Best tacos in Orange County. Blackened fish and the Salmon tacos are amazing. Friendly people and very reasonable prices. Don't leave without sharing a carne asada quesadilla. read more

We missed eating here as we had moved a decade ago to the other side of the harbor. We like their other restaurant near us called Taco Rosa which is a larger, regular restaurant and different menu. Taco Mesa however is unique. The food has always been very good and many unique recipes. It isn't the typical Mexican fast food people may expect. I've always felt thought is carefully given to each items components. Years ago they even occasionally had lobster bisque. The night we returned they has Maine Lobster Tacos (one shown in photo) which my wife ordered and I'll definitely get next time. The salmon taco accompanied the lobster taco and it was a larger piece of delicious salmon than anticipated. Yum! I ordered their Mesa Burrito with blackened chicken because it has lots of veggies and I was trying to be good before pigging out at holiday meals. The burrito was very good but after seeing the lobster taco, I don't know what I was thinking. We finished with some of their wonderful flan. This location requires sitting in open air semi-enclosed patio. Considering it was cold that night we were still comfortable because they have nicely adjusted heaters. read more

Taco Mesa - Maine Lobster taco (right) and Salmon Taco (left) - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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One of the best authentic mexican place you'll find near Costa Mesa, Irvine and Newport area. It's one of the restaurants where not only do you get enough portions to take home but it also tastes really good. The people that work here def recognize their regulars and do there best to provide good service. Don't let those emotion filled reviews turn you away from trying this place out for yourself. This place also has a cute hipster twist to it with its decor and some delicious margaritas. I will say it can get pricy with some items on the menu like the chips and guacamole but the portions are very big. Overall I think this place is worth trying. read more

Taco Mesa - Mesa burrito wet and chips and guacamole. - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Taco Mesa has been around for decades and has always been a popular spot among the locals. It has a very lively vibe, especially at night. There's a covered outdoor seating and some barstools inside. My husband says they have the best torta anywhere. I'm not a torta fan, so no comment. I was disappointed by their chicken taco and watery cinnamon horchata. My homemade horchata tastes 100 times better. read more

Taco Mesa - Where you order - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Tasty tacos! Came on taco Tuesday and got the al pastor and alambre tacos. The alambre is packed with flavor, almost reminiscent of the bacon wrapped hotdogs you get after a concert/sporting event, combined with fresh carne asada and melted cheese. Big plus for the open salsa bar with mild, medium and spicy options, as well as the fan favorite escabeche. Order some chips and whet your appetite while you wait on your order. A word to the wise - skip the "award winning" margarita and go for a Mexican beer instead. read more

Taco Tuesday-- and this place is poppin at 7pm. I was surprised to see a line out the door and the patio completely full! We opted for take out anyways and still faced a 30 minute wait along with tight parking. Just picture controlled chaos all at once-- even the cashier was trying to rush us through our order, I couldn't remember if I said nachos or chicken nachos because he was trying to get us through our order so quick lol! The food itself is flavorful and I can see why they are popular but also location is in costa mesa-- do they even have many Mexican restaurants? Quesadilla-- basic but cheesy and delicious! I liked how it came with guacamole and sour cream with me not even having to ask. $8 Tacos-- on taco Tuesday $2.25 and they are pretty flavorful-- I see the popularity Chicken nachos- large plating and the chicken was seasoned to perfection. $15 We did also order chips to go and they forgot to pack those but its all good. I may return to try their margaritas since it seemed everyone was ordering one but with the chaos and limited seating its not on my top places of return. Awkward with also standing while waiting for an order to go because of limited space. Recommend trying if you are in the costa mesa area! read more

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Roberto and I would say Taco Mesa is the absolutely best place to get tacos anywhere ... on Taco Tuesday ... so so grateful for 20+ of this experience read more

The food was good, but the service from the guy who took my order was probably the rudest interaction I've ever had. He made it clear we didn't tip him to his satisfaction immediately and when I went in to order a taco to-go at the end of our meal for my family member at home, the server wouldn't even make eye contact or acknowledge me. I will never be going back just for his attitude alone. Shame since the food wasn't bad, but the interaction left a terrible taste. read more

Great food, great selection, cool looking location. Outdoor seating. Got the huevos con potatoes y chorizo and it was a hefty serving. Every element was good down to the beans, rice, and tortillas. Lots of other good looking menu items I might try if I ever come back. Good deal read more

I have been going to this place for years. Always great food. Everyone is friendly and the foods are great. Come early or after the lunch hour as it can get very busy. I wish I lived closer to them. Great Wild Salmon tacos and burritos. read more

