Came for brunch - the food was bland and our server had a very negative attitude. Carnitas hash - this came out lukewarm somehow even though it arrived on a skillet... we came here from seeing the photos on yelp, dish came out looking differently and to make things worse this dish was SO bland! It tasted like nothing even though there were so many ingredients. I had to ask for lemons, salt and pepper to make it edible. The potatoes were borderline cold and dry and had no seasoning on it, it was like chewing a piece of tissue. Idk it was bad. Crab Benedict - even worse than the carnitas hash, the crab "cake" was hard and dry like a hockey puck. Def frozen crab and very doughy and probably consisted of 10% fake crab the rest is dough. The egg on top was well done and did not drip or run at all. When you order a Benedict this is expected, not a hard poached egg? Came with the same blank terrible potato's. I'm just very disappointed in my experience here. read more

Descanso - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Went for my Brother's birthday the other day. Had a reservation and was seated promptly. The restaurant itself was really nice and food was great however the I would say the service needs a lot of work. Our server rarely checked on us. When we told her about my brothers birthday, we saw nothing came while other parties were served with their birthday song with the staff and desert. Also, we asked for Guacamole twice and it never came. I'd give the experience 2/5. The food was delicious but the service really ruined it for myself and my family. read more

Daisy and team in Costa Mesa are awesome staff Food is a 9 We trade so much their Should buy stock if the had it the food is amazing read more

If I can give this place zero stars I would . I had reservations for May 5th at 7:45 I understand it's a very busy day . But let me tell you from the beginning their host was very unprofessional if I am not mistaken her name was Karen that's what her supervisor Sandy told me . Karen the host was also very rude for no reason . They sat us down ( outside which we specifically requested indoor in our reservations ) so we sat down an it took them about ten minutes to acknowledge us . Sam our waitress knew we were already annoyed, so that didn't start off right , she was sassy and made things very uncomfortable for us . At the end of the day this restaurant has very poor service and their management also sucks . All three of them were rude and I wouldn't recommend going to this place at all . read more

Everything was so good. We got the margarita flights and different breakfast items. EVERY SINGLE THING WE ORDERED WAS DELICIOUS!!! Sam was our waitress and she was amazing. Like if she was a friend that we had known for a long time. Cesar was our chef and he was amazing. He checked with us to see how we wanted our meats cooked. Was very attentive and had a close attention to detail. Definitely recommend. Great service. Great ambiance and great food. read more

Descanso - Pozole Rojo - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Second time visiting Descanso and this time we visited for a birthday brunch. We made a reservation online for 11:00am. The waiters were very attentive throughout our visit, our drinks were always refilled and the food was brought out quickly. The ambiance in the restaurant is very inviting but also very private which I really like. The food was delicious! We ordered a few plates of chilaquiles that were customized to perfection. The pozole rojo bowl was full of flavor. As an appetizer we ordered the chips and salsa with added Chicharrones, the salsa was nice and spicy. At the beginning the waitress asked if we were celebrating anything and we informed her that we were, a birthday. After we finished our meal the staff came out and sung to our birthday girl and brought out a tasty dessert with a sparkling candle. Definitely worth the price!! read more

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Descanso is one of my new favorite spots in Costa Mesa! It's a stunning hidden gem that's perfect for any celebration, brunch or date night! Lots of birthdays being celebrated during our visit. So fun!! The Fideo Soup is the perfect First Course! This is definitely better than the Caesar Salad. Loved this soup!! Add the Choriqueso Verde appetizer...so amazingly cheesy and packed with flavor!! The presentation had us drooling!! It tasted just as good as it looked!! A definite MUST-TRY!! Mexican flavors served Plancha style! The Plancha dining experience is FIYAH!! Imagine a Modern Taco Stand and a Chef to Table dining experience! Such an unforgettable experience!! So fun and exciting! Loved the bold, authentic flavors!! The Ribeye Steak and Pork Loin Alambre were heavenly! So perfectly cooked and seasoned well! The Picante Trio Margarita Flight (jalapeno was the favorite) and Watermelonrita paired up perfectly with our meal! The service is top notch!! Kudos to Daisy, McKenna and Jesus, who gave quite a performance and was so entertaining! Such an enjoyable dining experience! Exceeded my expectations!! They also have wonderful outdoor patio seating. read more

Descanso - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Food is great but the kicker here is the service. Bartender is amazing! Great selection of drinks. And it's a great place to go on a date.

