I've been going to Javier's from time to time over the past 15 years. While the food quality is decent (although it was better years ago) and the service is good (once you are in), the prices have gone up astronomically )(2x)in the past 5 years. Worse, they nickel and dime like a tourist trap, charging full price (24$) when you substitute rice and beans for vegetables (because the waiter couldn't code it with anything else on the menu so I got slapped with a $54 bill for some pork dish) Waited an hour and 45 minutes to be seated last Saturday night just so they could stick us at the bar because they didn't have tables (it would be an undetermined additional wait for actual table). They are very unaccommodating on any menu changes and are completely horrible at the front desk. (refusing to seat a group unless the entire party is there) - and unfriendly to put it mildly. I believe the employees are a nice people - but they've been instructed to follow very strict guidelines on how they want customers treated. Its too bad - as i work close by and have no problem spending a lot of money on food - but going there is a production and not a relaxing event read more

Get a reservation -- this place is busy and for good reason! The food is fantastic. The drinks are beyond great. The atmosphere is as fun as you expect at The Spectrum. The service was spot-on, with a sense of humor from the whole team that was a pure bonus. Have one meal here, and you'll be back. It's that good! read more

I've always been a fan of the food & margaritas at Javier's, but as of the past 6 months or so, the staff here have been lacking in professionalism. The servers are constantly flirting with each other, holding hands, calling each other names of affection in Spanish (which I'm sure many customer understand anyway) & as of my visit last Friday, a male & female server were playing patty cake. Yes... grown adult servers playing patty cake in front of restaurant guests. I said something about it to my wife loud enough that apparently they heard & walked away. Also, as I was waiting for my server so that I could order 2 more margaritas while we waited for the bill, there must have been a shift change going on behind me at the station right outside the door to the bar patio. A stream of employees came thru very loud & happily talking with the ones that must have been clocking in. I'm all for a happy workplace, but when I'm at a nice restaurant, the place to clock in & out should probably be somewhere farther than 5 feet away from where I'm sitting... or at least out of earshot of giddy, flirty servers. read more

I liked that the very helpful waiter, Omar, gave me veggie options including a corn tortilla enchilada with veggies and vegan sauce. I added the black beans! Love the ambiance in this place. Try their pineapple margarita! read more

Javier's - Veggie enchilada with vegan sauce and added black beans! - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

If I want to sit at my table while my party is parking, then you should. What kind of restaurant is this? Must be a new policy? Looks like this place has gone really down hill. Not even looking forward to my food anymore. read more

Not worth it... you really just pay for the atmosphere. I got the enchilada & taco combo plate ($28). Enchilada was good (basic enchilada nothing special), but the taco was a strong pass. The chicken was dry, unseasoned, and oily at the bottom. Had the ceviche appetizer which was delicious, and would be the only thing I come back for. You can get way better Mexican food anywhere else. Our waiter didn't make us feel very welcomed either. read more

I've been to this location several times, generally pretty great service and food. My visit today was nothing short of atrocious! From the two orders both coming out cold!!!! And the manager deflecting any responsibility!!! Never never going here again. Too bad it use to be great. Don't go to this location!!!!!! read more

I'll never forget the time I got food poisoning here, I was sick for 2 days and when I notified the manager they accused me of lying about it. Horrible food and staff! read more

This is the first time I go to this Mexican food dinner and will say it was very casual. I took my wife for her birthday and they made it very special. I was walking around in the mall and first looked at their menu while I went shopping and they provided for me great customer service when I met them and gave me great service when I dined in. I would say this spot is worth the try and will be back. It was my favorite steak I ever ate. read more

Javier's - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

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My niece and her friends took me to this restaurant and everything was excellent, food, service and the cleanliness of the restaurant.

Friends have highly recommended Javier's and I'd been meaning to try it. It so happens that we were meeting some for a business dinner in New Port, but got moved to Irvine and we landed on Javier's and am I glad I did. I love shrimp! They have by far the best shrimp ceviche and shrimp tacos!!! I'm going back and I am hoping that a location will open near Glendale soon!!! I wish I took pix. Next time. read more

Consistently good! Our server Alejandro was great, also Demetrio was very attentive! I have nothing negative to say! I love that the servers are always filling my water the second it gets low and that they are constantly filling the chips and salsa! The enchiladas are one of my favorite dishes and the fideo de mar as well! Highly recommend both!! Last thing! Jalapeño Margaritas...10/10 read more

