We had an amazing meal at Ricardo's Restaurant! The mojarra and the molcajete were both absolutely delicious and packed with incredible flavor. Everything tasted fresh, well-seasoned, and perfectly prepared. We'll definitely be coming back! read more

La Cocina de Ricardo - My mother's favorite - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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We were very deceived by these 5 star reviews. The only thing worse than the food was the service!

Terrible experience at this spot , I went in & immediately ordered what I wanted & kid you not I've been sitting around for 40 mins while other new customers got their orders first , I paid 40 dollars for a full plate of asada fries with barely any meat but a whole bunch of cheese to make anybody sick , the food you make at home is way better than coming here , the agua fresca horchata turned funky within minutes of just sitting ! I feel robbed of my money and will never come or recommend this spot ! Save yourself the money I don't even write reviews but I just had to for this one ! Very disappointed in this so called Mexican spot read more

La Cocina de Ricardo - Asada fries with no asada and all cheese - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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FOOD: I still continue to come here, and the service and food is still great to me!! The menu is big so there are a lot of choices and it's hard to choose what to get sometimes. I usually tend to get the 2 item Combination plates, but I have ventured and got other things as well. I still like the food here! There is also a lot of vegetarian options as well as my family is vegetarian and they do enjoy coming here and having a variety of choices. SERVICE: We still see the owner when we come in and he is still so warm and friendly, always smiling and treating his guests well! Always great to see a small business that knows service! AMBIANCE: When you walk in, you can definitely tell you are in a Mexican Restaurant. I really like the traditional decor and the pictures around the restaurant. There are two rooms in the restaurant with seating on both sides. One side has the bar and some seating there as well. As my last review said, I will continue to come back here for great Mexican food, great service and good prices! read more

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Mario's handcrafted margarita flight. Lime, peach, strawberry, and spicy mango! Yum! read more

La Cocina de Ricardo - Mario's new margarita flights! - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

We really enjoyed our food, it was delicious! The Caldo was one of the best I have had, my husband also enjoyed his omelette. You know a Mexican restaurant is good when just by trying the red rice you can taste a delicious flavor. The chips were fresh and that red salsa they serve with the chips was really gooood as well! Most places for this kind of red salsa it tastes too much like onion or just too much tomato , but at this restaurant it has a perfect flavor with a spicy kick. Restaurant and restrooms were clean, the service was prompt and friendly. I totally recommend it, and I hope to visit again someday! read more

Purely rating on the menudo I ordered through Ubereats. I've been wanting to find a place with good menudo near me and I've found my spot. I ordered a large menudo and my order was delivered with chips, salsa, and corn tortillas. Delicious, comforting, and not gamey at all. If you're looking for some yummy menudo, I suggest giving this place a try! read more

Happy taco Tuesday! This is a great place to have tacos, authentic, Mexican food. A margarita perhaps too. But today taking just taking the food to go. Family asked if I'm going bring tacos home, so this is my location to swing by. I called in the order in advance and the tacos are generously prepared quickly, waiting for me. In my opinion, the shredded beef tacos are delicious. Generous with the sauces and chips. In addition, It's a great price as well. So when I feel like going to an authentic Mexican restaurant, this is one of my top choices, especially on taco Tuesday when I can't beat the price. read more

La Cocina de Ricardo - Taco Tuesday! - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

It's been a while since I dined here. I remember how good the chips & salsa were and this time was the same - delish. Restaurant wasn't crowded, plenty of tables available in the front and back room. The server took our drink order quickly and service was great the whole time. We had the albondiga soup, the pulpo and a sope dish. Everything was really yummy and fresh. Portion size was perfect, we brought home a good amount of the pulpo. Great frijoles, that's always my way to know if a place is legit! read more

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Only been there once so far... stumbled in looking for a new place to try, had seen overall good reviews. Wow - the food was great and I love the atmosphere and decor. Great old school restaurant!!! read more

