It’s finally here! Mezcal TNT‘s lil bro served up some tasty dishes this past weekend during their soft opening. Located just downstairs, Uno Mas has the same atmosphere and serves tapas and pintxos. What are those, you ask? They are small dishes of appetizers and snacks that are meant to be shared with the table, which means eating family-style! The space is a little larger, filled with wooden high tops and industrial bar stools. Beautiful graphic murals liven up the cave-like space, along with authentic photographs and paintings in ornate and decorative frames. The bar sits at the back of the restaurant, showing off their collection of unique drinking vessels and liquors. I gotta say, their washrooms are pretty cute too!

150 James Street South, Hamilton |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Map

Ever since they popped up on my Twitter feed, I’ve been waiting to try out their menu. Also, when Chanry mentioned they had raclette, it was over. I was going to put in 110% to be their first customer or make it to their soft opening. Since we’re such dedicated foodies, we made it to both. Chanry, Sid, and I went to their first #SundaySocial, then a couple days later, Matt joined us at their soft opening.

Watch the video to get a better look at the restaurant! Sweet vibes and nostalgic hip hop. I loved our dining experience from beginning to end. Congrats Chef Manny on another adventure!

This is going to be a quick review because they’re still figuring some things out and nothing is permanent yet (including prices and items on the menu). And we basically ordered everything, so here we go!

Ensalada: Escarole ($7) and Cous Cous ($8).

Both were fresh and light paired with vibrant vinaigrettes. I personally preferred the taste and texture of the Cous Cous over the Escarole.

Tapas: White Bean Bruschetta ($7), Octopus Taco ($6), Buratta ($9), Strawberries and Queso Blanco ($8), and Racelette ($13).

The White Bean Bruschetta had a mixture of beans and blood sausage topped with a fried quail egg. Even though it sounds like a simple toast, it’s full of flavour. Same with the Octopus Taco, it was topped with Iberico chorizo with a balsamic spritz. The Buratta was simple and light, perfect for nibbling. The Strawberries and Queso Blanco was one of my favourites. A slice of brioche topped with house cured duck prosciutto, basil, and slivered almonds. There’s also some type of spread that added just the right amount of moisture. The sweet strawberries hit all the right spots along with the salty duck prosciutto.

Oh god, and the Raclette. Just watching it being scraped onto toast was pretty orgasmic. I get why it’s so hyped. It also tasted heavenly. It’s surprisingly not overly rich or heavy. A great cheese just served over bread or some potatoes.

Pintxos: Patas Bravas ($7), Porchetta ($5), Lamb Spedini ($8).

The Patas Bravas came out in a cute little cast iron skillet but it’s deceivingly heavy. Not that the weight matters but the potatoes were decently dressed but weren’t as exciting as the other dishes. The lamb was definitely lamby and it came with a light tzatziki sauce. The little Porchetta slider was also alright.

Meats & Cheese: Large platter ($32). Our board consisted of Iberico chorizo, horse braseola, guanciale, elk salami, duck prosciutto, and proscuitino.

It’s a fucking steal when this board is shared between 4+ people, that’s $8/person for delicious cured meat and cheese nibbles. We were all saying that it seemed like the amount of cured meats was never ending! I loved all the variety of meats we got to try. Like, horse meat. Yep, it happened and it was weird, but a nice-weird. It was melt-in-your-mouth-tender with an spiced aftertaste. I also appreciated the pickled veggies that were sprinkled throughout the boards.

Jamon Iberico De Bellota ($13/oz). I have never heard of this type of meat before in my life until it was placed in front of me. I also didn’t know that it would cost more than a McDonalds combo for every ounce of meat. But damn, it’s the king of cured meats.

Cocktails: Smoking Gun 1.5oz ($11), Summer Island 1.5oz ($11), Negroni Rosa 3oz ($12), and Santiago Float 3oz ($10).

Explore their range of cocktails, they’re not your typical gin and tonic or rum and coke. I might even get into it because they all sound so delicious!

Uno Mas and other restaurants like FSH & CHP and Born & Raised are bringing so much excitement to Hamilton’s food scene. I’m trying to keep up with all of these restaurants and I’m struggling! But I’m so happy the chefs are pushing out intriguing and intricate dishes. We need more of this in Hamilton, LOVE IT!