Javier's never disappoints. Food is delish and the service is excellent. We had a reservation for a party of 14 for Mother's Day lunch today. While we waited to be seated, we hung out at their bar. They sat us in the patio outside and the weather and ambiance was perfect. As busy as they were, they took such good care of us. Valet parking is only $4 - super reasonable and close to restaurant. Recommend valet parking and the shrimp enchiladas!! read more

Javier's - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

I love Javier's. This was my first time trying the one in Irvine. My experience was great just like every other time. The food is consistent which is a big deal. Great flavors, awesome ambience, good drinks, and can't forget about the tasty chips and salsa. read more

Very nice restaurant incredibly good decor in a great location right here in the spectrum. The manager post was DAWN and he was very kind to me and helpful and got a seated right away on a outside patio. We did get pulled out of the bar because her kids were under 12 Parrulli you need to be 18 to sit in the bar. Who knew? Hello we were only there for an appetizer or chips and guacamole in a couple of drinks we were handled professionally and with kindness even though we were going to be big spenders for the day read more

Javier's - Very nice outdoor seating - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

Whatever you do, don't get there early! They won't even allow you to sit at the bar and get a drink while you wait for the rest of your party to arrive. Evidently it's "not a waiting area" even if you purchase a drink! I arrived 15 minutes early for my reservation and stood outside in the cold waiting when the restaurant was practically empty! I even asked if there was a seating area that was warmer for me to sit while I wait and the hostess told me "no," that I have to stand outside and wait to be seated. For as much as they charge for their food, you would think they would make it a more hospitable and pleasant experience for their guests. read more

Service has seriously declined at this restaurant while prices have skyrocketed. They have grown way too big for their own good. AVOID it at all costs unless you want to drop $200 for 2 people for extremely POOR service for chips, enchiladas and watered down margaritas. The servers are RUDE, rushed and can't seem to even provide basic service like bringing out chips and salsa in a timely manner. *They tried to charge my group $30 for a bag of chips and salsa that I asked to take with my leftovers! 5 mins before it was FREE with unlimited refills at the table. I told them to take the chips back, not paying the outrageous price for some fried tortillas! Some manager named Alex comes out acting like a big dog (trust me he's far from it) has the nerve of being upset at us for sending the $30 chips back! When a bag of chips costs almost the same as your main course something is wrong here!! Lol. I feel for the owners, it's tough to find competent workers these days. That's the service you can expect here. Until major changes are made I highly recommend you AVOID this place! read more

We decided to try Javiers and was disappointed. Prices are way over what you get. $24.00 for Machaca con huevos and didn't have much taste let alone a small portion. Also had for $24.00 the chilaquiles verdes which was ok but definitely overpriced. $17.00 for a Margarita? Really. Super dark inside and not sure why they made it that way. Good Mexican food should not be that expensive. Sorry but it was our second time there. Our first and our last. read more

I definitely will not be eating at this restaurant ever again I am totally disgusted with how the staff handled a situation last night there was harassment and a fight broke out and the girls who asked for help the staff laughed at them I didn't take it seriously at all they were all hit and being slapped around and kicked on the floor . Nothing was done by staff they basically laughed at them . It's too bad they let this place go to hell . Good luck read more

Very disappointed with the rude and disrespectful staff that works here. Made a reservation with them for a group of 6 and they didn't have our table ready. After waiting for 15 minutes the rude hostess told us our table is ready. She saw we were five people instead of six and she asked if the 6th person is already in my group but after telling her that person is running a bit late she held us back and told us in a very condescending way that we are forbidden from entering the restaurant until that person came in as she claimed that "it is restaurant policy, so make yourselves comfortable outside in the sun." Spent over $1500 here for the same service and basic Mexican food you get at a much cheaper Mexican chain restaurant. Do not waste your money here, food was bad, and service was horrible. Yet they have the audacity to ask a minimum of 30% of tip as if they deserve even a fraction of that. There's plenty of options at the spectrum, and this is definitely not one I would recommend. read more

The food is delicious. From the ceviche, to guacamole, the trio of enchiladas, and a scallop dish. Well worth trying. read more

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The food here was really good. I had the lobster enchiladas with a side of beans and rice. For appetizers, we ordered a side of guacamole. The lobster enchiladas were amazing. I ate the whole plate. The best part was the fried ice cream. Omg it was the best thing invented. read more

Im guna give the good and bad! Good -they take reservations! Overall very nice ambiance for upscale restaurant. Bad-Sewer smells if standing waiting at door and unfortunately u cannot go to the bar area to have drinks while waiting for rest of your party--this sucks makes no sense as they cud b making more money on drinks there! So b advised everyone in your party must b present to b seated!! Very expensive! $575 for 4 couples /$143 per couple! Food was very tasty but u can have just as tasty at chili's for much cheaper! Meals are $24-$32. Cheapest is the taquitos at $15. Drinks $20 for margaritas so b sure u pre drink lol! Sooo for a romantic pricey dress up Date nite it's nice but b prepared to pay!! If u take a big party and u r trying to b cash concious u can have as good a time at Chili's for much much less! read more

