Lacto
American
Fast food
Delivery
Take-out
Mexican
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Mexican restaurant chain serving salads, bowls, burritos and more. Offers tofu, non-dairy cheese and sour cream to make dishes vegan. This one is loud bar setting near Ohio State University where one could go with non-vegetarians. Reported closed, Jun 2018.
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Last update on 24 Nov 2021 by Guest
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16 Reviews
First Review by johannah
ramachandra
Points +109
funky place to get Mexican food - Edit
I've been to Mad Mex many times. If you go in the evening or on the weekends, it can get really loud and busy. Sometimes the music is way too loud. But if you go during lunch, you have the chance to sit back and peacefully enjoy the funky decor. They have a mailing list that you sign up for on their website and you'll get a free lunch for signing up, plus one for your birthday. The menu has a surprising number of vegetarian, vegan, and veg-possible options. Two items that stand out in my mind are the Thai Curry burrito and the Black Beanie Quesadeeni. The portion sizes are huge and you can get deals at certain times (I've heard that they have an all-you-can-eat lunch Monday, but I have not confirmed whether this is true or not). I haven't had any bad experiences like the other reviewers have had... just one time we asked the waiter if he could make sure our food was completely vegetarian and he gave a response like "ummm... okay" which isn't exactly reassuring. Like the others have said, this is an especially good place to go with omni friends and everyone will be happy.
Read morePros: interesting food choices
Cons: noisy
moonwomyn13
I have ordered the black beanie quesadeenie many times, having been assured it was vegan. However, the last time I ordered it I was informed by a vegan waiter that it is NOT VEGAN because the beans contain mayo and parmesan cheese.
Read moreDon't know who is uninformed, but I have not ordered it since!
Guest
RileyLimbach
Points +108
delicious, unique vegan options! - Edit
Good drinks, nice atmosphere for a college kid or adult. MUST try the herbavore tofu tacos, SOOO flavorful with the Asian Mexican flavors.
Read morePros: great vegan/veg options
Cons: not cheap for a college kid, sometimes service is slow
Guest
Tabgreenvegan
Points +1031
Great Mexican Food! - Edit
I love Mad Mex! They have so many clearly labeled vegan options!! The nachos are killer the enchiladas are one of my favs too!!
Read moreGuest
MHstone
Points +28
Can satisfy a hungry tummy - Edit
This place has epic vegan burritos and the beans are seasoned so perfectly. If you aren't as hungry, you can just order rice and beans from their sides too. Lots of vegan alternative cheeses and sour cream.
Read morePros: nice atmosphere, good sizes for what you pay, vegan products
Guest
junejunejune
Points +42
Good for Vegans and Omnivores Alike - Edit
I live super close to Mad Mex and started coming here frequently when I was still eating meat. I was a little worried about the options I'd have eating here as a vegan but I've been pleasantly surprised.
Read moreThe staff is super accommodating and I've never received strange looks for altering menu items. They have stuff for vegetarians (like burritos and tofu wraps) and they offer Daiya cheese and Tofutti sour cream instead of animal-based versions. I've even ordered their nachos without cheese and with vegan sour cream- it was delicious!
Once, before changing my eating habits, I ordered a shrimp enchilada and the shrimp were literally frozen. Like, there were ice chips between the tortillas. Last week I ordered an enchilada with tofu and the tofu was cold, too! I couldn't believe it... I go to Mad Mex at least once a week and I've never had this problem with any other dishes. When I told the waiter about it they quickly gave me something else, which was nice.
Highly recommend the "Tofu Wrapture" with Southwest tofu.
Pros: Bangin' waffle fries!, Daiya cheese and Tofutti sour cream, Amazing, cheap margaritas
Cons: Icy enchiladas, Few healthy options, Often need to wait for a table
Guest
Silly Little Vegan
Points +1166
Love their Tacos! - Edit
I really enjoy dining at Mad Mex! Great portions and plenty of vegan options. My go-to meal is their tofu tacos. Their tofu is crispy and served in either soft or hard shell taco shells and comes with rice and black beans. They also offer vegan sour cream.
Read moreIf you're there during Happy Hour, they also offer great drink specials.
Pros: Plenty of vegan options, Vegan sour cream and cheese available
Cons: Often busy and loud
Guest
CorissaMarie
Points +3102
Delicious but loud - Edit
Mad Mex is my favorite "regular" restaurant that has vegan options! Vegan options are clearly marked but most meat options can be substituted with tofu and vegan cheese. My favorite is the Tofu Rapture with mild buffalo sauce and the waffle fries with vegan ranch! Also, on weekdays they have half price food from 10pm-12am and $6 giant margs. The only down falls are that it's loud and service is typically pretty slow.
Read morePS- sit at the bar and you'll get free chips and salsa!
