Xclusive Taqueria Moderna

If you're looking for a nice sit down restaurant that serves fantastic food, look no further. Xclusive Taqueria Moderna checked many of our boxes, from the food, the atmosphere to the friendly service! I always know of Xclusive's existence but we never actually came by. However, we made the leap to try it out on a Thursday afternoon and I can't believe we waited so long to do so. Their restaurant had a welcoming atmosphere and waiter was friendly. I had the pleasure of trying their pork belly tacos and a carne asada burritos. The pork belly was like butter, literally melts in your mouth the moment you taste it. I had my burrito in a wet-style and it was the flavor bomb. The meat was well-cooked and was packed with beans, guac, pico. It was delicious. My partner and I ordered a guacamole appetizer to share. It was creamy and decadent, and the homemade chips were a great addition. My partner also enjoyed his crispy tacos platter and chicken mole taco. Everything we ordered was delicious. I loved the food, the staff and the friendly environment. I look forward to coming back.

We came here on a Saturday in between games for our two son’s basketball tournament. It was great! We were able to sit on the patio and watch the NBA playoff game. About an hour in the live music started, which was so fun and entertaining. The margaritas were 10 out of 10. The bottomless chips were delicious! They were even able to deal with my onion allergy (I know 😒) and made me a delicious grilled chicken without onions. My husband had the enchilada and taco combo and said it was excellent, the only thing he changed on Sunday (yes it was so good we went back 😋) was adding a flour tortilla to the enchilada instead of the corn. My mom had the three taco sampler and my dad had the shrimp tacos. We came back Sunday and celebrated my belated birthday with our kids. Two of them enjoyed the 3 taco sampler with carne asada and chicken. Like my husband they opted for flour tortillas. And my other son got the enchilada and taco combo, which he loved! We can’t wait to go back again!

Carne asada and skinny margaritas! This place was fabulously a surprise. First time but won’t be the last. Yummy food and quick service. Thank you for the experience. I’ll be back..

Food here is absolutely delicious. It’s hard to find good Mexican food on this side of town. I’d give them a 5 star review but they seem to mess up the orders often lol

I went to try 2 of my favorite foods and since I heard that they make tacos out of these items aaaaaand it was Taco Tuesday, well here I come. Pork Belly and calamari tacos. Very tasty. The chips with a small side of beans and the salsas were spot on. I'll be back for sure.

Very good food and friendly staff! The inside is very nice and clean. It was our first time here so we tried a Carnitas burrito, Chile Verde taco and Pork Belly Taco. Everything was delicious. Will definitely be going back!

After hearing how amazing this place was, we had to try it out for ourselves. Let me tell you, it didn't disappoint! The staff was very friendly and prompt when bringing out drinks and chips with salsa and warm beans. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and the decor is classy. This is the kind of place you could bring your family for a nice dinner or hang at the bar with a buddy for a drink and tacos while watching a game. For his drink, hubby had a pineapple margarita, which he loved (nice and strong), and we started off with guacamole, which was super fresh and had great flavor. Hubby has the shrimp and lobster enchiladas with a tangy red sauce. They were a large portion and also served with fresh avocado. I had a delicious chili verde, served with white rice and tortillas. We had really wanted to try dessert but were too full. We can't wait to come back again to try out more on the menu!

Tacos and food overall were only average. Service was pretty terrible. The waitress forgot to bring a drink order and didn’t provide any place settings or napkins for our meals. We had to remind her that we need the basics after the meal came. Waitress further forgot that she was serving our table and didn’t check up on us which required me to prompt a different server for our check. Later spoke in Spanish while we were leaving to another employee “did they pay” which further disappointed given the fact that she forgot about us when the restaurant was not busy. I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant and think it’s definitely overrated with the current rating.

Always a good authentic meal. Food is freshly made and great quality. A good menu selection and the mixers at the bar are also made fresh from fruit. Wonderful drinks. Service is very spot on and nice that it is family owned. I highly recommend Xclusive Taqueria. My go to.