Our favorite place to come to. Big bowl of white pozole with a side of taquitos is our go to. This time we got the oysters with ceviche! Delicious! Very nice staff and the restaurant is always very clean. read more

La Cocina de Ricardo - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Tasty authentic Mexican food in an unsuspecting strip mall in Lake Forest. Mole was great but the chilaquiles was a bit too salty for me. I'm a bit sensitive to salty food so I'm sure it's really for other folks. Fun decor like a fancy Mexican restaurant. I'm coming back for the mole! read more

La Cocina de Ricardo - Enchiladas De Mole - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Very authentic with an amazingly wide variety protein and beverage options. If it fly's, swims or grazes you can select it for your soup, taco, burrito, quesadilla, gordita, flauta, tostada or enchilada. Right up to octopus. The alcoholic, coffee and soft drink menu is also endless. The price is higher than the setting, location and service deserve but the food is great. Recommended read more

The servers were so friendly and the interior was cozy! I'm in the northern OC area, but had ordered caldo de res from here to my workplace nearby, and the caldo was perfect. I had to make sure my SO and I came to dine in despite the long drive. I ordered pozole and he ordered fajitas with an extra portion of rice and sour cream. The chips and salsa are so addicting that by the time my pozole came, I could barely make a dent in it. Everything was delicious and my SO, who is very picky with food, agrees. We definitely want to come back. read more

La Cocina de Ricardo - Pozole Rojo, Fajitas, extra rice and sour cream, chips - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Walked in and was immediately greeted in Spanish. I'm Asian so that surprised me but I responded back in my high school level Spanish. I felt like that was a test to see if I could understand them. I didn't try any but they do serve dishes like tongue and menudo. The crowd coming in was 90% Spanish speaking. Usually a good sign of a legit restaurant. I had pozole verde which was delicious. I'd go back again for more. read more

What a delightful treat!! A super cute mom and pop Mexican restaurant. The servers were very nice and helpful. The chips and salsa were fantastic - and they kept them coming! For dinner, they had a variety of yummy looking options. I ended up try the guarachon and it was AAAAMAZING!!! I devoted my plate because it was epic. It's essentially a large flat tortilla smothered in beans with a whole bunch of goodies piled high. It was like a salad on top of the fat tortilla. I'm already wanting to eat another one because it truly was to die for. The quality of the food in the dish shone through. Absolutely insane!! read more

La Cocina de Ricardo - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Mario makes the best drinks. Always a huge smile and great service. Really enjoyed the breakfast burrito. read more

La Cocina de Ricardo - Skinny spicy margarita and breakfast burrito were so delicious. Ask for Mario to make you this same margarita! - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Came here with some coworkers for lunch on a weekday, was not busy and we were seated immediately. Loved the inside and the ambiance, the decor make you feel like you walked into an authentic restaurant in Mexico! They have a few big TVs inside that had the soccer games playing. I heard it gets very busy and lively during the weekends, especially when there is a sporting event being broadcasted. We ordered the pozole, which is a traditional Mexican hominy with meat and garnished with shredded lettuce, cabbage, chili peppers, onion, garlic, radishes, salsa, and limes. It tasted extremely healthy and hearty. All the staff were extremely friendly and there is definitely a family feel to dining here. read more

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I ordered a Half portion of Carnitas for a late snack-dinner. While the owner waited on us he was Slow and when Carnitas came out they were dry and stringy. The owner never came back to ask any questions and I was shocked at what I got charged for a 1/2 portion. I remember when this place opened up with diligent, speedy service and good food. read more

Service is always friendly here. Ambiance is standard for food genre. Food is delicious. Only down side this visit was margaritas were very sweet and felt like had zero tequila. Other than that, La Cocina is a hit! read more

