This place lives up to it's name. The pictures on the walls are bizarre but in a good way. I got a corn on the cob for an appetizer and it was really good. Then I got a chicken burrito. The food was all-around good. Just don't go here if you like basic, boring food. Very interesting place
(4)
Emily H.
This particular location tends to draw in more families with children than the other locations, so it can get noisy and the acoustics are pretty bad - lots of hard surfaces. A friend had a wedding reception at this location and the service was great and very accommodating. This may have been because they were guaranteed a big, BIG tip, but either way I was pleased. If you're a hardcore fan of authentic Mexican food, this is probably not the place for you. The enchiladas remind me more of chilaquiles - definitely more layered than rolled. The burritos are huge but it really drives me crazy how segmented they are. One bite will be all rice, the next will be all meat. The tofu tacos are okay, but the bean sprouts seem like a weird addition. I know, you're probably thinking "What DOES this girl like about Mad Mex?" If you can let go of any previous Mexican food experiences (or if you've never had Mexican food before, as I hadn't when I first went to Mad Mex), some things are ok. The tofu tacos minus the bean sprouts. The California grilled salad. The chickpea chili and black bean soup, the potato taquitos. Nachos, chips & salsa, and guacamole are all decent. Their sides are ridiculously huge and the desserts are all ok (except the sopapillas). Basically, stick to the least authentic stuff and you should be fine. Additionally, some of their entrees are available with your choice of either chicken, steak, shrimp, portobello mushrooms or tofu. They have tons of vegetarian options. They have good happy hour deals and good late night margarita deals. They have raspberry, strawberry, mango, and kiwi margaritas year round, with one or two seasonal flavors per month, plus a full bar, a bunch of tequilas and a huge, varied beer list that tends to focus on local beers. So basically: the less you know about Mexican food, the less disappointed you will be. If you're a fan of authentic Mexican food, either stick to something more basic like a salad, or pick a different restaurant.
(3)
Adam P.
I used to be a prep cook at the one in Oakland. The food quality has declined somewhat in the last decade but I was very impressed with knowledge of beer that everyone who works there seems to have. I hope the leftovers are as good as I remember. Cold MM burritos used to be one of my favorite breakfasts!
(4)
Bob H.
Ate the kateys red velvet enchilada ... awesome. Very cool patio too.
(5)
Christine S.
I love Mad Mex! I know I'll have a guaranteed good time. The food is tasty, they offer a good beer selection, the service is friendly and attentive and they play cool music. My one complaint is the meals are too big! But they let adults order off the kids menu. Not many places allow that, but Mad Mex always meets my request. Mad Mex puts their customers first! Oh, and they let you sample the beer!
(5)
Douglas M.
MAD MEX is definitely in my top list favorites list. All locations that I've been to offer a different feel to the scenery, but offer the same high quality of service. This is a usual happy hour location for my friends and I after work. Half off drafts and wings. Pretty good deal! They have a great lunch menu which gives you many dinner options at a lunch price. You will be stuffed and pleased with the bill. Also, if you sit at the bar (anytime of the day) you get free chips and salsa. At dinner the price goes up a little, but still the great food and very filling. Try the mahi mahi fajita. It's so amazing I almost cried while eating it. This is a very vegan friendly restaurant where you can ask for soy sour cream and tofu cheese as substitutes (tastes amazing). The kids menu at dinner is surprisingly cheap for a lot of food. They can get a burrito, with sides, and a brownie and ice cream (if I remember this correctly) for like 5 bucks. That's great, because its hard to rationalize paying big bucks for kids when dinning out. Also, the staff is very friendly and helpful. My family loves this place and I highly suggest it, thus the reason I chose to review Mad Mex first as a new Yelp member!
(5)
Caroline P.
One of the only restaurants that actually cater to Vegans! They have a LOT of veggie options and Tofutti sour cream and Daiya cheese to replace the dairy. Everything is clearly labeled on the menu so there is no confusion. Our server was also very knowledgeable and happy to answer all of our menu questions. The chef brought the food to our table and reassured us that everything was Vegan. This is my new favorite place to eat!!
(5)
Meghan M.
Always will be my one of my favorite restaurants! I have tried numerous dishes here. My favorite is the Shrimp Enchilada! Food is scrumptious and the staff is polite! I will be returning!
(5)
Allen J.
All I can say about Mad Mex is WOW! The atmosphere was right up my alley, music was perfect and the service was attentive and visually pleasing. Then came the food! Portions are more than enough and the flavor is out of this world! It is an hour drive from my house and I could justify the drive for this any day of the week. Mad Mex, you just blew my mind!!
(5)
Dawn F.
Nice side stop on our way home from Johnstown. I had the seasonal chicken and corn enchilada. Really good - nice big and moist chunks of chicken, sweet, tender corn and the goat cheese was a nice add. The Colorado sauce was a spicy surprise so I was glad I got the guacamole as a cool compliment. My hubby got the crab and corn quesadilla and he loved it. Said the crab was nice and sweet. The one thing that bummed me out - the chips and salsa... Ok, they charge for it which I don't like, but whatever. What bugged me was we paid almost $4 for what seemed like the bottom of the barrel of chips. Lots of little corners and crumbs.
(4)
Chris G.
Very so-so. Reminds me of the "On The Border" places all over DC. Sauce on the enchiladas was more like tomato sauce. Rice was a hard. Plus, $13 for an enchilada is a bit steep.
(3)
Nena U.
Southwestern wings are out of this world and bar/wait staff are outstanding.. great service. Thursday evenings are great for happy hour. The menu is no doubt unique.. refreshing .. something for everyone. My friend loves the fish tacos - and gets them every time. The restrooms are is always clean and the restaurant has seating inside and out. The prices are slightly above average but during happy hour there are specials.
(5)
Lara B.
Great service Good sangria Had the dip trip to start Xx queso is spicy and delicious Roasted tomato salsa is standard salsa Guacamole was very very good for not being prepared table side Ordered the seasonal crab/corn quesadilla and it did NOT disappoint. They have a PLETHORA of healthy and vegan options Great concept and great atmosphere Would love to see this franchise expand
(5)
Kari C.
I was torn as to how low to rate our experience at Mad Mex. I'd say this place certainly falls somewhere between 2 or 3 stars. Here's why... Food: The food here is average (at best). We both ordered the "Mad Mex" quesadillas. I've had better quesadillas from Chili's. I actually even make a better quesadilla at home. We both agreed that it was just subpar. The real irony here is that you'd expect a menu item named after the actual restaurant to be superior in quality to the other menu options. Correct? The quesadillas here are just blah and as for the guacamole, I've had equally as good from Trader Joe's. They come with no sides, so expect to pay around $2 for about 4oz. of canned black beans. Service: So we stopped in over the weekend and ordered dinner. We stood at the hostess station for about 5 minutes patiently waiting for a hostess to appear. She never did. We finally walked to the bar and the kind bartender apologized and explained that things were slow, so they'd just sent home the hostess. Okay that's fine, but why not have the servers or someone else lookout for potential customers? Silly error. We requested to be seated on the patio. It was night time, but boy was it dark! I'm talking parking lot lights to read the menu dark! Here's a tip...Get some light so that customers can actually read the menu at night or just close the patio altogether after dark. I probably would have ordered more if I could have actually seen the menu. Let there be light. Our waitress kindly informed us that the kitchen was taking last call on orders and would be closing an hour before close of business. Fine. Restaurant hours are listed for close at 1am and we arrived 11:30. We understand that kitchens typically close early, but we were clearly being rushed to hurry up and pick something. Again, I would have liked to get an appetizer and dessert, but felt pressed for time. Lastly, as if the aforementioned wasn't enough, the waitress was apathetic. Just bad. Bottom Line: I wouldn't go here again. Food is average (or slightly below) and the service is lacking. There are far too many better restaurants in the area with higher quality standards.
(2)
Claudia S.
I was a little unsure of this place based on some of the negative reviews but have had nothing but the best experiences the three times I have visited Mad Mex! The service is what you would expect from young twenty somethings... Aka not the best but the beer menu is usually spot on so I will forgive their sub-par service. The carnitas nachos are my fave! Really good and fresh ingredients used on all of their dishes, this one included. You get a boat load of nachos too! I would definitely not call this a Mexican restaurant. More tex-mex or Cali Baja type menu but I will continue to frequent Mad Mex.
(4)
Terry S.
Went to Mad Mex for dinner Friday night because we had a giftcard. I got the tofu app (comes with stir-fried fried tofu sprouts, and almonds., it was very delicious! Had the turkey burrito for entree it was mediocre but you won't leave that place hungry, I guarantee it. My wife got a veggie burrito and she also agreed - quite mediocre. Pricing is what you'd expect it to be. Best part (other than tofu was the watermelon margarita I got - two thumbs up!)
(3)
Lambert P.
We had gone here pretty late for dinner, later than I usually eat but I figured we were hungry and I really wanted to check this place out. We arrived around 10pm after a long day of driving and shopping but I was looking forward to eating here for quite some time. I knew they were open late and I was pretty hungry and when that happens I get pretty greedy. Jake was our server this evening and I had told him it was our first time at Mad Mex so I'd have to go through the menu a bit. There is a lot of choices here, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, chili, it just went on and on. The drinks menu was pretty interesting. It was sort of confusing as it appeared there were some drinks on both the drink menu and the main menu but I ended up with a Green Flash PA. I've been drinking a lot of pale ales recently and this one was really good. A smooth taste and a nice hoppy flavor. I ended up ordering 2 of these that night. My wife ordered an apple cidar margarita. I tasted it and it was really good. It tasted like an apple pie. My wife who does not drink anything really besides wine and very little at that drank the whole thing and loved it. Jake brought a really generous serving of salsa and chips. The salsa was really good. Not runny but solid chunks of tomatoes. I had ordered the large order of San Francisco style wings (honestly I didn't know what that meant) which on the menu said that they were sweet and tangy or something like that. Jake asked if I wanted them spicy and I basically said middle of the road was fine. My wife can't really handle hot so I thought it was safe. The wings were just awesome. Properly cooked through and through and crispy and saucy at the same time. Hot and fresh, and as I said, cooked well. My wife can't eat wings if they aren't cooked well so it passed that test with flying colors. I loved these wings and for a large order that said something to the effect that were 14 or so it seemed go on and on. I didn't count them but it seemed to be more than 14 wings. They weren't small and skimpy either. We're talking naked wings (not breaded) but they were meaty and filling. My wife had ordered the turkey chili and I had ordered mahi mahi tacos. While my wife had her chili she said it was really good but it was overly spicy for her. I had tried it and it was really tasty but I had agreed it was rather on the hot spicy side and for her she unfortunately can't handle that level. Jake said it had chipotle in it. For me to think it was rather on the hot side, it's hot. I eat a lot of hot and she had forsaken the chickpea chili because it had jalepeno in it. She probably would have been better off with that instead. Still, the chili was a solid chili, just too hot for her. She had more wings and I gave her a taco and offered her more but she only wanted one. The mahi mahi tacos were amazing. They had that grilled taste and the baha sauce had a really nice kick to to it. The food here was simply great, just a tad hot and I can't believe I'm saying that... I'd love to go back to Mad Mex and try more of their menu. I'd love to try their carnitas.
(5)
Kate M.
I decided while still at the table that I never want to come back again. The seating hostess was terrible, we didn't see a waiter at our table for about fifteen minutes. And after requesting the chips, salsa and guacamole, we waited at least another fifteen minutes. It could have all been overlooked, if the food hadn't been absolutely terrible and the waiter hadn't spilled the salsa and guac all down my pant legs. And we still had to pay for the chips and guac. I cannot recommend ever going here, even if only for happy hour, and most certainly not for the food or service.
(1)
Kimberly K.
I grabbed lunch here with my mom the other day and had a good time here. We wanted to get our grub on before getting our shop on at the Tanger Outlets. The restaurant had a cool vibe. I liked the interior mucho, ha! See what I did there? *cheesy grin* ANYWHO, we ended up ordering the Dance Marathon Enchilada (w/ chicken, spinach, and portabella mushroom) and the Kristy's Big Sister's Red Velvet Quesadilla (chicken, grilled zucchini, spinach, pico de gallo and jack cheese). Oh, and I say "we" because my mom and I always split our food! Let's start with the good. The quesadilla was AWESOME! Pipin' hot and perfectly cooked. I also LOVED the side of guac that accompanied the dish - probably the best guac I've had in years. FYI: it was a lunch special ($9.50) so it came with soup - you can also get salad if you wants. We went with the turkey chili, and it was RIDICULOUSLY tasty - lots of hearty filling with BAMF heat. Unfortunately, my Enchilada was "meh". I feel bad because it was mad fresh with tons of grilled chicken and veggies, but it was tasteless. I had a really rough time finishing it. The beans and rice that came with it were even worse - pretty sure the rice was old because It was hard and dry. CONCLUSION: I'd definitely come back for the Quesadilla lunch special! I'd also be down to try the Fajitas out, but I won't be getting the Enchiladas anytime soon. Also, the happy hour seemed legit! Might be back to check that out with frands! Who knows...
We had not been to a Mad Mex in a few years. We were meeting friends and they suggested we meet there for dinner. When we walked into the front door I fell backwards, hit my hip, lower back and my head. I walk with a cane but never fell like that. My husband and another customer helped me up. Our friends were already at the table, so I did not to make a big deal of it. The manager came over asked if I was OK. I asked for ice for the back of my head. She asked me to fill out several papers. I told her I did not blame the restaurant, but was shook up! Our food was mediocre and the corn bread was raw in the middle. After we left My husband drove me immediately to the hospital ER. Fortunately no broken bones, or concussion. I called the restaurant several days later. No one from Mad Mex ever called to ask how I was. I followed up calling the restaurant a couple of times. They kept saying , oh that manager is not here and they would call me back. MAD MEX NEVER offered to pay for my entree, pick up our tab or anything. Customer service sucks, and food is certainly not worth it.
(1)
Kimberly T.
We were heading to IKEA to a couch. It was raining and we were hungry so we decided to stop in for a warm bite. The decor is a quirky mix of Mexican, with skulls, weirdly designed animals and cacti. I ordered a cup of tortilla soup and a chicken quesadilla. My spouse ordered a cup of black bean soup and a chicken burrito. My soup was warm and filling. It had chunks of grilled chicken and some shredded cheese on top. It was the perfect texture with just a little kick. My quesadilla was crispy on the outside and filled to the brim with chunks of grilled chicken, onions, green peppers and cheese. The peppers had been roasted which added flavor. The quesadilla comes with salsa and sour cream but I ordered guacamole too. Yum! My husband's black bean soup was a little plain even though it came with a dollop of sour cream. It could have used a bit of spicyness. His burrito had chunks of grilled chicken, rice, and black beans. Unfortunately it was light on the chicken and heavy on the rice and beans. The burrito also comes with salsa.and sour cream but he too, added guacamole. It was a nice warm meal on a rainy day.
(4)
Ashley H.
Mad Mex is super vegan friendly, and has a huge menu that pleased even my Mexican food-disliking dining companion. I had the veggie enchilada, and got it with dairy-free cheese and vegan sour cream. The portion size was huge, and the plate was very inexpensive. The vegetables were fresh and the meal was all-in-all very delicious. All in all, I would go back for some good Tex-Mex cuisine.
(4)
Gordon G.
The wings were good and my wife's salad was pretty good, but I had a 22oz big azz margarita and then two 12oz ones on happy hour. I don't know if there was any alcohol at all in any of them to be honest. I think that is a rip-off, so you are better off getting beer at this location or making friends with the bartender. I felt no effect at all from 46oz of margarita? Really? i was sitting outside, so couldn't see the bartender make the drinks. I am a former owner of a bar and years of experience in the industry, so it ins't like I don't know what I am talking about. Anyway, the food was okay and service was okay. I just would like to get what I pay for when it comes to drinks. Maybe next time I will ask for the tequila on the side, so I can actually see if they put any in at all!
(2)
Savannah S.
Our server was wonderful and the food was great! Unique items and large portions. I spotted it as soon as we got to town getting off the interstate, so it was one of the first restaurants we tried, it was late when we got there but we weren't rushed at all.
(5)
Ann D.
I have been here a couple of times and each time has been great. The guacamole is great and I highly recommend the Margarita. Last time I had Fajitas and thought they were above average. Tonight I got the carnitas burrito and it was superb.
(4)
Jackie R.
Awesome food, great service! I had carnitas tacos and my husband had the shrimp fajitas. Both were great! Our server was very attentive, got everything correct, and everything came out very quickly. Nice, relaxing atmosphere too. Our booth was very intimate. I will definitely be back.
(5)
Carrie O.
Interesting. My husband and I use this word frequently between us to describe something that we either can't quite grasp the concept of, or as a euphemism for "this is quite possibly the worst thing we've ever experienced". In this case, I think that the use of the word may come to mean both when it comes to Mad Mex. We had high hopes for this place after reading the Yelp reviews. Unfortunately, the experience started off on the wrong foot almost immediately - we walked in and were kept waiting for nearly ten minutes while the hostess did - well, I don't know what she was doing. My husband later said that she was checking for tables, but seeing that the place was half-empty when we walked in, that's kind of hard for me to believe. To the staff's credit, several people did stop and ask us if we were being helped. But, still. We were led to a table and were about to sit down when one of the staff was like, "No, don't sit down. It's not clean." And... yeah, no, it wasn't clean. Spilled drink everywhere. Not earth-shattering. But, still.... Finally we're settled in and the server comes up and takes our orders. She asks us if we want to keep the menus over dinner and I said, sure, we may want something else. Thing is, she asks us this several times over the course of the night. Did she forget she'd asked the question or something? I just found that really odd. I ordered a Thai Curry burrito, and my husband ordered a Mad Mex Quesadilla plate. Maybe these were just the wrong things to order, I don't know - but in my case, the Thai ingredients just did NOT fit into the scheme of things. Peanuts, pineapple and bean sprouts wrapped into a tortilla? Uh... somehow the taste of this should have been a LOT better, and it sounded a whole hell of a lot better than it actually was. The sour cream and diced tomatoes that came alongside was just a bizarre addition to what I already considered a bizarre dish. And the slaw? Ye Gods, that was just an abomination. I took one bite of that and left the rest behind, and if I leave any type of cole slaw behind, you KNOW it's bad. My husband's dish was lacking cheese. And I mean, it was a SERIOUS lack of cheese. More veggies than anything else, which is fine, but a good quesadilla has cheese in it, folks. He did like his food a LOT better than I did mine, though. Another service misstep - I wasn't asked what kind of filling I wanted in my dish (even though the menu states that there's a choice). The server came back and asked me almost timidly if chicken was okay - it leads me to believe that the food was already made with chicken in it and she was hoping (or praying) that I wouldn't choose something else. Luckily for her... I like chicken. We didn't need those menus after all, because we beat feet out of there. I knew I wasn't going to want anything else. I tipped way more than I should have, to be honest, but the quality of the food isn't the server's fault. I will say that the food choices are... well, interesting. There are a LOT of vegetarian and vegan options, which I guess for some is a plus - points for the fact that neither dish was overly greasy or even heavy on the stomach, which can be a problem with a lot of Mexican food. I went in knowing that this wasn't going to be authentic, and I never expected it - but it really shouldn't be THIS "health-conscious", and that's the feeling I got when I came in here. We don't live in the area, so it's highly doubtful that we'll be back, but if we did live here, we most likely wouldn't recommend this place.
(2)
Samantha S.
Was in Pittsburgh for business and was trying to find something different to eat, something that we didn't have back home in Colorado. I read the reviews and totally got that this was more Tex-Mex, and I came in with out the expectation of comparing it to the Mexican food I get in Denver, or Pasadena where I lived prior. At first , being unfamiliar with the area, I couldn't find it. I almost ended up going to Ditka's ( bldg in this complex) , but as I was pulling around, I saw Mad Mex, in bldg 2 of this complex)- so i gladly made my way over. I didn't realize this place was in the first floor of an office building. Good to know :) . I like the decor and the atmosphere, enjoyed the service, and the queso and chips I ordered. I ordered enchiladas. I shouldn't have, because we make enchiladas at home all the time, and it may cloud my judgement. It came with Colorado 'red' sauce, so I thought I would be ok, and then half green sauce. The food came out quickly and I did like the green sauce, but didn't care for the Red sauce, it almost reminded me of spaghetti sauce. So, I ended up scraping it off and trying to smooth out my green sauce. This isn't going to deter me from coming back and trying something else, it was just a matter of me not being positively overwhelmed with the sauce on this particular item. I think I would probably like something else, and look forward to updating this review... from good to great :)
(3)
Steve P.
We met some friends here on our way into Pittsburgh on a Thursday night and man, we were impressed! None of us had ever eaten here before, but we all want to go back! Only 20 minutes from downtown in the Robinson Towne Center: a welcoming, fun atmosphere. I don't know if it's the preferred place to bring children because it has more of a loud bar atmosphere, but it's great if you're looking to meet friends and you don't mind the noise level. I noticed it became louder while we were there (6-8pm) and it did cater to a boisterous happy hour crowd. I can see how this place would do very very well near a college campus (several locations are near colleges). It just feels very trendy, a little hipster, and someplace that the bar crowd would feel right at home. But let's get to the food! I was shocked that chips and salsa didn't come with our meal automatically: this is officially the first American-Mexican restaurant I've ever been to that didn't serve chips and salsa right off the bad. We did order some and they were tasty. The Pennsyltucky fried tofu was delicious and I highly recommend it to start as your appetizer. So what's your pleasure? Enchiladas, burritos, fajitas, chimichangas: if the patrons at my table were of any authority, then it's all great! It sounds like you can modify just about anything, so talk to your server. Speaking of servers, the customer service was great and that in itself can make or break a dining experience for me. By the way, I was so excited to find that there is a Mad Mex in Columbus, which is where I live. Excuse me, I have to go there NOW. If it's anything like the Robinson location, then I'll be a regular as much as I can be.
(5)
Brooke A.
Hey hey. This is a funky cool place to get some Mexican. Everything I had was good. (XX cheese dip, chicken mole burrito, big azz margarita). I also appreciated how the menu had plenty of options for vegans and vegetarians. I am not one of those, but I think it's pretty cool that they have a Mexican option for a bit of variety. It's one of my favorite cuisines, and I think it's sad anyone should have to miss out on it. On my visit, we had a great server. She was super attentive. Only issue I had is that they were a bit skimpy on the chips at first. If you're going to give me a massive bowl of cheese dip then a smaller-than-average chip basket is not going to cut it for me and my 3 hungry friends. Everything else, zero complaints. The food, especially the burritos and enchiladas, comes in large portions. Quesadillas, not as much. Tyler had no leftovers from his quesadillas. That was only yesterday's dinner and I want to go again! The one closer to my house gets pretty stinky reviews, but I'll brave it because this one was just so good.
(5)
Serena T.
I'm a huge Big Burrito fan, especially the Mad Mex branches. I've been to the one in Greentree, Oakland, East Liberty, McKnight and now this one! In my experience they have all been consistent in terms of the quality of food and service. I love me some wing-o-rito (southwestern sauce please) with waffle fries. I recently discovered you can get a tofu burrito with the same options of wing sauces - score! The location of this place is interesting - it seems a bit removed but maybe it seems that way because I'm not from the Robinson area. In any case it wasn't difficult to get to and parking was plentiful on the evenings I've been there.
(5)
Carlos A.
The waitress was very nice and quick and the establishment was clean. I enjoyed the feel of the atmosphere. However, for the price the flavor was not outstanding, it was good, just I was expectinf more. And the portions were microscopic, it's mexican it should be tons of food. It was very little. And the margarita was literally nauseating. Don't know if it was the mix or tequila.
(2)
Jerry S.
We were seated at a high-top on the patio. It was probably 10 minutes before a server informed us that our server would be right over. Wasnt her table so, who cares I guess. No drink menus and I went back inside the restaurant to get our silverware from behind the host stand. The queso/cheese dip had that off-color look as if it came from out of a can. I pictured them scraping it out of a can and mixing with their canned rotell tomatoes. And it didn't taste good. They never said it would be fresh though. I had the steak fajitas which were good enough and cooked how I wanted. The drink menu said Dos Equis Special. They should specify if that is that lager or amber. I'll still go to the location in Shadyside for drinks.
(2)
Maura U.
This is our usual hangout. Love it! The service is always prompt, and the food is consistently awesome. Occasionally, the bar area gets crowded, but that's a sign of a great establishment, right?
(5)
David T.
Good eating experience. I had the Wing-o tacos and they were very good. They are soft tacos with boneless wings inside. They served them with waffle fries that were excellent. We ordered chips, salsa, and cheese for an app. Its a little annoying u dont get chips and salsa for free like alot of mexican restaurants. Salsa was just ok. It was very thick and chunky. The cheese dip was horrible so we sent it back and got the guac instead. The guac was excellent. Our service was excellent as well. They took the price of the cheese dip off our bill because we didnt like it. We never asked them to do so. My girlfriend is vegetarian. She ordered the herb o'vores tacos which she loved. They were made with tofu.
(4)
Alice C.
Mad Mex is always good when you're in town. It's my favourite Mexican place in Pittsburgh -- they actually have quite a bit of spice in their food. Plus they are a sports bar as well. This time, we started with 3 dips. While all of them are good, the black bean salsa is hands down, the best. Sadly though, my chickpea chili burrito was mostly bland. I blame it on my [temporarily] vegetarian diet, and the lack of ingredients in that burrito other than chili. I miss their chicken. The waitress was unbelievably good. She wasn't intrusive, but somehow was always there even before we realized we needed her. If only all waitresses are like her...
(4)
Bob C.
For starters, their salsa is unique and great with the chips they obvi make here. Went with a cup of Tortilla Soup and happy I did. Menu is extensive and exciting. Soup definitely made fresh. Just got my Grilled Mahi Fish Tacos. I'm from the Jersey Shore area where fish tacos at Surf Taco was born... These are amazing!!! Fresh, not skimpy, abundant and great tasting guacamole has me eating AND typing cause I can't wait to spread the word. My only complaints are the food came at me too fast and one bartender was crazy although she kept up with managed frenzy. I am not a big fan of multi-unit, or more so franchises, but I hope Mad Mex comes to NJ! My lunch veggie burrito yesterday and today's dinner were made with consistency and equaled freshness and quality and served pleasantly. So they got it down so bring it on east please!
