Dined here last night and was not impressed. The smalls plates were good, but nothing special. The paella was just not good. Ours was served Luke warm, rice not crispy on the bottom of the pot and lacked flavor. Being from Jersey and eating Spanish and Portuguese cuisine in Newark, what we had at Vaca just does not compare. I'll take a hard pass the next time we visit. Just a side note there is no salad option on the menu and nor bread for the table. Maybe that's a west coast thing? Not sure?? read more

Broadway was one of the best meals I've had. My expectations were high I'll admit. In town visiting family and decided to give VACA a try. Sunday evening outdoor seating Covid probably not good elements to begin a dining experience for sure. Started off ok. Felt rushed and kind of treated by the server as an afterthought really. The food is good but everything was dropped at the table in some cases 2-3 dishes at once and became cold quickly. Probably can be a great experience when things are flowing. Anyway there it is. Good chef, good food, nice atmosphere tough times. read more

I've been going to this restaurant for six years since it opened, but today their long-term bartender latina waitress checked me out like I was a stranger. She wouldn't let me order any food whether it had alcohol or not. I had only been there a couple hours and that been chatting with the other staff as usual. I feel that this treatment is extremely rude and that the staff only cares about their tips. The bartender obviously only cared about replacing me with a more reprofitable customer. I was sitting at my usual spot at the bar but the bartender was extremely rude as soon as she took over for the usual bartender. I feel really disrespected. read more

If you've never experienced this place.. You need to. Every dish we tried was great from the appetizers to the dessert. Awesome!

Very expensive place. Although we enjoyed the paella dishes. My bill was almost $600 for just me and 3 kids! Crazy!

Huevos with the caviar enhancement were the star of the meal. Service was seamless - glasses were instantly refilled, our waiter was knowledgeable about every menu item, everyone was so warm and friendly. The only bobbles were the flan (wayyyy too dense, texture-wise) and the bacalao (not great; lumps of potato in the filling, unappealing color/appearance re: the exterior of the fritters). read more

Do you ever go back to places to try to relive a memory? Or do you try to make new memories... and try new places? This is somewhere they have a great spin on things and keeps wanting more of the tiny plates. That uni though.. I need that creamy luscious egg on egg, in the shell. No sharing here. I would do a whole one, maybe two.. the the flavor is just rich and delectable. It screams more! I did love the braised ox tail... although it may have needed a little bit more sweetness. That's just me. And maybe one more oxtail. Wink wink.. it was yummy.. thanks for sharing! Even more.than the tiny bone marrow (yummy yet small) was the foie gras.. and oh pork cheek. Cant choose a favorite betwen them. I think it was both were luscious and..mouth watering and well worth the breaks and pauses between the small breaks we could drink and chatter. One things for sure, the chorizo scotch egg is s winner. Properly cooked 6- minute egg with the runny middle, and a thin spicy chorizo layer crusting the outside. Me personally.. vaca is a new memory, perhaps a last one. Maybe ill go back to Broadway @ Amar Santana "the other restaurant".. the older, better, more livelier one. Hmm its like having two loves and not being able to choose between them. read more

