La Vaquera

La Vaquera is such a gem! The atmosphere and ambience were fresh, vibrant, and absolutely beautiful, a perfect setting for a relaxing meal or a fun night out. I loved the overall vibe; it felt welcoming and lively without being overwhelming. The food was exceptional, and the craft cocktails were just as impressive, creative, balanced, and delicious. I’m already looking forward to heading back soon. Highly recommend!

We dined here on a busy Saturday...and we were thankful a table was available. Most other places had a very long waiting time. The service was very good. Friendly, and helpful. The food was average. Not bad, but nothing too exceptional. The prices are rather high, especially for what you receive. Sandwiches came with lettuce (aka a salad) My sandwich, Lions Mane, was mostly all bun. My son had the BBQ sand, and said it was really good. If you order a coke, it's a very small coke in a bottle for $5. The atmosphere is nice, with a lovely outdoor area.

I’ll start out with the food is good. Nothing that will knock you socks off but it’s right for a friends brunch or laid back lunch. I think the reason for the low rating is the pace of service. It just seems like the kitchen isn’t completely on it and we were there on a busy Sunday and the server acknowledged they were slow. Overall the vibe is nice and there will be tons of kids and families enjoying the day so beware. I’m just not sure if I’ll be back in the future with all the other options there. Just sayin…

5 for vibes, 3 for food. I've been here for lunch and dinner, and really wanted to love it because this area is dying for this kind of modern aesthetic restaurant. It is gorgeous but the food is so underwhelming. It's marketed as a steakhouse sort of (I think?) and the steak is just not good. They have these gorgeous visible grills and the most expensive steak on the menu came on a cold plate with barely a char, and didn't feel like premium quality meat. Service is hit and miss, servers are nice but service is beyond slow. Maybe just a newness issue. I really hope they get their food game together.

Leaving hungry and VERY disappointed. Although this place is beautiful and nice to look at with great ambience their food is extremely disappointing. We had the tri tip sandwich. Meat was doused in cumin which I love however seems very lazy in presentation. I sent the French toast dish back because it is literally gross. Too sweet covered in caramel and strawberries and weird granola on top of sweetness is just overpoweringly yuck. Unless you want dessert for breakfast you only want to take one of two bites off before it gives you a splitting headache. Coffee was disgusting. Oh and if you want more then one Diet Coke be prepared to pay $5.00 for EACH tiny glass of more ice then soda that you get for one of those at this place. Service was great, our server was lovely but I feel sorry for her that she works at a place like that because both the service and the ambience are far too nice for the crappy food, crappy pricing and crappy management.

We were very impressed with the quality of the food. The steak and pork chop were both cooked to perfection, and my son loved his kids steak. The pitcher of Sangria was also a great addition to our meal. We also appreciated the ambiance; the volume was at a comfortable level, making it easy to have a conversation. While the main courses were the star of the show, a few aspects of the experience could be more polished. The primary issues were logistical. Our transition from the bar to our dining table felt disjointed, leaving a moment of confusion as we waited to be seated and properly attended to. Following that, there was a significant wait for our food to arrive from the kitchen. It's crucial to distinguish these coordination and timing issues from the tableside service, however. Our server was a true professional--incredibly attentive, engaging, and wonderfully accommodating to our toddler, which made us feel very welcome. The only other small critique is that while the cooking technique was flawless, a lighter hand with the salt would elevate the dishes from great to truly exceptional.

We had the short rib barbacoa hash and the tri tip sandwich. The hash was bomb! Its meat was easier to chew than the tri tip. Great servers and atmosphere.

We chose La Vaquera to celebrate my birthday, and let me tell you, this place did not disappoint. We started with delicious cocktails and the West Coast oysters. We followed it up with a schmoorgasborg of additional appetizers. The Brussels,steak tartare, and tuna aguachilie each one tastier than the next. For the main course, we shared a mouthwatering 22oz creekstone ribeye and chicken, which paired well with the broccolini and cornbread. We still had enough room for some tasty dessert. Our server Nicole was super attentive and constantly checked in with us throughout this entire experience. This was a perfect place to celebrate a special moment in my life, and I highly recommend anyone to do the same. I will be returning to try their brunch options as well.

