Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Xacalli Kitchen

    4.1 (249 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    Xacalli Kitchen Photos

    Business Info

    XACALLI KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Upscale
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    More like Xacalli Kitchen

    Recommended Reviews - Xacalli Kitchen

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Agua Chile Negro
    Yu L.

    Tucked away in a quiet corner of the city, this place feels more like a hidden local gem than a trendy restaurant. The atmosphere is calm, intimate, and full of character. The menu is also thoughtfully crafted -- blending modern Baja flavors with creative presentation and unique ingredients. You can really feel the chef's personality in every dish. A perfect spot for a slow dinner and good conversations.

    Huevos rancheros
    Alejandro A.

    Found this hidden gem for Mother's Day and honestly couldn't have picked a better spot. Who would've thought a place this beautiful would be tucked away in the canyon? The whole atmosphere feels warm and intimate, like you're dining in someone's home in the Yucatán. The food was incredible, and every dish came out looking just as impressive as it tasted. You can tell a lot of care goes into both the flavors and presentation. Definitely coming back. Pro tip: make a reservation. The staff is small and tight-knit, so reserving ahead of time makes the experience way smoother.

    Bar
    Dan J.

    Was looking forward to eating here. Had heard about it from friends and decided to check out their brunch. We got there around 10:30 on a Saturday morning. There may have been some people inside but we went straight to sit at the bar, as no one greeted us. We sat there for about 10 minutes before being greeted. A woman, who I subsequently found out to be one of the owner's, took our drink order. We then saw the bartender show up, along with the cook, who we also subsequently found out was the co-owner, and they proceed to take a shot of tequila in front of us. Only then did the bartender start working on our drink order. Was not that impressed with the food (brunch), but will give it another shot for dinner some day.

    Menu
    Em T.

    We just had dinner here on a very rainy Friday evening. The restaurant was very quiet because of the rain so despite having a reservation for a table, we chose to sit in the bar area at a high four top and it was a great atmosphere. Quiet, casual and comfortable, with not your usual greasy Mexican plates, but elevated meals with Mexican flavors but different ingredients than you would normally see. You should note that even in the rain, the roads were totally clear and this restaurant was easily accessible. What a beautiful drive up there. Next door there is a cute neighborhood market that has obviously been updated as well. You do not feel like you are just 10-15 mins outside of Lake Forest when you step out of your car here. We started with a Margarita each, made with fresh lime juice (every place should be doing this by the way instead of that horrible mixer). Delicious. Just the right amount of tart and sweet to offset the acid. Preserved citrus slices for garnish. The menu is made to be shared so keep that in mind when you see the prices. My husband and I shared everything from our 4 courses and left feeling very full and satisfied. There is a section of the menu that is entirely vegetarian (about 4 or so options), that looked great. We almost had the enchiladas from this section, but decided it would just be too much. Service was so friendly and attentive without being intrusive. We had the Caesar salad, the grilled shrimp, the lamb birria and the basque cheesecake. Everything was delicious. The Caesar salad was so good. You essentially get a half head of gem style lettuce with crushed croutons and dressing on top. A little spicy with the chile in the dressing but we loved that! The shrimp was delicious also. The little hint of fresh mint with the shrimp was a surprise and such a good match. Spicy also with sliced red jalapeño, but you can choose how much you get into that. I went all in and loved it. Lamb birria. What a lovely surprise this was. A whole braised shank served with freshly made corn tortillas, pickled onions and salsa. So satisfying. My husband loves birria tacos, I am Australian and grew up eating lamb as a staple protein so this was an amazing meeting of the worlds. So much to dip your taco into once you build it. We can't wait to show our friends this hidden gem! As a side note, we drove away and realized this might have been the Silverado Cafe we have been to many years ago? Not 100%, but we think so. So happy to have some new and exciting options to dine in OC and we'll be back.

    Chocolate mousse
    Rose M.

    The Barria dish is amazing! Most tender lamb shank ever! Really love the hongo asada as well the home made tortillas are so soft and fragrant, even better than the ones we had in Mexico. Drinks here are amazing too, last word is made with Mescal and my go to. It definitely worth the 20 min drive out from Irvine. Their kitchen closes at 7:30pm, so you need to be here before that for dinner, best way is to make reservations on open table, so you don't get turned away if the kitchen is too busy.