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I would like to officially retire the gruel recipe book and welcome back Bookmark Saturday Night! This occasion was celebrating a belated birthday for my better half and my tenure of unemployment coming to an end! We arrived at Vaca ( https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vaca-costa-mesa?select=xi6zfJVUnR9ZYMU0AQbsGw ) about a half an hour before our reservation time, but the hostess was able to seat us at the half booth table I requested and wished my wife a happy birthday. The table had a nice setting ( https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vaca-costa-mesa?select=lJNKMDSzOrVBXfo2R4YHdQ ) and our server Larry came over and introduced us to the menu since it was our first time eating at Vaca. The better half and I already decided we were going to order the house special Beef Rib Steak and Larry suggested we immediately go to the display case and pick out our cut. ( https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vaca-costa-mesa?select=ClQkXhwSnWh9lq0kiti1cw ) ( https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vaca-costa-mesa?select=4UbQ8wy9ExlYYK3eAAeCsQ ) After a short discussion, we chose a 2 pound, 9 ounce hunk of cow ( https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vaca-costa-mesa?select=qWiJ4WCCmr4pviSrqWm8jQ ) as our main course and returned to the table to sort out our drinks, tapas and side dishes. Our server suggested we get the steak cooking since it usually takes 45 minutes for the kitchen to cook this cut of beef to the medium rare temperature we requested. My wife opted for the Vaca Tonic ( https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vaca-costa-mesa?select=GszB-2ryGDA7_I4UHWMtDw ) and thanks to a recommendation from Larry, I decided to try the Sherry Cobbler. Both our choices were potent potables and the only complaint regarding my drink was the excessive amount of ice, but the flavors were excellent. Name aside, my drink reminded me of something I would get in the Caribbean. The Vaca Tonic was a hit with the better half and definitely worthy of being the house specialty drink. After Larry returned with our drinks, we needed a little more time to figured out the rest of our meal. Laina did some research prior to our dinner and was able to narrow the extensive tapas choices by reading reviews which pointed out which tapas not to order. Rohlinism: If you can't figure out what to order, at the very least figure out what not to order! The rest of our dining experience consisted of four tapas and one side dish: ( https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vaca-costa-mesa?select=37K0yc6WmMf8Yj3wK0Ds4Q ) ( https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vaca-costa-mesa?select=0v17Vpo_ACnYN5QWLxT-sg ) ( https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vaca-costa-mesa?select=Aa46d2oJAzBCuNivbOARzA ) ( https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vaca-costa-mesa?select=ssQ4TZn071yeG9iyEIvSKg ) ( https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vaca-costa-mesa?select=StJuL2FZlYmoo5ei83HwiA ) The tapas came out in short order and the consensus was the bikini sandwich and huevos rellenos were the stars of our finger food. The paleta iberica, manchego and truffles combined to make your palate stand at attention the moment you bit into the bikini sandwich. Some people may scoff at the $13 price tag for a small sandwich cut into four triangles, but this panini packs an abundance of flavor into a tiny package. My lovely wife proclaimed the huevos rellenos the best deviled eggs she has ever eaten! The filling for the eggs halves were perfectly balanced, had just the right consistency and a nice crunch from the chorizo. This item was given an extra kick by the pickled mustard seeds and help to make this tapas aesthetically pleasing as well. The timing was a little off on the steak and our server came by to inform us the steak was ready early. Laina felt a little rushed by this, but most of the tapas were gone by the time the side of cow arrived. The Maiz arrived with the steak and it was an awesome compliment to the steak. The charred corn was sweet and was balanced out by the pimenton (Spanish paprika) and there was a nice texture change with some corn nuts thrown into the dish. The beef rib steak was perfectly cooked and tasted like carnivore heaven! Laina loved the seasoning of the steak so much she even ate the fat which is something she usually cuts off and leaves to the side. There were chimichurri and house sauces provided which was really good, but this steak doesn't need to be dressed up. We ate until our waist sizes expanded exponentially, but couldn't slay this meat beast (happy Kamena). Laina was given a Mango-Orange Sorbet ( https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vaca-costa-mesa?select=IFSdy2_AtHbaLS7skZK81Q ) for her birthday and the manager gave us a Churros con Chocolate ( https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/vaca-costa-mesa?select=ObRRKyNQBt1g6WIKNFgq9w ) as an apology for the timing issue with the steak. The sorbet was balanced and not very icy which we both enjoyed and the chocolate sauce really elevated the churros to another level. A place I would love to return to when my wallet will allow it! read more

