Mexicans DO use ground beef, FYI previous nay-sayer. I am from New Mexico and the Mexican restaurants there use ground beef. Its origin comes from Mexican food being combined with American Indian food and it's just about impossible to find any Mexican restaurants here who serve it, which SUX. I've been to Anita's New Mexico Style Mexican Food in Fullerton and they serve ground beef in a lot of their items, but their problem is that they over salt everything and ruin it. This place does ok with the ground beef tacos. The thing is, they're amazing sometimes, but other times, they aren't. Sometimes the beef is too chunky and not broken up fine enough and other times it is great. Sometimes it's dry but other times it's juicy. I like the grease to drip out like Taco Bell tacos used to be 35 years ago. Also, sometimes their shells are too thick and totally crack apart the taco on the 1st bite, but other times they're really good. They're always crispy and homemade - who cares that the shape is the same as fast food taco places, jeeze. Maybe they use a form for the tortilla before they fry it. You can tell they are freshly fried and that they're NOT the taco shells they use at fast food restaurants. Annoying reviewer, getting on my nerves, with your annoying little "LOL" and your so-called Mexican friend who is the Queen of knowing what Mexican food is supposed to be. I have also tried the bean crispy taco, but it was bland and I wouldn't order again, even though it was only $1 on their daily special. I have also tried the potato taco but would not order again. Although the ground beef tacos aren't AS perfect as the ones in New Mexico, it's all I have to fall back on here, for now. If anyone reading this knows of any other non-fast food places in OC that sell crispy greasy ground beef tacos, please let me know! read more

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By far best place for tacos in town. Highly recommend this place to anyone who enjoyed authentic Mexican food.

Before I go on, let me say that I do not judge all restaurants the same. FOR WHAT IT IS, this restaurant gets 3 1/2 stars from me. Before you visit, keep in mind that this resembles a hole in the wall place, and is a fast-casual dining restaurant, not casual or fine dining. Because of this, it should not be judged as such. That said, my husband and I visited with an Entertainment Book coupon - surprise, surprise - (the new 2010 books are out!!! get one soon!), and were very pleased with what we got. We visited on a Friday night (the $1 taco special is on Fridays as well as Tuesdays). We both ordered burritos. I tend to be a very germaphobic person by nature (my husband LOVES that...), and I often have to really work to set my feelings aside in smaller, hole in the wall type places. Unfortunately, the entire kitchen is visible from the cash register...and as we ordered, I watched the main cook sneeze into his latex gloved hand and continue cooking. I swallowed the indignation that was boiling to the tip of my tongue and visited the salsa bar before having a seat. I am going to choose to believe that the man changed his gloves (I didn't see this happen...but it makes me feel better to believe it). The burritos were good. Really good, actually. The ingredients were fresh and of a great quality. The salsas were wonderful as well. My husband and I were both impressed, though we both agreed that without the coupon, we would probably only visit for the cheap tacos (though if I remember correctly the tacos are only about $1.50 to begin with anyway, so it isn't that great of a savings). *Parking is very limited, and it is likely you will be towed if you park in the lot across the street. Be careful! read more

I was debating between two stars and three but the customer service was good as well as the price, so I went with three. The food, however, was a definite two. The al pastor and carnitas tacos I had were dry and lacked flavor, the beans and rice were completely basic and also lacked flavor. The verde salsa didn't have a single hint of jalapeno and was very salty, the red salsa was simply ok. One word sums up the food here - bland. I did overhear some kids talking about how great the carne asada fries are so maybe that's worth trying.... read more

Delicious food, fast service. Take out, love the vibe here. More than enough food for one. Great find. read more

Great Mex - I'm so full.. - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Ok so I was going to leave 3 stars but after putting thought once I ate my meal, I could only give 2 stars. I use to love coming to this place and even recommended to friends/family but these last couple of months I've encountered a lack of consistency and poor customer service. I'm not sure if anything changed in the establishment but I'm sure am noticing something different. As a customer no matter what you're purchasing, we look for consistent quality and welcoming service. We don't expect more, just consistency, and if consistency gets disrupted it better be for better quality and service. I hope the management reaches out to me for a more detailed review/feedback if they truly care. Good luck with rolling the dice ever time you eat here. read more