This is our third time at La Vaquera and it is consistently amazing!! Service start to finish was fantastic and the food is so high quality and delicious. You can really tell the food and bar program are thoughtfully curated and we appreciate the local ingredients!!!! I have been telling my friends how special this place is and can't wait to come back again :)

The staff were very accommodating and attentive. We had a 4 year old with us and they made all of us feel like we belonged in the restaurant. We were there for dinner and the lighting and music as the sun was setting set the right mood for the restaurant . We had the Spatchcock chicken, Cornbread, pork belly salad, charro beans, roasted carrots, and Pavlova for dessert. My wife and I had some of their cocktails as well. Our server Josh recommended one of their cocktails based on my preferences and he hit the nail on the head. The food was delicious and service was attentive and very professional. Highly recommend!

The place was beautiful and the service we got at our table was fantastic! Me and my family came in hopes of checking the raved plaza/spectrum and it was beautiful. In coordination we got ourselves some brunch and overall the ideas and dishes themselves had complimenting and nicely melded flavors. But, one common mistake for all 5 apps and dishes we got were severely unseasoned. Although the fried chicken sandwich my brothers girlfriend got was nicely seasoned with immaculate taste. I got the chilaquiles and the chips were not soggy and not too spicy which was amazing. But, my dish did come out almost completely cold although thankfully the eggs were keeping them above room temp. I say this with not just one opinion but the rest of the table agreed that you guys might have not tried the food you served. Otherwise, you guys did wonderfully and keep it up!

Service is fantastic here. They gave us a very nice experience and are super attentive. The food is unique and good quality; non-typical offerings which makes it fun to try new things. We really liked the funyons (lol) aka duros (sp?) and would've gladly bought more to take home. The beet salad is delish. Special shout out to Yadira and Skyler and Alec as well as our server who were all very attentive. One suggestion. We ordered the seared ahi - there wasn't much in the way of a description. Didn't realize it was paired with chorizo and mussels; the one who ordered it (amongst our party of 6) can't eat pork and since he didn't realize that was chorizo and ate it, he later ended up with some stomach issues. It would be helpful to have a clearer idea of all the main ingredients on the menu so folks could do a better job of choosing what we know we can eat. All in all, we liked this restaurant very much and would happily come back.

La Vaquera is amazing! I was excited to explore River Street Marketplace and all its charming food spots. La Vaquera immediately caught my eye with its adorable, vibey exterior. The moment you walk in, the atmosphere is inviting, with beautiful green accents and a beautiful bar. We came for lunch, and our server, Zoe, was fantastic - so kind, attentive, and full of great recommendations. I went with the chicken sandwich, which she suggested, and it was the best chicken sandwich I've ever had! It had just the right kick and was packed with flavor (the sauces/condiments are SO tasty). My friend got the chicken salad and loved it too. Also, a small but appreciated detail, but I love when restaurants have fancy water cups - it just adds to the experience! Overall, everything from the food to the ambiance was spot on. I'll definitely be back!

My previous experience here was frustrating, but I decided to give it another shot for brunch, and I'm so glad I did. The food was absolutely delicious, and while there were a few small hiccups, they were understandable given my previous Yelp review might have put someone on edge. Yadira, the General Manager, was fantastic. She personally checked in on us and made sure that the service was expedited and much smoother than my first visit. It was clear that she genuinely cared about making sure we had a great experience. For breakfast, we had the chilaquiles, short rib with potatoes, and the dulce de leche French toast. All three dishes were incredible--flavorful, well-prepared, and absolutely worth trying. I'd definitely recommend this place for brunch and will be coming back soon! 10/10--highly recommend.

Great food and great service in a beautifully designed restaurant! This area is cowboy chic with cute touches like cow hooks in the restrooms. I enjoyed everything I ate. The pisco sour was both fruity and the booze was strong. The steak tartare had a great seasoning; however, the grilled bread that accompanied it was very hard. The gem salad was fresh. We got the duck entree (loved the mole and grilled squash) and grilled oyster mushrooms (this has a good mole sauce too including bread pieces--again with the bread that's just too big). We were able to easily get a seat on a Thursday night with no reservations. We got super lucky with parking on the curb of the marketplace.

Absolutely love love love this restaurant... The food is so flavorful the indoor outdoor space has a very cool open vibe that I just adore in a restaurant . I absolutely love the modern boots. The tables are a little bit too small for four people and definitely way too small for five people, but we made it work. The service was amazing. Josh was so helpful and so friendly and on point with every ask that we had. " and sometimes we're not that easy." he was gracious and kind we love the menu.. very seasonal friendly. The parking is funny for this new establishment. I got very lucky and parked on the street for free. They do have a paid parking lot . if you'd like to walk a little bit more you can walk down by the park and park for free. Whatever form of transportation that gets you there just go....

