The food was excellent with great variety at their Sunday brunch. Chef Gloria's cooking was delicious (I had to ask who cooked it!), and Omar's service was top-notch--super friendly and attentive. Highly recommend for the great food and excellent service! read more

Kalaveras - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Everything was fire, honestly. The cocktails were on point and Mariana's service was unmatched."

I visited Kalaveras a few days ago and hung out at the bar. I was amazed at the friendly service and great drinks made by Franco. I must have tried three or four (or five) during the few hours I spent there. All well made and delivered with amazing hospitality. Will definitely be coming back here, if just for the drinks and atmosphere alone. read more

Kalaveras - Something good and strong - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

I went to Kalaveras last night for a relaxed evening with my wife and daughter. We arrived at about 6:00 p.m. Although happy hour officially ends at 6:00 p.m., our waiter was kind enough to give us a one-hour extension, since the internet still lists 7:00 p.m. as the happy-hour end time. The entire wait staff, and our waiter in particular, were attentive, friendly, fast, and pretty much everything one could ask for in restaurant service. The music was not too loud, and it was perfectly easy to have a conversation at our table. There were probably 30 TVs mounted on the walls, all showing the same station. It happened to be youth baseball, which I thought was a somewhat odd choice for the setting. The drinks were okay, and the food was mostly unremarkable, with one notable exception: the "Loaded Asada Fries," which I thought were excellent. All in all, it was a good enough experience that I would come back. I wouldn't make it my go-to hangout, but I do look forward to visiting again. read more

Kalaveras - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

What a bummer. We ordered for pickup as we live 5 min from here and thought it would be a no brainer, but wasn't hot so not sure how long it was just sitting on the counter. We are a bit obsessed with a Birria truck that no one can compare to but this Birria was truly disappointing. Just look at the oil. Big chunks of meat in it just sitting in oil. I myself always get a quesadilla and hope for a crispy outside and oooey gooey inside. It was diffeeent. Had corn in it and was under cooked. No crisp at all. Would have had to cook it myself to make it have any sort of crisp that I would have expected. But the inside was very flavorful. Didn't come with salsa so glad I had my own. Just a tiny scoop of guac. The taquitos were different colors which was a nice change and the chicken was good. But they were over cooked, over crisp ( opposite the quesadilla. No chips and salsa provided Just a lukewarm warm meal left on a counter for pickup thinking it was DoorDash and not the actual customer. Now I think differently of restaurants and how they leave pickups and such. We did call to indicate how the order was and received credit so that was greatly appreciated. But it was a true shame bc I had high hopes for this place. We drive by all the time. But I guess that's why on a sat night there were no cars in the parking lot wouldn't recommend read more

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Don't recommend. It was edible. Sort of. Stale chips, salsa wasn't homemade/fresh. Queso Fundido was already congealed and inedible. Lunch pollo fajitas equaled one small tortilla's worth of filling, bell peppers non existent. Chardonnay unpleasant, no other white wine options provided. Entire experience overpriced for what was experienced. Bartender was attentive. Dark and loud inside despite visiting between lunch and dinner. Not a fan; won't be back. read more

Kalaveras - Queso Fundido was congealed and unpleasant. Was required to still pay for it. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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This is going to be jaded, since the soccer game got delayed, hence being on when we arrived. And it was Mexico playing...absolutely loud and chaotic inside. I heard them turning away those without reservations. We had a reservation, but waited a long time. Once sat, we waited a long time to order. Everything took longer than one would expect, but given the events, it's also to ge expected. Staff was friendly and apologetic. Food was pretty good, especially chips/ salsa & nachos. My enchilada trio was just okay, but the watermelon sushi made up for it read more

