Had my first visit here a couple days ago. Great environment , great service and great food…read more (Although I wish the menu was a bit bigger ) still had plenty of choices to make it work though. Also the Asian lady who was manager was very welcoming

Lovely atmosphere, great food and amazing drinks. Our server Tenka was very helpful and very…read morefriendly.

After craving Jamaican food for what feels like forever, I finally decided to search Yelp on my way…read morehome from working in LA and came across The Taste of the Caribbean in Long Beach - and wow, this hit the spot in a way I've been missing for too long. For context, I've always loved Jamaican food and even have family who make incredible, authentic dishes, but I haven't had anything close to that in a year. So my expectations? High. My craving? Even higher. I ordered the jerk chicken dinner with peas & rice and cabbage medley, and some plantains - to go. First off, the service was amazing. The woman who helped me was genuinely warm and welcoming, and you can tell she cares about what she's serving. When I ordered, she asked if I wanted the jerk sauce on the side and made sure I was okay with the spice level when I said no. That attention to detail matters. The food came out quickly (it was mid-afternoon and not busy), and everything stayed warm all the way home--which is always a win for takeout. Now let's talk about the food: The portion was generous, the flavors were on point, and everything tasted fresh. The jerk chicken had that perfect smoky, spicy kick - exactly what I was hoping for. The rice and peas and cabbage medley were a great balance to the heat, and the plantains were sweet and perfectly cooked. I did notice another review complaining about the spice level being too high... and honestly, I had to laugh a little. Have you had jerk chicken before? It's supposed to be spicy - that's the whole point. Personally, that comment is part of what made me choose this place, and it delivered. If you don't like spice, jerk might not be your thing - but I'm sure there are milder options if you ask. Bonus: they offer online ordering and delivery through Uber Eats and Postmates, which makes it even easier to get your fix. Overall, this place brought back the flavors I've been missing for so long. I'll absolutely be back - and probably sooner rather than later.

Meal prep for the week : curry chicken to go…read more Wow first time here and this is a culinary experienceeeee! Love the flavors Sorrel drink fireeeee Curry chicken fiireeee Roti fiireeee 10/10 coming back

To simply put it, Caribbean Gourmet's Jamaican Patties is a dish worth driving for. I would drive…read morehere in peak traffic just to have it. This one absolutely caught us by surprise. My wife and I were craving for Jamaican patties which we haven't had for a while. A search on Yelp brought us here. It's a humble food stall with just a few decor in the food hall but wow. The patties are packed with flavor and complexity. It's spiced, crumbly, and well textured. It's literally mouth watering thinking about it. We enjoyed it so much we came back the next day to have more and buy some to take home too. Trust me. It's worth trying.

One of the OG's of Blossom Market Hall. I'm glad they're still standing especially since it's not…read morethat easy and accessible to get Caribbean food in the 626. Glad that this is an option. They have some imported drinks and some pastries on display at their counter. After ordering, they let us know that our food will be ready in 10-15 minutes, no buzzer, so just keep the time in mind when you're ordering. Service is friendly and timely with their estimate. For our visit, we got the Chicken Curry with Rice and Peas. This comes with potatoes, peas, and channa (spiced chickpeas) stewed throughout the coconut rice with curried chicken. Super moist chicken and generous portions. Definitely enough to share amongst 3 adults but can get a bit messy. Make sure you have napkins and if you're taking it to go, to make sure it doesn't tip over! We also got the cheese roll and the Jamaican style beef patty. Easy enough to cut up and share, a bit oily, but it made the pastries deliciously flaky and addicting to eat. I can probably just consume one of these quite easily on my own. I took a bite of my friend's order of jerk chicken and it had a pretty good kick to it. Good stuff and solid choice for dinner at Blossom Market Hall.

I've been going to Bella Cuba since I've lived in the OC the area for the past few years and…read morediscovered a love for their Cuban food. The high level and consistency of service and amazing food I had every time going to Bella Cuba is truly unique. Regardless if its just a simple lunch break, birthday dinner with friends, or anniversaries; I've spent a lot of time at this restaurant and have never had a bad time. So much so, that when it came time to figure out a caterer for my wedding Bella Cuba was my first phone call. Nick and his father Antonio were upfront with me about having never catered a wedding (we had 150 guests!) before even though they've catered other large events. I was convinced with their food and level of service that they would do an great job, and once the day came they did not disappoint. We got a little bit of everything: salad, garlic bread, beans, rice, garlic shrimp, pollo asado, and the oxtail! Nick coordinated with us every step of the way for months prior to our wedding. He even stayed for the whole wedding to make sure the food was served properly! One of the big takeaways from our wedding from all our guests and vendors was that they've never had better food at a wedding, and I think that's a testament to Nick and the whole staff's work ethic and attention to detail to their level of service and great quality of food and ingredients. My only wish is that my wife and I had more leftovers for ourselves, but the look on our guests faces when they got to take home the extra ox tail was worth it. Now, whenever my wife and I go back to the restaurant we're reminded about our fun wedding, and the food and service is always just as great. My wife highly recommends the oxtail. Being a vegan myself I always go with one of the vegetarian specials (They're vegan!) as I love the beans and yucca. I can't recommend this restaurant enough, 10 out of 10 for everything, you won't be disappointed!

