Wahoo's as a company is a shadow of what it once was 20 years ago. This Wahoo's location is an example of that decline. We have eaten at this location several times and our experience has been consistent. Our food has been just ok for quality and poorly put together. This visit, we ordered a fish dish that was rubbery and a side of chips and they were stale and greasy. Their salsa is bland, cheap and doesn't taste fresh, aside from their pico de gallo. The staff at this and other locations have been the exception to the rest of our experiences. They have been very polite, helpful and accommodating. They also seem to be aware that the quality of food they are serving isn't very good. The overall decline appears to be from the top down at Wahoo's as an organization. Poor decision making and quality control. I would not recommend Wahoo's to my friends and family. The decline over the years borders on tragic. read more

Researched this location prior to our trip from Massachusetts as my grandson said he liked it. My wife and I highly recommend the 1988 fish tacos, with black beans, Cole slaw and brown rice. Our granddaughter, a French fry connoisseur, said she enjoys Wahoo's fries more than most places. Looking forward to our next CA trip and a return visit. Staff were extremely friendly and helpful. read more

Wahoo's Fish Taco - The 1988 fish tacos, with black beans, Cole slaw and brown rice - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Don't order delivery from this place. I ordered a salmon bowl which is supposed to come with citrus slaw (nope) and a sauce on the side (nope). I got a bone dry piece of fish on some rice thrown in a box. Never again. read more

Delicious food and the staff was very friendly! I love the "vibe" of this place, too!

How disappointing. This place used to be really good. I haven't been here for several years. I was driving by and thought a fish taco sounded good. I bought 1 fish taco grilled and one fish taco fried, no sides. $10 dollars later I received two regular size corn tortillas, piled with slaw. I had to dig for the fish. Sure enough, under the pile of slaw a little piece of fish on each one. Wow. $5 each taco for mostly slaw. The fried fish taco had more flavor, the "grilled" (looked boiled) was hard (over cooked) and flavorless. Very sad. I will not be returning here again. The music they play in the restaurant used to be really good, very tropical, beach like vibe and fun. (I should know). Not anymore. Bad music choice for the demographics and the brand. What happened to this company? So sad. 2 positive comments. The green cilantro salsa at their mini salsa bar was excellent. And the service was very good. read more

After taking a long standardized test, I was famished! Fortunately, I found this Wahoo's not far from the testing center. I was looking for something light. I decided on two spicy fish tacos, with a side of brown rice and spicy beans. To drink, I opted for a glass of water. The food was pretty spicy, which was to my delight. Most places claim their spicy, only for it to be proven false. But not here, the food was excellent! It was healthy and filling, which gave me the energy I needed for the 2 hour drive ahead of me. The staff was super friendly, and they processed my order very efficiently. I would repeat. read more

Wahoo's Fish Taco - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I looove their food, I'm actually a bit hooked on it lately. Fair prices and I never leave hungry. Food is always hot and fresh. I love the atmosphere and of course, always super sweet people working here. Great service and they make sure you have everything you need. Recommend read more

My husband just ordered a carne asada burrito from this location last night and has been vomiting all day ... so much so that he has popped an eye blood vessel. He has been nauseas and sick and that was the last thing he ate. Definitely food poisoning! Terrible and will be reporting this. read more

First time here but I guess it will be my last, unfortunately. We ordered shrimp quesadillas, carne asada outer reef burrito, and the two fish taco combo. The shrimp was flavorful but the rest left much to be desired. I did not have any issue with the customer service. read more

Wahoo's Fish Taco - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I will not eat at Wahoos again. For $35 my protein bowls had raw pork, brown avocado, and shrimp that tasted boiled, chewy, and smelt. They tasted bad and fishy. read more

Our favorite place to go for healthy delicious food! The citrus slaw fish tacos are the best! Consistently good and big portions. We've been eating at Wahoos for the last 10 years. It's our go to for take out! read more

We usually LOVE Wahoos. They must be franchise however. I ordered a 1988 carne asada burrito, enchilada style (red sauce on top). The burrito was stuffed with lettuce (70%). Small amount of meat for what you're paying. Incredibly small. Criminal. That's not the worst part. The use pre-shredded cheese that's incredibly cheap and doesn't melt. Tastes terrible. Lastly, it wasn't red sauce on top. I wish I was joking but it was pace picante mild sauce straight out of the jar. The burrito tasted like the cheap white Guy microwave "nachos" we all made as teenagers. I was unimpressed to say the least. $54 for a couple and a 2 year old for microwave cheese and pace picante sauce over a lettuce burrito. Sad day in the land of Mexican food. read more

My whole family loves eating here. Love the freshness and quality. One of my favorite kids meal options as well!