So I was excited to try this but after the meal I did leave feeling a bit meh. I love that it is farm to table but the menu was just a bit weird? The avocado dip was different but smooth and nice. The chips were unlike any I have had before. They did have fun sticky wix crafts for the kids, and they did have highchairs! However, the kids meal of blue corn tortillas for the cheese quesadilla was unique but also maybe hoping for a more sophisticated palate than kids? Mine did not enjoy the food - my daughter refused to even try when she saw the blue corn. The kids filet was better than the adult entree. The pork chop was underwhelming. The sides were strange. Glad we did the chimichurri but it was more oil than herbs. The cocktail was a pass, weird aftertaste. The pricing was high for what was offered. If I am spending that much I would probably go to Newport to a 5 star restaurant with 5 star service and food. They do not validate parking so be prepared.

I have to take one star off after dinner tonight, which was our second time in six nights. We sat at the bar again but it wasn't quite as magical as the first time we were here 6 nights ago. I'm guessing it's because it's a holiday weekend and they just wanted to go home. It was still solid but they have to work out some of the communication between the staff and the kitchen. Each dish we ordered was good as far as the presentation and flavor melange but the beets were off a bit but still delicious.

Had a wonderful experience for date night here at La Vaquera! On a Friday night the restaurant was packed. The set up and ambiance is Gorgeous and everything we ordered was so tasty. Highly recommend the chips and avocado dip, crudo, carrots, cornbread (!!!), and shareable sea bass (there is something so primal and majestic about having a whole, large fish delivered to you table on a platter). I also loved my drink - the diving swallow. Service was also very good - perfect amount of formal, professional, but friendly. 10/10 would recommend!!

Don't hesitate - go there for delicious food and special cocktails. I had been avoiding this place as I had heard about how expensive it was. But today we decided to try it for appetizers and cocktails and so happy we did. While it isn't cheap - it was worth every penny. Service is outstanding from the hostess to the wait staff. I recommend everything we had - roasted beets, steak tartare and grilled octopus. Everything was special and we practically licked the plates. Cocktails were delicious too - special and well balanced. Young legend is a must. We will be back

Love the food and atmosphere! Our waiter Josh made the experience even more enjoyable! Our wine was great, and pork chop super tasty! Only suggestion, bigger scoop of ice cream on our dessert

We will return! My wife and I visited La Vaquera on the second night of their opening. We were impressed. The layout of the reasturant is airy and upbeat. Our server, Josh, did a wonderful job of explaining the menu to us and suggesting various dishes and drinks. The Young Legend with mexcal was excellent - not too sweet or tart. We decided to try several small plates. Our favorite was the crispy brussel sprouts. We also sampled the roasted heirloom beets, the grilled Spanish octopus, and the charro beans. We enjoyed the different spices, but we would not call the dishes spicy, as in hot. Yadira, the general manager, brought out a roasted arrowhead cabbage for us to try. Excellent. Jens, the president, told me about one of their special mexcals, La Vaquera. It is a limited edition beverage. I highly recommend it. Ceaser, a busser, was very attentative to our table. My wife and I are already talking about returning on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve with other members of our family. Good job La Vaquera!

Enjoyed some delicious cocktails last night at the bar top with Erik the bartender! Fast service, enjoyable banter, a very aesthetic restaurant, and Erik had some great recommendations! Will definitely be back to enjoy a meal and more!

We came for date night to try this new place out we came, especially for the cornbread. Once we sat down. We told our way that we weren't having drinks tonight, so he decided to swap us with another server which was very strange.. We didn't get silverware until we asked for it once our entrées came. We actually had to wait for about five minutes. The service was disappointing.. The beetroot salad was great. The cornbread was awful. The Seabass was great, but overall the whole service experience really killed it for us. It's such a shame to see a nice establishment like this really lose customers over poor service. For the price you pay for the food it's really not worth a visit and the service.

