It’s not by chance that Taco Mesa has swelled into what’s probably the county’s most vaunted chain, adding satellite Mesa locations everywhere from Mission Viejo to Orange and spinning off an even more upscale relative in Taco Rosa. But essential to the restaurant’s Manifest Destiny is that the place has never suffered any sag in quality; it always puts the same fine food on plastic plates chainwide. And at the very least, that’s a testament to the Calderon brothers, who together have molded Taco Mesa into one of the closest competitors for an Orange County institution. The restaurant has always billed itself as “healthy and authentic,” but a more appropriate descriptor has been and always will be “gourmet.” Taco Mesa has all the street-food standbys (typical tacos slashed down to $1 on Taco Tuesdays), but the claim to success has always been fancier fare, like its calamari, blackened chicken and salmon tacos. More impressive is the always-rotating selection of soups and specials, which on certain days sees dishes like crepas de langosta (lobster sautéed with tomatillo sauce and stuffed in crepes). Taco Mesa subscribes to a different model of Mexican food than most places, but that’s why it has conquered half of the county—there are just a few more cities to go.

TACO MESA 647 W 19TH ST | COSTA MESA 92627 | 949.642.0629

Tags: costa mesa, Food, SIDES, taco mesa