El Mercado Modern Cuisine

This restaurant food presentation is amazing! The flavor is a different story. Drink are very special and presentation is beautiful! So if you like Mezcal this will be your place. Music is loud and very good. Great talented people!

The presentation and proportions of the food lend to an elevated dining experience. Unfortunately, this falls a little short. We were a midsized group who tried several different dishes. Most were mediocre: Mole was bland, the quesadilla tasty when you added the salsa (like most the dishes.) Most meats were underseasoned but ok when the sauce was added. This also went along with the drinks. A twist to or variation is fine, but it should be as good as or better then the traditional. These were not. Most notable was the mojitos. We were there on and Cuban night so we looked forward to these. They did not make the cut. The highlights were the musicians that night and the desserts. Both were good. One last note: One restroom each for males and females. For a place this size and serving drinks....not a great idea.

We came on Sunday noon, there were plenty of tables available. We especially liked Aguachile and Pulpo A La Plancha. Tlayuda was a good idea but not our favorite.

Excellent food, creative, full flavor, delicious and above all gorgeous looking. This restaurant feeds all the senses. Our server Lio was kind, easy going, relaxed, knowledgeable, helpful and with great attitude.

I loved the drinks first, service and then the food! Cocktails were on point, very creative and delicious! Service was incredible and servers provided lots of great recommendations, like get the quesadilla with the Chicken! The HH shrimp and pork belly tacos were my least favorite. I will be telling everyone about the Brussel sprouts for days to come!

I was in the area for a work-related fun event and took a much-needed break here. The food was so delicious, I would make a special trip back. The owners are from Peru and the other owner is from Oaxaca. Together, I believe they create culinary bliss 😊

This place came highly recommended as a must try. I was very happy that ot did not disappoint. I was dying to try any huitlacoche dish they had, and they delivered on a vegan and delicious dish, very happy with it.i also have a sinful obsession with the perfect crispy rolled taco, and oh man did this dish hot the spot, hands down one of the top 2 in my experience, but #1 in how it was served, in a xoconostle salsa and chicken jus, had to save for last after tasting it. I know taquitos and rolled tacos seem simple and everyone has them, but they are usually terrible, dry, over cooked no filling or bad oil flavors, but this one delivers. The staff was super attentive and welcoming, went above and beyond to answer all my questions and explain their origins. Oh and the drink was very good as well.

We went with our neighbors for Happy Hour. We started with drinks: Sauvignon Blanc, Paloma, Old Fashioned and a Margarita. They were good enough to offer a second round. We started with chips and guacamole served with a side of crickets (grillos). Then we ordered carnitas, pork belly tacos, and a chicken quesadilla from the Happy Hour menu. We added aguachile and empanadas. Everything was very tasty, however the crickets are an acquired taste. We had to try desserts so I finished with coconut ice cream and the Oaxaca flourless chocolate cake served with ice cream. The coconut ice was light and refreshing. The flourless cake was rich and satisfying. The service was attentive. There was a bit of a wait to get the Happy Hour food order. The music began while we were waiting. The musician was accomplished as a guitarist and as a singer and we enjoyed the selection of songs he sang.

Can't say enough positive things about my experience , I absolutely love this restaurant .I've been here for dinner with live music and my experience was enjoyable and relaxing . I recommend this location for a romantic date , friend gatherings or a nice family dinner. The staff is professional they are welcoming with a smile and positive attitude. My first time here I was helped by Sandra & Leo they answered my questions and recommended me the meals to try. I ordered the Oaxaca tlayuda with a side of appetizer and for my cocktail I tried ' #Mercadomodern' and the experience was amazing . I went once again a few weeks for brunch and the vibes were amazing , Carlos was welcoming , polite and very helpful with our big party. I recommend to try this spot if you're ever craving a good time in DTSA.