Love this new restaurant located in the brand new shopping center in old San Juan Capistrano! Charming. Rustic and beautiful describe the restaurant. Dog friendly.., we sat outside on the rustic patio overlooking the green area where children were happily playing the lights and the music contributed to just a beautiful setting! The food was very flavorful. This is a very meat based menu. with vegetable sides, and salads. The daily fish was very tender, whitefish cooked in a lovely savory broth . The exceptional dish was the brussels sprouts . Comfortable casual, gourmet dining at its finest ! Five stars! Good job. Ask for Joshua the server.

La Vaquera in San Juan Capistrano offers a pleasant dining experience with some highs and lows. My recent visit highlighted both the restaurant's potential and areas for improvement. Upon arrival, I encountered a significant wait time simply to speak with a host, despite two hosts being present. The process of checking the computerized seating chart and assigning tables seemed unnecessarily lengthy, causing a frustrating ten-minute delay before even being acknowledged. Thankfully, I was promptly seated in the lovely heated patio area, which offered a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. Our server was polite and efficient, adding a positive note to the service. We began with an Old Fashioned and a Jalapeño Margarita. While the margarita was perfectly balanced and enjoyable, the Old Fashioned was disappointingly light on the alcohol. For our meal, we opted for the green salad, beef tartare, and the surf and turf. The green salad, while fresh, felt somewhat lacking in variety. The large lettuce leaves were difficult to manage and the limited inclusion of only radish and nopales left me wanting more vegetables. In stark contrast, the beef tartare was an absolute standout. It was impeccably prepared, bursting with savory flavors, and literally melted in my mouth - a true highlight of the meal. The surf and turf presented another mixed bag. The prawns were sweet and fresh, showcasing excellent quality. The filet, while good, truly shone when paired with the accompanying chimichurri sauce, which elevated the dish significantly. Overall, La Vaquera offers a pleasant ambiance and some truly exceptional dishes, particularly the beef tartare. However, the slow and inefficient hosting process and the underperforming Old Fashioned and green salad detract from the overall experience. With a few tweaks, particularly in the hosting system and salad composition, La Vaquera has the potential to be a truly top-tier dining destination. I would recommend La Vaquera for its ambiance and select dishes, but be prepared for a potential wait and consider focusing on the tartare and ensuring your other selections are well-complemented by sauces or other enhancements.

Service was amazing!!! We sat by the fire and drank drinks before we got our table. The Brussel sprouts are unreal. Only thing I would change, would be the wait time between ordering and getting food was pretty long.

We started with the beef tartare and it was so flavorful, I liked the blue corn bread that it came with. I honestly can't remember the last time I had better beef tartare. The oyster mushrooms has this mole that I basically ate clean, I just couldn't stop eating it. Finally, the main dish of the night, the lions mane mushrooms. I've heard that it's texture is like a steak and honestly it's like a smooth and tender steak. The potatoes and brussel sprouts had good flavor and a nice crunch. Downright amazing dish overall! I had asked the staff if it was a seasonal dish and they said they were experimenting with the menu, but I hope they keep this one!

Great Cocktails, weird service, mediocre overpriced menu. We decided to try this place on opening week I think. I think they have some work to get the kinks out. We had a large party and we had to sit at two tables. The weirdest part was the host said we would have two separate checks and waiters. Super odd in my extensive experience in the service industry. Usually they would swap out the tables with the servers, but we just wanted to sit and eat. Because of this one table the waiter was great and super attentive mainly bc we were his only table. The other waitress was so overwhelmed with her other tables it was hard to get attention. We had kids with us and I suggest you leave the kids at home for this place. They do have high chairs, but our kids didn't eat anything in the menu. There wasn't a menu posted online so we entered blindly. Big mistake. Prob should have left. They are farm to table and I do appreciate that and understand the higher cost associated with such meals. The flavor of the entrees fell flat. We ordered the whole fish, whole chicken, bone in ribeye every side on the menu, a cioppino type dish and the hamachi. I think we ordered all the entrees too I cannot remember everything since it wasn't very memorable. The chicken was ok- pretty dry. The fish was decent and had a chimichurri sauce that was good. I ordered the steak medium rare (pink in the middle almost red) and it came out medium well. The waiter tried to say it was because it was on a wood grill and edges were more well done. I'm sorry if I order a $80 steak it damn well be cooked right. The entire steak was well done. We sent it back and they remade it. Still not medium rare, but I gave up. The presentation was terrible since they cut it off the bone for you and it looked like a hack job. Not used to my steak being cut already for a bone in - don't think they should do that and suggest some sort of better plate or a garnish or something to make it more presentable. I think the potatoes and beet salad were the best things on the menu. I did enjoy all their cocktails so this place is better suited as an app and cocktail bar haunt than dine in. They have mostly outdoor seating and no covering in case of rain. It started to sprinkle while we were there. Surprised they didn't think of this when they built the restaurant. Especially since it rains a lot more in the winter no one wants to eat their dinner cold and wet. More places have opened since our visit and I'll prob be more inclined to frequent the food hall and other restaurants than this one. Not sure how long this one will stay considering general consensus is service sucks and food not great.

