Restaurant Review: Mexican Sugar

Machete; Photo courtesy 

of Mexican Sugar.

Like many other attractions, my first impression of Mexican Sugar was one of lust, then it went downhill after that. Where do I begin?  Mexican Sugar has been open for a few months now.  It’s at the Shops at Legacy, where all the restaurants fall into one of two categories: the newest location of an already established eatery or the latest offering from famed chefs or restaurant groups.  Mexican Sugar is the latter, hailing from the same group that introduced one of my favorite Plano restaurants, Whiskey Cake.  Now, I LOVE Whiskey Cake, so naturally I thought I would love Mexican Sugar.  Boy was I wrong!

I was so excited to meet my friend Tanya at Mexican Sugar on a beautiful pre-spring day (technically it was winter but it was almost 80 degrees and gorgeous out!).  I couldn’t wait to sit outside; but, since nice weather in Dallas means every patio is poppin’, the area was full so inside we went. The restaurant was beautiful! It’s spacious, with a huge eye-catching bar, communal tables, and even a fire place with big, comfy chairs, all of which is in addition to, and in the midst of, a regular dining room with booths, tables etc.  But, great décor alone does not make a good restaurant.  For me, there are these super important elements called food and beverages that Mexican Sugar did not make the grade on. 

Grapefruit Paloma; Photo courtesy 

of Mexican Sugar.

Let’s start with the drinks.  The only time I don’t order adult beverages when I dine out is when I’m fasting, or when I’m just unable to drink anymore liquor (yes, I do sometimes get tired of drinking!).  Neither of these situations applied during my visit.  In fact, I was in a celebratory mood and wanted to get buzzed. Did.Not.Happen.

I ordered the Machete, a really cute looking drink with Serrano infused tequila, melon and some other mixology stuff.  It’s garnished with a Serrano pepper and a watermelon wedge.  If only it tasted as good as it looked!  If you’ve done the Master Cleanse aka the lemonade diet, you’re familiar with the not so great tasting drink where cayenne pepper overpowers everything else.  Well, that’s how I felt about the Machete.  It was more like a pepper spritzer and I gladly sent it back to the bar.

Next I ordered the Grapefruit Paloma, which was tequila, grapefruit juice and some other stuff.  It wasn’t bad but was quite forgettable and I should’ve just ordered a classic margarita.

Queso Blanco; Photo courtesy of Mexican Sugar.

About the food (SIGH). So they don’t give you chips and salsa at Mexican Sugar.  No big deal; but, if I’m going to compare to other Mexican/Latin –style Dallas restaurants, I had to have some.  We actually tried chips, salsa and queso. Some of the chips were stale.  Like stuck-in-my-teeth stale.  Neither of us felt like sending them back so we just ate around the bad ones.  Queso is not really my thing so while I ate it and it was ok, I really wasn’t critiquing it.  The salsa was thin and average at best.

Then came carnitas tacos, though I lost some of my excitement after the drinks and chips.  Thankfully, I wasn’t anxiously awaiting a super yummy dish because that’s not what I got.  The carnitas were bland.  I hate to even type that! Carnitas are supposed to be packed with herbs, spices and bold flavor, especially when they’re topped with red onions, cilantro and pineapple pico salsa nestled in a homemade corn tortilla. As I pouted over my food, Tanya jokingly said, ‘is Chipotle better than that?’  Well, yes actually, Chipotle’s carnitas are better. .. by far. The tacos were served with a side of Brussels Sprouts Shred which would’ve been great with more salt.  I also ordered a side of Papas Fritas (french fries) which was really good… but do you go to a Mexican restaurant for fries?

Carnitas Tacos.  Photo courtesy of me and my iPhone. Can 
you see the Papa Fritas in the back? 

Last but not least, we ordered the Chocolate Avocado Cake.  It was awesome!  Not too big, it was perfect for two girls to share.  Moist and not too chocolaty, I wish I had ordered coffee to go with it. The cake was hand-down the best part of the meal.

So, overall  I rate Mexican Sugar 1/5.  I’m not even open to a second visit, nor will I recommend it to others. The restaurant gets rave reviews from patrons online and through word -of-mouth. However, I was extremely disappointed and dissatisfied with most every aspect of the meal and I just feel Mexican Sugar is not the place for me.           

If you’ve been, drop me a line about your experience. I’d love to hear another person’s opinion!