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I came to Taco Mesa on Tuesday around 8PM for dinner. There doesn't seem to be lots of parking in their lot, but the McDonald's lot right next to it has lots of free spots. There was a good amount of people there, but food came out quickly and there were still tables to sit at. They have a condiment bar inside where you can grab free salsa or veggies for your food. I ordered two fried fish tacos and one al pastor, all at $2.25 for their Taco Tuesday deal. I also got a 20oz horchata and their flan queso. The total was about $18. The tacos are big and filling! The beer-battered fish was huge and topped with slaw and big chunks of cheese. It was good but the real star was the al pastor. The pork was cooked perfectly and was so flavorful. It also has marinated pineapple which added the perfect sweet and tangy touch. So good!!! The horchata was sweet and full of cinnamon flavor. The flan was thick and topped with strawberries and cream. All good and super filling. Next time I come, I'll definitely be getting more of the al pastor tacos. Come on Tuesday so they're only $2.25 each! read more

Taco Mesa - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Tried this spot for taco tuesday and was kinda disappointed. I called ahead to skip the wait and ordered 8 tacos: 2 shredded beef, 2 shredded chicken, 2 pastor, and 2 fish tacos. I heard the lady on the phone miss the fish tacos and I mentioned it to her and she said yes she got it. We drove there and their parking lot is TINY. I had to park at the McDonalds next door lol. We get in line to pay and we don't pay attention to the price and just grabbed our bag of food. They have a sauce bar with togo containers for salsa, onions, cilantro, and lime. When we get back to our car, we notice they didn't give us 8 tacos - only 6. We get back there and the same lady on the phone tells us we only ordered 6... okay really? After I confirmed twice. Anyways, on to the food. The shredded chicken and shredded beef tacos were SO dry. I had to drench it in salsa and lime for it to be okay. The taco shells were also half hard (edges) and half soft (the bottom). Awful. The only taco that was good was the pastor taco. The taco shell was entirely soft and the meat was tender and juicy. If I came back, it would only be for the pastor tacos and to try the fish tacos they forgot. But I'll try a different place instead. read more

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My thoughts about this place are whatever! I was craving chilaquiles and this place didn't manage to satisfy my cravings! The beans are awful...I was disgusted!!! So greasy and smelly yuck will never again please get double rice! The chilaquiles on their own were ok...not authentic at all! The rice was decent. This place needs major help in the kitchen SOMEONE CALL GORDON RAMSEY! The food quality is nasty.. save your money and go to pollo loco! I can't complain the service was awesome but the food is horrible. read more

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We were really hoping this would become our new go-to spot, and the staff was genuinely friendly and welcoming, which is why this review is so disappointing. Unfortunately, the quality of the food was far from authentic and simply unacceptable for the price point. ​I ordered the Lobster Burrito, priced at $35. While the portion of lobster meat was generous, it tasted frozen and cardboard-like, definitely not fresh and certainly not worth the premium cost. My husband had the Chilaquiles with "steak." He found the chilaquiles themselves to be completely flavorless, and only managed to eat the steak portion. Our son's experience was just as bad; he wouldn't touch his chicken tenders and only ate the rice from his dad's plate. ​Even the sides were poor. The guacamole clearly tasted like it came from a pouch, loaded with vinegar instead of being made fresh. After spending over $100 for our family of three, the only thing we were able to consume were our drinks. We ended up throwing away nearly all of our meal. The friendly service couldn't make up for the poor quality and lack of flavor. We won't be returning. read more

Healthy, fresh, and delicious Mexican food. Service was welcoming, quick. Ambiance, is nice, chill casual. Good seating space outside. read more

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Last night I ordered two burritos through door dash for dinner. They were large so I only ate a quarter of mine and it was terrible. I will not eat the rest and I'll throw the rest away. My son ate three quarters of his was not happy with his either. Both were bland and not much flavor. These two burritos were close to $20 each and with service fees and tip my bill was $50 and definitely not worth the cost. Will not order again. read more

Hi, my first yelp review and I wanted it to be for my favorite go to. I come to Taco Mesa every tuesday for their $2.50 Taco Tuesday special. I work late, but they are open long enough for me to grab a few tacos after 9 pm! Without prevail, the cashier always greets me upon arrival and takes my order right away. The kitchen is usually pretty fast, getting my food within 5 minutes! There is also an employee actively cleaning up any messes and clearing trash so the tables outside can continue to be used and the trash can is not overflowing. The first time I walked by this taco joint, the mural on the walls of the building, all the touristy stickers on the glass outside, as well as the smell of delicious mexican cuisine brought me in right away! My go to is the shredded beef tacos, and my favorite part of the taco is the delicious queso fresco and the half hard half soft taco shells. 10/10 reccomend! Kid friendly and also have some pretty good margaritas!! read more

