Red Mesa Grill

This spot was cool! A group of us went for lunch, not expecting much. But we had a really good time! Great service and yummy food… I had the carne asada burrito (aka twister?), which was really good, and it was more than i could possibly eat. Yummy margaritas too! Cool ambiance. Love the décor — super abstract art. Love it!

Hooked on Cuban steak and tomato soup :)
Great margaritas and large selection of craft beer

Two years later and another visit to the Red Mesa Grill. The pork taco and pork nachos were so freaking good. Salsa wasn’t as spicy as I remembered it — different chef, different day — every bit as tasty. Good food, good friends, great service and still a great place to check out in the Traverse City area!

Great restaurant! Lively spirit, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, reasonable prices, very good food (especially the pork dishes, which were tender and flavorful without being too tomato-​y).
Really glad we went here on our first night of vacation.

Ordered way too much. The lobster nachos were great. So was the Flaming Chile con Queso with chorizo and the Chipotle Hot Wings. Should have made a meal out of several appetizers.
Ordered the Jack Stuffed Shrimp for my entrée and it was very good but not great. But would order again. I might have been too stuffed from all the apps.
Brazilian Steak was excellent as usual.

Just a very average lunch experience at Red Mesa. The best part about Red Mesa is the restaurant décor. Quite nice. The rest was somewhat of a disappointment, especially given that it was highly recommended on Unilocal and by another restaurant in the Traverse City downtown area. With the long wait and kid of average food, it was all OK.
The people were nice too, so that counts for something. Thanks Red Mesa.

Chips/​Salsa: Salsa was super fresh and clean tasting with just enough flavor. One downside to chips at Mexican places is you will occasional get that dirty grease taste. Not here, so they get an A for what every Mexican Joint should get an A for.
Platinum Margarita: Wow. They have a full page of tequila options (image in review). Sour mix is made in house and you can tell. A perfect balance of the tequila and mix, which is something many margaritas fail to do.
Enchilada Platter: Was not the best I ever had, but the GIANT PLUS was the meat quality. Usually Mexican dishes tend to have a lower quality meat that is hidden behind tons of sauces. The downside was the sauce was not the best overall, but the meat quality was for sure higher than usual.
Fajita Combo: Just as above, the steak and chicken was upper 1% of meat you usually find. The veggies were thick and fresh.
Overall, very happy with everything from the staff to the food/​drinks. For those dropping the «authentic card» in reviews, the food is clearly closer to a TEX MEX. Only thing stopping a 5* is the sauces were not the best or near best I had. Outside of that, great food, staff and drinks!