This place had such cool branding! They have such instagrammable walls on the side and they have fun Dia De Los Muertos aesthetics. I had the steak taco and the alambre taco! The alambre was my favorite. You can taste the cheese in the taco. Make sure you get the spicy sauce because it was delicious! The place can get pretty crowded though. It was difficult to find seating. I was there around 6pm on a Friday. Also, the bathroom smelled really bad! The restaurant was pretty clean but the bathroom smell was almost unbearable! read more

Overpriced tacos, not even gourmet, not worth it. Salsas are not tasty which is the basics for Mexican food. Overpriced beers. I would not recommend nor return. read more

Overall good spot to have lunch , had the vampire taco , fish , carne asada taco well seasoned and tortillas were good . Nice local taco shop ... I would highly recommend read more

I discovered this gem a while back but I have to admit, the food quality has gone downhill for me. I love love their alambre, but it seems to lack in size and wow factor. Their shrimp tacos were amazing filled to whole shrimp but lately seems like it's cut in pieces with less amount. Try their chips and guac, it's so fresh and spicy just pair it up with a house margarita and relax. The patio is neat because of the street seating. They have one tv and heat lamps around for the chilly sea breezes. There's a salsa bar up front and you can view the fresh juices too. I enjoy the use of onions and peppers in all their dishes. read more

Taco Mesa - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Good food & great service! It gets crowded after 7/8pm- so it's perfect to go to after you finish up at one of the local bars in the area . I had the Steak Picado and it was very tasty! My bf has the Papa Tacos- which were good too! Also, they were very kind when they noticed that my bf accidentally dropped allllll the chips we ordered. They cleaned it up and even replaced the chips. It is very filling so expect to be in a food coma afterwards. Definitely worth the try! read more

We came here for lunch and I got a Mesa burrito with blackened chicken. It was absolutely the worst burrito I've ever had. I live in LA and have lived in the Bay Area so I've had my fair share of delicious Mexican food and this place does not hit. The burrito came with what was listed on the menu, along with additional items not listed like zucchini, squash, and cranberries (?). There was also only about three pieces of chicken and the burrito was not folded closed so it spilled everywhere. Absolutely horrible, and at $14. I'm not sure about their other items but just be advised, if you are craving a burrito, just hit up Taco Bell instead. You'll be better off. read more

First time here. After visiting the DMV I needed some good grub. So glad we stopped here. Had the Potatoes with Chorizo breakfast plate. The eggs, potatoes, and chroizo were very tasty. Delicious. The beans and rice were just as tasty. I tried all the salsas and they were all so full of flavor. Definitely will return again. read more

Taco Mesa - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Great Mexican food spot with a solid Taco Tuesday, but DO NOT expect them to get your customized order right! Some of the favorites include the Mesa Bowl, Fish Tacos, and Nachos. All of these are great the way they are, but when you get into changing out flour tortillas for corn tortillas, or ordering the dish non-dairy, 50% of the time you will not get what you asked for. It is literally a coin toss if it's right. Now, this isn't too big of a deal when you dine-in. They will make you a new dish no questions asked. IF you are ordering take-out, VERIFY your order completely. Including, cutting open your burrito to ensure you have the correct meat or rice that you customized... I only write this average review because this has happened to me more than 5 times... So why do I keep going back? Because it's still a great Mexican food spot with a solid Taco Tuesday when they get your order right :-) read more

The exterior of this restaurant is so cute!! All the pink and hand drawn art are really aesthetically pleasing I gotta say The food was good we got: one (1) calamari taco, one (1) al pastor taco, and one (1) wet burrito al pastor with rice and beans on the side. The al pastor here is pretty good, any al pastor that includes pineapple in it that I have had is usually pretty tasty! The wet burrito with the side of rice and beans that cost $2.50 extra was an awfully large portion but good nonetheless. The calamari taco was super good! I would definitely come back just for that item. They also offer four (4) different horchata options which I didn't get the chance to try but definitely will when I return! read more

Taco Mesa - Outside, parking lot - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I have been in Orange County for almost a year now and Taco Mesa has been the best Mexican Food I've had since I got here. Everything we ordered was fresh and very tasty . Place is small but good ambiance and a good selection to choose from the menu. Food was delish. Definitely a place to stop by while in Costa Mesa. read more