This was an absolute horrible experience. My party had 10 people and when you have more than 6, there is an automatic 20% gratuity. This incentivized our server named Guadalupe to just disregard us and take forever to bring whatever we ordered. When I inquired about the added gratuity, she told me that it was mandatory and that it was her guaranteed tip. Come to find out, even if a restaurant adds gratuity, we do not have to pay it and we can leave what we think the service was worth. Upon talking to the manager the next day, he also informed me that I did not need to pay the amount because even though it is added, it is still suggested. The entire attitude of the entrance staff, managers and hostesses alike, was disturbingly rude for being a "high end" restaurant. Their attitude felt like they can care less if they lose your business. I will not be going back to this location and since the waitress lied to me about the forced gratuity, I may just make a claim with my bank. read more

I truely don't understand why this place seems to be so popular. The food is meh, it is very expensive and the service sucks. I was there recently for a friend's birthday. Ordered a Paloma- not an unusual drink. What they brought me was a watered down margarita. I told the waiter it wasn't a Paloma and he argued with me. When I said it doesn't have any grapefruit juice he told me they don't make their Paloma's with grapefruit (despite the menu description). Refused to change it for something else. Next issue is we were there for 75 minutes before anyone came to take a food order- and only then because we went to the manager.I will not be going back for any reason I'm the future. read more

Our first time here. Service was amazing and so was the food. Thank you Guadalupe for serving us on our anniversary. It was awesome. We had steaks which were prepared perfectly how we asked for them. Also you gotta try the Margaritas. We will be back for sure. Love this place. read more

Great place. Love the outdoor patio area. A bit overpriced but nice every now and then.

Drove out to the Spectrum to celebrate our 20 yr wedding anniversary. We were disappointment with the presentation of the food. The fajitas were served on a black plate- with the dim lighting you can't see the difference between a mushroom and skirt steak. Use a white plate to allow the food to pop. The octopus ceviche was dry - had to add 4 lemon wedges and salsa to give it a little kick & flavor. The guacamole was smashed avocado- no seasoning :( We ate, we paid & we left. Trendy location not for customers who pay for savory food. Thumbs down read more

This is probably one of my favorite date night places. Love the atmosphere for a date night. It's low lighted vibe where you can chill and have good drinks. The food was amazing. We ordered La Tablita came with stake and chicken. The stake tasted super tender and tasty as well as the chicken. It's really good for sharing maybe 4 ppl. We were tow ppl and we demolished the plate but we were super full. Highly recommended. read more

Overpriced Mexican food, I don't want to come back,my expectations was high. Completely disappointed.

I was reluctant to give Javier's one star but given that one must give some stars I was forced to. I made a reservation for 2 people and was not allowed to get in until my wife arrived. They said, "we only allowed in complete parties" What is the point of making a reservation? I told them that I was going to go in and consume but they would not accommodate! Furthermore, people that came in saying "I am joining another party" were allowed in. By definition, the manager was lying since other people that came in tp join others had not come in with a complete party. TO add insult to injury, once my wife arrived I was told "You have to wait for a table to be available." This restaurant is so busy and so arrogant and greedy in making yet more money that is a matter of time before it blows up in their faces with Customer dissatisfaction. read more

Not bad for a place to just hang out and grab a drink, but expect to spend some $$$. Coming from San Diego, I'm use to cheap but GOOD mexican food. Here, the food isn't so bad, but three times what you would normally pay somewhere else. I got the chicken quesadilla (20$), and it came with sour cream and guacamole. Quesadilla was actually quite good, nice and cheesy, crispy tortilla, and tender chicken. Not bad, and can easily be shared if you just want something to snack on. They also give you chips and salsa for free! Our table also split the margarita pitcher (110$). The pitcher is enough for about 3ish glasses for 4 people, but oh man, I don't think I've ever spent that much on margarita before! It was good, not too sweet and you can actually taste the tequila, but the price was insane. I was not expecting to be spending this much money when I walked in the door. Again, not bad if you just want to hang out, just expensive for mexican food. Ambiance is nice, though really dark so I had a hard time finding people before my eyes adjusted to the low light. But the service was great, they check in on you at appropriate times and don't bug you too much. read more

