The Mercado is a fun place to walk around, but I found the food and products expensive and was not impressed. We had churros, Birria tacos, ice cream and tamales. The tamales were the highlight of our meal and I would purchase them again. We also purchased several packages of tortillas from the tortillaria, but honestly they were very thin and tasteless. read more

The Freshly made Chicharrones, Tortas, Carnitas, Tortillas made on the spot either flour or corn, no more old dry crackly nasty packaged ones. Freshly made tortilla chips for your snacks or Chilaquiles. WOW! All their in house Salsas were Fresh tasting & exquisite. Carne everything tacos, even Chorizo tacos were out of this world. OH don't forget to stop by the Fresh fish market and get your favorites, like Aguachiles, Guacachiles Shrimp or Cocktails made from shrimp or octopus, super delicacies! Take fresh cuts of all your 7 seas Fish & Seafoods! Let's not forget to stop by the Freshly made Sushi eatery! Yes! You crave it they got it How about Fresh Mexican cheeses in the delicatessen area, "Chido"!! I bought fresh cuts of Beef & service was friendly & bilingual in every area I visited. Try their bar on a casual date or day/night out. It's a cozy very familiar ambiance. The Liquor Store section was one of my favorite spots ;) They had every type of liquor & beers. I had to buy various XMAS gift Liquor sets! The fruits & vegetables are fresh & beautifully presented. You must see it & Yelp too! Parking free & it was easy & available without a hassle this afternoon Monday. read more

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I'm just going to go ahead and say it - Vallarta is better. I have given this place a handful of time to impress me but their guacamole is flavorless, their chicken salad is terrible, their tortilla chips are not anything special and their groceries expensive - $3.69 for ONE bunch of cilantro?!? Come on!! They can't be serious. It's nice and clean and all the staff are really nice but I won't be spending my money here anymore. I will say I tried the churro spot and that was decent, and their pan Dulce looks really good too but I just don't think I'll give it any more chances. read more

Love love love Mercado Northgate. The quality of the sweet bread, tortillas, hot food, ceviche & ague frescas is far superior to the normal Northgate. Every item is fresh and you can taste higher quality. The staff is friendly. I always stop by and get a sample from the tortillería. read more

This place is amazing! it is so good! I love this place. They have amazing foods, drinks, desserts and more! They have the best churros and tortas I have ever tasted! This place is wonderful! Great to go for a Mexican dinner/restraunt. read more

If you can wait a couple of weeks for the crowd to die down, that would be good. Or if you don't mind waiting like you're at Disneyland then sure, come over and check out all the wonderful food. You are definitely going to enjoy. There are tons of great choices for you to choose from when it comes to Mexican cuisine.the atmosphere is absolutely electric as everyone is excited this place has been revamped. They even have a bar inside the food court area. Definitely come check it out if you don't mind waiting! read more

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Super clean and well organized. All the food is underwhelming... we tried the chicharron con carne and it was SUPER salty (13.99/lb 1pc came out to $6.50), al pastor/carne asada tacos plus a Al pastor torta from Carnitas don Miguel and all the meats were unseasoned/bland! The churro combo with the hot chocolate from El Moro were okay but the cinnamon and hot chocolate was just floating on top the liquid. I did a quick walkthrough of the meat and produce section and I haven't seen such high prices before at a market! For example: short rib flaken style/korean galbi was $9.99/lb ($3 more than our local Stater Bros) and regular Roma tomatoes were $1.99/lb! You can go to any local grocery store (Ralph's/Sprouts) and still pay under $1/lb for Roma tomatoes. You should go and check out the market if you've never been before but I will not be going out of my way to shop here. The local Mexican markets in Santa Ana and Tustin areas are way better when comparing $$$ but if you're into ambience and aesthetically pleasing markets, this is your place! As my husband put it, it's the "Wholefoods of the Mexican Markets" read more

Amazing Mexican grocery store! I've been to other Northgate Markers, but this is like a flagship store. It has so many different food stalls. They have some good churros, tacos, and paletas. There is something for every palette. There is seating inside and outdoor seating. The bakery section is huge. It is clean and organized. I'm not from the area, but we stopped in just to try the hot foods, and we ended up doing some grocery shopping, since they have so many items I can't find back home. read more