Mexican Benihana, whats not to love. I came here with my boyfriend and his family for my birthday. The chef was super nice and informative throughout our meal, everything was cooked to perfection. The ceviche was super tender not overcooked. The entrees were all really good with nice presentation. I highly reccomend and I'll be back. read more

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Super fun spin on a traditional concept. The kids loved watching their tacos and quesadillas be made in front of them. If you go on taco Tuesday, the quesadillas are the best bang for your buck. Also, the jalapeño margaritas-- fabulous. The best part was celebrating the kiddos bday and the most exciting candle came out and made her whole day. The staff was pretty attentive -- though our chef was a man of few words, so not as fun and engaging like when at other teppanyaki grills. But overall we would be back. read more

Pretty cool taco bar concept but the food was disappointing, straight up saw the chef open a bag of mission tortillas in front of us. I thought that would be fresh especially for a higher end taco Tuesday. Defs sticking to my whole in a wall next time. read more

Finally, an alternative to the crime against Mexican food that is Javier's. Authentic, Honest, Gastronomic and Eclectic for most accustomed to the usual combo plates that have ruined Mexican dining el norte. read more

This review is for taco Tuesday! They have one of the best taco Tuesday in Oc! $3-$5 tacos and quesadillas If you can sit at the "plancha" where they cook the tacos in front of you they come out super hot and fresh! Although seating is limited there. However you can order taco Tuesday in the whole restaurant! The meats they have are carne asada, shrimp, carnitas, and chicken! All of them are quite tasty! The quesadilla comes open faced and is almost like burnt cheese but very good! Service is a bit slow on taco Tuesday but everyone was very nice and seems to be happy working there! A lot of birthdays also being celebrated. My husband has dined at the plancha on a weekend before and he said it was also good! Knocking one star off because they charge $4 for chips and salsa! (Which I think should be included!) Restaurants can make money off food and beverage, not chips and salsa! read more

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Our server was very friendly and we sat on the patio on a nice sunny afternoon. I would recommend the hanger steak. It's the best thing on the menu! read more

Came here with a group of 6 to celebrate a birthday. We were able to make a reservation for Sunday morning online, but you honestly don't need one-- there was no wait when we got there. This place is located in a busy shopping plaza so it might be tough to find parking. Clean interior and cute decorations-- near the back is where you can see the chef cooking right in front of you. Unfortunately our server was quite rude, they weren't polite and didn't seem to be excited for my friend's birthday. There was also a switch of our server midway through our meal so she could go on her lunch break, and when she came back she was arguing with our new server about serving us our mimosas (that we ordered) right in front of the table. Just seemed like she didn't want to be there. Food proportions were huge, most of us brought leftovers home. I ordered the crab cake benedict and it wasn't hot and there was too much sauce on the entire dish, couldn't really taste the crab. The birthday celebration is cute though, they bring a churro and ice cream to the table and sing :) I'm sure this place is great, maybe just a bad service experience for my party. read more

Descanso - crab cake benedict - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

We came to brunch to a different restaurant in the same parking lot and was quoted a LONG wait so we saw Descanso and decided to try them. Glad we did! They had 2hr bottomless mimosas with purchase of an entree. We got 2 entrees and shared! The server Max was on it! When our drinks got half full he made sure he got our mimosas refilled! The food turned out amazing! Full of flavor! ... the place looked up scale and nice! We got Chilaquiles and churro pancakes ! read more

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Visited with my wife and kids on Christmas Eve and we had an AWESOME night. My older Kids said it was both sic and fire! I had visited before for both Plancha dinning and table top, so I thought I knew what to expect. Nope, it was way better and the table chef made it way more fun! They upgraded the food, presentation, menu and it just popped for all of us! Ordered the carne asada and it was truly fine dining and a show! New sauces, food and drinks were top shelf. We all loved it and I heard many groans from the family! In highly recommend the queso Frita (?) option where they put grilled cheese on top of your plate, it's the bomb! Highly recommend for a special celebration or small group night out (Plancha table fits 8)! Note: they just opened a 2nd location in West LA (Wilshire District). read more

