Mad Mex 7905 McKnight Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237

"Good is really great, as was the service. The place is a little dark and a bit dated and the booths were tight, but otherwise terrific. Great beer list too!"

"Mad Mex knocked it out of the park! I ordered the Big Burrito and added extra meat, and this thing is a rockstar. Seriously stuffed with quality meats and waffle fries that were nice and crispy, never soggy. Topped with guac, sour cream, some pico on there and dots of chipotle sauce. POW! A culinary adventure that you don’t want to end. The vibe is cool and the lighting in the whole place is perfect. Toni was an outstanding server, as well as other servers who kept tabs on me, refilling my water before it was empty. One of the best dining experiences I’ve had in a long long time! My pic doesn’t do the burrito justice; it was huge, well prepared and presented."

"Had a bowl of the chickpea chili. It was interesting. Lots of onion, and chickpeas and sour cream but nothing else really. I love the vegan options here! The Pennsyltucky Tofu is the best!"

"Tucked in the North Hills Mad Mex is the perfect place to relax and enjoy some high quality Mexican food. We had a Gobblerito and it was amazing. An entire Thanksgiving dinner stuffed in perfection. This is a must stop when in Pittsburgh."

"My wife and I had dinner at the McKnight Rd., Mad Mex 2 days ago. It was the first time in a long time. As we crossed the threshold at the entrance, we were greeted by a loud, booming sound system. I play guitar and have been a music fan all my life, so I'm not a stranger to loud music. Also, altho the mix was mostly modern "alternative," there was variety and I didn't mind it. But when you have to yell and lean over into the face of someone to hear you - whether it's your dining partner or party or the waitstaff - the music is way too loud. I noticed other parties having to lean over and yell to one another to be heard. Further, I had young ladies standing at the counter right behind my seat and across from the bar, and they were yelling to be heard over the din of the music - yelling practically in my ear. I read through some 1 star reviews and saw one from a guy 4 years ago complaining about the music: "I was immediately aware of the loud din of music blasting throughout the building," he said. He noted that he had the same experience in 2008. I don't know what kind of management group - and I don't care how young they are - or manager would think it is cool to play music so loud that people can't have a normal conversation. This is a restaurant, a place for dining, and NOT A dance club or live performance venue. It should have been background music. If management replies, please help me understand why this practice is done and why it continues. I find it terribly annoying. Next was the young lady at the podium that manages the seating. She didn't smile at any time when she acknowledged us and spoke to us. I would describe her and another woman walking around the restaurant who looked to be in a supervisory capacity as "hipsters." In fact, they acted like they're just so hip that they're too cool to be friendly to customers, too cool to even be there - irritated, even - and they resent that they have to be, so they have a condescending air about them (I had a waiter like this a few years back at a local upscale burger chain who had a permanent smirk on his face the entire time and consistently interrupted our conversation). Our waiter, though was very good. He was friendly and we didn't have to ask for anything. He brought extra napkins and chips without our having to ask. He even got the manager to turn the music down to a more reasonable level. I would've turned it down a few notches more, but I wasn't going to complain. The food was very good to excellent. We started with the dips. The mango was okay, but the cheese and pineapple habanero were excellent. Our waiter was right: the pineapple had the right amount of sweetness that offset the heat. My wife said the fish tacos were among the best she has ever had. I had the veggie burrito and it was very large. Back in the day I could've polished it off, but I'm trying not to overeat so I had enough for the next day. I wish it didn't have rice in it as a filler and had other veggies instead, like maybe sweet potato, avocado or squash, but it's not a deal breaker. The food was great and so was our waiter, but I dinged the service a star because of the standoffish hostess. The atmosphere, however, is enough to dissuade or deter my wife and I from any future visits. When I go out to eat, I like to feel relaxed and have pleasant conversation with my wife. The loud music was terribly annoying and made it difficult to enjoy my meal, despite the quality of the food. In fact, we would have left when we got to the hostess if my wife wasn't so hungry. I tried to be fair and objective in my review, and we try to support local businesses, rather than chains. However, next time we are hungry for Mexican food, we will try one of the other options on McKnight Road. UPDATE: July 6th, 2020. I was contacted by the manager with a thoughtful response. To be continued."