    Nopales, tamarindo mule, and la pasion
    Jermaine P.

    This place is such a hidden gem! The food is top notch and has tons of complexity, something you'd expect from a restaurant in the city. We ordered about 4 plates for 2 people and each plate took us on a flavor journey. The restaurant is tucked in Silverado and is beautiful to visit during sunset. Their menu is seasonal so I'm excited to come back to see what the chef has in store for us!

    Kateleen C.

    Xacalli Kitchen is a hidden gem! Each dish has fresh ingredients and flavors that stands out, yet pairs well altogether. The ambience is nice for a date night or a Friday night out with friends. Our server, Zack, was attentive and gave us recommendations that we truly enjoyed. The rest of the servers were friendly and amazing as well. 10/10 would come back and recommend :)

    Menu
    Daniel M.

    This is the best "foodie" Mexican restaurant in Orange County, and it's not even close. This restaurant has been on my radar for a while. It's located in Silverado, so a nice drive into the Santa Ana hills and mountains. The restaurant is located off a quaint road, away from the typical OC hustle. You step out of your car and feel like you are in a very different place. The restaurant itself is located surrounded by mountains and small trees. Very beautiful setting. I came here a week or so ago with my visiting parents during the workweek. We were immediately greeted by our server and were promptly provided our drinks. The cocktails here are made with good quality spirits and ingredients. The food itself was splendid. The crudo was amazing and had avocado. Really interesting take on crudo that I have never had before. The queso fundido was another amazing small plate that was quickly devoured by my table. The bone in pork chop was one of the best chops I have ever had at a restaurant. Perfectly tender with a unique aftertaste from the recado negro. Absolutely loved the pork chop. Desserts here are also of high quality. They bake their own Basque cheesecake, which has Monterrey cheese! So warm, not too sweet, perfection. I really appreciated the service here. Small town vibe, talkative, felt very personable. It made me feel at home. I have been to pretty much every "good" Mexican restaurant in Orange County. If you want a party atmosphere, then go to Javier's, and you will have good food, but you will forget about it in a week. If you want to eat the best Mexican food in Orange County, and want to have a meal that you will remember years later, then come here, and keep supporting this business. My parents were equally impressed. I would say this restaurant gives Michelin level quality of food and service, and you will feel the same way if you come here. It's better than Chaak, Gabbi, etc. I will be coming again and again.

    Margarita with spicy salt

    See all

    9 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alex H.
    174
    64
    17

    5 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    27 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Dan J.
    158
    132
    1048

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    21 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    19 days ago

    Taco Tuesday. Best tacos I've had anywhere in my 59 years! Blown away. Definitely not discount. The ingredients were too-notch.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Maria H.
    120
    13
    0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tony H.
    69
    101
    502

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    The ceviche was rather unremarkable, offering nothing that truly caught the palate; it was simply so-so.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Daniel S.
    49
    36
    21

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Darla M.
    58
    84
    30

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Brett F.
    192
    46
    20

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    10 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Toni A.
    236
    5
    0

    6 months ago

    My son and daughter in law took us out for my husband 65th birthday....all I can say Amazing food, service and ambience.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    Page 1 of 7

    Xacalli Kitchen Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Xacalli Kitchen

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Mexican 165,797 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Urban Grill & Wine Bar - Chicken Artichoke Pasta & Cucumber Mint Mocktail

    Urban Grill & Wine Bar

    4.2(1.1k reviews)
    5.3 mi
    $$$

    My sister and I were ordering in and decided to splurge on a special meal. I immediately thought of…read moreUrban Grill. My husband and I have occasionally ordered from them when we wanted to treat ourselves. We were never disappointed! We decided on the Seafood Pasta and OMG what a delicious meal. We literally almost licked our plates clean. Fresh fish with pappardelle pasta. We added a half size Chopped salad and could hardly finish it all. Treat yourself and try it