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I have been coming here since they opened in 2019! Best chicken nachos ever! Their poblano tacos are delicious as well. I miss their pie de limon GREATLY and I'm crossing my fingers they'll bring it back! read more

I really liked this place for brunch and bottomless mimosas! All the food was delicious, especially the carnitas hash and the pozole. The staff was super kind and they were quick to refill the drinks haha. read more

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Awesome staff, especially Jose! Always takes good care of us The atmosphere in this place is really chill Hubby and I come in almost every Sundays for the bottomless mimosas and brunch! Wish we could watch some sports games tho. This place would be great for football games or when the World Cup comes around! The live singer, drinks, and the food is so good. 10/10 always recommend to my friends and family! read more

We are at the plancha tables and the food was so good! Out chef Angel was so sweet and made the experience extremely enjoyable! This would be a fun spot for a birthday or to take out of town guests. They also have taco Tuesday specials at the grill up front and brunch on the weekends with bottomless mimosas. We will definitely be back to check out those each out! read more

Descanso - Carne asada and spicy margarita flight - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Absolutely exceeded my expectations. Came here for my boyfriends birthday with his family and they are really picky with Mexican food. We sat at the table where they cook in front of you and everyone had so much fun! The fried rice with the sauce is amazing and so was the tomato soup. The chicken was absolutely AMAZING. So juicy and tender you could cut it with a spoon. The veggies were seasoned to perfection and the plate presentation was beautiful. I was very impressed by the cheesy potatoes that came with the carne asada, I might just have to get it next time. Our chef was very nice and charismatic. I forgot his name but he only works on Sundays and is younger. He was fun to chat with and seemed to love his job. They brought out a really yummy churro chip dessert for my boyfriends birthday that was really good. They played music and sang too! It was nice. The food was even better than what I imagined. One of the best meals I have had this year. I will be coming back soon! Highly recommend this place is worth the hype. read more

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Great ambiance, excellent service and food was delicious! We ordered the corn con queso, margaritas flight, pollo and carne asade dishes. Great for any celebration but most importantly the food was so flavorful. read more

Descanso - Planca experience! - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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This was such a disappointing experience compared to our other two visits which were 5 star with La plancha. Previously we have done the plancha experience but tonight we had the regular dining. When we called to make the reservation for 6:30 and I said we needed a high chair he said they had seats at the taco bar. When we arrived early they had us wait ten minutes past even our reservation time and when they finally sat us it was not at the taco bar but a long table meant for a party of 8. He said they had a miscommunication with their availability. We then sat at the table and waited for our server. He finally came at 7pm to offer us water for the first time. When we asked for water in a cup with a lid for our child he disappeared for a while and then finally came back with the plastic cup. He then asked if we wanted a drink and we said we were ready to order. N did a margarita, we also ordered a kids cheese quesadilla, chips and salsa, and two entrees. The chips came literally a minute before our food came. Seriously! Generally you eat chips and salsa before your meal and especially while you have a drink. I think he had forgotten because when he finally brought them he seemed harried. The timing was just so off and the service was bad. He finally came to check on us at 7:30om and realized my water was empty and asked if I wanted more. I said yes and he said okay and then proceeded to go stand by the bar in front of my view and fiddle with things for 10 minutes before finally catching my eye and then running to go get the water jug to do my refill. When we asked for our check, we had our card ready. But he proceeded to spend 10 minutes greeting and taking the order and then putting it in for the people sat behind us at the taco bar. read more

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From the outside, this place seemed fine, walking in though is a different experience. Dim lights, soft jazzy international music, with warm decor. The Langastino enchiladas were a phenomenal choice. Couldn't have asked for a more delicious meal. The side of rice and beans included were great. El dorado tacos were good. Not great. Side veggies (we paid to upgrade) were good as well could have had more flair in my opinion. Our server was nice and helpful. May try the plancha dining which is a fixed menu and teppan style next time. read more

