Mr. Victor Lopez and his wife Elena Garcia welcomes you at El Meson! This authentic Mexican restaurant located just across the Lachine Canal, in an old brick house in Old Lachine welcomes you in a warm and friendly atmosphere. It is already several years that this Mexican gem serves its secret family recipes. They started timidly years ago in Dorval for those who remember, and it is through satisfied customers that this Mexican restaurant has made a name for itself and today El Meson ranks among the best Latin restaurants in Montreal.
Don't be fooled! You are here to enjoy and savor the fine foods from Mexico. So forget about other so called Mexican restaurants that offer the same Americanized dishes over and over again. Here you'll taste real delicious Mexican specialties such as Carne Asada, the Nopalitos con carne (Cactus with beef), and many more... Indulge yourself, it is not every day you can travel to Mexico for so little. Everything is a matter of imagination, let yourself be surprised, there are so many flavors to discover...
To enjoy the sunny weather, El Meson offers two pretty terraces (front and back) where you can relax with the magnificent view of the beautiful Lachine Canal, an experience that your eyes will never forget. During the winter, once you step inside El Meson, you will never want to leave.
Our Specialties
Nopalitos con carne (Cactus with beef), Pescados Yucatan, Carne Asada, Pechuga con mole, Cazuela Mexicana (Seafood platter)
Reviews highlight El Meson as a cozy, family-run spot offering authentic Mexican cuisine with bold flavors, where items like mole, ceviche, perfectly seasoned seafood, and hearty fajitas are praised for depth and balance, and portions are described as generous with fair prices. Diners often mention friendly, attentive service and a warm, welcoming atmosphere, with a charming terrace by the water adding to the experience. The menu's variety receives frequent kudos, from ceviche and tacos to fish dishes and carnitas, along with well-paired drinks such as margaritas and sangria, and the presentation and freshness of dishes are repeatedly noted. The setting, including the canal view and colorful decor, contributes to a memorable visit, and many reviewers say they plan to return, sometimes after traveling a distance. Overall, the combination of flavorful food, comfortable vibe, and good value makes El Meson a destination that tends to satisfy a broad range of tastes and occasions.
Reservations highly recommended - it's super busy. I wouldn't bring a party more than 4, it's tiny & cozy which is its charm. Simple menu with great choices. It's a family-owned business & its mexican family-type food. Don't expect the traditional "touristy" mexican parade of dishes. It's authentic as it gets. No wonder this place has been around for more than 30 years! Gracias por llevarnos en el último minuto, todo estuvo delicioso. Bonus if you speak spanish ;)
May 3, 2024
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What a wonderful restaurant. Took me completely by surprise. For get about the American Mexican restaurant experience & welcome in the traditional cuisine. Service was friendly from the moment you walk in & the food is homemade... reasonably priced for the quality. Looking forward to my next visit.
Everything you expect about a mexican gem: the colors, the coziness, the Latin music in the background, & alovera plants in ceramic plates. Every dish we try is our new favorite.
In desperate need to book a restaurant at the last minute, I called El Meson & asked to reserve a table for 8 people on that same day. The lady on the phone was super 🌟 She was very understanding & helpful. I was able to reserve for 8 people last night for my partner's 26th birthday celebration 🎂 Given that we were 8 people, I thought the food will take time to come in, but our plates started coming in very shortly after we ordered our meals... Everyone in our table had nothing but good things to say about the food. The portions were more than enough!!! Our friends said that the Carne Asada was cooked to perfection 👌🏽 My other friends enjoyed their Beef & Chicken tacos 🌮 My partner liked his Pollo Barbacoa 🍗 My Chicken Fajita was sizzling when it came to our table that one of my friends even commented & said that he also wishes that his food came in with sound effects 🔥 Also, their secret hot sauce was so good that we wanted to buy a whole bottle of it 😆 The service was quite fast, our primary waiter, Senor Roberto, was quite patient with all our requests & was kind enough to help us clean the table when one of our friends accidentally poured his water on the table. All in all, we had AN AMAZING experience at El Meson & hoping to come back soon!!! 🙏🏽 I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS RESTAURANT TO ANYONE LOOKING TO TRY AUTHENTIC & DELICIOUS TASTING MEXICAN FOODS ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The service was nice & accommodating, the atmosphere was very much a Mexican restaurant appeal, the spacing unfortunately was a little tight for our grouping, the pricing is what you'd expect for a restaurant post covid & the food was on the higher end, but had some dishes that could be more reasonably priced for the taste, all in all, if you want to try a new Mexican style restaurant worth the try & judge if you want to come back again.
Ordered guacamole as an appetizer to share with pico de gallo on the side (they will bring you more chips if you run out!), it was fresh & delicious! Had the tacos as the main dish, was very good! Authentic Mexican cuisine, extremely friendly staff & they often checked on us to see how we were liking things. 10/10
Honestly the best Mexican food (& I don't usually like to eat it!!). I also love a good frozen margarita & they make it so well. The place is small, a bit cramped but once you're enjoying your meal & time with friends you hardly notice!
El Meson is an amazing Mexican cuisine restaurant. We simply LOVE the homey feel of the place, the great terrace view during the summer season &, most importantly, the food. What can we say but, DELICIOUS!! Having lived in Mexico for 7 years, the food was a great reminder of how much we miss living there, & how much we enjoy the wonderful authentic cuisine of Mexico. El Meson should definitely be on your list of great authentic Mexican dining. & the drinks are super as well. Great food, amazing service by friendly staff & a comfy-cozy place to relax & enjoy yourself. Muchas Graicias! Petersito
Dec 17, 2022
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Very nice & authentic Mexican restaurant in Lachine. Quaint decor, delicious dishes, attentive service, smiles all around. Fond memories have been created in the five years since I first came to this place.
During the pandemic they started a takeout service & I am excited to get my dinner there tonight. I missed it so much !
A real gem in Lachine across from the canal. Truly authentic mexican cuisine beautifully served & extremely pleasing to the palate. Looking forward to dining this summer on the terrace.
Food was okay. I have had much tastier Mexican food. We were pretty much ignored after we were served our main dishes. No one came to offer us coffee or dessert (which is not offered anyway - pity).
The good: Lovely ambience, cosy, not too loud, wait staff very pleasant.
The bad: Pitcher of Margarita was small & way too sweet. Plating & presentation need a little more attention. For Mexican food, I was expecting a lot more flavour, & heat. Portions are not generous.
Suggestions: Put something on the table to munch on over drink appetizers, e.g salsa with tortillas, olives, pickled veggies....be a lot more generous on the portions of rice & veggies with the mains; it's like they are an after-thought. I had a nice pechuga with a teeny, tiny serving of rice buried under some slivers of over-cooked bell peppers. & ONE tortilla chip with a thin line of refried beans piped onto it.
Food was delicious, service prompt. We were the four of us two ordered stuffed peppers, one had fajitas & I had a Mexican steak. The sides of rice, refried beans & a chicken taco (not actually a taco but similar but can't recall the name) were all very good. The only slight negative is that the place was quite warm likely since it was a very warm night & although the AC was on, the doors & windows were open. All in all, we enjoyed the evening.
This was the best Mexican meal I have ever had in Montreal! The chips & guacamole were so yummy, I just couldn't stop! The fajitas & the enchiladas (with green tomato sauce) were extremely flavorful. We will be going back.