(4)
Eric G.
Another great Mad Mex location right in Robinson close to the mall. I met up with my father who was staying close to the airport overnight, and I actually had a bit of trouble finding the place (it's cryptically hidden facing the highway on the first floor of an office building. Once I found the parking lot, though, it was smooth sailing, good company, and good food. One thing I will complain about, which happens at every Mad Mex location, is they put small tables incredibly close to other tables- which means that you're essentially immersed in both of your neighboring tables' conversations (and vise versa). However, the food was really great- I had a taco salad and they allowed me to substitute the beef for tofu (which was above par). The waitress was incredible, not even considering that it was a crazy busy Friday night. I probably won't eat there again because I live closer to the Oakland and Shadyside locations, but I definitely recommend it.
(4)
Rebecca M.
I have been to the Mad Mex in Shadyside many times, but I had not been to the Mad Mex in Robinson until last week, and I ended up going twice! I went for Happy Hour one day, and the it was a great crowd. They have a nice selection of beers on draft, and have an IPA week coming up (not sure what that means exactly, but I am excited for it nonetheless...). Good Happy Hours are hard to find these days, Happy Hour there is exactly that - good deals on beer, drinks, and appetizers. We had the trio of dips - the jalepeno pinapple is my new favorite! On Sunday I picked a friend up from the airport and we wanted to find somewhere we could eat and watch the Superbowl, and this was the perfect spot for that. It wasn't overly crowded like many of the sports bars, and once again our waitress was super friendly. I had a margarita and the shrimp taquitos - both were very good. I'm not sure I would use the word "authentic" but as long as it tastes good, I don't really care.
(4)
Lloyd W.
Went solo for Friday dinner at the recommendation of many who knew I was interested in some Mexican food. After finally locating the place (a bit of an odd location that lacks good visibility) I was promptly seated at a bar-side high top that afforded a good view of the Pirates/Rockies broadcast. The server (B. Starkey) visited me quickly and was friendly/helpful throughout the meal. I'm getting old and was quickly reminded of that depressing fact as I struggled a bit attempting to read the menu. With nothing unusual or surprising offered I went with the Chicken Fajita ($14). The order arrived in less than 15 minutes. All ingredients were tasty (while the chicken portion seemed a bit stingy)and I found myself eating the nicely seasoned veggies at meal's end. My only issue was that cleanliness seemed to be a factor. My table was sticky and the restroom needed work (even considering the place was relatively busy). Mad Mex would certainly be a better location with a group but I would visit the next time visiting Pittsburgh. Give it a try...but come with a group and a pocket flashlight!
(3)
Jenny B.
I love all the Mad Mex locations, this one included. The food is great and consistent between locations. They are more than happy to substitute the meat in non-vegetarian items with tofu whenever I ask, even though it's not stated in the menu that they will do this. That means big bonus points for me!! There is no shortage of veggie-friendly menu items, but any time I have made a special request it has been honored without question. This location seems to have more craft beer on tap than some of the others (namely Oakland). That's great too! There's really nothing I DON'T love about Mad Mex, it's probably my favorite restaurant in the 'burgh.
(4)
Joe D.
I'm beginning to think that whatever Mad Mex I dine at, I'm going to get great service, great food, and a great atmosphere to enjoy it in. My friend from Columbus was in today to get ready for a job interview tomorrow, he's worked at OSU for years and he wants to teach at CMU. So after he checked in he phoned me and we met at Mad Mex in Robinson. He gushed about the Mad Mex that recently opened in The Gateway on High St. in Columbus, saying it was one of the hottest restaurants in all of Columbus, and how lucky we are here to have one close to every neighborhood. I ordered the Mission Shipwrecked Double IPA and he had Rogue John John Dead Guy Heller Bock. Our waitress was so understanding, we decided to enjoy our beers before ordering, and she said "Sure, enjoy, I'll come back and take your orders when ready." So we talked, caught up and enjoyed our libations. Finally I got hungry (and a little buzzed from drinking a double IPA with a specific 12% alcohol listing), I ordered the black bean soup, and Happy Hippy burrito. He had the Mad Mex Burrito with steak and said it was every bit as good, if not better than the Mad Mex in Columbus. Sure, it's not authentic, it's Cali-Mex, it's fresh, healthy, and I'm sure glad we have the Big Burrito group here in the Burgh!
(5)
Kimberly E.
Dirty silverware. Bad-tasting drinks, salsa, and guacamole. Haven't even been served my entree yet. Very unimpressed.
(2)
Dee D.
OK, MAYBE I am bias, but the grilled fish taco here are amazingly consistent. heavenly!! WHY do you make them so fabulous ???? What is your secret ?? They are disgustingly addicting, and I will go to my grave saying Mad Mex Grilled fish tacos are superior!!! I have tasted the same from Mexico, (west & east) Baja, Barbados, Belize and still...... Mad Mex gets it a good as good gets in the US!!! I run my own business and I take Mad Mex Mahi Take out as a tip !!!!
(5)
Chad R.
Best in pittsburgh for mex burritos. The wing-o-rito is amazing when you can't decide between wings and a burrito. I'll be back mad mex!
(5)
Sergio K.
Very consistent place for lunch or dinner. Great tequila and microbrew selections. Staff is also excellent.
(4)
Korey W.
This is not the typical Mexican place to eat, so if you think your going to Mexican family run place like most, then you will be caught off guard. no free chips and salsa. the burrito I had was huge! and had an excellent flavor. the salsa on the side was perfect for me however the person i was with said it was too hot for them. really interesting atmosphere, Will go again!!
(5)
Jamie B.
This update is in regards to Mad Mex at the Robinson Township location, specifically going with a larger group of people: I most frequently visit Mad Mex at this location and being that it is at the crux of roads between where I live and other family lives, I have gone here a few times with a bigger group of guests. After my most recent visit I would not suggest that is a good plan. The most recent visit with a group was on a mid-weekday night with no special game playing on the screens. However, the place was really packed. Our plans had been completely last minute, so we didn't get to call in a reservation. We were told the wait would be 20-25 minutes; we waited about 50 to an hour to get seated. Service does take longer for big groups but it was so slow about 2 hours passed from when we were seated to when we were able to pay the check and go. The evening included our server who spilled the whole tray of drinks on our table (hey, it happens) and who eventually became either so stressed or annoyed that she didn't tend to our table for long periods of time and when she did so she was not very polite. Another warning for going with larger groups is in regards to ordering dessert. We had a few kids with our group and so ordered the brownie a la mode and a couple of ice cream burritos. All of the ice cream was melted for all three dishes when it arrived. It was as unappealing as it sounds (think: soupy cream burrito) but we were all so eager to leave that we didn't bother to mention it. Melted ice cream at restaurants usually happens if the plates come straight from the hot wash or--as it appeared in our case being that the plates weren't hot--the server waited too long to pick up the dessert after ordering it through the P.O.S. I can most accurately describe the entire experience that evening as arduous. Though I enjoyed the guests that I went with--this time being my family--the atmosphere of stress and negativity was set by the service and pacing of the meal. I was quite relieved when we left and was wishing in hindsight that we had gone anywhere else. It will be awhile before I can go back again, but it definitely won't be with a group of more than four.
(2)
Lincoln K.
Great atmosphere. The food is not traditional Mexican; they have actually improved on it. The spices they use are delicious. I like things hot and they've got plenty of them. My favorites are the spicy Mad Mex chicken burrito and the spicy black bean dip. When I first had their salsa I thought it had too much garlic. But it has really grown on me and I can't eat one of their burritos without slathering on a ton of it. The service is usually great too. The only negative is they allow smoking at the bar.
(5)
Marguerite M.
I love most of the Mad Mex locations that I've tried. This one is close to lots of shopping. I loved their Horny Toad Margarita, which unfortunately is no longer on the menu. But if you get an old timer, they'll still make it for you. The closest thing to the Horny Toad is the Ultimate. If you like a wicked sour margarita, this is the one for you. I'm not a fan of the big azz margaritas that are popular there, they're just too sweet for me. The red sangria rocks!! There's always and awesome selection of drafts and bottled beers too. I like this location because it's really small and really dark. I know that's not a plus for lots of people, but I like it. I love the Insane San Francisco Wings with Blue Cheese. We always order them well done. Insane is the highest on their heat scale, the heat level isn't consistent, but it's usually pretty hot. The blue cheese is a perfect balance to the garlicy San Francisco sauce. My husband almost always gets the Chicken Chimichanga, its generously stuffed with tasty chicken, it's always nice and crispy. I love most of the quesadillas and fajitas... but I think my favorite entree is the Dance Marathon Enchiladas. I love the garlicy portabello mushrooms and spicy spinach. The tortilla soup is thick and creamy and so good. The casa salad is awesome with the Lime Cilantro dressing. A garlicy spicy creamy pesto-type dressing that is also great to add as a dipping sauce for quesadillas and taquitos. The salad is a simple combination of leaf lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onions, blue cheese crumbles, green pepitas... the crunchy pepitas with the salty, tangy blue cheese topped with lime cilantro dressing... YUM!!!! One of my favorite places to eat.
(5)
Jennifer M.
Service was great! Atmosphere was family friendly. This was not mexican food at all. I couldn't even finish my enchilada. The margaritas were not up to par and I could only take a few sips. I had higher hopes from reading other reviews, but I will never go back.
(2)
Steven T.
I have now been to Mad Mex twice, both with disappointing results. Mad Mex is about authentic as Taco Bell, that's not a complaint - I just want anyone else reading these reviews should realize this is not true Mexican food. However, they DON'T try to be and are in your face about it which I like. It pisses me off more to fake something and do it poorly than to take parts of it and do it well. I like the theme and design of the restaurant, the rusted steel plates, cowboy/Inca art motifs, its obviously a fun atmosphere and they have done a great job and spent a lot of money in design. Perhaps they should spend some of that money in training their servers. One of the servers knowledge of the food was pretty bad, I asked three simple questions about menu items and only 1 could be answered. The two she couldn't answer there was no attempt to find out - a simple "I don't know" seemed as an acceptable answer. However, the server we had on another visit was much better. For starters we have tried the pepito hummus - great idea, but salty, very very salty, the other starter I've tired is the chicken tortilla soup - the soup was good even though there was not one piece of chicken in it. It's definitely not a traditional tortilla soup instead you have rustic cream of tomato soup with garlic, cumin and other spices. As I said not traditional - good - very mild flavor, it could have used a little bit more spiciness and of course the chicken the menu proclaimed it had. I have read and was told that their burritos were very good so the first time I tried Chicken Fajita Burrito. These are knife and fork burritos that come out square. On the side is Pico de Gallo, which in my case was warm, contained the tomato core and was flavorless. My burrito contained bland rice, unseasoned black beans, red and green bell peppers and onions - some burnt, cheese and chicken. I guess the idea was to throw the bell peppers and onions in and viola you have fajita style, unfortunately it had no fajita seasoning so it didn't really work. There was a nice smoky flavor to the chicken which helped. But overall this burrito needed some serious help - it was bland on the flavors, even the addition of salt would have helped it out. One last comment is the tortilla that was used, a quick trip on the griddle was needed or maybe finish the tortilla in a press but it came out very white, with a doughy almost uncooked flavor. On the second visit my partner had the Mad Mex burrito with steak and was very disappointed, he thought they had forgot to put the steak in it until the very end he found 4 pieces of meat in the very corner of the square-itto. Until then he was just eathing plain rice and beans - not good. On the second visit I tried the Dance Marathon enchilada and this resembled and tasted very little like a true enchilada. All they did was put a very small ladle of ancho sauce on the plate, then put on the chicken spinach and mushrooms and top that with tomatillo sauce. Then throw a tortilla on top. Put the required rice and beans on the plate and you have a rather poorly executed and plain tasting dish of food. Mad Mex looks like a great place to enjoy some drinks, but if what I had was representative of the rest of the menu offerings I would pass on eating there again - food was very under par and someone should tell them that Mexican foods carry bold flavors - they should at least try to add some of those flavors to what they serve. Ambiance 5 stars Food 1.5 Stars Service 2.5 Stars 3 Stars and that's only because I really liked the ambiance.
(3)
Jerry E.
Nice dinner; good service; crowded and noisy
(3)
Michael P.
I've always liked the Mad Mex chain but I would have to say I like this location the most. The service is always excellent and it has more of a restaurant feel than the other locations that are more bar oriented. The cranberry margarita flavor they've add for November is very good if you like a sweeter margarita. The Fajita Burrita was also great with some added queso inside. The one thing I wouldn't recommend is nacho appetizer as all the toppings are piled on top with nothing on the chips underneath.
(4)
Hari M.
The best Tex Mex in the area. Fresh preparations - good selection. Would like to see a few more vegetarian selections. Will be back here if my choice if the day is Mexican!
(4)
Jill M.
I am in love with their Elotes. It is a corn-on-the-cob seasonal specialty which means my heart will break in the Fall, but in the meantime my love and I will be happy one grilled, seasoned and cheese-covered ear at a time. I could have eaten a dozen ears (and perhaps should have instead of venturing into loaded nachos territory... they're perfectly respectable as nachos go but - oh the Elotes! Mi Amore! At least when the Elotes leave me I will have vats of Big Azz Margaritas in which to drown my sorrow. Darn good for the size/price and the bartenders take custom requests - my 3rd was a 12-oz in a 22-oz glass with a nice blast of soda water so I could still function to get abck to my hotel.
(4)
Melissa O.
Thank goodness I don't live too close, or I'd be 500 pounds. The food, the ambiance, the drinks, top notch. Mad Mex could be my absolute favorite restaurant. Get the black bean dip, it is delicious.
(5)
Russ J.
We tried Mad Mex for our 1st time today and at first glance if the menu I thought great freakin Tofu on the menu, I looked up and yep it said Mexican food so I'm thinking this is not my kinda place. So wrong the freakin Mahi tacos are killer. Wife had grilled chicken tacos and ditto. And try the XX cheese dip it is great just the right amount of bite.
(5)
Darren W.
Kay and I were here last weekend for 'nother taste 'o Mex. The complimentary chips 'n salsa were so plentiful, we didn't need a starter. The chips were deadly perfect; the salsa deadly spicy, chunky and loudly colorful, and vibrantly flavorful. My Skewered Jumbo Shrimp Fajitas were a tremendous union of garlic, olive oil, and seafood, the fat shrimp bursting in my mouth upon each tear of the teeth. I'll also add that the rice was light, fluffly, and much better overall than last time. What's causin' all this? Mad Mex.
(5)
Jack L.
Food poisoning for everybody who had a "mad mex" steak burrito. I thought the decor was dreadfully ugly, tacky and overdone, but my friend (who tells me he has a cast iron stomach but was still internally disturbed by the horrible food here) claims to have liked it. I am giving this place 2 stars because they had a wide tequila selection (altho they don't seem able to mix a drink to save their lives), and because my friend liked their gaudy art. Service was ok, food was terrible (mostly rice with a tiny scattering of presumably rotten meat), art was questionable. Bottom line: AVOID, unless you are looking to do shots of top shelf tequila.
(2)
Lydia U.
Mad Mex is my favorite restaurant! Birthdays, anniversaries, happy hours... always at Mad Mex. This place is great for vegetarians! My go-to order is the tofu mad mex burrito with a whole wheat tortilla. So good! vegan cheese and sour cream are also available. The chips and salsa are fantastic and the margaritas are pretty top notch as well. Watch for special seasonal margarita flavors- the apple cider margarita last fall was the best!
(5)
Piere P.
Rude staff, overpriced food. On my first visit to Mad Mex, it was early Saturday night. We were a group of ten looking for a meal, and were promised a twenty minute wait time. We still hadn't been seated when we left two hours later. The manager was waving his arms and saying it wasn't his fault, and that there's nothing he can do. I did give them another chance. I went with a friend on a Monday evening. It was a quiet night and we didn't have any trouble getting seated. The waiter was lethargic, and couldn't answer the simplest questions about the beer or the food menu. The food wasn't anything special, and overpriced for what it was. My third visit was for drinks in a small group, on a weeknight, perhaps a Wednesday or a Thursday. We were sitting at a table. It was a quiet night, yet we had to keep walking to the bar to tell the staff to find our waiter and send him to our table, over and over again. Even though it was over an hour before closing time, staff kept working with their rags and vacuum cleaners all around us, and making faces like we should consider leaving soon.
(1)
Patrick P.
Ariba, Ariba! - I think I am going to need to work out more... I went there for lunch with a group. I remember in C-bus - their appetizers (wings) were really good. I ordered the Chicken Chimichanga - it was yummy. The meal was not loaded wtih shredded chicken but grilled chicken. I will definitely go there again. I don't know if there is a low calorie meal here but really don't care - it was that good :-) Food - Yummy! Service - Great! Price - Lunch - $12 - $15 I will definitely go there again and try some other dishes fellow yelpers recommend.
(5)
Ang T.
Lots of vegetarian options which is great. Good happy hour drink specials and food prices are comparable to other restaurants in the area. The portions are huge and their birthday club is great, when you sign up they mail you a postcard for a free burrito anytime during the two week span around your birthday.
(4)
Tyler R.
I'm a fan of Mad Mex, not only because of the delicious food, but also due to the great selection of beers on tap. It's a bit on the expensive side for Mexican food, but you do seem to get a lot for your money, and I've never been disappointed coming here. I have had the burritos (spicy chicken is good), the chimichanga, and the wings, all were great, and tasted even better after supplementing the food with a delicious IPA or a 'Big-Azz' margarita (strawberry is my go-to). There house salsa is good in my opinion, but not for those with an aversion to cilantro. The 'fire roasted' salsa wasn't so great and tasted like the house salsa with way too much liquid smoke added. The best time to go is probably for the happy hour and the late night half-off deals. Mad Mex isn't anything outstanding and certainly isn't 'authentic Mexican,' but if you find yourself tired of the same old Chipotle/Qdoba burritos, Mad Mex is a nice, tasty (albeit more expensive) change of pace. Come for the burritos, stay because you can't legally drive after your Big-Azz margarita.
(4)
Dan E.
I absolutely wish they had a Mad Mex in New Jersey. This place is pretty much all I look for in a Mexican restaurant. Apparently, there are about 7 Mad Mex's all in the Pittsburgh area. The weird thing about this one is that it is located at the bottom of an office building. Our group started at the bar. The bar area was actually pretty packed on a Tuesday night - mostly during Happy Hour time. There was only bartender working and she was completely overwhelmed. It took a while to get a drink. They definitely should have had at least one other bartender working. They had a decent draft selection and everyone said the margaritas were pretty good. I did not try one. Our table was seated and I'm pretty sure there were at least 10 of us or so. The waiter was very good and attentive throughout the meal. Our table started out with a bunch of different baskets of chips and a number of dips. 1. Guacamole - it was good but it had a little too much lime zest for my taste. If you're into that, you're going to love this one. 2. Red Salsa - I liked the red salsa but I felt like it could have used a touch more spice. Not bad, though. 3. Queso Dip - we also had some sort of queso dip that was good. It was my 2nd favorite - nice and spicy and who doesn't like cheese? 4. Black Bean Dip - typically, I'm not the biggest bean dip fan but this was excellent. It had some melted cheese and it had just the right amount of spice to it. I was surprised I liked it so much and I would definitely order it again. I housed a ton of chips and dip - probably too much but I enjoyed it. For my meal, I went with the Spicy Mad Mex Burrito and I went with chicken as the filler. Also, the burritos are ridiculously cheap at less than $10...and they're huge. It's served American style - this is kind of like my own term - meaning it doesn't come with melted cheese and a side of rice and beans. It's served in a huge tortilla wrapped up with only a little bit of some sort of chipotle sauce on top. It also came with a ton of guac, sour cream and salsa on the side. It's amazing how many places are stingy with those but not Mad Mex. They totally hook you up. The burrito was pretty freakin' good. Nice and spicy and came stuffed with a ton of fillers. It was also huge - I have to stress that. Not many people will be able to finish a burrito in one sitting. It's a huge meal, but the quality of the food was also very good. This is a really cool place. I enjoyed everything about my meal. Service was pretty good and the prices are more than reasonable - dare I say cheap. I'll easily come out of my way to stop back here again the next time I am in Pittsburgh. I'm hoping Mad Mex opens up some spots in Jersey by me.
(4)
S F.
It is Saturday night, I am hungry and I am sitting here wishing I could head to Mad Mex. We used to live close to Mad Mex Robinson and it was our go to place when we wanted good reliable food and beer in a relaxing atmosphere. As others have mentioned the food isn't authentic Mexican but it is delicious and fresh. They have great vegetarian/vegan options too. The chick pea chili burrito is an all time favorite. The salsas and guacamole are flavorful and fresh. Have I mentioned the beer? They always have a wide array of seasonal beers on tap and if you get there during Happy Hour even better. Viva Mad Mex!
(5)
Joshua T.
After living in the south west, it's hard to find a good authentic Mexican restaurant. Mad Mex nailed it! The chicken mole burrito was amazing! The chicken fajita was perfect. The kids menu was ideal. Thankyou!!!
(5)
Nish K.
A chain restaurant which does not serve authentic Mexican food, but it is open late and has a $7 Big Azz Margarita from 10pm till Midnight (which is when I dine). Happy hour features half off drafts and wings too so that is probably the best time to visit though. The atmosphere is loud, with televisions around the bar. Service is mediocre at best but the staff is friendly so that balances it out a bit. If you like hot flavors try the Pineapple Habanero salsa (I find it sweet with a kick). Their guacamole was good at least the couple of times I tried it, and their jersey chips and taquitos make up for my choice of appetizers. If you want to try their wings, the Southwestern and San Francisco are well balanced with spices. This place will keep you well liquored and pleasantly satiated. Their burritos are ok - I frankly prefer Chipotle or Qdoba burritos, however the Max Mex burritos are humongous and generously packed with a lot of stuffings. The Quesadillas and Fajitas are better choices in my opinion. I liked the hard shell tacos with the grilled steak too, though I found a lack of consistency in the flavor - the meat was well seasoned a couple of times and the other times I found it to be bland. This is a good place to hang out around the bar, get a few drinks and some appetizers.
(3)
Ron A.
Stopped in for a nightcap. Good food options and bar offers something for every craving. Went with their top shelf margarita...fresh tasting (read: no premix taste) and the boneless wings. Go southwest style for something different. Atmosphere is open and bar staff is friendly! Adding this to my list of places to visit next time I'm in town.
(4)
Deborah N.
Nice place to hang out for a drink. Very friendly crowd. Food was only so so. Guacamole was brown and should not have been served. Bonus star for for being a relatively cool place in the Suburbs (with a capital S) and for being open late on a Sunday night. I would go again but would eat elsewhere first.
(3)
Lynda Y.
After a long day of moving from Ohio to the Robinson area, we were hungry and tired. Mad Mex seemed like a casual dress place to eat since I had been there before.I remember good food an service. NOT THIS TIME Busy as expected, but 3 hostesses couldn't make a decission on how much of a wait...and we asked for a beeper, that they really didn't want to give up???Off to the bar where the waiter there told us we could sit at a hightop and eat there! GREAT! We were waited on , and the restraunt manager came buy and said that wasn't good, but we could stay...we got some food,but one in our party wanted his steak to go because of the VERY LONG WAIT...soon after, ALL our our food is boxed up and the check is presented!!! What the heck??The waitress said it was a mistake...an what did we wanna do? DUH! I paid, and won't be back...There are plenty of dinner places in this area, FORGET THIS ONE!
(2)
Serendipity J.
i've visited 3 mad mex locations in Pittsburgh (Robinson, Oakland, & Greentree) and have yet to go wrong. on this particular visit, my friend and i took advantage of coupons for free burritos that we'd been sent via email for signing up for the Mad Mex mailing list. They aren't bombing my inbox too frequently except for the things I'd like to know about (like new beer selections available.) The Robinson location is in a corporate looking building but once you're inside, you'd never know it. We visited around lunch time. The music was good. There were tables available inside and outside and we had our pick. Our server was terrific, giving us plenty of time to figure out what we wanted to order. My friend tried the russion stout on nitro tap which was a good time. The food was as great as I've come to expect from Mad Mex. I didn't care for the toritilla soup that came as part of my meal--but that was on me. There were other selections available that may have better suited my tastes, for sure. I'm used to a more spicy tortilla soup so my expectations weren't met there but that isn't Mad Mex's fault! The carnitas burrito was delicious and the blue cornbread a perfect pairing. I'd visit any of the Max Mex locations I've been to so far again & wouldn't hesitate to explore other locations. The service and food seem consistent so far and when I'm craving sit-down tex-mex, I'd visit Mad Mex again.
(4)
Event L.
Big Burrito is a well respected restaurant group, but this location damages it's reputation tremendously. The food is less than acceptable, the draft beer is warm, flat, and the overflow makes for a sticky drinking hand because no bar nap is supplied. This place would provide great material for the writers at SNL.
3 things i miss most about pittsburgh (in no particular order): 1. Family 2. primanti bros 3. MAD MEX!!! this place is so delicious it really doesn't even make sense... between the food and the margaritas, mad mex can do no wrong... they really cater to vegetarians, and are willing to make most things on the menu vegan if you ask (but there are plenty of options for the meat eaters as well)... usually when I go back to visit family, I hit up the Oakland mad mex once, and then the robinson location the next day (my mom lives way out in Robinson, so we go together)... I love that this location has the same happy hour specials as Oakland (see below), but without the crowds and the long wait times... AND this location is about 4x the size of Oakland... all-in-all, it's just great... 5 stars!! Specials: Weekdays from 5 - 7 - $7 big azz margaritas (they really are HUGE) - $3 for 12oz margaritas - $5 for 16oz margaritas - Half off all drafts and wings Everyone night from 10 - midnight - $7 big azz margaritas p.s. try the blue cornbread!!
(5)
Chris O.
Came in on Wednesday night around 9. No hostess, so I sat close to the bar. Took a long time for someone to address me. My waitress didn't seem too happy about being there. Got a beer that I didn't like. My waitress didn't inquire why I didn't finish it. The food was good. Wouldn't come back though. Service is important to me.
(3)
Nish K.