Xclusive is the perfect and very fitting name of this Xquisite restaurant with Xtraordinary food and Xcellent service. My friend friend Nelly and I had not eaten dinner and she picked this gem. We got to the restaurant 12 minutes before the closing time of 9 pm and were welcomed warmly by the owner Idela who asked us to sit anywhere. We chose the beautiful enclosed outside patio where another Xceptional and very cool and spunky server Gabby greeted us with menus and waters. We ordered a lot of food. Eyes definitely bigger than our tummies. Actually the portions were very generous. Guacamole- so fresh and bursting with flavor. Loved the accompanying limes. The seabass tacos were to die for. Lots of beautiful and quality fish pieces and put together really well with gorgeous ingredients. The same for our charred cauliflower tacos. I tasted the vegetable salad and it was fantastic. Just enough dressing and seasoning. The initial welcome warm chips and the frijoles plus salsa were amazing. I loved the beans. Black beans on the taco platter were so tasty. I was super Xcited about the meal as I saw Gabby walking up to us with the huge serving plates. She was stellar. She checked up on us often and got us refills, Xtra limes, plates and spoons. We left with smiles, happy bellies and boxes for Thursday lunch plus a beautiful invitation to the live band performing on Fridays from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. I loved that they were so welcoming, patient and let us enjoy our meal despite the time. The music playing in the patio was very nice. Be back in about 38 hours for another fun, delicious and memorable Xperience.

Good service and decent taco Tuesday deals! My husband got the asada fries ($9), we both thought these were a bit flat- wouldn't order them again but I got the taco sampler ($9 with chorizo, al pastor, and carne asada and these were great! The tortillas were obviously homemade, they were very thick and fresh. The carne asada I actually didn't like much, I found it to be a bit bland and gamey, it didn't have a great texture either, but the al pastor and chorizo were both very good. I got a skinny margarita and my husband got the house margarita ($9 for TT) and those were also very good! I'd come back for the tacos and margaritas for sure. They give you chips & salsa- the salsas are homemade and really good! Loved the bean dip. My son got a kids chicken taco & fruit- the fruit was just melon so probably wouldn't order that side again. The chicken was good, a bit salty if you're giving it to a baby but par for the course at a Mexican restaurant I think. We sat outside, it's cute and the inside also looked nice!

A nicer Mexican restaurant with great vegetarian options. Casual place yet more than casual dining. Delicious chips, salsa and bean dip for starters. The cauliflower taco pickled cabbage threw me off a bit but still good. The vegetable enchiladas were hearty with great rice and bean side. Solid meal. Good service and plenty of seating with sports on every tv to enjoy.

Saw the reviews and couldn't have been more excited to come check it out. Food was fine. Service was good. It filled up with guests while we were sitting there. Everything was totally adequate. Nothing was a standout and I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here. It was a nice evening. We sat on the patio and enjoyed the weather. Families and dogs were welcome. For us, we have better options closer to home.

This place is amazing! It's part of our weekly rotation, mostly for brunch. I love the breakfast enchiladas and the huevos rancheros. Everything is so flavorful. The staff is so good!!! They always take the best care of us. I know I'm going to have an excellent meal when we go to Xclusive, and I look forward to it all week.

My family and I have been coming here since the place opened! This is the best Mexican restaurant in Orange County and has the best margaritas everywhere! Alex makes the best margaritas and he and Gabby are so kind. We will always come here

Best Mexican food I have had. Service is very freindly! Restaurant is clean. Love the live music!!!

Love the food. The bean dip is very good. Love the creativity of their tacos. It is a little pricey but you get what you pay for..

Someone at Ladera Animal Hospital recommended Xclusive. Great call! Thank you!! The tortilla chips were deliciously warm and crunchy. What a treat to be served two options; a spicy, slightly watery salsa and a flavorful warm bean dip. Yummy! We did not know when happy hour started but got here at 4:45; so I guess it was going on. Bummer. We would have ordered off the happy hour menu. We got the queso fundido, which was delicious but there was no pork chorizo. That was the first ingredient listed so we were excited. When we asked the waiter, he said it was there "lightly." If he said so.... A gentleman who may have been the owner or manager said next time to ask the waiter for more chorizo. It never occurred to me that was an option but it was kind of him to say. There was a tiny bit of outstanding guacamole, and chopped tomatoes. It was not pico de gallo but great flavor. Again, in the item description. We were just here for a light bite and this fit the bill. It was cheesy, warm, and filling. Next time, check the website first to see about any offers. That would've been much more desirable. Our dish was listed as an appetizer. It would satisfy three or four hungry diners. We will be back for Happy Hour.