It was a gathering of 5 women celebrating my special birthday. Horrible restaurant temperature. It was extremely hot. We asked the server 3 times about the air conditioner setting. The air was clearly not on. And she gave 3 different vague answers. Never replied directly. Never apologized. Never brouht the manager over to explain anything about the environment. Overall epic fail. If You want the experience of a Las Vegas outdoor 115 temperature hot summer day, dine inside this establishment. Super irate. Super disappointed!

I was really excited to try this place. I almost had my 50th bday dinner here but since it was on a Thursday I knew the traffic (coming from west LA) was going to be a nightmare. So I decided to go try this place yesterday. I'm sorry but I was really disappointed at the portion size of the guacamole, for $16 I was expecting an ok portion but it was way too small. My daughter made the reservation under my name and on the notes she added we were celebrating my bday, not once we were asked about it. I had the octopus and it was really bland, my daughter got the carne asada and she couldn't really cut the meat, my cousin got the shrimp tacos they were ok and her husband got the carnitas which were good but had to wait a long time for the tortillas, once he ran out of them. The place is not what I expected, I know it's been super hot this week here in California but the bathroom had way better AC than inside the restaurant. We got sited right by the door and the only time it felt good was when someone was coming in or going out because we could feel the air from outside! The ambiance is not really the way you see it on the pictures or videos, I was just relieved I didn't make all my friends drive from Redondo Beach to Santa Ana for this. Overall, I was sad our experience was this bad. Don't let me start on the nightmare about the parking! Haha paying $30 for it was too much.

I was so excited to finally try this place but unfortunately the Business is Closed. There was no notice on the door. The manager from next door were letting people know they had closed their doors.

I love this place! Live music, good food, great service and unique ambiance! The live music was a real game changer,From the moment we enter this place. We checked in and got a free appetizer We order followings: Drink: Ay Madre, smokey Negroni - both Mezcal based and very tasty Appetizer:Aguachiles and Quesadillas Main: Carne Asada and Tlayoda( Mexican style pizza) Overall I really did enjoyed my time there! See you soon

The food and drinks were really good, I had the famous ay madre drink & the hubs had a beer not sure which one but he said it was delicious. There was hardly anyone on a Friday evening and there was a man singing live with guitar and then another band came and started setting up. It was about 8pm and there was still hardly anyone. The food did not disappoint. I had the Oaxacan chicken enchiladas and he had a big oaxacan tostada with chorizo.

Anton is our awesome server today for my first visit here. Just got 2 cocktails that taste great and I have appetizers on the way! The art on the wall adds a modern touch to this restaurant and the colors are very cozy. Ordered the pork belly taco, aguachile, and mole. All of it tasted great ! Highly recommend

Came here by chance with some friends and decided to come back for a second time. This restaurant is underrated - service is fantastic. Our waitress was very helpful and gave us background on the owners and chef. Very interesting, Peruvian, Japanese and Mexican influence. The food is delicious and is fresh and flavorful. Highly recommend!

Came here for brunch and was unpleasantly disappointed. The price for the portion of chips & salsa and guacamole is ridiculous. The $16 guacamole was very bland and needed at least some lime. The red salsa tasted watered down, but the green salsa was a good spice however it was $6 for a 1 oz container. The carnitas breakfast burrito was lacking flavor as well, and although the carnitas was tender, the eggs and red salsa tasted watered down. I've been told the pancakes are amazing, however once we got it they were soggy from the wild amount of syrup and condensed milk on them. The coffee is charged by the cup for a single French Press for the table.. For a premium price tag, the food was quite mediocre. Service was just okay, nothing special and she kept confusing our order and honestly made it seem like it was our fault. We kept asking for water and it would take multiple requests for her to bring us some. It wasn't toward the end of our meal she kept coming back to check on us which honestly felt like it was a hint for us to leave. The ambiance wasn't anything amazing, the plastic chairs are not meant for sitting in as they were extremely uncomfortable and I got a rash on my arms from sitting on the pillows.. Gave it a shot because of the reviews and the presentation of the food, but definitely won't be returning.