Mexican mart extravaganza!!! Delicious sensory overload! You just need to come and see for yourself. Mix of multiple food stands and a grocery store. There is a -ería for just about everything, and you can see the churros and tortillas sliding down the chute into deliciousness!! I did try the tamale place and who knew how delightful a piña tamale could be! There's also a sit down more formal restaurant and a small bar, where the drinks were probably the least interesting item I found. The food court was packed on a random week night, so come prepared for mayhem if you're here on a weekend. Parking lot gets pretty full too. read more

A variety of food and drinks to choose from and the mariachi was playing all the classics! Wife and I enjoyed our burritos while listening to music before calling it a night. Definitely a spot to check out when in the area! read more

I took my family we spend half day in that place it was amazing food and ambiance. Loved it.!

I stopped by real quick before work to get Champurrado & the young lady behind the counter was so sweet. She let me taste test all the kinds of champurrado they had (4 in total!) and everything was so clean!! There's also a large seating area next to all the prepared foods and stands. Also the bathrooms were spotless. I cannot wait to come in and really look around. This is one of my Top 3 north gates I've been to. Loads of parking too!! read more

Mercado Gonzalez - Entrance of store - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I will start by saying my family and I loved Mercado Gonzalez Northgate once we got inside. The store had just opened the week prior so crowds were expected. Parking is limited already and I'm not sure if this is permanent, but Gonzalez set up their own valet that took up quite a few spots. That was frustrating because it took over 10 minutes to find a spot. Moving on to the inside. It is absolutely stunning! It's colorful and vibrant and the food was amazing. They have everything you could want including birria, tacos, mariscos, sushi, bar, spices, Mexican kitchen goods, fresh juices, produce, candy, piñatas, flowers, ice cream and paletas, pan dulce and desserts, churros, and I'm sure I'm forgetting so many things. We tried the birria plate with beans & rice, birria tacos, and asada tacos. After lunch, we also tried the pan dulce, gelatina, and nieve. My only gripe about it is that if your group wants different types of food, you have to wait in multiple long lines. Wish there was a way to streamline this. read more

Wow! Just WOW. If you are a fan of all things Mexican, this is your place. Your dream place. The smart folks who operate Northgate gonzales Markets nailed this project. This place makes a statement that they are the undisputed kings of Mexican Grocery and definitely creating a cultural shift in how we think about food in general. This place is like Eataly if it were born in CDMX. Seriously, all the best of Mexican foods and curios, Liquors, hell they even had some Tijuana craft beers on sale in their liquor Cave. An outstanding Tequila selection of course is also there to be had. They even imported a franchise of the world famous Churro maker El Moro, straight outta CDMX, Amazing. The place was jammed on a Monday afternoon. I cant even imagine what a weekend here looks like. Its an Event coming to this place, be prepared to eat some great Birria, fresh Carnitas, Tacos of course, Torta Ahogadas, Agua frescas, Paletas made there in front of you, Mexican Sushi Sinaloa style, Holy fresh Guacamole Batman! Yeh they got that too. On the grocery side they had all manners of Heirloom dried beans and chiles, even some really exotic ones. The meat department is like a tiffany jewel case loaded with amazing meats and Gonzalez family recipe chorizo ready to grill. The Ambiance is amazing with art instalations and murals from famous Mexican Artists. I love what they are doing here, and a serious fan of this business model. They even have a bar, so you can hang out and watch some of the big screen tvs playing sports, mostly Futbol. in between grocery shopping. Or tacoing or whatever your doing there. The gauntlet has been thrown, Vallarta markets get your act together, I dont think you can top this one. Or Cardenas, forget it, if this is the future of the Mercado, Mexicano look out Gringos, Northgate killed it on this on. A Mexican food hall combined with a high quality grocery store, Capitalista Perfecion! Seriously newsworthy and a Gotta Go kinda place. read more

Mercado Gonzalez - A few of the Chiles available - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

What a lovely grocery store! It is unique( in my opinion) . When you're inside, it feels like a fiesta. It is clean. There are numerous booths/ store that sells foods, pottery, spices, meat , seafoods, snacks etc.. people are nice and they are accommodating to answer your questions. Service is fast. Checking out is fast. They have self check out also. I went there for their flavored watermelon juice and ( of course) homemade churros and they are both delicious! It was my first time to see a raw garbanzos and i noticed a woman scooping a bag full of it. Curiously, I asked her how to prepare it etc... she told me how to cook them and told me that eating / cooking raw garbanzo reminds her of her father etc.. it was a nice interaction/ experience listening to her story and mind you , we were strangers to one another but she told me a small part of her and that was a very nice experience. Yes , I bought some raw garbanzos and followed her instructions and ate them and it was delicious! Next time, I will try their Mexican foods . They do have chairs in the food sections to sit on and enjoy your food. There are families enjoying eating and atmosphere was festive .. like a fiesta! Go and try this unique store ! read more

