Carmelita's Kitchen

areille what a sweet welcoming professional with genuine love and smile! 😊 Thank you for being such a soft sweet wonderful person She cared about my birthday more than I do ,,🥰🥰🥰😍😍😍 I appreciate the service the food and my special day here at Carmelitas And at the End Belle ,🥰🥰 Thank you for your amazing service ❤️🥰

The food is packed with flavor and super creative. The stars of the night were definitely the Shrimp Taquitos and the Pork & Pineapple Tacos. The taquitos came with shrimp wrapped in this crispy spring-roll-like shell (so fun and different!), and the pork with pineapple was an absolute flavor bomb. Didn’t expect it to be THAT good, but wow. Oh, and don’t skip the drinks! Sitting by the lake, with the warm lights, sipping on a cocktail—it was the perfect vibe to just chill and enjoy the night.

This restaurant is only a 5-minute walk from my house, but I rarely come here probably because I usually prefer heading to Calo’s (lol). I was told the owners of this place and Calo’s are brothers, which makes sense because there are definitely some similarities. The setting is great: cozy indoor seating and a patio overlooking the beautiful RSM lake. Perfect for a casual dinner with a view. Staff is friendly, though they tend to disappear at times since they’re stretched pretty thin covering too many tables. The menu has a few things that feel very Calo’s-inspired, most notably the chips, salsa, and the black bean dip. I tried the Strawberry Jalapeño Margarita, but unfortunately it missed the mark, it was overly sweet with almost no jalapeño flavor. For food, I had the Queso Fundido and Spinach Enchilada, while my friend went with the Carmelita’s Combination (I think). Everything was just okay nothing really stood out, and my friend barely touched her plate. I’ll admit I’m a tough crowd when it comes to Mexican food, but side-by-side, I can clearly tell which brother is winning the restaurant game. Even the Laguna Beach location left me underwhelmed. Carmelita’s definitely wins on location the lakeside patio is gorgeous, no question about it but at the end of the day, you can’t eat the view.

We had a wonderful dining experience with great service and fantastic food. The restaurant has an authentic feel and the heating patio with lake view is absolutely wonderful.

This was a fantastic dinner to end our California vacation with. My strawberry jalapeño margarita was fantastic and my fajita avocado salad with grilled chicken was superb. My husband enjoyed his chimichanga and he is hard to impress. Thank you to my brother and sister - in - law for taking us out for this delicious meal! I highly recommend it for anyone in the area.

I love the atmosphere, food and drinks here. I have been here several times and always been happy with the food and service. It is a very popular place, so we went for an early dinner on Wednesday and my husband's order was made with the wrong sauce. Normally we would just share a meal and eat it anyway, but I can't eat shrimp so he mentioned to our server Chris that we received the wrong sauce. They handled it very well and were very apologetic, remade the meal and went above and beyond what they needed to do. The manager also came by our table and apologized. Everyone was so polite and attentive.

Carmelita's is now even better - in addition to their new patio cover with fans and heaters, they have converted all the tables on the patio to luxurious booths! Delicious food and drinks and great service on a picture perfect outdoor patio with a stunning view of the lake! Try the Pork and Pineapple Tacos with a Cadillac Margarita and then burn off some of their yummy chips with a stroll around the lake!

Wow what an experience! From their strawberry jalapeño margarita to amazing chicken tostada, from the guacamole to shrimp ceviche. And also, Kaylee you made our experience even better, thank you for your service and positive attitude.

I've been coming to Carmelita's for years, and every single time it's a great experience. I went again last night after not visiting for a while, and it reminded me just how much I love this place and that I should come more often! I had a strawberry jalapeño margarita that was delicious, along with a half steak, half organic chicken quesadilla. My friend ordered one of the chicken dishes, and we both really enjoyed our meals. We ended the night with the churro dessert and ice cream, which was the perfect finish. The ambiance is upbeat, lively, and a little dim, perfect for a sunset dinner by the lake. Parking was easy thanks to the large complex next door. Our server was wonderful and attentive, and the manager even came by to check that everything was perfect. We were lucky to get outdoor seating without a reservation, which helped us skip the line, and there was live music playing nearby. Overall, it's a wonderful spot for a special occasion or just a relaxed weekend dinner. Highly recommend!