Taco Mesa - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

What's that? You ran out of guacamole and you need a minute to make some fresh for me? YES PLEASE!!! Taco Mesa is a hole in the wall, using at least "natural" meats, semi-gourmet style Mexican on the cheap. We drove up and my husband asked me, "You checked this place out, right?" Did my Elite status fade from his mind for a minute? Possibly. We get in, and the menu is a presented a little more impressively than the outside of the building. We order a burrito and one of the specials. We followed up with some of their Red Chili chips (actually a little spicy on their own) and the guacamole, which was delish. A few minutes later he's eating his words and recommending the place to other people. Pfft. I check out every place we eat on yelp. You guys rock and so does this place. read more

I thought the food was just ok. the price is right though. I had the al pastor taco and it had an off taste to me. I also got the fish taco and thought it was pretty good. If I lived near here I would probably come back but I wouldn't go out of my way. The unique thing that they do here is churros with chocolate dipping sauce. It was pretty good. read more

Taco Mesa - Local decor - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

RATS! RATS! Everywhere! I invited my parents to Taco Mesa to reminisce on the good old times of when we used to live in the area. Biggest mistake. Upon exiting the restaurant, rats ran across the restaurant entrance door and near the restaurant's back door. There was some restaurant equipment by the back door so I could only imagine the worse. I tried not mention anything to my parents to save them from the horror but it was too late. When we approached our vehicles that happened to be parked in the back near the trash bins, the scene only got worse. Dozens and dozens of rats. To add to the horror, a TM employee walked out to dump what appeared to be old dirty water or used oil, while the rats scattered he didn't seem a bit phased. That lead me to believe he is aware of this horror and this is clearly not his first encounter with them. I am appalled, horrified and sick to my stomach. Used to be good a place before the rat take over... read more

This place isn't anywhere near good the food quality is subpar and bland and over priced and the customer service? Doesn't exist you'd be better off asking Siri for help here. We ordered two burritos and oh how disappointing they were my burrito which was 9.50 looked like a microwavable burrito you'd buy at a grocery store and even then store burrito bought have WAY more flavor then the burrito I had did the meat tasted like nothing the guacamole salsa was watery and flavorless as well. The other burrito was stuffed with more beans then meat. Yes let's give someone a burrito with beans and few peaces of meat then give them a huge side of beans to go with great combination. Overall this place is not authentic Mexican food to say the least you're BETTER OFF going to El Toro bravo it's half the cost of a everything at this place and the quality and service and the portion are spot on. This place needs to train there employees on customer service skills and the experience peope should have here. Will never step foot in the place again. read more

Taco Mesa - 9.50$ burrito looks lovely right? - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I don't get it? The food is so-so and the service non-existant. One highlight is the fresh made Carrot Juice but then you still have to deal with the sub par food. The other Poster is right about ignoring Yelp comments when it comes to Mexican food. read more

I've been coming here awhile. This is a traditional taco stand upscaled with items such as tiger shrimp and blackened calamari tacos and other seafood dishes. The restaurant looks like a former Taco Bell with a covered patio dining area. Judged purely on taste, this place is average. As mentioned by KM, their chicken burrito was written up in some magazine - didn't see what the big deal was. But the wider and interesting menu selection garners it an additional star. I also enjoy the patio seating as, given its location, it's usually pleasant to be outside. read more

Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover Driving down the street, I would NOT have stopped here. The building use to be the old version of Taco Bell, graffiti was rampant, more so than a DTL bridge. It appeared that placing a bumper sticker on any fraction of un-stickered surface was the price of admission. The front of the edifice had a dia de la muerta theme. I could hear my 8 year old in my head saying, no Daddy, not here. But here I went. Yelpers love it and it has the label of the best tacos in Orange County for 2011 & 2012. Ordered 3 tacos: Al Pastor, Alambre Steak & Salmon + drink. Total was just over $12. Started with the Salmon. Again, first appearance was that it had way too much liquid and that the taco shell would fall apart. Wrong, yet again. The salmon was moist and the sauce flavorful. Wow, which I would have ordered more of those. Next up, Alambre steak. This was kinda odd for me - it wasn't bad, just a little different. Not my favorite. Lastly Al Pastor. It had little chunks of pineapple along with the normal condiments. Another winner. Three tacos was a little bit too much for lunch. Could have been happy with two. After all, these are not street tacos. I will happily return, maybe even try a burrito next time. read more