    I really wanted to like this place, I really did. However the service was horrible. We got served a…read moredirty wine glass when we ordered a Cabernet, and the waiter seemed to be bothered when we brought it up. He got visibly upset when we brought it up. This is a wine bar and that shouldn't happen, let alone him getting upset when we asked for a clean wine glass. Then when we ordered the Thai chicken flatbread, we asked for the peanut sauce on the side, and of course didn't get the sauce on the side when the food came. So we had to ask again and wait for the sauce while the flatbread got cold. The waiter stopped by only a couple times the whole meal, and basically ran away immediately so we never got able to ask for anything we needed. This is crazy as the restaurant was not busy at all, and only had roughly 5 tables or so occupied in the whole place! We kept having to flag the waiter down, and then he would go missing again. The food was good, however the experience overall was very poor. Bummer for a place so close to home as we live nearby.

    Photos
    Urban Grill & Wine Bar - Table Decor

    Table Decor

    Urban Grill & Wine Bar - Pork Chop

    Pork Chop

    Urban Grill & Wine Bar - Mango Mule Mocktail

    See all

    Mango Mule Mocktail

    Rose Canyon Cantina & Grill - Santa Fe Egg Rolls (from Platillo De Antojitos).

    Rose Canyon Cantina & Grill

    3.6(776 reviews)
    6.7 mi
    $$

    All about the ambience here!…read more But wow, how did it take me 13 years to visit here? It's always been on my Yelp bookmarks, but I finally made it here with my book club. The food is a solid 3, the service is around a 4, but I'm giving this place a 4 because it's just adorable - and independent - and has the best location. Super popular, so I'm so glad we had a reservation for our dinner. The portions were generous; managed to take a bit home for lunch the next day. Definitely take advantage of the chips and salsa; as Jeff B. said, that's maybe one of the best things about the place. I do look forward to dragging my husband back here, totally for the ambience, and secondly for the food. Gem of a place buried in the canyon! 2026: 54/100

    Tucked away off the main road, this place has a very authentic feel. I've been by here a hundred…read moretimes and never knew it was here. Obviously a very popular spot as they were very busy. I'm glad we made reservations. We opted for outdoor seating and are so glad we did. Awesome atmosphere with beautiful landscape and a waterfall. Even though they were busy, they had plenty of experienced staff to handle it all. We were seated promptly and our server came very quickly. The entire staff was very friendly and seemed happy to be here. This is a rarity today. The food, OMG the food! The salsa was so fresh and delicious as were the chips. We also ordered the queso fundido and were very happy we did. It was so freaking good! The wife and I split a Carnitas burrito and couldn't finish it. It was absolutely stuffed with meat. The cilantro lime sauce on top was perfect. The cilantro rice did need a little salt, but that's personal preference. We finished off our meal with their fried ice cream. It was fantastic as well. Great presentation and delicious. I can't say enough good things about this place. We will definitely be back and we will introduce our friends and family to this fantastic dining experience as well. Keep up the good work Rose Canyon Cantina.

    Photos
    Rose Canyon Cantina & Grill
    Rose Canyon Cantina & Grill - Bean & Cheese Nachos (from Platillo De Antojitos).

    Bean & Cheese Nachos (from Platillo De Antojitos).

    Rose Canyon Cantina & Grill - Outdoor patio area. Wednesday at 4:30 hour. House margarita. Perfect weather!

    See all

    Outdoor patio area. Wednesday at 4:30 hour. House margarita. Perfect weather!

