3.5 stars - rounding up as their attitudes and prompt attention to detail gets the bonus. Never been a fan of the Chronic - chain that is. However, this new establishment has a small and smart layout with nice seating outside. Food was served fresh, quickly and efficiently. Flavors were nice, though nothing spectacular. Overall very pleasant experience and if they offer future coupons I imagine we would return... read more

Was visiting the area and actually was looking for a different restaurant (which was out of business) when I was led to this one by my phone's GPS. SO glad my phone was smart enough to guide me to this place. Went there with a LARGE group (we were just visiting someone at a nearby hospital) and EVERYONE left satisfied. We were wanting a "sit-down" restaurant quality experience and when we didn't find what we were looking for, we thought we'd "settle" for Chronic Tacos. The food was as good or better than any full on restaurant; perfectly seasoned, generously portioned, and the service was GREAT! It's clear that these guys care a great deal about the quality of the ingredients. Everything tasted fresh and not at all like it had been sitting there long. They took pride in the fact that their fish were "line caught" and did not use lard in their beans. Usually quality like that comes at a pretty hefty price, but my wife and I ate a very satisfying meal for under $20. read more

Let's start with their Burritos which are monster 13" tortillas stuffed with white lime rice or Spanish rice, your choice of black, pinto, or refried beans, cheese, cilantro, onions, and salsa (to your liking, of course). The first combination we tried was a Wet Al Pastor Burrito with cheese, onions, salsa, Spanish rice, black beans, squeeze of lime, cabbage, and cilantro. The wet sauce had an overpowering tomato flavor. Al pastor was good, but not great. The rice, beans, and salsa were ok, nothing special. The second combination was a Grilled Shrimp Burrito with cheese, refried beans, onions, cilantro, green sauce, and lettuce. The grilled shrimp is amazing - perfectly cooked, crisp and sweet, and seasoned just right. The refried beans are good, nicely flavored, not too salty or greasy. Well combined flavors if I say so myself! You'll definitely have an OMG moment or two! Thumbs up, way up! Beef and Chicken Flautas with chopped peppers, cheese and onion inside served with salsa and guacamole for dipping. The Beef Flautas are juicy and have a good beefy flavor. The chicken, on the other hand, was rather flavorless. Fortunately, the guacamole is chunky, flavorful and really saved the day for this dish. The flauta itself was fried to perfection with a great crunchy texture that you'd expect. Thumbs up on the Beef Flautas! Fatty Tacos are served up street-style on your choice of flour or corn tortilla with veggies and salsa. We tried the carnitas topped with guacamole, green chile sauce, onions, and cilantro. The carnitas are a little on the sweet side and more like pulled pork with a soft texture. I prefer my carnitas on the salty side and with a crispy texture. I must say, the combination of flavors worked really well - sweet, creamy, and tangy. The corn tortillas are wonderfully light with a sweet corn flavor. Definitely a mind-blowing experience! Thumbs up, way up! Tortas are homemade talera "bread" smothered in refried beans and topped with veggies, guacamole, and salsa. We tried carne asada with refried beans, guacamole, spicy salsa, onions, and cilantro. This is one manly sandwich. It's HUGE! Just half of it was almost too much for me. The flavor combination was different for a sandwich, sort of like what you would have inside a burrito but on bread instead. It's a little messy but good. It's like a Mexican Sloppy Joe. The bread was a little too soft so it got soggy too fast. Grilling the outer crust more might help. Near the end, you'll need a fork to eat the rest. I saved the best for last. Chronic Tacos stocks Choco Tacos for dessert. Vanilla light ice cream swirled with chocolate sauce packed in a waffle cone taco shell and covered in chocolate and topped with nuts. These are made by Klondike so "What would you do for a Choco Taco?" It's the great end to a great meal.\ read more

Get the chicken tacos Baja style ! Love their tacos but the chicken Baja style are the way to go

I've been laying off the reviews, but WTH, I use Yelp so I might as well contribute. Went to Chronic Tacos for lunch. I got the burrito with al pastor. Supposedly, this burrito is 920 calories on the menu board. I doubt that. Not any fault of the workers, but due to my own piggishness. They stuff that burrito with rice, beans, bell peppers, cheese, pico and salsa roja. The staff had difficulty with rolling it up. Eventually, the paper wrapping held it together (duct tape applied). It was tasty. Similar to Chipotle, but a bit less whitey of a burrito. Sorry, I don't know how else to explain it. I just wouldn't find this type of customized burrito at Alberto's. Anyhow, if you're hungry, get your eat on. read more