While I don't love all items here, I am so obsessed with their banzai burrito, that alone is worth 5 stars in my book! I order the same thing every time out of fear the next item could not be as good, I have had both the burrito and the bowl, both excellent. Coming here with friends and family I have sampled their meals and while all tasty, nothing compares to the flavors of the banzai, the Asian Fusion twist is unique, I get cravings for it and have to stop in every few months. Prices are high and portions on the small side so order a bit more, though the burrito and the bowl do fill me up well. Great service, not too busy, clean location with plenty of seating and the food comes out quickly. read more

Wahoo's Fish Taco - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

We've gone to this wahoos for years and we love the food but have never had such terrible service. The cashier Roy treated us like we were annoying him throughout our entire visit, He did not greet us, and was rude. This was the second time we were treated like this. We love wahoos but we will not be returning to this location. read more

Always a good choice! Maui bowl is one of my favorites. Food is always fresh and restaurant is clean

I went this Sunday after church to introduce wahoos to my husband family because I really love the turkey soup and is so sad that is temporary only . But I try the potato tacos and those are really good, high recommend !! The customer service and ambiance is always great ! Please bring back the soup .. read more

I had the kale salad today with shrimp with the dressings on the side and WOW!! I didn't need any dressing. The flavors in the salad were amazing. I did use a tiny bit of the homemade cilantro dressing that is so delicious just for a couple of bites because I am so addicted to that cilantro dressing. I usually use it on everything. So yummy. But this salad didn't need anything. The staff there is so sweet and nice and they are constantly cleaning up the tables and keeping the restaurant neat and clean. And even when I left they asked me how my salad was. I told them it was GREAT!! I also LOVE their mango ice tea. I have a wahoos up by me in Foothill Ranch but I drive all the way to the one on El Toro because the Foothill Ranch doesn't have Mango ice tea. Plus the staff at the Lake Forest one on El Toro has such great service. I also love their citrus slaw tacos. They are great with the grilled fish or the shrimp. Keep up the great work Wahoos. read more

Wahoo's Fish Taco - The kale salad with shrimp. I chopped it up before I took a pic so you can hardly see the half of an Avacado they put on there - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Most everything here is good to great! They have sooo much more than just fish or fish tacos... The pork is fantastic as is the carne asada so if you go get a bowl which has the rice and beans along side your choice if meat. Chips are ok but not a big deal so skip those... This trip I got the Cajun fish which is spectacular and nicely spiced. read more

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Wahoo's Fish Tacos is a good place for quick, fast-food Mexican/seafood. I went here on a Thursday at 6:30PM and the parking lot was packed, but not for Wahoo's. The restaurant was virtually dead which made it convenient for ordering and the staff extremely friendly/attentive. Placing an order for a #1 combo which consisted of an enchilada w/ green sauce, rice and beans alongside a $5.00 pineapple margarita, I took my number and sat at one of the many clean and well placed tables. My food came out in no time, served on a lovely platter my food was nicely placed and decently tasty. They definitely served the rice strong, having it overtake my beans and some of my enchilada. The chicken itself was good, nothing incredibly special about the meal but feeling. The Margarita on the other hand was mixed surprisingly well and incredibly delicious lingering on the stronger side. I was impressed by the way Wahoo's is still a taco shop and not a cantina-style bar by now. Overall, friendly staff, great location from the I-5, good food. Worth a trip if you're local or going to another great Yelp event hosted here. read more

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There's nothing better than fish tacos and a cold Corona beer, especially when you've been away from home for a long time. I had the salmon bowl this time and subbed in their new option of cauliflower rice and it was perfect. Omar made my day with his smile. read more

my favorite spot I come here every day on my lunch break and they are always very nice and get my order right every time, plus the soda machines never taste weird :) read more

For more than 25 years I have visited Wahoos for dependably good tasting fish tacos, rice and beans. Today I ordered a two taco combination and sat down while they cooked my meal. The place wasn't busy but after 10 min I began to yearn for my meal. Where could it be? So I looked at the kitchen delivery window and there it was, a lone plate with a pile of food. Must be mine, I thought. But it took another five minutes for the staff to notice. They were busy flirting with the cooks and the cooks were busy laughing at the flirting. Finally somebody noticed the plate, picked it up and delivered it to guess who? Me! It tastes good but obviously it was cold. I did my best to enjoy while I thought about how hard it must be to operate a serious restaurant. read more