A chain restaurant which does not serve authentic Mexican food, but it is open late and has a $7 Big Azz Margarita from 10pm till Midnight (which is when I dine). Happy hour features half off drafts and wings too so that is probably the best time to visit though. The atmosphere is loud, with televisions around the bar. Service is mediocre at best but the staff is friendly so that balances it out a bit. If you like hot flavors try the Pineapple Habanero salsa (I find it sweet with a kick). Their guacamole was good at least the couple of times I tried it, and their jersey chips and taquitos make up for my choice of appetizers. If you want to try their wings, the Southwestern and San Francisco are well balanced with spices. This place will keep you well liquored and pleasantly satiated. Their burritos are ok - I frankly prefer Chipotle or Qdoba burritos, however the Max Mex burritos are humongous and generously packed with a lot of stuffings. The Quesadillas and Fajitas are better choices in my opinion. I liked the hard shell tacos with the grilled steak too, though I found a lack of consistency in the flavor - the meat was well seasoned a couple of times and the other times I found it to be bland. This is a good place to hang out around the bar, get a few drinks and some appetizers.
(3)
Patrick P.
Ariba, Ariba! - I think I am going to need to work out more... I went there for lunch with a group. I remember in C-bus - their appetizers (wings) were really good. I ordered the Chicken Chimichanga - it was yummy. The meal was not loaded wtih shredded chicken but grilled chicken. I will definitely go there again. I don't know if there is a low calorie meal here but really don't care - it was that good :-) Food - Yummy! Service - Great! Price - Lunch - $12 - $15 I will definitely go there again and try some other dishes fellow yelpers recommend.
(5)
Ang T.
Lots of vegetarian options which is great. Good happy hour drink specials and food prices are comparable to other restaurants in the area. The portions are huge and their birthday club is great, when you sign up they mail you a postcard for a free burrito anytime during the two week span around your birthday.
(4)
Melissa O.
Thank goodness I don't live too close, or I'd be 500 pounds. The food, the ambiance, the drinks, top notch. Mad Mex could be my absolute favorite restaurant. Get the black bean dip, it is delicious.
(5)
Tyler R.
I'm a fan of Mad Mex, not only because of the delicious food, but also due to the great selection of beers on tap. It's a bit on the expensive side for Mexican food, but you do seem to get a lot for your money, and I've never been disappointed coming here. I have had the burritos (spicy chicken is good), the chimichanga, and the wings, all were great, and tasted even better after supplementing the food with a delicious IPA or a 'Big-Azz' margarita (strawberry is my go-to). There house salsa is good in my opinion, but not for those with an aversion to cilantro. The 'fire roasted' salsa wasn't so great and tasted like the house salsa with way too much liquid smoke added. The best time to go is probably for the happy hour and the late night half-off deals. Mad Mex isn't anything outstanding and certainly isn't 'authentic Mexican,' but if you find yourself tired of the same old Chipotle/Qdoba burritos, Mad Mex is a nice, tasty (albeit more expensive) change of pace. Come for the burritos, stay because you can't legally drive after your Big-Azz margarita.
(4)
Korey W.
This is not the typical Mexican place to eat, so if you think your going to Mexican family run place like most, then you will be caught off guard. no free chips and salsa. the burrito I had was huge! and had an excellent flavor. the salsa on the side was perfect for me however the person i was with said it was too hot for them. really interesting atmosphere, Will go again!!
(5)
Lydia U.
Mad Mex is my favorite restaurant! Birthdays, anniversaries, happy hours... always at Mad Mex. This place is great for vegetarians! My go-to order is the tofu mad mex burrito with a whole wheat tortilla. So good! vegan cheese and sour cream are also available. The chips and salsa are fantastic and the margaritas are pretty top notch as well. Watch for special seasonal margarita flavors- the apple cider margarita last fall was the best!
(5)
Michael P.
I've always liked the Mad Mex chain but I would have to say I like this location the most. The service is always excellent and it has more of a restaurant feel than the other locations that are more bar oriented. The cranberry margarita flavor they've add for November is very good if you like a sweeter margarita. The Fajita Burrita was also great with some added queso inside. The one thing I wouldn't recommend is nacho appetizer as all the toppings are piled on top with nothing on the chips underneath.
(4)
Hari M.
The best Tex Mex in the area. Fresh preparations - good selection. Would like to see a few more vegetarian selections. Will be back here if my choice if the day is Mexican!
(4)
Jill M.
I am in love with their Elotes. It is a corn-on-the-cob seasonal specialty which means my heart will break in the Fall, but in the meantime my love and I will be happy one grilled, seasoned and cheese-covered ear at a time. I could have eaten a dozen ears (and perhaps should have instead of venturing into loaded nachos territory... they're perfectly respectable as nachos go but - oh the Elotes! Mi Amore! At least when the Elotes leave me I will have vats of Big Azz Margaritas in which to drown my sorrow. Darn good for the size/price and the bartenders take custom requests - my 3rd was a 12-oz in a 22-oz glass with a nice blast of soda water so I could still function to get abck to my hotel.
(4)
Darren W.
Kay and I were here last weekend for 'nother taste 'o Mex. The complimentary chips 'n salsa were so plentiful, we didn't need a starter. The chips were deadly perfect; the salsa deadly spicy, chunky and loudly colorful, and vibrantly flavorful. My Skewered Jumbo Shrimp Fajitas were a tremendous union of garlic, olive oil, and seafood, the fat shrimp bursting in my mouth upon each tear of the teeth. I'll also add that the rice was light, fluffly, and much better overall than last time. What's causin' all this? Mad Mex.
(5)
Marguerite M.
I love most of the Mad Mex locations that I've tried. This one is close to lots of shopping. I loved their Horny Toad Margarita, which unfortunately is no longer on the menu. But if you get an old timer, they'll still make it for you. The closest thing to the Horny Toad is the Ultimate. If you like a wicked sour margarita, this is the one for you. I'm not a fan of the big azz margaritas that are popular there, they're just too sweet for me. The red sangria rocks!! There's always and awesome selection of drafts and bottled beers too. I like this location because it's really small and really dark. I know that's not a plus for lots of people, but I like it. I love the Insane San Francisco Wings with Blue Cheese. We always order them well done. Insane is the highest on their heat scale, the heat level isn't consistent, but it's usually pretty hot. The blue cheese is a perfect balance to the garlicy San Francisco sauce. My husband almost always gets the Chicken Chimichanga, its generously stuffed with tasty chicken, it's always nice and crispy. I love most of the quesadillas and fajitas... but I think my favorite entree is the Dance Marathon Enchiladas. I love the garlicy portabello mushrooms and spicy spinach. The tortilla soup is thick and creamy and so good. The casa salad is awesome with the Lime Cilantro dressing. A garlicy spicy creamy pesto-type dressing that is also great to add as a dipping sauce for quesadillas and taquitos. The salad is a simple combination of leaf lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onions, blue cheese crumbles, green pepitas... the crunchy pepitas with the salty, tangy blue cheese topped with lime cilantro dressing... YUM!!!! One of my favorite places to eat.
(5)
Jack L.
Food poisoning for everybody who had a "mad mex" steak burrito. I thought the decor was dreadfully ugly, tacky and overdone, but my friend (who tells me he has a cast iron stomach but was still internally disturbed by the horrible food here) claims to have liked it. I am giving this place 2 stars because they had a wide tequila selection (altho they don't seem able to mix a drink to save their lives), and because my friend liked their gaudy art. Service was ok, food was terrible (mostly rice with a tiny scattering of presumably rotten meat), art was questionable. Bottom line: AVOID, unless you are looking to do shots of top shelf tequila.
(2)
Jamie B.
This update is in regards to Mad Mex at the Robinson Township location, specifically going with a larger group of people: I most frequently visit Mad Mex at this location and being that it is at the crux of roads between where I live and other family lives, I have gone here a few times with a bigger group of guests. After my most recent visit I would not suggest that is a good plan. The most recent visit with a group was on a mid-weekday night with no special game playing on the screens. However, the place was really packed. Our plans had been completely last minute, so we didn't get to call in a reservation. We were told the wait would be 20-25 minutes; we waited about 50 to an hour to get seated. Service does take longer for big groups but it was so slow about 2 hours passed from when we were seated to when we were able to pay the check and go. The evening included our server who spilled the whole tray of drinks on our table (hey, it happens) and who eventually became either so stressed or annoyed that she didn't tend to our table for long periods of time and when she did so she was not very polite. Another warning for going with larger groups is in regards to ordering dessert. We had a few kids with our group and so ordered the brownie a la mode and a couple of ice cream burritos. All of the ice cream was melted for all three dishes when it arrived. It was as unappealing as it sounds (think: soupy cream burrito) but we were all so eager to leave that we didn't bother to mention it. Melted ice cream at restaurants usually happens if the plates come straight from the hot wash or--as it appeared in our case being that the plates weren't hot--the server waited too long to pick up the dessert after ordering it through the P.O.S. I can most accurately describe the entire experience that evening as arduous. Though I enjoyed the guests that I went with--this time being my family--the atmosphere of stress and negativity was set by the service and pacing of the meal. I was quite relieved when we left and was wishing in hindsight that we had gone anywhere else. It will be awhile before I can go back again, but it definitely won't be with a group of more than four.
(2)
Lynda Y.
After a long day of moving from Ohio to the Robinson area, we were hungry and tired. Mad Mex seemed like a casual dress place to eat since I had been there before.I remember good food an service. NOT THIS TIME Busy as expected, but 3 hostesses couldn't make a decission on how much of a wait...and we asked for a beeper, that they really didn't want to give up???Off to the bar where the waiter there told us we could sit at a hightop and eat there! GREAT! We were waited on , and the restraunt manager came buy and said that wasn't good, but we could stay...we got some food,but one in our party wanted his steak to go because of the VERY LONG WAIT...soon after, ALL our our food is boxed up and the check is presented!!! What the heck??The waitress said it was a mistake...an what did we wanna do? DUH! I paid, and won't be back...There are plenty of dinner places in this area, FORGET THIS ONE!
(2)
Ron A.
Stopped in for a nightcap. Good food options and bar offers something for every craving. Went with their top shelf margarita...fresh tasting (read: no premix taste) and the boneless wings. Go southwest style for something different. Atmosphere is open and bar staff is friendly! Adding this to my list of places to visit next time I'm in town.
(4)
Deborah N.
Nice place to hang out for a drink. Very friendly crowd. Food was only so so. Guacamole was brown and should not have been served. Bonus star for for being a relatively cool place in the Suburbs (with a capital S) and for being open late on a Sunday night. I would go again but would eat elsewhere first.
(3)
Serendipity J.
i've visited 3 mad mex locations in Pittsburgh (Robinson, Oakland, & Greentree) and have yet to go wrong. on this particular visit, my friend and i took advantage of coupons for free burritos that we'd been sent via email for signing up for the Mad Mex mailing list. They aren't bombing my inbox too frequently except for the things I'd like to know about (like new beer selections available.) The Robinson location is in a corporate looking building but once you're inside, you'd never know it. We visited around lunch time. The music was good. There were tables available inside and outside and we had our pick. Our server was terrific, giving us plenty of time to figure out what we wanted to order. My friend tried the russion stout on nitro tap which was a good time. The food was as great as I've come to expect from Mad Mex. I didn't care for the toritilla soup that came as part of my meal--but that was on me. There were other selections available that may have better suited my tastes, for sure. I'm used to a more spicy tortilla soup so my expectations weren't met there but that isn't Mad Mex's fault! The carnitas burrito was delicious and the blue cornbread a perfect pairing. I'd visit any of the Max Mex locations I've been to so far again & wouldn't hesitate to explore other locations. The service and food seem consistent so far and when I'm craving sit-down tex-mex, I'd visit Mad Mex again.
(4)
Event L.
Big Burrito is a well respected restaurant group, but this location damages it's reputation tremendously. The food is less than acceptable, the draft beer is warm, flat, and the overflow makes for a sticky drinking hand because no bar nap is supplied. This place would provide great material for the writers at SNL.
(1)
Jennifer M.
Service was great! Atmosphere was family friendly. This was not mexican food at all. I couldn't even finish my enchilada. The margaritas were not up to par and I could only take a few sips. I had higher hopes from reading other reviews, but I will never go back.
3 things i miss most about pittsburgh (in no particular order): 1. Family 2. primanti bros 3. MAD MEX!!! this place is so delicious it really doesn't even make sense... between the food and the margaritas, mad mex can do no wrong... they really cater to vegetarians, and are willing to make most things on the menu vegan if you ask (but there are plenty of options for the meat eaters as well)... usually when I go back to visit family, I hit up the Oakland mad mex once, and then the robinson location the next day (my mom lives way out in Robinson, so we go together)... I love that this location has the same happy hour specials as Oakland (see below), but without the crowds and the long wait times... AND this location is about 4x the size of Oakland... all-in-all, it's just great... 5 stars!! Specials: Weekdays from 5 - 7 - $7 big azz margaritas (they really are HUGE) - $3 for 12oz margaritas - $5 for 16oz margaritas - Half off all drafts and wings Everyone night from 10 - midnight - $7 big azz margaritas p.s. try the blue cornbread!!
(5)
Chris O.
Came in on Wednesday night around 9. No hostess, so I sat close to the bar. Took a long time for someone to address me. My waitress didn't seem too happy about being there. Got a beer that I didn't like. My waitress didn't inquire why I didn't finish it. The food was good. Wouldn't come back though. Service is important to me.
(3)
Douglas M.
MAD MEX is definitely in my top list favorites list. All locations that I've been to offer a different feel to the scenery, but offer the same high quality of service. This is a usual happy hour location for my friends and I after work. Half off drafts and wings. Pretty good deal! They have a great lunch menu which gives you many dinner options at a lunch price. You will be stuffed and pleased with the bill. Also, if you sit at the bar (anytime of the day) you get free chips and salsa. At dinner the price goes up a little, but still the great food and very filling. Try the mahi mahi fajita. It's so amazing I almost cried while eating it. This is a very vegan friendly restaurant where you can ask for soy sour cream and tofu cheese as substitutes (tastes amazing). The kids menu at dinner is surprisingly cheap for a lot of food. They can get a burrito, with sides, and a brownie and ice cream (if I remember this correctly) for like 5 bucks. That's great, because its hard to rationalize paying big bucks for kids when dinning out. Also, the staff is very friendly and helpful. My family loves this place and I highly suggest it, thus the reason I chose to review Mad Mex first as a new Yelp member!
(5)
Emily H.
This particular location tends to draw in more families with children than the other locations, so it can get noisy and the acoustics are pretty bad - lots of hard surfaces. A friend had a wedding reception at this location and the service was great and very accommodating. This may have been because they were guaranteed a big, BIG tip, but either way I was pleased. If you're a hardcore fan of authentic Mexican food, this is probably not the place for you. The enchiladas remind me more of chilaquiles - definitely more layered than rolled. The burritos are huge but it really drives me crazy how segmented they are. One bite will be all rice, the next will be all meat. The tofu tacos are okay, but the bean sprouts seem like a weird addition. I know, you're probably thinking "What DOES this girl like about Mad Mex?" If you can let go of any previous Mexican food experiences (or if you've never had Mexican food before, as I hadn't when I first went to Mad Mex), some things are ok. The tofu tacos minus the bean sprouts. The California grilled salad. The chickpea chili and black bean soup, the potato taquitos. Nachos, chips & salsa, and guacamole are all decent. Their sides are ridiculously huge and the desserts are all ok (except the sopapillas). Basically, stick to the least authentic stuff and you should be fine. Additionally, some of their entrees are available with your choice of either chicken, steak, shrimp, portobello mushrooms or tofu. They have tons of vegetarian options. They have good happy hour deals and good late night margarita deals. They have raspberry, strawberry, mango, and kiwi margaritas year round, with one or two seasonal flavors per month, plus a full bar, a bunch of tequilas and a huge, varied beer list that tends to focus on local beers. So basically: the less you know about Mexican food, the less disappointed you will be. If you're a fan of authentic Mexican food, either stick to something more basic like a salad, or pick a different restaurant.
(3)
Adam P.
I used to be a prep cook at the one in Oakland. The food quality has declined somewhat in the last decade but I was very impressed with knowledge of beer that everyone who works there seems to have. I hope the leftovers are as good as I remember. Cold MM burritos used to be one of my favorite breakfasts!
(4)
Bob H.
Ate the kateys red velvet enchilada ... awesome. Very cool patio too.
(5)
Christine S.
I love Mad Mex! I know I'll have a guaranteed good time. The food is tasty, they offer a good beer selection, the service is friendly and attentive and they play cool music. My one complaint is the meals are too big! But they let adults order off the kids menu. Not many places allow that, but Mad Mex always meets my request. Mad Mex puts their customers first! Oh, and they let you sample the beer!
(5)
Piere P.
Rude staff, overpriced food. On my first visit to Mad Mex, it was early Saturday night. We were a group of ten looking for a meal, and were promised a twenty minute wait time. We still hadn't been seated when we left two hours later. The manager was waving his arms and saying it wasn't his fault, and that there's nothing he can do. I did give them another chance. I went with a friend on a Monday evening. It was a quiet night and we didn't have any trouble getting seated. The waiter was lethargic, and couldn't answer the simplest questions about the beer or the food menu. The food wasn't anything special, and overpriced for what it was. My third visit was for drinks in a small group, on a weeknight, perhaps a Wednesday or a Thursday. We were sitting at a table. It was a quiet night, yet we had to keep walking to the bar to tell the staff to find our waiter and send him to our table, over and over again. Even though it was over an hour before closing time, staff kept working with their rags and vacuum cleaners all around us, and making faces like we should consider leaving soon.
(1)
Lincoln K.
Great atmosphere. The food is not traditional Mexican; they have actually improved on it. The spices they use are delicious. I like things hot and they've got plenty of them. My favorites are the spicy Mad Mex chicken burrito and the spicy black bean dip. When I first had their salsa I thought it had too much garlic. But it has really grown on me and I can't eat one of their burritos without slathering on a ton of it. The service is usually great too. The only negative is they allow smoking at the bar.
(5)
Steven T.
I have now been to Mad Mex twice, both with disappointing results. Mad Mex is about authentic as Taco Bell, that's not a complaint - I just want anyone else reading these reviews should realize this is not true Mexican food. However, they DON'T try to be and are in your face about it which I like. It pisses me off more to fake something and do it poorly than to take parts of it and do it well. I like the theme and design of the restaurant, the rusted steel plates, cowboy/Inca art motifs, its obviously a fun atmosphere and they have done a great job and spent a lot of money in design. Perhaps they should spend some of that money in training their servers. One of the servers knowledge of the food was pretty bad, I asked three simple questions about menu items and only 1 could be answered. The two she couldn't answer there was no attempt to find out - a simple "I don't know" seemed as an acceptable answer. However, the server we had on another visit was much better. For starters we have tried the pepito hummus - great idea, but salty, very very salty, the other starter I've tired is the chicken tortilla soup - the soup was good even though there was not one piece of chicken in it. It's definitely not a traditional tortilla soup instead you have rustic cream of tomato soup with garlic, cumin and other spices. As I said not traditional - good - very mild flavor, it could have used a little bit more spiciness and of course the chicken the menu proclaimed it had. I have read and was told that their burritos were very good so the first time I tried Chicken Fajita Burrito. These are knife and fork burritos that come out square. On the side is Pico de Gallo, which in my case was warm, contained the tomato core and was flavorless. My burrito contained bland rice, unseasoned black beans, red and green bell peppers and onions - some burnt, cheese and chicken. I guess the idea was to throw the bell peppers and onions in and viola you have fajita style, unfortunately it had no fajita seasoning so it didn't really work. There was a nice smoky flavor to the chicken which helped. But overall this burrito needed some serious help - it was bland on the flavors, even the addition of salt would have helped it out. One last comment is the tortilla that was used, a quick trip on the griddle was needed or maybe finish the tortilla in a press but it came out very white, with a doughy almost uncooked flavor. On the second visit my partner had the Mad Mex burrito with steak and was very disappointed, he thought they had forgot to put the steak in it until the very end he found 4 pieces of meat in the very corner of the square-itto. Until then he was just eathing plain rice and beans - not good. On the second visit I tried the Dance Marathon enchilada and this resembled and tasted very little like a true enchilada. All they did was put a very small ladle of ancho sauce on the plate, then put on the chicken spinach and mushrooms and top that with tomatillo sauce. Then throw a tortilla on top. Put the required rice and beans on the plate and you have a rather poorly executed and plain tasting dish of food. Mad Mex looks like a great place to enjoy some drinks, but if what I had was representative of the rest of the menu offerings I would pass on eating there again - food was very under par and someone should tell them that Mexican foods carry bold flavors - they should at least try to add some of those flavors to what they serve. Ambiance 5 stars Food 1.5 Stars Service 2.5 Stars 3 Stars and that's only because I really liked the ambiance.
(3)
Jerry E.
Nice dinner; good service; crowded and noisy
(3)
Russ J.
We tried Mad Mex for our 1st time today and at first glance if the menu I thought great freakin Tofu on the menu, I looked up and yep it said Mexican food so I'm thinking this is not my kinda place. So wrong the freakin Mahi tacos are killer. Wife had grilled chicken tacos and ditto. And try the XX cheese dip it is great just the right amount of bite.
(5)
Lambert P.
We had gone here pretty late for dinner, later than I usually eat but I figured we were hungry and I really wanted to check this place out. We arrived around 10pm after a long day of driving and shopping but I was looking forward to eating here for quite some time. I knew they were open late and I was pretty hungry and when that happens I get pretty greedy. Jake was our server this evening and I had told him it was our first time at Mad Mex so I'd have to go through the menu a bit. There is a lot of choices here, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, chili, it just went on and on. The drinks menu was pretty interesting. It was sort of confusing as it appeared there were some drinks on both the drink menu and the main menu but I ended up with a Green Flash PA. I've been drinking a lot of pale ales recently and this one was really good. A smooth taste and a nice hoppy flavor. I ended up ordering 2 of these that night. My wife ordered an apple cidar margarita. I tasted it and it was really good. It tasted like an apple pie. My wife who does not drink anything really besides wine and very little at that drank the whole thing and loved it. Jake brought a really generous serving of salsa and chips. The salsa was really good. Not runny but solid chunks of tomatoes. I had ordered the large order of San Francisco style wings (honestly I didn't know what that meant) which on the menu said that they were sweet and tangy or something like that. Jake asked if I wanted them spicy and I basically said middle of the road was fine. My wife can't really handle hot so I thought it was safe. The wings were just awesome. Properly cooked through and through and crispy and saucy at the same time. Hot and fresh, and as I said, cooked well. My wife can't eat wings if they aren't cooked well so it passed that test with flying colors. I loved these wings and for a large order that said something to the effect that were 14 or so it seemed go on and on. I didn't count them but it seemed to be more than 14 wings. They weren't small and skimpy either. We're talking naked wings (not breaded) but they were meaty and filling. My wife had ordered the turkey chili and I had ordered mahi mahi tacos. While my wife had her chili she said it was really good but it was overly spicy for her. I had tried it and it was really tasty but I had agreed it was rather on the hot spicy side and for her she unfortunately can't handle that level. Jake said it had chipotle in it. For me to think it was rather on the hot side, it's hot. I eat a lot of hot and she had forsaken the chickpea chili because it had jalepeno in it. She probably would have been better off with that instead. Still, the chili was a solid chili, just too hot for her. She had more wings and I gave her a taco and offered her more but she only wanted one. The mahi mahi tacos were amazing. They had that grilled taste and the baha sauce had a really nice kick to to it. The food here was simply great, just a tad hot and I can't believe I'm saying that... I'd love to go back to Mad Mex and try more of their menu. I'd love to try their carnitas.
(5)
Dawn F.
Nice side stop on our way home from Johnstown. I had the seasonal chicken and corn enchilada. Really good - nice big and moist chunks of chicken, sweet, tender corn and the goat cheese was a nice add. The Colorado sauce was a spicy surprise so I was glad I got the guacamole as a cool compliment. My hubby got the crab and corn quesadilla and he loved it. Said the crab was nice and sweet. The one thing that bummed me out - the chips and salsa... Ok, they charge for it which I don't like, but whatever. What bugged me was we paid almost $4 for what seemed like the bottom of the barrel of chips. Lots of little corners and crumbs.
(4)
Lara B.
Great service Good sangria Had the dip trip to start Xx queso is spicy and delicious Roasted tomato salsa is standard salsa Guacamole was very very good for not being prepared table side Ordered the seasonal crab/corn quesadilla and it did NOT disappoint. They have a PLETHORA of healthy and vegan options Great concept and great atmosphere Would love to see this franchise expand
(5)
Claudia S.
I was a little unsure of this place based on some of the negative reviews but have had nothing but the best experiences the three times I have visited Mad Mex! The service is what you would expect from young twenty somethings... Aka not the best but the beer menu is usually spot on so I will forgive their sub-par service. The carnitas nachos are my fave! Really good and fresh ingredients used on all of their dishes, this one included. You get a boat load of nachos too! I would definitely not call this a Mexican restaurant. More tex-mex or Cali Baja type menu but I will continue to frequent Mad Mex.
(4)
Terry S.
Went to Mad Mex for dinner Friday night because we had a giftcard. I got the tofu app (comes with stir-fried fried tofu sprouts, and almonds., it was very delicious! Had the turkey burrito for entree it was mediocre but you won't leave that place hungry, I guarantee it. My wife got a veggie burrito and she also agreed - quite mediocre. Pricing is what you'd expect it to be. Best part (other than tofu was the watermelon margarita I got - two thumbs up!)
(3)
Kimberly K.
I grabbed lunch here with my mom the other day and had a good time here. We wanted to get our grub on before getting our shop on at the Tanger Outlets. The restaurant had a cool vibe. I liked the interior mucho, ha! See what I did there? *cheesy grin* ANYWHO, we ended up ordering the Dance Marathon Enchilada (w/ chicken, spinach, and portabella mushroom) and the Kristy's Big Sister's Red Velvet Quesadilla (chicken, grilled zucchini, spinach, pico de gallo and jack cheese). Oh, and I say "we" because my mom and I always split our food! Let's start with the good. The quesadilla was AWESOME! Pipin' hot and perfectly cooked. I also LOVED the side of guac that accompanied the dish - probably the best guac I've had in years. FYI: it was a lunch special ($9.50) so it came with soup - you can also get salad if you wants. We went with the turkey chili, and it was RIDICULOUSLY tasty - lots of hearty filling with BAMF heat. Unfortunately, my Enchilada was "meh". I feel bad because it was mad fresh with tons of grilled chicken and veggies, but it was tasteless. I had a really rough time finishing it. The beans and rice that came with it were even worse - pretty sure the rice was old because It was hard and dry. CONCLUSION: I'd definitely come back for the Quesadilla lunch special! I'd also be down to try the Fajitas out, but I won't be getting the Enchiladas anytime soon. Also, the happy hour seemed legit! Might be back to check that out with frands! Who knows...
