Great service! Lots of love to Anna and Sasha. Best place to start and end an evening! read more

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The culinary experience is exceptional! The team members were very welcoming. I have been a loyal customer for approximately three years. The atmosphere truly adds to the overall dining experience! read more

Food was great, from the appetizers to the entrees everything was very delicious. I had a great experience thanks to our waitress Isa. She was friendly, attentive, and made me and my family feel welcomed. She checked on us regularly without being intrusive, made sure our drinks stayed full, and got every part of our order exactly right. Definitely recommend this restaurant and will come again! read more

Thanks for hiring Aiden!! He was professional and charismatic. Perfect mix! We will all be back. Take care of this employee read more

Perfect for a quick drink whirl Shopping Or A nice good meal after shopping Best bar and best bartender in the area read more

Caló Kitchen + Tequila - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Came to Caló Kitchen + Tequila with family to celebrate our father's birthday. We had reservations for a party of 9 and our table was ready as soon as we arrived. The highlight was definitely the service! Our waiter, Juan, was attentive, informative, and friendly, and the rest of the team helping our table was just as great. Easily some of the best service we've had with a large party. Food-wise, it felt more like Americanized Mexican food paired with a trendy lounge vibe, so nothing particularly stood out for me. Still, we had a good overall experience and the exceptional service made our celebration that much better! read more

Modern, trendy Mexican restaurant when celebrating a nice occasion! Food for everyone !! ====== Service was pretty good for the most part. We got checked up on a lot, but then it kinda dwindled a bit toward the end which was odd. Had to gio and find the server. Food portion here is generous, most plates are shareable. Ahi ceviche 4/5 Lots of ahi and mango, I liked the freshness of the fish and the sweetness from the mango. Wish it was cut a little chunkier tho! Could do with less chipotle mayo on the chips Free chips and salsa 4/5 Seasoned black beans are yummy, the red salsa they have is good but not amazing Kids bean and cheese burrito 3.5/5 Good but not amazing. Pinto beans are creamy and the red seasoned rice is tastier than their corn white rice. Two burritos are half palm sized, perfect for little hands. Queso fundido 5/5 Great balance on this dish. Came with some pork as protein and charred veggies, and a sublime salsa. The flour tortillas have a nice chew that went super well with the smooth cheese and spicy salsa. Halibut tacos 4/5 Not the largest tacos, maybe 3 bites for each taco, but the flavor was yummy with the seasoning they used on the fish. Comes with beans and rice. Margarita 4/5 Was strong and large! Outside seating was quite warm, but the bar area was much cooler weather wise. Def need to try their burrito! read more

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So so good! This is my new favorite Mexican restaurant! Not only was the food fresh, unique and fantastic, but the service was above and beyond any dining experience I have had lately. During our visit, our party of 6 was seated promptly and the service was very attentive the entire time. Meanwhile, the place was packed!!! I mean no empty tables kinda packed. Food was delivered hot and fresh, bursting with flavor. Truly one of the best dine-in experiences. And...one of the most affordable, bang-for-you-buck, elevated dining experiences I've had locally in a long time. Look forward to visiting again soon. read more

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IMO, elevated Mexican isn't easy to do. Authentic Mexican is SO flavorful, SO delicious and then you try to make that fancier and Americanize it and that's no easy feat. TL;DR you're not coming for the best Mexican as the food is just fine, but the ambiance is moody and romantic and the service is great. (Oh but you're paying for all that.) Came for a group dinner and although it's in a mall, you won't feel that way when you walk in as they manage to block the outside surroundings pretty well. The dark lit restaurant is romantic but not overly stuffy and the outdoor/indoor design keeps the mood light, almost like you're on vacation. It's a tequila bar and they don't really have a full bar so I hope you like tequila or mescal. If you do, they have great drinks although do you have to put tajin on everything? The food is where things start to fall apart. Like unsalted guac, unbalanced and overly sweet ahi tartare. They spent a lot of time on presentation and not enough time on truly balancing the flavors. The queso was the most flavorful with the pork and plenty of tangy and rich flavors but otherwise most everything else was forgettable. You can tell a lot about a Mexican restaurant by the chips and these chips were crunchy but SO bland. The beef birria tacos were pretty good but hard to mess up a fried taco with consomme. The main courses were again fine. Beautifully plated but flavor was just so so. While there was decent flavor on my halibut tacos, the fish itself had little flavor. The steak was cooked well. A little chewy but again not a lot of flavor overall. We got one of every dessert. Again all fine not great. The flan was by far the best, so recommend that if you like the flan. The service was the best part. Really attentive, customer service oriented, friendly. Again this is a great spot for a date or a special evening if you aren't that focused on food. But for the price, you want the food to be just as good as everything else here. read more