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This place was really really good. we went on a friday night to watch the world cup game and it surprisingly wasn't crowded which we enjoyed. they also had the telemundo version playing which is another bonus!!! Our server was super nice and patient as well since we took a long time deciding. Dining in you also get complimentary chips and salsa which were AMAZING because the chips were fresh and warm as well as the salsa. For the food I ordered the enchiladas verdes without beans and my friend ordered a wet burrito. The portion size were HUGE (which is good thing because it is quite pricy for a mexican restaurant). Inside is definitely a great place to grab drinks and watch games since there are plenty of tvs inside with the sound on! read more

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The energy in this place is vibrant! Overall, my experience was great, but the service was quite slow. It was a busy night so I'll give them a pass. I would definitely return. Unfortunately, they were out of their frozen margaritas and told me they would not be ready for another two hours which was part of the reason I chose to come to this place so I was pretty disappointed. The food taste fresh, was made well, and I have no complaints. read more

Kalaveras - Top to bottom: shrimp taco, salmon taco, fish taco - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

This spot is my go to! The baby lucas mango chamoy rim on the slushies are INSANE!!!!!!!! It's like crack and having some of that with the drink is really just incredible!!! The service here is quite great too! Gianfranco really provides me with excellent service each and every time I come here which is the reason I keep returning. I love this place and will always rave about it, not to mention the convenient location and great ambience! 10/10 read more

Kalaveras - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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I stopped in on a Tuesday around mid-afternoon to try their taco Tuesday special for $2.50 a piece. They set it up buffet style where a server will initially add the meat of your choice to the tortilla, but then you can self-serve the rest of the toppings onto each taco as much as you like. They had a nice selection of meats to choose from including: Carne Asada, Carnitas, Pollo, Al Pastor, Chicharron, Barbacoa, Mushroom, just to name a few. Overall, I thought the quality of the meats were good - tender and well seasoned - served on warm corn tortillas. The salsas and toppings (cilantro, onions, radishes, carrots, etc) they provided were also made fresh. I think it was worth the experience. In the end, I got 8 tacos and didn't regret it. This place is worth a try. read more

Kalaveras - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Kalaveras was a great time but i do have a few quams. we walked in on the day of a world cup game about two hours before it started and was told there were no walk ins, but they managed to sit us outside in a completely empty restaurant ‍. the margaritas were very good but i was not the biggest fan of the hibiscus. i enjoyed the carnitas and chicken tacos at 7$ but my about 9$ single ribeye taco was 85% fat and just did not seem worth it. the restraunt was decorated for the world cup and had a great vibe. would definitely go back to try some other options like maybe a brunch read more

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Amazing food and drinks. The atmosphere is very laid back and fun. Service is quick and friendly. Would come back again for dinner!

Wanted to love this place since it's close and convenient but something felt off. Got here on a Friday evening around 4:45 and the place was completely empty for the most part. The doors to the place are wide open so hot air was flowing in on a hot summer day which made the experience a bit uncomfortable from the minute my friend and I sat down. The margaritas I had (tamarindo and cucumber) were good and well priced for happy hour. My friend didn't love her hibiscus margarita which had a weird after taste. The Quesabirria tacos on happy hour were great. The Taquitos Dorados on happy hour have potato inside which was odd because we loved the ones on our sampler platter which had meat in them. Would have been nice if the server actually took the time to tell us that the happy hour ones were potato. The Mole Chicken Tenders on the platter were not edible. They were rubbery which was a turnoff from the start and the color of the cooked chicken looked like something from a gas station. Chicken wings however were crispy and good. Service overall was very much as if the bartender did not care to be at work either which was annoying considering how empty it was in the restaurant. read more

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Visiting from LA, took a chance and I do not regret it! Kalaveras taco Tuesday is the tea friends, although order the taco Tuesday tacos from the kitchen.. Anyway... the food is freaking amazing. My personal favorites are the Pastor tacos, while my husband loves the chicharron. Absolutely no Trumpy vibes here and very inclusive environment.. The 5 stars goes out to Omar! Omar.. thank you for your menu navigation and offering so many delicious recommendations! Secondly, Omar thank you for keeping the client experience elevated and seriously top notch! read more

