At La Merced in Mesa, Bigger Is Better

Is bigger truly better? If you’re talking about La Merced in Mesa, then the answer is yes. And the locals know this to be true.

See also:
– Federal Pizza: Empire-Building on Central Avenue
– Suds (Mostly) Trump the Grub at Scottsdale’s Brat Haus

The six-year-old restaurant takes its name from Mexico City’s largest traditional food market, a fact that seems to contrast its small, unassuming space in a near-vacant strip mall but not its gigantic plates of boldly flavored eats.

Here’s an excerpt from this week’s review:

“To experience the biggest and best of what La Merced has to offer, the Casuela a la Mexicana, requires the assistance of a few hungry friends. The feast, containing eight dishes laid out together on a platter accented with avocado halves and taco fixin’s, includes standouts such as thin, peppery beefsteak slathered in grilled onions, chunks of tender pork in a spicy green chile sauce, and small cubes of carnitas tinged with garlic and a lip-smacking bit of char. Whether you’re one of those who packs the meat into tortillas, puts a sample of each on a plate, or stabs at whatever’s nearest on the platter, this meal’s a steal at $32.99.”

Hungry for more big bites? Read my full review of La Merced in Mesa.

Follow Chow Bella on Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest.