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    Taco Mesa

    3.8 (666 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Taco Mesa Takeout or Delivery

    Taco Mesa Photos

    TACO MESA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Taco Tuesday
    Morgan K.

    A favorite spot for taco Tuesday!! They have a great selection of tacos for $3 on Tuesdays. Been to all 3 of their locations - each one is able to deliver consistently good food with a slightly different atmosphere at each. Been coming to the MV location since I was a kid. Quick, affordable, and friendly!

    Updated Menu June 2026

    We have been going to Taco Mesa in Orange and Mission Viejo for well over a decade. It was our favorite spot. However, the recent menu changes make me a sad girl. Many of the unique and interesting items have been taken off the menu and the vegetarian options are reduced. The menu has, in my opinion, been given a very whitewashed and boring facelift. The salsas are still bomb. I appreciate that they still focus on healthy ingredients and the employees are always so kind. Unfortunately, the menu changes will likely not be bringing these loyal customers back.

    Vegetariana Quesadilla
    Madeline S.

    I have not been to Taco Mesa in years and I actually forgot about how amazing their food was! I love the cool murals on the walls and the overall chill vibes. All the staff are nice and their chips and salsa are amazing. The food tastes very authentic! I ordered a veggie quesadilla and I'd love to see them make it more like fajitas with bell peppers and other veggies because it was pretty bland. I'd also love to see an option for potato tacos!

    Roasted tomato soup
    Drew P.

    Always great service / friendly staff and the roasted tomato soup is amazing. Would definitely recommend.

    Tacos
    Chris W.

    We stopped by to try their tacos to see if it'd be a good fit to cater food for an event we were planning. Their tacos were amazing! We tried the steak and chicken tacos. Their corn tortillas were nice and had just the right amount of chew that paired well with the tender meat they serve. After trying their tacos we ended up ordering from their catering menu and it was a pleasure to work with them as we needed it 6 days from the event and they were able to accommodate.

    Inside the burrito
    Victoria L.

    This spot usually has a line out the door and every table is full. It's a casual spot, and family friendly. Patient and kind service explaining the portion sizes and flavors. The chile relleno itself was huge, stuffed with meaty cheese and more of a stewed-tomato sauce/topping than red sauce. The pepper itself was a little more firm (underdone?) than I've usually had it at many other spots before but the flavors were on point. And big scoops of rice and beans accompanied it. The shrimp taco with corn tortilla was really good. The tomato soup also good and tasted like a cheesy tomato soup - not the typical basil-tomato-y soup you might get with a grilled cheese. Not that we were expecting the latter. The burrito was stuffed and filling. We hope to rerurn to try their breakfasts.

    Yasmeen E.

    Decided to try this place since it's my friend's favorite taco spot. I thought it was really good. It's definitely on the pricier side, but good enough that I'd come back if I didn't live so far. I got two tacos; steak and fish. I wish I got a third! They were quite good. My only real complaint is the horchata. It was super grainy and had a coconut-like texture that kept getting stuck in my teeth. I think it might have been the tiger nut. It also tasted a bit bland. I guess I prefer a more traditional horchata that's sweeter and milkier with the rice. On a positive note, I liked what they had to offer at the salsa bar.

    Kids quesadilla $9
    Allee S.

    It was ok! The Mexico City enchiladas were the best thing. Tortillas not soft for tacos, kids quesadilla the cheese wasn't melted and the tater tots were odd? Super crispy but not potato-y? Probably wouldn't go back

    Chicken & Steak Taco Tuesday
    Elizabeth M.

    Scrumdillyumptious! I love taco Mesa! My to go order is the Steak Torta. Today I tried the chicken and steak tacos and I must say that the Chicken tacos were beyond delicious. My favorite sides are the coleslaw, carrots, and the green salsa. I love their horchata but today it was a bit bland imo (bad batch probably) The interior is so beautiful hand painted and just clean. They were playing Shakira which I love. Service is quick and the employees are so kind when we visit.

    Wet Steak Burrito
    Myung S.

    We've visited all three Taco Mesa locations--including Taco Rosa in Irvine, which didn't quite hit the mark for us--but this one stands out as our favorite. The staff here are always friendly, and the food is consistently fresh, flavorful, and delicious. We highly recommend Taco Mesa in Mission Viejo!

    nadia m.