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I have dined at French Laundry, Spago, Joel Rubichon, etc ... I am in no way bragging by saying that. I only mention these restaurants, because I would expect a level of service commiserate with the price or reputation of a restaurant. I am not expecting Vaca to give me that level of service, but I would expect courtesy, consistency and a level of modesty: I have dined at Vaca (multiple Times) before and we had tickets for Hamilton, so I made reservations way in advance and explicitly asked for indoor dining. I arrived and a couple in front of us got seated who did not have reservations and got to sit indoors. They moved us to outside and I asked why when I reserved indoors, and the Hostess said we don't have any room and that's all we have - I asked why did you seat the people In front of us inside and she totally dismissed my question (modesty reference). Then it rained - unbelievable - after we opened our Alpha Omega (very expensive bottle of wine). So, we decided to leave (because we were soaked) and yes, they comped us the appetizers we ordered (so generous), but their clear lack of responsiveness to my continued request to be moved indoors as we were getting soaked were never answered - only when we said we had enough and had to leave. Waisted our very expensive bottle of wine and ruined our night. Never, never again. I can't believe the service at this place. Better training is definitely required. I wish I could rate them lower. I am so, so angry at what they did to us. read more

We went to see the Tina Turner play and stopped from tapas and food. We sat at the bar so we could watch a game on the giant tv. The bartenders were top notch. I ordered The Disco Sour and it was so beautiful and delicious. Very Strong. We ordered Tapas and everything we ordered was very good!! We will definitely go again next time we go the Segerstrom Theatre. read more

I came here to celebrate my Birthday and hate to say that the food was kind of disappointed. If you come here for real Tapas this is not the place. I've tried both Northern and Southern Spanish cuisine during my trip in Spain multiple times. Of course, they serve you with their overpriced version of tapas. As you see when the food come out, it is a small plate to share and Most of the dishes are salty. The food here have made me feel like I'm eating American fusion food in a tapas setup. Although I didn't order their famous Paella, I ended up ordered a steak with mushrooms as a side dish. All and all, I got home sick with a symptom of food poisoning. I gave this restaurant 3 star to the staffs because the customer service was very good and attentive, however the food here did not meet my expectation. read more

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Stop reading this review right now if you haven't gone here....just go! It's so damn good! Yes it can get expensive but you've found a place worth the splurge. Personally when I first discovered this place (right around the corner from me) I went 3 times the same week. There really isn't a lot of places like this out there. The food is very authentic. It taste similar to the food I've had in Barcelona. Just go, you'll enjoy it for sure!! read more

What a pleasant surprise, meeting a Top Chef finalist who happened to be expediting! Wow! Chef Amar Santana, the food, drinks, service and ambiance at Vaca was exceptional. Tip: Lucked out at the bar, where they serve the full menu but to secure a spot, make a reservation. read more

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

Terrible do not come here. People in the front told us they would sit us next and still put other parties in front of us despite waiting an hour horrible liars. Service is horrible you can go somewhere else and probably eat more and better. read more

Came here for our wedding anniversary. We expected so much more, especially since this restaurant earned a Michelin star in 2019. We ordered the heuso al horno, paella de mariscos, and plato de iberico secreto. The bone marrow was undercooked and bloody. The rice in the paella was crunchy and undercooked as well. The Plato de iberico secreto had two steaks that were also very rare. The meat was chewy and rubbery and pretty tasteless. Unfortunately our experience here was not the best, and we will most likely be dining elsewhere in the future. read more

Cesar was our server!! Excellent service and the food top noch, I been here 4 times and every time beats the time before, superb to say the least read more

The food was delicious but our server forgot three of our dishes, lied to us that they were coming right now, and then had a heated conversation with the kitchen staff and came back and gaslit us saying those dishes had already come when we clearly had never received them. Once we got the food, he and the rest of the staff started to rush us because they were closing soon. Cannot recommend this restaurant because the service was unacceptable. read more

Atmosphere is nice. Price is high but considering location its appropriate. Being a minority, I felt discriminated by receptionist. We were seated in a dark corner even though a perfectly well lit spot was open nearby. We were told somebody else reserved it but plenty of other spots were available. We declined that seat and were standing around for 15 more minutes until another server noticed us and kindly seated us in the nicer area. Anyway we just let it go and decided to enjoy our evening. The tapas were excellent - croquettes, pig belly. The ny steak was excellent. Paella is way below par. It was bland and undercooked and tastes like overpriced gumbo. It is easy to find better pella somewhere else. Save that money and order something else on the menu Probably wont visit it again read more

