At Mesa Fresh Mexican Grill in eastern Pennsylvania, the menu offers several vegetarian options, but very few vegan meals. I’ve only been there two or three times, and I learned quickly that if one opts to hold the dairy products, most entrees have little flavor left. So one has to get creative.
On my last visit, looking for a healthy, flavorful salad, I found myself wishing that their Mango Tango Salad (fresh greens, grilled chicken, fresh diced mango, almonds, and cilantro mango dressing; $7.79) were vegetarian.
So I asked the manager if it would be possible to order their Tuuana Tostada Salad (fresh greens, black or pinto beans, ranch dressing, pico de gallo, jack and cheddar cheeses, fresh guacamole and sour cream; $5.79) with no dairy, substituting some mango instead. He said he could, but he’d have to charge me a couple dollars extra to do so, because mango is not inexpensive.
So I asked whether he could instead prepare me a vegetarian version of their Mango Tango Salad, but at a lower price to reflect the lack of chicken. He gave me a look and said, “What?”
I explained, “Well, I see on your menu that some salads and burritos cost $4.99 more if you add chicken, steak, or other items–just like you were saying it would cost a couple of dollars extra to add mango. Can’t you do the reverse, too?”
He balked. “This is a restaurant, not an auction!”
Riiiiiight. Er, my mistake.
Rating: Poor service.
