I was there 7/19/13 with friends and we had a good time. Â However, I was so disappointed after learning that someone there had hacked my Visa credit card after I used it that night. Â I'm having a nightmare right now. Â I wish the establishment will take a look into this otherwise customers will avoid this restaurant if the credit card hacking will be left unresolved.
Review Source:Came here for a quick bite to eat with a friend. Upon entering there was a nice feel to the place (low lighting but not in a bad way) nice for a date even. We opted to self seat ourselves out in the patio. The whole place was pretty full. We were quickly attended and everyone was very attentive. I have to admit, the salsa was pretty good. Typically it's not spicy but this one was good. Snacked on some chips and salsa while I waited for the fajitas to come out. Now I should say I'm not a fan of fajitas but these were delicious! The meat was tender and of good quality. the dish wasn't overpowered by peppers and onions as I typically see. The beans were good as well. It's easy to tell when you crack open a can of refried beans and pop those bad boys in the microwave or something, yeah not the case here. Overall, good presentation of the food, tasted great and thumbs up for authenticity.
I got a peek at the mole dish of the table next to me and I can say it looked on point. I would love to come back and try a few other things. Sounds like a bookmark for a future date-spot with my boyfriend.
Really enjoyed this place! Loved the atmosphere and vibe here. Chips and salsa were delicious! I had the carnitas and it was fantastic!
Wait staff was attentive and very pleasant. Overall, from service to food, I thought the place was great! Food came out pretty quickly and it was all delicious! There is cheaper authentic Mexican food in the OC for sure, but if you want a little more upscale experience with your guacamole then this is a great place! Â Will definitely be back.
Probably the most bland Mexican food I've ever had! The shrimp tacos didn't even have salt and pepper. They tasted boiled and flavorless. The seafood enchiladas were just okay. The fajitas were just warm and served on a regular plate (not sizzling). They forgot one person's order and forgot to serve the guacamole that came with an entree.
The restaurant is beautiful but don't go there if you are more than 5 or 6 people. We were a group of 10 and even though there was a little alcove/booth that would easily seat 10, they put us at a make-shift long table that was in the path of all the servers. The people on that side of our table kept getting bumped by the servers passing by and carrying big trays of food over them. Mind you, this was not peak dinner time. It was 9 pm on a Sunday.
I guess from the other reviews that it's a good place for drinks but it is certainly not a good place for dinner.
Love the chips and salsa! Â It has a nice kick but it leaves you with some kicking breath for hours! Â I almost always order the Pollo a la Chipotle, it is a simple but very yummy dish. Â It comes with a piece of chicken topped with a creamy chipotle white sauce and a side of rice and black beans! Â SO GOOD. Â Yesterday I felt a little more adventurous and tried the Tacos de Camaron. Â They were good but the ones in Cabo were much better.
Review Source:Place was loud and vibrant, but not a place to go if you want to catch up with friends you haven't seen in ages... oh yeah, if you're bringing kids, not ideal...
But they had an awesome Jalapeno Margarita. Â Had reminisce of Pear Vodka in there. Â It was really good. Â That spice at the end gives that kick...
The food was good, the service was good... I enjoyed my time there.
Lobster enchiladas!!!
This place is bomb! I was a little skeptical of a "high class" mexican food restaurant. I really love authentic food. But this place did not disapoint.
Get the Cabo Azul
-Lobster Enchilada
-Dungenous Crab & Shrimp Chile Relleno
-Rice & Beans
It is the perfect meal!
BOMB.COM!
There are quite a few Javier's around the area and also one in Las Vegas at the Aria hotel. I've only heard about this until my last trip to Irvine afforded me a sample of their menu.
I was with a couple of co-workers and we decided to meander through the Spectrum (my second day in a row here...). This time there would be drinks involved which I knew things would work out ok. I will say that the staff at Javier's is witty, friendly, kind, and everybody from the guy sweeping up trash to your waiter is willing to help you.
We ordered drinks and made them doubles. To our lack of knowledge they charge you double for doubles. Not that odd, just added up more quickly than one might think.