Happy to have a restaurant close by with a cool outdoor eating area. The check-in with the host was somewhat disorganized, but I'm guessing that's due to recently opening. All the staff was friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, I was let down by my meal and cocktail. The hash didn't have much flavor. I expected savoriness and some heat when I read "barbacoa" but there was none. The bloody mary mix had an odd taste. My wife and kids had a better experience. They liked the dulce de leche french toast, and enjoyed the surprising bluish color of the bread. My wife liked her cocktail, but we can't remember what it's called. We're going to give them another try. Hopefully I'll have a better experience next time.

Happy birthday to my little sister, who is taking one step closer to joining her brother in the fabulous 40's! To celebrate the occasion her amazing husband (my little brother in life) treated the family to a visit to the new open air marketplace in San Juan Capistrano. Being that I have spent most of my adult life in this area, I am embarrassed to say I had no idea any of this was being built. It is especially embarrassing because the area where the marketplace is located is on my personal favorite part of SJC. While I never want that area to lose its rustic charm, I was pleased to see that the architecture was respectful. La Vaquera looks very nice inside and out. The menu is extremely simple which makes it easy for the chefs to focus on a small number of dishes and execute with a greater degree of quality and flavor. While I choked on the prices, if you know how hard it is for restaurants anywhere, but particularly California, you will understand that in order to deliver the level of quality and service that we enjoyed will come at a substantial cost with these establishments are to survive. My daughters ordered a steak dish to share. My parents, sister and brother ordered 2 sea bass. My wife and I ordered the chicken. The drinks were good, the service was great, and the food was unexpectedly incredible! It is rare for such a large party to share the consensus that everything was genuinely delicious with zero misses! The chicken, even the breast was tender, the beans, cactus, and chimichuri worked perfectly together with some of their house salsa. The roasted Brussel sprouts were enviably delicious as I make pretty great Brussel sprouts. Since I am a pretty good home chef, my kids are used to having properly good cuts of steak, rare or medium rare. They knew what to order and what arrived to the table was one of the best looking steaks that I have seen in a restaurant anywhere in recent history. They were still talking about it long after we got home. Overall, I am very pleased with my experience. If you can afford it, check it out.

Brought my friend for lunch to celebrate her 50th birthday and we both agreed we won't be returning anytime soon. The restaurant itself has a great vibe and great potential. I loved the smoky scent of the wood burning oven and the cozy decor. That being said, I don't know if they were short staffed or what but even with our reservation it took awhile for our table to be ready and it really wasn't super busy. Our server forgot our drink orders and only brought them after a reminder and after our food had been served. The food was good however quality control was lacking as we had a friend in our organic greens that really put a damper on our experience. The meal was comped but it made us hesitant to order anything else. The server also knew it was a birthday and we had to ask for the birthday dessert after he brought the check. It's a great location but all round was not a great experience. Won't be rushing back for more anytime soon.

Delightful experience - Expect meat and incredible side dishes!! Highly recommend the amazing Corn Bread, Brussel Sprouts and Whole Chicken. We also ordered the sirloin steak - medium - which came pretty well done, dry and tough. Service was outstanding and the patio was great for our group of five. We will definitely be back!!

We went on opening weekend, and it was alright, but probably wouldn't go back. The staff, while very friendly and knowledgeable, simply were not equipped to handle the volume, even right upon opening (we were seated at 4 PM). We were not greeted nor was our drink order taken until 15 minutes after being seated-- didn't even receive chips or anything either. After this, we realized it was probably best to just get drinks and apps, which were yummy, but very overpriced. There also are not very many main dish options to choose from, and nothing under $40 as a main dish. I think with time to adjust to the crowds (and employ more staff), and maybe more options on the menu, the experience here would be better-- but for the price, it's not really worth taking the gamble to see.

