I don’t want to go near ANY Mexican restaurant today or Monday — as I suspect the Cinco de Mayo revelers will be out in force.
However, if I went anywhere — here’s where I’d go, in no particular order:
1. La Casita in Orange for Tex-Mex-style mole, brisket, rice and homemade flour tortillas. Address: 209 E. Lincoln Ave. Orange, CA. The independent eatery also offers tamales and menudo everyday but Sunday. (It’s closed on Sunday because it’s “God’s day,” says the restaurant’s chatty cook and owner.)
2. Crispy, shredded beef tacos and to-die-for tortilla chips at Jalapeno’s. (I go to the one in Orange, but there’s four others in O.C.: Tustin, Irvine (2 locations) and Ladera Ranch.) The Orange location is on the 100 block of North Glassell Avenue in Old Towne Orange.
3. Shrimp burrito at Tacos Adobe in Orange. Information: Tacos Adobe, 121 N. Lemon St., Orange. 714-628-0633.
4. Blackened shrimp tacos, salmon tacos and tortilla soup at Taco Mesa. The chain has four locations: Orange, Ladera Ranch, Costa Mesa and Mission Viejo. For addresses, click here.
5. Gabbi’s Mexican Kitchen is not fast-food, but I’d gobble down her Tacos de Hongos (shittake mushroom tacos) any day of the week. Her empanadas are addictive, as well.
6. Tacos al pastor, shrimp ceviche, chips and salsa from Tacos & Co. Hands down — the best al pastor tacos I’ve ever eaten. The fresh, homemade salsas are heavenly. The small, Orange County chain has five locations: Brea, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Westminster and Irvine. Click here to get addresses.
On Monday, the Newport Beach and Irvine fast-casual eateries are hosting a “ceviche festival,” where you’ll get value deals on fish ($7.99), salmon ($8.99), shrimp ($9.99) and — get this — exotic octopus shrimp combo ($9.99).
7. Enchiladas, crispy tacos and margaritas (on the rocks, of course) at El Coyote in Los Angeles. Best, cheap authentic Mexican food in Los Angeles.
8. El Adobe de Capistrano. I don’t get down to the Deep South that much, but I recall having a fine Mexican meal at this historic landmark in San Juan Capistrano. The eatery was a favorite spot for President Richard Nixon.
9. For fun and cocktails — and knock your socks off gourmet Mexican food, go to Javier’s. A friend of mine recently said, “Going to Javier’s is like vacationing in Cabo…” The atmosphere is that fantastic, which is why you need to call ahead to make a reservation. The cantina is packed all the time. I suspect it will be rockin’ Monday night. (Two locations: Newport Coast (shown, above) and Irvine (at the Spectrum mall.)
That’s it. If you have your own recommendations, don’t hold back.
Write in and let us know.
For a list of Cinco de Mayo dining events, go to our OCR dining calendar or visit OCMEX food blog.
Read about my recent tour of an avocado plant in Orange. The place is hopping for Cinco de Mayo.
Also, see OCR interactive map on Cinco de Mayo events, and history.
Nancy,
There’s also a Jalapenos by CSUF on St. College. Just an FYI. It’s actually called Jalapenos Grille but it’s the same stuff as far as I can tell. Thanks for all of the fun and informative articles.
You’ve got me craving Mexican food at 8 o’clock in the morning!
Thanks MDCrazy for the tip. That locale is NOT listed on the company’s website. I wonder why ?
Maven
Bahia Restaurant in Orange off of Chapman & Tustin Ave. That place is the best. The beans & rice are to die for and the lunch specials are excellent tasting with an excellent price. My favorite is camarones al mojo de ajo (shrimp grilled in garlic butter) with beans, rice and tortillas for $6.99. Everything I’ve eaten from this restaurant has been great, from the carne asada to the enchiladas to the shrimp cocktails. You must try it out!
Don’t forget Taco Mesa’s slightly more upscale cousin, Taco Rosa. We usually go to the Newport Beach location, but they recently opened a second location in the Tustin Marketplace.
Everything they make there is delicious — from the free snack they deliver to your table when you arrive, to the incredible margaritas made with fresh squeezed fruit juices, and just about anything made with their freshly made, pillowly tortillas. Try to leave room for some chocolate dipped stawberries or churros from the chocolate fountain.
I still love the old school Chili Pepper in Orange. And they deliver free little burrito appetizers while you wait for your food and a little free desert at the end, as well.
Believe it or not, even though I run a blog about Mexican food, I’m still undecided on what to do for Cinco de Mayo.
LeeLee: Thanks for adding the Chili Pepper..I do think that is a good value for a sit-down Mexican meal …those little free appetizers and desserts are really generous.
Maven
So, I broke my vow of not hitting a Mexican food place today. I hit El Pollo Loco today in Santa Ana because I wanted some tortilla soup in this chilly weather. I also ordered a chicken taco from the value menu and the drive-through lady asked me if I wanted a “tequila lime shot” with my order. For 25 cents, you can get a shot of the chain’s special tequila lime flavor ..Hmm…interesting… EPL spokeswoman Julie Weeks said the shots are only available in test stores. “A decision on whether it will be
rolled out to the system will be made following the test,” she said.
Tequila shots through the drive thru window? Hmmmm, wonder what the corporate office would think about that?
Irvine foodie, Welcome back. Where have you been?
Thanks for mentioning Taco Mesa’s sister chain, Taco Rosa in Newport Beach and the Market Place in Irvine. I don’t go to TR as much, because i think the food is cheaper, and just as good at my local TM.
There is an overlap between the Taco Mesa and Taco Rosa menus but they each have items the other doesn’t have. That’s why when I go to taco Rosa I tend to only order items Taco Mesa doesn’t have. Oddly enough, it’s much easier for me to get to either Taco Rosa than any Taco Mesa.