What stood out the most to me was their impressive and wonderful customer service from start to finish: Arielle (apologies for any misspelling) at the host desk exuded such positivity making me feel welcomed; in addition, we greatly appreciated her accommodating our request for a change in table location; our server, the support staff delivering food and regularly replenishing our waters -- everyone I'd encountered -- even those not assigned to our table -- was pleasant (a reflection of management)! Our server, Avril, was an amazing ambassador for Carmelita's: wonderfully pleasant & positive, patient, knowledgeable, as well as impressively and comfortably attentive, making our visit a very enjoyable one! In addition to keeping our water glasses filled, they were (regretfully, only because I kept reaching for more) on top of regularly replenishing their flavorful complimentary chips (which were satisfyingly warm and crunchy), black bean dip, and chunky salsa. While I longed for one of their specialty entrees, I haven't had Mexican cuisine in such a long time that I went for a combination plate (carnitas chile relleno and cheese enchilada, with salad). Their restaurant menu is not consistent with that listed on their website (which reflects slightly lower or higher prices online, on select items). The side salad was simple in presentation, minimal in ingredients, and rather bland in flavor. All at our table enjoyed our respective entrees; however, speaking for hubby and me, ours didn't have us longing to necessarily order the same, again. Overall, 3-stars for the cocktails and food (exception: loved the chips & dips!); however, the service (outside of the confusion of our initial cocktails being delivered to the wrong recipients) -- and location/atmosphere (specifically seated outside overlooking the lake) is worthy of 5 stars during this visit.

The food, service and ambience is all amazing. Thank you! we have been coming here since its-opening. We love the organic pollo Serrano for dinner, a margarita. . Don't forget the guacamole! Oh man I'm ready! We love you Carmelita's.

After my amazing first experience I could not wait to come back and was lucky enough to sit at Donna's table again (our wonderful and amazing server from day 1. She's truly kind and attentive. I ordered the chicken tostada salad again and it was delicious. I can eat this salad at least once a week. My husband got the prawn and steak fajitas and he absolutely loved it. We drive 35 minutes to get to this location of Carmelita's even though Dana Point and Laguna Beach are only 15 minutes away from our house. The beautiful lake atmosphere, amazing service, and consistent delicious food makes up for the drive. We'll be back soon! Also thanks to the lovely hostess for accommodating our reservation request, she was very helpful and friendly.

Had a wonderful lunch at Carmelitas on the lake yesterday. Erick was our amazing server and was professional, kind and efficient. My wife had a margarita and I had an iced tea. For entrees my wife had the chicken enchilada entree and I had the chicken tostada. The fried ice cream dessert was amazing and we shared it. The food was great as were the chips, salsa and beans dip. Great service, people, food and view. Highly recommended

Best dinning experience I've had in a while! Donna was an amazing server, so kind and went above my expectations. We had a bigger party but I felt so accommodated as I have a gluten allergy, they made me fresh chips gluten free. Also brought me uncontaminated salsa as the rest of my party didn't have the allergy and were using the salsa already on the table. So not only was our food amazing and our service was amazing. The restaurant was so beautiful and very clean. Looking forward to coming back soon!

This restaurant is only a 5-minute walk from my house, but I rarely come here probably because I usually prefer heading to Calo's (lol). I was told the owners of this place and Calo's are brothers, which makes sense because there are definitely some similarities. The setting is great: cozy indoor seating and a patio overlooking the beautiful RSM lake. Perfect for a casual dinner with a view. Staff is friendly, though they tend to disappear at times since they're stretched pretty thin covering too many tables. The menu has a few things that feel very Calo's-inspired, most notably the chips, salsa, and the black bean dip. I tried the Strawberry Jalapeño Margarita, but unfortunately it missed the mark, it was overly sweet with almost no jalapeño flavor. For food, I had the Queso Fundido and Spinach Enchilada, while my friend went with the Carmelita's Combination (I think). Everything was just okay nothing really stood out, and my friend barely touched her plate. I'll admit I'm a tough crowd when it comes to Mexican food, but side-by-side, I can clearly tell which brother is winning the restaurant game. Even the Laguna Beach location left me underwhelmed. Carmelita's definitely wins on location the lakeside patio is gorgeous, no question about it but at the end of the day, you can't eat the view.