The new River Street Marketplace in San Juan Capistrano is exactly what the area needed - heavy on places to eat and not too many retail stores so as to give us a reason to go there in the evening and hang out. The outdoor seating and fire pits everywhere will make sure the marketplace stays busy year round. La Vaquera is one of the anchor restaurants in the marketplace and the only one we've tried so far. It is excellent. We had a group of 10 and tried lots of dishes on the menu - we ordered so much food that I was certain we'd have leftovers - but, we had none. Every dishes was consumed and everyone aged 12 to 60 was impressed. The steaks were on the small size by traditional American standards, but the quality of the meat was such that you didn't need a Costco size steak to have a solid meal. Instead, the idea is to pair the 8-10oz steak with lots of side dishes. We had them all, and, honestly, if you don't order them all you will be missing out! It's was great to see that a lot of the food was sourced from the Ecology Center - right next door - a local farm and farmer's market. We also got the spatchcock whole chicken - served family style. With fresh blue corn tortillas, salsa verde, beans and chimichurri - this was enough for 3 people easy. Overall, very high ratings for the food, ambiance and the service. Even though our kids enjoyed it (mostly teens and early 20s) the younger crowd doesn't have many low cost items on the menu - so it can be an expensive proposition when the kids are ordering $60+ steaks. The atmosphere is fairly casual, bright and clean without the pretentiousness of a fancy steakhouse. I can't wait to go back.

Our 2nd visit...this time for lunch. Once again, the restaurant is struggling to deliver a consistent positive experience for it's customers. We asked for water twice, and similar to our first visit one of our dishes (starter this time) wasn't delivered until later in the meal after our entrees were delivered ("Where's our cornbread?"). However, it was very delicious and highly recommended. Lastly, the burger was ordered "Medium" though was much more rare. Our waitress was okay, and lacked any personable, friendly mannerisms and seemed inexperienced at this type of restaurant. We'll try again at some point and hope that a third time will be the charm.

I was so impressed with my dining experience here; friendliness of staff, bustling energy of the place, a magnificent bar, exceptional food and great drinks. I am a big fan of their farm-to-table concept. Sure, there are kinks to work out (mostly "slow" service due to a busy Friday evening and some awkward interactions with the frazzled hostesses), but one has to be level headed with expectations going into a newly opened restaurant. With that said four of us found immediate seating at the bar and had the best time. I probably interacted with five various employees throughout the course of the night and they were as helpful as could be and so kind. They apologized for drinks taking a while and we were more than understanding. The real star of the night was the food. I didn't know how well executed it would be given, but this is one area where La Vaquera did not miss a beat. Everyone at our table was mesmerized by the Oak-Grilled Local Catch which was a striped bass that night. We added sides of fingerling potatoes and roasted carrots which were the perfect addition. Someone else ordered the Roasted Local Catch which is the same fish but prepared differently (brothy) and they preferred the former. I haven't been this excited about a restaurant in a long time!

Cute new anchor in SJC's Rodeo district. Great ambience and decor. Service was thorough. Pretty much stops there. We ordered the beet salad, 22 oz bone-in ribeye, 10oz Wagyu Denver, cornbread, crispy Brussel sprouts, the Young Legend cocktail, and an espresso martini with mezcal (in lieu of vodka), pavlova dessert. Pros: - cute vibe - good service - good issue resolution - beets were the best thing we ate, but they weren't anything to write home about Cons: - food was NOT tasty. Can't recommend anything we had (except the beets, if you had to order something) - steaks came out cooler than room temp - compound butter paired with Wagyu was a miss. Tasteless except for some hints of citrus and cilantro. - found plastic wrap embedded in cornbread (our server remedied immediately, which is a plus) - menu really wasn't that cohesive - wines by the glass meh. Wines by bottle better and great to see skin contact wines. Verdict: They've only been open a week, so I'll give them some grace on operational issues but it just seems like they need to revamp the menu, TBH. We've gone to their sister restaurants in Santa Barbara and enjoyed the food there; we're a bit surprised by this miss. Everything was under seasoned or lacking in flavor profile. Not to mention overpriced for what it was - and we're not ones to talk about price, when the food warrants such. For a similar menu profile, we much prefer Bandera. Might revisit La Vaquera in 6 months, depending on menu changes.

