El Molcajete: Authentic Mexican Cuisine & Fresh Flavors in Meridian, ID

Tried the molcajete clasico, and it was DELICIOUS. The meat was very tender, not even remotely dry. The sauce had so much flavor. With the pepper cut in half, the sauce was able to soak up some of the flavor and kick from the pepper without being too spicy. The flan was amazing too. It was sweet without being too sweet, and the berries on top added a little extra flavor to it. You can tell the owners put their heart and soul into everything they cooked/made. 10/10 would definitely recommend this restaurant if you want really fresh, good, flavorful authentic Mexican food.

This is a fairly new and very successful Mexican restaurant. It's because the food is truly exceptional and the restaurant itself has a really nice atmosphere. We have been coming for quite a while, and enjoy the carne asada, which is a very large portion of steak, along with boiled potatoes, guacamole, beans, rice and chips. The pollo con mole and chile relleno are also very good. They do take reservations, which are definitely recommended on Friday evenings. The atmosphere is quiet enough for a nice conversation and there is also a bar and TV for watching sports!

Serendipity has struck again! This new restaurant is vibrant and welcoming. This will EASILY become a favorite place to eat. The service was kind, prompt, & accommodating. The bathrooms are also clean and updated. You can see all the care and vision that went into this remodel. I am so glad we picked this restaurant to eat at. My food was incredible. I could taste how fresh the salsas & verde were. I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I even got a ringing endorsement from the grump across my table. Every detail, from the fantastic artwork, to the vibrant colors, to the dishes we ate off of. I could see this was a vision pulled together by capable hands. They will soon have their liqueur license. I will DEFINITELY be back to try a margarita. I was so impressed by the food that my pictures were blurry! I can tell you to try the Taquitos, the Asada Fajitas, & the Pollo Asado. If you have ever enjoyed the truly authentic Andrades, you will LOVE this restaurant. We missed the lunch menu, but got ideas for our next visit. I am adding the $20-$30 price only because we had wine & beer. You can easily fill up on any of the $15-$18 items.

I write a lot of reviews, but rarely for Mexican restaurants—even though I absolutely love Mexican food. That changed today. These enchiladas were hands-down one of the best I’ve ever had! The customer service was top-notch. Carlos made our experience unforgettable. He’s incredibly attentive and genuinely kind, his energy elevated the entire meal. My husband and I left full, happy, and already planning our next visit. I HIGHLY recommend this place! Went back and thought I would update this review. The employees today were also SO nice!! I tried the fajitas this time with and all three meats and they were all excellent, I’ll continue to get all three going forward. They make their margaritas from scratch and it was one of the best I have ever had!! Our Waiter Juan was so wonderful, he made the experience so great!!

Actually authentic Mexican food in a nice environment! Went here with my Mexican friends and they were even impressed. High quality ingredients and home made fresh sauces and dishes! That’s very rare in Idaho where every other Mexican restaurant is very bland and white washed. You can tell this place is proud of their food. You don’t need to go to a food truck or hole in the wall anymore for real Mexican food! My gf got the chile relleno with Oaxaca cheese and she said it tasted like how her abuela made them! The salsas are great ( ask for the extra spicy one from the back)! Rice is perfectly made and beans too! I got the enchiladas and they used real Mexican cheeses and were cooked properly. Presentation was great on all dishes ( which I don’t care about. It’s going in my belly)

El Molcajete is a delightful place for lunch and dinner. The staff is friendly, and the food is great. While I do enjoy usual Mexican restaurant food, I tend to explore some of the less expected foods. They do serve all the usual stuff you would expect, but it is the specialties you need to try. They have Pozole( a favorite of mine) which is excellent and they also serve Carne en su Jugo, which almost tasted like split pea soup until I added all the extras (especially the lime and juices) and it completely changed the flavors! There are plenty of delicious things to try on the menu, and I plan to try a molcajete next time. The atmosphere is pretty good, with murals and some decor, but they use LED lights as part of the decor and I am not a fan of such things, but your preferences are your own. Overall, this is a really good place to swing by for a meal.

I wish I took pictures. This food is AUTHENTIC and tastes AMAZING! We got to meet the owners son, Alex. He told us a little bit about his family and how the business came about. The recipes are his family’s recipes and recipes from the streets of his mother’s home town. Also some recipes from her husband’s home town. He was so nice to talk to and learn about the food and his family. This is our new favorite Mexican food restaurant. They will even have my favorite soup soon. Pozole. If you’ve never tried it, it’s chef’s kiss! So good! There were 4 of us and we all agreed it’s the best around. Update: we went back and guess what? It’s still AMAZING!!! I keep trying new dishes and I’m impressed with all of them. And I got pozole!

This spot was such a vibe- everything from the atmosphere, the decor, the SERVICE, and of course the food. I had the aguachiles and street tacos (the side of Mexican rice was bomb!) with an agua horchata- fire! And again, the customer service was amazing. 10/10 recommend!