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Order was correct and food was fresh and tasted good Cute location. First Time Here. read more

Came for some lunch with a couple of friends after attending a market near by. One friend suggested coming here and I won't lie I was a bit skeptical as I've only been living in the area for the last year, due to university, and I would only really try the Mexican food in Santa Ana since a lot of the Mexican food places in Costa Mesa and Irvine weren't overly appealing (I previously lived in an area with really good Mex food). I'm very glad to say I was proven wrong with Taco Mesa! I got the chicken nachos and they were a very generous portion and very delicious. I really wish I had been hungrier as nachos tend to have a short shelf life and these ones had great flavor. My other friend who hadn't been here before got one of the burritos and an horchata. She said the horchata was really good, and she enjoyed her burrito as well. She had gotten some guac and chips to start, and shares some with me. The chips were great and the guac was good but it needed a bit more limon. If you're thinking about giving this place a try I'd definitely recommend! read more

So disappointed. . I used to go there a few years back. Cost of burritos to go $ 22.00 , no chips . Go to any , sit down restaurant. Better deal , better service, value for meal read more

Taco Mesa - $22.00 B / Carnitas burritos. Take out , no chips . Go to a restaurant, much better deal - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Just great food. The Salmon bowl was delicious. Moist and perfectly cooked. Friendly staff. Bottom line the food is great. Only negative when it's hot outside the dining area gets very warm. The food is go to read more

I came here to cater for a work event. I called in the morning and immediately got hung up on, and heard the guy say over the phone "don't answer just hang up" lol. Just tell me you're busy and call back later, or turn off the line and add a voicemail saying you're not taking calls due to high volume of orders. I eventually got through and they told me to call back from 3-5PM. I got two party platters (one steak and one pastor pork), a tray of chips, quart of esquites, and one quart of horchata. My favorite is the esquites here. The tortillas are also unique, I haven't had a green tortilla before. Everything is fresh and no complaints on the food. If anything the horchata was a little more watered down than I would've liked. But overall not a bad place. read more

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Used to eat here all the time. Worked in the area. Everything is very fresh. Service was great. Price was right. Huge burritos

Great food and tacos and always friendly service. Good salsa bar also. Some of the best chips read more

Taco Mesa - Taco Tuesday menu - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Just spent $26 on a burrito. I would think by now they would have gathered the art of wrapping, like the most ordered food item on their menu, accurately. No sour cream or cheese or guacamole in the burrito which I paid extra for and the LGBT Latino spokesman at front was super rude. Definitely not going here again. read more

Taco Mesa - A shitty burrito - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Depending on your choice, the dishes do differ from other Mexican style restaurants. Burrito was a hit. Sauces are amazing as always. read more

Food was excellent! Almost too much food for the price, but it was worth the drive to get there!

5 stars is not enough This review is for a take out order of carnitas burrito, carne asada plate, and carne asada quesadilla plus flan and horchata. It was all so tasty, fresh, and satisfying. I'm not a fan of quesadillas but this was the best I've tasted. I think it's because the quality of the meat and seasoning. Top it all off with the custard like flan and you'll be in food heaven! I like flan to be more like a smooth, creamy custard and Taco Mesa's flan was on point! The only con was the price but I would gladly pay it again. Superb! read more

Chipotle with tattoos. This place has an edgy anti-authority thing going on. But we're talking more like Guy Fieri than Guy Fawkes. I'm not sure when raging against the machine became so expensive: I spent $11 for two tacos and a Diet Coke. And, to be fair, I wasn't paying attention and I accidentally gave a 15% tip to the guy who took my order due to their tablet-based POS setup. I don't object to spendy tacos, but they. need. to. be. good. These were not. The "Veggie Taco" seemed well-loved by other reviewers, so I ordered it, albeit with a bit of skepticism. It consists of dual grilled corn tortillas that encase a mixture of black beans, cotija cheese, melted jack cheese, lettuce, and pico de gallo. The guy who took my order claimed they also put spinach in it. There was no spinach in my veggie taco. Believe me, I know what spinach looks and tastes like, and I looked and tasted for it. Nonetheless, this bland little taco sucked hard. I don't think the spinach would have mattered. This reinforced my deeply-held belief that most vegetarians dislike food in general, because that's the only reasonable explanation why someone could claim this was anything but awful. The "Al Pastor Taco" was marginally better, but tasted like no legitimate "Al Pastor Taco" I had eaten previously. It tasted more like chopped up bits of mom's chewy and gristly pork chops, if mom disliked you. (Maybe she really wanted a girl, I don't know?) There was grilled pineapple, onions, and cilantro involved, so it should have somewhat resembled a real Al Pastor Taco, but the meat was so substandard and lacking in appropriate seasoning that there was no saving this, not even with copious leverage of any of the mild salsas from the salsa bar, featuring a level of piquancy perfect for infants and Irish grandmas. And, unfortunately, that aforementioned self-serve salsa bar is configured in a way where it is tough to scoop out the salsa without parts of the salsa end of the spoon potentially scraping against your filthy hands, which you just covertly used to scratch your balls. Sucks for the other people who have to get their salsa after you. Also, despite my accidentally paying a tip for a guy to take my order, they made me walk up to the counter to collect my crappy food. Ugh! Food/Décor/Service: 2.3/2.8/NA Taco Score: Al Pastor Taco (55/100), Veggie Taco (30/100) What to Order: Diet Coke read more

