Came here for a date night! We had reservations at 9pm on a Saturday but they were able to seat us sooner. Parking is across the street in the structure, but they validate parking so it was free :) My boyfriend and I were a bit scared because we weren't fans of the previous tapas restaurants we've visited, but we loved vaca! Ordered the beef cheek toast, Gambas Al Ajillo, and New York Steak. Food was so fresh and flavorful. We especially liked the beef cheek toast. Finished it off with tres leches cake, which was nothing special but still hit all the marks for a slice of cake. Would definitely come back. read more

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This is my second time to Vaca and I won't be returning. I was seeing Moulan Rouge last night so my friend and I decided to get a bite to eat before the show as it's conveniently located next door. The menu is tapas style so you can share a few small plates. The entrees are very expensive, so we went for the tapas. We ordered a chicken croquet app, a tuna tataki app, and a potato app. The food was ok, but the portion is extremely small and doesn't fill you up. Ordering 3 appetizers at a regular restaurant should fill you up, but it wasn't enough and we were left hungry. Additionally, my friend ordered a red wine, the bartender did not clarify different types or price points and she just chose a $25 glass of red wine that we had no idea how expensive it was until we got the bill. My friend didn't complain, but I felt ripped off and hungry & regretted my choice to dine there. Next time I see a play at the Seagrams performing art center I'll go to a restaurant in the area or cook dinner at home before. Very disappointed. read more

Vaca - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

We had a tapas dinner there before a show. The patio outside was really nice, the service was good and the food absolutely delicious. Highly recommend. read more

Another fine jewel from chef Amar! The food is unparalleled to anything around. The steaks here are the best and my god the duck roll! Chef, you're killing me. I can't stop eating your delicious food! Ambiance is perfect with a lot of dry aging meat going on. If you leave here without feeling satisfied, sounds like a personal problem to me. read more

Always GREAT to come home!! The greeting from the front desk..the great selection of tequilas..mine is El Christiano. Service is spot on and when you see the menu..takes a while to make your choices. Right now they are slowly bring out fall. The room is really electric, good music. Foot stomping vibe. outside patio is awesome. We had 6 Tapas that each had their own flavor then ended with amazing Brussel sprouts and KILLER thick thick Rib Eye on the Bone!! Excellent thru and thru read more

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Drinks and Tapas? I'm in any day of the week. I came here with three colleagues the night before a business meeting in Costa Mesa. They had been here before and I was the newbie. Let's get to it. On the restaurants website the state the restaurant evokes the energy and Ambiance of Spain and I don't think they're that far off. It definitely has a Spanish influence but with a very modern twist. There's plenty of outdoor seating and the inside gives off a cool but not pretentious vibe. The staff and service were fantastic so no complaints there. The menu seems to have just the right amount of items without being overbearing. We opted to grab drinks and a bunch of tapas so no main dishes were ordered. But we were not disappointed. We ordered the following Tapas and a bunch of drinks. The martinis or ice cold and they had blue cheese olives which is always a plus and the sangria was actually very good. A lot of times sangria can be too sweet and just overdone. They serve a very good version. Now for the tapas. We ordered the following and all were great except for one but there were a few that were sublime. PAN CON TOMATE - very good version with fresh ingredients and the bread was toasted exactly as it should be. ALBONDIGAS - these roasted lamb meatballs were absolutely fantastic and I would order them every single time. They do a really great job of highlighting the Middle Eastern influence in this dish. Really can't say enough about this one. ZETAS A LA PLANCHA - again another well seasoned and flavored dish. These oyster mushrooms were cooked perfectly and are an easy order every time going forward. CROQUETAS DE POLLO - given all of the great flavors this was probably the most disappointing dish. Disappointing is not fair. It just was Bland and unseasoned balls of chicken. Maybe we just got an odd version of it but I would steer clear of it because there's so many other flavorful items on the menu. LA BOLA - the key with this crispy potato and meatball dish is the crisp on the outside. Packed full of flavor and the garlic aioli was a nice compliment. Again consistency with the seasoning was on point. COLIFLOR - this was the clear winner of everything we had. And for a guy who has to have meat with every meal, this meat dish was ethereal. The cauliflower was crispy and full of so much flavor, but the real winner was the addition of the tahini. Each bite was like an amuse bouche of perfection. This will be the first thing I order each time I go back. Again the Middle Eastern influence on Spanish cooking is clear and present and it's something that should be promoted as much as possible. So so good. PULPO A LA GALLEGA - I am a sadist when it comes to octopus. I have to order it every time and the majority of the time I'm disappointed. It's either overcooked and very chewy or overcooked and lacking in any sort of seasoning. But I still order every single time. I was so happy when this dish came out and not only was it cooked as perfect as you can possibly do with octopus but the seasoning and flavor was all there without being over the top. Really excellent version of octopus and because I have to order it every time I'll be ordering this next time. Compliments to whoever cooked this one because it restored my faith. Lol. CHURROS CON CHOCOLATE - this dessert was his advertised. Exactly what you would expect. Well made churros with some chocolate dipping sauce. Nothing spectacular but nonetheless a good version. BIZCOCHO TRES LECHES - as a Mexican tres leches is one of my favorite desserts and is quite often screwed up in the wrong hands. Either too much liquid or too much sugar it usually ends up being just a mess. This however was quite the opposite. Absolutely delicious take on tres leches cake and be flavor was all there. Very, very good version. Not much more to say. The place is great, the service was excellent, the drinks were stiff, and the food was really well executed. A little bit pricey but given the area and the quality it was well worth it. One last thing. I note on the website that the executive chef is Amar Santana who I've followed on Top Chef. I didn't know he was the executive chef when we came here but it makes sense after writing this review. Really well done, well balanced flavors and I'm always happy to support someone at the top of their game. read more

