Mesero

[Pete]

Dallas-based Mesero is set to bring its contemporary Mexican food and craft cocktails to the OAK development under construction at NW Expressway and Penn.

This will be Mesero’s first location outside the state of Texas.

The popular restaurant will join Capital Grille, RH Gallery, Arhaus, Lively Hotel, upscale apartments and many more retail and dining tenants yet to be announced at OAK.

The 5,500 square foot space will overlook a small park in the center of the development and will include a mezzanine level for outdoor dining.

OAK also recently announced plans to include two large sculptures in the Park, both with chrome-like cloud structures: Cloud Trees and Cloud Puncher. The $2 million art installation by Brad Oldham Sculpture.

OAK plans to be open in the fall of 2024.

[OkieBerto]

The amount of different Enchiladas on their menu makes me think I will be here often!

[Bowser214]

OH MY GOD!! I've been to Mesero's on Inwood and Lovers Ln in Dallas lots of times! I love this place!!!

[soonerguru]

To reiterate what I said in the other thread, the predecessor to Mesero, Mr. Mesero, was one of my favorite restaurants in Dallas. This will seriously elevate the standard of Tex-Mex in OKC. It will also be a smashing success if it lives up to that quality.

[CPin405]

To reiterate what I said in the other thread, the predecessor to Mesero, Mr. Mesero, was one of my favorite restaurants in Dallas. This will seriously elevate the standard of Tex-Mex in OKC. It will also be a smashing success if it lives up to that quality.

It doesn’t look like a “bring chips and queso and salsa and tortillas before you even sit” kind of place. Don’t get me wrong, I have a soft spot in my heart for those places and they have their place. But this appears to be a bit more elevated than that. And the prices aren’t unreasonable for what looks like quality food. Hope your experience with Mr. Mesero proved to be true in his situation.

I think they will do well, as any place in OAK should. It will be a premier address upon opening.

[Jeepnokc]

The food on the menu looks great. Link to menu https://www.mesero.net/menu

[Mballard85]

Mole enchiladas, take all my money.

[BG918]

I've been to one of the Dallas locations, it was really good reminded me of Mi Cocina (higher end modern Tex-Mex)

[MagzOK]

Oh man, OKC is really in for a treat. I've been to Mesero many times in Dallas and I'm so pumped they're coming. We go to Mi Cocina also in the Dallas area often. One time I asked one of the managers when they will ever expand to the OKC market and basically was laughed out of the building. He said that everyone in OKC demands mass quantities of free, cheap watered down queso and salsa and they just don't have time for that, number one, and two he thought they would get a black eye in this market for not providing that. This was years ago, and it's super nice seeing a high end Mexican place coming in!

[CPin405]

Oh man, OKC is really in for a treat. I've been to Mesero many times in Dallas and I'm so pumped they're coming. We go to Mi Cocina also in the Dallas area often. One time I asked one of the managers when they will ever expand to the OKC market and basically was laughed out of the building. He said that everyone in OKC demands mass quantities of free, cheap watered down queso and salsa and they just don't have time for that, number one, and two he thought they would get a black eye in this market for not providing that. This was years ago, and it's super nice seeing a high end Mexican place coming in!

Thankfully, I think our market has evolved past what that manager said years ago. Most people I know have no problem ordering queso for a fee if that's how the restaurant's menu is. Queso that costs extra is more often than not better quality than the free stuff anyway. My favorite was the queso at Cultivar (RIP). Were a Mi Cocina to open here, I have no doubt it would be successful. Just like most other new to market retail/restaurants that open here.

[BoulderSooner]

Thankfully, I think our market has evolved past what that manager said years ago. Most people I know have no problem ordering queso for a fee if that's how the restaurant's menu is. Queso that costs extra is more often than not better quality than the free stuff anyway. My favorite was the queso at Cultivar (RIP). Were a Mi Cocina to open here, I have no doubt it would be successful. Just like most other new to market retail/restaurants that open here.

1492 has operated for 16 years with that model in Midtown and for the last 7+ in the village ..

[Pete]

There are 1.4 million people in the OKC MSA; you don't have to please all of them, just find your small percentage of that market.

This seems like a perfect fit for OAK.

[chssooner]

This just sets the bar for the type of tenants this center will be getting. Both for retail and dining/bars. I have no doubt that there will be a ton of new-to-market shops and restaurants here, and as Pete said, the ones he knows about are high-quality.

[sooner88]

I've been to one of the Dallas locations, it was really good reminded me of Mi Cocina (higher end modern Tex-Mex)

The guy who started Mesero started the original Mi Cocina, so there are a lot of similarities.

[HOT ROD]

Is OKC somewhat becoming an Exurb of Dallas Ft Worth?

(the longstanding old joke had been OKC was Dallas's largest suburb, but with many upscale Dallas businesses coming it appears to maybe be more true).