I, for some reason, felt crippled by the menu. Things sounded good, but not that good. I was really hungry, but maybe not that hungry? They have many choices but it seems like there are enough odd names of things to sort of throw you off. I ended up getting a combo with an enchilada, a tamale, a taco, and rice and beans. This is where things ultimately make Javier's just ok. The food, well, was just ok. The enchilada sauce was good but things were dry enough that I ordered a side of sauce and poured it over everything. It made it much better. Everybody else though their food was ok as well. Nothing mind blowingly good.
If you're at the Spectrum and you want this style of food, come on in. Get a table on the path and have fun people watching. Service is good, food is fine, the price is a bit high, so it's OK. Nothing wrong with OK. However, I won't go out of my way for OK.
Pepino margarita may be my favorite drink ever. Â I sat with the bartender and asked him to show me how to make it......twice.
I made that drink at my housewarming party and it was a huge hit.
Really the best thing on their menu are the carnitas. Â They don't come as pre-made tacos though. Â It's a hunk of meat that you have to carve up, served with onion, cilantro, tortilla and guac. Â You really can't go wrong.
I made the mistake of trying to be healthy and ordered the shrimp (con Ajo, translation, with garlic) dish which was drenched in a soup of melted butter. Â I love me some butter but this was way too buttery.
Swanky cushy outdoor seating with good people watching. Â The inside is dark like a cave but I think that's part of the ambiance. Â Always plenty of business meetings going on in here too.
Javier's has a chic yet romantic ambiance, their bartenders are witty and fast, the table servers are attentive and the food is second to none.
If you want a bang for your buck the Cabo Azul is a must. It is a lobster enchilada, crab chile relleno, and shrimp taco with rice and beans on the side.
Other great dishes we've had here and we recommend are chile negro, carne tampiquena, Callitos Mazatlan, La Tablita(for 2), and Enchiladas Suizas to name a few.
If you are really feeling froggy they have my favorite spicy dish of all time, but it's not on the menu, so you have to ask for it. It's called Camarones a La Diabla.
They have a very good salsa you can eat while having a cadillac margarita. It's chunky and spicy.
This is not a very kid friendly place, it is great for dates or cocktails with friends.
I've been to Javier's twice. I have to admit, the food is pretty good. The steak never fails to disappoint. However, the service and atmosphere will keep me from coming back. Both times, service was terrible-- I saw my waiter twice each time 1) to take orders 2) to give us the bill. Â Yes, they're busy, but a huge part of the whole dining experience is quality service.
Options range from $20-$40 a plate.
Keep in mind, this place is NOT for families, especially those with kids. People are dressed like they're going clubbing, get drunk, and people get crazy.
Solid four stars for now. It is upscale but nothing over the top. I had the Pollo Asado  and it was great but felt it was a little over priced ($20) and that is why I gave them four stars.
I am sure ordering chicken at a place like this is not the best choice so I want to give it a second and order some beef. I have a feeling it will bump it up to five.
My experience at Javier's could not have been better. My water was never more than a third empty and the salsa is absolutely fantastic. Our server was clearly very busy, but he was completely on his game. My friend got the spinach enchiladas which are the best we've ever had (I of course had to sample her plate as well). I couldn't make up my mind so I got a combination plate of the chile relleno, chicken enchilada, and shredded beef taco. Everything was absolutely DELICIOUS. The entire staff was attentive and extremely polite.
Any other business dealing with customer service needs to learn from this place!
Ahhhh Javier's, you hold such a soft spot in my heart. That being said, we decided to go last night having not been in a few months. And of course, they didn't disappoint. We made a reservation at 6:15 and we were about ten minutes early which was not a problem. We were seated right away in a back room next to the patio, the doors were thankfully closed due to the heat wave so it was nice and cool. And on the plus side, being a "school night" we had the ENTIRE room to ourselves. Part of me was excited, the other part of me relishes on the people watching aspect of Javier's, it's kind of a grab bag... You never know what you're going to see or overhear. Aside from that, the food was delicious. I got my usual, taco and enchilada. Other than both coming out hotter than the sun and having to wait several minutes to even lick the cheese off my fork it was YUM. My boyfriend had his usual carnitas and he wasn't complaining, they're his favorite. After we finished eating and got the bill we noticed that it was only 640, 35 minutes for an appetizer and dinner.... Whoa, no wonder we felt so full.