Kalaveras - Strawberry margaritas - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

It wasn't busy at the time I went so I expected to get somewhat good service since I only ordered 2 things -server was gone for most of my visit -a completely different server gave me an awful look once I said I only wanted one spoon for one dessert -churro sandwich wasn't even a sandwich -got my mocktail once I was paying up my check so I didn't even get to have it before my dessert came out there was only a handful of guests so I'm not sure why the drink came out once I was packing up to leave read more

Kalaveras - Churro Sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

The food is mediocre at best. I got their fajitas and it tasted like teriyaki which was really weird. Nothing came sizzling. Just sort of warm. The service was also strange. I could barely make out what our waiter was saying and once our food arrived I could not flag him down. Not for a refill. Not for our check. We ended up having to ask another waitress to flag him down for us and even then it took a while. Eventually I found him making drinks and watching sports when I got up to use the restroom. You can't have bad food and bad service. If you want some saving grace you gotta have at least one. Needless to say we will not be coming back. I cannot believe this is Mexican food in Southern California. It should be illegal. read more

If you're black do not go to the new port beach location. As soon as my friend and I walked in we got all types of looks like we weren't supposed to be in there. The slushy margaritas we ordered had no type of slush, it's was extremely watery as if they didn't even try. We went on taco Tuesday so they had their little taco special the meat was salty and the man serving the meat seemed to have an attitude with us for some odd reason. Smh I never understood racism how can you be so bothered that someone is a different color than you plus YOURE IN A MEXICAN RESTAURANT! News flash black people eat too and yes we do like Mexican food. I never had a bad experience at the location is Long Beach (probably because they're more diverse) read more

They raised the price of the Happy Hour Margarita to $6.99. The Happy Hour pitcher is $25.99 which is basically the price of three and a half cups, but it serves 5 cups. Nevertheless I couldn't drink more than 3 cups. I love the Queso Fundido way more than the Guacamole. The latter of which was good but I only ate half of. Neither of them were on sale and were rather pricey. $14 for guacamole, and $18 for queso. The complimentary chips and salsa is always good. They also have a special request Habanero Salsa but it's average. I wonder if they have a green Tomatillo salsa. read more

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I don't regularly leave reviews unless the service was terrible or really good. I'm happy to say I was pleased. Sat at the bar a few times and let me tell you that the drinks were delicious! Franco has the best recommendations and makes the best drinks. I don't like my drinks water down nor too strong (or I would be doing shots instead lol) but the drinks he makes are just right. I would really recommend this place and ask Franco for his best drinks read more

Kalaveras - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

We made a reservation for 11 at 9PM on a Saturday evening and were fortunate to get a room that's tucked away to the side. The music can be a bit loud in the main seating area, so it was nice having a bit of insulation. Our server was Ash as she was very attentive and friendly. We started off with guacamole and queso fundido as appetizers. The pork rinds with nice and crunchy & the guacamole paired well with the complimentary tortilla chips. The queso fundido had a nice cheese pull and was quite savory. I ended up ordering 1 chicken and 1 asada taco & the asada was definitely my favorite. I'm not a huge fan of cactus so I found myself removing the nopales salsa from the chicken taco. Both types of protein were cooked very well though, and were both flavorful and moist. Overall, it was a solid first experience at Kalaveras and I could definitely see myself returning to try their other menu items in the future! read more

Kalaveras - chicken & asada tacos - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Had an awesome Taco Tuesday dinner at Kalaveras, the fajitas were sizzling, flavorful, and easily some of the best I've had in a long time. Service was a bit on the slower side, but everyone was super friendly and attentive once things got rolling. The lively music and fun, colorful atmosphere made it the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy a great night out. read more