So so good. They have taco Tuesday AND Friday with great deals on not only their tacos but also their drinks! This is my go to Mexican food place and it should be yours too! read more

I've been going to this great little Mexican restaurant for at least a decade. They have great food and friendly staff. Their mushroom tacos are unique and perfect for veg Italians and vegans. Their shrimp tacos are as good or better than ones costing 3X as much. Great food, nice staff and fast service, what more do you need? read more

First time trying this place, it was around 7pm Saturday night. Inside the restaurant they had about 12 customers dinning and 3 others ordering takeout so that means this place should be good based on how many customers are there!!! I ordered 2 fried fish tacos and a shrimp burrito to go. When I got home I first tastes the fried fish soft tacos, they weren't as good as I was expected, they fried the fish just a little bit too long so they look burn and dry, not juicy at all. Next the shrimp burrito, not impressed as well as their shrimps were too small and not enough flavor. I have had better shrimp burritos at Señor Taco in AZ and Rubios. read more

Ordered 1 carnitas regular taco and 1 crispy potato taco along with a Tecate. Was given & charged 2 carnitas tacos, 1 crispy potato taco & beer. Carnitas was good wish it had been chopped smaller like the traditional MX'ican style read more

Always fast and food is fresh! Great tacos and love the carnitas salad! We get take out every Friday. Food is always ready in 10-15 minutes and really good! read more

Great place to grab a quick bite to eat. I recommend the shredded beef flautas, crunchy shredded beef tacos, the carnitas torta and the steak fajitas. They have a bad ass salsa bar too!!! The place is small so if its crowded you might be better off to call your order in ahead. read more

Great Mex - Steak fajitas- to go! Loved them! - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Great food and great service! Ive been coming here for over 20 years and everyone who I introduce Great Mex to, seems to love it as well. I highly recommend giving this restaurant a try if you haven't already. read more

This has been my favorite taco spot in Balboa for well over a decade. When we have a beach outing this is where we end up and when we're in the mood for a good burrito we take a drive down PCH and stop by for lunch. The California burrito with fries is what the Mr. orders I enjoy the shrimp tacos, tacos de papa or the asada nachos. Can never go wrong with this place. It's rather small so you'll have a line out the door but it goes by rather quickly. read more

Taco Tuesday every day during lockdown. Now you can get a larger container of salsa to take home. Trust me when I say Great Mex has the best crispy chicken tacos in Costa Mesa/Newport. Check it out Taco Tuesday every day!!!! read more

I started frequenting Great Mex when I lived on Balboa Peninsula. I lived a few blocks away and it quickly became a weekly (if not more) staple. I sadly moved inland to Costa Mesa but to my joy they opened a second location 3 blocks from my apartment! Their tacos have simple, clean flavors. Whether you order soft tacos or their crispy beef taco, you will not be disappointed. Pair them with any of their homemade salsa and its meal perfection. As much as I loved lunches and dinners, my favorite was breakfast. My dog and I would walk down on Sundays. I would order breakfast (always getting a side a sausage for the b-dog), sit on the patio and enjoy. There was no better way to spend a Sunday morning then reading on a sunny patio enjoying chorizo and eggs. Regardless if you are looking for a quick bite or settling in for the night, this place won't disappoint. Just be prepared for some company on their taco Tuesday and Fridays.... the secret is out and a lot of locals line the sidewalk waiting for these tacos! read more

Great Mex - 2 Chicken Tacos and 1 Crispy Beef... Perfection! - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I've been going here for years. My boyfriend gets The California Burrito and I typically get an entree with rice and beans. The cheese enchiladas are bomb. Sauce is very important when your eating enchiladas. Me I prefer the red sauce I don't mess with the suiza. read more