Best Mexican food I've ever had. Definitely our favorite place to eat. Everything is very tasty.

Very irrtated by my last experience here, had to have my DoorDash order cancelled due to out of stock items on my order & they told me I could not substitute anything. Order was cancelled in app & confirmed cancelled but the restaurant kept my money anyways. Ended up contacting DoorDash as to why my charge posted as completed by the vendor with no refund & could not refund me anymore. Carmelita's just got to keep my money I guess & didn't process it on their end? Food is good here but this was very disappointing as I had to pay a large bill with no actual order.

We ordered two Chicken Burritos and the Taquitos de Papa for an appetizer and it was amazing. Chicken Burrito - 10/10 (Put the salsa on top of burrito) Taquitos de Papa - 8/10 The service was amazing our server Kelly was very sweet and extremely fast we got our food and refills super quick! 10/10 The restaurant was very clean and in a beautiful location right next to the lake so we sat outside and seen the sunset as we ate our food. 10/10 Lovely experience! :)

This is one of the best Mexican restaurants I've ever been to! Every dish has its own character--the flavors are delicious and creative. The stars of the night were definitely the Shrimp Taquitos and the Pork & Pineapple Tacos. The taquitos came with shrimp wrapped in this crispy spring-roll-like shell (so fun and different!), and the pork with pineapple was an absolute flavor bomb. Didn't expect it to be THAT good, but wow. Oh, and don't skip the drinks! Sitting by the lake, with the warm lights, sipping on a cocktail--it was the perfect vibe to just chill and enjoy the night.

I have not been there for months and they have remodel the place! They now have great and comfortable sitting which can also accommodate large groups. The umbrellas are gone and there is a covered ceiling in the patio which makes it more comfortable. The service was good and the food was much much better than I remember in the past. All together I would give them a 4.5 star .

Very best Mexican restaurant in OC. It's a drive for us but everything including the food quality, the service, and the ambiance is A++++!

Came here for lunch on a nice afternoon. We opt to sit outside so we can enjoy the view of the lake and the nice weather. Husband and I each ordered an entree. Everything was very flavorful, only thing i would complain about is the portion being a little small, but they do give you complimentary chips and salsa. Service was nice and attentive.

We came out in the rain tonight for a delicious dinner out on Carmelita's beautiful heated patio overlooking Rancho Santa Margarita lake. We had Chile Verde, Pollo Serrano and Pork & Pineapple tacos. Everything was fantastic! We especially love the yummy complementary chips, black bean dip and flavorful salsa. Our server, Christina was wonderful and the restaurant manager, Melissa was making the rounds greeting and checking in on all of the guests. Carmelita's is our favorite Mexican restaurant in South OC. Quality ingredients, ambiance and service!

If you're looking for the best Mexican food in Santa Margarita, try Carmelita's. You'll love the margaritas too.

This is my favorite local place to go for Mexican food and it has been consistently great and fresh for the decade plus I have been going. The location is right on the lake which is a beautiful spot to sit outside and people watch. The recently added an awning so even when it is raining or very hot and sunny, outside is an option. Service is always great and attentive. One of the things I really love about coming here is the food feels a little lighter and less greasy than other Mexican restaurants (even the carnitas). The tostada salad is my favorite of all time (my benchmark for tostada salads at other restaurants) and they let you switch out the protein to your choice. You can even get this to go (with one caveat that the shell will need to be broke to pack it). Drinks are awesome and the warm bean dip is not something I have found elsewhere served with salsa and chips complimentary and we all really enjoy this! What a nice touch for your customers. There are a few kids options off menu so be sure to ask your server if you have little ones with you!

Excellent service all around. Everyone whom I've taken here has loved the food and service. While they have a lovely patio with a view of the water, we like to stay in the AC area with comfy booths. I highly recommend Carmelita's Kitchen! We like to order the guacamole, crispy chicken tacos and the shrimp and crab enchiladas. I've also come here for the breakfast options which were equally tasty. Two thumbs up!

