Anne A.

The food was incredible - make sure to try the strawberry banana licuado! Also Sam M. took SUCH good care of us

Atziry M.

Okay let's see. Where to begin-- The short version, if you're looking for Mexican cuisine, this ain't it. La comida estaba bien desabrido y reseco. First, parking is a nightmare because it's right next to the Mercado, so there is a lot of traffic in that area of the shopping center. The benches outside for guests waiting to be sat are right next to tables where people are eating, they are separated by a short wall and a clear glass window. We were sat at one of those tables and when someone sat there and whipped their hair, it landed on our table through the spacing of glass window. There wasn't a long wait to be sat and we joined the waitlist from an iPad. Then you receive a text to see the host when your table is ready. Our waitress seemed annoyed or overworked or just having a bad day. She kind of pressed or pushed us to order food. Didn't seem happy to be there at all. Which would have been fine had she not been pushy for us to order. I like to take my time and look over the menu since I had never been there. But she asked us when she walked up "ready to order food" and then again right after I had said we only decided on drinks at the moment. So service was mid. Still tipped her 20% Food was the worst. Very bland, no seasoning. Very americanized. Which is the vibe of the restaurant. It's like hispanic fusion, very hip. But some places pull that off and it's still savory delicious food. This was not that. We got some "birria tacos". They were hard, dry and tasted nothing like birria tacos. I also got the huarache Benedict from the seasonal summer menu and it was also hard, mildly warm, and very bland. All in all it was not a very good experience. Do not recommend if you're in the area for brunch. I'm not sure how the lunch menu is. If you're looking for instagram worthy place and not so picky or like plain food then this place is for you. Not heavily saturated with spices, and it's decorated beautifully. Oh and they don't serve any alcohol!

Ben J.

Immediate 5 stars after reading that their Cafe de olla was UNLIMITED! When I first moved to California I never heard of Cafe de olla until my co-worker brought it homemade and it changed my life and added a new coffee drink on my rotation! My friend and I were looking for a cute like brunch spot to catch up at and decided on Pradera Brunch since it's right next to Northgate! The interior of the restaurant was beautiful and service was amazing. At first we were seated inside, but my friend started to have a migraine a few minutes after being seated and the serve was very accommodating and was ok moving us to the patio seating. Both of us were wanting to try a lot of things and instead of getting an entree each we decided to share their Burrito Mojado with Sausage and also shared their Fresas Con crema waffles! Pro Tip: We asked for the red and green salsa to be put on the side so we both could adjust how much we wanted on our burrito and also try both salsas instead of one. Both were amazing and I would suggest getting both! The burrito mojado was really good! I enjoyed all the flared inside the burrito and they didn't skip out on any fillings! Their Fresas con crema was the star of the show! It was light and not too sweet, the fresh strawberries truly some balance to it! Will be bringing back more friends here to break fast and enjoy great food!

Steven N.

Awesomely delicious is what I'd have to say to describe this place. The decor is vibrant and its sandwich on the side it Northgate. The server was incredibly nice and knowledgeable. I ended up getting the Tres leches French toast, country potatoes, and strawberry milkshake. The tres leches French toast was amazing! It was flavorful and sweet and hit all the right notes of what you'd want as a brunch food. The country potatoes filled the more savory palette to complement the sweetness of the French toast. Lastly the strawberry milkshake tasted delicious and not at all artificial. I love the presentation as it's in a bag which makes it perfect to take to-go. Overall, I would definitely come back for good food, service, and overall ambiance!

Grace N.

My friend and I came here few weeks ago for brunch and we loved it! Love the decor and interior design, it takes you briefly into the world of Tulum, or a tropical place, or a place where you feel like you're on vacation, and not in Costa Mesa! Service was super attentive and the servers were so nice! They have such delicious cafe de olla, and free refills! Dogs friendly as we came with a big dog, they will also bring your dog water. My friend got the avocado toast and I got the lengua en su jugo, huge, delish, bit on the salty side for me! I took half the soup home because it was a lot and a bit too heavy for me for brunch. Def would come again for dinner!

Jennifer O.

Great service and great food. I tried both the mollete with carne asada and tabla de quesos. Both are a must try.

Teresa L.