This is my go to spot for taco tuesdays! Food and prices are reasonable. It does get packed inside and in the parking lot on Tuesdays so I would recommend calling your order in and finding parking on the street. read more

Taco Tuesday and Fridays mexican tacos are 1.25$ They have pitchers of beer available, and on tap They have great combo specials 3 item with rice and beans is about 10$ They have a salsa bar, Seating is mostly inside but there is I think 2 small tables outside There is a place like this in Long Beach and the carne asada has more flavor than this place She accidentally gave me an American taco which I didn't like at all it has flour tortillas lettuce cheese instead The fried fish tacos are really good as well lots of flavor read more

Photos looked really great on the burrito particularly, but after ordering it i was not too thrilled.

Love this place, such great food. We really enjoy this restaurant. This morning we went in for breakfast. Got our usual order, a breakfast quesadilla with potatoes sour cream and guacamole and a side of beans and coffee. When we got our order I was surprised to see the potatoes were different. Tried them. Not so good, very oily and looked boiled. And with greasy bacon. Why would you change something that tasted so delicious and when you dipped the original potatoes in a little sour cream was like a little bit of heaven??? I would give them 5 stars but not with the "NEW" potatoes. I really hope they will bring back the original recipe. read more

I judge every Mexican good restaurant by their beans and this place exceeded expectations! Great food, great prices, and great service. PLUS! Beer on tap. read more

So i walk in and am waiting to order. The old lady behind the counter is being kinda bitchy to the people in front of me. They finish ordering and I approach to order, the old hag turns and walks away and says to me "were closed"! I said what? You just took their order ? She come back and says "fine, what do you want". I said "i want to eat somewhere why my patronage is appreciated" and walked out. read more

Taco Tuesday specials are bomb, literally everything they make is bomb! You can always count on Great Mex to be good food and good service.

Always great breakfast! A must have in Costa Mesa! Chorizo burritos and breakfast quesadillas are delicious.

They have a pretty good taco Tuesday's deal. $1.25 tacos. Three different styles and 6 different options. Even a mushroom taco, which is pretty good. My favorite is the grilled shrimp taco. But of course I've had all of them and they're all good. Plus I think they still do a beer special on Tuesday. read more

I love Great Mex! I've been coming here for 10+ years and it never disappoints. They have tacos for $1.25 on Tuesday's and Fridays which is a great deal but...warning! Parking is brutal here so I wouldn't recommend coming on a taco special day during rush hour unless you have some time to kill looking for a spot. The employees here are all super friendly and attentive. Probably been here hundreds of times and my order has always come out correctly. They have really delicious crispy tacos, Mexican tacos, and bottomless chips! There is another Great Mex in Costa Mesa where the parking is much better but there is something about staff and ambiance of this one on Newport blvd that makes it my favorite. They don't have a ton of seating so you might want to take your food to go if it's especially busy. Thanks for all the years of yummy food, Great Mex! read more

Order for pick up often. Get rude service and our food is cold and smooshed. ..................... read more

Great Mex - Yeah so super great presentation. Way to go. By the way, two taquitos cut in half does not equal 3. It equals 4 bite size pieces. - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The food is really good! The only problem with this place is how busy it gets! First, you do have to part on the road or next to the beach. I've been there a few times and the food is very good. I have attached a picture of the huge burrito they give you! I hope to be back soon! It's the first place in Newport that I ate at and would highly recommend! read more

Great Mex - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

No wonder the name is Great mex because it's great mex-Ican food so the name doesn't lie. Absolutely love the enchiladas and basically everything else on the menu and no matter how full i am I still get the flan because it's a must get!!! read more

Ordered three Mexican tacos: carne asada, al pastor, and carnitas. Very good authentic food. Hubby ordered the California burrito which was really good as well. Their side chips were fresh as well. The people there are very kind and provide quick service. Also, they have a large menu selection. read more

Love their tacos here. I usually get the soft tacos, as they use more meat. The salsa bar is legit. I love the verde sauce, and there is also a smoky, spicy red one as well. Tuesdays and Fridays have the best deals. They give you free chips if you order to-go! Limited parking, so you might have to park on the street. read more

Ordered from DoorDash 45 minutes ago. Just got a call from DoorDash that the restaurant cancelled our order. Now stuck 45 minutes later and have to scramble for food before a show at Segerstrom. Don't order to go here bc you'll be left hungry. read more

Best tacos in town. I will drive however far I need to get these tacos and their SALSA is amazing. Top notch. My favorite taco spot .