3.5 stars might have been a better option. As my bride remarked after the dinner, "I was whelmed." Full marks on the fois, which they serve despite a sketchy interpretation of California law. The peach underneath it was underripe and undercooked, though, so it kinda undercut the $28 charge. The dates with blue cheese and bacon were delightful, but they set up expectations that frequently went unmet. The deconstructed pan con tomate got the tomato/oil/garlic/salt bit spot on, but the bread -- halfway between the trad slice on which it would be served and a Wasa crispbread -- was a fail. The tasty albóndigas were far more Greek in their presentation and flavour than Spanish. The mollejas cried out for a touch of salt, much like the aguacate fritos, but showed potential nonetheless. And the bacalao was just sad, with all the personality of a Kmart returns processor. It appeared that we dodged a bullet when a neighboring table ordered the pulpo; the fingerlings appeared to be listless and the octopus showed no inkling of a sear. Vaca came up strong at the finish; they totally nailed the grilled shishitos (perfect marriage of lemon, salt, and char), as they did the side of maíz, which was balanced and delectable. The ultimately frustrating part was the they came *so close* on a number of the dishes, and they only have a short way to go to make themselves a destination dining spot. Service was excellent, which helped. Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and the wine list, which is commendable. [It's commendable that he was knowledgeable AND the wine list is commendable.] With a little focus, Vaca could almost be what Otoño consistently proves themselves to be. P.S. While we didn't have any of the house-aged beef, it looked ridiculously good. Clearly someone there loves her some vaca, and if we happen back there sometime, we may venture off either in that direction or into their paella options, which seemed -- on the menu at least -- to tantalize. read more

I always see this place when I'm catching a show at the Segerstrom and have always wanted to try and I finally did over the weekend. Reservations are hard to get here especially for a weekend dinner and now I know why. This place is off of Town Center Drive, on your right side when facing Segerstrom. They offer valet parking ($7 - just do it, you're already eating at a fancy place. LOL.) You may also park at South Coast and just walk across the bridge. There's a parking structure across the street where we usually pay ($10) for event parking but I heard with validation, it's free (not confirmed). We had originally reserved a table al fresco since that was the only thing available when we called... but opted to wait a little to be seated inside, and got the best seats in the house. Next to the bar, in front of the kitchen, and the glowing refrigerator of drool worthy meats. Seriously, views for days. Servers were attentive, always topping off our waters, refilling the complimentary nuts, and checking up on us. We started off with the tapas... and lots and lots of them. LOL. LA BOLA (potato balls with ground beef - think Porto's potato balls, only smaller but tastier) an order comes with two balls. DATILES CON JAMON SERRANO (dates stuffed with blue cheese, wrapped in serrano ham with honey, and grilled) yeah we ordered probably two of these. GAMBAS AL AJILLO (shrimp cooked with garlic and some chili) maybe like 5 pcs of shrimp for $16 - yikes. CROQUETAS DE POLLO (chicken fritters but creamy and so good!) order comes with 4 pcs. ERIZOS CON HUEVOS (uni scrambled eggs with toast) this was a little disappointing since all we could taste was just egg. ENSALADA DE COL RIZADA (this was okay, we just needed some greens to balance us out.) We probably stuffed ourselves with these that when it came to ordering our entrees, we wish we had enough appetite to get the meats. We opted for the PAELLA DE CARNE ($39 - meat paella, with chorizo, blood sausage, beef cheek, pork belly, and duck confit) this was just enough to feed 5 almost full girls or maybe just 2 really hungry people. LOL. This was really flavorful and they don't skimp out on the meats. This is what we wish we had the appetite for, the dry aged steak... They have it all displayed on that refrigerated case, some precut (smallest is 2.10 oz). You get to pick your cut of meat. Looked so bomb! I'd want to try their cheeses and cured meats as well next time. Onto the best part... get you some friends that when they ask if you'd like dessert, they don't look at the menu and simply say "ONE OF EACH PLEASE!" HAHA. So there, we got one of each of whatever dessert was on their menu. MAMA SANTANA FLAN, CREMA CATALANA, CHURROS CON CHOCOLATE (yums - I wanted to drink that chocolate!), BIZCHOCO TRES LECHES, and THEIR HOUSEMADE ICE CREAM (coffee and I forgot the other one) and SORBETS (mango was refreshing, perfect to cleanse your palette after all that food). We cleaned those out. Not a single crumb left. Surprisingly, our bill was not as much as we thought it'd be. LOL. That includes all alcoholic beverages. Definitely coming back here for the dry aged steak and a bigger appetite to be able to try the rest of the menu. Such a fun and hip place for young professionals. I love the ambiance, the location, and the service. read more