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We had reservations before the play so this was a perfect place for dinner!!! The food was Amazing. The music was great. The waitress and waitstaff were so attentive we had the greatest experience. read more

My husband and I came here for our anniversary dinner upon our friends strong recommendation, and had a very lovely dinner here. Starting off with appetizers, our friend had strongly recommended the Bikini sandwich, canelon de pollo ahumado. We had also gotten the rabo de toro (ox tail). Of all, I had the strongest impression of the ox tail. The ox tail was braised till the meat could fall off the bone, and the sherry reduction with the mushroom was *to* *die* *for*. We swept up all the sauce with the Bikini Sandwich, which had very lovely flavors as well. Watching other tables, we really wanted a big steak. However just being the 2 of us and having already ordered 3 appetizers, we had to be realistic... We opted for an 8oz skirt steak nonetheless, and it was very tender and had great flavors still. I also discovered a great wine while we were there - we had the mourvedre wine from Spain and it was amazing! Definitely will be coming back again before we move out of Orange County! read more

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Food: AMAZING Service: it was a busy evening, but Javier was excellent and attentive. His recommendations were wonderful! Ambiance: super chill. Appropriate for date/meeting/family dinner. I look forward to coming back here! I wish you could smell how delicious everything was! Smell the Vaca tonic. Think basil flowers. If you like manhattan the fortunato is just delicious. read more

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Flavors were on point for Spanish tapas. However nothing was that fresh. We were there on a slower night and everything came out super fast and tasted a little stale. Even the toast was clearly made ahead of time and had been sitting. It was like eating leftovers. For the quality they try to charge for, I'd expect some real, fresh cooking, not just expediting pre-made food. Besides stale toast. The cauliflower had a funky odor and texture from sitting and being reheated and the ham had dried out edges from sitting. Again the flavors had promise, but nothing was fresh. read more

Great food and good service. Took a while for the food to arrive but it was good. Tapas were expensive for what you get. The main course however did not disappoint as that was some of the best steak I've had. The paella de mariscos was very good as well. read more

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Had the best dinner I've had in ages at Vaca. We had a reservation for 8:15 on a Sunday night, but we happened to arrive about 45 minutes earlier. The restaurant had already prepared our table, so we were actually seated immediately, which was a huge plus. This restaurant is small but very cozy and intimate, perfect for date nights or catch ups with a friend. I wouldn't recommend for a big group, but a group of 4 should be good. The menu is set up to be tapas style (there were so many too choose from; it was a quite overwhelming), but their house speciality are their paellas. We ordered their most popular one, the paella valenciana, along with three tapas: the albacore tataki (mediocre), the patatas bravas (good), and the panza de cerdo (excellent!). The star of the show of course was the valenciana, packed with so much depth of flavor compared to paella I've had from other places. Service was on point. Our waitress was super attentive and answered our questions about the menu, giving us tips on what to order and overall providing amazing service. Staff were also quick to be mindful of when we needed refills and clearing our table to make room for our plates. I'd love to come back to try their other paellas and tapas! read more