Came here and made a reservation. It's an intimate vibe inside and they also had live music! Food was really really good. A more fresh and modern Mexican food experience. I would definitely come here for the food again. The drinks were also so good! I ordered Ay Madre, a nice smokey sweet drink.

Is business still open? 11/06/2023 Wednesday night business is closed and front porch tile dug up. Called but no answer.

Amazing staff!! The bar!! The music!! The food!! Come and see for yourself! The food super fresh and beautifully plated. The colors are vibrant in the dishes. The cocktails worth drinking. Great lounge area nd live music.

Great taste, good ambience, seemed like a slow brunch especially considering there was 1 bartender/server. It's a neat little place in historical DTSA. Drinks aren't bad, definitely tasted a lot more sugary. Food was overall a good balance, might I even say a bland, but in a good way. Some place will over salt, but I appreciate that it didn't taste like solely salt. Flavors were cohesive and presentation was excellent

I've been coming here for years now. Whether it's for a meal in the middle of Saturday, or a date night with my girlfriend on a Friday night, or work dinner in the middle of the week--El Mercado is always the right place to go. I'll start with dessert: the Oaxacan Flourless is a nice perfect dessert to end dinner with. The warm chocolate cake pairs well with the vanilla ice cream and the mint leaves it's garnished with. Onto the main course: while the Michelin Guide highlights their Aguachiles and Tlayuda, being from Guerrero has made the Tacos Ahogados my go to entree. There's not many restaurants that serve their flautas/tacos dorados with a savory broth the way people from Guerrero prepare them, and El Mercado gets them right! They even inspired me to learn how to make them at home. I love sitting at the bar when I come here and the bartenders always make sure create a welcoming experience. They're always very responsive and quick to with the drink orders. You never wait too long for your meal. And Fernando, the Chef and co-owner, always makes sure to come out of the kitchen to say hello and talk to me about the preparation for the food they make. On that note, Fernando really loves food and the craft that goes into making a meal, so don't be surprised if you find new, limited time appetizers, entrees, or deserts on the menu since he loves to experiment when he gets a hold of a new ingredient when it's in season. I've learned that it's always a good choice to try everything that's new on the menu.

Came here for dinner before heading to the Frida for a movie. Perfect location and lovely romantic ambiance. I had the taco trio because it was taco Thursday, and rhetorical biscuits taco was my favorite. Such an unexpected delicacy. The cocktails were a revelation. I'd come here just for those, even if you're not having a meal.

I downloaded the Michelin app and looked for restaurants near me and came across El Mercado in Santa Ana . I was so excited to try a Michelin restaurant so I called to make reservations, the man who answered said it's not busy and I so t beee a reservation, so I went . The interior is. Cute / cozy: classy/ warm at the same time . They have a little lounge in the back where you can kick it with friends . The dining room was small, lit up by little lamps in the table. It could be a romantic setting but a little too dark for me ... I had to use my phone flashlight to see what my food looks like ... The waitress was pleasant, suggested some items that were good but she was lacking personality. We only saw her 3x during the meal . Now to our meal . Brussel sprouts as appetizer. Then I ordered the Pork belly estafado , and my boyfriend ordered the taquitos algado for our main and they both came out COLD. We flagged down the waitress ( we were the only ones in the restaurant) and asked her if it was suppose to be cold, she said NO and sent the busboy to give us hot soup to put on top of the cold soup that the taquitos algado had... we were confused . So the busboy takes the whole plate back and brought us a new one. I ate my cold entree. The waitress never apologized for the cold food they served us . Manager never came out to apologies for the Cold food they served us. For a Michelin restaurant, this was the worst food I've ever had , and I dine out frequently. Very disappointed.