Wahoo's Fish Taco - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Well we ordered three things... waited 30 minutes... one came out completely unseasoned with no pico or lime. Asked for them to redo it... they said it was seasoned. Even the other customer behind us laughed. So they said they would. Waited another 20 minutes and go back to check and new one was sitting on the counter cold. This time cooked with sauce, still no pico or lime. Usually amazing, but staff wasn't listening or helpful. Wahoo's is our usual favorite stop. Not this one. read more

Food and service as always is solid . Love the added salsa bar. Unfortunately the new serving trays are a fail... the rice looks like a scoop of ice cream and the beans in that small old school TV dinner style trays are a fail. Go back to the plates please read more

Lunch again at wahoos. I had the wahoos salad carne asada. Always good. The black beans and white rice is really good too. When I'm up to extra carbs I'll get the enchilada with the rice and beans , very tasty. Great flavor on the beans and rice, different than anywhere else. read more

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Love this place! Food was too good that we had to come back a couple days later. We recommend the nachos & tacos de papa great service too!! read more

We ordered takeout in the store and It took 35 min for 2 burritos and a salad . Got home both burritos were made incorrectly and overflowed with beans barely any meat. Had to end up throwing away one of the burritos. I am a huge fan a wahoos and was trying to convince my dad it's worth it and he said this is exactly why we don't eat here. read more

I had order food yesterday 7/26/23 and I had said no cheese I can't have cheese.. I get home there was cheese not cool.. please fix this at your location please.. unhappy customer.. read more

Not impressed at all. I have been here a few times before; I usually come here about once a year after a request from a friend or colleague. I had the Kahlua Pork bowl which is carnitas doused with teriyaki sauce at Wahoo's. The bowl was served with a meager portion of meat on top of black beans and white beans. I ordered some cheese to top it with. The meat had way too much sauce in it and overall wasn't happy with the taste of my meal. read more

Wahoo's Fish Taco - Kaluah Pork Bowl with cheese - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Pat on the back, Wahoo's. You've won this girl over the second time around! The first time I came to Wahoo's was about 4 years ago on a blind date (at the one at the Spectrum). I had the worst possible experience at a restaurant, ever. Maybe it was my date that I disliked, maybe the cook's were having a bad day, maybe I just wasn't in the mood for Mexican at the time...but 4 years ago, I blamed it on Wahoo's. I never went back until today. A friend of mine keeps raving about Wahoo's....."Michelle, you MUST try Wahoo's! They're awesome, seriously, try it....". Every time I see that girl, she tells me I have to go and that it's an absolute must! Ok, ok, I'm going....today. Walked in, place is clean...I mean, seriously clean. You can smell the cleanliness. Awesome. Looked at the menu...they really have everything you could ask for. Burritos, tacos, enchiladas, salads....everything your heart can desire at a Mexican place. I was still craving a cheesy enchilada....so Combo #1 here I come. One enchilada, white rice, and black beans. Also ordered a small drink...total came to $6.31. Not too bad. Here's the breakdown: 5 stars for the enchiladas. 2 stars for the rice (white rice at a Mexican joint, really?!) 3 stars for the beans. 5 stars for service. 5 stars for having a CLEAN bathroom (you know, I'm a girl, I go once an hour and the bathrooms must impress). 4.5 stars for the amazing decor of the place. 5 stars for being, laterally, 4 minutes from my work (yes, I'm a dork and time it!) Overall, solid 4 star experience. Thanks Wahoo's for winning this Mexican food loving girl over the second time around!!! read more

Wahoo's Fish Taco - enchilada combo number 1. - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Wahoo's is a large chain restaurant which serves rice bowls, fish tacos, burritos, and other food choices. My favorite item here is the Maui Bowl which is a teriyaki seasoned steak bowl with rice. This place carries many healthy options. The ambiance is a surfer type there which is very casual and laid back. The restaurant walls are covered with surf boards and surfing stickers. The line can get very long here as it's very popular. It moves through fairly quickly, however, and seating can be difficult to find at times. Parking is hardly an issue, there is a private parking lot and there is usual parking available. The price is on the higher side for a chain restaurant. On average you will spend about $12-$16 per person depending on what your order. Customer service is decent. They provide table service, but it's mostly self service. The workers are all pretty nice. Overall, if you are looking for a healthy eatery, this is a good place to check out! **This review was based on trying this place more than 50 times. I believe in trying a place multiple times before reviewing in order to give an honest and fair review. read more