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Nice choices of Tapas plates to please anyone. Thier cocktails are excellent and varied. Service was quick enough and everything cane out hot. Cheese plate is a great choice and we get it each time. read more

I really enjoyed my first time at Vaca. The roasted cauliflower was incredible. I can't wait to have it again. The paellas are shareable. The restaurant gets really busy during happy hour. A lot of people stop by before walking over to Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Make sure to get there early or make a reservation. read more

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Iberophiles will get their fix here at Top Chef Amar Santana's restaurant with a long list of tapas, curated charcuterie and sangria prepared three different ways. Our sever recommended 3 tapas per person, but the portions were so substantial that half that would have sufficed. Each plate had strong, stand out flavors, but be sure to ask which items are flavored with truffle oil if you're going for different flavor profiles. Special recognition to the staff, who sat us during a busy dinner rush despite not having reservations. The servers at our table were passionate and knowledgeable about the flavors and the menu. The service was truly outstanding. The tapas were memorable. read more

Vaca - Strawberry Sangria - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Nice tapas and good paella, great for pre-theater dinner! Located by the arts complex the restaurant offers valet and plenty of self-parking in the structure across the street (with validation). Some tapas are definitely smaller than expected like the Jamon but the paella (we had the paella de pescado) was a good portion for two. There is both an inside (more moody) and a front and back patio (with heaters). read more

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High end tapas to take the taste buds on a joyride. Reading some of the less favorable reviews, I notice that price/value is a concern among some diners, and it's a valid one. So I'd like to leave some tips for getting great value for your dining experience at Vaca, thanks to my Midwestern frugality. Skip the steak and paella. Look at the tapas menu: there're over 25 of the most spectacular concoctions you may not find elsewhere, so get into that. Now, you'll leave with an empty wallet if you order just the high end stuff, so mix it up by selecting some of the exotic with some of the simpler tapas. But the real secret is to look at the "al Lado" selections. I call them . . .side dishes. We had the Brussels sprouts which were terrific and the patatas bravas was one of the best things we ate, and a big portion as well. Bargain! Pairing the tapas with the lada items kept our bill reasonable and we still had an amazing feast. My favorite, and a must have, is the rabo de toro (oxtail). So tender and rich; it smells amazing. Least favorite is the croquettas de pollo (chicken fritters), clearly made with skill, there are just so many more interesting things to choose on the menu. Skip. We also had an outstanding seafood sopa, light and outstanding. For my next visit, I'll take more care to choose light items first, and save the savorier items for later. And with that, I will note that some of the dishes leaned salty. That's one thing that could be improved. I'm looking forward to returning and trying more of the tapas menu as well as the Al lada. read more

Vaca - Patatas bravas and bruselas. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Great menu. Loved the tapas and want to go back to try more of the menu. We had tapas, salad, shrimp, bikini sandwich and fried potatoes. Main entrée Rib Eye and filet, tasty Brussels sprouts and asparagus. Drinks were ok. We will be back for more. read more

Over-priced menu and the tip is added automatically $200 The food is okay, not authentic Spanish cuisine. read more

Food is excellent. Service is also good, not great but the server or bartenders do a good enough job. Ambiance is nice as well. The restaurant is clean. The reason for the 3 stars is the price. They recently had a big price increase and now they are adding a surcharge to the bill on top of it all. And I am talking about a surcharge for a party of 1 or 2. So for example if you go in for lunch to get their hamburger with fries, that now costs $25 (was $20 less than a month ago) and there is a 3 percent surcharge. I know everything is more expensive now but their prices were already up there. I often brought colleagues and clients here but I think I am done. I cannot justify these prices and there are so many options around this area. read more

Great location and ambience. The dishes are very good, but I feel the service makes the place stand out. Stop by before or after attending Segerstrom events. It'll make your evening! read more

Fun friendly atmosphere. Vaca is a great place to meet friends and share some small plates. Our party of 4 shared 6 different plates. The veggie plates were our favorites ( Brussel Sprouts and the artichoke). The Waygu meatballs were OK. Bone Marrow was great but needed a couple more pieces of toast Octopus was good but I have had better. Paninis were delicious. We also shared some paella. The Valencia Paella was great. My wife enjoyed her cocktail and I loved my glass of Spanish Tempranillo. read more

