Great Mexican Food in Pittsburgh? Mad Mex Delivers ...

If you're looking for good Mexican food, Pittsburgh is probably not one of the places that you think that you'll find it. However, Pittsburgh's Mad Mex offers great Mexican food at reasonable prices. Mad Mex appeals not only to the college and twenty-something crowd, but to families as well. You may find Mad Mex to be fairly crowded at dinner time, especially on the weekends, but you certainly won't be disappointed (in fact, many folks make the wait fun by going to the large bar area for drinks). Take-out is also an option for those who hate to wait.

If you can't imagine eating Mexican food without the chips, then you'll probably want to start with chips and one of the many salsa or dip choices. Mad Mex's Big B Cheese Dip is a warm, spicy blend of cheeses and peppers and is definitely a solid recommendation. Mad Mex offers not only the standard tomato salsa (which is very good), but also has salsas that you won't find anywhere else with exotic ingredients such as pineapple and chipotle. If you're looking for something different, Mad Mex also has a variety of specialty dips including hummus, guacamole, and black bean dip. Mad Mex's wings are great, with several sauces (San Francisco and Buffalo are among the strong options) and styles (mild, medium, and hot) to choose from.

Mad Mex's entrees include the typical Mexican burritos, enchiladas, and quesadillas with chicken, beef, shrimp and vegetarian options. You'll find that Mad Mex spices things up though, with options to add in interesting ingredients such as spinach and wing sauce to your plain-Jane burrito. If you're not in the mood for Mexican food, you can try out the Buffalo Wing Wrap or one of Mad Mex's other non-Mexican offerings.

If you're looking for drink or appetizer specials, you may want to visit Mad Mex during its happy hour (hours vary based on location), when large margaritas, draft beers, and wings are half-off. Be warned that Mad Mex's margaritas are very strong, so you may want to think about sharing the large one. There is typically a very good draft beer list, with 10-15 choices ranging from standard Pittsburgh fare such as Yuengling to microbreweries with seasonal beer offerings.

With five locations in Pittsburgh (including the original Oakland location near the University of Pittsburgh campus) and other restaurants in State College, Philadelphia, and Columbus, OH, you'll find that Mad Mex has a wide-range of Mexican entrees and drinks, as well as a fun (and loud) atmosphere that should provide for not only a great dinner, but a great evening out. If you plan to visit Mad Mex often, you should think about signing up for the email list, which will allow you to receive periodic coupons through the mail, as well as a coupon for a free entrée on your birthday.