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We came here three times during our two weeks in Newport Beach Conveniently located by the 47 bus They have free samples in afternoon We ordered the ribeye at the butcher, as well as lamb shoulder chops we cooked at home and they were excellent. And much less expensive than other places The tres leche cake, potatoes from veggie area , mango ceviche by the pound (twice, it's so good), the chica torta wet sandwich (it's ok) and the birria tacos (not our fav) It's super clean In the morning not crowded at all in afternoon it was packed read more

What a great market - you can do your grocery shopping and have an alcohol beverage and eating an appetizer like a taco. Then you can have a torta ahogado then you can have churros or paletas for dessert. It is huddling and busking . It is happening positive ambiance . Great service at every stand . There are people cleaning everywhere . Wiping down the tables straightening the shelves. I recommend everyone to come to this experience read more

Mercado Gonzalez - Agua fresca - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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First off, let me just get this out of the way: WOW! Dropped by on a rainy Wednesday night to see if they were soft open, and they sure as heck were. I've never seen lines like this anywhere on a weekday outside of Disneyland. If you're not familiar with Northgate, they're a local chain of Mexican grocery stores known for an amazing selection, great prices, and a great selection of marinated meats and fresh salsas too. Mercado is their new concept, taking over the long-shuttered Albertson's on Harbor. It's a combination grocery store/food court with, well, a bit of everything (even a bar). I didn't get to try any of the food vendors because of the lines, but everything looked fantastic. Ceviches, aguas frescas, moles, tamales, churros - all freshly made and sold to be enjoyed in the food court or taken home. When you walk in, there's a huge handmade tortilla station, and they hand out samples of their fresh tortillas with butter on them. 10/10 that was worth the trip alone. Grocery selection was top-tier and exceeded my high expectations for a Northgate location. There's multiple bakeries, including one that's 85C-style and has three different kinds of tres leches cakes. Yum. This place is beautiful, so incredibly well done, and I can't wait to go back again and again to try everything. I'm sure it's going to be insane on weekends indefinitely, but that's just a side effect of Northgate completely knocking it out of the park with this. Also, there's valet parking available for, I believe, $4 an hour, in case you can't find a parking spot (but it's a huge parking lot). read more

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Very busy on weekends. This is inside Northgate market and they have sooo many options!! Very fun and bright place to visit. Would recommend to go on a weekday if you can. They had a live mariachi band playing and everything was so lively. Very good churro spot and chicharrones. Everything seemed very fresh. The perfect one stop shop. Will definitely return to try more of their restaurants! read more

If you love Mexican street food you have to visit Mercado Gonzalez! Normally you'd have to travel deep into the barrio to have an experience like this. Everything under one roof in Costa Mesa. What a genius concept! Needless to say each person in our large extended got something different. There must be more than 100 types of food to choose from, and every single one was 100% authentic and delicious. Do yourself, and your family, a huge favor... decide now to enjoy Mercado Gonzalez experience. You'll thank me! read more

Food is subpar at best. Ambiance is not there. Too noisy. Beer is not even cold. It is hard to find napkins and utensils.

First time here. It was like Disneyland for me. So much to see and try. I got tamales. Tacos. Half passion fruit and half watermelon agua fresca. Samples of shrimp taco and watermelon popsicle. Pan dulce. Mexican candies. A tasty mezcal old fashioned. Then did some grocery shopping. It has everything. I will be back. read more

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I visited Mercado Gonzalez yesterday for the first time. The decor inside was very nice and spacious. There are a lot of food stalls inside. I tried the Carne asada tacos. They were very delicious. The meat was tender and juicy, which I enjoyed a lot. However, the food value wasn't good. The tacos were very small for the price. Two tacos were hardly enough for a snack. They also sell churros. Though they tasted great, they were very small for $3 each. It seemed like the person in front of us got more in the bag. The market also makes fresh tortillas, which are also very fresh and delicious. The employees were not very friendly either. read more