Review Source:I have been going here for years and up until recently loved it. The service can be hit or miss. Lately the hosts seem to be rude and not friendly. The food is not as tasty as it used to be. I usually share a tablita with my wife and I think I could make the same meal at home with much better flavor. The chicken was dry with skin hanging off of it. The steak was ok. Â It's kind of turned into your standard Mexican restaurant with high prices and attitudes from employees.
Review Source:For the people that say this place is way overpriced and not "baby friendly". I say this....if you go to a place that is in a high rent district then you need to realize that prices will reflect the surroundings. You don't live on a cliff with an ocean view cheap. I remind you... Location location location. Javier's has to pay their rent and if you don't want to pay for ambiance then go to Taco Bell. And please please please leave your screaming kids at home. I've had a long day at work and want to eat my taco
In peace. If you need a diaper changing station, Then target is down the street. Â They have them there.
If you make a reservation for 10 then tell all 10 to show up on time so you can be seated. If the restaurant didnt have your table ready on time with a full staff to serve you then You would probably get mad and  go somewhere else.  Go ahead. If you are that unreasonable then make room for someone like me that could use an open table.
Now on to the food and service. I had the combo plate. Taco enchilada and chili relanos. Delicious!!!!!  Our  margaritas were very good too!!!!  Everyone at our table was happy with their food. This is definately not subpar Mexican food. Every dish was made with love. True there are many different styles of Mexican food and trust me, I have had them all but this food was good. The service was above par. Asked for more salsa and the waiter literally brought each person at the table their own little beautiful bowl of salsa. He even came back BEFORE the chip bowl was empty and brought us more!! Â
Took the leftovers home and had them the next day and they were nearly just as good as the day before. Â
I don't know why so many think the prices are high. Â You pay for what you get. And I will be back to get me more at this place!!!!
People seem divided on Javier's at the Spectrum, but I think I know why.
It's the perfect place to go for a happy hour in the area, but they don't offer one. Think about it: huge patios with beautiful landscaping, private cabana, fun interior bar--but no happy hour menu. There's no mistaking Javier's is out to shake you down at a premium price. If you keep that in mind, the drinks are good, and the apps and dining that we've done there in the past have been good as well (though not great). I'm certain they have zero interest in offering a happy hour menu based on my theory above, but I do think it'd be a crowd pleaser.
No denying it's a nice place for your party to meet, but for a better experience, head south to their location at Crystal Cove for something more indulgent. With so many other major restaurants at the Spectrum offering dynamite happy hour promotions, Javier's there feels out-of-step.
Good mexican food, not great.
Been here for food twice. Once on a holiday, and onc on a regular day.
Holidays get super packed since its a nice place to eat.
Very pricy, but the ambiance is nice.
Usually just come here for happy hour drinks, appitizers, and chips and salsa with the boyfriend now. Fun hang out or date night spot.
Came here for my  mom's 60th bday as the name is sentimental and convenient location. I've never been prior.
Setting up the dinner was pretty simple, however since we were a party of 19, we were required to order from the banquet menu even though 3 in that count were toddlers 3 & under.
Sat on the patio which is the most kid friendly area. This restaurant is an upscale Mexican restaurant/bar. Not fine dining but nice place for dinner, drinks etc. Inside is dark, and nice almost clubby.
They are not kid friendly so don't expect kids meals but we weren't required to order a meal for them.
Each meal is $40pp. which includes a salad ( greens, ranch, cheese, tomato)
Anytime before 5:30 is $40, afterwards it goes for $70pp
We had to chose 5 items for guests to chose from:
most came w/refritos black beans, white rice
Cabo Azul  - The best! Crab & shrimp relleno. Though it was more like a stuffed pepper, since the pepper still a bit crunch NOT the very soft relleno i'm used to w/cotija cheese. Lobster enchilada and a Shrimp (breaded) taco.