I'm die hard on Mexican food authentic or not (with the exception of Taco Bell and other huge American drive thru chains alike). This place is like your local version of Chipotle! Kudos! Food So I ordered the Chicken burrito and got black beans, red rice, both salsas, chipotle mayo, pico, and some guac! Are you KIDDING me?! I was so not expecting so much flavor and freshness! Whoever seasoned their chicken was whoopin ass that day, no lie!! I was talking on the phone and I sort of regretted dialing because I just wanted to focus on that burrito! Super tasty, looking forward to trying the other meats. From what I can tell it seems that they are taking great pride in the quality of their product. Gotta admire that Ambience/Service This place is pretty straight forward and designed for you to walk the line along with the server, telling them your desired toppings. After payment then you're pretty much where you started, by the door, and there's little to no dining area inside. Outside of course is the general seating. The employees seemed nice and attentive throughout the process. I'm for sure coming back for that SAME burrito! Hahhaha read more

This is one of my go-to favorites. I love going there because of the great quality food, as well as the very friendly staff. I especially like Mimi, who is not always smiling, but very welcoming! Thank you! read more

got a small burrito, and I couldn't even eat half of it no taste and guacamole was mushy

Best burritos I've ever had (in irvine at least) grab a bottle if tapatio and some chips your set. Packed full of fresh rice, vegetables and meat their menu is full of delicious plates. read more

Chronic Tacos - Freshman year with my boi T. - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

Awesome. Awesome awesome awesome. Your order will be made quickly, correctly, and according to your instructions. Your meat or fish will be flavorful and cooked just right. Your guac will be everything you've wanted guac to be. The chips are a perfect side dish to a shrimp torta. If you come here five minutes before they close, the guy at the counter will still be really nice and won't rush your order. I come here every time I'm in California and always leave with a smile on my face. read more

I used to like the food here until we found this huge piece of plastic wrap inside the chicken burrito. read more

Chronic Tacos - Found this huge piece of plastic wrap inside our chicken burrito - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

I love their chicken Salad. Their chicken salad is large and healthy and they add Lots of chicken. I like their chicken salad better than Chipotle. The vinaigrette dressing is tasty. read more

I'm currently writing this review from the ER at hoag medical. Never again will I eat at ANY chronic taco as I have never felt more sick in my entire life. Take this review as a warning and steer clear from this unhealthy establishment. read more

OK I'm gonna feel like a jerk for giving this place 2 stars since I have a feeling it's a local favorite...But anyhow, checked this place out last night with S after picking a number between 1-15. (We couldn't decide between the Japanese place next door or this place.) Tacos won! She and I ordered the grilled shrimp tacos, chicken flautas and chips, salsa and guac. Shrimp tacos = not bad with the salsa verde. Flautas? Way too greasy and cheesy. Their house salsa is a lil too chiptole for my taste. And maybe I'm just tripping but the staff seemed high... read more

I looove the Chronic Taco in Yorba Linda. But this location is "meh". That is too bad since my husband and I were waiting for this location to open. The layout is tight and awkward, which makes waiting in line weird. If you get anything that needs to be preapred - the beer battered shrimp, for instance - and have to wait a few minutes, there is literally no where to wait without being in other peoples' way. And, I am sure the staff is still learning, but my burritto wasn't wrapped right and started leaking out the bottom as soon as I picked it up. Not to mention that my tortilla was soaked through and fell apart - too much salsa, watery beans, who knows? The staff seem friendly, and I may make a return visit in a few months. Their food is tasty, but this location isn't up to snuff quite yet. However, I have to say, Chronic Taco will never compare to Wahoo's in my book. read more

I didn't except to get good customer service but the lady that rang me up was extremely rude. She gave me a dirty look when I said thank you after she finished ringing me up and I'm not sure what I did to annoy her but she gave me the dirtiest look. Look you don't have to go out of your way to be nice, but why are you going out of your way to make a customer feel like they did something wrong? read more

The long awaited Chronic Taco's has arrived! Unfortunately for my palette, they will not be adding any spice to irvine's blandness in my book. Ordered a Pollo Asada Burrito to-go and finished only half of it. Yes the burrito is big, but what lacks in size is the flavor. The chicken was very sparse and for what little amount of meat in the burrito, it was overwhelmingly salty. Majority of my burrito was rice. Toppings are generic with the choice of: rice, beans, cheese, onions, & salsa. I don't know about you but for a $7 burrito, I expected more meat, flavor and bang. I'm not a fan of corporate mexican food but chipotle's pollo asada burrito is sounding good right now. Don't get me wrong, I love the Chronic food especially Newport Beach Chronic Tacos, awesome and great after a surf session but I'd have to think twice about a pollo asada burrito at Irvine's Chronic Tacos. read more