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I've been here twice now and it was consistently good. I kinda think of it as a slightly lower level than Javiers although they're very similar. Food is good, service is great, ambiance is lively with a tropical modern twist. This second time I had the Pollo Chipotle which came with a chile relleno. The sauce is very creamy with a good kick. This place is good for a nice dinner or happy hour imo. read more

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Found a nice place to eat when I shop/visit South Coast plaza ! Its located on the lower level by the side entrance near the carousel and Verni chocolate & gelato shop. It has beautiful tropical decor with a huge bar area. There are also semi private dining rooms ,booth seating and patio seating . We chose to sit at the bar since we really wanted to get a drink and just relax and enjoy the vibe. The bartender came over to say hello and took our drink requests and also our food order as well. Got an appetizer of chicken taquitos which was really great generously stuffed with meat and drizzled wirh 3 tasty sauces ! We ordered a couple of drinks 1. Strawberry margarita 2. Cucumber cilantro margarita & two entrees. 1. Carnitas plate ( with rice & beans) 2. Spinach enchiladas ( with rice & beans) *Complimentary chips with salsa & BEAN DIP * The bean dip was so delicious that I hardly used the salsa which was good on its own. Although both entrees was good and satisfying and we could only eat half the meal . Great place for a meet up with friends ! I'm betting the bar scene is great in the pm! Only disappointment was that they don't offer Happy hour ( Sad face). read more

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Located in South Coast plaza near where the carousel is. Calo is an upscale Mexican restaurant with a beautiful bar and nice interior ambiance. It's easy to make reservations online via yelp. Service was a bit slow, but really enjoyed the complimentary salsa and black bean dip they start you with, as well as my steak fajitas. They cooked it a perfect medium rare and it was seasoned well! read more

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We decided to try Calo for our weekly lunch date and it was pretty empty at open. We got sat immediately and I decided to go with the steak fajitas. While we waited for our entrees, they served complimentary chips and salsa/beans which were delicious and definitely a plus for the restaurant. The steak fajitas came out presented well but was a bit disappointed in the seasoning. The steak wasn't seasoned well and a bit bland which led to the wraps feeling a little flavorless. I added a decent amount of salsa to add some kind of flavor profile but for the price of these fajitas, most likely wouldn't order again. I will say the restaurant is beautiful but definitely on the pricier side for those looking for a quick meal. I would suggest Cali for a nicer date night or special occasion lunch. read more

Caló Kitchen + Tequila - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Just came back from an early dinner here and had such a strange/bad experience. I'll break it down - We had a reservation for 10 people including one toddler. I had called ahead a few days to confirm they have high chairs and that we needed one. I also mentioned this to the host when we checked in. The restaurant was pretty empty, but somehow they made us wait 15 minutes for our table - despite having a reservation and checking in on time with our full party. The host gave the canned "we're preparing your table now" when I followed up with him. This was foreshadowing. When we got to the table there was no high chair - they told us none were available and they'd get one to us as soon as one opened up. It turns out there were only 4 in the whole restaurant due to one breaking over the weekend? It took forever to get our orders in. Not for lack of trying. It seemed like they were short staffed for a Saturday and the runners definitely let us feel it. When they dropped off the tortillas, the runner who brought the food told us they were corn so we told him we ordered the half and half. He flatly said "these are corn. Talk to your server" in the most combative tone. Cool cool cool. There were huge gaps where there was no one on the floor to flag down for things during our meal. And it took a really long time before we got to order. We got seated and then waited another 15 minutes before anything went in. The only silver lining to our meal was our server Ashlyn - she was amazing! Our interactions with her were excellent. She was so warm and really did a great job trying to make the best of our time. It just felt like she was spread too thin and didn't get to check in on us that often. They eventually got us the high chair almost 30 minutes later as the entrees came out, but other tables around us were not so lucky and just had to deal with it. We ordered a little bit of everything as a table of 10 with apps and their own dishes does. I think all the food was solid and the platter we got was a good deal. The shrimp stood out as being well cooked and not overdone. All the drinks we ordered were fine if not a little weak/watery. The lady in a green striped shirt (manager?) stopped by twice to ask us if we were doing okay. But this was already towards the end of the meal and nothing could salvage the bad vibes from earlier. We just kept things moving. Overall, this is a management problem and the quality of the experience does not match the price tag. I would hesitate to recommend this place for a group and would definitely not go if you have little ones due to the poor hospitality starting from when you check in with the host stand. The slow meal service and the lack of high chairs made it an overall mediocre experience. 2 out of 10. read more