Having a company Christmas party is always something to look forward to and has always been like that... until this year's. Our office chooses different places for its party every year and this year it was El Mercado Modern Cuisine. I wasn't familiar with it but after checking the website it looked cool. As we walked in though it the level of noise was tremendously high... ear piercing actually. With all hard wall surfaces acoustics were so bad that people were trying to talk as loud as they can as they couldn't hear other loud conversations going on. The dining experience wasn't that much better either. We supposedly had a party menu but when I tried to order one out of 2 choices of appetizers, the waiter said we get only what they serve. I thought ok. We ordered drinks (non-alcoholic as we are not drinkers) which we waited for a long time. When we finished our drinks, I asked the waiter for another round but all I got was an attitude though he did take our main course orders. It seemed that he couldn't handle a large party crowd. But of the restaurant-bar had a certain seating capacity, which we filled, service level for that amount of seating should be expected. While having drinks a band started playing. And that just about busted our eardrums! With the loud conversations on going, the dining hall got even louder. In fact my Apple Watch was warning me that the decibel levels were way above 90db. After trying to endure the loud music while having appetizers, my daughter couldn't take it anymore and went outside. We decided to just leave instead of waiting for the main course. So, there's not much to grade in food as we only had appetizers which were just ok. But the environment is a total failure. I think in retrospect I pity the waiter with an attitude. It's probably the loud environment he has to work in every day. Too bad as the band was playing beautiful upbeat Latin musics which I love. But management needs to really fix the sound issue. Until then, this is a NO GO place.

Found this gem on OpenTable because it was pretty close to the hotel we were staying at and the menu looked really good. FYI - if you check in on Yelp you get a free appetizer! Ambience was romantic, warm, and friendly. Almost reminded me of an RH store. Restaurant was very clean and inviting. Service: we were waited on right away and the waiter knew the menu and offered us suggestions. He was efficient and prompt and the food runner was just as good. Food: the chicken enchiladas with rice and beans were so good. The enchiladas came out piping hot and the presentation was top tier! For an appetizer we had chips and guacamole with a side of salsa. Everything was so good. If you're looking for a typical Mexican restaurant this is not it. One of my friends liked his shrimp tacos , but was expecting the typical taco and that was not it. He still enjoyed his tacos. We're definitely happy with our choice for dinner!

I stop by this bar if I'm in the area eating at kaizen next door! They have drinks, crafted cocktails, happy hour for decent prices and often have always have music or live music playing! I have not actually had the chance to fully dine in but have tried some appetizer tacos and chips and salsa and service is always friendly and quick. Favorite cocktail to order is the ay madre

The food is thoughtful, well prepared, and well presented. Flavors are spot on. Portion size is excellent-not too much, just right. Drinks are good, a little too much ice. Excellent service. Great atmosphere.

This place is incredible! Truly the flavors of the food and the atmosphere is amazing! It is a small restaurant but the service is top notch! Parking can be a little fun. We were able to find 2 hour street parking for only $3. However a lot of lots nearby charge about $20+ for parking. Overall if you're looking for high quality Mexican food, this place is going to deliver in the best way!

I'm always trying different restaurants and I like Mexican food so I had curiosity how the food tasted at this place because it looked good but the location was like in warehouse type of building so I decided to go after work And let me tell you the the whole restaurant is different in a good way The style and ambience is totally different from other Mexican restaurants it's like modern with a twist The food has a Oaxaca taste to it with a modern taste and look Everything tasted different to me from what I'm usually use to tasting in Mexican food But it was a good different taste The drinks are definitely good there just right And the customer service is percent on point the waitress Vanessa was very friendly and informative about the food if you want to try something different and good you definitely need to try this place at least once

I have been here 2 times- once for dinner and another time for brunch. Loved the drinks and food I ordered for dinner. The service was great that night. However, for brunch the service could've been better. There were not many people, yet the waiter barely checked in on us. We noticed that one of the spoons they brought was not clean and the waiter took a long time to bring us a clean one. The food was good for brunch, but they used a lot of pepper in the dishes. The drinks were very good. Loved the Ay Madre, Peace & Love, Italian Wolf, and En Las Nubes. The restaurant has a very nice ambiance.