I was torn as to how low to rate our experience at Mad Mex. I'd say this place certainly falls somewhere between 2 or 3 stars. Here's why... Food: The food here is average (at best). We both ordered the "Mad Mex" quesadillas. I've had better quesadillas from Chili's. I actually even make a better quesadilla at home. We both agreed that it was just subpar. The real irony here is that you'd expect a menu item named after the actual restaurant to be superior in quality to the other menu options. Correct? The quesadillas here are just blah and as for the guacamole, I've had equally as good from Trader Joe's. They come with no sides, so expect to pay around $2 for about 4oz. of canned black beans. Service: So we stopped in over the weekend and ordered dinner. We stood at the hostess station for about 5 minutes patiently waiting for a hostess to appear. She never did. We finally walked to the bar and the kind bartender apologized and explained that things were slow, so they'd just sent home the hostess. Okay that's fine, but why not have the servers or someone else lookout for potential customers? Silly error. We requested to be seated on the patio. It was night time, but boy was it dark! I'm talking parking lot lights to read the menu dark! Here's a tip...Get some light so that customers can actually read the menu at night or just close the patio altogether after dark. I probably would have ordered more if I could have actually seen the menu. Let there be light. Our waitress kindly informed us that the kitchen was taking last call on orders and would be closing an hour before close of business. Fine. Restaurant hours are listed for close at 1am and we arrived 11:30. We understand that kitchens typically close early, but we were clearly being rushed to hurry up and pick something. Again, I would have liked to get an appetizer and dessert, but felt pressed for time. Lastly, as if the aforementioned wasn't enough, the waitress was apathetic. Just bad. Bottom Line: I wouldn't go here again. Food is average (or slightly below) and the service is lacking. There are far too many better restaurants in the area with higher quality standards.
(2)
Savannah S.
Our server was wonderful and the food was great! Unique items and large portions. I spotted it as soon as we got to town getting off the interstate, so it was one of the first restaurants we tried, it was late when we got there but we weren't rushed at all.
(5)
Ann D.
I have been here a couple of times and each time has been great. The guacamole is great and I highly recommend the Margarita. Last time I had Fajitas and thought they were above average. Tonight I got the carnitas burrito and it was superb.
(4)
Maureen N.
We had not been to a Mad Mex in a few years. We were meeting friends and they suggested we meet there for dinner. When we walked into the front door I fell backwards, hit my hip, lower back and my head. I walk with a cane but never fell like that. My husband and another customer helped me up. Our friends were already at the table, so I did not to make a big deal of it. The manager came over asked if I was OK. I asked for ice for the back of my head. She asked me to fill out several papers. I told her I did not blame the restaurant, but was shook up! Our food was mediocre and the corn bread was raw in the middle. After we left My husband drove me immediately to the hospital ER. Fortunately no broken bones, or concussion. I called the restaurant several days later. No one from Mad Mex ever called to ask how I was. I followed up calling the restaurant a couple of times. They kept saying , oh that manager is not here and they would call me back. MAD MEX NEVER offered to pay for my entree, pick up our tab or anything. Customer service sucks, and food is certainly not worth it.
(1)
Kimberly T.
We were heading to IKEA to a couch. It was raining and we were hungry so we decided to stop in for a warm bite. The decor is a quirky mix of Mexican, with skulls, weirdly designed animals and cacti. I ordered a cup of tortilla soup and a chicken quesadilla. My spouse ordered a cup of black bean soup and a chicken burrito. My soup was warm and filling. It had chunks of grilled chicken and some shredded cheese on top. It was the perfect texture with just a little kick. My quesadilla was crispy on the outside and filled to the brim with chunks of grilled chicken, onions, green peppers and cheese. The peppers had been roasted which added flavor. The quesadilla comes with salsa and sour cream but I ordered guacamole too. Yum! My husband's black bean soup was a little plain even though it came with a dollop of sour cream. It could have used a bit of spicyness. His burrito had chunks of grilled chicken, rice, and black beans. Unfortunately it was light on the chicken and heavy on the rice and beans. The burrito also comes with salsa.and sour cream but he too, added guacamole. It was a nice warm meal on a rainy day.
(4)
Ashley H.
Mad Mex is super vegan friendly, and has a huge menu that pleased even my Mexican food-disliking dining companion. I had the veggie enchilada, and got it with dairy-free cheese and vegan sour cream. The portion size was huge, and the plate was very inexpensive. The vegetables were fresh and the meal was all-in-all very delicious. All in all, I would go back for some good Tex-Mex cuisine.
(4)
Gordon G.
The wings were good and my wife's salad was pretty good, but I had a 22oz big azz margarita and then two 12oz ones on happy hour. I don't know if there was any alcohol at all in any of them to be honest. I think that is a rip-off, so you are better off getting beer at this location or making friends with the bartender. I felt no effect at all from 46oz of margarita? Really? i was sitting outside, so couldn't see the bartender make the drinks. I am a former owner of a bar and years of experience in the industry, so it ins't like I don't know what I am talking about. Anyway, the food was okay and service was okay. I just would like to get what I pay for when it comes to drinks. Maybe next time I will ask for the tequila on the side, so I can actually see if they put any in at all!
(2)
Carrie O.
Interesting. My husband and I use this word frequently between us to describe something that we either can't quite grasp the concept of, or as a euphemism for "this is quite possibly the worst thing we've ever experienced". In this case, I think that the use of the word may come to mean both when it comes to Mad Mex. We had high hopes for this place after reading the Yelp reviews. Unfortunately, the experience started off on the wrong foot almost immediately - we walked in and were kept waiting for nearly ten minutes while the hostess did - well, I don't know what she was doing. My husband later said that she was checking for tables, but seeing that the place was half-empty when we walked in, that's kind of hard for me to believe. To the staff's credit, several people did stop and ask us if we were being helped. But, still. We were led to a table and were about to sit down when one of the staff was like, "No, don't sit down. It's not clean." And... yeah, no, it wasn't clean. Spilled drink everywhere. Not earth-shattering. But, still.... Finally we're settled in and the server comes up and takes our orders. She asks us if we want to keep the menus over dinner and I said, sure, we may want something else. Thing is, she asks us this several times over the course of the night. Did she forget she'd asked the question or something? I just found that really odd. I ordered a Thai Curry burrito, and my husband ordered a Mad Mex Quesadilla plate. Maybe these were just the wrong things to order, I don't know - but in my case, the Thai ingredients just did NOT fit into the scheme of things. Peanuts, pineapple and bean sprouts wrapped into a tortilla? Uh... somehow the taste of this should have been a LOT better, and it sounded a whole hell of a lot better than it actually was. The sour cream and diced tomatoes that came alongside was just a bizarre addition to what I already considered a bizarre dish. And the slaw? Ye Gods, that was just an abomination. I took one bite of that and left the rest behind, and if I leave any type of cole slaw behind, you KNOW it's bad. My husband's dish was lacking cheese. And I mean, it was a SERIOUS lack of cheese. More veggies than anything else, which is fine, but a good quesadilla has cheese in it, folks. He did like his food a LOT better than I did mine, though. Another service misstep - I wasn't asked what kind of filling I wanted in my dish (even though the menu states that there's a choice). The server came back and asked me almost timidly if chicken was okay - it leads me to believe that the food was already made with chicken in it and she was hoping (or praying) that I wouldn't choose something else. Luckily for her... I like chicken. We didn't need those menus after all, because we beat feet out of there. I knew I wasn't going to want anything else. I tipped way more than I should have, to be honest, but the quality of the food isn't the server's fault. I will say that the food choices are... well, interesting. There are a LOT of vegetarian and vegan options, which I guess for some is a plus - points for the fact that neither dish was overly greasy or even heavy on the stomach, which can be a problem with a lot of Mexican food. I went in knowing that this wasn't going to be authentic, and I never expected it - but it really shouldn't be THIS "health-conscious", and that's the feeling I got when I came in here. We don't live in the area, so it's highly doubtful that we'll be back, but if we did live here, we most likely wouldn't recommend this place.
(2)
Chris G.
Very so-so. Reminds me of the "On The Border" places all over DC. Sauce on the enchiladas was more like tomato sauce. Rice was a hard. Plus, $13 for an enchilada is a bit steep.
(3)
Nena U.
Southwestern wings are out of this world and bar/wait staff are outstanding.. great service. Thursday evenings are great for happy hour. The menu is no doubt unique.. refreshing .. something for everyone. My friend loves the fish tacos - and gets them every time. The restrooms are is always clean and the restaurant has seating inside and out. The prices are slightly above average but during happy hour there are specials.
(5)
Samantha S.
Was in Pittsburgh for business and was trying to find something different to eat, something that we didn't have back home in Colorado. I read the reviews and totally got that this was more Tex-Mex, and I came in with out the expectation of comparing it to the Mexican food I get in Denver, or Pasadena where I lived prior. At first , being unfamiliar with the area, I couldn't find it. I almost ended up going to Ditka's ( bldg in this complex) , but as I was pulling around, I saw Mad Mex, in bldg 2 of this complex)- so i gladly made my way over. I didn't realize this place was in the first floor of an office building. Good to know :) . I like the decor and the atmosphere, enjoyed the service, and the queso and chips I ordered. I ordered enchiladas. I shouldn't have, because we make enchiladas at home all the time, and it may cloud my judgement. It came with Colorado 'red' sauce, so I thought I would be ok, and then half green sauce. The food came out quickly and I did like the green sauce, but didn't care for the Red sauce, it almost reminded me of spaghetti sauce. So, I ended up scraping it off and trying to smooth out my green sauce. This isn't going to deter me from coming back and trying something else, it was just a matter of me not being positively overwhelmed with the sauce on this particular item. I think I would probably like something else, and look forward to updating this review... from good to great :)
(3)
Carlos A.
The waitress was very nice and quick and the establishment was clean. I enjoyed the feel of the atmosphere. However, for the price the flavor was not outstanding, it was good, just I was expectinf more. And the portions were microscopic, it's mexican it should be tons of food. It was very little. And the margarita was literally nauseating. Don't know if it was the mix or tequila.
(2)
Jerry S.
We were seated at a high-top on the patio. It was probably 10 minutes before a server informed us that our server would be right over. Wasnt her table so, who cares I guess. No drink menus and I went back inside the restaurant to get our silverware from behind the host stand. The queso/cheese dip had that off-color look as if it came from out of a can. I pictured them scraping it out of a can and mixing with their canned rotell tomatoes. And it didn't taste good. They never said it would be fresh though. I had the steak fajitas which were good enough and cooked how I wanted. The drink menu said Dos Equis Special. They should specify if that is that lager or amber. I'll still go to the location in Shadyside for drinks.
(2)
Maura U.
This is our usual hangout. Love it! The service is always prompt, and the food is consistently awesome. Occasionally, the bar area gets crowded, but that's a sign of a great establishment, right?
(5)
Steve P.
We met some friends here on our way into Pittsburgh on a Thursday night and man, we were impressed! None of us had ever eaten here before, but we all want to go back! Only 20 minutes from downtown in the Robinson Towne Center: a welcoming, fun atmosphere. I don't know if it's the preferred place to bring children because it has more of a loud bar atmosphere, but it's great if you're looking to meet friends and you don't mind the noise level. I noticed it became louder while we were there (6-8pm) and it did cater to a boisterous happy hour crowd. I can see how this place would do very very well near a college campus (several locations are near colleges). It just feels very trendy, a little hipster, and someplace that the bar crowd would feel right at home. But let's get to the food! I was shocked that chips and salsa didn't come with our meal automatically: this is officially the first American-Mexican restaurant I've ever been to that didn't serve chips and salsa right off the bad. We did order some and they were tasty. The Pennsyltucky fried tofu was delicious and I highly recommend it to start as your appetizer. So what's your pleasure? Enchiladas, burritos, fajitas, chimichangas: if the patrons at my table were of any authority, then it's all great! It sounds like you can modify just about anything, so talk to your server. Speaking of servers, the customer service was great and that in itself can make or break a dining experience for me. By the way, I was so excited to find that there is a Mad Mex in Columbus, which is where I live. Excuse me, I have to go there NOW. If it's anything like the Robinson location, then I'll be a regular as much as I can be.
(5)
Brooke A.
Hey hey. This is a funky cool place to get some Mexican. Everything I had was good. (XX cheese dip, chicken mole burrito, big azz margarita). I also appreciated how the menu had plenty of options for vegans and vegetarians. I am not one of those, but I think it's pretty cool that they have a Mexican option for a bit of variety. It's one of my favorite cuisines, and I think it's sad anyone should have to miss out on it. On my visit, we had a great server. She was super attentive. Only issue I had is that they were a bit skimpy on the chips at first. If you're going to give me a massive bowl of cheese dip then a smaller-than-average chip basket is not going to cut it for me and my 3 hungry friends. Everything else, zero complaints. The food, especially the burritos and enchiladas, comes in large portions. Quesadillas, not as much. Tyler had no leftovers from his quesadillas. That was only yesterday's dinner and I want to go again! The one closer to my house gets pretty stinky reviews, but I'll brave it because this one was just so good.
(5)
Serena T.
I'm a huge Big Burrito fan, especially the Mad Mex branches. I've been to the one in Greentree, Oakland, East Liberty, McKnight and now this one! In my experience they have all been consistent in terms of the quality of food and service. I love me some wing-o-rito (southwestern sauce please) with waffle fries. I recently discovered you can get a tofu burrito with the same options of wing sauces - score! The location of this place is interesting - it seems a bit removed but maybe it seems that way because I'm not from the Robinson area. In any case it wasn't difficult to get to and parking was plentiful on the evenings I've been there.
(5)
Kate M.
I decided while still at the table that I never want to come back again. The seating hostess was terrible, we didn't see a waiter at our table for about fifteen minutes. And after requesting the chips, salsa and guacamole, we waited at least another fifteen minutes. It could have all been overlooked, if the food hadn't been absolutely terrible and the waiter hadn't spilled the salsa and guac all down my pant legs. And we still had to pay for the chips and guac. I cannot recommend ever going here, even if only for happy hour, and most certainly not for the food or service.
(1)
Meghan M.
Always will be my one of my favorite restaurants! I have tried numerous dishes here. My favorite is the Shrimp Enchilada! Food is scrumptious and the staff is polite! I will be returning!
(5)
Allen J.
All I can say about Mad Mex is WOW! The atmosphere was right up my alley, music was perfect and the service was attentive and visually pleasing. Then came the food! Portions are more than enough and the flavor is out of this world! It is an hour drive from my house and I could justify the drive for this any day of the week. Mad Mex, you just blew my mind!!
(5)
David T.
Good eating experience. I had the Wing-o tacos and they were very good. They are soft tacos with boneless wings inside. They served them with waffle fries that were excellent. We ordered chips, salsa, and cheese for an app. Its a little annoying u dont get chips and salsa for free like alot of mexican restaurants. Salsa was just ok. It was very thick and chunky. The cheese dip was horrible so we sent it back and got the guac instead. The guac was excellent. Our service was excellent as well. They took the price of the cheese dip off our bill because we didnt like it. We never asked them to do so. My girlfriend is vegetarian. She ordered the herb o'vores tacos which she loved. They were made with tofu.
(4)
Alice C.
Mad Mex is always good when you're in town. It's my favourite Mexican place in Pittsburgh -- they actually have quite a bit of spice in their food. Plus they are a sports bar as well. This time, we started with 3 dips. While all of them are good, the black bean salsa is hands down, the best. Sadly though, my chickpea chili burrito was mostly bland. I blame it on my [temporarily] vegetarian diet, and the lack of ingredients in that burrito other than chili. I miss their chicken. The waitress was unbelievably good. She wasn't intrusive, but somehow was always there even before we realized we needed her. If only all waitresses are like her...
(4)
Bob C.
For starters, their salsa is unique and great with the chips they obvi make here. Went with a cup of Tortilla Soup and happy I did. Menu is extensive and exciting. Soup definitely made fresh. Just got my Grilled Mahi Fish Tacos. I'm from the Jersey Shore area where fish tacos at Surf Taco was born... These are amazing!!! Fresh, not skimpy, abundant and great tasting guacamole has me eating AND typing cause I can't wait to spread the word. My only complaints are the food came at me too fast and one bartender was crazy although she kept up with managed frenzy. I am not a big fan of multi-unit, or more so franchises, but I hope Mad Mex comes to NJ! My lunch veggie burrito yesterday and today's dinner were made with consistency and equaled freshness and quality and served pleasantly. So they got it down so bring it on east please!
(4)
Eric G.
Another great Mad Mex location right in Robinson close to the mall. I met up with my father who was staying close to the airport overnight, and I actually had a bit of trouble finding the place (it's cryptically hidden facing the highway on the first floor of an office building. Once I found the parking lot, though, it was smooth sailing, good company, and good food. One thing I will complain about, which happens at every Mad Mex location, is they put small tables incredibly close to other tables- which means that you're essentially immersed in both of your neighboring tables' conversations (and vise versa). However, the food was really great- I had a taco salad and they allowed me to substitute the beef for tofu (which was above par). The waitress was incredible, not even considering that it was a crazy busy Friday night. I probably won't eat there again because I live closer to the Oakland and Shadyside locations, but I definitely recommend it.
(4)
Caroline P.
One of the only restaurants that actually cater to Vegans! They have a LOT of veggie options and Tofutti sour cream and Daiya cheese to replace the dairy. Everything is clearly labeled on the menu so there is no confusion. Our server was also very knowledgeable and happy to answer all of our menu questions. The chef brought the food to our table and reassured us that everything was Vegan. This is my new favorite place to eat!!
(5)
Steven B.
This place lives up to it's name. The pictures on the walls are bizarre but in a good way. I got a corn on the cob for an appetizer and it was really good. Then I got a chicken burrito. The food was all-around good. Just don't go here if you like basic, boring food. Very interesting place
(4)
Rebecca M.
I have been to the Mad Mex in Shadyside many times, but I had not been to the Mad Mex in Robinson until last week, and I ended up going twice! I went for Happy Hour one day, and the it was a great crowd. They have a nice selection of beers on draft, and have an IPA week coming up (not sure what that means exactly, but I am excited for it nonetheless...). Good Happy Hours are hard to find these days, Happy Hour there is exactly that - good deals on beer, drinks, and appetizers. We had the trio of dips - the jalepeno pinapple is my new favorite! On Sunday I picked a friend up from the airport and we wanted to find somewhere we could eat and watch the Superbowl, and this was the perfect spot for that. It wasn't overly crowded like many of the sports bars, and once again our waitress was super friendly. I had a margarita and the shrimp taquitos - both were very good. I'm not sure I would use the word "authentic" but as long as it tastes good, I don't really care.
(4)
Dee D.
OK, MAYBE I am bias, but the grilled fish taco here are amazingly consistent. heavenly!! WHY do you make them so fabulous ???? What is your secret ?? They are disgustingly addicting, and I will go to my grave saying Mad Mex Grilled fish tacos are superior!!! I have tasted the same from Mexico, (west & east) Baja, Barbados, Belize and still...... Mad Mex gets it a good as good gets in the US!!! I run my own business and I take Mad Mex Mahi Take out as a tip !!!!
(5)
Chad R.
Best in pittsburgh for mex burritos. The wing-o-rito is amazing when you can't decide between wings and a burrito. I'll be back mad mex!
(5)
Lloyd W.
Went solo for Friday dinner at the recommendation of many who knew I was interested in some Mexican food. After finally locating the place (a bit of an odd location that lacks good visibility) I was promptly seated at a bar-side high top that afforded a good view of the Pirates/Rockies broadcast. The server (B. Starkey) visited me quickly and was friendly/helpful throughout the meal. I'm getting old and was quickly reminded of that depressing fact as I struggled a bit attempting to read the menu. With nothing unusual or surprising offered I went with the Chicken Fajita ($14). The order arrived in less than 15 minutes. All ingredients were tasty (while the chicken portion seemed a bit stingy)and I found myself eating the nicely seasoned veggies at meal's end. My only issue was that cleanliness seemed to be a factor. My table was sticky and the restroom needed work (even considering the place was relatively busy). Mad Mex would certainly be a better location with a group but I would visit the next time visiting Pittsburgh. Give it a try...but come with a group and a pocket flashlight!
(3)
Jenny B.
I love all the Mad Mex locations, this one included. The food is great and consistent between locations. They are more than happy to substitute the meat in non-vegetarian items with tofu whenever I ask, even though it's not stated in the menu that they will do this. That means big bonus points for me!! There is no shortage of veggie-friendly menu items, but any time I have made a special request it has been honored without question. This location seems to have more craft beer on tap than some of the others (namely Oakland). That's great too! There's really nothing I DON'T love about Mad Mex, it's probably my favorite restaurant in the 'burgh.
(4)
Dan E.
I absolutely wish they had a Mad Mex in New Jersey. This place is pretty much all I look for in a Mexican restaurant. Apparently, there are about 7 Mad Mex's all in the Pittsburgh area. The weird thing about this one is that it is located at the bottom of an office building. Our group started at the bar. The bar area was actually pretty packed on a Tuesday night - mostly during Happy Hour time. There was only bartender working and she was completely overwhelmed. It took a while to get a drink. They definitely should have had at least one other bartender working. They had a decent draft selection and everyone said the margaritas were pretty good. I did not try one. Our table was seated and I'm pretty sure there were at least 10 of us or so. The waiter was very good and attentive throughout the meal. Our table started out with a bunch of different baskets of chips and a number of dips. 1. Guacamole - it was good but it had a little too much lime zest for my taste. If you're into that, you're going to love this one. 2. Red Salsa - I liked the red salsa but I felt like it could have used a touch more spice. Not bad, though. 3. Queso Dip - we also had some sort of queso dip that was good. It was my 2nd favorite - nice and spicy and who doesn't like cheese? 4. Black Bean Dip - typically, I'm not the biggest bean dip fan but this was excellent. It had some melted cheese and it had just the right amount of spice to it. I was surprised I liked it so much and I would definitely order it again. I housed a ton of chips and dip - probably too much but I enjoyed it. For my meal, I went with the Spicy Mad Mex Burrito and I went with chicken as the filler. Also, the burritos are ridiculously cheap at less than $10...and they're huge. It's served American style - this is kind of like my own term - meaning it doesn't come with melted cheese and a side of rice and beans. It's served in a huge tortilla wrapped up with only a little bit of some sort of chipotle sauce on top. It also came with a ton of guac, sour cream and salsa on the side. It's amazing how many places are stingy with those but not Mad Mex. They totally hook you up. The burrito was pretty freakin' good. Nice and spicy and came stuffed with a ton of fillers. It was also huge - I have to stress that. Not many people will be able to finish a burrito in one sitting. It's a huge meal, but the quality of the food was also very good. This is a really cool place. I enjoyed everything about my meal. Service was pretty good and the prices are more than reasonable - dare I say cheap. I'll easily come out of my way to stop back here again the next time I am in Pittsburgh. I'm hoping Mad Mex opens up some spots in Jersey by me.
(4)
S F.
It is Saturday night, I am hungry and I am sitting here wishing I could head to Mad Mex. We used to live close to Mad Mex Robinson and it was our go to place when we wanted good reliable food and beer in a relaxing atmosphere. As others have mentioned the food isn't authentic Mexican but it is delicious and fresh. They have great vegetarian/vegan options too. The chick pea chili burrito is an all time favorite. The salsas and guacamole are flavorful and fresh. Have I mentioned the beer? They always have a wide array of seasonal beers on tap and if you get there during Happy Hour even better. Viva Mad Mex!
(5)
Joshua T.
After living in the south west, it's hard to find a good authentic Mexican restaurant. Mad Mex nailed it! The chicken mole burrito was amazing! The chicken fajita was perfect. The kids menu was ideal. Thankyou!!!
(5)
Joe D.
I'm beginning to think that whatever Mad Mex I dine at, I'm going to get great service, great food, and a great atmosphere to enjoy it in. My friend from Columbus was in today to get ready for a job interview tomorrow, he's worked at OSU for years and he wants to teach at CMU. So after he checked in he phoned me and we met at Mad Mex in Robinson. He gushed about the Mad Mex that recently opened in The Gateway on High St. in Columbus, saying it was one of the hottest restaurants in all of Columbus, and how lucky we are here to have one close to every neighborhood. I ordered the Mission Shipwrecked Double IPA and he had Rogue John John Dead Guy Heller Bock. Our waitress was so understanding, we decided to enjoy our beers before ordering, and she said "Sure, enjoy, I'll come back and take your orders when ready." So we talked, caught up and enjoyed our libations. Finally I got hungry (and a little buzzed from drinking a double IPA with a specific 12% alcohol listing), I ordered the black bean soup, and Happy Hippy burrito. He had the Mad Mex Burrito with steak and said it was every bit as good, if not better than the Mad Mex in Columbus. Sure, it's not authentic, it's Cali-Mex, it's fresh, healthy, and I'm sure glad we have the Big Burrito group here in the Burgh!
(5)
Kimberly E.
Dirty silverware. Bad-tasting drinks, salsa, and guacamole. Haven't even been served my entree yet. Very unimpressed.
(2)
Sergio K.
Very consistent place for lunch or dinner. Great tequila and microbrew selections. Staff is also excellent.
(4)
Jackie R.
Awesome food, great service! I had carnitas tacos and my husband had the shrimp fajitas. Both were great! Our server was very attentive, got everything correct, and everything came out very quickly. Nice, relaxing atmosphere too. Our booth was very intimate. I will definitely be back.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Steven B.
This place lives up to it's name. The pictures on the walls are bizarre but in a good way. I got a corn on the cob for an appetizer and it was really good. Then I got a chicken burrito. The food was all-around good. Just don't go here if you like basic, boring food. Very interesting place
(4)Emily H.