Had an amazing time here today. Everything that hit the table was spot on--fresh, flavorful, and beautifully done. The cocktails were just as good, balanced and creative, and I loved seeing AsomBroso behind the bar. On top of all that, the service couldn't have been friendlier. Attentive without rushing, and you could tell they really wanted everyone to enjoy themselves. Between the atmosphere, the drinks, and the food, this spot is an easy 5 stars. --Rick

The food was delicious and the service was excellent. We started with chips, salsa and guacamole, everything was great! The carnitas and steak both had great flavors and dessert was equally delicious. We will definitely be back!

My new fave Mexican restaurant! What a hidden gem. Small place with a cool vibe and the BEST gourmet tacos I've ever had. We tried the sea bass, calamari, pork belly and my personal favorite the chile relleno tacos. Will definitely be back

We tried the Molcajete and it was amazing! Comes with chicken, steak, chorizo, AND carnitas.

Yummy! Walked into a restaurant filled with friendly faces. Started off our meal with some warm chips, salsa and delicious refried beans. I tried their pineapple margarita and it was nice and strong. The taco sampler was a great choice for us who wanted to try different meats, but my boys went with the 3 asada tacos, I tried their taco and enchilada combo, which was also delicious. They were all well plated and came out in a good amount of time.

The food here is fantastic. My friend and I shared a couple of dishes, so we could try more. We started with a spicy pineapple and jalapeño margarita with our chips, salsa and warm bean dip. We ordered the carnitas taco and enchilada combo with beans and rice and two sea bass tacos a la cart. We were stuffed, but loved every bite! The ambiance is fun and not stuffy at all with a bar and also outside seating. Service was just fine; not too much or too little attention. We cannot wait to return!

Food was okay .. tablets says lobster no lobster in the dish .. service was incredible thank god they have Nacho to make it all better .

We order take out from this location regularly. The staff is always friendly, food is flavorful and fast. So far our favorite dish is the empanadas-- they aren't like tranditional empanadas, they are more like tacos set up as a trio of pork, chicken and beef. Yummy.

Great food and service! Very friendly and attentive. Authentic Mexican food, everything is so fresh!

Good authentic, very friendly atmosphere, beautiful music. Good games, our plan on all the televisions, but I love the pork belly

Good food and friendly, attentive service. The fish tacos were tasty and my lunch mates said the carnitas were very good as well. Would definitely visit again.

Been going here for years and up until recently it was good. Changes in the management are apparent. Quality of service has gone down. Brought a friend recently who had never been and she like her burrito, despite the dry carnitas, mine came out wrong and the bar tender decided that I was in the wrong, charged me and then embarrassed me in front of my friend and other customers. Completely unprofessional and very rude. After visiting for over five years my family and I will not return. There are other places we can overspend on dinner out that provide kinder service and a better experience. Super disappointed.

Yum!!! This place has the best food. My steak salad was sooooo good. And they serve beans with their chips, not just salsa. My mom had fish tacos and they were delicious. This is our new favorite place.

Service was okay, Definitely don't order the trio Empanadas if you're expecting empanadas because you will get 3 birria tacos!! The kids beef taco is not worth $12 + $4 apple juice!!! I ordered the taco sampler and they didn't even come with salsa nor did they bother to offer salsa. Definitely won't be coming back!