I bought carne asada fries the guacamole was brown from the previous night. Not even at El Toro de Santa Ana. The fries were hard like I could chip a tooth. I should just taken my fat ass to Del Taco for Carne asada fries. This is really upsetting read more

Great Mex - When you're stuck eating shit food cause it was expensive. - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Back in the day circa 2009 this was one of my favorite Mexican food places and there is definitely some nostalgia. But this place holds up! I'd say for burritos and tortas it's probably a 5 star, but for anything I would typically opt for another place. The portions they give are moderate to generous and most meals can feed a large man or growing boy. The most recent burrito I ate from here left me stuft! I highly recommend carne asada as your meat of choice, but carnitas is good as well (haven't tried the chicken yet). The California burrito is a good option, but nothing out of the ordinary. My main complaint is the parking at this location is horrible. I can't remember the last time I got a spot in their parking lot, I park down the street after passing the full lot. The staff are friendly and the service is generally quick based on how many people they are serving. Feel free to get lost in the salsa bar, everything salsa is good. Be careful if you don't like spicy salsa. One red is very mild and the other red-orange is super spicy. If you're in the area and looking for some Mexican food, this is a good choice! read more

Never again will I order from Great Mex!! Not sure how you can charge $7 for 2 roll tacos.. and that are not even good to top it off. Location doesn't mean you can charge extra for crappy food!! If you're in the mood for Mexican food drive pat great mex to the next parking lot to Romans, it will save you money and waaaaay better!!! read more

Yummy bfast burrito! Fresh served by friendly people. -and just the perfect music for 8:30 am!

Ordered a burrito and got this I asked for a refund and was told to F off definitely do not recommend

It wasn't, "Great" by any stretch of the imagination, but it was A-OK....and isn't that what 3 stars is all about? BF wanted to try something different. He called in and after a couple of confusing phone tag-hand offs among a couple of staff members, ordered a veggie burrito for me and a bean and rice burrito for himself. He asked for extra salsa and was told, "It's inside! It's Inside!" repeatedly. Hu? We thought he meant that there was already salsa inside the burrito. BF tried again to ask for extra salsa IN ADDITION to what may be INSIDE the burrito but was met with the same reply. Later we found out he meant that there was a salsa BAR inside the restaurant! Wow, what a difference 1 or 2 extra words could have made! After the last verbal salsa assault, the guy repeated the order and just hung up. Didn't even ask for BF's name or anything. Well, this should be interesting! BF goes in and comes back out 10 minutes later. Apparently, the first thing they ask him is for his name. Semi PO'd by now BF tells them, "You didn't even ASK for my name! You just hung up!" He told him what we ordered, got his extra salsa from the SALSA BAR INSIDE and we were on our way. We get back to his place, jammie up (this is my word for put on PJ's and get comfy in case ya didn't know) and open our containers. Hmm....two veggie burritos, one has sour cream in the container, one doesn't. BF is completely PO'd at this point. It gets worse as the sog factor sets in and his undesired veggie burrito begins to disintegrate as he begrudgingly eats it. He did NOT want a veggie burrito. He was NOT a happy camper and it was NOT pretty, I'll tell you that much! Overall, my veggie burrito was decent. Flavors were on point and veggies weren't cooked to a mushy oblivion. They still had their crunch and the salsa (from the salsa bar, INSIDE) was actually pretty good. In fact, IDK if I could get BF to go back to Great Mex. To me, it was good, but it wasn't great. Add in the communication issues and the abrupt, bordering on rude treatment by the staff and I don't think it will be a high priority for me to try to convince him. read more