This particular location tends to draw in more families with children than the other locations, so it can get noisy and the acoustics are pretty bad - lots of hard surfaces. A friend had a wedding reception at this location and the service was great and very accommodating. This may have been because they were guaranteed a big, BIG tip, but either way I was pleased. If you're a hardcore fan of authentic Mexican food, this is probably not the place for you. The enchiladas remind me more of chilaquiles - definitely more layered than rolled. The burritos are huge but it really drives me crazy how segmented they are. One bite will be all rice, the next will be all meat. The tofu tacos are okay, but the bean sprouts seem like a weird addition. I know, you're probably thinking "What DOES this girl like about Mad Mex?" If you can let go of any previous Mexican food experiences (or if you've never had Mexican food before, as I hadn't when I first went to Mad Mex), some things are ok. The tofu tacos minus the bean sprouts. The California grilled salad. The chickpea chili and black bean soup, the potato taquitos. Nachos, chips & salsa, and guacamole are all decent. Their sides are ridiculously huge and the desserts are all ok (except the sopapillas). Basically, stick to the least authentic stuff and you should be fine. Additionally, some of their entrees are available with your choice of either chicken, steak, shrimp, portobello mushrooms or tofu. They have tons of vegetarian options. They have good happy hour deals and good late night margarita deals. They have raspberry, strawberry, mango, and kiwi margaritas year round, with one or two seasonal flavors per month, plus a full bar, a bunch of tequilas and a huge, varied beer list that tends to focus on local beers. So basically: the less you know about Mexican food, the less disappointed you will be. If you're a fan of authentic Mexican food, either stick to something more basic like a salad, or pick a different restaurant.
(3)Adam P.
I used to be a prep cook at the one in Oakland. The food quality has declined somewhat in the last decade but I was very impressed with knowledge of beer that everyone who works there seems to have. I hope the leftovers are as good as I remember. Cold MM burritos used to be one of my favorite breakfasts!
(4)Bob H.
Ate the kateys red velvet enchilada ... awesome. Very cool patio too.
(5)Christine S.
I love Mad Mex! I know I'll have a guaranteed good time. The food is tasty, they offer a good beer selection, the service is friendly and attentive and they play cool music. My one complaint is the meals are too big! But they let adults order off the kids menu. Not many places allow that, but Mad Mex always meets my request. Mad Mex puts their customers first! Oh, and they let you sample the beer!
(5)Douglas M.
MAD MEX is definitely in my top list favorites list. All locations that I've been to offer a different feel to the scenery, but offer the same high quality of service. This is a usual happy hour location for my friends and I after work. Half off drafts and wings. Pretty good deal! They have a great lunch menu which gives you many dinner options at a lunch price. You will be stuffed and pleased with the bill. Also, if you sit at the bar (anytime of the day) you get free chips and salsa. At dinner the price goes up a little, but still the great food and very filling. Try the mahi mahi fajita. It's so amazing I almost cried while eating it. This is a very vegan friendly restaurant where you can ask for soy sour cream and tofu cheese as substitutes (tastes amazing). The kids menu at dinner is surprisingly cheap for a lot of food. They can get a burrito, with sides, and a brownie and ice cream (if I remember this correctly) for like 5 bucks. That's great, because its hard to rationalize paying big bucks for kids when dinning out. Also, the staff is very friendly and helpful. My family loves this place and I highly suggest it, thus the reason I chose to review Mad Mex first as a new Yelp member!
(5)Caroline P.
One of the only restaurants that actually cater to Vegans! They have a LOT of veggie options and Tofutti sour cream and Daiya cheese to replace the dairy. Everything is clearly labeled on the menu so there is no confusion. Our server was also very knowledgeable and happy to answer all of our menu questions. The chef brought the food to our table and reassured us that everything was Vegan. This is my new favorite place to eat!!
(5)Meghan M.
Always will be my one of my favorite restaurants! I have tried numerous dishes here. My favorite is the Shrimp Enchilada! Food is scrumptious and the staff is polite! I will be returning!
(5)Allen J.
All I can say about Mad Mex is WOW! The atmosphere was right up my alley, music was perfect and the service was attentive and visually pleasing. Then came the food! Portions are more than enough and the flavor is out of this world! It is an hour drive from my house and I could justify the drive for this any day of the week. Mad Mex, you just blew my mind!!
(5)Dawn F.
Nice side stop on our way home from Johnstown. I had the seasonal chicken and corn enchilada. Really good - nice big and moist chunks of chicken, sweet, tender corn and the goat cheese was a nice add. The Colorado sauce was a spicy surprise so I was glad I got the guacamole as a cool compliment. My hubby got the crab and corn quesadilla and he loved it. Said the crab was nice and sweet. The one thing that bummed me out - the chips and salsa... Ok, they charge for it which I don't like, but whatever. What bugged me was we paid almost $4 for what seemed like the bottom of the barrel of chips. Lots of little corners and crumbs.
(4)Chris G.
Very so-so. Reminds me of the "On The Border" places all over DC. Sauce on the enchiladas was more like tomato sauce. Rice was a hard. Plus, $13 for an enchilada is a bit steep.
(3)Nena U.
Southwestern wings are out of this world and bar/wait staff are outstanding.. great service. Thursday evenings are great for happy hour. The menu is no doubt unique.. refreshing .. something for everyone. My friend loves the fish tacos - and gets them every time. The restrooms are is always clean and the restaurant has seating inside and out. The prices are slightly above average but during happy hour there are specials.
(5)Lara B.
Great service Good sangria Had the dip trip to start Xx queso is spicy and delicious Roasted tomato salsa is standard salsa Guacamole was very very good for not being prepared table side Ordered the seasonal crab/corn quesadilla and it did NOT disappoint. They have a PLETHORA of healthy and vegan options Great concept and great atmosphere Would love to see this franchise expand
(5)Kari C.
I was torn as to how low to rate our experience at Mad Mex. I'd say this place certainly falls somewhere between 2 or 3 stars. Here's why... Food: The food here is average (at best). We both ordered the "Mad Mex" quesadillas. I've had better quesadillas from Chili's. I actually even make a better quesadilla at home. We both agreed that it was just subpar. The real irony here is that you'd expect a menu item named after the actual restaurant to be superior in quality to the other menu options. Correct? The quesadillas here are just blah and as for the guacamole, I've had equally as good from Trader Joe's. They come with no sides, so expect to pay around $2 for about 4oz. of canned black beans. Service: So we stopped in over the weekend and ordered dinner. We stood at the hostess station for about 5 minutes patiently waiting for a hostess to appear. She never did. We finally walked to the bar and the kind bartender apologized and explained that things were slow, so they'd just sent home the hostess. Okay that's fine, but why not have the servers or someone else lookout for potential customers? Silly error. We requested to be seated on the patio. It was night time, but boy was it dark! I'm talking parking lot lights to read the menu dark! Here's a tip...Get some light so that customers can actually read the menu at night or just close the patio altogether after dark. I probably would have ordered more if I could have actually seen the menu. Let there be light. Our waitress kindly informed us that the kitchen was taking last call on orders and would be closing an hour before close of business. Fine. Restaurant hours are listed for close at 1am and we arrived 11:30. We understand that kitchens typically close early, but we were clearly being rushed to hurry up and pick something. Again, I would have liked to get an appetizer and dessert, but felt pressed for time. Lastly, as if the aforementioned wasn't enough, the waitress was apathetic. Just bad. Bottom Line: I wouldn't go here again. Food is average (or slightly below) and the service is lacking. There are far too many better restaurants in the area with higher quality standards.
(2)Claudia S.
I was a little unsure of this place based on some of the negative reviews but have had nothing but the best experiences the three times I have visited Mad Mex! The service is what you would expect from young twenty somethings... Aka not the best but the beer menu is usually spot on so I will forgive their sub-par service. The carnitas nachos are my fave! Really good and fresh ingredients used on all of their dishes, this one included. You get a boat load of nachos too! I would definitely not call this a Mexican restaurant. More tex-mex or Cali Baja type menu but I will continue to frequent Mad Mex.
(4)Terry S.
Went to Mad Mex for dinner Friday night because we had a giftcard. I got the tofu app (comes with stir-fried fried tofu sprouts, and almonds., it was very delicious! Had the turkey burrito for entree it was mediocre but you won't leave that place hungry, I guarantee it. My wife got a veggie burrito and she also agreed - quite mediocre. Pricing is what you'd expect it to be. Best part (other than tofu was the watermelon margarita I got - two thumbs up!)
(3)Lambert P.
We had gone here pretty late for dinner, later than I usually eat but I figured we were hungry and I really wanted to check this place out. We arrived around 10pm after a long day of driving and shopping but I was looking forward to eating here for quite some time. I knew they were open late and I was pretty hungry and when that happens I get pretty greedy. Jake was our server this evening and I had told him it was our first time at Mad Mex so I'd have to go through the menu a bit. There is a lot of choices here, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, chili, it just went on and on. The drinks menu was pretty interesting. It was sort of confusing as it appeared there were some drinks on both the drink menu and the main menu but I ended up with a Green Flash PA. I've been drinking a lot of pale ales recently and this one was really good. A smooth taste and a nice hoppy flavor. I ended up ordering 2 of these that night. My wife ordered an apple cidar margarita. I tasted it and it was really good. It tasted like an apple pie. My wife who does not drink anything really besides wine and very little at that drank the whole thing and loved it. Jake brought a really generous serving of salsa and chips. The salsa was really good. Not runny but solid chunks of tomatoes. I had ordered the large order of San Francisco style wings (honestly I didn't know what that meant) which on the menu said that they were sweet and tangy or something like that. Jake asked if I wanted them spicy and I basically said middle of the road was fine. My wife can't really handle hot so I thought it was safe. The wings were just awesome. Properly cooked through and through and crispy and saucy at the same time. Hot and fresh, and as I said, cooked well. My wife can't eat wings if they aren't cooked well so it passed that test with flying colors. I loved these wings and for a large order that said something to the effect that were 14 or so it seemed go on and on. I didn't count them but it seemed to be more than 14 wings. They weren't small and skimpy either. We're talking naked wings (not breaded) but they were meaty and filling. My wife had ordered the turkey chili and I had ordered mahi mahi tacos. While my wife had her chili she said it was really good but it was overly spicy for her. I had tried it and it was really tasty but I had agreed it was rather on the hot spicy side and for her she unfortunately can't handle that level. Jake said it had chipotle in it. For me to think it was rather on the hot side, it's hot. I eat a lot of hot and she had forsaken the chickpea chili because it had jalepeno in it. She probably would have been better off with that instead. Still, the chili was a solid chili, just too hot for her. She had more wings and I gave her a taco and offered her more but she only wanted one. The mahi mahi tacos were amazing. They had that grilled taste and the baha sauce had a really nice kick to to it. The food here was simply great, just a tad hot and I can't believe I'm saying that... I'd love to go back to Mad Mex and try more of their menu. I'd love to try their carnitas.
(5)Kate M.
I decided while still at the table that I never want to come back again. The seating hostess was terrible, we didn't see a waiter at our table for about fifteen minutes. And after requesting the chips, salsa and guacamole, we waited at least another fifteen minutes. It could have all been overlooked, if the food hadn't been absolutely terrible and the waiter hadn't spilled the salsa and guac all down my pant legs. And we still had to pay for the chips and guac. I cannot recommend ever going here, even if only for happy hour, and most certainly not for the food or service.
(1)Kimberly K.
I grabbed lunch here with my mom the other day and had a good time here. We wanted to get our grub on before getting our shop on at the Tanger Outlets. The restaurant had a cool vibe. I liked the interior mucho, ha! See what I did there? *cheesy grin* ANYWHO, we ended up ordering the Dance Marathon Enchilada (w/ chicken, spinach, and portabella mushroom) and the Kristy's Big Sister's Red Velvet Quesadilla (chicken, grilled zucchini, spinach, pico de gallo and jack cheese). Oh, and I say "we" because my mom and I always split our food! Let's start with the good. The quesadilla was AWESOME! Pipin' hot and perfectly cooked. I also LOVED the side of guac that accompanied the dish - probably the best guac I've had in years. FYI: it was a lunch special ($9.50) so it came with soup - you can also get salad if you wants. We went with the turkey chili, and it was RIDICULOUSLY tasty - lots of hearty filling with BAMF heat. Unfortunately, my Enchilada was "meh". I feel bad because it was mad fresh with tons of grilled chicken and veggies, but it was tasteless. I had a really rough time finishing it. The beans and rice that came with it were even worse - pretty sure the rice was old because It was hard and dry. CONCLUSION: I'd definitely come back for the Quesadilla lunch special! I'd also be down to try the Fajitas out, but I won't be getting the Enchiladas anytime soon. Also, the happy hour seemed legit! Might be back to check that out with frands! Who knows...
(3)Jack B.
I have no idea why people love this place. My fiancé got the combo fajita with chicken and beef. The rice was undercooked, the meat had no flavor, the chicken was overcooked and dry, and it did not come with beans, all for $16. She ordered a side of beans and they were pretty dry. I ordered the barbacoa burrito and ordered double meat for an extra $2.50 and got carnitas meat with it. The burrito was about half rice half meat. On the plus side the strawberry lemonade was delicious and it was a nice restaurant with average service.
(1)Maureen N.
We had not been to a Mad Mex in a few years. We were meeting friends and they suggested we meet there for dinner. When we walked into the front door I fell backwards, hit my hip, lower back and my head. I walk with a cane but never fell like that. My husband and another customer helped me up. Our friends were already at the table, so I did not to make a big deal of it. The manager came over asked if I was OK. I asked for ice for the back of my head. She asked me to fill out several papers. I told her I did not blame the restaurant, but was shook up! Our food was mediocre and the corn bread was raw in the middle. After we left My husband drove me immediately to the hospital ER. Fortunately no broken bones, or concussion. I called the restaurant several days later. No one from Mad Mex ever called to ask how I was. I followed up calling the restaurant a couple of times. They kept saying , oh that manager is not here and they would call me back. MAD MEX NEVER offered to pay for my entree, pick up our tab or anything. Customer service sucks, and food is certainly not worth it.
(1)Kimberly T.
We were heading to IKEA to a couch. It was raining and we were hungry so we decided to stop in for a warm bite. The decor is a quirky mix of Mexican, with skulls, weirdly designed animals and cacti. I ordered a cup of tortilla soup and a chicken quesadilla. My spouse ordered a cup of black bean soup and a chicken burrito. My soup was warm and filling. It had chunks of grilled chicken and some shredded cheese on top. It was the perfect texture with just a little kick. My quesadilla was crispy on the outside and filled to the brim with chunks of grilled chicken, onions, green peppers and cheese. The peppers had been roasted which added flavor. The quesadilla comes with salsa and sour cream but I ordered guacamole too. Yum! My husband's black bean soup was a little plain even though it came with a dollop of sour cream. It could have used a bit of spicyness. His burrito had chunks of grilled chicken, rice, and black beans. Unfortunately it was light on the chicken and heavy on the rice and beans. The burrito also comes with salsa.and sour cream but he too, added guacamole. It was a nice warm meal on a rainy day.
(4)Ashley H.
Mad Mex is super vegan friendly, and has a huge menu that pleased even my Mexican food-disliking dining companion. I had the veggie enchilada, and got it with dairy-free cheese and vegan sour cream. The portion size was huge, and the plate was very inexpensive. The vegetables were fresh and the meal was all-in-all very delicious. All in all, I would go back for some good Tex-Mex cuisine.
(4)Gordon G.
The wings were good and my wife's salad was pretty good, but I had a 22oz big azz margarita and then two 12oz ones on happy hour. I don't know if there was any alcohol at all in any of them to be honest. I think that is a rip-off, so you are better off getting beer at this location or making friends with the bartender. I felt no effect at all from 46oz of margarita? Really? i was sitting outside, so couldn't see the bartender make the drinks. I am a former owner of a bar and years of experience in the industry, so it ins't like I don't know what I am talking about. Anyway, the food was okay and service was okay. I just would like to get what I pay for when it comes to drinks. Maybe next time I will ask for the tequila on the side, so I can actually see if they put any in at all!
(2)Savannah S.
Our server was wonderful and the food was great! Unique items and large portions. I spotted it as soon as we got to town getting off the interstate, so it was one of the first restaurants we tried, it was late when we got there but we weren't rushed at all.
(5)Ann D.
I have been here a couple of times and each time has been great. The guacamole is great and I highly recommend the Margarita. Last time I had Fajitas and thought they were above average. Tonight I got the carnitas burrito and it was superb.
(4)Jackie R.
Awesome food, great service! I had carnitas tacos and my husband had the shrimp fajitas. Both were great! Our server was very attentive, got everything correct, and everything came out very quickly. Nice, relaxing atmosphere too. Our booth was very intimate. I will definitely be back.
(5)Carrie O.
Interesting. My husband and I use this word frequently between us to describe something that we either can't quite grasp the concept of, or as a euphemism for "this is quite possibly the worst thing we've ever experienced". In this case, I think that the use of the word may come to mean both when it comes to Mad Mex. We had high hopes for this place after reading the Yelp reviews. Unfortunately, the experience started off on the wrong foot almost immediately - we walked in and were kept waiting for nearly ten minutes while the hostess did - well, I don't know what she was doing. My husband later said that she was checking for tables, but seeing that the place was half-empty when we walked in, that's kind of hard for me to believe. To the staff's credit, several people did stop and ask us if we were being helped. But, still. We were led to a table and were about to sit down when one of the staff was like, "No, don't sit down. It's not clean." And... yeah, no, it wasn't clean. Spilled drink everywhere. Not earth-shattering. But, still.... Finally we're settled in and the server comes up and takes our orders. She asks us if we want to keep the menus over dinner and I said, sure, we may want something else. Thing is, she asks us this several times over the course of the night. Did she forget she'd asked the question or something? I just found that really odd. I ordered a Thai Curry burrito, and my husband ordered a Mad Mex Quesadilla plate. Maybe these were just the wrong things to order, I don't know - but in my case, the Thai ingredients just did NOT fit into the scheme of things. Peanuts, pineapple and bean sprouts wrapped into a tortilla? Uh... somehow the taste of this should have been a LOT better, and it sounded a whole hell of a lot better than it actually was. The sour cream and diced tomatoes that came alongside was just a bizarre addition to what I already considered a bizarre dish. And the slaw? Ye Gods, that was just an abomination. I took one bite of that and left the rest behind, and if I leave any type of cole slaw behind, you KNOW it's bad. My husband's dish was lacking cheese. And I mean, it was a SERIOUS lack of cheese. More veggies than anything else, which is fine, but a good quesadilla has cheese in it, folks. He did like his food a LOT better than I did mine, though. Another service misstep - I wasn't asked what kind of filling I wanted in my dish (even though the menu states that there's a choice). The server came back and asked me almost timidly if chicken was okay - it leads me to believe that the food was already made with chicken in it and she was hoping (or praying) that I wouldn't choose something else. Luckily for her... I like chicken. We didn't need those menus after all, because we beat feet out of there. I knew I wasn't going to want anything else. I tipped way more than I should have, to be honest, but the quality of the food isn't the server's fault. I will say that the food choices are... well, interesting. There are a LOT of vegetarian and vegan options, which I guess for some is a plus - points for the fact that neither dish was overly greasy or even heavy on the stomach, which can be a problem with a lot of Mexican food. I went in knowing that this wasn't going to be authentic, and I never expected it - but it really shouldn't be THIS "health-conscious", and that's the feeling I got when I came in here. We don't live in the area, so it's highly doubtful that we'll be back, but if we did live here, we most likely wouldn't recommend this place.
(2)Samantha S.
Was in Pittsburgh for business and was trying to find something different to eat, something that we didn't have back home in Colorado. I read the reviews and totally got that this was more Tex-Mex, and I came in with out the expectation of comparing it to the Mexican food I get in Denver, or Pasadena where I lived prior. At first , being unfamiliar with the area, I couldn't find it. I almost ended up going to Ditka's ( bldg in this complex) , but as I was pulling around, I saw Mad Mex, in bldg 2 of this complex)- so i gladly made my way over. I didn't realize this place was in the first floor of an office building. Good to know :) . I like the decor and the atmosphere, enjoyed the service, and the queso and chips I ordered. I ordered enchiladas. I shouldn't have, because we make enchiladas at home all the time, and it may cloud my judgement. It came with Colorado 'red' sauce, so I thought I would be ok, and then half green sauce. The food came out quickly and I did like the green sauce, but didn't care for the Red sauce, it almost reminded me of spaghetti sauce. So, I ended up scraping it off and trying to smooth out my green sauce. This isn't going to deter me from coming back and trying something else, it was just a matter of me not being positively overwhelmed with the sauce on this particular item. I think I would probably like something else, and look forward to updating this review... from good to great :)
(3)Steve P.
We met some friends here on our way into Pittsburgh on a Thursday night and man, we were impressed! None of us had ever eaten here before, but we all want to go back! Only 20 minutes from downtown in the Robinson Towne Center: a welcoming, fun atmosphere. I don't know if it's the preferred place to bring children because it has more of a loud bar atmosphere, but it's great if you're looking to meet friends and you don't mind the noise level. I noticed it became louder while we were there (6-8pm) and it did cater to a boisterous happy hour crowd. I can see how this place would do very very well near a college campus (several locations are near colleges). It just feels very trendy, a little hipster, and someplace that the bar crowd would feel right at home. But let's get to the food! I was shocked that chips and salsa didn't come with our meal automatically: this is officially the first American-Mexican restaurant I've ever been to that didn't serve chips and salsa right off the bad. We did order some and they were tasty. The Pennsyltucky fried tofu was delicious and I highly recommend it to start as your appetizer. So what's your pleasure? Enchiladas, burritos, fajitas, chimichangas: if the patrons at my table were of any authority, then it's all great! It sounds like you can modify just about anything, so talk to your server. Speaking of servers, the customer service was great and that in itself can make or break a dining experience for me. By the way, I was so excited to find that there is a Mad Mex in Columbus, which is where I live. Excuse me, I have to go there NOW. If it's anything like the Robinson location, then I'll be a regular as much as I can be.
(5)Brooke A.
Hey hey. This is a funky cool place to get some Mexican. Everything I had was good. (XX cheese dip, chicken mole burrito, big azz margarita). I also appreciated how the menu had plenty of options for vegans and vegetarians. I am not one of those, but I think it's pretty cool that they have a Mexican option for a bit of variety. It's one of my favorite cuisines, and I think it's sad anyone should have to miss out on it. On my visit, we had a great server. She was super attentive. Only issue I had is that they were a bit skimpy on the chips at first. If you're going to give me a massive bowl of cheese dip then a smaller-than-average chip basket is not going to cut it for me and my 3 hungry friends. Everything else, zero complaints. The food, especially the burritos and enchiladas, comes in large portions. Quesadillas, not as much. Tyler had no leftovers from his quesadillas. That was only yesterday's dinner and I want to go again! The one closer to my house gets pretty stinky reviews, but I'll brave it because this one was just so good.
(5)Serena T.
I'm a huge Big Burrito fan, especially the Mad Mex branches. I've been to the one in Greentree, Oakland, East Liberty, McKnight and now this one! In my experience they have all been consistent in terms of the quality of food and service. I love me some wing-o-rito (southwestern sauce please) with waffle fries. I recently discovered you can get a tofu burrito with the same options of wing sauces - score! The location of this place is interesting - it seems a bit removed but maybe it seems that way because I'm not from the Robinson area. In any case it wasn't difficult to get to and parking was plentiful on the evenings I've been there.
(5)Carlos A.
The waitress was very nice and quick and the establishment was clean. I enjoyed the feel of the atmosphere. However, for the price the flavor was not outstanding, it was good, just I was expectinf more. And the portions were microscopic, it's mexican it should be tons of food. It was very little. And the margarita was literally nauseating. Don't know if it was the mix or tequila.
(2)Jerry S.
We were seated at a high-top on the patio. It was probably 10 minutes before a server informed us that our server would be right over. Wasnt her table so, who cares I guess. No drink menus and I went back inside the restaurant to get our silverware from behind the host stand. The queso/cheese dip had that off-color look as if it came from out of a can. I pictured them scraping it out of a can and mixing with their canned rotell tomatoes. And it didn't taste good. They never said it would be fresh though. I had the steak fajitas which were good enough and cooked how I wanted. The drink menu said Dos Equis Special. They should specify if that is that lager or amber. I'll still go to the location in Shadyside for drinks.
(2)Maura U.
This is our usual hangout. Love it! The service is always prompt, and the food is consistently awesome. Occasionally, the bar area gets crowded, but that's a sign of a great establishment, right?
(5)David T.
Good eating experience. I had the Wing-o tacos and they were very good. They are soft tacos with boneless wings inside. They served them with waffle fries that were excellent. We ordered chips, salsa, and cheese for an app. Its a little annoying u dont get chips and salsa for free like alot of mexican restaurants. Salsa was just ok. It was very thick and chunky. The cheese dip was horrible so we sent it back and got the guac instead. The guac was excellent. Our service was excellent as well. They took the price of the cheese dip off our bill because we didnt like it. We never asked them to do so. My girlfriend is vegetarian. She ordered the herb o'vores tacos which she loved. They were made with tofu.
(4)Alice C.
Mad Mex is always good when you're in town. It's my favourite Mexican place in Pittsburgh -- they actually have quite a bit of spice in their food. Plus they are a sports bar as well. This time, we started with 3 dips. While all of them are good, the black bean salsa is hands down, the best. Sadly though, my chickpea chili burrito was mostly bland. I blame it on my [temporarily] vegetarian diet, and the lack of ingredients in that burrito other than chili. I miss their chicken. The waitress was unbelievably good. She wasn't intrusive, but somehow was always there even before we realized we needed her. If only all waitresses are like her...
(4)Bob C.
For starters, their salsa is unique and great with the chips they obvi make here. Went with a cup of Tortilla Soup and happy I did. Menu is extensive and exciting. Soup definitely made fresh. Just got my Grilled Mahi Fish Tacos. I'm from the Jersey Shore area where fish tacos at Surf Taco was born... These are amazing!!! Fresh, not skimpy, abundant and great tasting guacamole has me eating AND typing cause I can't wait to spread the word. My only complaints are the food came at me too fast and one bartender was crazy although she kept up with managed frenzy. I am not a big fan of multi-unit, or more so franchises, but I hope Mad Mex comes to NJ! My lunch veggie burrito yesterday and today's dinner were made with consistency and equaled freshness and quality and served pleasantly. So they got it down so bring it on east please!