    La Casita Olvera - $1 Taco Tuesday  all day 11am-9pm

    La Casita Olvera

    4.0(549 reviews)
    5.2 mi
    $$

    honestly i usually hate parking around here because it feels like fighting Thanos just for a spot,…read morebut parking was super easy and we parked right out front with no problem at all and was free. total Tony Stark VIP treatment lol The service was excellent and very attentive as they checked in on us to refill drinks and checked how the food was. Very friendly and the staff were basically moving like Spider-Man around the tables. The food was excellent and very fresh and tasty. It was so good that we came back the next day for the Sunday brunch! We really loved the fish tacos, which were out of this world. Neck and neck with that are the Chihuahua tacos where the meat was tender, and the cheese was charred into the tortilla to give it a very wonderful flavor,, kinda like Iron Man blasted it himself to get that crust. We also tried the Carnitas tacos and a couple of others, which are also very tasty. This Sunday brunch was lovely and our favorite was the steak ranchero and the ceviche, as well as the corn cake. But basically the whole buffet was excellent,, felt like an actual feast in Asgard. We had a Diablo margarita and that was excellent! definitely hit with a kick like the Hulk tbh. One of the two days we sat outdoors, and it was lovely with plenty of space. The second day we had a nice booth and there was plenty of space and seating was very comfortable. basically as chill as hanging at the Avengers compound. Definitely five stars!

    Happy Cinco de Mayo! This is the place where our family…read morereally wanted to be to get our delicious tacos, at an excellent price, plus it's taco Tuesday ! I still love the fish tacos here, everything is delicious especially the salsa bar when we get to do all the toppings ourselves! They mariachi singers today, Spanish songs are playing by different Mexican folk music-often rancheras (performers), setting a wonderful Cinco de Mayo vibe. They have a full service bar, or you could get a delicious Mexican coffee with a huge slice of flan like I do! - My dessert. :) Yumm

    Photos
    La Casita Olvera - $1 taco Tuesday  11am-9pm w/drink purchase  9 different meats to choose from

    $1 taco Tuesday 11am-9pm w/drink purchase 9 different meats to choose from

    La Casita Olvera - Free pancakes every Saturday and Sunday 9am-1pm fallow @La_casitaolvera

    Free pancakes every Saturday and Sunday 9am-1pm fallow @La_casitaolvera

    La Casita Olvera - $2 Coronas every Thursday all day come watch Thursday night football

    See all

    $2 Coronas every Thursday all day come watch Thursday night football

    Islands Restaurant - Maui Burger on Gluten Free Bun

    Islands Restaurant

    3.4(359 reviews)
    5.0 mi
    $$

    I want to give a big shout to the incredible friendly staff at Islands. I live nearby and their…read morehappy hour is very nice! I look for healthy options and they always accommodate me. Today I asked if could substitute celery for chips on the islands nachos and they did!!! No guilt at all and delicious. Diego was our server and he gets 5 plus stars!!!!

    My group and I recently came upon Island's at the Foothill Town Centre. It wasn't where we had…read morereally wanted to dine, but being that a lot of places were understandably closed, we decided to go with what was available. The space was airy and cool from the AC, a very welcomed temperature after being outside under heat and humidity. Walking in we were greeted and seated immediately by the host. Our server, Christopher, was amazing. He was prompt, checked in on us frequently, topped off beverages without even being asked. He was wonderful. The service we received from him was really good. Absolutely no issues there. What we ordered: 1) Kahlua pork tacos 3/5 - I personally didn't like the corn taco. It was heavy and flavorless. I ended up just eating the meat and veggies which was decent. Thank goodness there were three of them. 2) Malibu burger served with fries 2/5 - I didn't get a photo of this. The lighting was really bad, so pictures didn't come out right. The patty was cooked medium well instead of pink as requested. The burger was ok. It was actually a bit dry. 3) Maui burger ordered with a side of bacon. This also came with fries 2/5 - No photo due to lighting. The patty was cooked to medium well but they asked for pink. The patty and the bread were dry. The guacamole in the burger didn't taste fresh. 4) Fries that came with the burgers 1/5 - dry, tasteless, thick, kind of stale. A ton of ketchup barely helped. We were all really hungry so we chowed down fast. Didn't even realize the patties were cooked more than we preferred until we left. The service was great, but the food, was less than mediocre. I've been to Island's a handful of times in my life. Each time I have not been impressed, therefore it has never been in rotation of my places to go. This most recent visit just reminded me of that. Would I return? Likely not. The service is good, but the food needs work.