GF menu is extensive and they have a wide variety of dishes for vegetarian and vegan. The best was the Veg enchiladas, veg empanadas and the cauliflower. Nice ambiance and service. Unfortunately for a Friday evening at 9:30 it was very quiet. We were the only ones here

Was super excited to try the food here as it is Michelin approved - so i thought. I ordered the blue corn chicken enchiladas that came with rice and beans and it had ZERO flavor. Everything was bland. I was EXTREMELY disappointed I can't stress it enough. This was THEE worst plate of enchiladas I ever had no joke. They tasted like the water the chicken is cooked in; I was desperate for flavor so I used my lime garnishes from the margaritas I ordered to add flavor. The rice was also flavorless but the beans were decent. My boyfriend ordered the carne asada and that had more flavor as it was cooked with salsa and some veggies but still was nowhere near where it should be for that price point. Food 3/10 Now let's move on to the margaritas. I ordered a Passion Fruit Margarita & it tasted of nothing but lime. I had asked our server who was also the bartender if he was sure this was the passion fruit margarita and he assured me it was. When you order a passion fruit cocktail you would expect the flavor added to be present, otherwise you would have ordered a lime margarita if thats what you wanted. The hibiscus margarita was dry and tart which was expected but I have had plenty of the same flavor that were better tasting elsewhere. Cocktails 4/10 Ambiance was enjoyable, comfortable, and intimate with pillows lined against wall seating. Dim lighting & super cute table decor. Service was poor considering I had to raise my hand a few times, not very friendly, and there was only one person running the whole show. I don't think I seen any other employee in the restaurant. The food was pricey for such a poor experience overall. I would never recommend this place to anyone ever if I'm being honest. Service 1/10

1st time here! Loved the vibes. The review is just for drinks bc we didnt order food. Banessa made amazing margaritas! Passion fruit, tamarindo & cucumber! They were fresh & she wasnt stingy on the pour! Loved it! Definitely going back to try other drinks & have food!

Truly disappointed with the experience today. Sandra was short, condescending and made us feel like we were an annoyance to her, she acted like she was doing us a favorite by taking our order and any request we made were rewarded with smart comments. El Mercado has always been a favorite due to the food and cocktails but the experience today was definitely unsettling. Plenty of other options to choose from in the area, choose wisely.

Santa Ana is on the come up! This spot was a special find. The food, drinks, and ambience were nothing short of great. I highly reccomend going to experience their happy hour menu. It was totally worth it! Just as the sun was coming down, they had live music playing near the entrance. There's also a lounge area toward the back bar, which I could imagine being a fun, intimate area for a date night! If that's not enough bragging about this place, the service was quick and our waiter was friendly and patient, giving us his fav recommendations! This won't be my last visit!

The atmosphere and service are definitely 5 stars. The food was were I was a little disappointed. The dishes looked fancy and had extensive ingredients, but in the end the taste was underwhelming. The food was good, don't get me wrong, but for the type of Mexican restaurant where it is going for a more up-scale tone I expect the food to taste better than other Mexican restaurants. The drinks were not that strong, my father in law had to tell the waiter to make his margarita a bit stronger because he could barely taste the alcohol. We shared the avocado and it was just okay. Nothing special. I've have better at small taco stands. Maybe it is better with the crickets as our waiter pointed out but I could not get past easting a whole cricket in a bite. Even though it was cooked nice and crispy. Apparently it is super spicy so I wouldn't have liked the taste regardless. I ordered the chicken flautas and was not impressed. They were fine but I've had better for cheaper. Such as shame because flautas are usually my favorite dish at Mexican restaurants. The live music was super cool so that was nice. The restaurant is in the center of a super popular area of Santa Ana so be prepared to pay for parking at a meter or in the paid parking lot. Enjoy!

First time here for brunch. I've had happy hour here. Such a cute place in DTSA. Go here for brunch!! Unlimited mimosas and the staff keeps you topped off the entire time! $18 for unlimited, $9 for one. Great takes on chilaquiles and huevos rancheros. Unique, beautiful presentation and flavorful. Staff very attentive. Oh did I mention, carrot cake is a must! Not too sweet at all and the whipped cream was to die for.

