Sunday? And it isn’t even table service! You order at and pick up from the counter. (And the guy asked for a tip!)
Perhaps this is more indicative of how our little town is changing, but I would have expected these to be the best tacos I’ve ever had for that price tag.
Having said all of this, I would go back, just not when we have the kids.

I absolutely love this place! When my boyfriend and I were down for the Shelton Brothers Festival back in October we (quite literally) stumbled across this place. We quickly slammed a burrito and have been coming whenever we’re in st. Pete ever since. Just 2 weeks ago we moved to st Pete from Cleveland, Oh and are super excited to try the other locations! The flavors are fantastic, great outdoor seating area. Try the corn on the cob! Also the pork burrito with red sauce (the name escapes me) is FANTASTIC!

Decent food, casual atmosphere. you MUST sit outside as they have no indoor seating. You pump out your hot sauce of choice into a little cup. You order and then pick it up. No table service…

Favorite spot to get an awesome taco. Make sure to get some hot sauce to go with.
The combos are great if you want a full meal. Pick 3 is a bit much for me to take down over lunch but is a great value.

I don’t know what these other reviewers mean by small burritos. I expected to receive something pretty small when I ordered my Cali Burrito. Not so. It was huge! It was also delicious. My boyfriend had a chimichanga and empanada and also thought both were delicious.
I will definitely be back!

I’ve been here a couple times now and have always had a great experience. The service is always friendly, the pricing is fair, food is good and the atmosphere is pretty cool.
My first visit I went with one of their specials that day which was the pulled pork quesadilla, which was phenomenal. My second visit my boyfriend and I ordered the Cali burrito and an order of the nachos. The cali burrito was ok, but can’t say I would order it again. The nachos however were perfect! I always hate it when restaurants just dump the toppings on top so after a few nachos there isn’t any toppings on the rest of the chips. Red Mesa Mercado however knows how to make nachos — they layer the toppings on the chips so you get a perfect amount of toppings on each chip. Our friends also ordered the frito pie which looked very good! Also if you like hot sauce — make sure you grab some complimentary hot salsa. It’s delish!
If you’re looking for a quick and good Mexican meal do yourself a favor and check this place out.

4 stars for the food and service–
I visit Red Mesa Mercado a few times per month because the food is a decent price, fast service, and super delicious. I typically get the pork verde burrito (green sauce) but sometimes switch to the pork Colorado burrito (red sauce). Both are yummy though I’d stear away from ever getting the chips and salsa or queso again since the portions are reallllly small. Not nearly enough queso for the amount of chips that you get. Also, I subtract a star for the really high price of their beer and sangria as well as lack of inside seating.

Empanadas get in my mouth! The food here is delicious. I had the best pork Tamale and Beef Empanada I’ve ever had. The guacamole was excellent and the chips were perfect. I highly recommend this place. All seating is outside but its covered and they have fans so it is very comfortable.

Fabulous location, great local vibe, plenty of friendly faces, overpriced sustenance, and sad mediocre food.
There is mas sabore at the Mexican-​inspired drive-​thru chain of evol than Red Mesa Mercado. Have they ever heard of garlic, lime, cilantro, or spices? What the hell happened?
You can easily drop $ 30 at this picnic table dining spot. And, then leave totally confused like someone just spun you around five times and kicked you in the butt on your way out the door.
The most flavor was from the mild green salsa, which at least has a sour punch to it.
Texturally, the most satisfying item was the Beef Empanada.
The Elote (ear of corn) slathered in mayo was just soft boiled and odd…
As Immorten Joe would say, «MEDIOCRE!!!»
Drinks are free refills of the non-​alcohol variety, just ask.
Great place to sit and enjoy the weather with friends, just don’t eat anything.

This is like the fast good version of the other Red Mesa’s. For what it’s trying to be, it works. They have cheap food, and they have it fast. The dining is outdoors, and it’s close to Green Bench, so you can take the food next door.
Honestly, I would just recommend going to Bodega. This place is just like a Taco Bus, so it really is just mediocre.

Meh… not what I would expect from the Red Mesa name.
Yes it was quick food but it wasn’t authentic. Who puts tomatoes and lettuce on their tacos?! This place ;(
The sope was ok and the chips and guacamole weren’t better than Chipotle.
Would I return? Probably not.

The only reason I’m docking a star is because they don’t really have a healthy option on their menu. I would love to pile all their meats on some greens, but I can’t get that for now.
Mercado is simple. Pick the best-​sounding thing on the menu, order at the window, and wait for your name to be called. I’ve had a few good experiences here so far, and I always seem to stop in later at night, so I can vouch for it not sucking in the later hours.
I’ve interacted with friendly staff each time I’ve stopped in, the outdoor seating gets cleaned up regularly, and I’ve never experienced a long wait.
Last night I was with friends and couldn’t decide what I wanted to eat. I knew I wanted a hibiscus tea because theirs is super concentrated and comes with refills. My friend informed me I would be ordering a burrito (the specific name eludes me but I want to say it had chile in the name) with the pork Colorado. Flavor was solid, portion was a bit less than what I was expecting for the price, and overall I was satisfied with my 930pm dinner choice. I ditched part of the tortilla even though it was good. I’m not so much a burrito person but it was definitely worth a change this time.

Why 4 stars? Because it was the average of two experiences.
— — —
First of all, this place is definitely more than just about the food. It’s visual appeal is at maximum levels. It just looks like a place you want to hang out.
There is no indoor seating, but most of it is covered. This means they are as dog friendly as they get, and a phenomenal place to enjoy during all the non-​summer months. I’m curious though, how much the fans will be able to combat the nastiness of June-​September.
However… the food:
I ordered a beef Cali burrito on my first visit, and was pretty disappointed, to be honest. Enormous points are deducted when a place serves ground beef, and not fajita steak meat. I have never understood why any business would ever do this.
For visit #2, I went with the chicken and cheese quesadillas, and they were a significant upgrade. Though I would have preferred fajita quesadillas, the chicken was as solid as it gets.
Both visits consisted of chips and queso consumption. Their queso is thick and meaty, and I have to say, very hard to quit. They have done a great job with that, but be ready for a little heartburn afterward.
But the absolute best thing about Red Mesa Mercado? The homemade tortillas. They are so buttery and flavorful… I could eat about 10 of them alone for dinner every night. I will go as far to say that they’re the best tortillas in Tampa Bay!
So RMM… please add fajita meat as a protein choice, and I will love you forever!
Bonus note: The ratio of kitchen size to dining area size has got to be the craziest I’ve ever seen. The kitchen is definitely big enough to sizzle some fajitas in :)