    Photos
    Islands Restaurant - Bar area

    Bar area

    Islands Restaurant - Malibu Burger

    Malibu Burger

    Islands Restaurant - Front Entrance

    See all

    Front Entrance

    Belly of the Beast - The whole bar

    Belly of the Beast

    4.3(155 reviews)
    10.9 mi

    Love this place. Nice service, nice food, very interesting…read moredrinks. But they had not fix the Lorem ipsum text on menu =p

    (Drank/Snacked 06/27/2026 SA @ 10:00pm): This was a monstro feat as we all ended up in a beast of a…read morewhale's belly for drinks! After our party of six chatted over cocktails and preyed on pupus, we moved to a "secret" room tucked in the back of Stowaway and walked into a Belly Of The Beast. The founders and co-owners of Stowaway, Leonard Chan and Dominic Iapello, created this extension to the tiki bar with a wildly interesting Pinocchio theme and the famed encounter with Monstro the whale all the while serving the same offerings in Stowaway but with also an exclusive limited menu just for this adventure. With its proximity to Disneyland and its Enchanted Tiki Room, with the very niche underground-like society of tiki culture they found a consistent customer base and the thrill of island escapism through colorful cocktails, pleasurable pupus, tropical trimmings, and nostalgic know-how. How would my belly handle the beastly drinks concocted here!? PURCHASE(S) Gepetto's Last Words ($16.00): Intrigued by the cocktail's name, this elixir was crafted with Fid Street Gin, tangerine, creme de violette, lemon, and cucumber, it was a citrusy refreshing sweet drink that was decorated with bright yellow petals. It was nice, but for whatever reason it just didn't quite hit the spot. [ONION RINGS/STRAWS/STRINGS ALERT - 4.0 of 5.0 STARS] Onion Rings ($9.00): A decent portion with rings of medium to large sizes, these were hot, dark golden browned, crunchy, and had a slight tendency to crumble when bitten into while the onion ring (sweet Maui!) rarely pulled out at times. They were lightly oily while the catsup wasn't needed but used. SERVICE While in Stowaway, we informed our male server to let us know when we were allowed to enter the belly. Once inside and situated, we had the place and bartender to ourselves. After we all perused the menu, we placed our orders, and everything arrived within ten minutes. The rest of the time was spent chatting, picture taking, and our bartender checked in on us also giving a Dole Whip taster. All was casual, chill, and somewhat on island time - aloha and mahalo! PARKING (FREE): They shared a medium-sized private lot with several other businesses who were closed at this time with plenty of spots - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE "Hidden" inside Stowaway which was located within a strip mall, the entire theme was based on the Pinocchio story, the interlude in time spent inside Monstro, and as we entered it felt like the beginning of the Disneyland "Storybook" ride as you road a canal boat into the mouth and sharp teet of a whale. There were several marionettes (appropriate and non-appropriate) that hung from the ceiling and belly walls, along with other Disneyesque memorabilia, a few sitting booths, and a tiny bar at the end of the roo. No natural lighting whatsoever while an assortment of extremely low-lit electric lights and table candles glowed. There were no TVs while I couldn't recall any background music. ATTIRE Although I was actually dressed appropriately for the occasion in an aloha shirt, linen pants, and flip-flops, this place was totally casual, so a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops would suffice. OVERALL Belly Of The Beast was an adventurous fun evening with friends, it left me feeling childlike with the need to watch "Pinocchio", and I couldn't wait to return to try more of their awesome-soundling elixirs. I generally loved all-things Disneyana, and this new wrinkle, albeit probably not approved by the mouse ears brass, caught my fancy. My one drink was tasty but just didn't hit the right spot, the onion rings were very good, the prices were a tad elevated, the atmosphere was awesome, and the service was friendly and professional. They had an extremely limited menu, and there was some doubt whether or not ordering from the Stowaway menu was an option. Plus, I always preferred to support small local mom & pop businesses. I found very good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $27.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 4.0 STARS

    Photos
    Belly of the Beast - A shot of the entire speakeasy.

    A shot of the entire speakeasy.

    Belly of the Beast - Coconut shrimp

    Coconut shrimp

    Belly of the Beast - The entrance is the mouth of the wale

    See all

    The entrance is the mouth of the wale

    Xacalli Kitchen - mexican - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...