Very cool concept, but since they just opened it is very busy! El Mercado opens till 11 pm which is pretty cool. They also have self check out machines. I wish there was a separate food court. All the shops are kind of integrated with the actual supermarket so it makes it hard to navigate around the store with lines everywhere. It is a clean and best and they have a lot of workers everywhere stocking and keeping the place clean. read more

Came here on a Mon and it was incredibly packed! Lots of food places to try- I do recommend going with a few friends to "divide and conquer" at the food stalls. The lines at any of the stalls were at least 30 min or so -it is probably because we came around lunch time. We tried their birria tacos and tamales- which were very good. The must try is the churros! They were light, airy, and perfect crunch. Will definitely come back here but hopefully the waits in the future won't be too crazy. read more

It's the worst churros el morro I told them it was oil in their hot chocolate and they said it wasn't making me look like I was stupid I work in the kitchen industry and I know what's what they were so rude when I told them making ugly faces to me hope whoever is in charge get back to me so becareful with the hot chocolate read more

Mercado Gonzalez - Hot chocolate - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Came on a Tuesday around noon and it was busy. My son was doing a project for school and brought the whole family. Enjoyed walking around and looking at everything. My daughter and I shared the tamale plate and we were disappointed. She had a chicken tamale with barely any chicken inside and I tried the jalapeno with cheese, which had no cheese and I only saw one small piece of jalapeno. Basically was just eating masa. My husband and sons got tacos and burritos and they were better. Got churros for dessert and they were pretty good ( best part was watching them make the churros). Bought chips and salsa for home. read more

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Wonderful grocery store in Costa Mesa. I grew up in Long Beach and shopping here feels like home every time I walk in. They have a great selection of fruits. Going in there's a massive tortilleria when you walk in. The staff are always welcoming and hand us fresh, hot tortillas right off the press as we grab packs of tortillas. It's awesome that there's also a food hall inside. Haven't tried anything yet, but there's so many options (in particular I'm looking forward to fresh chilaquiles and birria tacos). The store is so incredibly full of life. They have good prices for their produce and the marinated meats are excellent; very convenient for a recent get together where tacos were the main. Love the design of the store too. All of the art is amazing and then all of the signs are informative, they explain all of the food options in English and Spanish so it's also greasy to learn about Mexican culture. So thankful that there's a Northgate in Costa Mesa now; no longer need to drive into Santa Ana from HB. read more

Beautiful homage to Mexican/ Hispanic mercado culture. You do get a slight gentrified feel but it is offset by the authenticity of the overall presentation. Parking is ROUGH! (Valet parking is offered Lol) The bar could use a little boost in terms of quality hospitality. Having a focus on staff being bilingual would be preferable but I'm not sure if that's discriminatory. Being received with that warm Hispanic hospitality is a must for this establishment. Endless food options will keep people's palettes diverse. I look forward to progress read more

If you're looking to explore a vibrant and bustling Mexican market, look no further than Mercado Gonzalez Northgate on Harbor. With its incredible selection of food, artisanal items, and bustling atmosphere, it's a must-visit for any food lover and a great place to immerse yourself in Mexican culture. Don't miss the churros from Churreria "El Moro" - they are truly out of this world! Last but not least service was excellent! read more

Mercado Gonzalez - Inside the market area. - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I fell in love with all the puestos, its food & people. I will do my review mainly on the food items I tried. Tamales were good. I tried tamal de elote. Menudo was excellent; they ran out very early. Churros El Moro were yummy, but I had a Chocolate Especial Caliente & it was undrinkable because it was so thick & had to throw away. So before you walk away, check yours. Overall, very nice place. Lines are long but move fast, except the roasted chicken place. read more

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Nice! Lots of people today All in all a great place to be Lots of food, drinks, bread, churros you name it is here Expect to wait... read more

