La Mesa Mexican Kitchen - Stockton

Order pozole tonight for delivery. The portion was tiny in comparison to other places. The flavor was good and that 's why I gave 3 stars for the food. When it arrived, the $12 cup of pozole was tipped over and about 1/4 of it had poured out. I wasn 't about to try to drink it out of the bag. We ordering from here again.

This is not a typical taqueria. The food is good. Not a big menu. The salsas in my opinion needed chiles. Not even mildly spicy. So if you want a real Mexican salsa it will not be here. My piña colada drink was small and weak of alcohol. Very light.

We were meeting a friend in the area for his birthday and after a quick Yelp search this place was in our top two places. We went to our first choice first and for some reason they were closing early so we headed to La Mesa instead. At first we were quite discouraged; when we entered it was dark and loud and after a minute I said we should leave since we wouldn't be able to hear each other talking even if we did get a table. As I opened the door to go, someone spoke to my husband saying all the tables were reserved but we could sit outside if we wanted. It was unseasonably warm, but still cooler outside than in the restaurant packed full of people and there were only two tables outside so I agreed. I will say I was a bit uncomfortable as there was no breeze and it seemed to get hotter and hotter but that is not the restaurants fault. Also not their fault were the multiple occasions noisy, smelly and purposefully loud muscle cars drove by us blowing their exhaust. So much for ambiance. On the positive side, we were able to eat most of our meal in peace and enjoy some great conversation. The waitress was prompt and friendly and happy to have a break from the interior of the restaurant to serve us; she said so herself. We started with drinks and their chips and salsa. The chips and salsa is not complimentary, it is $5 and it comes with chips made in house, two types of salsa a red tomato based salsa and a green chile/chipotle salsa) as well as some pico de gallo. It was ok but honestly the free ships and salsa from most restaurants is better. The chips were quite greasy and the salsas were basic. For our mains, my husband had the asada plate $21) and he really enjoyed it. He gave it 4 stars easy. I had the pork belly quesadillas with cilantro rice and beans, but what I was served looked like tacos. They definitely had chicharrones in them though. I did not enjoy my main and my husband still had room to finish my plate as well, so although the portions look large in the photos, they really aren't, especially for the price. Honestly, Chipotle does cilantro rice better than this restaurant. However, our friend enjoyed his meal and gave 4 stars as well. I don't recall what he ordered but he had a large serving of meat and black beans and said it was good, but nothing special. Of course, he wasn't paying and I think that usually makes a difference when one is rating something.This restaurant was ok, so it deserves 3 stars. The staff was friendly enough and the food was edible, but when you add in the ambiance or lack their of) and the prices for what you are getting, there are just too many other places where you can get delicious, authentic food in larger quantities and lower prices that I probably would not return.

My friends brought me here during a break we had after class. I'm not really in Stockton much so they bring me to try new restaurants all the time.I usually stick to my usual chilaquiles when ordering breakfast and they did not disappoint.The chilaquiles were delicious and the drink I had just topped it. It is decent in price so it's not terrible expensive. I believe they have a full bar too so you can wet your whistle if you please.I'm a big boy so I always wish plates were bigger but I can't complain when eating out.

I had dinner at this restaurant and I must say the food was absolutely fantastic. The mole beef enchiladas were a true highlight, and I loved that a they were served separately from the rice and beans. It allowed me to savor the flavors individually. The homemade chips, though not served without ordering were worth the wait. They were on point and truly delicious. The salsa was a delightful surprise. The green salsa was pure and perfect, while the red salsa had a nice kick and a hint of smokiness. These flavors added a great dimension to the meal.However, I must mention a slightly concerning incident that occurred at the end of the night. There was a bar conversation about cockroaches and bad management that left me a bit unsettled.Overall, the food quality and flavors were excellent, earning this restaurant a solid 4.5 -star rating.