(4)Eric G.
Another great Mad Mex location right in Robinson close to the mall. I met up with my father who was staying close to the airport overnight, and I actually had a bit of trouble finding the place (it's cryptically hidden facing the highway on the first floor of an office building. Once I found the parking lot, though, it was smooth sailing, good company, and good food. One thing I will complain about, which happens at every Mad Mex location, is they put small tables incredibly close to other tables- which means that you're essentially immersed in both of your neighboring tables' conversations (and vise versa). However, the food was really great- I had a taco salad and they allowed me to substitute the beef for tofu (which was above par). The waitress was incredible, not even considering that it was a crazy busy Friday night. I probably won't eat there again because I live closer to the Oakland and Shadyside locations, but I definitely recommend it.
(4)Rebecca M.
I have been to the Mad Mex in Shadyside many times, but I had not been to the Mad Mex in Robinson until last week, and I ended up going twice! I went for Happy Hour one day, and the it was a great crowd. They have a nice selection of beers on draft, and have an IPA week coming up (not sure what that means exactly, but I am excited for it nonetheless...). Good Happy Hours are hard to find these days, Happy Hour there is exactly that - good deals on beer, drinks, and appetizers. We had the trio of dips - the jalepeno pinapple is my new favorite! On Sunday I picked a friend up from the airport and we wanted to find somewhere we could eat and watch the Superbowl, and this was the perfect spot for that. It wasn't overly crowded like many of the sports bars, and once again our waitress was super friendly. I had a margarita and the shrimp taquitos - both were very good. I'm not sure I would use the word "authentic" but as long as it tastes good, I don't really care.
(4)Lloyd W.
Went solo for Friday dinner at the recommendation of many who knew I was interested in some Mexican food. After finally locating the place (a bit of an odd location that lacks good visibility) I was promptly seated at a bar-side high top that afforded a good view of the Pirates/Rockies broadcast. The server (B. Starkey) visited me quickly and was friendly/helpful throughout the meal. I'm getting old and was quickly reminded of that depressing fact as I struggled a bit attempting to read the menu. With nothing unusual or surprising offered I went with the Chicken Fajita ($14). The order arrived in less than 15 minutes. All ingredients were tasty (while the chicken portion seemed a bit stingy)and I found myself eating the nicely seasoned veggies at meal's end. My only issue was that cleanliness seemed to be a factor. My table was sticky and the restroom needed work (even considering the place was relatively busy). Mad Mex would certainly be a better location with a group but I would visit the next time visiting Pittsburgh. Give it a try...but come with a group and a pocket flashlight!
(3)Jenny B.
I love all the Mad Mex locations, this one included. The food is great and consistent between locations. They are more than happy to substitute the meat in non-vegetarian items with tofu whenever I ask, even though it's not stated in the menu that they will do this. That means big bonus points for me!! There is no shortage of veggie-friendly menu items, but any time I have made a special request it has been honored without question. This location seems to have more craft beer on tap than some of the others (namely Oakland). That's great too! There's really nothing I DON'T love about Mad Mex, it's probably my favorite restaurant in the 'burgh.
(4)Joe D.
I'm beginning to think that whatever Mad Mex I dine at, I'm going to get great service, great food, and a great atmosphere to enjoy it in. My friend from Columbus was in today to get ready for a job interview tomorrow, he's worked at OSU for years and he wants to teach at CMU. So after he checked in he phoned me and we met at Mad Mex in Robinson. He gushed about the Mad Mex that recently opened in The Gateway on High St. in Columbus, saying it was one of the hottest restaurants in all of Columbus, and how lucky we are here to have one close to every neighborhood. I ordered the Mission Shipwrecked Double IPA and he had Rogue John John Dead Guy Heller Bock. Our waitress was so understanding, we decided to enjoy our beers before ordering, and she said "Sure, enjoy, I'll come back and take your orders when ready." So we talked, caught up and enjoyed our libations. Finally I got hungry (and a little buzzed from drinking a double IPA with a specific 12% alcohol listing), I ordered the black bean soup, and Happy Hippy burrito. He had the Mad Mex Burrito with steak and said it was every bit as good, if not better than the Mad Mex in Columbus. Sure, it's not authentic, it's Cali-Mex, it's fresh, healthy, and I'm sure glad we have the Big Burrito group here in the Burgh!
(5)Kimberly E.
Dirty silverware. Bad-tasting drinks, salsa, and guacamole. Haven't even been served my entree yet. Very unimpressed.
(2)Dee D.
OK, MAYBE I am bias, but the grilled fish taco here are amazingly consistent. heavenly!! WHY do you make them so fabulous ???? What is your secret ?? They are disgustingly addicting, and I will go to my grave saying Mad Mex Grilled fish tacos are superior!!! I have tasted the same from Mexico, (west & east) Baja, Barbados, Belize and still...... Mad Mex gets it a good as good gets in the US!!! I run my own business and I take Mad Mex Mahi Take out as a tip !!!!
(5)Chad R.
Best in pittsburgh for mex burritos. The wing-o-rito is amazing when you can't decide between wings and a burrito. I'll be back mad mex!
(5)Sergio K.
Very consistent place for lunch or dinner. Great tequila and microbrew selections. Staff is also excellent.
(4)Korey W.
This is not the typical Mexican place to eat, so if you think your going to Mexican family run place like most, then you will be caught off guard. no free chips and salsa. the burrito I had was huge! and had an excellent flavor. the salsa on the side was perfect for me however the person i was with said it was too hot for them. really interesting atmosphere, Will go again!!
(5)Jamie B.
This update is in regards to Mad Mex at the Robinson Township location, specifically going with a larger group of people: I most frequently visit Mad Mex at this location and being that it is at the crux of roads between where I live and other family lives, I have gone here a few times with a bigger group of guests. After my most recent visit I would not suggest that is a good plan. The most recent visit with a group was on a mid-weekday night with no special game playing on the screens. However, the place was really packed. Our plans had been completely last minute, so we didn't get to call in a reservation. We were told the wait would be 20-25 minutes; we waited about 50 to an hour to get seated. Service does take longer for big groups but it was so slow about 2 hours passed from when we were seated to when we were able to pay the check and go. The evening included our server who spilled the whole tray of drinks on our table (hey, it happens) and who eventually became either so stressed or annoyed that she didn't tend to our table for long periods of time and when she did so she was not very polite. Another warning for going with larger groups is in regards to ordering dessert. We had a few kids with our group and so ordered the brownie a la mode and a couple of ice cream burritos. All of the ice cream was melted for all three dishes when it arrived. It was as unappealing as it sounds (think: soupy cream burrito) but we were all so eager to leave that we didn't bother to mention it. Melted ice cream at restaurants usually happens if the plates come straight from the hot wash or--as it appeared in our case being that the plates weren't hot--the server waited too long to pick up the dessert after ordering it through the P.O.S. I can most accurately describe the entire experience that evening as arduous. Though I enjoyed the guests that I went with--this time being my family--the atmosphere of stress and negativity was set by the service and pacing of the meal. I was quite relieved when we left and was wishing in hindsight that we had gone anywhere else. It will be awhile before I can go back again, but it definitely won't be with a group of more than four.
(2)Lincoln K.
Great atmosphere. The food is not traditional Mexican; they have actually improved on it. The spices they use are delicious. I like things hot and they've got plenty of them. My favorites are the spicy Mad Mex chicken burrito and the spicy black bean dip. When I first had their salsa I thought it had too much garlic. But it has really grown on me and I can't eat one of their burritos without slathering on a ton of it. The service is usually great too. The only negative is they allow smoking at the bar.
(5)Marguerite M.
I love most of the Mad Mex locations that I've tried. This one is close to lots of shopping. I loved their Horny Toad Margarita, which unfortunately is no longer on the menu. But if you get an old timer, they'll still make it for you. The closest thing to the Horny Toad is the Ultimate. If you like a wicked sour margarita, this is the one for you. I'm not a fan of the big azz margaritas that are popular there, they're just too sweet for me. The red sangria rocks!! There's always and awesome selection of drafts and bottled beers too. I like this location because it's really small and really dark. I know that's not a plus for lots of people, but I like it. I love the Insane San Francisco Wings with Blue Cheese. We always order them well done. Insane is the highest on their heat scale, the heat level isn't consistent, but it's usually pretty hot. The blue cheese is a perfect balance to the garlicy San Francisco sauce. My husband almost always gets the Chicken Chimichanga, its generously stuffed with tasty chicken, it's always nice and crispy. I love most of the quesadillas and fajitas... but I think my favorite entree is the Dance Marathon Enchiladas. I love the garlicy portabello mushrooms and spicy spinach. The tortilla soup is thick and creamy and so good. The casa salad is awesome with the Lime Cilantro dressing. A garlicy spicy creamy pesto-type dressing that is also great to add as a dipping sauce for quesadillas and taquitos. The salad is a simple combination of leaf lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onions, blue cheese crumbles, green pepitas... the crunchy pepitas with the salty, tangy blue cheese topped with lime cilantro dressing... YUM!!!! One of my favorite places to eat.
(5)Jennifer M.
Service was great! Atmosphere was family friendly. This was not mexican food at all. I couldn't even finish my enchilada. The margaritas were not up to par and I could only take a few sips. I had higher hopes from reading other reviews, but I will never go back.
(2)Steven T.
I have now been to Mad Mex twice, both with disappointing results. Mad Mex is about authentic as Taco Bell, that's not a complaint - I just want anyone else reading these reviews should realize this is not true Mexican food. However, they DON'T try to be and are in your face about it which I like. It pisses me off more to fake something and do it poorly than to take parts of it and do it well. I like the theme and design of the restaurant, the rusted steel plates, cowboy/Inca art motifs, its obviously a fun atmosphere and they have done a great job and spent a lot of money in design. Perhaps they should spend some of that money in training their servers. One of the servers knowledge of the food was pretty bad, I asked three simple questions about menu items and only 1 could be answered. The two she couldn't answer there was no attempt to find out - a simple "I don't know" seemed as an acceptable answer. However, the server we had on another visit was much better. For starters we have tried the pepito hummus - great idea, but salty, very very salty, the other starter I've tired is the chicken tortilla soup - the soup was good even though there was not one piece of chicken in it. It's definitely not a traditional tortilla soup instead you have rustic cream of tomato soup with garlic, cumin and other spices. As I said not traditional - good - very mild flavor, it could have used a little bit more spiciness and of course the chicken the menu proclaimed it had. I have read and was told that their burritos were very good so the first time I tried Chicken Fajita Burrito. These are knife and fork burritos that come out square. On the side is Pico de Gallo, which in my case was warm, contained the tomato core and was flavorless. My burrito contained bland rice, unseasoned black beans, red and green bell peppers and onions - some burnt, cheese and chicken. I guess the idea was to throw the bell peppers and onions in and viola you have fajita style, unfortunately it had no fajita seasoning so it didn't really work. There was a nice smoky flavor to the chicken which helped. But overall this burrito needed some serious help - it was bland on the flavors, even the addition of salt would have helped it out. One last comment is the tortilla that was used, a quick trip on the griddle was needed or maybe finish the tortilla in a press but it came out very white, with a doughy almost uncooked flavor. On the second visit my partner had the Mad Mex burrito with steak and was very disappointed, he thought they had forgot to put the steak in it until the very end he found 4 pieces of meat in the very corner of the square-itto. Until then he was just eathing plain rice and beans - not good. On the second visit I tried the Dance Marathon enchilada and this resembled and tasted very little like a true enchilada. All they did was put a very small ladle of ancho sauce on the plate, then put on the chicken spinach and mushrooms and top that with tomatillo sauce. Then throw a tortilla on top. Put the required rice and beans on the plate and you have a rather poorly executed and plain tasting dish of food. Mad Mex looks like a great place to enjoy some drinks, but if what I had was representative of the rest of the menu offerings I would pass on eating there again - food was very under par and someone should tell them that Mexican foods carry bold flavors - they should at least try to add some of those flavors to what they serve. Ambiance 5 stars Food 1.5 Stars Service 2.5 Stars 3 Stars and that's only because I really liked the ambiance.
(3)Jerry E.
Nice dinner; good service; crowded and noisy
(3)Michael P.
I've always liked the Mad Mex chain but I would have to say I like this location the most. The service is always excellent and it has more of a restaurant feel than the other locations that are more bar oriented. The cranberry margarita flavor they've add for November is very good if you like a sweeter margarita. The Fajita Burrita was also great with some added queso inside. The one thing I wouldn't recommend is nacho appetizer as all the toppings are piled on top with nothing on the chips underneath.
(4)Hari M.
The best Tex Mex in the area. Fresh preparations - good selection. Would like to see a few more vegetarian selections. Will be back here if my choice if the day is Mexican!
(4)Jill M.
I am in love with their Elotes. It is a corn-on-the-cob seasonal specialty which means my heart will break in the Fall, but in the meantime my love and I will be happy one grilled, seasoned and cheese-covered ear at a time. I could have eaten a dozen ears (and perhaps should have instead of venturing into loaded nachos territory... they're perfectly respectable as nachos go but - oh the Elotes! Mi Amore! At least when the Elotes leave me I will have vats of Big Azz Margaritas in which to drown my sorrow. Darn good for the size/price and the bartenders take custom requests - my 3rd was a 12-oz in a 22-oz glass with a nice blast of soda water so I could still function to get abck to my hotel.
(4)Melissa O.
Thank goodness I don't live too close, or I'd be 500 pounds. The food, the ambiance, the drinks, top notch. Mad Mex could be my absolute favorite restaurant. Get the black bean dip, it is delicious.
(5)Russ J.
We tried Mad Mex for our 1st time today and at first glance if the menu I thought great freakin Tofu on the menu, I looked up and yep it said Mexican food so I'm thinking this is not my kinda place. So wrong the freakin Mahi tacos are killer. Wife had grilled chicken tacos and ditto. And try the XX cheese dip it is great just the right amount of bite.
(5)Darren W.
Kay and I were here last weekend for 'nother taste 'o Mex. The complimentary chips 'n salsa were so plentiful, we didn't need a starter. The chips were deadly perfect; the salsa deadly spicy, chunky and loudly colorful, and vibrantly flavorful. My Skewered Jumbo Shrimp Fajitas were a tremendous union of garlic, olive oil, and seafood, the fat shrimp bursting in my mouth upon each tear of the teeth. I'll also add that the rice was light, fluffly, and much better overall than last time. What's causin' all this? Mad Mex.
(5)Jack L.
Food poisoning for everybody who had a "mad mex" steak burrito. I thought the decor was dreadfully ugly, tacky and overdone, but my friend (who tells me he has a cast iron stomach but was still internally disturbed by the horrible food here) claims to have liked it. I am giving this place 2 stars because they had a wide tequila selection (altho they don't seem able to mix a drink to save their lives), and because my friend liked their gaudy art. Service was ok, food was terrible (mostly rice with a tiny scattering of presumably rotten meat), art was questionable. Bottom line: AVOID, unless you are looking to do shots of top shelf tequila.
(2)Lydia U.
Mad Mex is my favorite restaurant! Birthdays, anniversaries, happy hours... always at Mad Mex. This place is great for vegetarians! My go-to order is the tofu mad mex burrito with a whole wheat tortilla. So good! vegan cheese and sour cream are also available. The chips and salsa are fantastic and the margaritas are pretty top notch as well. Watch for special seasonal margarita flavors- the apple cider margarita last fall was the best!
(5)Piere P.
Rude staff, overpriced food. On my first visit to Mad Mex, it was early Saturday night. We were a group of ten looking for a meal, and were promised a twenty minute wait time. We still hadn't been seated when we left two hours later. The manager was waving his arms and saying it wasn't his fault, and that there's nothing he can do. I did give them another chance. I went with a friend on a Monday evening. It was a quiet night and we didn't have any trouble getting seated. The waiter was lethargic, and couldn't answer the simplest questions about the beer or the food menu. The food wasn't anything special, and overpriced for what it was. My third visit was for drinks in a small group, on a weeknight, perhaps a Wednesday or a Thursday. We were sitting at a table. It was a quiet night, yet we had to keep walking to the bar to tell the staff to find our waiter and send him to our table, over and over again. Even though it was over an hour before closing time, staff kept working with their rags and vacuum cleaners all around us, and making faces like we should consider leaving soon.
(1)Patrick P.
Ariba, Ariba! - I think I am going to need to work out more... I went there for lunch with a group. I remember in C-bus - their appetizers (wings) were really good. I ordered the Chicken Chimichanga - it was yummy. The meal was not loaded wtih shredded chicken but grilled chicken. I will definitely go there again. I don't know if there is a low calorie meal here but really don't care - it was that good :-) Food - Yummy! Service - Great! Price - Lunch - $12 - $15 I will definitely go there again and try some other dishes fellow yelpers recommend.
(5)Ang T.
Lots of vegetarian options which is great. Good happy hour drink specials and food prices are comparable to other restaurants in the area. The portions are huge and their birthday club is great, when you sign up they mail you a postcard for a free burrito anytime during the two week span around your birthday.
(4)Tyler R.
I'm a fan of Mad Mex, not only because of the delicious food, but also due to the great selection of beers on tap. It's a bit on the expensive side for Mexican food, but you do seem to get a lot for your money, and I've never been disappointed coming here. I have had the burritos (spicy chicken is good), the chimichanga, and the wings, all were great, and tasted even better after supplementing the food with a delicious IPA or a 'Big-Azz' margarita (strawberry is my go-to). There house salsa is good in my opinion, but not for those with an aversion to cilantro. The 'fire roasted' salsa wasn't so great and tasted like the house salsa with way too much liquid smoke added. The best time to go is probably for the happy hour and the late night half-off deals. Mad Mex isn't anything outstanding and certainly isn't 'authentic Mexican,' but if you find yourself tired of the same old Chipotle/Qdoba burritos, Mad Mex is a nice, tasty (albeit more expensive) change of pace. Come for the burritos, stay because you can't legally drive after your Big-Azz margarita.
(4)Dan E.
I absolutely wish they had a Mad Mex in New Jersey. This place is pretty much all I look for in a Mexican restaurant. Apparently, there are about 7 Mad Mex's all in the Pittsburgh area. The weird thing about this one is that it is located at the bottom of an office building. Our group started at the bar. The bar area was actually pretty packed on a Tuesday night - mostly during Happy Hour time. There was only bartender working and she was completely overwhelmed. It took a while to get a drink. They definitely should have had at least one other bartender working. They had a decent draft selection and everyone said the margaritas were pretty good. I did not try one. Our table was seated and I'm pretty sure there were at least 10 of us or so. The waiter was very good and attentive throughout the meal. Our table started out with a bunch of different baskets of chips and a number of dips. 1. Guacamole - it was good but it had a little too much lime zest for my taste. If you're into that, you're going to love this one. 2. Red Salsa - I liked the red salsa but I felt like it could have used a touch more spice. Not bad, though. 3. Queso Dip - we also had some sort of queso dip that was good. It was my 2nd favorite - nice and spicy and who doesn't like cheese? 4. Black Bean Dip - typically, I'm not the biggest bean dip fan but this was excellent. It had some melted cheese and it had just the right amount of spice to it. I was surprised I liked it so much and I would definitely order it again. I housed a ton of chips and dip - probably too much but I enjoyed it. For my meal, I went with the Spicy Mad Mex Burrito and I went with chicken as the filler. Also, the burritos are ridiculously cheap at less than $10...and they're huge. It's served American style - this is kind of like my own term - meaning it doesn't come with melted cheese and a side of rice and beans. It's served in a huge tortilla wrapped up with only a little bit of some sort of chipotle sauce on top. It also came with a ton of guac, sour cream and salsa on the side. It's amazing how many places are stingy with those but not Mad Mex. They totally hook you up. The burrito was pretty freakin' good. Nice and spicy and came stuffed with a ton of fillers. It was also huge - I have to stress that. Not many people will be able to finish a burrito in one sitting. It's a huge meal, but the quality of the food was also very good. This is a really cool place. I enjoyed everything about my meal. Service was pretty good and the prices are more than reasonable - dare I say cheap. I'll easily come out of my way to stop back here again the next time I am in Pittsburgh. I'm hoping Mad Mex opens up some spots in Jersey by me.
(4)S F.
It is Saturday night, I am hungry and I am sitting here wishing I could head to Mad Mex. We used to live close to Mad Mex Robinson and it was our go to place when we wanted good reliable food and beer in a relaxing atmosphere. As others have mentioned the food isn't authentic Mexican but it is delicious and fresh. They have great vegetarian/vegan options too. The chick pea chili burrito is an all time favorite. The salsas and guacamole are flavorful and fresh. Have I mentioned the beer? They always have a wide array of seasonal beers on tap and if you get there during Happy Hour even better. Viva Mad Mex!
(5)Joshua T.
After living in the south west, it's hard to find a good authentic Mexican restaurant. Mad Mex nailed it! The chicken mole burrito was amazing! The chicken fajita was perfect. The kids menu was ideal. Thankyou!!!
(5)Nish K.
A chain restaurant which does not serve authentic Mexican food, but it is open late and has a $7 Big Azz Margarita from 10pm till Midnight (which is when I dine). Happy hour features half off drafts and wings too so that is probably the best time to visit though. The atmosphere is loud, with televisions around the bar. Service is mediocre at best but the staff is friendly so that balances it out a bit. If you like hot flavors try the Pineapple Habanero salsa (I find it sweet with a kick). Their guacamole was good at least the couple of times I tried it, and their jersey chips and taquitos make up for my choice of appetizers. If you want to try their wings, the Southwestern and San Francisco are well balanced with spices. This place will keep you well liquored and pleasantly satiated. Their burritos are ok - I frankly prefer Chipotle or Qdoba burritos, however the Max Mex burritos are humongous and generously packed with a lot of stuffings. The Quesadillas and Fajitas are better choices in my opinion. I liked the hard shell tacos with the grilled steak too, though I found a lack of consistency in the flavor - the meat was well seasoned a couple of times and the other times I found it to be bland. This is a good place to hang out around the bar, get a few drinks and some appetizers.
(3)Ron A.
Stopped in for a nightcap. Good food options and bar offers something for every craving. Went with their top shelf margarita...fresh tasting (read: no premix taste) and the boneless wings. Go southwest style for something different. Atmosphere is open and bar staff is friendly! Adding this to my list of places to visit next time I'm in town.
(4)Deborah N.
Nice place to hang out for a drink. Very friendly crowd. Food was only so so. Guacamole was brown and should not have been served. Bonus star for for being a relatively cool place in the Suburbs (with a capital S) and for being open late on a Sunday night. I would go again but would eat elsewhere first.
(3)Lynda Y.
After a long day of moving from Ohio to the Robinson area, we were hungry and tired. Mad Mex seemed like a casual dress place to eat since I had been there before.I remember good food an service. NOT THIS TIME Busy as expected, but 3 hostesses couldn't make a decission on how much of a wait...and we asked for a beeper, that they really didn't want to give up???Off to the bar where the waiter there told us we could sit at a hightop and eat there! GREAT! We were waited on , and the restraunt manager came buy and said that wasn't good, but we could stay...we got some food,but one in our party wanted his steak to go because of the VERY LONG WAIT...soon after, ALL our our food is boxed up and the check is presented!!! What the heck??The waitress said it was a mistake...an what did we wanna do? DUH! I paid, and won't be back...There are plenty of dinner places in this area, FORGET THIS ONE!
(2)Serendipity J.
i've visited 3 mad mex locations in Pittsburgh (Robinson, Oakland, & Greentree) and have yet to go wrong. on this particular visit, my friend and i took advantage of coupons for free burritos that we'd been sent via email for signing up for the Mad Mex mailing list. They aren't bombing my inbox too frequently except for the things I'd like to know about (like new beer selections available.) The Robinson location is in a corporate looking building but once you're inside, you'd never know it. We visited around lunch time. The music was good. There were tables available inside and outside and we had our pick. Our server was terrific, giving us plenty of time to figure out what we wanted to order. My friend tried the russion stout on nitro tap which was a good time. The food was as great as I've come to expect from Mad Mex. I didn't care for the toritilla soup that came as part of my meal--but that was on me. There were other selections available that may have better suited my tastes, for sure. I'm used to a more spicy tortilla soup so my expectations weren't met there but that isn't Mad Mex's fault! The carnitas burrito was delicious and the blue cornbread a perfect pairing. I'd visit any of the Max Mex locations I've been to so far again & wouldn't hesitate to explore other locations. The service and food seem consistent so far and when I'm craving sit-down tex-mex, I'd visit Mad Mex again.
(4)Event L.
Big Burrito is a well respected restaurant group, but this location damages it's reputation tremendously. The food is less than acceptable, the draft beer is warm, flat, and the overflow makes for a sticky drinking hand because no bar nap is supplied. This place would provide great material for the writers at SNL.
(1)Lenée Y.
3 things i miss most about pittsburgh (in no particular order): 1. Family 2. primanti bros 3. MAD MEX!!! this place is so delicious it really doesn't even make sense... between the food and the margaritas, mad mex can do no wrong... they really cater to vegetarians, and are willing to make most things on the menu vegan if you ask (but there are plenty of options for the meat eaters as well)... usually when I go back to visit family, I hit up the Oakland mad mex once, and then the robinson location the next day (my mom lives way out in Robinson, so we go together)... I love that this location has the same happy hour specials as Oakland (see below), but without the crowds and the long wait times... AND this location is about 4x the size of Oakland... all-in-all, it's just great... 5 stars!! Specials: Weekdays from 5 - 7 - $7 big azz margaritas (they really are HUGE) - $3 for 12oz margaritas - $5 for 16oz margaritas - Half off all drafts and wings Everyone night from 10 - midnight - $7 big azz margaritas p.s. try the blue cornbread!!
(5)Chris O.
Came in on Wednesday night around 9. No hostess, so I sat close to the bar. Took a long time for someone to address me. My waitress didn't seem too happy about being there. Got a beer that I didn't like. My waitress didn't inquire why I didn't finish it. The food was good. Wouldn't come back though. Service is important to me.
(3)Nish K.