[traxx]

Oh man, OKC is really in for a treat. I've been to Mesero many times in Dallas and I'm so pumped they're coming. We go to Mi Cocina also in the Dallas area often. One time I asked one of the managers when they will ever expand to the OKC market and basically was laughed out of the building. He said that everyone in OKC demands mass quantities of free, cheap watered down queso and salsa and they just don't have time for that, number one, and two he thought they would get a black eye in this market for not providing that. This was years ago, and it's super nice seeing a high end Mexican place coming in!

meh

I think that's just a Texan trying to dunk on Mobilehoma. It's not that we demand that, its that a lot of our Mexican restaurants are owned and run by Mexicans and that's just what they do.

[Rover]

meh

I think that's just a Texan trying to dunk on Mobilehoma. It's not that we demand that, its that a lot of our Mexican restaurants are owned and run by Mexicans and that's just what they do.

Guessing you've never been to Mexico and had real Mexican cuisine. I'd put the restaurants I've been to in Mexico City and other places against any in Oklahoma or Texas (or most other US cities). Traditional Mexican dishes aren't mass quantity. If anything, that's at TEXMex thing.

[Shortsyeararound]

In 94, I was dating a girl from Southern California and I went out for a visit. We went to a Mexican restaurant for lunch and I asked her if she wanted to get some queso. She had no idea what I was even talking about, so I explained it to her. When the waiter came I asked him for some queso and he had no idea what I meant either, so I then explained it to him. He came back with our chips/salsa and a bowl of shredded cheese. I failed to mention the melted cheese sauce part. It was an authentic Mexican cuisine restaurant and I was the idiot. Growing up here, TexMex has been life, but with that being said, we could always use a different variety of selections.

[Plutonic Panda]

Guessing you've never been to Mexico and had real Mexican cuisine. I'd put the restaurants I've been to in Mexico City and other places against any in Oklahoma or Texas (or most other US cities). Traditional Mexican dishes aren't mass quantity. If anything, that's at TEXMex thing.

Going to Mexico City next month. Can you recommend anything that stood out to you?

[Rover]

Going to Mexico City next month. Can you recommend anything that stood out to you?

I think you might like the anthopology museum. The Cathedral is a must. Lots of great architecture in the city.

I haven't been to Mexico City in about 7-8 years, so I'm not sure what restaurants are hot right now. Lots of good street food. Cafe de Tacuba is a historic restaurant and was very good when I went.

[fromdust]

Going to Mexico City next month. Can you recommend anything that stood out to you?

love cdmx, but haven't been in years, but like Rover said check out the cathedral, and go to palacio de bellas artes.

[corwin1968]

Guessing you've never been to Mexico and had real Mexican cuisine. I'd put the restaurants I've been to in Mexico City and other places against any in Oklahoma or Texas (or most other US cities). Traditional Mexican dishes aren't mass quantity. If anything, that's at TEXMex thing.

During my 6th grade year, my best friend was from Mexico and I ate dinner at his house, more nights than not. I remember tortillas being part of every meal and the main dish was generally some kind of stew/soup or meat with peppers & onions in a tasty sauce. On special occasions, his mom would make a special rice that was different from normal Mexican rice and because she knew I loved it, she would make a huge, heaping bowl for me to take home. I never saw a single taco, burrito or enchilada during that year.

The closest thing I've found to those meals was Agua Calientes, which was a Southside buffet around 20 years ago. They were on Western, where I-40 now is and then moved to just East of Western on SW 29th or so. Sadly, they went out of business years ago. It was a small buffet, with one hot and one cold section. The hot always had rice, beans, fried tortilla chips (whole, not cut into pieces) and roasted/baked/grilled chicken. The remaining four or six sections on the hot table were either a soup/stew or some meat with sauce and vegetables dish. Just unbelievably good!

[Rover]

During my 6th grade year, my best friend was from Mexico and I ate dinner at his house, more nights than not. I remember tortillas being part of every meal and the main dish was generally some kind of stew/soup or meat with peppers & onions in a tasty sauce. On special occasions, his mom would make a special rice that was different from normal Mexican rice and because she knew I loved it, she would make a huge, heaping bowl for me to take home. I never saw a single taco, burrito or enchilada during that year.

The closest thing I've found to those meals was Agua Calientes, which was a Southside buffet around 20 years ago. They were on Western, where I-40 now is and then moved to just East of Western on SW 29th or so. Sadly, they went out of business years ago. It was a small buffet, with one hot and one cold section. The hot always had rice, beans, fried tortilla chips (whole, not cut into pieces) and roasted/baked/grilled chicken. The remaining four or six sections on the hot table were either a soup/stew or some meat with sauce and vegetables dish. Just unbelievably good!

And depending where you are in Mexico, a lot of dishes feature seafood. People here think TexMex is authentic Mexican. It isn’t.

[BoulderSooner]

And depending where you are in Mexico, a lot of dishes feature seafood. People here think TexMex is authentic Mexican. It isn’t.

depends on the region of mexico

[Pete]

Annnnyway...

This is yet another good get for OAK. They will soon be announcing at least 3 more tenants that bring more interest and excitement to this development, and I know they are close on a bunch more.

Also, I think they are getting close to moving forward with the office building. The last plans I saw show the same architecture but 7 stories rather than 11 as shown in the original rendering.

Tons going on here and announcements should start coming fast and furious over the next 12 months.