I was given a gift certificate (the first of two QR codes I would be involved with at this restaurant) as a birthday gift from my sister and her husband. Making my way up to Santana with my dad, we arrived at El Mercadao Modern when they opened at 5:00pm on a Friday. Sitting down, we were told the menu was only available via (another) QR code, but I waved off the waiter when he tried to explain why. Menus can be art, QR codes are just lazy. Anyway, I digress. We went with some appetizers including the vegetarian empanadas and pork belly tacos. To my surprise, the vegetarian offering had more flavor than the swine, with the highlight of the tacos being the thick corn tortilla, not the meat. For our respective main courses, I had the mole while my dad went with the carne asada. Both the chicken and steak were well tenderized and cooked, with the respective sauces acting as nice compliments. Each also came with a side of (black) beans and (white) rice, along with two of the aforementioned tortillas. I used my to sop up the mole, while my dad made impromptu asada tacos with his. Overall, the location, ambiance and food was good, with noticeable attention to detail throughout. Santa Ana has changed a lot since when I went to high school there, with this, a Michelin-rated restaurant brining the noise on 4th Street, while right around the corner on 1st Street, places like El Toro Carniceria bringing the funk. It is good to have options!

What attracted me to this restaurant were the time that was taken to plate their dishes. It's absolutely stunning. When I saw the empanada, I was bedazzled by the beauty and didn't want to dig in straight away. I wanted to enjoy the art work. What's even better is the empanadas were delicious. The only downside was all the construction around the area. I will most likely return after construction is over.

$16 for A small serving of guacamole is questionable but it was pretty mild so i asked for some salsa to which the server told us that it was a $6.00 charge for salsa lol . The salsa was literally 4 tablespoons. They charge you full price for soda refills. When restaurants nickel and dime on top of already fairly high priced menu I usually dont return. Service was slow but it was pretty busy . Most food items we tried were good though . Carnitas was decent and so were the shrimp tacos

The food was not anything special. It's very expensive- and they charge $6 for a side of salsa! That's outrageous. The food runner is incredibly rude and impatient Our server was pleasant and patient. They had live music and dancing which was fun. It's not at all worth the money bcs the servings are small and the food isn't average at best. Get a drink, order an appetizer, and then leave and eat at the food trucks outside.

This place is amazing! They have innovative, creative and delicious food & drinks! Lots of gluten free options! Everything I tried was so good! All of the staff were super friendly as well!

We really enjoyed our meal. The food was delicious and, just as promised, did not leave us feeling heavy and bloated. The service was also great! Our waitress was so kind and helpful.

The food was amazing ...not one dish was tasteless...from appetizers to mains to desserts!!! Thoroughly enjoyed my "freedom" night with my friends! Definitely will come back!

Title: Disappointing Customer Service Experience My recent visit to a restaurant in Santa Ana left much to be desired. My friends and I had traveled from Long Beach to attend a concert at a local nightclub and decided to explore nearby eateries for cocktails and appetizers beforehand. We stumbled upon this restaurant, enticed by its trendy appearance and promise of live music. However, our initial excitement quickly turned to frustration. Upon entering, we were greeted by a hostess who seemed disinterested and took several minutes to acknowledge our presence. Despite there being empty tables, we were informed that reservations were required for dining and were only offered seating in the lounge area or at the bar. As the bar was already full, we reluctantly settled for the lounge. What followed was a 25-minute ordeal of being blatantly ignored by every staff member present. Despite our attempts to flag down a waiter or manager, it became evident that none were willing to assist us. Eventually, the hostess returned to half-heartedly attend to us, but by then, our patience had worn thin. Feeling unwelcome and overlooked, we made the decision to leave and seek hospitality elsewhere. Based on this dismal customer service experience alone, I cannot in good conscience recommend this establishment to others.