Wahoo's is awesome, and I go there all the time now. I order the combo with a cheese enchilla, white rice and black beans. The enchilada tastes so much better than most enchillas that I've had at other restaurants (including Baja Fish Taco, who is THE BEST place). I have been to many different Wahoo's - they have one at the irvine spectrum and one in Old Towne Orange, and really everywhere. If your going for an enchilla this is the place! read more

I give 3 stars because I usually don't have a problem with customer service at this location and I admit giving sass in spanish to the staff after everything unfolded. In a progressive world I guess I shouldn't be surprised that people still think Americans only understand 1 language these days... watch what you say... you never know who is listening. Rant Over, I got into a conversation with one of the employees because she kept shit talking in Spanish. I found it rude to be talking shit on customers right in front of myself and the other individuals ordering food. I kindly told her in Spanish that I understood what she was saying and didn't appreciate it. After that my food I received was cold and they short portioned me on onion rings and felt that I should have a larger quantity for paying $5. read more

Wahoo's Fish Taco - So disappointed on spending $5s in this... - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Used the mobile app to order dinner tonight. So easy. Easy to install (free from the Google app store) and very easy to navigate, place my order, enter payment info and submit. Drove here straight from work and went to the telephone/online counter and no wait. Our order was ready and perfectly prepared. Food was very good. Kale Kai salad was delicious and plentiful; I like it with the balsamic dressing. Also ordered a salmon bowl, which my husband liked but it didn't completely fill him up. Will have to get a side for him in the future. Ordered the combo 2 with grilled fish tacos for my mom and with the rice and beans it was a little too much for her (I know.) 4 out of 5 stars only because of the use of Styrofoam containers, plastic bags and plastic utensils. I'd be blown away if Wahoos showed more concern for the environment and had biodegradable to-go packaging. I'd definitely order from here more. Also, this parking lot can be challenging but there is a reserved parking space for picking up an order, so I was in and out in less than 2 minutes. read more

I brough my girlfriend to this Wahoo's on a Saturday evening before going to see a concert at Verizon Wireless Ampitheater last month. It was about 5pm and there was no wait to order food or even grab a table. Pamela took our order. She was very friendly and had great recommendations for my girlfriend. I ordered the Wahoo Salad, Polynesian Shrimp, and a drink. My girlfriend ordered the Polynesian Shrimp Bowl. After double-checking my receipt, I discovered that Pamela made a mistake and rang up my order as a Polynesian Shrimp salad. As soon as I told her, she quickly notified the staff in back to fix the order and then corrected the order at the cash register. This allowed us to get all of our food at the same time. As always, the food is delicious and healthy at Wahoo's. Its relaxing to come here and the employees show pride in their jobs whether it is cooking food, taking orders, busing tables or helping the customers with extra salsa the staff is always pleasant to interact with. Maybe that is part of the reason I have been eating at Wahoo's for over 12 years now! :-) read more

This Wahoo's always feels huge because the layout is great. Other than that- its a wahoo's --- AWESOME... read more

Not a bad fish taco place. I'm usual to the fish taco's that are deep fried with the sour cream sauce and cabbage, but these aren't that bad at all. The fish isn't fried, but rather grilled and has a rub on it. It's very moist, and you don't get that much of a fishy taste. There really isn't anything else special about them. It's just a taco with fish! What is unique to Wahoo's will have to be the white rice that they serve. It's nice, soft, fluffy, and has a great lemon taste to them. I think it's a stand out :) read more

Friendly staff. Delicious food. PLUS....Gringo Bandito hot sauce at the tables! Wahoo indeed! I just feel like the food might be a tad overpriced. Maybe it's because it's fresher ingredients. I don't know. Maybe I'm just being nit picky. It's definitely not so astronomical that I won't be back. Because...come on. Gringo Bandito! Best hot sauce in the world, people. Go to Wahoo's just for that alone! read more

Wow. I'm really surprised at all the 5 star reviews for this place. Haven't these people had good Mexican food before? This is SoCal. Anyway, I wasn't sure what to get since I never eat here. I asked the employee taking my order what their best tacos are. She suggested the crispy fish tacos. So I got 2 of them. The fish on the taco was lousy!! It was way over breaded, very hard, and didn't taste fresh at all. Basically, it tasted like a big overbreaded fish stick that they thawed out, fried, and put in a taco. Disgusting. I'm actually really mad that I wasted over $7 here. Gross. read more

Wahoo's Fish Taco - Crispy Fish Tacos- don't let the pictures fool you, they are disgusting!! - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California