I always like coming here for Taco Tuesday because they have so many choices to choose from. I go here usually on my lunch break because it is so close. I got the carnitas, alambre, shredded chicken and fish tacos. The alambre steak is never on the Taco Tuesday menu but it is always my favorite taco because of the bacon they have in it. The fish taco was a little disappointing, the breading wasn't crispy and it was overall somewhat soggy. The carnitas too was a little soft, I was looking for a little crispiness on it but it was too soft. I would recommend getting the shredded chicken and I didn't get the shredded beef this time but I've had it before and it is yummy. I do like the fact that they specify what kind of shell it comes in whether is soft tortilla or crispy tortilla. Overall this place is good and I recommend coming here. read more

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Came in for the first time. Tired ordering first from the kiosk for eating, but then realized after almost ordering, we had to order from the cashier for dine-in. Service is great, Irvin went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of and had everything we needed. Burrito was great, flavorful and the salsas add just the right kick. read more

Taco Mesa - All meat carne asada burrito - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Blackened Chicken Taco is the best, with the trifecta od salsas! I have been coming here for over 20 years. Fresh great food, and they remember your name when you come back. Highly recommend! read more

Taco Mesa - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Taco Mesa is a Costa Mesa staple, a simple but tasty taqueria. Order at the counter and help yourself to their salsa bar. I had a steak burrito which is served simply with beans and cheese. Rice is added upon request which I did. I loved their chips which were light and crispy and liberally seasoned, and although their salsas weren't the best I've had I appreciated the variety. I was surprised at the prices. 2 burritos with a beer and side of chips was over $50 after tip, which seems high for a fast casual place like this. I'll be back when I'm in the area because the flavors were yummy. read more

They have the best Taco Tuesday! Its all day, you can take away, the guys are super busy, but super accommodating & the tacos are deelish! I especially like the vegetarian taco. That, coupled with the salsa & carrots from the bar,Taco Mesa is Taco Heaven! read more

Great service and tacos--Robert is the man! Will definitely be coming back soon. Taco mesa is so good

Taco Mesa is my go to taco spot. Everything is great quality and reasonable prices. The staff is always super friendly and I love the vibe inside. I always order 2 veggie tacos which fill me up! Occasionally we'll order chips and guac which are both also very good. I could buy their chips if they sold them in the grocery store. read more

So first things first, the service is awful, and they did not honor their happy hour prices when I went. The "wine margaritas" tasted like Sunny delight, mixed with water, really gross and they're also premade. The salsa looks stale and like it's been sitting out for hours. It was all very disgusting. There was an employee taking out the trash very close to my table and cleaning in the area where I was sitting for a while, and it was making me uncomfortable because he should've focused on cleaning the areas that didn't have customers nearby, I don't want to eat my food next to a garbage bag. Just a horrible experience overall, would not recommend. read more

Crazy delicious!!! It's been a while since we've eaten here so we ordered four different tacos to share (wild salmon with papaya butter/salsa, calamari, shrimp and lobster) as well as the steak quesadilla. Steak quesadilla is substantial and includes a scoop of guacamole and sour cream The marinade they use for their steak is so flavorful. The whole thing was fantastic. All the tacos were super, but the real standout was the lobster taco. WOW... The seasonings and the salsa and everything they chose to garnished this taco with made it the most superb flavor explosion. For $7, this taco rules them all! Next time I could just order this one taco and slowly savor the exquisite flavors and be fully satisfied. read more

The menu has changed slightly over the years however Taco Mesa has continued to provide great food and service. Provecho! read more

Love thier blackened chicken tacos. Also many gluten-free items to pick from and the menu is clearly marked which is a plus. The gluten-free struggle is real! read more