Tried a new place today in the river market in San Juan Capistrano. The food was on point came out quickly- service was excellent - ask for Bryson - wonderful server, very knowledgeable and caring - providing you the best he can - love the ambience. It will be well worth your trip to go there for a meal.

Diana was amazing and so was the rest of the staff. Everyone was prompt to our needs and ready to assist. The ambiance was relaxing and beautiful, the food was delicious! We came for the lunch menu and got the potatoes, charred avocado toast, chilaquiles, and the chicken sandwich! Everything was so good. Also Diana recommended the "ay carajo" drink and it was amazing! 10/10 we will come back & highly recommend. (:

This was our first time visiting La Vaquera and we were not disappointed. It's super cute inside. It is bright and vibrant. Our server was Anne and she was attentive in just the right way. She was knowledgeable about the menu with good recommendations. The food was perfect. We ordered the ribeye and it was amazing. The corn bread was a treat. There was also seating outside with a fire pit. We will def check this place out again especially once the time changes and the weather is warmer. Thank you for a great evening

Unfortunately my first experience was not ideal. I had heard wonderful things about this restaurant so I went with my friend to try it out. We were seated in the patio for lunch. It was not busy in the restaurant or in the patio. After waiting for about 10-15 minutes without a server coming to our table to give us water, a menu or acknowledge our existence, we decided to leave. A mother and daughter at a table near us asked if we had been waiting for awhile as they had been as well. We all decided to leave and go to another restaurant for lunch. I hope to try this restaurant again in the future and hopefully we will actually get to try out some of their food.

This afternoon my husband and I brought our two young kids and twin babies for an early dinner at 4:15pm to La Vaquero. We had never been and were so excited because it looked so cute online. We got there and it was completely empty inside with just a few people sitting on their patio. This made sense because we were getting dinner so early, which we usually try to do when we bring the kids with us. When we asked for a table for four plus two high chairs, the managers chatted amongst themselves for several minutes and then said they could not seat us because the one place that they had available for us was reserved at 5:00pm for a table of 15. As a reminder, the entire inside of restaurant was empty and they told us they couldn't seat us anywhere inside and the only place outside (I assume it was outside that is where she gestured) they could seat us had a reservation...at 5pm...45 minutes later. Honestly I've never had someone refuse to seat me in a restaurant before when there was so clearly room for us; it was a humbling, awful feeling. Needless to say we will not be going back and I have already told my many many mom text chains I'm on (being a mom of four) how awful they treated us and not to go there. To say this was a disappointment is an understatement. Left hurt and hungry.

We've been here 3 times now and had great experiences each time. The steak is great, their brussels sprouts are amazing, and the restaurant is so pretty inside! We have recommended the restaurant to a few friends who have now gone back more than once. Great and needed addition to the area!

Way over priced for the quality of the meat. After people come and see it is marginal, place will slow down. Already seeing turn over in staff

Service: well, the server didn't bring us water until our food was almost to our table, she never really checked on us either. Attentiveness was under par. Food: I ordered the Short Rib Barbacoa, I literally got 5 small ice cube size meat pieces. Eggs were most of the meal, I should have taken a picture. The ice cubes in our drinks were bigger than the pieces in my dish. The short rib was tough. Drinks: Good, the only good thing about our visit here. They were decently strong. I think overall you pay for the vibe and location, food and service were not great, won't be back.

Sat on patio by fire pit and had wonderful service. Our server Logan was warm, friendly and had great suggestions for drinks, appetizers and what else to see in the area!

My daughter took for My Birthday yesterday... The GOOD -Great location/Beautiful ambiance +++++ The service was good +++ The BAD -MARGINAL TO BAD FOOD...oysters were returned, tartar Very Very chewy, salad gritty (not washed) Called that afternoon and told "Manager" about this, but I needed to advise you in writing and give your place a 1 1/2 Star. Based on this probably will not return or recommend... SORRY BBUT TOO OVER PRICED FOR THE SMALL PORTIONS!!!

Made a reservation for a birthday celebration on a Friday evening. We were ignored for almost 20m after being seated. After flagging the poor harassed looking manager to see a menu and then again after they forgot and served only 2/3 drink orders. The app pork belly with the green sauce was sandy and gritty - our waiter said we had interns in the back and they may have not ground the sauce. Order 3 steaks - the Denver steak was recommended as medium and that's what we ordered- it came rare and had to fired again (again took forever to flag someone down) Meanwhile parties behind with no reservations and with reservations were seated and attended to almost immediately. Not worth it. It's expensive and the service was poor.