This is our second time coming to this restaurant, and we can honestly say we have become a fan! Several months back, our son-in-law and our daughter suggested this restaurant since they live in the neighborhood and have had great experience. Last night, we had a delicious dinner. We started with The Grilled Pineapple Margaritas (my favorites), Cadillac Margaritas, and Model Especial beers, and shared the Guacamole with chips, salsa, and warm bean dip. Our entrees were the Skirt Steak Lollipops (absolutely delicious), the Shrimp Tacos combo, Skillet Tacos Al pastor, and Churros, and everything was terrific, from the presentation to the delightful flavors. We had Alejandro G. as our server, and he was welcoming, attentive, and friendly, making our dinner pleasant and fun. We will be coming back over, over and over again! Keep up the great job!! Two thumbs up

This is excellent, elevated Mexican food. The former Chef from Sol Agave came here I heard. The mole sauce is seriously off the hook here. Spicy margaritas are fresh & delicious. Not syrupy. Nacho, our server & the others are so welcoming & great. Highly recommend this place. We've been coming here for quite a while since we found them!

Great food and great service! Tried octopus taco it was delicious! Thank you ..!!!!! ..

Mexican food is readily available around the area but this place is by far the most exquisitely impressive. Finding the restaurant isn't difficult but parking in the front can sometimes be a challenge. Your best bet is parking behind the restaurant where there are plenty of parking spaces. Walking in, you are greeted by a hostess who will seat you by preference, indoors or at their outdoor covered patio. Luckily, we haven't had any issues being seated right away which is only leads me to one conclusion - very few know how incredible the food is here. Homemade (warm) tortilla chips, salsa, and warm refried beans with small bits of bacon are part of the food service. Honestly, I try not to eat all the tortilla chips and beans but it's hard when it's so damn good. For this trip, I ordered the Xclusive salad... and then I impulsively threw in an order of the pork belly taco because their tacos are arguably the best I've ever had... anywhere! The Xclusive salad consists of grilled fajita veggies, romaine hearts, pepitas seeds, corn, black beans, pico de gallo, avocado, queso fresco, tortilla strips, creamy pepita, and your choice of protein. I chose the steak which was cooked medium and beautifully flavored. The steak was also tender and juicy which went well with the salad. However, the pork belly taco stole the show. The pork belly is generously portioned, brilliantly tender, and juices oozing everywhere that it literally gave me chills. Topped with pickled red cabbage, mango relish, and lime crema, this taco was unexpectedly more than ordinary. All these different flavors were juxtaposed to create a mind blowing rich blend of sweet, savory, and acidic all at once. I threw my napkin down and was like, alright, how do I come here everyday and order this without looking obsessed? My overall experience was game changing. The amazing food and awesome staff combined justifies why I gave this restaurant a five star rating. I will absolutely come back again and again to try out other dishes but the pork belly taco will always be a part of my food order. Please, do not take it off the menu or my world will fall apart.

Got the steak burrito to go, the steak was chewy and very hard. It also tasted horrible. The ingredients in the burrito was just slapped on and not spread evenly. For a 19$ burrito I had higher expectations. 3/10 for their steak burrito!

The calamari wasn't cooked and the guy don't even care about saying sorry or let's get you a new plate! Poor service and overpriced 2 dollars for a side of habanero sauce!

We recently dined at Xclusive Taqueria Moderna and were thoroughly impressed by both the exquisite cuisine and the impeccable service. The menu showcased a variety of dishes and beverages which were presented beautifully. Upon entering the restaurant, we were immediately greeted by Nacho. Nacho, our server was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable and he ensured that our meal was a memorable one, providing excellent recommendations and ensuring our satisfaction. The tamarind margarita was the best ever...it was so tasty--a good balance of tartness, fruity-sweetness and alcohol. We had the short rib chile rojo and pork chile verde and both were excellent. I highly recommend Xclusive Taqueria Moderna for a fantastic dining experience.

I love this place the people there are amazing and very attentive. They're always looking out to make sure we have drinks and chips and dip. The food I give five stars.

I love my weekend breakfast burritos, probably more than most. I got to try their breakfast burrito at the Ladera Farmer's Market, and before I received it this burrito sounded great! We ordered one for each of us, at $10 each. The ingredient list was fairly long for a breakfast burrito, including salsa, beans, cheese, choice of meat, and potato. The people working the food truck were super friendly and helpful. It may just have been an off day given all the other amazing reviews, but the burrito was surprisingly flavorless given the amount of fun add-ins. We were especially surprised that the bacon had no flavor at all (and there were maybe two tiny squares of it in both of our burritos). I compared it to cardboard, which I didn't think was possible with bacon. Again, maybe an off day, but this place was a miss for me.