From the moment you walk up to this place, it already feels like an experience rather than just a meal. Tucked in right next to Northgate you might miss it at first! The atmosphere is beautiful with warm lighting, natural wood tables, woven hanging lamps, soft pink floral décor, and a modern indoor-outdoor layout that somehow feels both trendy and cozy at the same time. If you sit outside the hanging lamps provide warmth. The cherry blossom tree and artistic wall accents give it a relaxing, almost tropical café vibe. The service was just as impressive as the décor. Everyone was welcoming, attentive, and genuinely kind from the moment we arrived. Food and drinks came out fast; the presentation and aroma had us ready to eat. The staff stayed on top of refills and checked in often without being intrusive, which made the whole experience feel smooth and comfortable. The food itself was yummy. The breakfast skillet was hearty and flavorful with perfectly cooked egg whites, crispy potatoes, melted cheese, peppers, and juicy sausage links. It felt like elevated comfort food, simple breakfast flavors done really well. The Lengua en su Jugo (stew) dish was rich, savory, and packed with flavor. The onion, radish, lime and cilantro topped it off perfectly; adding texture and freshness. The grilled pork belly was another standout. It had that perfect caramelized sear on the outside while still staying tender and juicy inside. You could tell it was cooked carefully because the texture was spot on and the flavor was bold without being overwhelming. To drink we the chai latte which was smooth and creamy, beautifully presented, and even had a fun surprise hidden at the bottom -- a little cow figure inside the cup. That tiny detail honestly tied the whole restaurant theme together. We also tried the Mocha Chocolate Abuelita Frappe with oat milk (oat milk costs extra, FYI), completely over the top in the best way possible! Loaded with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, a Ferrero Rocher hazelnut chocolate and a wafer. It looked like a dessert masterpiece and tasted just as good! Overall, this restaurant nails every category: atmosphere, presentation, flavor, creativity, and service. It's the kind of place that works well for a brunch date or brunch with girlfriends!

Clarisse T.

pretty good brunch place! all the dishes we ordered were pretty tasty and our server alberto was excellent!!! i only wish it wasn't so windy that day cuz the queso fundido got hard pretty fast :/ breakfast burrito was huge and very flavorful as was the waffles! all in all, would def return again!

Young N.

A really good breakfast spot with a mix of Mexican and American dishes. The interior is adorable. They are connected to the Northgate market in case you have a hard time finding it. Dishes we ordered were chilaquiles with grilled chicken, pork belly eggs Benedict, and a single pancake. Chilaquiles was what my husband ordered and he said it was the best he's had. I ordered the pork belly Benedict, something I've never had before and it was delicious. The hollandaise sauce was the best I've tasted and the pork belly was marinated in shoyu. it paired sooo well with the eggs Benedict. I loved this dish. The only critique would be that the pork belly was slightly tough. However, flavors were perfect. The pancake was good too but nothing out of the ordinary. I couldn't finish it and saved half for the next day. They were pretty busy but it seemed sufficiently staffed. However, Service was nice and polite but a bit slow. Prices pretty normal for the area ... not too cheap but not too outrageous either. Overall we are definitely coming back.

Allister D.

I came here with my family last Friday for brunch and we had a decent time. I can tell this place gets packed because of the style of this eatery; full of instagramable photos. The colors are vibrant and the interior decor is beautiful and modern. The service was slightly off. Our waitress forgot to put down our utensils and napkins so we didn't have anything to eat with. No one came to refill our waters and at one point, we asked this server for a glass of water and she never came. I ordered their tres leches French toast which was regular tasting and simple. It tasted like tough bread soaked with milk. I did enjoy my wife's Queso Fundido con Longaniza which is Oaxacan melted cheese with pico de gallo and chopped longaniza served with hot tortillas. I did love pouring their chili oil all over the cheese with every bite. We also liked their pork chicharron with creamy guac; this is a go-to appetizer. The drinks look interesting too we probably should've ordered some but it's ok. Not sure I'd come back but I'd say it's worth trying. It's pricey too so expect that.

Daisy T.

Came here in the morning, so it wasn't busy and got seated right away. Our waitress was nice and accommodating. We ordered the enchiladas suizas, lengua en su jugo, side of pork belly, and a strawberry banana licuado. Everything was delicious! Would definitely come back here and try a few other things. The decor was so nice, inside and outside.

Eric J.

We were excited to try this place, the ambiance is pretty fun with colorful animals and decorations around with a unique chandelier covering a good amount of the ceiling, there service was ok nothing amazing, fairly attentive. The food was sub par and a little disappointing. The banana pancakes are raved about and we found them to be way too sweet and not that enjoyable, i got a chilaquiles plate with green and red sauce it was suppose to have eggs and i didn't get any. The flavors were ok, the meat was undercooked for what i asked for, the drink was good but a little steep on price point and when asked if i wanted whip cream or not i didn't expect to be charged for it, that was distasteful.

Jonathan N.

My family and I came here for a birthday brunch for my mom, and it ended up being a great choice. Sam helped us out and the service was honestly amazing--super attentive without being over the top. The food was really good too. It's a nice twist on Mexican food without being crazy expensive, which I appreciated. Everything we tried was worth it. The atmosphere was also a plus--the music wasn't loud and it didn't feel distracting, so we could actually enjoy the meal and hang out. Definitely a spot I'd come back to.