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Traditional Carne Asada from Mezcal Tequila Cantina on Major Taylor Boulevard in Worcester

Mezcal Tequila Cantina‘s new location across from the Hilton is very large. This may well be the largest, seating wise, restaurant in Worcester now. That doesn’t mean the service is any slower though, as I found the service to be very attentive.

For dinner, I chose the Traditional Carne Asada; Grilled marinated skirt steak, bacon-spiked refried beans, chimichurri sauce, lettuce, tomato and radish.

The portion size on this meal was perfect. It was enough to be filling but not so much to make you feel stuffed afterward. The skirt steak was marinated in the chimichurri sauce and was amazingly tender, with a great flavor that didn’t overpower the meat but complemented it nicely. The bacon spiked refried beans were fantastic. Large chunks of bacon mixed in and a texture that wasn’t too dry or watery. The beans were an excellent contrast with the steak, making an overall dish that was delicious and satisfying.

My only gripe with this meal would be the rice. It was fine, but on the bland side and it just didn’t hold up next to the rest of the meal.

Overall, this was an excellent meal that I will be having again.

I drive by the renovated Parkway Restaurant and Bar almost everyday and I see the new dining area and flat screen TVs but I just haven’t had the opportunity to stop in and try the food. Well thank goodness for Worcester Foodies because now that I have eaten there, I will definitely add the Parkway to my rotation of casual dining options. The new room is great, with a large bar, booths along the wall and high-top tables in the middle of the room. Large screen TVs and lots of sports memorabilia adorn the walls.

Anxiously I looked through the menu and saw exactly what I expected to see…casual pub-style choices, appetizers and lots of salads and soups but the menu also included great Italian dishes, steak and fish options, all at unbelievably cheap prices. This is not the old Parkway Diner menu (although that menu is still available from 6:00am – 2:00pm in the dining car). A few things caught my eye, but I decided to start with a cup of Pasta Fagioli soup and ordered the Antipasto for two as my meal. The soup was outstanding, in fact it was so good I was disappointed I didn’t order a bowl! Served spicy and hot with lots of beans and pasta, you can tell this recipe has been passed down a few generations. Up next came my antipasto and once I shared a little with my dining companions, I dug in and made myself a nice big dish. There are a lot of good antipastos in Worcester and this one can hold its own against any of them. First off, it was huge and had everything including olives, roasted peppers, pepperoncini, salami, tomatoes, pepperoni and plentiful slices of provolone cheese all on top of fresh iceberg lettuce. I ordered mine with blue cheese dressing on the side and dipped each and every bite into the creamy dressing and enjoyed it thoroughly.

My dining companions were a little more adventurous than I was ordering Grilled Salmon, Grilled Sausage and a huge plate of pasta, meatballs and veal that all looked outstanding. I will be back to the Parkway Restaurant and Bar, the service was great, the value was outstanding and the tastes were fantastic! –JG