Excellent food and service. Traditional tortillas and food was amazing, very authentic. Karen gave us outstanding service.

The best meal of my life it is like you want to come back again . The ambiance oh my god love it so much .the service is like a home to revisit to .

I really loved this place. The food was great and Fernando was awesome! We are definitely going to go there again!

I like this place. It is a little more expensive than other Mexican places, but the food is really good. The place is kind of tucked away in a corner, so it's kind of easy to miss and parking can be difficult if there are a lot of people. Having said that, the interior seems pretty nice and the staff was very friendly. I would definitely give this place a chance if you're in the area.

Four stars if you order the Mexican food items on the menu, including the chicken mole, and delicious octopus and pork belly tacos, and the complimentary chips and salsa. Two stars to the expensive appetizers for two that has poorly made Asian fusion dishes that are hard to eat and are not made with care as their other food. The queso fundido wasn't what I expected either, not much flavor and a little too dense in texture. I'll definitely be back but sticking to the a la carte tacos!

We have been coming to Xclusive Taqueria for a few years and I must validate that it continúes to be one of the best Mexican Restaurante in OC. Karen was our waitress and she took great care of us. She was very attentive and really made out visit special. The food was very authentic and tasty- I recommend the Queso Fundido and Skirt Steak Skillet. A must visit Mexican restaurant in OC.

Excellent experience. Friendly service, fresh chips/salsa/beans. The sea bass taco was the best taco I've ever had. Spicy margarita was Lush

What a fantastic place!! Hidden gem, it is. I say hidden because it's tucked away in a cozy Ladera Ranch center. I originally was led to it by Yelp and a craving for Mexican food but for those familiar with the area, it occupies the former Jerry's Dogs location. I love the complimentary chips, salsa and bean dip you receive when you sit down. They have THE BEST chips of any Mexican restaurant -- no doubt! I always get a second helping of the salsa (it tastes phenomenal with the burrito I get). Which brings me to the steak burrito: it's large enough that you can take half away for lunch the following day. My other half loves their $9 taco trio. Probably the best deal on the entire menu. Take out available, too. Great place!! 2021: 40/100

I am leaving my review for the new location in the Jeronimo Center in Mission Viejo. Today was the grand opening so I stopped by for a late lunch, early dinner. I was greeted at the door by the lovely hostess who took me to a nice booth in the corner. I was introduced to a wonderful server who took my drink order and gave me their amazing menu which upon gazing at it proves to be comprised of truly authentic Mexican cuisine. The chips, salsa and bean dip were perfect started and I then ordered the Tampequena with a seafood enchilada, rice and beans...oh so so good. The presentation was exquisite and the taste off the charts. I spoke to several staff members including the owner who stopped by to say hello and welcome me to the establishment. I am a foodie as most folks know and can appreciate a fine establishment that appears to have their focal point on pleasing the customer with amazing food and service. My meal was perfect and I look forward to trying many more dishes in the future. Please stop by and try this amazing new restaurant as you will be pleasantly surprised. They also have an outside patio and a mariachi band on Saturday and Sunday each week. At the corner of Jeronimo and Los Olisos behind the Shell Gas Station and adjacent to the new pet store. Cheers!

Amazing food and service everytime. I've had about 6 different dishes and they were all delicious. This is my husband's- and my favorite Mexican restaurant in south Oc. So glad we found it

We have been long time customers of this establishment and recently it's been going down hill. Tonight was it! We were a party of 6. I'm gluten free and ordered the burrito with no tortilla and asked for a corn tortilla on the side. Our server talked to the kitchen and said ok we can do that but it's $5 extra for a substitution. I said I'm not asking for anything extra I'm just switching my tortilla...she didn't care. So I said I'll pass on ordering and I'll eat at home. At that point she took everyone else's order and walked away. Then we asked for more bean dip for the chips and we were charged $3 per small bowl. The Diet Coke was flat and there were floaters in my daughter's water. This used to be our spot but after tonight's experience we won't be back for a while.