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Absolutely the best Spanish in the area. I was very impressed with the bar staff. I enjoy a very special cocktail and they made it perfect for me read more

Hidden little gem in Costa Mesa! What a unqiue experience with amazing food and drinks. The must try is the Vaca Tonic. This is their version of a gin and tonic but its so delicious. For food items, the restaurant recommends family style since most are like tapas. We started with the chicken croquettes and they were perfectly fried, gooey and creamy inside. We also had the mixed paella and that was also delicious, just full of so much flavor. Plus the burnt rice on the bottom was my favorite part. The patatas (potatoes) were also a good side to share. A must order is warm octopus dish. Its hard to find tender octopus here like they have in Spain but this place comes close. Parking is free on the adjacent structure or you can valet for a few bucks. Can't wait to go back. read more

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The quality of food and service was great, the lengua was so good we ordered it twice. Can't wait to return again

CALLING ALL MEAT LOVERS Special Shout Out to Michael behind the bar on Thursday and Friday nights! Many thanks to Yelper - Aaron E. for his excellent review that helped us through the menu to order our tapas choices. CONVENIENT - for dining and parking for the Performing Arts Centers. Chef, Amar Santana has a great history, rags to success, contender on "Top Chef", Culinary Institute of America, and Charlie Palmer. Originally from the Dominique Republic, he has landed to share his Culinary creativity through VACA. FOOD - CROQUETAS DE POLLO - Breaded and Fried Chicken mixture. It was alright. PALETA IBÉRICA FERMIN - It is among the most expensive hams on the market and difficult to get in the U.S. The price is based on the Aging like other cured foods and alcohol is more expensive. The range for the dishes are $18 to $36/ounce. It comes in a form thinly sliced like Salami. It comes served with pickled Cauliflower and small crackers. Definitely worth trying! PIQUILLO RELLENO - Goat Cheese and Ricotta Breaded and Fried. I would come here just to have this dish with a glass of wine. Loved! HIGADO DE PATO CON PERA Seared foie gras, toasted hazelnuts, pomegranate, pear purée - I loved this dish. I haven't had Foie Gras in awhile. I thought they did a decent job on it. If you get this you may want to ask for some toast to make a spread out of the Foie Gras. PARKING - You can valet park or there is a parking structure across the street for free. We opted for the parking structure because it was easy and recommended by the staff. SERVICE - Excellent! Special note that the Bar Back this evening was very good! Butcher/Cutlery Bar - where you can watch them cut meats. I didn't really want to sit there watching that while I ate so we sat at the bar watching the Clippers game. Great option for before Performing Arts performance dining. read more