We recently hosted an employee appreciation dinner for 36 guests at Bella Cuba, and the experience…read morewas exceptional. The owner, Antonio Chaidez, and his staff provided outstanding hospitality from start to finish. Thanks to our pre-ordered selections, the kitchen timed the entrees perfectly, following a wonderful assortment of welcome appetizers and drinks. Furthermore, the team went above and beyond by plating and serving our external celebration cakes completely free of charge. Thank you, Mr. Chaidez and staff, for taking such excellent care of our team!

I was so happy to have discovered The Smoking Kettle after seeing a TikTok of some local food…read morespots. I decided to give it a try because the food just looked so good and it was highly recommended. I got there an hour before closing and loved the vibes and décor inside. I let the lady helping me know it was my first time there and she went over the whole menu and their drinks and let me know everything was made fresh. I ended up ordering the Garlic Citrus Chicken which comes with garlic rice, beans and sweet plantations. Was also given sauces that are house made (cilantro, garlic and a spicy sauce) The garlic was soooooo good! Also ordered one of each empanada, beef and chicken, and an order of the fried cheese. The spicy sweet sauce on the fried cheese was delicious. The garlic chicken plate was the best chicken I've ever had! The taste, freshness, and cooked to literal perfection! The portion is also really good too, I had half and had the rest the following day for lunch. Their drinks look so tropical and pretty. They make their lemonade fresh in front of you. I got the Coconut Pineapple and it was so refreshing. This is going to be a problem for me now because the food at Smoking Kettle is one of the best and freshest I've ever had. Along with amazing customer service and fresh food and drinks, I will be going often and am so happy they're local!

The food is amazing, very flavorful and filling. I got the La Cubana bowl and it was delicious,…read moreespecially with the garlic sauce and extra pita chips. For my drink I got the Cupecoy Crush energy drink, I like the ombré going on, plus its delicious. Better than the dutch bros rebel. My experience was 10/10, everyone was so kind, great customer service. And the overall vibe is immaculate! Highly recommend

Tony was the best! Super attentive, hilarious, and gave us the best experience here!…read more Would definitely come back because of him

Emmanuel was the best, he took care of my family like we were his own! You must come here and…read moreeverything was the great!

Splurge restaurant but food is very solid! My husband and I…read morecame here for date night and had a great experience~ Vaca is located next to south coast, interior has tall ceilings and have a small indoor and outdoor seating. They have Spanish menu items, several tapas and main dishes. We got 4 wines and both loved with whites and reds! La bola (8.5/10)-the meat inside was delicious wasn't overly crispy, sauce on top was too much but a classed dish Pani puri (9/10)-interesting concept scallop was delicious and sauce was rich, shell was crispy Cauliflower (7/10)-bit too salty and rich but they give you a good portion Steak (7.5/10)-we asked for medium but it was more in medium rare, good quality but small for price Churro (9/10)-cant beat a piping hot churro with chocolate sauce portion not too large Our server was friendly and vibe was classy Would love to try the paella my next visit!

Vaca is one of the best dining experiences in Orange County. The Spanish-inspired menu strikes a…read moregreat balance between traditional flavors and creative execution, and every dish we ordered felt thoughtfully prepared. The tapas are perfect for sharing, with standout flavors that make it hard to pick favorites, and the paella is worth the wait. The atmosphere is lively and energetic without feeling pretentious, making it a great spot for a date night, celebration, or dinner with friends. Service was attentive, knowledgeable, and helped guide us through the menu. Chef Amar Santana's influence is clear throughout the restaurant, and it's easy to see why Vaca has built such a strong reputation. Not the cheapest meal in Costa Mesa, but the quality, creativity, and overall experience make it well worth it. I'll definitely be back.

Cool vibes, delicious food and friendly, courteous staff…read more A+ Hilltop Jamaican Restaurant!

Service was good. Acknowledged right away. My all time favorite patty OMG that is what I went for…read moreI ordered the chicken beef jersey and curry they were all delicious. Just like I remembered 20 years ago. The ambiance wonderful. It was a sunny day I sat on the patio I also ordered the frozen lemonade which was perfect to follow a spicy patty. It's the perfect place to go with girlfriends have some good food and drink and chat it up. I will definitely return.