Mercadito Grove

10/19/2007 Posted by londoncalls

WE WALKED BY THIS PLACE TONIGHT LOOKING FOR THE JAZZ AND CAME IN FOR A DRINK, THE COULERFUL MARGARITAS WITH FRUIT CALLED US IN, OUR WAITER WAS ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE EVER HAD IN THE CITY OR EVER TO BE HONEST. I ASKED IF HE MANAGED AND I WAS RIGHT, HE WAS ALSO THE MANAGER AND HE WAS VERY GOOD AT WHAT HE DOES. WE WERE GIVEN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOOD, DRINKS AND THE SPECIALS WERE DESCRIBED WITH A PASSION. WE WERE EVEN RECOMMENDED TO A NICE JAZZ CLUB IN THE AREA. AFTER SOME JAZZ WE CAME BACK FOR A SECOND ROUND OF SHRIMP TACOS AND PAMPERING. TRY THE MIXED BEER WITH LEMON AND HOT SAUCE WITH A LAGER. THE BUSBOY WAS ALSO A GENTLMAN. I WILL COME BACK EVERY TIME I AM IN TOWN FOR JAZZ. WE ASKED FOR JOSEPH'S CELL PHONE TO MAKE SURE HE IS PRESENT ON OCCASION.

Pros: OUTDOOR SEATING AND GRACIOUSE HOST

Cons: SMALL BATHROOMS

08/21/2007 Posted by girlykat

I went to Mercadito with a group of friends for dinner one Friday night. The food (especially the ceviche and guacamole) is delicious. I really enjoyed the fish tacos as well. However, the pitchers of mixed drinks are $45 each and are simply not worth the expenditure. I would probably go back for drinks and a light snack, but if you're looking for a filling meal, a better bet would be to head around the corner to Diable Royale. The food is equally delicious, far cheaper, and much more filling.

Pros: Food is very high quality

Cons: Overpriced pitchers, stomach still rumbling after meal

07/23/2007 Posted by duffman33

First, the good: -It's a charming setting, on one of the most lively West Village blocks. -The clientele is mostly young and hip, but the vibe is very relaxed - not annoyingly sceney. -The service is flexible and unrushed - we sat at about 9:15 and didn't leave until almost midnight. -The guacamole is fantastic - good, crunchy, salty chips and a nice texture to the guac. (I highly recommend the 3 guac sample: regular, mango and pineapple flavored) -Sharing small plates is fun. -Very fresh and tasty ceviche. -They were never stingy with the accoutrements; they refilled the empty chip bowl without asking, gave us more of the crackers that came with the ceviche; when I spilled my half-full drink they gave me a brand new one on the house. The bad: -The plates of tacos were pricey for the tiny portion size - $13 for 4 TEENY tacos. (Meant to be shared.) -The tacos were fairly mediocre - bland, with very little spice or flavor. -We ordered a pitcher of margaritas. They weren't terrible (although they didn't salt the rim of the glasses - that annoyed me) but nothing to write home about. Next we ordered a pitcher of mojitos - they tasted EXACTLY like the margaritas, with the addition of some mint leaves floating around. -When we got the check, the pitchers turned out to be $45 apiece - yikes. Summary: I would definitely recommend this place for drinks and appetizers. The pineapple guacamole alone is worth the trip. But having dinner here - not so much. Small, pricey portions will either leave your stomach rumbling or your wallet way too light.

Pros: guacamole, ceviche, great atmosphere, friendly service

Cons: tiny, expensive portions

08/04/2006 Posted by angelines

I've read other reviews, and whole-heartedly disagree. I went to Mercadito last weekend, around 7pm, and had one of the most enjoyable NYC dinners I've had in a long time. I think it is a perfect blend of small size, outstanding service, delicious food, and even more delicious drinks. Our server, Nicole was a sweetheart. She was super-attentive, even when it got crazy, and everything she recommended was superb. I think the price is on par with the neighborhood. We had tacos de carne and tacos de camaron, and the three-guacamole. I personally don't like to mess with the original, but the mango and pineapple guacamoles are pretty tasty for the unconventional food lovers. The drinks! I don't like alcohol, so I tried their refrescos! Yumm...they are muddled fruit with soda water and some sugar, and are worth it. My partner had some beer concoction that he loved. All in all, it was a great evening and I highly encourage you to try it out.