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Awesome experience and definitely a place to try once. Hip, lively and trendy. My husband and I made some last minute changes and decided to have celebrate my birthday dinner here. Great ambiance. It was difficult getting a table so we definitely recommend making reservation in advance if you don't want to share elbow room at the bar. Surprisingly, it wasn't too long of a wait at the bar for a busy night. It was about a 15 to 20 minute wait. Great place for dinner date. Recommend to valet for $7. Staff - Awesome and down to earth. HUGE PLUS! What we ordered- DATILES CON JAMÓN SERRANO Wonderful starter! Date were not over baked. The blue cheese amount was just right along with the drizzle of local honey. Balance of the savory, sweet was just perfect. Definitely a great way to start the meal with a glass of red wine. ERIZOS CON HUEVO Sea urchin bowl with one piece of sea urchin. Texture was like a mixture of fluffy egg white and one piece of sea urchin. Taste? Bland. If you are a sea urchin fan and had sea urchin on it's own, do not order this dish. You will be disappointed. CALAMARES- Calamari fries without the crunch. The flavoring was excellent. Salt, pepper with a lemon. Light breading, if any. It was a great combo just wish the calamari was crunchy. HIGADO DE PATO CON PERA- Best dish of the night. Foie Gras was cooked perfectly and not greasy. The balance was perfect. One of the best we had in OC. Make sure to ask for bread. BONELESS PIEDMONTESE NEW YORK STEAK 12OZ- Definitely try their meat! I love it when restaurant can just make a perfect steak without too much seasoning to take away from it's natural essences. Cooked perfectly and the fun part we were able to take a look at their meats before we made a decision. Love our server! Maple Borbon Housemade ice cream with CHURROS CON CHOCOLATE- PLEASE ORDER THE ICE CREAM! The churros is okay. But that ice cream is to exquisite! My husband and I would go back just for the ice cream itself! All and all, it's worth a try. We would definitely go back to try the age steak, and other dishes. Most importantly, the ice cream!!! =) read more

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Not worth doing valet parking, just walk over from the parking lot. They do validate parking. The restaurant itself is very small; table and seats are very snug so you're going to get close to your neighbor. Croquetas De Res: Yes, it's good but would I get it again? I feel like there was better plates for me to get. There was a thick and tender piece of beef in the croquete. Higado De Pato: My mouth is just salivating thinking about this. It was so fatty but the pomegranate pieces really cut the flavor. I would have ordered a XL size of this. Bikini Sandwich: Fancy ass ham and cheese sandwich that I couldn't get enough of. Beef Rib Steak: The smallest size steak they had was 1.1 lbs which I found was plenty for the 2 of us. The steak was already sliced for us so we can share, it's very well seasoned, and the meat on the bone was so fatty and delicious. Flan: Best flan I've had because it was so thick and custardy. Everything was the right consistency and texture. Taste was very rich and creamy. Done right. Churros: Hell yeah. Drinks were on the harder side which I'm not complaining and it makes me appreciate the liquor. I have a problem with the unnecessary aromatics they add on because it makes it seems hipster. The Japanese for instance, it says that the cocktail has Japanese Green Tea but they presented it with a green tea bag clicked on the outside of the drink so I can smell it plus I couldn't taste it in the cocktail itself. What? Service was pretty damn good when he's around. Price is on the higher-end scale but it's because you are paying for high quality ingredients and multiple dishes. read more

This is a review from our dinner last Wednesday to celebrate our friend's bday, there were 7 of us in the group. We have eaten here before so we always love this place, food is great but the waiter that served us complained after we have paid our bill. In the bill the gratuity has been included which was 20% but thus waiter approached me and asked me if the service was great and I said yes, and told him that the tip is already included in the tip, he had the nerve to tell me it wasn't, so I asked and clarified it from another waitress who confirmed yes it's included that's why there is a specific waiter/waitress in every table. What a shame just fir this waiter I have to give a poor review, food here is always good though. read more

The most amazing restaurant I have been to in 15 years. First Daniel talked us into the Vaca Tonics, which to mention I hate tonic, but after trying this shaved ice magical tonic, I have changed my mind. And then with Daniel suggested the " Canelon De Pollo Ahumado " which is a smoked chicken cannelloni w/foie grad sauce, WOW!!! OUR FAVORITE DISH! The bone marrow was also amazing! He suggested that the ribeye steak is to die for but come in with four people at least. read more

