Descanso is like a giant Mexican Benihana and we're not mad at it - Review - Los Angeles - The Infatuation

"Descanso is the second location of a Mexican restaurant in Orange County that does margarita flights and unnecessarily complicated but satisfying tacos. Their palatial LA location in SAG-AFTRA Plaza on Miracle Mile has a similar ethos, except it’s so loud that someone 15 feet away from you could be naked and screaming, and you might not notice. Between the guitarist belting Maluma covers in the corner, the random tabletop grills in the back, and all those margarita flights, it truly doesn’t take much effort to have fun here. photo credit: Descanso photo credit: Descanso photo credit: Descanso photo credit: Descanso photo credit: Descanso Pause Unmute If what Descanso does best is throw party dinners, then second place goes to their over-the-top, blue corn tortilla tacos. Some of these have elegy-length lists of ingredients, none of which ultimately matter because you’re not going to detect any “chipotle peach syrup.” What does matter is that the garlic-marinated ribeye and mahi mahi brushed with chamoy taste good and arrive hot and fast from the kitchen. Aside from tacos, Descanso’s menu tries to do a lot under its “modern taquería” label, from whole-fried snappers to nachos, and success rates vary. The restaurant also dedicate a section of its space to “plancha dining experiences,” where a chef will slice and dice everyone’s a la carte entrees and set ribeyes and cheesy rajas ablaze on massive tabletop griddles. That’s certainly one way to have fun dinner at Descanso, but you'll be just as set at one of the booths, long tables, or seats in front of the beautiful round bar, too. Wherever you choose to celebrate, take comfort in knowing other diners won’t even hear your friends screaming about how great these birthday plans panned out. Food Rundown Tres Margaritas We saw someone nursing this margarita flight, pointed to their drinks, and said, “That please.” They’re as sweet as they are boozy, and the hibiscus one tastes like an agua fresca. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Ceviche Campechano This is a refreshing, Clamato-forward ceviche served with warm tortilla chips. Pair it with beer or a fruity cocktail. What more could you ask? Well, in this case, maybe, a little more salt. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Diablitos These smoky grilled shrimp have a little singe from Descanso’s chile-limón dust. It's a nice snack to start off your meal but, again, they need salt. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Tacos The most fun section of Descanso’s menu, especially if all you want is a cold lager and a few bites. Our favorite is the Felipe, which tastes like a beef and mushroom stir-fry with garlicky ribeye and oyster mushrooms in a tart salsa cruda. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Crispy Carnitas Skillet We appreciate that these carnitas come out extra hot, but the pork tastes like it’s been sitting in its fat for a little too long. You can skip. Paraiso Huachinango Available weekends only, this whole-fried red snapper looks like one of the animatronic skeletons on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride by the time we were done with it. The sweet meat flakes right off the bone and its skin crackles like freshly fried chicharrón. It’s served with warm tortillas and pico de gallo, too, so taco away. photo credit: Sylvio Martins" - Sylvio Martins