A chain restaurant which does not serve authentic Mexican food, but it is open late and has a $7 Big Azz Margarita from 10pm till Midnight (which is when I dine). Happy hour features half off drafts and wings too so that is probably the best time to visit though. The atmosphere is loud, with televisions around the bar. Service is mediocre at best but the staff is friendly so that balances it out a bit. If you like hot flavors try the Pineapple Habanero salsa (I find it sweet with a kick). Their guacamole was good at least the couple of times I tried it, and their jersey chips and taquitos make up for my choice of appetizers. If you want to try their wings, the Southwestern and San Francisco are well balanced with spices. This place will keep you well liquored and pleasantly satiated. Their burritos are ok - I frankly prefer Chipotle or Qdoba burritos, however the Max Mex burritos are humongous and generously packed with a lot of stuffings. The Quesadillas and Fajitas are better choices in my opinion. I liked the hard shell tacos with the grilled steak too, though I found a lack of consistency in the flavor - the meat was well seasoned a couple of times and the other times I found it to be bland. This is a good place to hang out around the bar, get a few drinks and some appetizers.
(3)Patrick P.
Ariba, Ariba! - I think I am going to need to work out more... I went there for lunch with a group. I remember in C-bus - their appetizers (wings) were really good. I ordered the Chicken Chimichanga - it was yummy. The meal was not loaded wtih shredded chicken but grilled chicken. I will definitely go there again. I don't know if there is a low calorie meal here but really don't care - it was that good :-) Food - Yummy! Service - Great! Price - Lunch - $12 - $15 I will definitely go there again and try some other dishes fellow yelpers recommend.
(5)Ang T.
Lots of vegetarian options which is great. Good happy hour drink specials and food prices are comparable to other restaurants in the area. The portions are huge and their birthday club is great, when you sign up they mail you a postcard for a free burrito anytime during the two week span around your birthday.
(4)Melissa O.
Thank goodness I don't live too close, or I'd be 500 pounds. The food, the ambiance, the drinks, top notch. Mad Mex could be my absolute favorite restaurant. Get the black bean dip, it is delicious.
(5)Tyler R.
I'm a fan of Mad Mex, not only because of the delicious food, but also due to the great selection of beers on tap. It's a bit on the expensive side for Mexican food, but you do seem to get a lot for your money, and I've never been disappointed coming here. I have had the burritos (spicy chicken is good), the chimichanga, and the wings, all were great, and tasted even better after supplementing the food with a delicious IPA or a 'Big-Azz' margarita (strawberry is my go-to). There house salsa is good in my opinion, but not for those with an aversion to cilantro. The 'fire roasted' salsa wasn't so great and tasted like the house salsa with way too much liquid smoke added. The best time to go is probably for the happy hour and the late night half-off deals. Mad Mex isn't anything outstanding and certainly isn't 'authentic Mexican,' but if you find yourself tired of the same old Chipotle/Qdoba burritos, Mad Mex is a nice, tasty (albeit more expensive) change of pace. Come for the burritos, stay because you can't legally drive after your Big-Azz margarita.
(4)Korey W.
This is not the typical Mexican place to eat, so if you think your going to Mexican family run place like most, then you will be caught off guard. no free chips and salsa. the burrito I had was huge! and had an excellent flavor. the salsa on the side was perfect for me however the person i was with said it was too hot for them. really interesting atmosphere, Will go again!!
(5)Lydia U.
Mad Mex is my favorite restaurant! Birthdays, anniversaries, happy hours... always at Mad Mex. This place is great for vegetarians! My go-to order is the tofu mad mex burrito with a whole wheat tortilla. So good! vegan cheese and sour cream are also available. The chips and salsa are fantastic and the margaritas are pretty top notch as well. Watch for special seasonal margarita flavors- the apple cider margarita last fall was the best!
(5)Michael P.
I've always liked the Mad Mex chain but I would have to say I like this location the most. The service is always excellent and it has more of a restaurant feel than the other locations that are more bar oriented. The cranberry margarita flavor they've add for November is very good if you like a sweeter margarita. The Fajita Burrita was also great with some added queso inside. The one thing I wouldn't recommend is nacho appetizer as all the toppings are piled on top with nothing on the chips underneath.
(4)Hari M.
The best Tex Mex in the area. Fresh preparations - good selection. Would like to see a few more vegetarian selections. Will be back here if my choice if the day is Mexican!
(4)Jill M.
I am in love with their Elotes. It is a corn-on-the-cob seasonal specialty which means my heart will break in the Fall, but in the meantime my love and I will be happy one grilled, seasoned and cheese-covered ear at a time. I could have eaten a dozen ears (and perhaps should have instead of venturing into loaded nachos territory... they're perfectly respectable as nachos go but - oh the Elotes! Mi Amore! At least when the Elotes leave me I will have vats of Big Azz Margaritas in which to drown my sorrow. Darn good for the size/price and the bartenders take custom requests - my 3rd was a 12-oz in a 22-oz glass with a nice blast of soda water so I could still function to get abck to my hotel.
(4)Darren W.
Kay and I were here last weekend for 'nother taste 'o Mex. The complimentary chips 'n salsa were so plentiful, we didn't need a starter. The chips were deadly perfect; the salsa deadly spicy, chunky and loudly colorful, and vibrantly flavorful. My Skewered Jumbo Shrimp Fajitas were a tremendous union of garlic, olive oil, and seafood, the fat shrimp bursting in my mouth upon each tear of the teeth. I'll also add that the rice was light, fluffly, and much better overall than last time. What's causin' all this? Mad Mex.
(5)Marguerite M.
I love most of the Mad Mex locations that I've tried. This one is close to lots of shopping. I loved their Horny Toad Margarita, which unfortunately is no longer on the menu. But if you get an old timer, they'll still make it for you. The closest thing to the Horny Toad is the Ultimate. If you like a wicked sour margarita, this is the one for you. I'm not a fan of the big azz margaritas that are popular there, they're just too sweet for me. The red sangria rocks!! There's always and awesome selection of drafts and bottled beers too. I like this location because it's really small and really dark. I know that's not a plus for lots of people, but I like it. I love the Insane San Francisco Wings with Blue Cheese. We always order them well done. Insane is the highest on their heat scale, the heat level isn't consistent, but it's usually pretty hot. The blue cheese is a perfect balance to the garlicy San Francisco sauce. My husband almost always gets the Chicken Chimichanga, its generously stuffed with tasty chicken, it's always nice and crispy. I love most of the quesadillas and fajitas... but I think my favorite entree is the Dance Marathon Enchiladas. I love the garlicy portabello mushrooms and spicy spinach. The tortilla soup is thick and creamy and so good. The casa salad is awesome with the Lime Cilantro dressing. A garlicy spicy creamy pesto-type dressing that is also great to add as a dipping sauce for quesadillas and taquitos. The salad is a simple combination of leaf lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onions, blue cheese crumbles, green pepitas... the crunchy pepitas with the salty, tangy blue cheese topped with lime cilantro dressing... YUM!!!! One of my favorite places to eat.
(5)Jack L.
Food poisoning for everybody who had a "mad mex" steak burrito. I thought the decor was dreadfully ugly, tacky and overdone, but my friend (who tells me he has a cast iron stomach but was still internally disturbed by the horrible food here) claims to have liked it. I am giving this place 2 stars because they had a wide tequila selection (altho they don't seem able to mix a drink to save their lives), and because my friend liked their gaudy art. Service was ok, food was terrible (mostly rice with a tiny scattering of presumably rotten meat), art was questionable. Bottom line: AVOID, unless you are looking to do shots of top shelf tequila.
(2)Jamie B.
This update is in regards to Mad Mex at the Robinson Township location, specifically going with a larger group of people: I most frequently visit Mad Mex at this location and being that it is at the crux of roads between where I live and other family lives, I have gone here a few times with a bigger group of guests. After my most recent visit I would not suggest that is a good plan. The most recent visit with a group was on a mid-weekday night with no special game playing on the screens. However, the place was really packed. Our plans had been completely last minute, so we didn't get to call in a reservation. We were told the wait would be 20-25 minutes; we waited about 50 to an hour to get seated. Service does take longer for big groups but it was so slow about 2 hours passed from when we were seated to when we were able to pay the check and go. The evening included our server who spilled the whole tray of drinks on our table (hey, it happens) and who eventually became either so stressed or annoyed that she didn't tend to our table for long periods of time and when she did so she was not very polite. Another warning for going with larger groups is in regards to ordering dessert. We had a few kids with our group and so ordered the brownie a la mode and a couple of ice cream burritos. All of the ice cream was melted for all three dishes when it arrived. It was as unappealing as it sounds (think: soupy cream burrito) but we were all so eager to leave that we didn't bother to mention it. Melted ice cream at restaurants usually happens if the plates come straight from the hot wash or--as it appeared in our case being that the plates weren't hot--the server waited too long to pick up the dessert after ordering it through the P.O.S. I can most accurately describe the entire experience that evening as arduous. Though I enjoyed the guests that I went with--this time being my family--the atmosphere of stress and negativity was set by the service and pacing of the meal. I was quite relieved when we left and was wishing in hindsight that we had gone anywhere else. It will be awhile before I can go back again, but it definitely won't be with a group of more than four.
(2)Lynda Y.
After a long day of moving from Ohio to the Robinson area, we were hungry and tired. Mad Mex seemed like a casual dress place to eat since I had been there before.I remember good food an service. NOT THIS TIME Busy as expected, but 3 hostesses couldn't make a decission on how much of a wait...and we asked for a beeper, that they really didn't want to give up???Off to the bar where the waiter there told us we could sit at a hightop and eat there! GREAT! We were waited on , and the restraunt manager came buy and said that wasn't good, but we could stay...we got some food,but one in our party wanted his steak to go because of the VERY LONG WAIT...soon after, ALL our our food is boxed up and the check is presented!!! What the heck??The waitress said it was a mistake...an what did we wanna do? DUH! I paid, and won't be back...There are plenty of dinner places in this area, FORGET THIS ONE!
(2)Ron A.
Stopped in for a nightcap. Good food options and bar offers something for every craving. Went with their top shelf margarita...fresh tasting (read: no premix taste) and the boneless wings. Go southwest style for something different. Atmosphere is open and bar staff is friendly! Adding this to my list of places to visit next time I'm in town.
(4)Deborah N.
Nice place to hang out for a drink. Very friendly crowd. Food was only so so. Guacamole was brown and should not have been served. Bonus star for for being a relatively cool place in the Suburbs (with a capital S) and for being open late on a Sunday night. I would go again but would eat elsewhere first.
(3)Serendipity J.
i've visited 3 mad mex locations in Pittsburgh (Robinson, Oakland, & Greentree) and have yet to go wrong. on this particular visit, my friend and i took advantage of coupons for free burritos that we'd been sent via email for signing up for the Mad Mex mailing list. They aren't bombing my inbox too frequently except for the things I'd like to know about (like new beer selections available.) The Robinson location is in a corporate looking building but once you're inside, you'd never know it. We visited around lunch time. The music was good. There were tables available inside and outside and we had our pick. Our server was terrific, giving us plenty of time to figure out what we wanted to order. My friend tried the russion stout on nitro tap which was a good time. The food was as great as I've come to expect from Mad Mex. I didn't care for the toritilla soup that came as part of my meal--but that was on me. There were other selections available that may have better suited my tastes, for sure. I'm used to a more spicy tortilla soup so my expectations weren't met there but that isn't Mad Mex's fault! The carnitas burrito was delicious and the blue cornbread a perfect pairing. I'd visit any of the Max Mex locations I've been to so far again & wouldn't hesitate to explore other locations. The service and food seem consistent so far and when I'm craving sit-down tex-mex, I'd visit Mad Mex again.
(4)Event L.
Big Burrito is a well respected restaurant group, but this location damages it's reputation tremendously. The food is less than acceptable, the draft beer is warm, flat, and the overflow makes for a sticky drinking hand because no bar nap is supplied. This place would provide great material for the writers at SNL.
(1)Jennifer M.
Service was great! Atmosphere was family friendly. This was not mexican food at all. I couldn't even finish my enchilada. The margaritas were not up to par and I could only take a few sips. I had higher hopes from reading other reviews, but I will never go back.
(2)Lenée Y.
3 things i miss most about pittsburgh (in no particular order): 1. Family 2. primanti bros 3. MAD MEX!!! this place is so delicious it really doesn't even make sense... between the food and the margaritas, mad mex can do no wrong... they really cater to vegetarians, and are willing to make most things on the menu vegan if you ask (but there are plenty of options for the meat eaters as well)... usually when I go back to visit family, I hit up the Oakland mad mex once, and then the robinson location the next day (my mom lives way out in Robinson, so we go together)... I love that this location has the same happy hour specials as Oakland (see below), but without the crowds and the long wait times... AND this location is about 4x the size of Oakland... all-in-all, it's just great... 5 stars!! Specials: Weekdays from 5 - 7 - $7 big azz margaritas (they really are HUGE) - $3 for 12oz margaritas - $5 for 16oz margaritas - Half off all drafts and wings Everyone night from 10 - midnight - $7 big azz margaritas p.s. try the blue cornbread!!
(5)Chris O.
Came in on Wednesday night around 9. No hostess, so I sat close to the bar. Took a long time for someone to address me. My waitress didn't seem too happy about being there. Got a beer that I didn't like. My waitress didn't inquire why I didn't finish it. The food was good. Wouldn't come back though. Service is important to me.
(3)Douglas M.
MAD MEX is definitely in my top list favorites list. All locations that I've been to offer a different feel to the scenery, but offer the same high quality of service. This is a usual happy hour location for my friends and I after work. Half off drafts and wings. Pretty good deal! They have a great lunch menu which gives you many dinner options at a lunch price. You will be stuffed and pleased with the bill. Also, if you sit at the bar (anytime of the day) you get free chips and salsa. At dinner the price goes up a little, but still the great food and very filling. Try the mahi mahi fajita. It's so amazing I almost cried while eating it. This is a very vegan friendly restaurant where you can ask for soy sour cream and tofu cheese as substitutes (tastes amazing). The kids menu at dinner is surprisingly cheap for a lot of food. They can get a burrito, with sides, and a brownie and ice cream (if I remember this correctly) for like 5 bucks. That's great, because its hard to rationalize paying big bucks for kids when dinning out. Also, the staff is very friendly and helpful. My family loves this place and I highly suggest it, thus the reason I chose to review Mad Mex first as a new Yelp member!
(5)Emily H.
This particular location tends to draw in more families with children than the other locations, so it can get noisy and the acoustics are pretty bad - lots of hard surfaces. A friend had a wedding reception at this location and the service was great and very accommodating. This may have been because they were guaranteed a big, BIG tip, but either way I was pleased. If you're a hardcore fan of authentic Mexican food, this is probably not the place for you. The enchiladas remind me more of chilaquiles - definitely more layered than rolled. The burritos are huge but it really drives me crazy how segmented they are. One bite will be all rice, the next will be all meat. The tofu tacos are okay, but the bean sprouts seem like a weird addition. I know, you're probably thinking "What DOES this girl like about Mad Mex?" If you can let go of any previous Mexican food experiences (or if you've never had Mexican food before, as I hadn't when I first went to Mad Mex), some things are ok. The tofu tacos minus the bean sprouts. The California grilled salad. The chickpea chili and black bean soup, the potato taquitos. Nachos, chips & salsa, and guacamole are all decent. Their sides are ridiculously huge and the desserts are all ok (except the sopapillas). Basically, stick to the least authentic stuff and you should be fine. Additionally, some of their entrees are available with your choice of either chicken, steak, shrimp, portobello mushrooms or tofu. They have tons of vegetarian options. They have good happy hour deals and good late night margarita deals. They have raspberry, strawberry, mango, and kiwi margaritas year round, with one or two seasonal flavors per month, plus a full bar, a bunch of tequilas and a huge, varied beer list that tends to focus on local beers. So basically: the less you know about Mexican food, the less disappointed you will be. If you're a fan of authentic Mexican food, either stick to something more basic like a salad, or pick a different restaurant.
(3)Adam P.
I used to be a prep cook at the one in Oakland. The food quality has declined somewhat in the last decade but I was very impressed with knowledge of beer that everyone who works there seems to have. I hope the leftovers are as good as I remember. Cold MM burritos used to be one of my favorite breakfasts!
(4)Bob H.
Ate the kateys red velvet enchilada ... awesome. Very cool patio too.
(5)Christine S.
I love Mad Mex! I know I'll have a guaranteed good time. The food is tasty, they offer a good beer selection, the service is friendly and attentive and they play cool music. My one complaint is the meals are too big! But they let adults order off the kids menu. Not many places allow that, but Mad Mex always meets my request. Mad Mex puts their customers first! Oh, and they let you sample the beer!
(5)Piere P.
Rude staff, overpriced food. On my first visit to Mad Mex, it was early Saturday night. We were a group of ten looking for a meal, and were promised a twenty minute wait time. We still hadn't been seated when we left two hours later. The manager was waving his arms and saying it wasn't his fault, and that there's nothing he can do. I did give them another chance. I went with a friend on a Monday evening. It was a quiet night and we didn't have any trouble getting seated. The waiter was lethargic, and couldn't answer the simplest questions about the beer or the food menu. The food wasn't anything special, and overpriced for what it was. My third visit was for drinks in a small group, on a weeknight, perhaps a Wednesday or a Thursday. We were sitting at a table. It was a quiet night, yet we had to keep walking to the bar to tell the staff to find our waiter and send him to our table, over and over again. Even though it was over an hour before closing time, staff kept working with their rags and vacuum cleaners all around us, and making faces like we should consider leaving soon.
(1)Lincoln K.
Great atmosphere. The food is not traditional Mexican; they have actually improved on it. The spices they use are delicious. I like things hot and they've got plenty of them. My favorites are the spicy Mad Mex chicken burrito and the spicy black bean dip. When I first had their salsa I thought it had too much garlic. But it has really grown on me and I can't eat one of their burritos without slathering on a ton of it. The service is usually great too. The only negative is they allow smoking at the bar.
(5)Steven T.
I have now been to Mad Mex twice, both with disappointing results. Mad Mex is about authentic as Taco Bell, that's not a complaint - I just want anyone else reading these reviews should realize this is not true Mexican food. However, they DON'T try to be and are in your face about it which I like. It pisses me off more to fake something and do it poorly than to take parts of it and do it well. I like the theme and design of the restaurant, the rusted steel plates, cowboy/Inca art motifs, its obviously a fun atmosphere and they have done a great job and spent a lot of money in design. Perhaps they should spend some of that money in training their servers. One of the servers knowledge of the food was pretty bad, I asked three simple questions about menu items and only 1 could be answered. The two she couldn't answer there was no attempt to find out - a simple "I don't know" seemed as an acceptable answer. However, the server we had on another visit was much better. For starters we have tried the pepito hummus - great idea, but salty, very very salty, the other starter I've tired is the chicken tortilla soup - the soup was good even though there was not one piece of chicken in it. It's definitely not a traditional tortilla soup instead you have rustic cream of tomato soup with garlic, cumin and other spices. As I said not traditional - good - very mild flavor, it could have used a little bit more spiciness and of course the chicken the menu proclaimed it had. I have read and was told that their burritos were very good so the first time I tried Chicken Fajita Burrito. These are knife and fork burritos that come out square. On the side is Pico de Gallo, which in my case was warm, contained the tomato core and was flavorless. My burrito contained bland rice, unseasoned black beans, red and green bell peppers and onions - some burnt, cheese and chicken. I guess the idea was to throw the bell peppers and onions in and viola you have fajita style, unfortunately it had no fajita seasoning so it didn't really work. There was a nice smoky flavor to the chicken which helped. But overall this burrito needed some serious help - it was bland on the flavors, even the addition of salt would have helped it out. One last comment is the tortilla that was used, a quick trip on the griddle was needed or maybe finish the tortilla in a press but it came out very white, with a doughy almost uncooked flavor. On the second visit my partner had the Mad Mex burrito with steak and was very disappointed, he thought they had forgot to put the steak in it until the very end he found 4 pieces of meat in the very corner of the square-itto. Until then he was just eathing plain rice and beans - not good. On the second visit I tried the Dance Marathon enchilada and this resembled and tasted very little like a true enchilada. All they did was put a very small ladle of ancho sauce on the plate, then put on the chicken spinach and mushrooms and top that with tomatillo sauce. Then throw a tortilla on top. Put the required rice and beans on the plate and you have a rather poorly executed and plain tasting dish of food. Mad Mex looks like a great place to enjoy some drinks, but if what I had was representative of the rest of the menu offerings I would pass on eating there again - food was very under par and someone should tell them that Mexican foods carry bold flavors - they should at least try to add some of those flavors to what they serve. Ambiance 5 stars Food 1.5 Stars Service 2.5 Stars 3 Stars and that's only because I really liked the ambiance.
(3)Jerry E.
Nice dinner; good service; crowded and noisy
(3)Russ J.
We tried Mad Mex for our 1st time today and at first glance if the menu I thought great freakin Tofu on the menu, I looked up and yep it said Mexican food so I'm thinking this is not my kinda place. So wrong the freakin Mahi tacos are killer. Wife had grilled chicken tacos and ditto. And try the XX cheese dip it is great just the right amount of bite.
(5)Lambert P.
We had gone here pretty late for dinner, later than I usually eat but I figured we were hungry and I really wanted to check this place out. We arrived around 10pm after a long day of driving and shopping but I was looking forward to eating here for quite some time. I knew they were open late and I was pretty hungry and when that happens I get pretty greedy. Jake was our server this evening and I had told him it was our first time at Mad Mex so I'd have to go through the menu a bit. There is a lot of choices here, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, chili, it just went on and on. The drinks menu was pretty interesting. It was sort of confusing as it appeared there were some drinks on both the drink menu and the main menu but I ended up with a Green Flash PA. I've been drinking a lot of pale ales recently and this one was really good. A smooth taste and a nice hoppy flavor. I ended up ordering 2 of these that night. My wife ordered an apple cidar margarita. I tasted it and it was really good. It tasted like an apple pie. My wife who does not drink anything really besides wine and very little at that drank the whole thing and loved it. Jake brought a really generous serving of salsa and chips. The salsa was really good. Not runny but solid chunks of tomatoes. I had ordered the large order of San Francisco style wings (honestly I didn't know what that meant) which on the menu said that they were sweet and tangy or something like that. Jake asked if I wanted them spicy and I basically said middle of the road was fine. My wife can't really handle hot so I thought it was safe. The wings were just awesome. Properly cooked through and through and crispy and saucy at the same time. Hot and fresh, and as I said, cooked well. My wife can't eat wings if they aren't cooked well so it passed that test with flying colors. I loved these wings and for a large order that said something to the effect that were 14 or so it seemed go on and on. I didn't count them but it seemed to be more than 14 wings. They weren't small and skimpy either. We're talking naked wings (not breaded) but they were meaty and filling. My wife had ordered the turkey chili and I had ordered mahi mahi tacos. While my wife had her chili she said it was really good but it was overly spicy for her. I had tried it and it was really tasty but I had agreed it was rather on the hot spicy side and for her she unfortunately can't handle that level. Jake said it had chipotle in it. For me to think it was rather on the hot side, it's hot. I eat a lot of hot and she had forsaken the chickpea chili because it had jalepeno in it. She probably would have been better off with that instead. Still, the chili was a solid chili, just too hot for her. She had more wings and I gave her a taco and offered her more but she only wanted one. The mahi mahi tacos were amazing. They had that grilled taste and the baha sauce had a really nice kick to to it. The food here was simply great, just a tad hot and I can't believe I'm saying that... I'd love to go back to Mad Mex and try more of their menu. I'd love to try their carnitas.
(5)Dawn F.
Nice side stop on our way home from Johnstown. I had the seasonal chicken and corn enchilada. Really good - nice big and moist chunks of chicken, sweet, tender corn and the goat cheese was a nice add. The Colorado sauce was a spicy surprise so I was glad I got the guacamole as a cool compliment. My hubby got the crab and corn quesadilla and he loved it. Said the crab was nice and sweet. The one thing that bummed me out - the chips and salsa... Ok, they charge for it which I don't like, but whatever. What bugged me was we paid almost $4 for what seemed like the bottom of the barrel of chips. Lots of little corners and crumbs.
(4)Lara B.
Great service Good sangria Had the dip trip to start Xx queso is spicy and delicious Roasted tomato salsa is standard salsa Guacamole was very very good for not being prepared table side Ordered the seasonal crab/corn quesadilla and it did NOT disappoint. They have a PLETHORA of healthy and vegan options Great concept and great atmosphere Would love to see this franchise expand
(5)Claudia S.
I was a little unsure of this place based on some of the negative reviews but have had nothing but the best experiences the three times I have visited Mad Mex! The service is what you would expect from young twenty somethings... Aka not the best but the beer menu is usually spot on so I will forgive their sub-par service. The carnitas nachos are my fave! Really good and fresh ingredients used on all of their dishes, this one included. You get a boat load of nachos too! I would definitely not call this a Mexican restaurant. More tex-mex or Cali Baja type menu but I will continue to frequent Mad Mex.
(4)Terry S.
Went to Mad Mex for dinner Friday night because we had a giftcard. I got the tofu app (comes with stir-fried fried tofu sprouts, and almonds., it was very delicious! Had the turkey burrito for entree it was mediocre but you won't leave that place hungry, I guarantee it. My wife got a veggie burrito and she also agreed - quite mediocre. Pricing is what you'd expect it to be. Best part (other than tofu was the watermelon margarita I got - two thumbs up!)
(3)Kimberly K.
I grabbed lunch here with my mom the other day and had a good time here. We wanted to get our grub on before getting our shop on at the Tanger Outlets. The restaurant had a cool vibe. I liked the interior mucho, ha! See what I did there? *cheesy grin* ANYWHO, we ended up ordering the Dance Marathon Enchilada (w/ chicken, spinach, and portabella mushroom) and the Kristy's Big Sister's Red Velvet Quesadilla (chicken, grilled zucchini, spinach, pico de gallo and jack cheese). Oh, and I say "we" because my mom and I always split our food! Let's start with the good. The quesadilla was AWESOME! Pipin' hot and perfectly cooked. I also LOVED the side of guac that accompanied the dish - probably the best guac I've had in years. FYI: it was a lunch special ($9.50) so it came with soup - you can also get salad if you wants. We went with the turkey chili, and it was RIDICULOUSLY tasty - lots of hearty filling with BAMF heat. Unfortunately, my Enchilada was "meh". I feel bad because it was mad fresh with tons of grilled chicken and veggies, but it was tasteless. I had a really rough time finishing it. The beans and rice that came with it were even worse - pretty sure the rice was old because It was hard and dry. CONCLUSION: I'd definitely come back for the Quesadilla lunch special! I'd also be down to try the Fajitas out, but I won't be getting the Enchiladas anytime soon. Also, the happy hour seemed legit! Might be back to check that out with frands! Who knows...