Caló Kitchen + Tequila - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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My experience was 100% what it was because of my waitress! It isn't often that you're served by someone who genuinely loves what they do and truly enjoys meeting new people. From the moment i sat down, Isabel was warm, welcoming, and incredibly attentive. She made me feel like valued guests rather than just another table. Her positive attitude, friendly personality, and attention to detail made the entire dining experience memorable. She anticipated our needs, made great recommendations, and checked in at just the right times without ever being intrusive. It's clear she takes pride in providing outstanding service, and it absolutely shows. Great food is important, but exceptional service is what keeps people coming back. Isabel (Isa) deserves recognition for the amazing job she does, and I'll definitely be returning because of the experience she created. read more

Caló Kitchen + Tequila - Lemon drop martini - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Been to this place a few times and the food has been pretty solid. The steak fajitas, beans, and guac were all flavorful. We got 3 tortillas on the side as well. They also serve complimentary chips with salsa and beans which are great. The ambiance is pretty nice and the employees are very friendly. read more

Caló Kitchen + Tequila - Prime Skirt Steak Fajitas - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Went to Calo for an anniversary dinner this week. It was wonderful! Our server David was incredible. The drinks, food, dessert (flan), and ambiance were all great. It's a very lovely place, you'd never know you were in a front of a parking lot at south Coast Plaza. Appetizer- birria tacos were delicious Food- enchiladas and chicken fajitas were yummy! Drinks- Cadillac and as 10/10 read more

I used to love the one in Laguna Niguel and then the service and quality of food started slipping. I thought I would give the one in Costa Mesa try. We sat at the bar and the bartenders were very busy so it was hard to get their attention. I started off with the pineapple margarita, which was amazing. I also love their chips and salsa. Then we had to flag somebody down to take our dinner order. I ordered the fajita salad with no sour cream and asked for dressing on the side. It came with no dressing at all, and no pico, no corn and no pepitas. I didn't say anything about half the ingredients missing from the salad. I did ask for the dressing though and then waited. I had to ask two different people for dressing before I got it. My friend ordered an enchilada which she said was cold and the cheese wasn't even melted on it. She asked for them to heat it up and then they sent a new one out and it was warm, but she said so salty she couldn't eat it. We waited a while for them to take our cards to pay. No one checked on us during the meal overall and underwhelming experience and meal. It's a pretty restaurant though. And it's huge. read more

Caló Kitchen + Tequila - Fajita salad. It's giving a chipotle bowl vibe. But way less ingredients and a $28 price tag. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

We came from out of town for the weekend and got lucky with this gem of a place. It was so good we went back one more time before we went home. First time we sat at the bar. Bartenders were very kind and knowledgeable. Made the most delicious drinks. The atmosphere was so beautiful and elegant. The place was very busy. Second time we came back we were sat at a booth. 10/10 both times. Food was spectacular. If we ever come back to the west coast we will make sure this is the first stop. read more

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Great spot for a business lunch at Calo Kitchen + Tequila. Adriana really made the experience--friendly, attentive, and gave great recommendations. I was looking for something lighter and went with the halibut tacos--fresh, clean, and not heavy at all. The watermelon lemonade was a standout (made with fresh watermelon, you can taste it), and I also had the unsweetened passionfruit tea which I liked. We started with the queso--super melty with that major cheese pull (very stringy in the best way). Quick heads up though: it does have pork. Same with the complimentary bean dip that comes with the chips and salsa. Adriana was great about flagging that for us and brought out a vegetarian version of the beans instead, which a lot of the group enjoyed. The space is beautiful and definitely gives "nice lunch meeting" energy. Easy parking at the mall too. Would come back. read more

Calo Kitchen in Orange County is worth the hype. At first, I didn't understand why people would wait two hours for a table, but after getting lucky with a last-minute opening, I get it. It was delicious. The fajitas were the standout. The steak was cooked perfectly, and everything on the plate, rice, beans, guacamole, onions, was excellent. We also shared the nachos, and they were far from basic. They really went all out. Drinks were great, service was friendly, and the space is modern and sleek. Everyone at the table loved their food. I'd definitely come back. read more