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

Hey Beautiful People! As adorable as the executive chef is, you should really come to Vaca for the food, okay? ;) This Spanish inspired restaurant/mega cool meat locker is just what Costa Mesa needs, and I can't wait for you to try it! :) 1.) Prime Skirt Steak - Highly Recommended! Fatty, rich, tasty, and pretty to look at! Such a great portion for the price, too, and perfectly cooked. Please don't order anything other than medium rare for this! Live a little! 2.) Off the Menu Delmonico - Recommended W/ CAUTION! This was an amazing and beautiful piece of meat, but it will set you back over $100, so get a 2nd job first. lol It's meant to be shared (with at least 1 other person!) medium rare, too. Don't ruin it! 3.) Tres Leches - Highly Recommended! Moist, flavorful, DO NOT SHARE THIS! EAT IT ALL!!! I wish I did! :( 4.) La Bola - Just Okay It sounds so good on the menu, but if you want crispy potato balls with ground beef, stick to Porto's. 5.) Brussel Sprouts - Recommended Would use this to cut down on the richness of the meal as a whole. Just your basic brussel sprouts...with Chinese sausages! 6.) Erizos Con Huevo - Highly recommended! The chef *drives* to Santa Barbara to pick up live sea urchins for this dish! Must try! See pictures!!! Thanks for reading! P.S. Was this Useful, Funny, and/or Cool? Let me know in the comments below! ^_^ read more

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Food was great, drinks were great, service was excellent! Nice ambiance, great for a date night or a group dinner. There is ample seating outside and inside. They accept reservations. We had quite a few different appetizer plates and shared a large steak. I definitely recommend the cauliflower, the corn, the ox tail, and the tomato bread which was very close to the kind of tapas we had while in Spain. We will be back! read more

This is a review of the tapas (I've never had the steaks here) but it's my favorite restaurant. We recently moved from Costa Mesa and still make the drive. Not that we've loved everything we've had here but for the most part you always have a good meal and drinks. We've had the tapas at Seville (terrible), pueblo (not bad) but vaca is always an easy go to. read more

Great View! As othe reviews have mentioned food is way overpriced, $100 pp for lunch for pretty mexican food, no mas! I can think of a dozen mexican restaurants with better food at half the cost, lunch: $54 for New York Strip (excellent steak, throughly enjoyed it), but $54. $12 charred corn $14 grilled asparagus $15 Sangria $13 tres leches and unless you say no they will try to stick it to you with 3% fee $14 for valet parking (need valadation) $122 for a simple lunch! and I did not include that 3% fee oh, for overnight guests the valet parking fee is $52, read more

Always passed by this place on my way to Segerstrom and finally got to try it out this past Presidents' Day. Was easily able to make last minute reservations on a Monday evening. As it wasn't super busy, we got great customer service from our server. We stuck to the tapas list and the dishes did not disappoint. Datiles con Jamón Serrano - Surprisingly was hands down our favorite dish of the night. I love dates, blue cheese, and honey, so this one was an easy choice. The mixture of ingredients sounded interesting and they delivered the most wonderful flavor combination! Bikini Sandwich - Manchego? Truffles? Need I say more? The sandwich was super flavorful and delicious! Pulpo a la Gallega - While I'm accustomed to eating octopus, it was never a favorite of mine, but this dish was delicious. It's the most tender octopus I've ever had and the flavors are light, but have the right amount of kick and the lemon gives it a nice citrusy touch. Bruselas - Brussel sprouts! One of my go-to dishes. They executed them well here. And chorizo is always a plus. Calamares Relleno - the only dish of the night that we weren't super impressed with. I was imagining a more savory dish, but the stuffing reminded me of this bland rice porridge my mama would feed me when sick. I also usually love aioli of any kind, but the squid ink aioli left a lot to be desired. The only downside is that this place is pretty pricey considering the amount of food you get, but if you're willing to splurge for tasty food then its definitely worth it. They also validate for the parking garage across the street. read more