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Popped in for a quick bite after afternoon pizza and before an evening event, so we only ordered enough to soak up the booze. Rabbit cocktail was very baijiu, if you like that taste. Los paisos was refreshing. Tuna tataki was yummy, but we were confused by the strawberries; what was it supposed to bring to the dish? Alcachofa we're fried well and the dipping sauce wasn't heavy on the anchovies. Prime ribeye was delicious as always. Service was good, but pretty slow on a Friday night and it took over an hour and a half to get just these items, so no time for dessert. read more

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Went here to celebrate a birthday and enjoyed the dinner very much. Parking was easy with the parking structure across the street that they validate for. We ordered the brussel sprouts, patatas bravas, paella valenciana, and a New York strip. For two people this was more than enough food, and we had some leftover paella. The brussel sprouts were probably the best I've had at a restaurant. Patatas bravas were also good, but I would want to try something different next time. Steak was cooked well and the paella was delicious. Portion size was large and perfect for sharing. For dessert we had the tres leches and it was amazing, the cake was very moist and I would definitely get it again. Overall it was a great experience and I would not hesitate to return for another meal here. read more

Nice tapas bar and restaurant near South Coast plaza in Costa Mesa. It is close to the Segerstrom center. There is a parking structure you may park in and short walk across to the restaurant. I think it's the back entrance though it does have a hostess stand to check in. ( I checked in here by the patio dining .) Seems like a popular place to eat! Many choices to request where to sit; the bar ( first come first serve) , main indoor , patio or charcuterie section. I called ahead and got patio dining . I would have preferred indoor in the main dining area, but it wasn't available. At least there's heaters outside. We brought our coats just in case. My girlfriend and I came here to celebrate her birthday. We both chose two items to try. No sharing since she's extreme lactose intolerant and I like cheese and cream. We were both very satisfied with choices. Girlfriend got octopus and small charcuterie plate. I ordered a ham panini and potatoes balls. Everything tasted good. Our server was friendly and attentive. He brought out a nice lil cake for my girlfriend to blow out a candle and make a wish. This restaurant was quite busy when we dined here tonight ( Saturday ). Bar scene was lively. I think it would be wise to call ahead for reservations. read more

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Very nice restaurant and service was stellar. Just didn't care for the food. Good place for families to gather on their patio.

Great restaurant for our Birthday celebrations. Love the vibe in this place. Reserve a table as it gets extremely busy. We arrived for our 5.30 pm reservation and were seated immediately. We sat at the back of the restaurant on a round table. We had 5 in our group. The server was great, she explained everything we needed to know especially with some guests dietary requirements. They do have a gluten free menu available. We ordered some drinks and then several plates of Tapas. Lamb Meatballs, Tuna Tartare, Oxtail in Mushrooms and gravy,Chicken enchilada in duck liver gravy, Octopus, Brussel sprouts to name a few... Entrees were A5 Wagyu which is $39 an ounce and Paella. Wagyu wasn't my favorite, tastes very "fatty" to me. Tres Leches and Espresso for dessert. The service was excellent throughout, water filled constantly without having to ask. Plates cleared and replaced quickly. Highly recommend for your special occasion read more

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Had this spot on my list for a min glad I finally got to try! Food was really good but def pricy. Since we only had two people, we only hit up the tapas and not the paella. I felt they had some interesting choices for tapas that I've never seen elsewhere Basically loved all the dishes we got except two: the seated scallops and the calamares. The seared scallops were fine but at $29 for 3 scallops it's severely overpriced for a dish I didn't feel was overly special. The calamares pieces were good but the sauce on it reminded us of something coming out of the wok. Prob doesn't help that it had bell peppers. Most interesting dish would have to be the smoked chicken cannelloni. The flavor is very rich and complex. Other dishes we had that were great were: bbq oysters with dungeness crab, meat potato balls, grilled cabbage, sea urchin scrambled eggs, beer battered cheese stuffed peppers, cauliflower, and the pork cheek. All of em I had no complaints n enjoyed thoroughly. Overall I'll def be back to try their paella and the rest of their tapas and would recommend to others to stop by read more