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Calo is conveniently located inside South Coast Plaza, so it's an easy stop if you're in the middle of a shopping day. The ambiance is really nice, plenty of comfy booth seating and a chic, polished vibe that makes it feel a little more elevated than your typical spot. The margaritas were solid and I liked that they can make any of them virgin. I tried the blackberry margarita without alcohol and it was super refreshing. Food wise, it was just okay, nothing bad, but nothing that really stood out either. Overall, it gave me strong Javier's vibes: stylish interior, decent Mexican food, and drinks that are definitely the highlight. That said, the pricing could definitely be better. It feels a little steep for what you get, this would be the perfect place for a reverse happy hour, especially on Sundays during that last hour before closing. It'd make it way more tempting to swing by at the end of a shopping trip. read more

Caló Kitchen + Tequila - Taquitos en Tres Salsas - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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We celebrated our 30th anniversary here, and I'm so glad we did, it is so good. I would think it would be compared to Javier's, but it is 1000 times better, in my opinion. Everything was excellent from the food to the service. The Cadillac margaritas were phenomena. We had the Tres Enchiladas de Mariscos (crab, lobster, and shrimp), and they were absolutely delicious. We also ordered the Ahi Ceviche, and honestly, it was probably the best I've ever had. We wanted the churros but they were out but the fried ice cream was great. Great food, great drinks, great service, and the perfect place to celebrate 30 years together. We'll definitely be back! It does lean towards the spicer side, I'm not a spice girl (but I'll tell you what you want, what you really really want) and it is still excellent. read more

Caló Kitchen + Tequila - Enchiladas - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Every thing here is Amazing Food was delicious fresh tasty Service was terrific Sofia was great Kind best suggestions .the place is Beautiful inside and out One off *My Favorite place for sure .. read more

Caló Kitchen + Tequila - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Service was incredible. Our server Ivan was kind and respectful. Everything he liked and suggested was delicious. I ordered the seafood enchilada trio and my favorite was the lobster. That creamy sauce was fire!!! My friend ordered the filet mignon meal it was sooo good fairly priced and lots of food!! We ordered 3 desserts: churro (my fav), the flan (so good, well made, firm and great texture), and the Deep fried ice cream (my friends fav). We had a great experience. It's a very vibey restaurant, beautiful for a date or a good time with friends read more

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Stopped by to have a few drinks.. ok let me say they have some amazing drinks here was not to hungry so I didn't eat nothing maybe next time.. but the service here is amazing a nice place to have a date night or just come to hangout and have a few drinks.. read more

Caló Kitchen + Tequila - Forgot the name but it's good - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Ladies night out and here we are!! We only got their appetizers and plenty of it! Guacamole- so good! Queso Fundido- so cheesy! I really enjoyed this Ahi Ceviche- very fresh. Good flavors Chicken Tostada- this thing is huge! But question... how do I eat this.. the flour shell break it into pieces and scoop the fillings I'm assuming. We tried sharing this and it was pretty hard but for your own it's delicious. Flavors were good tho Beef Queso Tacos- birria style tacos but make it mini!! Love it!! Dranks: La Sandia- super refreshing and delicious We got pretty full from all that. Flavors were actually pretty good for a Mexican restaurant at South Coast! Impresssed read more

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I've been to this restaurant several times and loved it, but the last time was absolutely horrible. Idk if they recently changed chefs or if the chef was sick and they brought random people in from the street to cook, or what. I ordered the pollo chipotle, which I always get. We told them no pork, as we always do. The food came out with half the components missing, everything was thrown onto the plate, and the rice.. omg the rice. I think my 2 yo nephew could make better rice than that. It looked like someone had chewed it up and spit it onto the plate. I asked what was happening, and the manager basically tried to argue with me that the things missing was bc of "pork contamination" (which they had never mentioned before on previous trips), and then brought me out another plate of the same disgusting rice. They then offered a free dessert which we didn't even want but figured we'd try to get something out of such a horrible experience. They were out of the dessert we chose (at like 5 pm), so we got something that was overly sweet and mid. I'm still mad I paid for that meal. Honestly will never go back. read more