Fajitas de Carne o Pollo - Also tasty but the "safest" dish. The other 2 kids, including grandma, dad etc got these
Carne Tampiquena - 6oz NY steak topped w/chilese onions, mole chicken enchilada, taquito, refritos. Sis said steak was very juicy and flavorful
Carnitas - no one ordered. My sis & hubbie tried this in the past and said it was good, but they ended up choosing diff. dishes.
Chili Negro - Â Tender beef shortribs in chili negro sauce w/white rice. So good and tender!
We also ordered Queso Fundido which we highly recommend!! it's a bowl of soft cheese (w/seasoning & chile and olive) served w/warm quesadillas which you make quesadillas wtih. (this also served as food for toddlers)
the guacamole was good, but nothing spectacular.
Pitcher of Javiers Margarita was delish and strong!! served 8. They only serve mexican beer
No cake cutting fee w/the banquet meal so we brought a cake + other dessert They sang for her and also cut the cake, and boxed/bagged our leftovers near the table. Great service and they kept filling our chips and salsa (free) Love that the salsa was spicy.
Overall a wonderful night!!! It's a bit pricey though for mexican food which you can find cheaper and better (but the environment is what you pay for)
Very popular place at the Spectrum, packed with good looking people, all over the newly extended patio, inside at the tables but mostly around the bar standing, there's always a big crowd and a long waiting line. They are a Mexican restaurant and that's why you can only order Mexican beer here, so no BudLite for me, had Tecate Light instead and I liked it. The Spinach Enchilada was good, I had the Chicken a la Chipotle and liked it. The food is nothing special though, the Quesadilla looked exactly like the one at Rubio's, nothing wrong with it, just not worth some 20 bucks. Great if you want to mingle with beautiful and rich people or to impress your friends, also to enjoy a really hot complementary salsa and chips.
Review Source:So now that I've calmed down from what ended up being a wonderful Girls Night Out, I have to tell the story of what really happened.
The plan was to meet at Javier's at the Spectrum and enjoy the company of 6-8 friends in the Cabana. When I made the reservation I was told that it could not be reserved unless it was for dinner. So I reserved 6-8 people for dinner. When two of us got there we were told by the hostess that we needed to have 'most ' of our party there. When three of us were there we still could not be seated and a different  host said we cant have the cabana unless we have 8-10 people. So wisely, one of us gathered three random people to join us for a drink so we could at least be seated. We were still told we could not be seated. Then another friend  asked for the manager he proceeds to tell us that oh no we only reserve the cabana for 10-12 people. In the meantime one of us takes our new friends and seats herself and them in the cabana so  I let them know we have 7 of us which is "most" and we are ready to be served. Management still refused us. Keep in mind, we were not belligerent, in fact we kept our conversations with the restaurant politely quiet so as to NOT cause a scene. Once he told us that we could not be seated I went back to the cabana, got my friend  apologized to our new friends and left. At that time another one of our friends  arrived and I got to tell her part of the story while guiding her to our new destination, Cucina Enoteca. We were sat outdoors by the fireplace, a beautiful spot, given wonderful service and drinks. Then I went out to flag down another friend to make sure she did not go to that Other place. We had a great time laughing, talking, meeting new people and spent our $400 + at a place that appreciated it.
Never ever would I recommend Javiers and absolutely will never ever go there. I bet the cabana was empty all night.
Javier's only receives two stars because their staff was great, and the ambiance on the patio was wonderful.
HOWEVER.
I go to restaurants for the food. Don't come here expecting anything close to an authentic Mexican culinary experience. This *might* be some type of horrible fusion. Regardless, the food wasn't great for the relatively high price you pay.
$15 Ceviche de pescado: we received a bowl the size of my two cupped hands. The fish tasted like it was steamed or boiled before they tossed it in some lime and pice de gallo. This is not ceviche, and they should be ashamed of themselves for calling it such.
$16 Quesadilla. This was ok...but not $16 ok. I guess I was paying for the environment (and their probably high rent).
Meh.
Friendly, attentive staff. Â Accommodating. Â
But if this is your idea of good Mexican...