Pros: Vegan Friendly, tofu, deals
Cons: loud, slow
Guest
DamnItJenna
Points +15
One of my fave veg restaurants in Columbus! - Edit
The service is always slow, but also always very helpful about vegetarian and vegan options! I'm slowly transitioning from vegetarian to vegan, and thus place is awesome! I got a super burrito with tofu and daiya, even though the cactus on top has a dairy base (you can get it without) and it fed me for three separate meals! Their guac is bomb too! Definitely will be back.
Read morePros: Close to campus, accessible parking, college-walle
Cons: slow service, can be loud
Guest
Lisa
Points +749
Incredibly good food! - Edit
Stopped here for a light meal. Got the tofu appetizer and a side salad with VEGAN ranch dressing! Waiter was great at making vegan recommendations. The food was AMAZING, I was really impressed. Also loved the artwork all over the place! Really fun!
Read morePros: Great food, Fun atmosphere, Knowledgable staff
Guest
rmills12
Points +69
Good food/Bad Service - Edit
The vegan options here are awesome. Its hard to find many vegan mexican food places out there without just not eating cheese. This place uses daiya and tofutti sour cream. The food was really good and really filling. The service was really bad though. In reading other reviews here and other sites seems to be the norm. The food was worth it though. I recommend giving it a shot.
Read morePros: Vegan menu options, Daiya cheese, Good food
Cons: Service, Service, Service
Guest
DirtySoyChai
Points +40
One of my favorite restaurants in Columbus - Edit
Mad Mex has excellent vegan choices including Daiya vegan cheese, vegan sour cream and ranch, tofu that can be added to any meal and a vegan cheesecake. They also don't charge extra for vegan cheese! My favorites include the chopper salad with tofu and vegan ranch, black bean soup, Thai curry burrito, quesadilla with spinach and beans and the veggie fajitas. The sangrias are great as well.
Read morePros: many vegan options, delicious, good service
Guest
jaredhammond55
Points +47
Good food - Edit
Our waiter was vegitarian and really went out of his way to make sure our meal was vegan. It was a little dead, so this may of helped. Excellent food, excellent portions, good price. Definitely will be going back soon. A fair amount of options.
Read morePros: Good food, Checked vegan status of food., Good portions
Guest
DasTeufulNagatier
Points +57
Not recommended - Edit
My husband and I have given Mad Mex many chances but unfortunately an overwhelming percentage of meals we've eaten here have been made incorrectly. I've had chicken in my chickpea burrito and dairy cheese and dairy sour cream instead of soy/tofu. I've been lied to about ingredients. The potato taquitos cannot be made vegan, by the way. The tofu sour cream tastes awful. We won't be returning to this restaurant.
Read morePros: open late
Cons: food made incorrectly, uninformed staff, extremely noisy
Guest
xsamx
Points +426
Excellent vegan options - Edit
I can't echo the sentiment of other reviews (particularly on Yelp) about the zoo-like atmosphere and terrible service. We went late Sunday night and the place was almost empty. Most of the food is half off from 10pm to 12am which is a great incentive to eat there late.
Read moreAs far as I can tell, the vegan sour cream is not Tofutti or a commercial brand; it says "tofu sour cream" in the menu and definitely has a different consistency and taste from the processed, soy-based stuff most vegans are used to. Not bad, just different. The soy cheese is most likely Follow Your Heart though I couldn't find out for sure.
The vegan options are incredible. They have a crispy tofu dish that rivals any Asian restaurant in Columbus or otherwise, complete with a mild peanut sauce, sesame seeds, and soy sauce. It was incredible. They also feature hummus with Mexican pumpkin seeds which sounds incredible, though I didn't try it.
The burritos are excellent and many other dishes can be vegan, including the tacos. The wealth of menu options and customizations make Mad Mex a great place to go with your omnivore friends. They are a relatively small chain (about 10 stores nationwide), so recommend they carry a popular food service mock meat (Boca, for instance) before they blow up! We told our server and he was very receptive.
Overall - another excellent restaurant in Columbus for vegans and vegetarians, with late-night hours.
Pros: vegan-friendly, taste, variety
Guest
keillorandel
Points +45
Excellent Food for Veg and Non Veg - Edit
It is rare to find a place that is equally god for vegetarians and our non veg friends, but this place is it. It has become a must visit when we are in columbus. I highly recommend almost everything on the menu. It can be a bit spicy, but the flavors are fresh and vibrant. This isn't bland nor is it the big cheese glops you expect in many Mexican places. It tastes remarkably complex- lost of different flavors and textures harmonize into each distinctive dish. I especially loved the green salse and the hummus. The chickpea chili was too spicy for me, but my better half loved it.
Read morePros: near campus, fresh , unusual dishes
Cons: a bit too spicy on some things
Guest
johannah
Points +19
So-So - Edit
Mad Mex can be good, but it depends entirely on what you get. The soy quesadillas are not good. Howver, the Thai Curry burrito is delicious (and vegan) and so is the chickpea soup. I would suggest going after 10 pm (they are open til 2) because the burritos are half off.
Read morePros: Vegan Options, Atmosphere, Hours
Cons: Price, Some foods
Guest
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