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If you celebrate your birthday here, there's free dessert! Vaca is tucked away across South Coast Plaza next to Sergerstrom Hall. This restaurant is beautiful, high end, and the staff is very friendly. Their food is very rich though, so me and my + 1 were not able to eat much before feeling extremely full There is a long list of tapa dishes. The only one that really stood out to me was the Uni scramble. IT had a buttery fluffy egg with uni and roe on top. Absolutely delicious! served with bread The seafood paella takes 40 minutes to cook. Everything is made to order. It is full of seafood: clams, mussels, shrimp and has great flavor. The rice did feel a bit dry though, but we had enough for the next meal The dry aged steak has been aging for over 50+ dates and everything is by the pound. At the time we went, the smallest was about 1 pound and 7 ounces. Even between the 2 of us, this felt like alot because of how rich and buttery the food is here. Their meat was amazing and soft, and very cool to see it aging in the dining room. read more

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I think I've been here enough times now on different days and times so I can provide some tips to help ensure you have an outstanding experience. You can make reservations on Resy or by calling the restaurant. They don't work with OpenTable. No matter when you go, the food and service will not disappoint, however your experience can vary greatly based on other factors. For example try to come here as a party of 3 or more, not only because it will make it possible to share more tapas, but because you will also get a better table near the stairs or the booth in the back. The tables for 2 are all shoved close together & here in Southern California most of us are not accustomed to that kind of proximity. If you go when it's busy you will hear the people sitting next to you talking about everything whether you want to or not & they will hear your conversations. You will also be well within the the sneeze and cough danger zone & worst of all is if one of the people at the tabl next to you is wearing god awful perfume or cologne that vapid smell will enter your nostrils & throat & ruin your meal. You also want to avoid going here BEFORE there's a show starting at the theater, playhouse or music hall. It will be crowded but not in a good way. Going when it's not busy makes for a much better experience so try to go AFTER the show start times. Sitting in the front or back patio is a much better option if it's busy & you're a party of 2. When it's not busy sitting at the bar could work well too. Those are my tips. Don't make the mistakes I've made... learn from my mistakes.... but go! It's one of my favorite restaurants in OC & their steaks & tapas are amazing. read more

I definitely recommend making reservations ahead of time for dinner as this place was packed on a Saturday night. We parked at South Coast Plaza (but also went shopping there) and took the bridge to get to Vaca. Our server was Luis P and he was fantastic. Checked on us often and gave us timely updates on our food. Our food also came at a good pace so we weren't overwhelmed but also not hungry. The charcuterie board was customizable but a bit pricey for the portion. However, it makes for a great appetizer. Strongly recommend the broccolini because it was properly charred with a strong smokey flavor. None of that baked nonsense. The chicken cannelloni was expensive but probably one of the best enchilada-adjacent dish I've ever had. Churros were great. Soft, light and fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside. And perfect dark chocolate dip. Overall, a great place for eavesdropping on other people's conversations but somehow you can still hear what your tablemates are saying. Or a romantic dinner. Whatever floats your boat. read more

Vaca - Menu 3/18/2023 - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I have been coming here for years and have always had some great food and service the drinks are exceptional and the General Manager Donnie welcomes me like a good friend... the server Larry had a great attitude and does everything he can to accommodate us read more

Vaca - Vaca tonic - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

A very solid spot for Spanish style tapas in Irvine! They have a plethora of tapas to choose from so it can be a little intimidating! I'd highly recommend the La bola and one of the perfectly cooked steaks! Their speciality is the flame grilled cuts of steaks, so if you have a larger group, go with the house special. Dessert was also very good. Service was great and they timed out the courses perfectly. The restaurant is clean and modern! Would recommend coming here with a group of ppl to share some tasty tapas! read more

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The seafood paella here is out of this world good. This place is hipster trendy but nice and cozy. Service can get a bit busy but what understandable since this place gets packed. Had my birthday meal here and I absolutely loved everything about it. Highly recommended! read more

Vaca was decorated for the xmas holidays, with some large ornaments hanging down over the bar. Service was great, we received our food pretty quickly, water refilled regularly, and we got a complimentary dessert for celebrating an occasion with them. We opted for tapas, so it was recommended to get at least two tapas per person, and I will say the portion sizes were small! Some tapas were more filling than others. Of the dishes we got, I would recommend the salmon -- it had a great crispy skin and was in a bright, tasty sauce. I also enjoyed the tartare, which came with a few small slices of bread. The oxtail with mushrooms was pretty rich/savory and salty. I wish that came with some toast to help give the dish more volume and to help with the savory-ness. Lastly, we had the chicken cannoli. It was very sweet (sherry reduction) -- sweeter than I expected a chicken dish would be. Juxtaposed with the other dishes, I didn't feel like it fit with the rest of what we ordered so personally would skip it next time around. This was the largest tapas of the 4 we ordered and given the creaminess of the duck liver sauce, it was also more filling than any of our other tapas. We debated adding another dish bc we weren't quite full, but then decided we weren't quite willing to add another small tapas dish given the size for price, nor order a full-on entree. We discussed that next time we'd share an entree and maybe get two tapas and/or sides since the entrees are sized to share! Oh, and we got a complimentary little almond cake topped with ice cream bc we were celebrating our anniversary. Such a nice thing for them to do, and it made us feel a bit fuller before we left! read more

