La Mezcalerita
Calle Macedonio Alcalá, RUTA
INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000
Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax., Mexico
Every day 12:30pm-1am
We came on February 5, 2020 at 10pm
Casual Bar, Upstairs Patio, Wide Variety, Other Alcoholic Beverages Available
One of the three pages of La Mezcalerita's beer menu
Atmosphere
Fernanda: We went on a nice warm night and decided to sit on the patio. It was packed, and since we were with a large group of people, they put us on the back side of the patio, but we quickly asked to move due to a strange smell in the area. We were moved to the other side of the patio, which was much nicer. The place was loud due to the volume of people, but considering that there was also music playing, it wasn't too bad. It's probably a good place to go to with a small group of people.
Scott: La Mezcalerita is spacious with a nice large rooftop patio that provides a limited, but nice, view of part of downtown Oaxaca. The chairs are extremely uncomfortable, but if you don't stay for long, you might not notice. It was clearly a popular place, considering that it was packed on a Wednesday night. While there is an interior seating area, I would recommend it only on a cold or rainy night, as it is small and dark. Large groups can come here somewhat comfortably, but the setup of the tables makes this location more conducive to small groups or pairs.
Food and Service
Guacamole, served with cheese and tortillas
Fernanda: For food they had a good menu and they had specials for each day. We only tried the Guacamole, which was tasty--nothing big or special about it. The servers did seem rushed. At one point when we ordered beer, our server apparently forgot about it, and after twenty minutes or so we had to ask another server, who brought it out right away. I'd come here for the food and beer list, not so much for the service.
Scott: Unfortunately, I didn't get a great look at the food menu, but the Guacamole was nice, and I like that it came with cheese and tortillas, for a little variety. The service was generally good at first, although the server came by less as the night went on. Their philosophy seemed to be to get people their drinks and then leave them alone, which would have been fine if we weren't a large party, with some members determined to drink a lot. If you're in a rush and just want to have one drink, you'll probably be fine here. If you're looking to have more than one, expect to stay for a while.
Beer
Leif Mead by Heidrun
Fernanda: Their beer list was extensive and it was not just local. They had craft beers from all over Mexico. Considering that Mexico hasn't hit its peak for beer produciton, there was a wide selection of styles, but definitely not as much as somewhere like Canada. I tried the Gusabeer by La Cura Brewing. It tasted different than anything I'd ever had before, which I appreciated. I would recommend trying it, and I'd probably have it again with a drink of Mezcal next to it.
Scott: The beer list is impressive, spanning several breweries and offering many different styles. As someone who had never been to Mexico before, I was new to all of the craft beers, and it was difficult to figure out what to have. Well, somewhat difficult anyway. I defaulted to the Imperial IPA, H&P Hunahop by Nigromante Brewing, which was nice, but a bit too hoppy for me. Before the night was done, we'd tried several different brews, although none so interesting as the Leif Mead by Heidrun, which has definitely sparked an interest in mead, for me. There are also several pages of other alcoholic beverages, if you're not in the mood for beer.
Overall
If you're in downtown Oaxaca and are looking for a place to try a wide variety of drinks, then La Mezcalerita is a great place to visit. Mexico isn't yet known for its craft beer, but you'll find a wide selection here from all over the country. It's also a nice place where you can hang out with friends outside and get a small meal. The prices are fairly normal for the area, although much cheaper than the kinds that you would see in Canada. It's definitely a place we'd come back to, one day.