Pros: Service, food, drinks

Cons: Size

07/08/2006 Posted by sweeply

I went on the rave from another friend, but I do not see the allure. The guacamole was like soup! THey served my friend her drink first and I had to wait 15 minutes for my margarita ($15). Then, they served her salad and main course and left me waiting for my shrimp tacos for 35 minutes. One of the chefs came out and apologized and said it would be right out. 10 minutes later, it still hadn't appeared but eventually, was served by the chef himself who profusely apologized and comped the plate for us, even though we didn't complain. The waiter and chef were gracious and sweet, which I will not forget, but nor will I forget the $15 margaritas whch were served in glasses the size of Dixie cups! So if you are hungry, thirsty and like good food, steer clear. If you like nice people but don't care about any of the above, go right ahead!

Pros: Nice staff

Cons: abosolutely terrible food, overpriced tiny drinks

05/06/2006 Posted by annied84

A friend I went here on cinco de mayo thinking it would be a great choice- wrong! They opened later than usual because they were not set up. We were able to sit outside, which was the only pleasant thing about this experience. However, the food was too expensive for what you got and it was mediocre. While the margaritas were tasty, it took forever to have them served. I waited 45 mintues for my last drink and had to order it three times. When we spoke to the manager about it, she made excuses about she didn't have enough staff or something. You manage a RESTAURANT lady- if you can't actually serve people, then close. I was underimpressed by her sob story.

04/19/2006 Posted by malvarez1969

we sat outside at about 6pm on a warm tuesday night, and had the whole place to ourselves. the service was great for most of the evening until the place got packed at about 8 -- then our waiter got a bit frantic and scattered, but was always friendly and helpful when we could grab him. the fish tacos and guacamole sampler (with fresh homemade chips) are fantastic, altho the portions could be a bit bigger for the price. the margaritas are heavenly, especially the one with cucumber juice -- upgrade your tequila from the well stuff, and you'll be very happy.

Pros: pretty amazing food, awesome margaritas, friendly service

03/12/2006 Posted by ajacobi00

Service is non-existent. My friend ordered a coke 3 times that never came. I ordered something only to be told 15 minutes later that they actually were no longer serving it. I then ordered another dish, a frittata. 30 minutes later, I get something like a fried egg on top of nachos. When I tell the waiter that that was not what I ordered, he argued with me. But what was interesting was not that he disagreed with what I had ordered; he claimed that what I ordered was what was in front of me, when it was clear that there was another menu item that perfectly described what was brought out. I asked him to take the food back. No apology, no offer to get me something else. The food looked decent, but unfortunately I wasn't given the opportunity to find out if it tastes good as well.

Pros: Outdoor patio

Cons: Terrible service, Cramped seating area, Very expensive

11/18/2005 Posted by afusco

The food and margaritas here are very good. You may be deterred before you get to that point, though. The restaurant is triangle shaped, very small, and very tight. The restauarant is all windows and was already too cold for comfort in November, wore my jacket the whole meal, can only imagine January. Drinks were creative and tasty, but the glasses were small to start, plus ice and muddled limes in the margarita, left very little room for the margarita itself. Finally, the food arrived, and our initial take was that the tacos were tiny - but that was quickly overcome by the fact that they are delicious. Fried oyster appitizer was enough for a meal, delicious. Skirt steak entree was very good, as well. Overall, worth trying, but look for perfection in the food, not the atmosphere. Definitely make a reservation! No bar to wait, they'll call your cell.

Pros: Food, Location, Creative Menu

Cons: Very Small, Pricey, Freezing in Winter

11/13/2005 Posted by lbrunski

i almost never complain about service, but my experience here warrants a full-on tirade. food is incredible, but without friendly and prompt delivery, who cares? first off, we were seated 25 min after our 8pm reservation. then, 3 out of 5 orders came with something messed up. instead of apologizing and fixing the dishes, the waiter tried to convince us that we'd like it better the way he brought it. when we remained firm, he behaved as though it was our fault for ordering s/thing different than what he brought. finally, we finished our meal in 1.5 hours, but our waiter told a group waiting that we were "taking our sweet time" finishing, which was causing their table to not be ready. absolutely unacceptable considering that we had been seated late, given the wrong dishes, and not been given the bill for at least 15 min after we finished. GROSS!

Pros: amazing food, cute, intimate space

Cons: TERRIBLE service