Four out of four family members felt the effects of what is typically MSG after eating here. If it's the case that a restaurant that charges top dollar for their food is using any type of spice or sauce with MSG, it becomes an overpriced fast food establishment to me. The decor here is beautiful- although there was a constant smell of a cleanser in the main dining room. Bottom Line: If you're sensitive to MSG, take heed. read more

Javier's is always a great experience. This was my first time to the Irvine Spectrum location. I enjoy sitting at the bar, when I'm alone. Marco was bartending, he was very attentive, very personable. Makes a damn good Patron Skinny Margarita, it tasted delicious and not skinny at all! Even the manager Armando was behind the bar on a busy Saturday evening, washing glasses, bussing tables. Very friendly. A true example of great management. The chips and salsas here are amazing. If you ask nicely, they will even bring you the Habanero salsa. Be warned! It is so HOT. Fiery orange and very smooth. Also, try the regular salsa and the black flecked green salsa verde. All three are Amazing! Tonight I enjoyed the chicken enchilada and the shredded beef crispy taco plate. Great. The beans and rice are right on target. Fluffy, flavorful rice, with the grains separated, not sticky and orange-tinged with frozen peas and carrots- I hate that type of rice. The beans are refried, with just a touch of the necessary lard, you will love the creaminess! Just like my Grandma's refried beans. Usually- that is where Gringo Mexican places disappoint. Bad beans and rice, ,,,cold, flat chips, tough tortillas, and watery or too "oniony" salsa. The basics here are all spot on. Very solid. Give this location a try. You will love it. The patrons are also very friendly. Met some fun Yelpers at the bar, made the evening even more enjoyable. read more

Javier's - The trio of Salsas! Careful, that habanero one will get ya! - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

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Had dinner here last night for a friend's birthday. My bf and I ordered margaritas at the bar while we waited for the rest of our party to come. It was pretty crowded at the bar. There weren't any seats or tables available so they gave us one of those serving platters to hold so we could put our drinks on. They also gave us salsa and chips which was pretty good. We added more lime into it which made it even yummier! Food was good but I definitely think it's overpriced. I had the white prawns with the white garlic sauce and my boyfriend had the sea bass which he said was just ok. If you eat here be prepared to wait... and wait and wait. It took over 30 mins for the waiter to just take our food orders. And the food also takes a while to come out I'm guessing they wait for your entire party's order to be done so they can bring it out all at once read more

Javier's - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California

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After coming here for over 10 years I will never return! The customer services and food is not the same anymore. The manager Silvia Sosa is the most disrespectful person. After having a bad experience and bringing it to her attention, which undercooked food should be a priority she simple said if you don't like the food and service don't come back. So unless you want food poisoning I would avoid this place at all costs! read more

Extremely disappointed at the service I received by "upper management" last night. 5 stars to the bar, the waitress, the server, food and drinks. But I'm giving it 3 stars to Martin the "manager" and the lack of customer service he provide. We were seated at 8:30 and our food orders were not taking until almost 30 min later and that's because we ask someone to get our server and we wanted to order. It was 9:30 when Martin showed up after I wanted to speak to a manger and our food was still not ready. I informed him now long it took to get our order taken and he said "well some people want to take their time" I said "I think that's up to each party to decide but you have to ask if they're ready or if they need more time". He did not once explain why it took so long to get our order taken and only said that the reason why the food was coming out late was because I ordered a steak and my meal was holding up my friends meals and they don't serve the plates until everyone's food is ready. Again no option to ask the party of it was ok. Either way, Martin seem like he was arguing with me, he did not try to resolve the problem and my 5 min conversation with him was pointless and actually made things worse. Very disappointed. I rather go to the Newport Beach or Century city location. read more

Have been going to Crystal Cove location since it opened. The quality has dropped significantly as the prices keep going up. Sent many friends there recently who said it was not good. Stopped going a year ago. Was shopping in Irvine today and decided to give Javier's a go. Terrible! Had queso fundido and it was a bowl of cheese. No flavor and couldn't even find the chorizo. Had a crab chili relent and a chicken taco. Literally no crab in it. Taco was so bad. Taco Bell has a better taco. It is crazy expensive. Came home and a few hours later had food poisoning. Javier as a chef should be disgraced. He has let these restaurants fall into an abyss. read more

Had the trio enchiladas! They were all really good and yummy And margarita were amazing . Love the ambiance here

The salsa, chips, and guacamole were fresh and delicious. Had the tres enchiladas Del Mar which came with one shrimp, one crab, and one lobster all in a verde type of sauce. I think the shrimp ended up being made favorite. The wait staff was excellent and consistently kept our passion fruit ice teas full. I would recommend this place to anyone. read more

Javier's - Mexican Near Me - Irvine, California