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El Mercado Mexican Kitchen

4.0 (100 reviews)
Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

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EL MERCADO MEXICAN KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Good for groups
Outdoor seating
Happy hour specials
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - El Mercado Mexican Kitchen

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Caesar Salad Platter to go
Michelle F.

Really quick and easy to order salads with friendly service. Salads were fresh and perfect for a beautiful light lunch.

Menu
Jenna S.

After living in Orange County for over 20 years, I cannot believe this was my first time eating at El Mercado on Marine Street right in the heart of Balboa Island. This location is prime, yet it truly feels like one of those hidden gems that mostly locals know about, which makes it even more special. The space itself is adorable and charming, tucked right into the island and surrounded by shops you can easily walk to before or after your meal. It is the kind of spot you stumble into once and then wonder how you went so long without knowing about it. The margaritas were absolutely delicious, and you can tell the mixers are made fresh. The ceviche was unreal. So good that my daughter literally drank the fresh sauce at the end. We ordered the carnitas and the carne asada, both cooked perfectly, tender, flavorful, and clearly made with care. What really stood out though were the homemade tortilla chips and tortillas. You can immediately taste the difference between store bought and freshly made. Same with the rice and beans, everything tastes fresh and intentional, like it was made from scratch just for your table. The service was excellent from start to finish. They offer a great happy hour from three to six, and Taco Tuesday runs all day, which makes this an easy repeat spot. To top it all off, the chef came out personally to greet us and surprised us with homemade churros. They were cooked to perfection, melted in your mouth, and dusted with just the right amount of sugar and cinnamon. This will absolutely be one of our new go to spots. If you are visiting Orange County, you need to add this to your list. It is one of a kind Mexican food that feels elevated, beautifully plated, and thoughtfully executed, like a Michelin level experience without the pretension. Walking distance to shopping, the bay, and all the charm Balboa Island has to offer, yet still feels like a locals secret. Highly recommend.

Emily T.

Delicious food. I ordered the burrito and it was so good. The service was also amazing. They were quick bring out our food. You must order the chips and guac!

Melted Quesadilla and Chips and Quacamole

I literally got goosebumps because it was so good. BEST MEXICAN FOOD EVER! The ambiance was so relaxing and peaceful. The service was so amazing. I will for sure come again!!!

Burrito and enchilada and margarita
Sue R.

Pretty good food, nice ambience, nice service , great location. We enjoyed our Groupon deal.

Clean, but weird table set up
Scott B.

Overall this was really solid. The ordering system for Togo is phone in only unless you are in store... knocked the score down a little, the chips while tasty but were way over salted(see pic), waited on the phone to order for 15-20 minutes and had to call back. Brian was awesome! All the other food was really good... and excellent portions for the price and location. They just have some things to work out like the awkward inside seating and the tv menus that are turned off. If they can just work a few small things out this place will be great. They do some events like trivia during the week. Could be a 3 star but has a ton of potential, thus the 4 star. And bTW - I'm not some fake social media person as one review insists that any good reviews are... and if he would have taken the time to ask or speak to Brian, he would know... just call over and ask if Brian works there to know that review is the fake one...

Kyzgaldak K.

Had dinner with tacos and margaritas - loved it! Our waitress was so nice and the guy serving the food was also very friendly.

Sonora Chicken Tacos

Cute little street-side restaurant on the main drag of Balboa Island, beautiful atmosphere and top notch service. The food gave me goosebumps, from the guacamole to the street tacos... we had three orders: the chicken, shrimp and carne asada and OMG! It was fantastic!!! And they adjusted my wife's plate for her food allergy without complaint. 6 stars out of 5. Will cherish this Valentine's Day dinner memory. Thank you!!!

Fish taco and asada taco
Cierra H.

Great great spot! We went here at lunch time and our family needed something quick and delicious and we definitely found the place. Everyone loved their tacos and the lunch special with two tacos and rice/beans was cheap and perfect for what we needed. The food had a lot of flavor and each person loved their order. We had somewhere we had to be and we let the server know and she was on it. The place wasn't busy when we went but we had a bigger party so it was nice that the serve was so attentive. We will for sure be back and we will recommend for anyone visiting!

Carne asada plate
mona S.

Special carne asada came 30 minutes after we ordered. Cold. Meat was tough Not returning her. Mahi mahi tacos were ok.

Fish taco.

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26 days ago

Great food. Priced fair way better than Javier's and amazing service. The food was delicious. Highly recommend.

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6 months ago

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9 months ago

Food was amazing, I ordered a carnitas burrito with no pico or cilantro. They got everything on my order correct and were very friendly.

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4 months ago

JC hands down one of the best servers I've ever had. Overall great hospitality and geat first experience.

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El Mercado Mexican Kitchen - mexican - Updated July 2026

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