Mezcal Mexican Bar & Kitchen

Mezcal Mexican Bar & Kitchen took over the old Savant space on West Forest in 2023, and Midtown got lucky. It's the second act from the brother-sister duo behind the Ferndale original, and by all accounts nothing got watered down on the drive south: birria, puffy tacos, carnitas built on their dad's recipe, a seafood tower that turns heads, and margaritas reviewers keep raving about. The room leans all the way into the theme — luchador art, Guanajuato-inspired decor, music loud enough to remind you it's a bar first on weekends. The Google reviews agree: the food and the pours are the real deal.

Now, the restrooms. Serviceable, not spotless. The word is they get the job done but could use a little more attention than they've been getting — the kind of upkeep gap that stands out when the dining room is this put-together. Nothing that should scare you off, and nothing that wrecks the night; just don't expect the restrooms to match the effort behind the bar. And when the margaritas are doing their job, you'll be finding out for yourself soon enough.

Great food, strong drinks, restrooms that pass without shining. Mezcal Mexican Bar & Kitchen lands at a 7/10 on Shooki.