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The food here is good but more on the salty side. It's my second time here and the reason why I rated lower is because of the service, really not up to the usual standards. Firstly, we reserved for dining room, but the host insisted it was full and made us sit in the patio area. Secondly we ordered cocktails and on the second round of cocktails, I wanted to have mine adjusted since it tasted only like alcohol and nothing else. The waiter said they couldn't do anything about it and only can bring soda water, so i asked for tonic water and they added it to our tab. Other places I'd go to would happily replace our drink or make adjustments free of charge. For this level of dining experience the service definitely needs to be improved. read more

Vaca - The most disgusting medicine like tasting cocktail - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The positives were the variety of Tapas and the signature Vaca drink, and our service ( his name was Tyler) The negative was the seafood paella. Mushy, smelled bad. We all tasted it and couldn't eat it. We should have sent it back!!! The other negative was the prices. You're paying for the celebrity chef and the location of the restaurant. We had a group of 7 and I don't think any of us will be back! read more

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I was able to try Vaca this past week with some Coworkers after hearing tons of great things about it and unfortunately, it was a let down from what I was expecting! It seems to be just a lot of positive hype without much follow thru. We ordered four sangrias which took forever to eat to our table as did the sherrys tat we ordered with our desserts. The food overall was rather flavorless, over priced and the paella had barely enough rice to coat the bottom of the pan. Being a lover of Spanish cuisine, I was expecting so much more. I will give credit on food presentation and their plate choice however, not to mention ambiance. If it wasn't for that, I would have actually given 2 stars. I wish it had lived up to all of the talk! read more

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They burnt the food; the patatas bravas were awful; super slow service.. in 2 and a half hours we got only 3 tapas (small plates). We had to leave because they never brought the dessert. The manager was gonna talk to us (supposedly) but he never came. Also.. overpriced.. the only good part was the bartender. Not coming back read more

We had a reservation at 7:30 and arrived just on time. Unfortunately we waited until 8:00 to get seated.... Nice atmosphere and decor, but our table was packed so close to the next table it was uncomfortable. Our waiter literally had to pull our table out, for me to get out of my seat. The food selection was creative, but everything we ate was BLAND. I had to ask for salt and mustard to enhance the flavors. 3 out of 4 things we ate tasted like they fried it to get it ready for service. Im referring to the brussel sprouts, side of cauliflower, and lamb meatballs. We also got the Uni and Egg dish (under seasoned, not enough bread, and the bread was not toasted properly) - $16 better spent on something else. Furthermore, I was extra disappointed when I found out they charged a $30 corkage fee but the waiter did not communicate the upfront charge... And completely let down when I told them it was my moms bday and they did nothing special. I will not come back and would Not recommend it to a friend. read more

Where should I take my family for my birthday???hmmm. I have to be in LA for work on my bday but the plus is I get to spend it with my parents and favorite aunt. What place is good for dinner close to Irvine? So ofcourse YELP comes to rescue and found this resto and made reservations for 4 at 6:30 pm. This place is very busy even during the week so please make reservations. We ordered the following 1) foie gras 2) bone marrow 3) grilled octopus 4) stuffed calamari 5) kale salad with butternut squash 6) oxtail 7) branzino 8) carne paella 9) pork belly 10) octopus 11) cauliflower Everything was very tasty and served fast. The oxtail is only one piece so if you don't want to share, get two. Our server was very attentive and sweet. My mom loved the corn nuts they served on the table that our server even gave her a Togo box with the corn nuts inside. For dessert we ordered the churros, tres leches cake and they gave me a blueberry sorbet for my birthday dessert. Churros was good , tres leches was okay and little dry. Giving only 4 stars because I have had similar cuisine in the city and it tasted better. Yes I could be a snob sometimes but that's what happens when you have someone who also works in the food industry dating an executive executive chef dined at your resto. When you have tasted the best, you're expectations even gets higher and higher. But overall this place is good and busy. Just have had better in the city. read more

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Excellent food and so impressed with the service. The waiter was very attentive without being too much. The best restaurant we have found in this area and we will definitely be returning! read more