Bland food, service and overall experience left plenty to be desired. Went in on a Thursday afternoon, not too many people in. Ordered some apps and entrees. Mole enchiladas were good, but that's about all that was good. Short rib taco-short rib was oddly stringy and not very flavorful. Empanadas-were not true empanadas, as they looked like tacos with thicker dough. Pastor plate-decent, probably the tastiest of anything. Pork belly taco-probably the most disappointing. Wish they had seasoned better and small touches like searing the pork belly tacos would have made all the difference Lastly, service was poor. 1 lady perhaps the manager, and 1 waitress. We had to ask for refills for drinks, didn't check in on us or ask how the food was. Just felt that they were going through the motions and not really providing a memorable experience . I had to ask for the check, then had to go hand it to the waitress and the manager asked "how was everything" and I replied with "just okay", she repeated "just okay" and I nodded yes. No follow up or curious as to why I was saying this and I just left. I really wanted to like this place, but sadly I now realize why the place was empty. I like to try different places as you never know, could be a lo key gem of a restaurant, unfortunately this wasn't it. .

I came here several months ago and had such a different experience! The staff was so welcoming & friendly the first time around, the food was killer, & don't get me started on the drinks Today... service was meh, food was meh... just an overall meh Small things too... had to ask for my salad dressing, my tortilla wasnt cooked, no salt & pepper shakers on the tables, out of TP in the bathroom. Just wasn't getting an Xclusivo vibe I do however love that they still serve a side of beans with the chips! Salsa is good and fresh too! Overall lunch was disappointing. I do want to say though, that I've been frequenting the newer one in Mission Viejo. Food & staff are great, I would recommend. I hope that ones level of service and quality stay PS. Ordered from their online menu over the phone, Just got bill & apparently they haven't had time to update price increase on there. Completely apologetic about it too Don't think I'll be back. Shame, place had so much potential!

I had takeout at Xclusive after my longest break from Mexican food ever and I was not disappointed, however there was room for improvement. We had an extensive order that included 3 main dishes and it was ready within 20 minutes and the takeout specialist was very patient as we went over our detailed order. The restaurant- When I arrived at the restaurant, I noticed a heated patio covered with a tarp. The outside patio seemed to have more seating than the inside and seemed like the best place to have parties of 10 or more. Although small- the Inside had a full service bar with an extensive alcohol selection and maybe 6 or 7 tables as well as probably a 60 inch TV showing sports. The food - we split steak enchiladas, steak fajitas, cheese enchiladas and veggie fajitas and all were delicious. The vegetables were crisp, fresh and plentiful. You name the veggie and it was part of the fajita combo. The veggie plate came with white rice instead of Spanish which was great - as some restaurants have veggie plates with Spanish rice which isn't vegetarian. The steak enchiladas with the mole sauce was excellent. The mole was smoky, sweet and savory all at once and the plate was aesthetically pleasing too -esp for takeout. The complimentary tortilla chips were thick and delicious without being overcooked. Unfortunately the steak was unevenly cooked within the steak fajita order - some pieces were very red and others were cooked well done (as ordered). However that was a minor blip on an otherwise excellent takeout experience

Disappointed with service. I've heard a lot about Xclusive and was excited to finally try it with my husband. We enjoyed our dinner, the place is nice, however when it came time pay and use my gift certificate I got for my birthday they wouldn't accept it. First it apparently was too old. Nowhere on the gift certificate does it have an expiration. I didn't realize that there was any kind of time limit or I would have used it sooner. Typically gift cards don't expire. Secondly, I had the receipt to prove the purchase, but because the person who rang up the gift didn't work there anymore it was also void. Interesting that gift certificates only work if the employee that rang it up still works there? Very strange. I've never heard of that rule before. Overall this left a bad impression as first timers here. I know we got the gift certificate from someone who wanted to recommend the place and then to hear we couldn't use our gift was a huge bummer. I honestly don't think we will return.

It's too bad this place is hidden in Ladera Ranch, because the food and drinks here are fantastic! I got a little fajita board, it wasn't little. The flavors are very good here and all of the various meats were very tender and seemed to be quality cuts, not usually typical for Mexican restaurants. With that said, I would love to go back, even just for Happy Hour since their margaritas are made with fresh juices and muddled.