(3)Jack B.
I have no idea why people love this place. My fiancé got the combo fajita with chicken and beef. The rice was undercooked, the meat had no flavor, the chicken was overcooked and dry, and it did not come with beans, all for $16. She ordered a side of beans and they were pretty dry. I ordered the barbacoa burrito and ordered double meat for an extra $2.50 and got carnitas meat with it. The burrito was about half rice half meat. On the plus side the strawberry lemonade was delicious and it was a nice restaurant with average service.
(1)Kari C.
I was torn as to how low to rate our experience at Mad Mex. I'd say this place certainly falls somewhere between 2 or 3 stars. Here's why... Food: The food here is average (at best). We both ordered the "Mad Mex" quesadillas. I've had better quesadillas from Chili's. I actually even make a better quesadilla at home. We both agreed that it was just subpar. The real irony here is that you'd expect a menu item named after the actual restaurant to be superior in quality to the other menu options. Correct? The quesadillas here are just blah and as for the guacamole, I've had equally as good from Trader Joe's. They come with no sides, so expect to pay around $2 for about 4oz. of canned black beans. Service: So we stopped in over the weekend and ordered dinner. We stood at the hostess station for about 5 minutes patiently waiting for a hostess to appear. She never did. We finally walked to the bar and the kind bartender apologized and explained that things were slow, so they'd just sent home the hostess. Okay that's fine, but why not have the servers or someone else lookout for potential customers? Silly error. We requested to be seated on the patio. It was night time, but boy was it dark! I'm talking parking lot lights to read the menu dark! Here's a tip...Get some light so that customers can actually read the menu at night or just close the patio altogether after dark. I probably would have ordered more if I could have actually seen the menu. Let there be light. Our waitress kindly informed us that the kitchen was taking last call on orders and would be closing an hour before close of business. Fine. Restaurant hours are listed for close at 1am and we arrived 11:30. We understand that kitchens typically close early, but we were clearly being rushed to hurry up and pick something. Again, I would have liked to get an appetizer and dessert, but felt pressed for time. Lastly, as if the aforementioned wasn't enough, the waitress was apathetic. Just bad. Bottom Line: I wouldn't go here again. Food is average (or slightly below) and the service is lacking. There are far too many better restaurants in the area with higher quality standards.
(2)Savannah S.
Our server was wonderful and the food was great! Unique items and large portions. I spotted it as soon as we got to town getting off the interstate, so it was one of the first restaurants we tried, it was late when we got there but we weren't rushed at all.
(5)Ann D.
I have been here a couple of times and each time has been great. The guacamole is great and I highly recommend the Margarita. Last time I had Fajitas and thought they were above average. Tonight I got the carnitas burrito and it was superb.
(4)Maureen N.
We had not been to a Mad Mex in a few years. We were meeting friends and they suggested we meet there for dinner. When we walked into the front door I fell backwards, hit my hip, lower back and my head. I walk with a cane but never fell like that. My husband and another customer helped me up. Our friends were already at the table, so I did not to make a big deal of it. The manager came over asked if I was OK. I asked for ice for the back of my head. She asked me to fill out several papers. I told her I did not blame the restaurant, but was shook up! Our food was mediocre and the corn bread was raw in the middle. After we left My husband drove me immediately to the hospital ER. Fortunately no broken bones, or concussion. I called the restaurant several days later. No one from Mad Mex ever called to ask how I was. I followed up calling the restaurant a couple of times. They kept saying , oh that manager is not here and they would call me back. MAD MEX NEVER offered to pay for my entree, pick up our tab or anything. Customer service sucks, and food is certainly not worth it.
(1)Kimberly T.
We were heading to IKEA to a couch. It was raining and we were hungry so we decided to stop in for a warm bite. The decor is a quirky mix of Mexican, with skulls, weirdly designed animals and cacti. I ordered a cup of tortilla soup and a chicken quesadilla. My spouse ordered a cup of black bean soup and a chicken burrito. My soup was warm and filling. It had chunks of grilled chicken and some shredded cheese on top. It was the perfect texture with just a little kick. My quesadilla was crispy on the outside and filled to the brim with chunks of grilled chicken, onions, green peppers and cheese. The peppers had been roasted which added flavor. The quesadilla comes with salsa and sour cream but I ordered guacamole too. Yum! My husband's black bean soup was a little plain even though it came with a dollop of sour cream. It could have used a bit of spicyness. His burrito had chunks of grilled chicken, rice, and black beans. Unfortunately it was light on the chicken and heavy on the rice and beans. The burrito also comes with salsa.and sour cream but he too, added guacamole. It was a nice warm meal on a rainy day.
(4)Ashley H.
Mad Mex is super vegan friendly, and has a huge menu that pleased even my Mexican food-disliking dining companion. I had the veggie enchilada, and got it with dairy-free cheese and vegan sour cream. The portion size was huge, and the plate was very inexpensive. The vegetables were fresh and the meal was all-in-all very delicious. All in all, I would go back for some good Tex-Mex cuisine.
(4)Gordon G.
The wings were good and my wife's salad was pretty good, but I had a 22oz big azz margarita and then two 12oz ones on happy hour. I don't know if there was any alcohol at all in any of them to be honest. I think that is a rip-off, so you are better off getting beer at this location or making friends with the bartender. I felt no effect at all from 46oz of margarita? Really? i was sitting outside, so couldn't see the bartender make the drinks. I am a former owner of a bar and years of experience in the industry, so it ins't like I don't know what I am talking about. Anyway, the food was okay and service was okay. I just would like to get what I pay for when it comes to drinks. Maybe next time I will ask for the tequila on the side, so I can actually see if they put any in at all!
(2)Carrie O.
Interesting. My husband and I use this word frequently between us to describe something that we either can't quite grasp the concept of, or as a euphemism for "this is quite possibly the worst thing we've ever experienced". In this case, I think that the use of the word may come to mean both when it comes to Mad Mex. We had high hopes for this place after reading the Yelp reviews. Unfortunately, the experience started off on the wrong foot almost immediately - we walked in and were kept waiting for nearly ten minutes while the hostess did - well, I don't know what she was doing. My husband later said that she was checking for tables, but seeing that the place was half-empty when we walked in, that's kind of hard for me to believe. To the staff's credit, several people did stop and ask us if we were being helped. But, still. We were led to a table and were about to sit down when one of the staff was like, "No, don't sit down. It's not clean." And... yeah, no, it wasn't clean. Spilled drink everywhere. Not earth-shattering. But, still.... Finally we're settled in and the server comes up and takes our orders. She asks us if we want to keep the menus over dinner and I said, sure, we may want something else. Thing is, she asks us this several times over the course of the night. Did she forget she'd asked the question or something? I just found that really odd. I ordered a Thai Curry burrito, and my husband ordered a Mad Mex Quesadilla plate. Maybe these were just the wrong things to order, I don't know - but in my case, the Thai ingredients just did NOT fit into the scheme of things. Peanuts, pineapple and bean sprouts wrapped into a tortilla? Uh... somehow the taste of this should have been a LOT better, and it sounded a whole hell of a lot better than it actually was. The sour cream and diced tomatoes that came alongside was just a bizarre addition to what I already considered a bizarre dish. And the slaw? Ye Gods, that was just an abomination. I took one bite of that and left the rest behind, and if I leave any type of cole slaw behind, you KNOW it's bad. My husband's dish was lacking cheese. And I mean, it was a SERIOUS lack of cheese. More veggies than anything else, which is fine, but a good quesadilla has cheese in it, folks. He did like his food a LOT better than I did mine, though. Another service misstep - I wasn't asked what kind of filling I wanted in my dish (even though the menu states that there's a choice). The server came back and asked me almost timidly if chicken was okay - it leads me to believe that the food was already made with chicken in it and she was hoping (or praying) that I wouldn't choose something else. Luckily for her... I like chicken. We didn't need those menus after all, because we beat feet out of there. I knew I wasn't going to want anything else. I tipped way more than I should have, to be honest, but the quality of the food isn't the server's fault. I will say that the food choices are... well, interesting. There are a LOT of vegetarian and vegan options, which I guess for some is a plus - points for the fact that neither dish was overly greasy or even heavy on the stomach, which can be a problem with a lot of Mexican food. I went in knowing that this wasn't going to be authentic, and I never expected it - but it really shouldn't be THIS "health-conscious", and that's the feeling I got when I came in here. We don't live in the area, so it's highly doubtful that we'll be back, but if we did live here, we most likely wouldn't recommend this place.
(2)Chris G.
Very so-so. Reminds me of the "On The Border" places all over DC. Sauce on the enchiladas was more like tomato sauce. Rice was a hard. Plus, $13 for an enchilada is a bit steep.
(3)Nena U.
Southwestern wings are out of this world and bar/wait staff are outstanding.. great service. Thursday evenings are great for happy hour. The menu is no doubt unique.. refreshing .. something for everyone. My friend loves the fish tacos - and gets them every time. The restrooms are is always clean and the restaurant has seating inside and out. The prices are slightly above average but during happy hour there are specials.
(5)Samantha S.
Was in Pittsburgh for business and was trying to find something different to eat, something that we didn't have back home in Colorado. I read the reviews and totally got that this was more Tex-Mex, and I came in with out the expectation of comparing it to the Mexican food I get in Denver, or Pasadena where I lived prior. At first , being unfamiliar with the area, I couldn't find it. I almost ended up going to Ditka's ( bldg in this complex) , but as I was pulling around, I saw Mad Mex, in bldg 2 of this complex)- so i gladly made my way over. I didn't realize this place was in the first floor of an office building. Good to know :) . I like the decor and the atmosphere, enjoyed the service, and the queso and chips I ordered. I ordered enchiladas. I shouldn't have, because we make enchiladas at home all the time, and it may cloud my judgement. It came with Colorado 'red' sauce, so I thought I would be ok, and then half green sauce. The food came out quickly and I did like the green sauce, but didn't care for the Red sauce, it almost reminded me of spaghetti sauce. So, I ended up scraping it off and trying to smooth out my green sauce. This isn't going to deter me from coming back and trying something else, it was just a matter of me not being positively overwhelmed with the sauce on this particular item. I think I would probably like something else, and look forward to updating this review... from good to great :)
(3)Carlos A.
The waitress was very nice and quick and the establishment was clean. I enjoyed the feel of the atmosphere. However, for the price the flavor was not outstanding, it was good, just I was expectinf more. And the portions were microscopic, it's mexican it should be tons of food. It was very little. And the margarita was literally nauseating. Don't know if it was the mix or tequila.
(2)Jerry S.
We were seated at a high-top on the patio. It was probably 10 minutes before a server informed us that our server would be right over. Wasnt her table so, who cares I guess. No drink menus and I went back inside the restaurant to get our silverware from behind the host stand. The queso/cheese dip had that off-color look as if it came from out of a can. I pictured them scraping it out of a can and mixing with their canned rotell tomatoes. And it didn't taste good. They never said it would be fresh though. I had the steak fajitas which were good enough and cooked how I wanted. The drink menu said Dos Equis Special. They should specify if that is that lager or amber. I'll still go to the location in Shadyside for drinks.
(2)Maura U.
This is our usual hangout. Love it! The service is always prompt, and the food is consistently awesome. Occasionally, the bar area gets crowded, but that's a sign of a great establishment, right?
(5)Steve P.
We met some friends here on our way into Pittsburgh on a Thursday night and man, we were impressed! None of us had ever eaten here before, but we all want to go back! Only 20 minutes from downtown in the Robinson Towne Center: a welcoming, fun atmosphere. I don't know if it's the preferred place to bring children because it has more of a loud bar atmosphere, but it's great if you're looking to meet friends and you don't mind the noise level. I noticed it became louder while we were there (6-8pm) and it did cater to a boisterous happy hour crowd. I can see how this place would do very very well near a college campus (several locations are near colleges). It just feels very trendy, a little hipster, and someplace that the bar crowd would feel right at home. But let's get to the food! I was shocked that chips and salsa didn't come with our meal automatically: this is officially the first American-Mexican restaurant I've ever been to that didn't serve chips and salsa right off the bad. We did order some and they were tasty. The Pennsyltucky fried tofu was delicious and I highly recommend it to start as your appetizer. So what's your pleasure? Enchiladas, burritos, fajitas, chimichangas: if the patrons at my table were of any authority, then it's all great! It sounds like you can modify just about anything, so talk to your server. Speaking of servers, the customer service was great and that in itself can make or break a dining experience for me. By the way, I was so excited to find that there is a Mad Mex in Columbus, which is where I live. Excuse me, I have to go there NOW. If it's anything like the Robinson location, then I'll be a regular as much as I can be.
(5)Brooke A.
Hey hey. This is a funky cool place to get some Mexican. Everything I had was good. (XX cheese dip, chicken mole burrito, big azz margarita). I also appreciated how the menu had plenty of options for vegans and vegetarians. I am not one of those, but I think it's pretty cool that they have a Mexican option for a bit of variety. It's one of my favorite cuisines, and I think it's sad anyone should have to miss out on it. On my visit, we had a great server. She was super attentive. Only issue I had is that they were a bit skimpy on the chips at first. If you're going to give me a massive bowl of cheese dip then a smaller-than-average chip basket is not going to cut it for me and my 3 hungry friends. Everything else, zero complaints. The food, especially the burritos and enchiladas, comes in large portions. Quesadillas, not as much. Tyler had no leftovers from his quesadillas. That was only yesterday's dinner and I want to go again! The one closer to my house gets pretty stinky reviews, but I'll brave it because this one was just so good.
(5)Serena T.
I'm a huge Big Burrito fan, especially the Mad Mex branches. I've been to the one in Greentree, Oakland, East Liberty, McKnight and now this one! In my experience they have all been consistent in terms of the quality of food and service. I love me some wing-o-rito (southwestern sauce please) with waffle fries. I recently discovered you can get a tofu burrito with the same options of wing sauces - score! The location of this place is interesting - it seems a bit removed but maybe it seems that way because I'm not from the Robinson area. In any case it wasn't difficult to get to and parking was plentiful on the evenings I've been there.
(5)Kate M.
I decided while still at the table that I never want to come back again. The seating hostess was terrible, we didn't see a waiter at our table for about fifteen minutes. And after requesting the chips, salsa and guacamole, we waited at least another fifteen minutes. It could have all been overlooked, if the food hadn't been absolutely terrible and the waiter hadn't spilled the salsa and guac all down my pant legs. And we still had to pay for the chips and guac. I cannot recommend ever going here, even if only for happy hour, and most certainly not for the food or service.
(1)Meghan M.
Always will be my one of my favorite restaurants! I have tried numerous dishes here. My favorite is the Shrimp Enchilada! Food is scrumptious and the staff is polite! I will be returning!
(5)Allen J.
All I can say about Mad Mex is WOW! The atmosphere was right up my alley, music was perfect and the service was attentive and visually pleasing. Then came the food! Portions are more than enough and the flavor is out of this world! It is an hour drive from my house and I could justify the drive for this any day of the week. Mad Mex, you just blew my mind!!
(5)David T.
Good eating experience. I had the Wing-o tacos and they were very good. They are soft tacos with boneless wings inside. They served them with waffle fries that were excellent. We ordered chips, salsa, and cheese for an app. Its a little annoying u dont get chips and salsa for free like alot of mexican restaurants. Salsa was just ok. It was very thick and chunky. The cheese dip was horrible so we sent it back and got the guac instead. The guac was excellent. Our service was excellent as well. They took the price of the cheese dip off our bill because we didnt like it. We never asked them to do so. My girlfriend is vegetarian. She ordered the herb o'vores tacos which she loved. They were made with tofu.
(4)Alice C.
Mad Mex is always good when you're in town. It's my favourite Mexican place in Pittsburgh -- they actually have quite a bit of spice in their food. Plus they are a sports bar as well. This time, we started with 3 dips. While all of them are good, the black bean salsa is hands down, the best. Sadly though, my chickpea chili burrito was mostly bland. I blame it on my [temporarily] vegetarian diet, and the lack of ingredients in that burrito other than chili. I miss their chicken. The waitress was unbelievably good. She wasn't intrusive, but somehow was always there even before we realized we needed her. If only all waitresses are like her...
(4)Bob C.
For starters, their salsa is unique and great with the chips they obvi make here. Went with a cup of Tortilla Soup and happy I did. Menu is extensive and exciting. Soup definitely made fresh. Just got my Grilled Mahi Fish Tacos. I'm from the Jersey Shore area where fish tacos at Surf Taco was born... These are amazing!!! Fresh, not skimpy, abundant and great tasting guacamole has me eating AND typing cause I can't wait to spread the word. My only complaints are the food came at me too fast and one bartender was crazy although she kept up with managed frenzy. I am not a big fan of multi-unit, or more so franchises, but I hope Mad Mex comes to NJ! My lunch veggie burrito yesterday and today's dinner were made with consistency and equaled freshness and quality and served pleasantly. So they got it down so bring it on east please!
(4)Eric G.
Another great Mad Mex location right in Robinson close to the mall. I met up with my father who was staying close to the airport overnight, and I actually had a bit of trouble finding the place (it's cryptically hidden facing the highway on the first floor of an office building. Once I found the parking lot, though, it was smooth sailing, good company, and good food. One thing I will complain about, which happens at every Mad Mex location, is they put small tables incredibly close to other tables- which means that you're essentially immersed in both of your neighboring tables' conversations (and vise versa). However, the food was really great- I had a taco salad and they allowed me to substitute the beef for tofu (which was above par). The waitress was incredible, not even considering that it was a crazy busy Friday night. I probably won't eat there again because I live closer to the Oakland and Shadyside locations, but I definitely recommend it.
(4)Caroline P.
One of the only restaurants that actually cater to Vegans! They have a LOT of veggie options and Tofutti sour cream and Daiya cheese to replace the dairy. Everything is clearly labeled on the menu so there is no confusion. Our server was also very knowledgeable and happy to answer all of our menu questions. The chef brought the food to our table and reassured us that everything was Vegan. This is my new favorite place to eat!!
(5)Steven B.
This place lives up to it's name. The pictures on the walls are bizarre but in a good way. I got a corn on the cob for an appetizer and it was really good. Then I got a chicken burrito. The food was all-around good. Just don't go here if you like basic, boring food. Very interesting place
(4)Rebecca M.
I have been to the Mad Mex in Shadyside many times, but I had not been to the Mad Mex in Robinson until last week, and I ended up going twice! I went for Happy Hour one day, and the it was a great crowd. They have a nice selection of beers on draft, and have an IPA week coming up (not sure what that means exactly, but I am excited for it nonetheless...). Good Happy Hours are hard to find these days, Happy Hour there is exactly that - good deals on beer, drinks, and appetizers. We had the trio of dips - the jalepeno pinapple is my new favorite! On Sunday I picked a friend up from the airport and we wanted to find somewhere we could eat and watch the Superbowl, and this was the perfect spot for that. It wasn't overly crowded like many of the sports bars, and once again our waitress was super friendly. I had a margarita and the shrimp taquitos - both were very good. I'm not sure I would use the word "authentic" but as long as it tastes good, I don't really care.
(4)Dee D.
OK, MAYBE I am bias, but the grilled fish taco here are amazingly consistent. heavenly!! WHY do you make them so fabulous ???? What is your secret ?? They are disgustingly addicting, and I will go to my grave saying Mad Mex Grilled fish tacos are superior!!! I have tasted the same from Mexico, (west & east) Baja, Barbados, Belize and still...... Mad Mex gets it a good as good gets in the US!!! I run my own business and I take Mad Mex Mahi Take out as a tip !!!!
(5)Chad R.
Best in pittsburgh for mex burritos. The wing-o-rito is amazing when you can't decide between wings and a burrito. I'll be back mad mex!
(5)Lloyd W.
Went solo for Friday dinner at the recommendation of many who knew I was interested in some Mexican food. After finally locating the place (a bit of an odd location that lacks good visibility) I was promptly seated at a bar-side high top that afforded a good view of the Pirates/Rockies broadcast. The server (B. Starkey) visited me quickly and was friendly/helpful throughout the meal. I'm getting old and was quickly reminded of that depressing fact as I struggled a bit attempting to read the menu. With nothing unusual or surprising offered I went with the Chicken Fajita ($14). The order arrived in less than 15 minutes. All ingredients were tasty (while the chicken portion seemed a bit stingy)and I found myself eating the nicely seasoned veggies at meal's end. My only issue was that cleanliness seemed to be a factor. My table was sticky and the restroom needed work (even considering the place was relatively busy). Mad Mex would certainly be a better location with a group but I would visit the next time visiting Pittsburgh. Give it a try...but come with a group and a pocket flashlight!
(3)Jenny B.
I love all the Mad Mex locations, this one included. The food is great and consistent between locations. They are more than happy to substitute the meat in non-vegetarian items with tofu whenever I ask, even though it's not stated in the menu that they will do this. That means big bonus points for me!! There is no shortage of veggie-friendly menu items, but any time I have made a special request it has been honored without question. This location seems to have more craft beer on tap than some of the others (namely Oakland). That's great too! There's really nothing I DON'T love about Mad Mex, it's probably my favorite restaurant in the 'burgh.
(4)Dan E.
I absolutely wish they had a Mad Mex in New Jersey. This place is pretty much all I look for in a Mexican restaurant. Apparently, there are about 7 Mad Mex's all in the Pittsburgh area. The weird thing about this one is that it is located at the bottom of an office building. Our group started at the bar. The bar area was actually pretty packed on a Tuesday night - mostly during Happy Hour time. There was only bartender working and she was completely overwhelmed. It took a while to get a drink. They definitely should have had at least one other bartender working. They had a decent draft selection and everyone said the margaritas were pretty good. I did not try one. Our table was seated and I'm pretty sure there were at least 10 of us or so. The waiter was very good and attentive throughout the meal. Our table started out with a bunch of different baskets of chips and a number of dips. 1. Guacamole - it was good but it had a little too much lime zest for my taste. If you're into that, you're going to love this one. 2. Red Salsa - I liked the red salsa but I felt like it could have used a touch more spice. Not bad, though. 3. Queso Dip - we also had some sort of queso dip that was good. It was my 2nd favorite - nice and spicy and who doesn't like cheese? 4. Black Bean Dip - typically, I'm not the biggest bean dip fan but this was excellent. It had some melted cheese and it had just the right amount of spice to it. I was surprised I liked it so much and I would definitely order it again. I housed a ton of chips and dip - probably too much but I enjoyed it. For my meal, I went with the Spicy Mad Mex Burrito and I went with chicken as the filler. Also, the burritos are ridiculously cheap at less than $10...and they're huge. It's served American style - this is kind of like my own term - meaning it doesn't come with melted cheese and a side of rice and beans. It's served in a huge tortilla wrapped up with only a little bit of some sort of chipotle sauce on top. It also came with a ton of guac, sour cream and salsa on the side. It's amazing how many places are stingy with those but not Mad Mex. They totally hook you up. The burrito was pretty freakin' good. Nice and spicy and came stuffed with a ton of fillers. It was also huge - I have to stress that. Not many people will be able to finish a burrito in one sitting. It's a huge meal, but the quality of the food was also very good. This is a really cool place. I enjoyed everything about my meal. Service was pretty good and the prices are more than reasonable - dare I say cheap. I'll easily come out of my way to stop back here again the next time I am in Pittsburgh. I'm hoping Mad Mex opens up some spots in Jersey by me.
(4)S F.
It is Saturday night, I am hungry and I am sitting here wishing I could head to Mad Mex. We used to live close to Mad Mex Robinson and it was our go to place when we wanted good reliable food and beer in a relaxing atmosphere. As others have mentioned the food isn't authentic Mexican but it is delicious and fresh. They have great vegetarian/vegan options too. The chick pea chili burrito is an all time favorite. The salsas and guacamole are flavorful and fresh. Have I mentioned the beer? They always have a wide array of seasonal beers on tap and if you get there during Happy Hour even better. Viva Mad Mex!
(5)Joshua T.
After living in the south west, it's hard to find a good authentic Mexican restaurant. Mad Mex nailed it! The chicken mole burrito was amazing! The chicken fajita was perfect. The kids menu was ideal. Thankyou!!!
(5)Joe D.
I'm beginning to think that whatever Mad Mex I dine at, I'm going to get great service, great food, and a great atmosphere to enjoy it in. My friend from Columbus was in today to get ready for a job interview tomorrow, he's worked at OSU for years and he wants to teach at CMU. So after he checked in he phoned me and we met at Mad Mex in Robinson. He gushed about the Mad Mex that recently opened in The Gateway on High St. in Columbus, saying it was one of the hottest restaurants in all of Columbus, and how lucky we are here to have one close to every neighborhood. I ordered the Mission Shipwrecked Double IPA and he had Rogue John John Dead Guy Heller Bock. Our waitress was so understanding, we decided to enjoy our beers before ordering, and she said "Sure, enjoy, I'll come back and take your orders when ready." So we talked, caught up and enjoyed our libations. Finally I got hungry (and a little buzzed from drinking a double IPA with a specific 12% alcohol listing), I ordered the black bean soup, and Happy Hippy burrito. He had the Mad Mex Burrito with steak and said it was every bit as good, if not better than the Mad Mex in Columbus. Sure, it's not authentic, it's Cali-Mex, it's fresh, healthy, and I'm sure glad we have the Big Burrito group here in the Burgh!
(5)Kimberly E.
Dirty silverware. Bad-tasting drinks, salsa, and guacamole. Haven't even been served my entree yet. Very unimpressed.
(2)Sergio K.
Very consistent place for lunch or dinner. Great tequila and microbrew selections. Staff is also excellent.
(4)Jackie R.
Awesome food, great service! I had carnitas tacos and my husband had the shrimp fajitas. Both were great! Our server was very attentive, got everything correct, and everything came out very quickly. Nice, relaxing atmosphere too. Our booth was very intimate. I will definitely be back.
(5)