We came in on a Thursday night and the place was absolutely packed. We did wait about 45 minutes for a table but once seated, everything moved quickly. Service was impressively fast and our server was so kind - checking in on us multiple times even with the busy crowd. I ordered the beef mole enchilada and the carnitas chile relleno and both were outstanding. The flavors were rich and the meat was tender and well-prepared. Definitely worth the wait.

We miss our Carmelita's restaurant. We have all moved far away, but anytime we are back in town we will always visit. Thank you Will for the excellent service. If you are looking for authentic flavorful Mexican food in a beautiful ambiance, then this is your place. Highly recommended!

The beat Mexican food in Orange County! The Steak Quesadillas are superb! The chips and Salsa and Guacamole is the best! The Crab Enchiladas- superb

Visited on Sunday for the first time with my family and it was great. The view of the lake is wonderful and guarantees a great expirience. Hannah was our server and she was awesome! Very funny and knowledgeable on the menu. Will be recommending this place to friends.

Carmelita's Kitchen in Rancho Santa Margarita makes the best steak fajitas in Orange County. The fajitas were cooked to a perfect medium rare. The tenderness and the seasoning were on point. The service was very attentive and the servers supplied us with endless baskets of chips and salsa. The late side seating was very lovely. This is a first class Mexican reataurant.

Come here monthly for the salmon -- it's that good Service from Sebastian was incredible Attentive and respectful He's my guy now!

The food and drinks are Amazing!!! The staff at this location are top Notch!! I highly recommend coming to enjoy the atmosphere!

My boyfriend brought me here once and we decided to come back to celebrate my birthday today for lunch. Staff in general were very attentive & friendly. Our waiter Liam was amazing! He even brought me a birthday treat at the end that I wasn't expecting. The food here is also amazing! I've had a lot of Mexican food & I can say with certainty that the food here is the most authentic I've had. I would choose Carmelita's over Javier's or Caló any day.

The food was very flavorful and portions were more than enough. The service was excellent and friendly. It was a casual calm vibe and a good place to people watch.

The food is always amazing. Great new patio too. What really set the night apart was Edwin. He was so welcoming and made our night so great!

This salad was so flavorful and hit the spot. I'm also very picky with my margaritas as a bartender myself and the spicy margarita held up to my standards. This meal was very tasty. If we lived close I'd absolutely come back. The Cadillac Margarita my boyfriend got was good but I do think the spicy margarita was better. Our server was also very nice and the view looking over the lake made for the perfect experience.

I think there are 2 things about this restaurant that are the best - the patio view of the lake and the exceptional service we received, the food was good, but nothing special from any other Mexican eatery. The prices were average to average high. We had the Carmelita Combination with chicken enchilada and beef taco. The enchilada was flavorful with the green sauce but I would've wanted a bigger portion. The taco was overcooked and difficult to eat. My friend got the burrito and said it was good but again nothing special and unique. Overall a nice experience.

For some reason this carmelitas location does not have happy hour. All others in DP and Laguna have happy hours. It's a bummer this location doesn't.

I don't know what has happened to Carmelita's but something has. We used to love this place but we won't be going back. We ordered drinks, which took quite a while. 2 of 3 dinners arrived before the 3rd. The 2 dinners were cold. The 3rd dinner came 5 minutes later and was cold. I was supposed to get corn tortillas and was told they were out and making fresh ones. When they arrived they were cold. So much for fresh. The whole experience was NOT good. Plus the prices were very high but that's not a problem when the food is good.

Always a good time at Carmelita's! We enjoy the RSM lake location the best. Good food, good drinks, and nice view. It's on our regular rotation.

Great restaurant. Food was delicious. Service was great. I love that it overlooks the lake. I'll be back for sure.

Delicious food, I have yet to have something I don't like! Sitting out on the patio overlooking the lake is beautiful. The service is always excellent as well.

Delicious food and great service. We went here on a busy Saturday afternoon. We had a reservation and were seated outside on the patio overlooking the lake. All four of us ordered different dishes and each of us was super happy with our food: Quesadillas, Veggie Tacos, Carmelita's Combo and the Shrimp Tacos. The drinks - margaritas - are awesome. The manager came 'round and introduced himself, which was a very nice touch and certainly welcome in a world full of other restaurants that don't seem to care. Our server was great, too! We'll be back again. Highly recommend.