I have been to chronic taco several times, mostly because I'll stop by after a visit to Starbucks or CVS. Each time I go, the quality seems to go down. At my last experience, I was truly disappointed, and made the decision to make the trek down to UTC for chipotle. My burrito, which was supposed to be chicken, was 3/4 chicken, and 1/4 beef that had been dropped into the chicken tray. I requested extra veggies (which is no charge at Chipotle), and was surprised at the register when they charged me $1 extra without notifying me. The overall flavor of the food seems under seasoned and bland, and has progressively gotten worse with each visit. The cost is slightly more expensive than chipotle, and absolutely not worth the additional two dollars. Edit: after posting this review, the owner contacted me and offered me a chance to retry chronic tacos. I was open to the idea, and was happy that I was contacted. Unfortunately, when I reached out to him at the contact he provided, I never got a response. This was especially frustrating, and the lack of follow through in customer arrive has even further confirmed my thoughts not to return. read more

Came here last weekend with a couple of friends to find something quick, delicious, and that wouldn't break the bank. Yelpers, check-in using your app and you get some free chips and salsa! I ordered the chicken burrito. Fajitas were an extra dollar (seriously?!.........). My only complaint is that one of the guys behind the counter was giving me a creepy vibe. I was wearing a Van Halen shirt with black strings that hang off the shirt. He said "I like your shirt" while looking me up and down. I said thank you very politely. Then he responds with "Do you know who Van Halen is?" or something to that effect. Dude......everyone knows who that is. I wouldn't be wearing the shirt just because it looks cool (although it does). Since I live kind of far from here I probably won't be back. You can get a Taco Tuesday literally anywhere in Orange County and they're all the same. Just without a side of creep. read more

Awesome food! Simple, yet flavorful. Can't believe they have finally opened here in Irvine. Been to the new place twice and on both occasions food was great (as always) and all employees were extremely friendly and courteous. I used to wait for the weekends when I was driving down the PCH back from a surf session, now it's right around the corner in my backyard. Try their carne assada torta, it's been a favorite of mine for years. Not to say that the rest of the menu doesn't kick ass. Stoked! read more

"Oh hi, let me get a..uh, car-nay uh-saw-duh burrito. Oh and a budlight.." "Nah bruh, we don't sell beer here." Thought I'd give it a second shot after my first experience in Newport was unpleasant because of the immature snobby/rich white OC boys that were around us. Now there's one right around the corner. Any better? NO. Their logo is a nautical star....enough said. read more

A friend brought me some carne asada fatty tacos so I cannot speak for service, location, decor, or even price. As far as the tacos go, I was pretty underwhelmed. Nothing special here. Meat was so so. You have a pay extra for guacamole which is needed for flavor. Not interested in coming to any location now based on food. Sorry. read more

Every time I come here, I always get the "California Burito" which is a real treat if you want to throw a pity party after a hard test or finals. The California Burito consists of any meat you choose+ fries+ guacamole at your option and salsa. I normally go with the fried fish as my meat and top it off with some Baja sauce and sour cream. If you're not feeling something that heavy, you should try the nachos instead because the size is so big, you can split it into 2 meals! read more

If you like giant burritos with the option of putting whatever you want in it....this is your place. Yeah, some of you will say chipotle, but honestly, chipotle is not Mexican food. They don't even have Mexican rice or refried beans!! I do wish the salsas were better at chronic tacos but other than that, the chips are fresh and the taste is great. Its definitely the best burrito spot and possibly the best Mexican period in Irvine unless you go to Javier's. Edit - their food has gotten very bland and the overload on the grease has upset my appetite for this place. I have not been back much since originally posting. read more

Great lunch spot! Always good tacos and burritos. Love the fact they have horchata! Unfortunately the inside dining room is small, so it's better to take it to go or sit on the shopping centers large outdoor seating area. read more

Ordering one hour ahead of the pick up time frame did not help with getting the order correct. I received a carnitas burrito instead of the Carne asada burrito that is stated in the receipt. Carne asada and carnitas do not taste the same and ruined my meal. No reason to go back to complain. This is the problem with takeout. read more

I really like this place the staff is always really nice! The food is really good for the price and quality. Everything is made in front of you it's almost like an actual Mexican food version of chipotle. I tend to try new things there and have liked everything so far! read more

Chronic Tacos - I ordered the taquitos and they look and taste so good!! - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

Nacho chips combo is HUGE for take-out and well worth the price and always leaves me in food coma, but I've had better. I also tried their potato tacos, which was pretty decently stuffed with potatos, but doesn't compare to home-made ones my friends make. Still good for on the run food when I forget my lunch. read more

Best burritos in Orange County! And this particular location is very generous with their portion sizes.