Taco Mesa - Salmon taco - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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My family from San Bernadino dropped by a few weeks ago to visit me here in Costa Mesa. They wanted to celebrate & have lunch here in OC for my Mom getting a new job. Knowing that I've been going to new restaurants here and there, they asked me to choose a place. Preferably Mexican food. Well out of all the Mexican restaurants down 19th St., I haven't tried "Taco Mesa" so it was a first for all of us. Well "Taco Mesa" isn't your typical authentic Mexican restaurant. This place is targeted to the health friendly people. My Mom is one of those so it worked out perfectly. "Taco Mesa". Well, don't come here if you're looking for that authentic Mexican taste because like I said, it's a "healthier" type of Mexican food. Go to "El Toro Bravo", "Alejandro's" or "Taqueria El Granjenal" down the street if you want the fattier stuff. When we dropped by, it was lunch hour so this place was pretty busy. We were actually lucky enough to get a table because a group finished and got up right after we had ordered. Table seating is outdoors. There's also bar stools and counters if you want to eat inside. Service here is decent. They don't seem too excited to serve you, but they speak English which makes it easy on non-spanish speakers like me. Once your order is ready, they'll call you up. Well, I wanted to try something new like I usually do. Saw a certain item on the menu that I don't see normally at other Mexican restaurants. The "Burrito de Langosta" which translates to "Lobster Burrito". You can't pick this baby up because it's covered in a lime cream sauce, so you gotta stick a fork in it! Literally. Anyway this burrito was delicious and filling. If you're looking to try something new here. Get it! Washed it all down w/ some fairly decent Horchata. Not the best, not the worst. Anyway, - 2 stars for limited seating and the price of food. It's pretty expensive for me. I'd rather stick w/ good ol' cheap hole-in-the-wall authentic Mexican food. I guess that's the price you pay for eating "Healthy". read more

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My sister recommended this place because it was her go-to spot for delicious, inexpensive Mexican food in Costa Mesa. She did throw in a disclaimer that she went there during college, when she lived in CM well over 10 years ago.... it may have changed, may have closed. They are still open, still delicious, still inexpensive. A plus, they are right across from the DMV so you can grab some good grub before you waste away waiting for G27 to be called. They have an open salsa bar with all the fixins, everything that was out was fresh. I had a horchata, I'm pretty sure it was made fresh that day :-) Calamari tacos on Fridays are the BEST! HUGE pieces of perfectly cooked, tender calamari... not that chewy crap. The only CON is that their parking lot sucks. It is tiny and you really just have to catch this place at the perfect time when they are not crazy busy. read more

I love da 1 dollah taco tuesday here! oh yes! made me hallah. had a chicken taco on taco. crispy on the outside, just so flavorful on the inside. gosh. T_T drooling just thinking about it. the lettuce, the sour cream, the chicken, the orange crispy wrap holding all that stuff. then drip a bit of lemon on it. and maybe some avacado sauce. come to mama! carne asada taco had the same effect on me too. horchata wasnt so bad either. =). they also have margeritas for 2 dollars on that night too. read more

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My boyfriend and I go here every year around this time to recreate our first date. We were there yesterday and after dinner my boyfriend kept complaining about something stuck on his throat. I thought he was being a baby. Little did I know he pulled this out of his throat today. PS (I was not going to leave a negative comment about this): food was good but the tortilla for the tacos were NOT fresh. Ambiance is good and it's good to see the same employees still working there. After this we will probably have to pick another place to recreate our tradition :( read more

Taco Mesa - Piece of something stuck on throat - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Best Taco Tuesday in town! Small seating area! You may wait a bit on Tuesdays! $1.75 for Taco on Tuesdays! Parking is a hassle! read more

mehhhh... their aesthetic of the building is super cute though. their food was just meh though. the salsa is super bland and does not have much of a flavor. when i realized there was no salsa in my bag after ordering chips and salsa, the man was rude pointing out there's a salsa bar right next to me. like ok you should probably inform people before they leave... whatever. not enough to make me dislike them, just their food didn't stand out for me. read more

Been here twice since summer started. First time I ordered the tacos because it was " Taco Tuesday ".. AMAZING SAUCES.. Just forgot to add the review BUT this time ( Aug 7th 2019 ) I ordered the chicken burrito.. once again. AMAZING. I'm sure you will say the Sheeesh I cam two after today. AND AGAIN . They tacos are with the sauces read more

Still love the food. Today's blackened burrito was even better than I expected. A dessert recommendation is the churros. Better than you can imagine. Always peruse the specials. They don't just have an excellent regular menu. The specials keep me coming back because they're extra in a good way. I would go to breakfast, as well. They offer excellent huevos rancheros. read more