I'm glad I checked out this Michelin Star restaurant. The ambiance was fantastic with dim lighting and two musicians playing acoustic guitars and singing. Our waiter was nice and attentive. The food had unique flavors and was beautifully presented. We ordered chips and salsa as an appetizer. The salsa was unusual: it wasn't spicy and instead had a smoky flavor. We both liked it with the very crunchy chips. Thinking cocktails were a specialty here, my husband ordered the Tiene Tumbao. This cocktail is infused with mezcal, giving it a little smokiness. There are citrusy elements of pineapple and lemon. The Taco Thursday special was three tacos on blue corn tortillas: shrimp, jamaica, and carnitas. The carnitas were very juicy and had a mildly spicy marinade. The jamaica was tangy. My husband thought the jamaica had a taste reminiscent of marinara sauce. I didn't feel the same way and thought our differing opinions interesting. El Mercado Modern Cuisine has a lot going for it and I can see why it is a Michelin Star restaurant.

Food was amazing. Portions were appropriately sized. You can tell it was high quality There was only one server at the time we went, however, the only thing that was affected was a small delay in food delivery. The server remained upbeat and pleasant. He didn't rush our interactions even though he had other things to tend to

Food was good drinks were strong and tasty ! Great place for date night or girlie night out! Sharing a few favorites of ours !

Food was ok, service by our server was good. But how is it possible that someone a manager ? Or idk who this person was, starts asking you to leave because you've been there more than two hours at a table and he needs the table" when two ppl have consumed $200 of food and drinks , and it takes at least 30 min or more to bring you a drink or your food and by the time you eat it , of course it's been probably more than two hours , night started well but that guy ruined it

Nice place to enjoy a solo or family meal. Indoor and outdoor dining. Service is great. My favorite meal list of fried brussels sprouts. Everything looks good and sounds good on the menu. Can't go wrong. Highly recommend.

Food was OK & portions were OK, given pricing was a bit high...went because it was a Michelin Selection. Forgot to provide the Yelp Free Appetizer, but they didn't promote, so not sure if they care about the reviews:/

Food is 4/5! Wish they had more options! But Jessica the bartender makes the best Paloma's in the city! 5/5!!!!

Great place to come and have great drinks and food. We love coming here to enjoy the evening. Fridays they have live music which only elevates the experience. If you sit at the bar Jessica will become your best friend!

Location: the area is a lively place, generally hosts markets, well lit, paid parking lot attached ($2/hr) and easy access. Indoor outdoor seating and restrooms available. Has a modern feel to it and is well maintained/clean Food and service: we went here for the OC restaurant week menu, $25 pp for appetizer, entrée, dessert. We liked that they had atleast one vegetarian (not vegan) option in each category. We ordered the avocado toast and vegetable empanadas for straters, veg enchiladas and tyaluda for mains (without chorizo) and chocolate and carrot cakes for dessert. We also placed an order for ay madre . Everything from water to food took over 35 mins to come. At the 15 min mark we informed them we were late to an appointment so to get everything together or as they were ready. But nothing except cocktail came. The server we had was very nice and very apologetic for the delays. They also mentioned the kitchen was hit by so many customers coming in all at once (the place was 85% full). So we asked them to box everything at which point they told us they were out of chocolate cake. So we doubled the carrot cake option. We only tried the avocado toast, which is huge!!! But is literally full of 2-3 avocado mousse. It really lacks flavor or seasoning. So we requested for some hot sauce, which helped. The empanadas were delicious. Can't review the other bits because we didn't try them. When they billed us they were very apologetic but didn't comp or cover for any delays. Overall, the place has a nice vibe, decent food and excellent staff but understaffed and not well organized.

Food is amazing, the service is always great. The ay madres cocktail is very good is my go too.the green chicken enchiladas are my favorite but all the food Is delicious. The ambiance is really good all the staff is great very friendly too.

Food, ambiance, server and love music was excellent! Def going back and this time making reservations for good seats for live music.