We love Mexican and we love sushi, so finding a place that does both well felt like a win. MESU on upper King Street in downtown Charleston blends the two into one menu (ME=Mexican, SU=sushi), and we had a blast working our way through it.

One of the best ways to start is the MESU fries, crispy fries loaded with all the best toppings you’d find on a sushi roll and a Mexican plate at once. From there we got adventurous with the tacos. Daniel had the bao bun taco, which was delicious and unlike anything we’d had before, and I went with the carne asada taco, which had some of the most tender meat I’ve had in a while. Then we dug into the sushi rolls, which pull together really unique flavor combinations. If you’re going with a group, they also offer special sushi platters and taco towers that would be perfect for sharing. We’ve already got a running list of combos we want to try next time.

Whether MESU works as a family dinner or is better saved for a parents’ night out really depends on your kids’ palates. There’s no dedicated kids’ menu, but the menu has plenty of options a kid might love. Ours would happily go for the rice bowl options, nachos, quesadillas, or a simple taco. We haven’t introduced the boys to sushi rolls yet, but we’re pretty sure there are a few they’d actually enjoy. The ambiance is casual, and we’d feel completely comfortable having the kids with us.

MESU is at 570 King Street, Charleston. The kitchen is open Sunday–Thursday 4–10pm and Friday–Saturday 4–11pm, with the bar open daily until 2am. Keep in mind it opens at 4pm, so it’s a dinner spot, not a lunch one.