Hats Off (And On) To Great Mexican Food

By Andrea Samacicia/ foodie@longislandernews.com

Meson Olé is Commack’s very own diamond in the rough—both figuratively, as the saying goes, and literally. It sits on the corner of Crooked Hill Road and Commack Road and its bright yellow façade bursts into view. As visitors approach this diminutive restaurant the bold red, blue and green accents come into view and before one has even walked through the doors, the Meson Olé experience has begun.

The restaurant remains committed to authentic Mexican décor on the inside as well. The walls are decked with sombreros and brightly colored tapestries and where there are no adornments the walls are painted in a rich shade of green. At dinnertime, the small dinning room is dimly lit, highlighting Meson Olé’s ability to be intimate, maximizing its versatility.

Upon being seated, multiple servers descend upon each patron; there is one who fills your water glass, another to deliver a basket of crispy tortilla chips and a cup of spicy salsa, and yet another to present the menus. Our dinner at Meson Olé officially began with an order of Guacamole ($5.75) and a plate of Las Quesedillas ($6.95)—a toasted flour tortilla stuffed with cheese, chicken, and Spanish sausage sure to delight. The guacamole is some of the best; the avocado is ground to the perfect chunky consistency and pieces of ripe tomatoes and onions dot the mixture.

For our entrees we opted for La Carne Tampiquena ($14.95) from the Las Entradas section of the menu and a number four ($12.25) from the Las Combinaciones Mexicanas section. The La Carne Tampiquena consisted of a large piece of tender skirt steak—the same served with Meson Olé’s very popular Las Fajitas ($14.95)—surrounded by avocado and a cheesy enchilada. The meat came apart with ease and seemed to have soaked up the complex flavors that signify Mexican food, complementing the indulgent, satisfyingly cheesy enchilada.

As we finished our appetizers, a handful of the staff members began to gather in one corner of the dining room. Before anyone knew what was happening a server emerged from the kitchen carrying a piece of Flan Al Carmelo ($3.75), grabbed a sombrero off the wall, placed it on an unsuspecting guest’s head, and they began a cheerful rendition of Happy Birthday. For a few moments everyone in the dining room celebrated that birthday, and the young man whose birthday it was willingly donned the grandiose hat.

The combination plate was the favorite in this meal. It came with a cheese burrito, a beef taco, and a cheese enchilada and in a shining example of the restaurant management’s desire to please each and every customer, they allowed us to make substitutions—we added chicken to the enchilada and burrito—with absolutely no fuss.

Anyone who has ever eaten Mexican food is familiar with how quickly the food fills one up. We had plenty of leftovers, but we were still very full by the time we put down our forks. The end of the meal came much too quickly—we weren’t ready to say goodbye and decided to make it last. Desert was out of the question so a glass of sangria it was.
The white wine took on a sweetened flavor thanks to a multiple red apples, grapes, and a slice of orange.

In a time when trendy restaurants seem to dominate the land, Meson Olé unequivocally scorns trend and embraces it’s guests desire to indulge not only in the spectacular food but also in a sociable environment. Sombrero included.

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