    Been wanting to eat here with friends, glad i tried it and sadly it was bad! order 2 alpastor and 2 fish taco plate, Fish Menu said Wild Fish taco? it was soaked in batter and soaked in oils, the fish is like a size of my pinky funger. I am losing faith in eating out and losing faith in finding best tacos in OC! Fyi I am a frequent travelers to Cabo,Cancun,Playa and Vallarta none of them match the autenticity. I just wish the owner or manager manage the food quality is par mediocre, i actually paid $32 for 4 pcs of tacos. The only good thing is the sauce similar to what i have in cabo or playa. Food industry in not as the same 10-15 yrs ago!

    Taco Tuesday menu
    Bridget J.

    Taco Mesa is ideal for a quick bite on Tuesday. Upon arrival, you place your order, receive a number, and then select a table inside or outside. My family and I prefer to dine outside, as my sister has a service dog. We take advantage of Taco Tuesday, enjoying $10 guacamole with well-seasoned chips. The carnitas tacos, salmon tacos, and lobster tacos are our favorites, with the latter two being upgrades that are well worth it.

    De mar burrito

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    1 month ago

    Went back and it's so good! The green salsa and shredded beef tacos are bomb! Such a great deal on taco tuesday too!

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    2 months ago

    Amazing food and salsa everyone is so nice. We go there every Tuesday and it never disappoints.

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    8 months ago

    We come here all the time. They have great vegetarian options, and the walls and ceiling are painted super fun.

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    6 months ago

    I love the el pastor wet burrito. One of the healthier places to eat . Worth the price

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    10 months ago

    It was ok but was taco Tuesday so quite worth it. Service good and fast. Restaurant was clean

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    Page 1 of 17

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    The Taco Stand - Al Pastor on the left, Carne Asada on the right

    The Taco Stand

    4.5(870 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    Growing up in SoCal, I really have an affinity for tacos. My favorite tacos are the TJ style tacos…read morewith house made tortillas. The Taco Stand does not disappoint. I saw that they just opened a location in Costa Mesa but wait, there's one just 3 miles from my house?! Shut up! As soon as the realization hit me, I dragged my husband down the street to the Taco Stand in Mission Viejo. We opted to get 2 of the carne asada and 2 al pastor tacos, along with a serving of churros. I love the salsa & condiment bar they have. The pickled onions and jalapenos were on point. The super spicy salsa was diabolically spicy. For a weekday evening in Mission Viejo, this spot was busy. All of the seats were taken by patrons and we had to wait for a table after ordering. We found seats at the bar so we could watch the staff cook and fulfill orders. The food was glorious. My husband and I loved trying both the carne and al pastor tacos. It was hard to pick a favorite since both were immensely flavorful. He liked that they cut the flank steaks into chunks. I loved the habanero salsa as well. The creamy salsa on the al pastor highlighted by the pineapple chunks were so good too. The churros were served with some condensed milk but did not need it. My husband liked it even though he's trying not to eat sweets. We want to try their burritos now. If you are a taco connoisseur or just plain appreciate a good meal, check out the Taco Stand, at any of their locations for your next fix. We will be back! Hasta la proxima vez!

    Hello yelpers !!! Lunch time brought me to The Taco Stand…read more There was a bit of a line but it went by pretty quick. We ordered an asada burrito , a bean and cheese with carne asada ( that's what I wanted --- my fault I was craving a bean and cheese but needed some protein ) and a nopal taco . The cashier was accommodating and sweet . It's a bit loud inside but I liked it ---- music was poppin . I do recommend the camarón burrito ---- which we got by accident but wish I had ordered that instead . Next time, next time . Everyone is working at a great pace cranking those plates out . Seating is limited with some outside tables available when it's not hot out. I'm so sorry I didn't take any pictures . I'll update that once I go back .

    Photos
    The Taco Stand - Inside

    Inside

    The Taco Stand - Al pastor tostada thing on the secret menu

    Al pastor tostada thing on the secret menu

    The Taco Stand - Chicken, al pastor

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    Chicken, al pastor

    Xclusive Mexican Kitchen - Taco Sampler

    Xclusive Mexican Kitchen

    4.6(583 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    I come here every month or so with my wife and kids. The food and margaritas are delicious. The…read moreservice is great, they are very friendly and there's no hesitation to fix any mistakes. My favorite Mexican food in Orange County. I love this place!