Taco Mesa - This place fills up after noon but it's clearly dead early Sunday morning. Perfect opportunity to grab a great breakfast! - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Sure, it's not authentic Mexican fare (exhibit a: the fish tacos come with mozzarella or a similarly stringy cheese on top - but try it, it's good!), but it is delicious: non greasy, pretty looking and conservative tasting, with a variety of specials and deals that keep things interesting during the week... why, it's the OC on a plate. five stars alone for mastering that. other details... chips aren't that good, kinda burned and crunchy in a teeth cracking way rather than a crispy happy way, and the guacamole they serve is expensive for the portion. but these are easy to bypass on your way to $1 margarita mondays - it's like grown up lemonade. if you have friends that like to start early, well... take em here. there's absolutely nothing for them to hurt themselves with :) oh and the bathrooms are scary although they're painted all mural pretty. oh! and one of the main employees has the cutest little boy ever. sorry, i wasn't staring, but he did smile at me! hee. read more

Quick: Does not live up to the hype. Seating is limited, taco tuesday is mediocre and there are better choices for your tuesday munchies with less hassle. Pros: It's authentic feeling, which people like. The staff is quite friendly. Cons: Yelp expectations may lead you to expect more than you'll get, which will be meh tacos. It's possible that the Yelp effect raising you expectations will only set you up for disappointment here at Taco Mesa but as objectively as I can see, across the many taco places available to us Southern Californians, I'd definitely had better. The tacos leave plenty to be desired. None of the flavors of the asada or pastor really meld together. This could come down to just my preference but I couldn't find any reason to return to this little taco stand with limited parking. Here are places I'd rather eat taco tuesday or just mexican food in general: Taqueria Mexico (Westminster): http://goo.gl/bLsq0D Baja Fish Tacos (Costa Mesa): http://goo.gl/vDEFDR Alertos (Westminster): http://goo.gl/dF5lfX Hole Mole (Tustin): http://goo.gl/IxPrQQ - Taco Tuesday! Del Taco (Anywhere): http://deltaco.com - Taco Tuesday! read more

Taco Tuesdays are $1.50 now! My first visit was great - I got the Baja fish and Al Pastor tacos with a side of spicy chips and everything tasted delicious. After I finished my tacos, I couldn't resist and ended up ordering another Al Pastor taco! During my second visit, I decided to try the Al Pastor burrito and was very disappointed. The burrito tasted unauthentic and heavy. They covered the burrito with this thick spicy salsa sauce and the tortilla became mushy. I ended throwing most of it out since it got so soggy. I ordered their spicy chips and unfortunately, they were stale and flavorless as well. On the bright side, their salsa bar is loaded with absolutely everything you would want with your Mexican food. TLDR; Come for Taco Mesa's tacos and you won't be disappointed! read more

Loved their mesa burrito. I got mine without the sauce on the outside and it is perfect for veggie lovers!!! The pickled carrots, cauliflower, and onions are to die for along with their mild hot sauce with the burrito. Yum! Will probably be back for some more! read more

If you want inauthentic bland and dry tacos, this is your spot. Seriously. These CANNOT be farther from legit Mexican if they tried. And that's the most disappointing part. I would rather have eaten Taco Bell because at least I'd know what I was in for. These claim to be Mexican but they don't season their stuff and every meat is dry as bone. Eating the carnitas would be nearly impossible if you didn't have water with how dry they are. Same story with al pastor. This is an incredible feat, actually, as these are some of the juiciest meats and can have the issue of being too oily at other places. The lobster taco is decent, but for the price it's just not worth it. The fish taco is not bad, but again the price is ridiculous. I wouldn't say all these tacos are completely flavorless, but they do seriously need some salt. The green taco tortillas are stale and chewy. Not in a good way. Also, the salsa bar is one if the worst if not the worst I've tried. Salsas are flavorless and not spicy at all. They are watery. I would say this place is only worth considering if you go on Tuesday Tuesday, and that's if every other Mexican place is closed too. The only redeeming quality was the flan, which in all fairness was also not real Mexican flan as it was more like a cheesecake than the light decadent flan it should be. This spot gets 1.5 stars for sure, but since it's not repulsive I'll give it 2 stars. read more

I used to go come here all the time before there was Yelp. So today, we were in the area and of course we were craving for good tacos. This place is right across the street from Costa Mesa DMV on 19th Street. Its a hole in a wall place. The tacos were so good just like the ones you would find in Mexico. I love the salsa bar and their fresh juices. I had their horchata, and it was just perfect not too sweet. We had the steak tacos and the blackened Calamari tacos, they were the BEST! Taco Tuesday is $1.85, but good luck on the parking. Its pretty limited. Restrooms are tucked away behind the restaurant and its not bad considering a hole in a wall place. Definitely, I am looking forward to come back again and again. read more