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We were here for my brother's reception. The food was excellent. I had a fun watermelon margarita that was super tasty. We shared guacamole and some appetizers, also great. I had the Gordito tacos which were very good. We sat at a bar and watched the staff make all the tacos and plates. It took a bit to understand what was happening. The bar felt like you were going to have a chef entertain you but it was simply the wait staff coming in and out to make plates of tacos. They didn't engage with us at all. I felt a little like a voyeur watching these folks work. All-in-all it was a lovely evening. read more

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Had this place saved for a while and finally made it in. Went on a Saturday without a reservation but got there for an early dinner so we were seated right away. Restaurant was clean and had both indoor and outdoor seating. Waitress was over right away and friendly. My biggest complaint on this place is there is no complimentary chips and salsa and for me that's just a staple for eating at a good Mexican restaurant. They do have chips available to purchase as an appetizer but I have been to fancier places that still give it complimentary. I ordered the el toro tacos (steak) and they were so good. The meat was perfectly cooked and there was a sufficient amount of steak and toppings. The blue corn tortilla was so delicious as well. It comes with 2 tacos and a side. Sides are a choice of potatoes, fried rice or beans. I tried the fried rice and it comes with a really good sauce drizzled on top as well. I'll be back again. read more

Descanso - El Toro Taco - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Descanso's patio brunch comes with a live serenade, and that felt like the cherry on top of a well thought out meal experience. Though, I do recognize that others who come at a busier time may not be able to receive the same experience as I did closer to opening. The food is good, and the portions are very fair. Plates are stacked high, and I, someone with a pretty decent appetite, left completely stuffed and with leftovers. All the plates were good but my surprise highlight was the rice. The Mexican rice was stunning and had a great fluffy texture. Chilaquiles were very salty compared to the other dishes. Taquitos were served fresh and super crispy, a little oily at the ends, but not the end of the world. My server took the time to give some background on the restaurant, menus, and plating, which was a really neat touch. I'll definitely try to return to give their dinner menu a whirl. read more

Descanso - Chicken Taquitos - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I have been going to Descanso's for several years now. Every time my fiance and I go the food and service is amazing. We have never had a bad experience. We have gone for anniversaries, birthdays, Mother's day, Valentine's Day, friends birthdays and many more occasions. When ever some ones looking to host an event I always mention Descanso's. Descanso's is truly top notch. The last time we went was for Valentine's Day. We did the dinner for two. You got to pick a soup or a salad for each person. Then you split the main course steak and shrimp. Next you got to split a Mexican cinnamon cheesecake. The flavors at Descanso's are like no other. Each mouthful is bursting with flavor. My fiance and I have nick named Descanso's Mexican Restaurant flavor town. I also like going for Taco Tuesday. Taco Tuesday starts about 4p and goes to close. You get to sit at the plancha tables and order tacos and quesadillas ala cart. It's dinner and a show without spending alot. The plancha table come to life as they cook with fire. I like the quesadillas. They are open face and the cheese is fried the the meat is placed on the cheese. Descanso's fried cheese is delicious. I also like going to dinner or weekend brunch and have the plancha meal. This experience is one of a kind think of Bennihannas but Mexican. Plancha are small grill like tables that some cities in Mexico people cook with in the middle of the street. I highly recommend the Plancha experience. I also like going to Descanso's for my birthday. They have the most amazing yummy birthday treats. The treat comes with a candle that looks like a firework which adds a fun touch to your birthday celebration. They also turn off their regular music and turn on a birthday song, which make you feel special. The waiters and waitresses sing happy birthday. The treat is vanilla ice cream, tortilla chips with cinnamon and sugar and chocolate syrup on top. I love their chips and salsa with red and grean sause. I also love the fideo soup. I also love the plancha show. My favorite entree off the brunch regular and brunch plancha menu is the Chilaquiles. They serve brunch Saturday and Sunday 11:30 till 3p. I have included some pictures of different entrees I have tried throughout the years. If you haven't been to Descanso's Mexican Restaurant I highly suggest it. read more

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What an amazing dinner! Our party of four sat at the Plancha Grill table and enjoyed great cocktails, fantastic food, and a delightful, engaging encounter with our personal chef! It was relaxing and fun and we even learned some things! We got to ask the chef questions about the cooking methods and seasonings he was using for all the different dishes we chose. Everything was delicious and served with style. I heartily recommend the Plancha Grill experience! read more

Terrible service and terrible food. Won't be back ever. They actually charge you for salsa!!!! And chips are $4!!!