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OMG!! me and my family had been here to this restaurant probably 20 years ago because I believe it's the same family that owns a restaurant in San Juan Capistrano and we'd like the one in San Juan so we decided to try this one many years ago and it was great many years ago it was just kinda like a deli style. You walk up to the counter or your food sit down so I walked in just because I'd remembered and I said let's just try it. I was starving of course it was so cute inside it had a bar which it never had before and when I looked at the menu, I knew this is authentic Mexican and they had stuff on the menu that are things that they only make in Mexico seafood items very interesting combinations but I always judge a restaurant just because I love chili Verde and I love salsa. It was excellent. It was beyond compared and it was very reasonably priced, I brought the rest home and had another meal at home. It was delicious. I loved it and the people were so nice. Very sweet. Very attentive. Food was very attractively presented with a lot of it and as I said just excellent I'm going back on Sunday so I'm so excited because this is a go to place and so quaint so so quaint I'll post some pictures. You'll love it. You will not regret. read more

La Cocina de Ricardo - Chili Verde was excellent, with rice & beans, Celantro, onions, lettuce and choice of corner flour tortillas. So good!!! - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Declining service. This place used to be good, but over the last few times I've been here the service has gotten noticeably worse. We waited at least 30 minutes for them to take our order and saw the same with others around us and another long wait for the food. It took 2 hours end to end and we weren't the only ones complaining. Here's the kicker, when regulars came in they got treated like royalty and food was brought out in just a few minutes. Completely biased and unfair treatment of certain customers like us. Not going back here any time soon, I'm taking my money elsewhere. read more

Great happy hours, prices and size of plates. Great service. Good food. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Been coming since they were in San Clemente in the 1990s. Best Caldo de Res I've found! Their salsa and chips are also authentic and flavorful! Wonderful family owned and operated business! read more

La Cocina de Ricardo - Caldo de Res Soup - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

This place is my go-to for authentic Mexican cuisine. They have a very large menu for all your cravings! The prices are reasonable. The restaurant can get a bit busy so sometimes service can be slow. The chips and salsa are amazing! Definitely should try it if you haven't already! read more

True, authentic, home-cooked Mexican food can be a rarity these days with most of us gravitating towards food-trucks or fast-food chains . However, I highly recommend one spot that will certainly change your mind -- La Cocina de Ricardo -- located just south of Irvine for a taste of Mixtlán Jalisco, México . My go-to order is their combination plate where you can choose up to 2 of a variety of items served with rice & beans . Got the Chile Relleno, Quesadilla, and Enchilada across 2 orders. Definitely get the Chile Relleno which is a fried egg-coated green pepper stuffed with hearty minced meat & baked with cheese . Still craving it today . I don't usually rave about salads but I would highly recommend ordering their side salad . The leaves & tomatoes were so fresh and went perfect with the cheese topped with any dressing you like ! They also serve Menudo 7-days a week which is a traditional Mexican stew cooked in a red chile broth and made of beef tripe -- a true local favorite . Btw, their homemade chunky salsa & warm crunch tortilla chips are to-die-for -- fast free fresh . Loved their warm service & familia vibes . I first discovered La Cocina de Ricardo during covid and can't wait to go back !!c read more

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I ordered through doordash and was under the impression it was a family meal considering it was under that category and the price. This is what I got for $35.55. It's a rip off!!! The amount of food per price is unacceptable! Meat was not good quality. Scam, overpriced, not of good quality! read more

La Cocina de Ricardo - Carne a la Tampiquena Family Special - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Not very good. I won't say it's the worst I've had, but certainly not good. I'm not the type that thinks food needs to be spicy, but there should be some flavor, and there just wasn't. Even the cheese had the texture of cheese, but almost no flavor. Taquitos were watery and the Enchiladas had a strong garlicky smell. Staff was nice! read more

Great Mexican place in Mission Viejo. I've taken my mom there a few times and we both like the food. They have cold beers served in a frosty glass. read more

La Cocina de Ricardo - Campechana - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

We came to this place for my dads birthday and I'm NEVER ONE TO COMPLAIN however this day we were eating the chips and salsa they serve before our meal and I notice something at the bottom of the chips and come to find out it's a dirty spoon, we didn't realize it until we were more than halfway done with our chips and it was absolutely nasty. I'd be one thing if it was a clean spoon yeah that's fine but it was dirty, we could see the remnants of salsa on it. I'm sorry but it really grossed me out. read more