    My sister and our pups went to eat at this wonderful little restaurant after a great hike with our…read morepups Kobie-Star and Willow . We sat outside in their outdoor patio where they had a couple of TV's -one with the basketball playoffs going on ( my favorite)! The staff was just amazing and welcomed us and our pups and brought out water for both pups without us even having to ask for it , love that . They have lots of food to choose from but we stuck with the traditional combo plate : Cheese enchilada and carnitas taco - mine was a crunchy and hers was soft taco ( both were delicious). I also ordered a delicious blended strawberry margarita and it didn't disappoint. Our servers were : Enrique and Alfonso both were great . They brought us extra bean mixture dip for the chips as their dips and chips are AMAZING as is their food . If you haven't tried this place, you must try this place as not only is the food great , the people that work here are really amazing and that made our time here even better . We checked their hours and found they are open ALL DAY something like 8AM for breakfast -10 PM like what ??? Not everyday but most days , this isn't fast food either ... You have to try this place and for those who want to eat inside it's nice inside or sit at their bar or sit outside at the really big outdoor eating area , you can't go wrong ... Stop by after a Target run it's near by !! Thank you to you all for helping us and our pups - Enrique and Alfonso we will be back for sure !! Thank you again ! Prices very reasonable! Location corner in center - plenty of parking Margarita $$

    Photos
    Xclusive Mexican Kitchen - Dining Room / Kitchen

    Dining Room / Kitchen

    Xclusive Mexican Kitchen - Xclusive asada tacos, grilled onions and mushrooms

    Xclusive asada tacos, grilled onions and mushrooms

    Xclusive Mexican Kitchen - Mimosas and Cafe de la olla (cute)

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    Mimosas and Cafe de la olla (cute)

    Tacos De Birria Estilo Guadalajara - The  best tacos

    Tacos De Birria Estilo Guadalajara

    4.6(657 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$
    Outdoor seating
    Private events

    Hidden spot located in a church! Parking can suck - I would get here a little earlier for lunch to…read moreavoid the mess that is parking. There's limited spots and some spots are reserved for clergy, daycare, etc. Tacos are a bit on the pricey side, but they're honestly some of the best tacos in the OC. There's a punch card available where you get $10 off after 8 visits. Best Tacos: - Questaco w/ Birria - birria is super flavorful (beef) and perfect with that green salsa and the consume. The cheese is melty and the tacos perfectly crispy. - Fish Taco - Classic fish taco that's perfectly battered and fried with great flavor. Overall, since our first visit, it's become our go to taco spot and we can never go wrong with it. Covered seating + outdoor seating available. Bathroom available via the room onto your left if you're sitting in the covered seating area. On our first trip we walked alllllll the way down the church just to wash our hands since we sat outside, lol. So don't be foolish like us!

    We felt like having tacos on a Tuesday evening and found this place on Yelp. It's the type of…read morerestaurant where you would not notice it when driving by. But good thing for the Yelp platform and the Internet. It had just sprinkled recently and so all the outdoor tables were wet. We were so glad that they also have covered semi indoor seating. Parking was plentiful since we came in the evening and it looks like this is the parking lot for a school also during the day. We ordered at the register and were helped by a couple different staff members. One gentleman took over since it seemed like he was able to explain things better about the menu. I ended up getting a fish taco and a shrimp taco. I should've asked, but didn't realize that the tacos were fried. I was a little surprised because most fish tacos I've eaten are usually served on a tortilla that is not fried. It was a little too greasy for my liking but still tasty! We also ordered birria taquitos to share, which were fried obviously. My family also ordered Carne Asada tacos and birria quesotacos. It didn't seem like there were any taco Tuesday specials for the dishes we ordered. The total amount seemed pretty expensive. Maybe I'll come back to try the ceviche. There are accessible restrooms, which was great since our hands were very greasy afterwards and the small thin napkins weren't sufficient. From the inside dining area, we saw a dance class taking place in the main church assembly room (I think that's what it was). it appeared to be a hula or Polynesian dance class.

    Photos
    Tacos De Birria Estilo Guadalajara - The best  tacos De Birria on Orange County ,jesus uses the World clase meats .

    The best tacos De Birria on Orange County ,jesus uses the World clase meats .

    Tacos De Birria Estilo Guadalajara - Quesataco

    Quesataco

    Tacos De Birria Estilo Guadalajara - Fish taco

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    Fish taco

    Taco Mesa - mexican - Updated June 2026

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