Great experience. Food was amazing and overall great vibes. The pallea was the best food I had. I was also there when it had the Eggnog drink. Phenomenal. Lucio was our server, and he was just the best. His knowledge and service really elevated our experience. Great man. read more

Recommend making reservations as it's a busy spot where you're lucky to find bar seating. Overall experience was great as bartender made recommendations. Some dishes were a bit salty. Highlight for me was the steak as cooked perfectly and seasoned well. Will have to come back and try other dishes read more

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The weird thing about this place is that the front door is kind of hard to find. You have to walk in through a front entrance, but it's currently hidden by tables and a bussing station, so it doesn't really feel like an entrance to the restaurant. That being said, this is only one of a few small flaws to an otherwise fairly flawless meal. We went here for a birthday dinner, and though that was mentioned upon entering to staff, they somehow did overlook that. Nonetheless, first off I was pleased with our seating. Inside the restaurant is somewhat dark and there is a bit of din going on-the back patio had great heaters, wide umbrellas, and comfortable, spacious seating with plenty of room all around. Totally uncrowded. Our waitress was very friendly and easygoing, prompt and available when needed but not at all intrusive. The paella here was described as being for 2-4 people. I would say for 2 people, it's a good dish after you've had a few tapas. A hungry person could eat the whole thing. For 3-4 you would get a pretty small serving. We ordered one paella for 3 of us and 4 tapas. All the dishes were top notch. Shrimp and garlic was delicious, the only comment we made to the waitress, the bread does not do justice to how good the rest of the dish is. Elevate the bread and this dish will move beyond just pretty good to stellar. The bread lacked heartiness and enough crumb to soak up all that yummy garlicky butter. A thicker sliced, heartier piece would bring this up a lot. The sausage was delicious too. Chicken croquettes were good and crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. The piquillo peppers were the star here-crispy and fried on the outside with a delicious creamy cheese filling. We also had a fennel stuffed branzino which was perfectly prepared. We also had churros with chocolate and the 3 leches bizcocho for dessert. Both portions were generous and excellent. We were well stuffed. Finally, two glasses of wine-generous pours and great wine. I would not hesitate to go back here-and even though it's pricey, it's definitely worth it. read more

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Finally got a chance to visit Vaca. The seating must be very limited as we can never get a table. Instead, they offered us the bar. It was basically, take it or leave it. We decided to try the jamon serrano and a mix of 3 cheeses, good! Iberico shrimp dumplings, very good! Croquetas de pollo was "okay". Gambas al ajillo and arroz frito was good too. Mocktails for $16.xx was highway robbery. Our server was super on it so no complaints about the service. I had to subtract stars for lack of proper seating and they also add a 3% surcharge due to operational cost (give me a break!). We would come back to try again but next time, we will need a table and will order the steak! read more

Vaca - Meat and cheese - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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You know the place is good when you are thinking about their food the day after. Vaca has been on my radar for a long time, but with its popularity, reservations are not always the easiest to make. I was so happy to finally visit for a friend's birthday this weekend, and they surely did not disappoint! The restaurant itself is very trendy, sexy, and busy. We came on a Friday night with reservations, and waited a little to be seated. We were seated at the outside patio, which was very pleasant for a large party. The best part of the evening? Easily, the food and drinks. The vibe and menu was so tempting, I cheated on my dry January for a taste of their delicious Spanish red wine lol. As a group, we ordered a bunch of tapas, steaks and paellas. They were all SO good (wish I had snatched more pictures). I would recommend ordering to share, as it is so fun to try all their dishes. Steak and paella definitely a must. What stood out the most for me of the night, though, was their lamb dish. I don't typically like lamb, but it was so good! Melts in your mouth with the right seasoning. Overall, I definitely want to come back. I'm still thinking about their food 2 days later. Do make reservations, as the restaurant is a pretty happening place. Can't wait to go back. Cheers, Vaca! read more

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