Whenever going to San Diego, my partner and I take the time to come to this wonderful place. We were hungry and searched up locations and came across this one. The food is amazing!!!! Aguachiles are like no other and molcajete ranchero !!!!!!! Amazing!!!!!! Michelada spicy please!!! read more

Awesome food, great service, very clean, and decorated nice!!! This place is as good as it gets!!! You will be hard pressed to find better, a must try!!! Highly recommend read more

Cute local Mexican food spot that we tried for dinner. My husband has been here before but it was my first time and I was happy with it! Service was great, restaurant is clean and gives the vibe that it's a great spot for games to congregate, and most importantly food was good. We shared the tortilla soup and it was the best I've ever had. I got the super quesadilla and could barely finish it. Husband got the fried fish and while I'm not a huge whole fish eater, I did enjoy the portion I tried. Will def be back here again read more

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The food is excellent! Service is always great And my favorite part, ambience and margaritas!

Mario and their whole staff are amazing!!! Super attentive and so so sooooooo welcoming. You can order a new dish every time and they never disappoint! They have pozole 7 days a week which I LOVE and am obsessed with. So delicious! Their margaritas are awesome too! Order the Juana! read more

When we lived in the OC La Cocina de Ricardo's was a weekly treat even through COVID outside in the parking lot. Now that we no longer live in the area when we visit it's our first go to spot. Mario you're the best! read more

Crispiest tacos, juicy beef, and that pork tinga! Throw some San Matias tequila in there, and you can't go wrong. Need to try the molé. Mario is fantastic... he always has the recommendations for the drinks. read more

La Cocina de Ricardo - Mario and the amazing Azulillo Raicilla - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I was hoping to actually find some good local Mexican food in Orange County. Unfortunately this place as well as many others is not the place. It surprised me because of the amount of good reviews but then again I guess that depends on who's eating here and rating the restaurant. To be honest based on what I ate here I would have to imagine the majority of reviews are from people that don't know the difference between eating Mexican food and eating a piece of tree bark. Or maybe this place just had a horrible day the day I ate here. We ordered 3 things. Chillaquilles con salsa roja, menudo, and the pork with green salsa and nopales. I'll start with the menudo. It was way too greasy and likely was just boiled after being taken out of a can. I would strongly recommend not ordering it here. It's not worth the $17 hey charge. And they serve it with cold tortillas. The chillaquilles were okay at best. The sauce was not bad but the way they make the chillaquilles they slice the tortilla or chips (hard to tell what they use) and that makes it very soggy. At the end of the day this may have been the only thing that was at least average. The pork with salsa verde was way to salty. Like it was just doused in salt and then they threw salsa on top. Honestly most of the food here was overly salty which if you know about food is sometimes what restaurants do when they are hiding poor quality ingredients or not having fresh food served. I really don't like doing this to a Mexican restaurant but this place was just very bad. The feeling I got was like most of the food was not fresh and might even just be re heated and served when customers order it. But the final thing to drive home the experience of this place was the service. It was not a packed day maybe 4 other tables because we came about an hour after they opened. However all 3 servers were talking and completely ignoring guest. Overall my final impression os that I would never come back here and would warn anyone who is looking for good Mexican food that this is not the place to find it. Not at all. read more

I must say this is delicious food. This is first time my family ate here today. They are related by family to the Ricardo's in San Juan. Totally different owners. Both families make delicious Mexican food. This menu is a little bigger for those who love lots of different foods. I recommend this restaurant. Prices are good, portions are large. Very friendly staff. My family now has 2 great Mexican restaurants to eat at in the area. Family competition is fun read more

Drinks and food are always great! Losing a star because the service is always kind of mid. Servers stop checking on us and come back with bill after awhile. We want water, refills, or more drinks but we just skip out due to this. It has happened enough times to lose a star. I get it we're human we get busy, forget, etc. but cmon this has happened to much to me. read more