Nice tacos & hanger steak I order. Beautiful view & space to enjoy. Clean place with proper service. I'll come to chill with friends.

we sat at the "plancha" which is where they cook in front of you. our cook was very personable and made it a fun experience. great place for a birthday or celebration. food was great. definitely get the fried rice. read more

Descanso - Steak - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Just had some of the best happy hour margs! The Al pastor skillet was delicious, but the service was the best!! Thank you Jorge I'll be back. read more

Seen this place on TikTok and had to try it out. The atmosphere was amazing and calm. loved the set up of the restaurant food drinks and dessert were delicious thanks to our server Carlos. Carlos was very helpful about the menu. We will definitely come Back and recommend Carlos as your server read more

Sunday dinner. Tried Descanso and I'm not disappointed The only complaint I will have is that they don't have a selection of different enchiladas. They do have several options for tacos, but the only option they had, was lobster enchiladas with flour tortillas!!!!!, which is kind of weird for me, I've never heard of enchiladas made with flour tortillas ...anyways. My husband ordered that and I had the Carnitas skillet. Service is great not a big huge place but big enough to enjoy a nice meal. They have a small but nice bar area . read more

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I've enjoy going to Hibachi restaurant, but I've never been to a Hibachi-style Mexican restaurant. Our chef was great as he cracked some jokes with up and pulled some tricks. The table menu included soup or salad and your choice of entree. It also includes the Mexican fried rice Mexican fried rice (5/5): So perfect and the aioli sauce on top was perfect too. Sopa (5/5): The best sopa I've ever had. I was soothing and had so many flavors in it. I really loved addition of chunks of avocados in it. Carne asada (4/5): I added the queso on top and regret that because it overpowered the flavors of the asada. However my asada looked a bit too rare for medium rare. The steak was flavorful and bit too raw for me. I ate it like a taco with the blue corn tortillas. I really recommend this place if you want to be entertained for dinner. read more

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Family is in Costa Mesa for my son's performance at Vanguard. We happened to come across Descanso. Oh my word, so tasty! First of all you are greeted by the most friendly staff. This place has teppanyaki type tables where they cook your tacos and quesadillas in front of you. 3 of us had chilaquiles, mom had tacos, son had nachos and I had taquitos. Our waitress, Sam, has an amazing personality. She kept our drinks filled and made suggestions on what we should have. Thank you so much! Also, there was a birthday celebration in the restaurant. The staff goes all out. It was amazing. The music goes up and they sing happy birthday. There is a huge sparkler in the ice cream they bring. read more

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The atmosphere is casual and inviting. We sat near the taco bar, and we're able to watch as tacos, etc... we're being prepped. Went for chiliqulias with chicken, and while it looks like the plate is smallish, this is a heavy plate of food. I love chiliqulias, so I pushed through until I finished them all. It felt like they just kept appearing from the bottom of the plate. Very good plate of food. My wife opted for taquitos, and sadly, no clown heads (invader Zim joke iykyk) she really enjoyed them. Nice helping of gauc hidden in there as well. The chips are good, salsa has a nice smokey flavor. Not your typical Pico style salsa, it's pretty thick and doesn't have much heat to it, but it is good. Overall, we would definitely come back and a shout out to our waitress, Sam. She was very attentive and made our visit awesome. The table next to us had a birthday, and the ice cream and birthday song was awesome. read more

Descanso - Chiliqulias with chicken - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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This place is AMAZING! The food was so good! The chef was so entertaining! I loved the show and the look of the restaurant! Definitely five hearts! Great time for the family! read more

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