First Review! Mexx in Phoenix

My friend and I went to Mexx for dinner one night. We were in the mood for tacos, but did not want to stop by one of our regular places (which will definitely also be reviewed at some point).

Mexx is a Mexican cuisine eatery at 32nd Street and Camelback, in the Northwest corner.

Overall it was a nice place. Though not authentic Mexican cuisine, it gave the hipster vibe while lightly teetering on a nearly respectable place for middle aged patrons within the middle class. I did appreciate the openness of the restaurant. A glass partition separated the bar from the main dining room, so the noise was slightly cut without feeling cramped or enclosed. They smartly took advantage of one of the few beautiful evenings that we have in the Arizona springtime. I ordered their award winning taco, only to be confused as to how it won an award; must have been a limited entry competition. But I’m not a food critic.

I saw one patron stand in the center of the dining room, looking rather lost. When she was able to flag down an employee, I realized that she was confused on how to get to the bathroom. The clear center partition is an overall nice touch, but did lead to confusion as to which side you had to be on in order to access the bathroom. Once she returned and I figured the coast was clear, I excused myself in order to get to work.

The area right outside of the bathroom itself is actually pretty cool. There is a sink with a mirror just outside the hallway. On the wall behind the sink, there are two doors. One leading to the Men’s bathroom, and one leading to the women’s.

It is single-occupant. Score – Makes my job a lot easier.

Above the handle, there is a circular indicator of a green ‘Vacant’ or red ‘Occupied’, which helps avoiding that awkward knocking and waiting to see if there is a response to check if you can go into the bathroom – assuming, of course, that the occupant was wise enough to lock the door.

Fortunately for me there was no wait time. Compared to the modern design and darkness from the rest of the restaurant, I was surprised to see a lightly colored bathroom that reminded me of a subway station. White tiles adorned most of the walls, with the exception of the light blue tiled wall which you face if you are actually using the facility.

It smelled as most bathrooms do. There was no odor positive or negative.

Toilet brush and additional toilet paper were left out in the open, granting more to the industrial/minimalist feel to the bathroom overall. A sign next to the bathroom door indicated the cleaning schedule. I went in around 7:30, putting the last cleaning at around 8.5 hours before I even entered. Though the bathroom did not appear dirty, that’s a bit too much of a time lapse between cleanings for my personal preference. That said – there was no odor or noticeable trash to be found.

A body-length mirror was present on one of the walls, most likely a more helpful tool for women to adjust their clothing or double-check their makeup in private as opposed to doing adjustments in the communal sink outside.

The ceiling did have a touch of whimsy, with chalk-drawn Sun smiling down at guests on the blackboard-painted ceiling. I wonder if they change the design at all.

I guess I will have to come back to check.

As you exit the bathroom, you once again go to the sink in between the bathrooms and the hallway. The mirror is lined with the light bulbs that may be required by any restaurant that wants to cater to hipsters or millennials. The unique design there is balanced by the utility design of soap in a regular dispenser and disposable hand towels at the ready. I did have to be quick with the photos I took outside of the bathroom, as there was staff running up and down the hall.

So – Let’s Break It Down

Cleanliness

3/5 Nothing looked visibly dirty, but nothing appeared sparkling clean either. Plus, an 8.5 hour lag on cleaning during a Saturday lends to the impression that bathroom sanitation may not be the most important factor to the group.

Smell

3/5 There was nothing notably bad nor great about the smell. Fortunately it did not smell terrible, but it also just smelled like air. Another note of not contributing extra effort.

Stock

4/5 They had additional toilet paper stock easily accessible in the actual bathroom. Hand towels and hand soap were also readily available at the sink.

Space

4/5 The actual bathroom was very decent in size. The only drawback was the tightness of the actual sink. Having it out in the open was a cool idea, but was right off of a pretty busy hallway. Plus, during busier hours, you may be waiting for a sink

Lighting

4/5 The actual bathroom was very well lit. Even with the black ceiling, I never felt that it was too dark. The sink outside fit the aesthetic of the rest of the restaurant. It was a bit dark, but somehow it made sense.

Environment

3/5 It was cool, but nothing too out-of-the-box or impressive

'Wow' Factor

3/5 Having the sink separate from the bathroom was pretty cool for a couple minutes. But then I sat and thought about how it’s becoming more and more common with restaurants whose aim clientele are millennials. Then it just didn’t seem special anymore.

So out of the potential 35 total, Mexx’s women’s restroom came in at 21. This number may be a bit harsh for what it is, but I always tend to look at restaurants in medium to large cities with a higher expectation.

#Mexx #Phoenix