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Came here on a whim as my friends and I really wanted to try it. It's not bad, I just don't think it's all that amazing. I think being Hispanic I just have really high expectations for things like tacos and burritos lol but it's a nice little place with cool decorations and stickers everywhere! I got 2 carnitas tacos. Only finished one of them, there was just way too much carnitas in them and I got over it. They were alright. I also got chips and guac and YUM the chips were fresh and hot. I really enjoyed those and the chips had a nice little spice to them (or maybe it was the guac I couldn't tell) but my friends and I ate A LOT of them. They give you a generous amount of chips haha. My friend got some burrito (don't know which one sorry.) but he finished it. My other friend got an asada burger and I don't think he was too crazy about it. There was such a thick pineapple slice in it! Nothing special. I did like the churros and the chocolate dipping sauce though! I have such a sweet tooth. We all really loved those churros, even my friend who isn't really a fan of them in the first place! Overall, food is just alright. Be careful since this is on 19th there may be a good amount of homeless people wandering around, just be aware :) I love the ambience and they had a nice big TV outside everyone was watching. Good service, didn't wait too long for our food and the prices are reasonable. Give it a try yourself! read more

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Ok guys-We were looking for street tacos in the area and after reading the reviews we decided to try this place. We were here on Taco Tuesday so the street tacos were $1.75. The tacos have a good amount of meat on them. Cute place. The green chili tacos were super flavorful, tender and delicious. The fish tacos were the best we've had. The Pastor was "eh". Not much flavor. The carnitas were tender big chunks of meat. Flavor was good- not wow-good. Just good. I would definitely recommend Taco Mesa. read more

I was impressed with the good service, freshness of the food, and the laid back ambiance of the restaurant. There is a little bit of wait for them to serve the food since there is a lot of people and they make it when you order. Combo plates were priced reasonably, including the other items on the menu. I ordered the chicken enchilada combo plate for around $8.00 including tax. The plate came with two enchiladas topped with lettuce, sour cream, sauce, and pico de gallo; beans and rice. The enchiladas were stuffed with a lot of chicken meat! Delicious and very filling! My friend ordered the carnitas tacos (2) combo plate which she really loved. Her only complaint was the tortillas were falling apart - I don't think it's that bad since the tacos were filled with so much meat. A little salsa bar on the side is a plus, I loved the spicy salsa. I can't wait to come back! read more

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Wow great menu selection The salsa bar has many varieties in creating your salsa I had the lobster burrito Lobster was very fresh Im thinking they shouldn't make the burrito wet though The veggies were freshly sautéed inside Everyone's food look great Fast prompt service read more

Being gluten free I'm used to navigating straight to the taco section at Hispanic restaurants - but not here!!! They have gluten free tortillas and it was delicious with the blackened fish burrito! I will absolutely be going back! read more

Taco mesa has delicious food. Reasonable prices. The chicken is great. Can't beat this place

I came here for the first time earlier today and tried their fish and shrimp taco. I wasn't impressed. I had better tacos else where. The corn tortillas were kind of chewy, the shrimp and fish were kind of small, they just loaded with tons of toppings on them to make them look good, but they sure didn't taste too good to me. No flavor on the shrimps at all. $3.50 for a taco just ain't worth it. I was still hungry after 2 tiny tacos, cost me $10 with the small drink. Should have gone to Wahoo's. The only thing I like about this place is the patio area where they have a big screen TV . read more

Taco Mesa - Fish taco on the left, shrimp taco on the right. Not impressed with the taste, chewy and dry tortillas just didn't work for me. - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Not sure if we just ordered the wrong items or what, but the tacos are definitely overrated. We got steak, wild pescado, al pastor, and carnitas. Although the al pastor and carnitas were decent, these tacos just don't compare. We added sauce and everything. Wouldn't come back here for the tacos. Maybe I'll try the burritos next time? Also ordered the flan, which was thick and creamy. Better than most flan I've had, this one is made of cream cheese. Definitely on the heavy side though. Edit in response to Mr. Ivan: The steak taco came out luke warm and borderline cold. The carnitas was dry and the wild pescado (fried) was soggy. In addition, these tacos just tasted... bland. They didn't have much taste to them even after adding the sauces. Don't have much to say about the al pastor taco, as I didn't eat too much of that one. It also had something to do with the taco wrap. It's a little too thick, and the contents of the taco just don't mask that taste. read more

We've been here once almost every week since we moved to Orange County. Love their blackened chicken/shrimp/fish tacos. They have never messed up our order (high probability since we order over the phone) and their tacos are pretty consistent. It has become our comfort food during the pandemic :) I definitely recommend you to try! read more