Their fish of the day was halibut at the market price. Â Dry with absolutely no sabor. Â I just had the halibut at Passionfish in Monterey. Â Yes, I'm being unfair comparing Javier's to Passionfish, a restaurant 600 miles away. Â But shit dude. Â I couldn't help it, because Javier's was actually priced higher. Â They need to take this off the menu, because they don't know how to cook it.
This place gets 4 stars for its chips and salsa alone. I mean, if you are super cheap and don't mind being an asshole, you could probably order waters and get through about 3 baskets before the server realized you are a tool. Give it a try!
This place can get kind of pricey but the food is amazing. Stick with the carne and the carnitas and you can't go wrong.
Nicely decorated, fun place to eat especially for a birthday celebration.
Overpriced, mediocre mexican food.
Okay service, kind of slow.
Good location, but parking was a HUGE pain the Friday night I came as the center gets extremely packed and busy with teens, families,.. just everyone.
Verdict: You pay for the ambience, definitely not the food. I wouldn't come again.
I have loved Javi's since it was on PCH in Laguna Beach, so many moons ago! Â I'd spend many weekends there drinking pitchers of Pina Colada's in the bar...ah, memories!
Fast forward to 2013 Javier's is booming all over the place! Â They are even in the John Wayne airport and Vegas Baby!
I will agree with everyone else the food is pricey, but if the Italians can charge $20 for a pasta dish with Shrimp then why can't the Mexi's charge $20 for some tortillas, chicken and cheese!? Lol...
One thing I have always wondered about Javier's is why there are no female servers here, or workers period (are there?) in all the years I've been going to Javi's I don't recall a female worker, not as host, waitress, bar tender, nada (they prob are the cleaning crew)
My favorite dish is Enchilada's Poblana's, Mole is a tricky dish and Javier's makes it like my grandmother use to (which I don't always find) so I always order this when I eat at Javier's.
My meal was delicious as usual, but I noticed the beans looked foamy on the plate, even though they were delicious, they looked odd. Â I also noticed that the beans & rice portion was rather small compared to other Mexican restaurants, but why am I complaining, I took half my meal home!
Javier's isn't the place to go to every week for that Mexican craving (because it IS expensive) but it is nice to go for a special occasion :)
Ok-I'm guilty! Food here is nothing great and really pricey but I love the ambience. It's a beautiful setting for a get together. Came here quite a few times with my girlfriends for GNO's (Girls Night Out), catch-up lunches, and special occasions. All of us order almost the same things everytime we're here between these dishes:
1. Pollo a la Chipotle: probably my favorite dish here--ask for extra sauce on the side!
2. Steak Picado: this one's my go-to-dish for beef--very tender and tasty. Not for those who don't like cilantro.
3. Seafood Enchiladas: only tried this during Lent a few years back when I gave up meat. So-so.
4. Carnitas: it's like any carnitas you can find in other Mexican joints but in a generous portion. Shared this with a friend on my last visit two weekends ago and still had leftovers.
5. Cabo Azul: if you like chile relleno and lobster, order this.
Used to love their "over-priced" Sangria but on our last visit, it was just horrible. Too watered-down! Tsk tsk tsk. On a brighter note, their guacamole and leche flan never fail to please my palate.
Service here is hit or miss...or shall I say amiss? Water and utensils are just basic requests that are sometimes hard to get by with the servers. You'll often see them gathered together chatting by the service area that I had to walk over to them a couple of times to ask for water refills. For the price you pay here, I just wish they would give great service.
Love this place. The first time I went to Javier's was in Las Vegas at the Aria. I was so glad to hear that they have a restaurant in Orange County.
I always get a cucumber jalapeno Margarita while I wait to be seated. Â This place gets really BUSY on a Friday night, to be prepared to wait at least an hour.
Their chips and salsa is really good. Their salsa is spicy, just the way I like it.
I believe i got the Chile Negro, bomb! Â When I come back to this place, I am going to have to take pictures.