An incredible, vibrant, beautifully merchandised and laid-out experience of a supermarket. Every wall has gorgeously done illustrative mural artwork, every corner is an opportunity for a beautiful artisanal display. I felt very fancy as I picked out a $4.95 bag of potato chips next to an entire terraced trellis of dried chilis and sacks of grain, and standing looking through the meticulously cleaned plate glass window at an entire copper cauldron of boiling carnitas with thoughtfully made inscriptions in English explaining the entire history and process of carnitas making. The Northgate Mercado Gonzales combines not just useful market but also sheer spectacle, where every food and every process is structured along the design of the market to be shown openly to passersby who can see the cooks and artisans at work at every step of the process making every labor intensive food. If anything, don't miss the inhouse tortilla factory with the whole squad of aunties and uncles making tortillas right before your eyes, nor miss the chance to have an auntie with a cart of tortillas hand you a fresh tortilla with salsa to sample. For all of this effort and labor and artistry that you get to stand by and witness, a single pack of small elastically chewy and delicious flour tortillas is like a mere $3, a bargain! The most important and most impressive thing - not just one, but TWO outdoor dining patios that are also impressively designed and decorated. The rear back patio has not just overhead sails for catching the heat and sun, but also, set-in padded semi circular seating that is HEATED! Boy did I feel like a queen sitting there enjoying a cool January breeze under the patio awning looking at the sunset but with my tush warmed by the overhead heaters. I came just to poke around and eat a churro, but me and my friend ended up staying and exploring the market and then continuing sitting for almost four hours into the night, buoyed by the sounds of actual squads of mariachis that had set up on the Friday night at 6pm in the indoor stage. It was just so wonderful that I came back two days later bringing my mom and we hung out at the patio for much of the night, and there was even another rotation of a different Spanish language rock band performing that night. I am so excited that this mercado has opened up and look forward to future days of blissing out at their open air patio and gaining my next twenty pounds in churros and dark chocolate especial steaming hot in the cup. read more

Mercado Gonzalez - This outdoor patio is so cozy and relaxing - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Omg I felt like a kid in a toy store but for Mexican food! This place is amazing! It's essentially a huge food court inside a grocery store with all sorts of Mexican foods like tacos, tamales, and tortas. Not only is there a wide variety, it's freaking delicious! Can't go wrong with anything here read more

At the supermarket and food court, numerous authentic Mexican food options await. From Birria and Asada to aguas, frutería, mariscos, chicharrones, pan dulce, pastelería, churros, and fresh tortillas, alongside a liquor store, bar, and restaurant all housed under one roof, this is the ultimate destination for Mexican cuisine enthusiasts. While the ambiance is fantastic, parking is limited; however, valet parking is available at a cost. It's recommended to avoid weekends due to large crowds, long lines, and limited seating for dining. read more

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It's an experience. It's part grocery store, kitchenware, Mexican artisanal crafts, bakery, candy store, butchery, food court, etc. I've been three times on the weekend and during the weekday as well. It is too crowded for me to try anything other than the churro place, El Moro. My churro was underwhelming because it was super dry, and too crispy from being overcooked. I'll give it another chance next time. I'd also like to try the freshly made tortillas, agua frescas, and seafood options. I sampled ceviche from a friendly worker with a tray walking around. It was DELICIOUS, sadly I don't know which stall it came from. There's many places to eat various types of Mexican foods, but I just can't deal with the crowds. Hopefully it'll die down soon so I can try the chilaquiles. read more

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Went and checked this place out on a Saturday afternoon. It was busy and lively. Place is clean, well lit and can be overwhelming at first. Lots to see and check out! Food wise, we tried some tacos and burrito. Unfortunately, a bit disappointed. The meat felt tough and not a lot of flavor. Maybe we just ordered the wrong things. Will give it another go and try other things. We also bought flan and their chips. Both good. Flan has the right consistency and texture. It is also not too sweet. All of the bakery items that we bought were dry. That's too bad because they're very reasonably priced and we wanted to really like it. Don't think we'll be buying their bakery items in the future. read more

Everything , the store was amazing , the foods delicious, the store was very clean , I will go back in the future ....

Warning. This place is way crowded on the weekend. Be ready to stand in long lines if you want to eat at one of the eateries. Came here on a Sunday afternoon and could barely park let alone walk around it was that packed. Forget about bringing a shopping cart. It is more of a food court than a market with lots of places to eat. Good ambiance and it looked like they were setting up a stage for a live band. I couldn't eat anywhere but we did get fresh flour tortillas, pre-marinated carne asada meat, salsa, guacamole, queso fresco, and grapes at the market which did not have a long line. All tasted great. read more

This place is so cool! Has a ton of food options, good customer service and just a fun place to go checkout and eat if you are hungry read more

Mercado Gonzalez - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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