Kalaveras - The amazing, all-protein fajitas - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Went in for lunch on a Tuesday with 13 other people. On Tuesday they have $2 tacos (except fish). Once seated you tell the server how many tacos out want and then they give you a receipt print out to take to taco bar. Half of us decided to opt for the taco bar for the sake of time and cost. I ordered fish tacos and the person across from me order enchiladas. Most of our party was almost finished when the enchiladas came out. Each time the server passed she said she would check on my tacos (3 times). A manager passed and said the same thing. After everyone was finished ( and while the person across with enchiladas was half way through), my fish tacos came out, in time for me to ask for a to go box. The restaurant is nicely decorated and was not that busy. The fact that half the party was self serving by using the taco bar, I didn't understand the slow service during a peak time of day. read more

Kalaveras - Taco Tuesday - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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The restaurant location was a little weird, it was next to some business buildings. Parking was small, there is a small lot behind the building and a slightly bigger one across the street. But we were able to get parking pretty close so it was okay. The food was pretty good too, I got the tacos and they were all really good. We also got two of the mezcal drinks there that were really good. The lychee one was really good. read more

Kalaveras - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Mariana is the best bartender. So friendly and makes bomb drinks. Love her service and the food is great too. Everyone else here is awesome as well, always appreciate the hospitality whenever I come in. Get the Mexican candy shots & Guavarita. Can't beat the Taco Tuesday and happy hour menu. read more

Kalaveras - Mexican candy shot - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

I have been seeing ads for this place for Taco Tuesday everywhere on my socials. We decided to give it a try for Taco Tuesday. We went around 5-6pm and there was parking available, although I did see they have free valet parking available. Here is what we ordered: Taco Tuesday Tacos: These are smaller tacos that are $1.50 each. They have a lot of meat options. They basically print you out a ticket with the number of tacos you order and you have to line up to actually get it. The line did not take very long, but they did run out of chicken and did not say anything to anyone. I had to wait in 2 lines, first letting me know they were waiting on it, and then another long line to must et my 1 chicken taco I did not get the first time around. I feel like with it being Taco Tuesday, they could have been a bit more prepared or accommodating knowing it would be a pretty busy night. Queso Birria Tacos: This was just ok. I took about a bite or 2, but it was just a bit lukewarm and dry. It did come with consome, but there was not as much flavor to it as I am used to from the birria taco trucks. Mango Margarita: This was decent. It had mango pieces in it and was just regular size. We were a bit confused when they brought out a regular sized drink, since there was a happy hour sign that said there was a deal for $10 for a liter. We realized that that entire page was not all liter sized and that it was only for the first like 5 drinks listed. Overall, I was not too impressed with this place. All the meats were mediocre and the service also could have been better. I have had better Taco Tuesday deals, so I am not sure I'd be returning to this one. read more

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I have been to this place a couple times already because the food was well done and better quality than many fancy restaurants, but recently my friend and I decided to take out and we were very disappointed. I got the salmon plate and my friend the pescado plate and they gave us like the left over raw veggies from their kitchen. All the tails of the asparagus (super chewy and hard to eat) and practically raw carrots. Maybe they serve good food only if you eat there, but if you decide to take out, please check before you take home! read more

The food and service were definitely 5 stars and I would have given a total of five instead of four if it wasn't for the fact we had to move tables because they have speakers playing very loud in many of the areas of the room. There were four of us and everything we ordered except one small thing were delicious. The guacamole, the shrimp fajitas, enchilada verde, I had a blood orange mojito that I am still thinking about! The only thing that was not five star was the el pastor taco because it was just to dry. But once we found a seat w/out the noise the evening was excellent and I would go back in a heartbeat. read more

The best food ever and beautiful restaurant decorations and the best drinks ever and new company ever!