I would not compare this place to El Torito and any other Mexican chain. This place serves mole, picadillo, and USDA Steaks, the other chain restaurants don't. Looks like most of the people who rate this place with 2 stars or less probably ordered tacos.  Who orders tacos at javier's, if you want taco's go to a taco place. This is a restaurant, so you are better off getting a real plate. I  would recommend getting  something with their mole sauce or Chile negro sauce. Â
Yes, this place is a little pricey, but their is always a party in your mouth because the spices are amazing.
My review history will show that I have a habit of hating on most Mexican restaurants. Namely the popular ones, because I think they excel in ripping people off by charging exorbitant prices for mediocre cuisine.
Javier's is one of those places.
I only ate here after a friend told me that "it rocked", and offered to buy me lunch if we grabbed a bite. Yea, sure, free food. Just tell me where to go.
It sure is dark in here. It looked like I was entering some clandestine cloak-and-dagger club. Or some weird Mexican medieval fetish club. Don't be intimidated. All this shit is just a front to make people think they're about to indulge in high quality food in a luxuriously rich environment. Really, it's just there to (hopefully) distract you from the food. Although, to be fair, Orange County has plenty of status whores that love spots like this. If you're one of those people, please, feel free to skip this review and enjoy your evening here.
A quick glance at their menu shows that the price gouging on a FUCKING TACO has clearly reached an apex. I mean, seriously, muchachos, you're charging $16 for a taco and enchilada combo? And don't act like it's all gussied up or anything; my friend ordered one and it's those two items alongside some Mexican rice and beans.
I didn't feel like paying that much for what are traditionally cheap foodstuffs at just about any other place. So, I went with the milanesa de pollo, which also came with some other sides but since Javier's writes arbitrary portions of their menu descriptions in Spanish I had no clue what the fuck else I was getting.
Food's here! Have you ever had a chicken sandwich at Carl's Jr? You know the quality and consistency of meat like that? That was this, but with light breading and a deep fry. This was not succulent, juicy fresh chicken. This was frozen, mediocre, salty-as-a-pirate chicken.
It came with mashed potatoes... which were - I kid you not - inedible because they put so much salt in the mix it tasted like mashed salt featuring potatoes. How you can fuck that up is really a mystery. I almost have to admire that kind of failure; it's so incredible.
The other side was another mystery. A slimy mess of red peppers, enough onions to make Charles Bronson cry, and some bits of corn. Was I supposed to eat this? Was it a topping for my chicken? I had no clue. I forked a good amount and ate it. Tasted extremely onion-y. Seemed more like a garnish than something some place serves me as a side to a $20 entree.
In a weird way, I envy the people who open spots like this, and Mi Casa, because they get loads of people to pay ridiculous money for terrible food. If you've got taste, look up real Mexican food nearby. You're in Southern California, it's everywhere.
Javier, I'd like to profess my love for your food!
Officially, the service was pretty bad. Â Sheila cannot stand bad service. We were sat pretty quickly on the outside patio, but woooo-eeee it took a VERy long time to get service. Â
Usually your waiter stops by to take a drink order, right? Well nope, nothing. Â Tables around us were getting their food, etc. and nada for us.
I finally flagged down a bus boy so he could get our waiter. Â Well, a waiter showed up saying they couldn't find our waiter and he'd be taking care of us. How nice of him! (I'm not being sarcastic).
Well this new waiter got us our drinks and took our order and low and behold, our "real" waiter deemed us important enough to go pay us a visit 35 minutes after we were sat down! I wish I knew his name, but they don't wear name-tags. Â He just stopped by to say, "I'm veri sory" (I'm Mexican so I can make fun of his accent) with a cheesy smile. Wish he hadn't stopped by at all because we were already happy with the other waiter.
ANYWHOOO! The food was absolutely delectable! The prices are pretty up there but  WOW, it's worth it!
My main squeeze ordered the Pollo Asado which came with grilled chicken breast, poblano chile stuffed with cotija cheese, guacamole and frijoles de la olla. He said it was super good!
I ordered the Cabo Azul, and let me tell ya, I was one happy girl. My plate came with a Lobster Enchilada, an Ensanada Shrimp Taco, a grilled Chile Relleno of Dungeness Crab  accompanied with steamed rice and black beans.