Amazing food, especially the enchiladas with mole sauce. Or really anything with the mole sauce.

The food was good, the service was very questionable. Our server was not very attentive. We found something in our sauce and showed her, she grabbed my friends fork and poked it and tried leaving the fork back on the table. We ordered 8 shots, she came back with 9 and charged us 9. We told her we only ordered 8, she took back the shot and didn't remove it from our bill. She didn't ask us if we wanted salt or it chilled. She didn't even provide limes. First round of two pitchers other people poured out drinks out. The last round it took awhile to receive and it was just left out at our table. We ordered a birthday dessert and our table wasn't pre-bussed completely. Won't be coming back.

I hate to give this place a poor review, because the location and restaurant ambience is so nice, but the Mexican food here was so mediocre! I was greatly disappointed! The service appeared to be good, but the waiter told us he would be back in a few minutes to take our order, then forgot about us. My spinach enchilada was so plain - no flavor at all. I wanted to order a margarita, but they were way too pricey; one of them was listed as $35!! The chips, salsa, and bean dip were good. I cannot recommend this place. If you want GREAT Mexican food, I would recommend going to Santa Ana, Orange, Anaheim, or Fullerton.

Great food, service and you can't beat the lake view at sunset while enjoying your meal!!!

Absolutely a lovely late lunch over spring break! Ambiance and time of day made me feel like I was on a vacation! The food was delicious just start! Our server, Donna recommended the combo platter with the pineapple pork taco, beef enchilada, and the spinach enchilada. She also let me know the salad dressing compliments the entrée so I opted for the salad as my side. OUTSTANDING! I even ordered an extra salad to take home too! Donna was delightful and made us feel so welcomed too! She shared that she was such a fan of Carmelita's that she ended up working there! If you're fortunate to sit in her section, you too will find her charming and attentive. She even brought us both types of beans to enjoy with chips and salsa! Hands down a great place!

We brought our friend here for her birthday she absolutely loved it. Our server Chris was wonderful! The food was exceptional drinks Refer's, the view spectacular, just one of favorite restaurants !!! Can't get enough of Carmelita's!!!

I got the poblano chicken but it didn't have that much flavor. I would get the steak again. The drinks are amazing!

Great experience! This was our first visit and the service was awesome with Matthew our server. Very attentive and great suggestions. We didn't have to ask for refills as the chips and water were filled frequently. The cocktails were not shy of liquor and tasted great. Food was fresh and flavorful. The ambiance was very nice and they have electric heaters in the patio. Nice of them to allow us to bring our own birthday cake AND they have me flan for my birthday. Overall, very nice experience and definitely will return.

I haven't been to the restaurant since COVID! Their quality of food really shocked me... BEST FOOD IVE EVER HAD! My family and I ordered the quesadilla, chipotle chicken taco, and machaca! By far the best quality food I've ever had. We were seated in a very beautiful spot in the patio, where there was a great view of RSM lake (surprising because it was Father's Day and everyone wanted good seating)! Our food came out super fast! It was fresh, hot, and delicious! Shout out to our server Kelly as well! She was just so bubbly and very helpful! She needs a raise! Definitely coming back here very soon!

Carmelita's is consistently good and has a great ambiance on the lake in RSM. We hadn't been there in a while, and found the new hostess Arielle to be so hospitable and efficient - such a gem. This is a busy place and she did a great job managing the expectations of the those waiting and making us feel welcome despite the wait. Thank you Carmelita's RSM for another wonderful meal!

Great location, good food, excellent service, and wonderful ambiance on the lake! Will go back soon!

Bomb margaritas and amazing views of the lake. Have been here a few times but I think I would opt for their appetizers over the main course meals. Love the beans and rice but the tacos are not my style, still great! Service is spectacular :)

What an amazing Mexican restaurant!!!! Absolutely will go back great food great drinks friendly staff very knowledgeable on all the dishes highly recommend if ever over in SM