Came in late, hankering for a machaca burrito. Even though they had just finished cleaning the grills they whipped one up for me with a smile. Grub was great, as usual. In my humble opinion - as long as you stay away from the overpriced, underwhelming tacos (ironic, I think), it's hard to beat the CT. read more

The staff at this location is so RUDE! I've never seen even half a smile out of any of them. Whoever is doing the hiring obviously isn't looking for a pleasant demeanor. The food is also hit or miss, on some days the meat is is good & fresh but another super oily & full of fat/nerves to the point that you got to spit out all your taco meat! Eww This place is just not worth my business. & Check your receipts, I've been over charged more than once, Don't waste or time or money here, I've tried giving them a couple of chances but the quality keeps getting worser & worser! read more

First time - Sooooo not last time Flavor terrific. Portion size is small if you are a 10 foot giant! Best leftovers and I can't wait to go back. Girl behind me ordered a breakfast burrito. I was jealous so I ordered nachos too. My eyes were too big. read more

I love chronic tacos! My sister craved it so we went and we both got the small burrito. It was only 5.50 and was a very good size. We also checked in and got chips and salsa, and the chips were not oily and very crisp. The service was also great! The workers create conversation, ask how your day went, and even ask if I wanted extra rice because he thought there wasn't enough. All the workers were so kind and the food was delicious. The chicken was seasoned well and wasn't too salty or over cooked. Highly recommend for quick yummy burritos. read more

Great stop for lunch. Fast service in a quiet shopping center. Same great menu, flavors, and prices as the other locations. Both inside and patio seating. Next to a Starbucks coffee. read more

Chronic is solid Americanized Mexican food. If we had this back in Omaha, this would be the shit. I'd be tripping over myself to come here everyday. But we're in fucking SoCal. There are choices. Chronic Tacos is one, but it really fails to stand out. Except for the $5.xx breakfast bowl all day. Chorizo, cheese, salsa verde, fried potatoes? Breakfast for lunch, aww yeahhhh read more

I get my hair done in the same strip mall so when I'm all hair did'ed out I swoop over here to get some grub. The first time I got the salad which was good but kind of lacking in the whole Mexi yum yum fill up my tummy department. A couple weeks ago I got an al pastor burrito with white rice, black beans, lettuce, jalapenos, salsa verde, pico, chipolte sauce... might have gotten cheese, can't remember. It was HUGE and so good. I really should have only eaten 1/2 to 3/4 but NAH couldn't put it down. Everyone in line in front of me was either ordering fried shrimp, steak or chicken. Why don't they show the pork some love? Are people afraid of pork? I don't get it. You are missing out on the piggy goodness, folks. The asada fries and nachos are friggin gigantic. HUGE! Not sure how one person could eat it. Probably a teenager or large male. And like anything that is fried and has melty gobs of cheese and adorned chunks of protein, it looked like a heart attack on a plate. A very tasty and mouth-watering heart attack on a plate. Maybe next time? read more

Chronic Tacos is great! The food tastes fresh and delicious. The portions are huge and price is fantastic. Try the Al Pastor! The burritos are massive and the so are the tacos. Everything that I have tried has been delicious: burritos, tacos, tostada and nachos. Come hungry. read more

Disclaimer: this is only regarding breakfast! Simply put, breakfast burritos here are bomb. I get the bacon burrito, machaca, chorizo, and I have done machaca/bacon combo. Yum! Bfast Tacos are basically the same thing, just smaller. read more

Fast service, super friendly staff, and yummy food! I've visited other locations, but specifically here, I had the CA Burrito with a side of rice and beans. Carne Asada, fries, refried beans, spanish rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, and cheese all jam packed in a 13" burrito...life is good. read more

This review is mainly for the taco Tuesday. It actually kicks ass if you don't mind the tacos not being true Mexican tacos. The flavor is not that authentic but they do taste good. They are a way better option than Del Taco or Taco Bell and you are only paying $2 per Taco. Unfortunately seafood is not included in the special. Once again, if you are looking for a good deal, this is it. $2 for a good size taco including guacamole, cheese, onions, lettuce, cilantro and salsa. If you are looking for authentic street Mexican tacos, go up to Santa Ana where there are many options. read more