Holy Moly! I was super impressed. Â There was so much lobster in the Enchilada and so much crab in the Chile Relleno! Â I didn't eat the Shrimp Ensenada taco, I only ate the shrimp inside and it was great too!
We will definitely be back! We'll also be going to Vegas in a couple weeks and since we stay at the Aria, we'll probably dine at the Javier's in there! :)
"N**** why you babysittin only 2 or 3 shots?
I'mma show you how to turn it up a notch
First you get a swimming pool full of liquor, then you dive in it
Pool full of liquor, then you dive in it"
(Lines from Swimming Pools, Kendrick Lamar)
I came here recently to help send my friend off - He's moving to San Jose to be w/ his future wife. Â The only problem is that we didn't know whether to play the Queen classic: Â Another One Bites the Dust, or break out our trumpets and play Taps. Â Since no one had downloaded the song and he is not military, we decided to drown him in a "swimming pool" of drinks - LOL!!!
In addition to all the Bohemias, Dos Equis, Pacificos, Maragaritas and Tequila shots (Yes, we had designated drivers), we ordered Ceviche de Camarones y Pulpo ($14 each), Quesadilla de Pollo ($12), Mixed Taco Platter ($20) and Taquitos ($9).
The food was pretty good. Â Both ceviches were super fresh and a decent sized portion for the price: Â 4 Stars. Â The quesadilla was OK. Â It was good sized but nothing special: Â 3 Stars. Â The tacos were very good. Â There was a lot of nicely seasoned carne asada and pollo inside. Â The taquitos were very good also. Â They were not fried rock hard like a lot of places, but at $3 each, they are expensive: Â 3.5 Stars for both types of tacos.
Please note that this is not a place to go for authentic Mexican, or for a bargain. Â You come here for the ambiance, the service (oh yeah, there is another reason too!!!). Â The ambiance is very nice. Â The restaurant is located by the valet at the Irvine Spectrum. Â The two outdoor patios face out towards the Spectrum for great people watching. Â And the last reason is because, I have hollared and I have been hollared at many times at this location. Â Note: Â This is not a good place for a date unless you are breaking up: Â 5 Stars.
The service is always excellent here. Â My friends and I have come to know the waitresses fairly well. Â On this occasion, Armida was our waitress. Â She is super nice and handled our 8 person group w/ flying colors: Â 5+++ Stars.
Despite the mixed food reviews I still give this place 5 Stars because of the service and ambiance. Â BTW, another reason I gave Armida 5+++ Stars is because she made me break the WAMB rule. Â I never hollared at her before because of her profession and she had a bf. Â This time, I jokingly asked her if she dumped him. Â Surprisingly, she said that she had. Â But she surprised me further and asked me, where I have been and when can we go out: Â How about that??? Â A reverse holla!!! Â Review of the upcoming date to folla - LOL!!!
I like this place. Â A lot. Â Valet parking is 6 bucks or so. Â Very convenient. Â Hey, this is not El Torito. Â It's pretty expensive, so be prepared. You know...$12 Margarita kind of expensive. Â The layout is great. Â Big bar, patio areas, tables and cozy corners...just for drinks and appetizers. The dining area is big as well. Â We got a table outside but it was very comfortably heated. Â The margarita selection is great. I can't tell the difference between good tequila and great tequila.....especially in a margarita. Â I have no idea what the hell I ordered... I think it was the Javier's Margarita. Â It was great. Â The bartender poured me a shot of cucumber margarita.....delicious, sweet and smooth...
Once seated inside, service was also excellent. Â They had a big menu that was heavy on seafood. Â I ordered a seafood trio of....oh, hell.....I have no freakin' idea...I was so drunk I don't know what the hell I ate.... Â I think it was a shrimp taco, a lobster chile relleno and shrimp or crap enchilada. Truthfully, I was not blown away but it was pretty good. Â I think. Â I ate so many damned chips and their salsa is absolutely delicious, chunky and quite spicy. Â Between the salty chips, two bowls of salsa, lots of margaritas and XX beer, I had to get rolled outta the place.
Like I said, great location, great space, great service, tasty food and drinks, expensive (thank you company credit card) and my workmates and I had a great time.
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