Bites Nearby: El Meson De Fuentes

There are more than 100 restaurants in Mentor.

They range from fine dining to fast food. Their recipes come from all over the globe, including Japan, Italy, the Middle East, Greece, Thailand, the good ol' U.S. of A. and more.

So it's difficult to find a new type of restaurant. Instead, you hope to find something familiar done well.

That is what El Meson de Fuentes, Mentor's newest Mexican restaurant, does.

Mentor already had three Mexican restaurants -- five, if you count chains like and -- before El Meson opened last week. But there's always room for one more practicioner when they do it well.

El Meson is located at 9047 Mentor Ave., where Hobnobbers used to be.

It offers all the enchilada, taco and burrito platters that a gringo would expect, but it differentiates itself from the run-of-the-mill with specific, authentic flourishes like a delicious seafood ceviche.

As with many entrees, the truth is in the sauce. Try the burritos verdes for a tasty tomatillo sauce, the enchiladas poblanas for the spicy yet sweet mole sauce and anything with the suizas sauce for some delicious Oaxaca cheese.

El Meson also offers a better rounded view of Mexican cuisine than the average taco peddler. Try dishes like camarones a la naranja (shrimp with orange sauce) or pollo Cancun (chicken marinated in mango salsa) for a taste of the country's seafood.

You can check out El Meson's menu to see what else it offers.

Filling lunch combos start at $6. A dinner platter can cost as much as $12.

One more quick note: those hoping to buy a margarita or a beer at El Meson will have to wait. The restaurant does not have a liquor license yet. The waitress who served me said they hope to have it by the end of next week.