I walked in here on a Friday night and it was pretty lively. There was another table near us that had a birthday party and the staff went out of their way to help them celebrate. They brought out a cake and whistled loudly, which was entertaining to watch. They also had music videos on their TVs to help out with the atmosphere. I ordered a lomo saltado and split an order of quesabirria tacos and flan. Everything came within ten minutes. The tacos were very good and juicy. I really like their salsa too. I've never had sweet potato in mexican food before and it was also quite tasty. The flan was rich and satisfactory as well. read more

Kalaveras - Flan - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Came here on a Sunday around 1pm. Due to the decently high rating, we gave it a go. Didn't come within field goal distance of 4.5 stars for us. It's ok. You could do a lot worse. They have a $40 ayce brunch buffet on Sunday with bottomless Mimosas. We did not partake, but our kids did. Had we participated, probably an extra star for the Mimosas. I had the enchiladas verdes. Just ok. Wifey got the carne asada tacos. Again, just ok. Kids didn't seem too impressed with the buffet, though they def got our money's worth. They have a wandering mariachi band which was cool. Service was friendly, but a little slow. Prices are ok. A little bit of a weird location, but accessible. read more

Kalaveras - Enchiladas Verdes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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A must for taco Tuesday! $1.49 per taco and a cute experience. You order at the table but then take your receipt to the taco guys in the back. They'll make tacos for you and you can top it on your own. My son had carnitas and asada. Carnitas were better in his opinion. The salsa and chips were great! We shared a huge taco salad - with chicken and it was also wonderful. The dessert - churro sandwich was excellent. Would order without the berry sauce. Service is prompt. Ambiance is a bit cheesy. Parking is a okay. Will absolutely return! read more

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Took an early lunch. Place was very inviting. Service with a smile. Really enjoyed the appetizer, queso fundido. Overall great experience. read more

Fantastic! Pretty unassuming and underwhelming from the outside, but we were greeted nicely, very well taken care of by our waiter, and the food was outstanding. We had ceviche, carnitas burrito (big!), tacos and enchiladas and all were loved. Oh, and try the Kalaveras margarita! read more

Food & service was great. Out server Rufy was very attentive & made our visit amazing!! The ambiance was great and we went on a Saturday around 5pm! We walked right in, food was quick and drinks were amazing. read more

Kalaveras - Flan - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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The food was delicious, even considering the fajitas were served without a sizzle. No chips were available for chips and salsa! Total bummer! We were left asking for salsa, flour tortillas, and sour cream! Another bummer! If it wasn't for the fajitas it wouldn't even rate a one star! read more

When Kalaveras opened in Newport Beach, my wife and I were excited to learn they served traditional Albóndigas Soup, aka Meatball Soup. For more than a year, we stop by and order Albondigas Soup for lunch. However, today we were disappointed with the soup. They now use frozen meatballs instead of fresh cooked. This is evident because the meatball is much harder to cut with your spoon. Also, they no longer include vegetables in the soup. Just 3 meatballs, broth and some avocado on top. Now we are back to searching for great Albóndigas in Orange County. read more

Not the best food but have really good service . Never again! White people Mexican food :(

this is an excellent place to go. The food is really good. The cocktails are excellent and the service is outstanding. If you're lucky, you'll have Britneny for your waitress. But make sure you order a La Vieja Moda cocktail, It's outstanding. read more

Wonder in to this place for dinner on Thursday evening ..this location is in Newport Beach off of Bristol. The ambience is nice. They have nice music playing mainly Mexican and service was great Nancy,The bartender was very attentive and a big shout out to Heidi, which I believe was the manager.. she was very Hands-on, I asked if they had a spicier version of the chips and salsa I mean for the salsa she said , yes we have actually two different ones and she brought them over and they were great. My husband enjoyed the tacos one with the mushroom, a fish taco and a shrimp taco. He devour them. They were great. I went ahead and got the trio of enchiladas with the Molly and shredded beef and another one with the green sauce. I believe it was chicken and a third one with red sauce . They're all great. The chips are actually very crispy and they are tasting stale like at other places. They have a full bar, ample inside space and outdoor patio area read more

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