WORST DINING EXPERIENCE....CONCLUDES WITH FOOD POISONING. 1. I was the third party to check-in. It was just myself and two daughters. Yet, we were the last to be seated...even after a walk-in of two, a walk-in of 4 , AND a walk-in of six. No guessing here; folks were putting in their names, phone numbers, and party size 2. The line clears. Another 5 minutes later, the hostess comes to seat us and says, "I have a reservation at 1:30, can you be done by then?" It was 12, so I was confident we would. However, I didn't hear her ask anyone else that. Also, that's a personal problem, not my burden. Rude. 3. Well, we weren't done UNTIL 1:30. Not for lack of trying, which is a crappy dining experience to eat feeling rushed. Our server didn't come around for about 15 minutes. He stated he wasn't informed we were sat. 4. Every plate or drink was delayed. The server would come and apologize for the delays. My dish was entirely forgotten and I had to ask for it...by that time my girls were done eating (and they eat slow). 5. My server's bloody knuckles were bare. 6. Throughout our meal, the hostess kept popping into the patio, looking at our table, and throwing her arms up in frustration or rubbing her temples. Again, just eating with this very visible/vocal stressor. 7. It was apparently so intrusive for us to be there, yet new parties were being sat next to us up to 1:30...and there were multiple open tables. Multiple. 8. At last we leave and I'm grateful to be done with the place. Except, the horror (THE HORROR!!!) continues with food poisoning. To be fair, I gambled by having tartar. However, any tartar is my go-to and I've never had an issue. It's a steakhouse, steak tartar should be manageable. You might ask why I never opted to leave at the first sign of trouble. Simple, my kids were hungry and I couldn't risk waiting again. It's a busy area. In fact, I picked Vaquera because it was very empty in comparison to all the other restaurants. So many regrets.

Disclaimer: some of the negative reviews come from people who have left their fair share of negative reviews! We showed up on Friday evening , the place was busy, we didn't have reservations, but we were seated outside with a very minimal wait! The waiter was professional, friendly and attentive. The entire staff was very nice. The food was awesome, we had the duck leg, the ribeye, beans and the roasted mushrooms for sides, the drinks were excellent! Don't let the few people who post negative reviews detour you from experiencing La Vaguera.

Okay so I don't normally leave reviews but as a server myself I decided that the service alone deserved some recognition. If I'm being completely honestly when I saw the menu I was very excited but as much as it really saddens me to say I wasn't extraordinarily impressed by anything for the price. However, I am a true hater of cooked carrots and their carrots made me change my mind. The 1/2 chicken was cooked superbly but I'm a sauce girly and I was disappointed in their sauces :/ On a different note, our server Josh was amazing! We came in as a group of 10 and I will say that 75% of our group is very demanding. I recognized his patience and diligence in fixing any issues that came his way. From server to server I appreciate you and thank you for dealing with the madness! Congrats on the new opening and I look forward to any improvements that ensue!!

A gem of a restaurant! Such a great new addition to San Juan! The food is absolutely next level and farm to table fresh! Love the concept, food, service, and ambiance. The chef is absolutely amazing!! So friendly and talented.

I love everything about this place! Oysters and rose, a perfectly charred Denver steak and an amazing farm to table green salad. Service is friendly, ambience is fun. Good cocktails too!

I can't say enough good things about my experience here! The highlight of my meal was an incredible dish featuring radicchio, verde sauce, and perfectly cooked pork belly--every bite was a perfect balance of rich, smoky, and grassy, tied together beautifully by the vibrant verde sauce. Absolutely unforgettable! On top of the amazing food, the service was just as exceptional. Ramon took such great care of us--attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu. His recommendations were spot on, and he made sure our dining experience was seamless from start to finish. Can't wait to come back!

It was a nice place, kind of a weird central bar vibe with more overpriced food that doesn't seem to match the price. The waiter was stoned or I think just a moron, super slow with drinks, slow with food. Nothing wow's me about this place, I probably won't go back.

The service and ambience were good, but the food was lacking. I had the cod and it was swimming in a peppery sauce that overpowered the fish. It. We also had the mushrooms and they were coated in an adobe pepper sauce that again completely overpowered the taste. We also had the brussels sprouts and they were covered in cheese. It was an expensive meal that did not taste good!