Caló Kitchen + Tequila - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Amazing place with beautiful decor, great staff and excellent food/drink. The last 2 times I have visited Calo at SCP was just to sat at the bar and have drinks with their complimentary chips & salsa & beans. This time a few of us visited on a Saturday afternoon to have drinks and food. I was very impressed with the service and the quality of all the items we tried. Our server was excellent, made sure our order was perfect, kept bringing us napkins and cleaning the table and refilling our water. The gentleman who sat us was very nice and made sure to let the rest of our group know where to find us. The dining room is gorgeous! Spacious and full of plants and comfy furniture. The bar area is also gorgeous, with a huge oval bar, several booths and top shelf liquor/craft cocktails. We decided to share a couple of food items. The shrimp ceviche was delish, lots of shrimp and fresh avocado with the tangy lime juice. Eaten with the tortilla chips made it even better. The trio of enchiladas was on the pricey side ($45) but 3 of us shared it and it was a perfect amount of food. The lobster was cooked well, the crab was tender and the shrimp was so flavorful. The chips with beans and salsa - OMG to die for. You can ask for the non-pork version, which is un-mashed pinto beans. We tried the 3 leches cake for dessert. You get a very hearty version and there is a decadent whipped type topping on the top of the moist cake bread. We couldn't even finish it! Our cocktails were great too. I started with the cadillac marg, they really know how to make a perfect margarita! The pineapple chile is one of my favorites. Not too sweet, top tier ingredients. We got the hibiscus cocktail also, yummy! And lastly, the Honeybee, which was almost like a fresh juice with a little bit of sweetness. Such a great spot to come in for some drinks or have lunch/dinner. Highly recommend! read more

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A+ all around. Service especially- prompt, friendly and barkeep Noah was superbly on point with crafting me an extra caliente mango caliente cocktail! The house salsa is delicious and very fresh. And the Mexico City quesadillas were also fantastic- texture reminded me of a puffy and lighter empanada, and the generous portion of avocado garnish was wonderfully tangy and creamy. Very lively and happy crowd on a Saturday night- would definitely recommend reservations for larger parties. It's a bit pricey but you will get what you paid for. read more

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This restaurant is on repeat for me! Not only is it stunningly beautiful but the service is great and the food is delicious! Tonight I tried the cilantro cucumber margarita, which was delicious. We also skipped appetizers and went straight to our meals. So we had the short rib enchiladas, the Halibut tacos and then as a table share, we did the shrimp and lobster enchiladas. I am a huge fan of the halibut tacos and after trying the shrimp and lobster enchiladas I would say those will be a repeat for me. Also they were so good! If you save any room for dessert, the churros are delicious! read more

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First off I want say the food was amazing. If you're in the Costa Mesa area you need to check this place out. You better believe I will be coming back, and for your sake hopefully you will be too. Service was impeccable and Dylan deserves a sizable raise for what he has done today. Right when we were about to pass out from smoke Dylan sprinted out and politely asked him to go. Dylan is no waiter he is a hero. His manager JP also made sure all of our needs were met before even having to ask! Great Experience. read more

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Wish I had more pictures of them pretty foooooood. But alas. I'm not perfect. It's too many months ago and probably on my old iCloud. Anyways, the staff here is what makes it. I almost always get servers and bartenders that are super sweet accommodating and deliver on quality service. I'm Mexican AF, So I'm a just a bit brutal with judging and critiquing "Mexican" cuisine in USA. I'm just picky and know my shit. But the food here is good and I know it's a lot of people's favorite / go to spot. It's fine. It's solid. It gets the job done. I typically come for the drinks, the vibes, and the god damn black bean / salsa dip combo. Don't @ me. I know how to box. I'm from TJ. I'm from the streets. I have a hefty body count. And I ain't talkin intercourse. Salud, dinero y amor read more

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This place was sooo good and cute!! We came here for a friends bday and it was perfect (there were 7 of us). Some of us got there a bit early so we had a drink at the bar which was such a vibe. I had the calo margarita and it was so good next time I wanna try the fun ones - they had so many flavors but I decided to stick to the house. To start the chips and salsa came with the table and it was soo good. The salsa was great but I particularly loved the bean dip. It was unique and added to the salsa. For food the menu had a large variety. It was so hard to choose because so much sounded good but I went with the chicken enchilada and beef crispy taco which is usually my go to at a Mexican restaurant. Other people got the quesadilla, burrito, and beef enchiladas and everyone loved their food so it seems like you can't go wrong. Our server was also great! read more

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We celebrated a friends birthday here on a Friday night! Book a reservation ahead of time and recommend for a large group or date night setting. The food and cocktails were amazing!! I ordered the Mexico City Cosmo and then the pork & pineapple tacos. We also had short rib enchiladas, ceviche, and shrimp taquitos. Our waitress Jennifer M was amazing!! She was so sweet and professional! read more

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Was really looking forward to trying this new place out at South Coast plaza. Elevated Mexican eatery. It's modern and very open inside, looked very nice so my expectations were high. Was seated right away for a party of two at around 2pm. Chips, salsa and beans were ok. Waitress couldn't keep our small glass of water full, we kept looking for her for a refill. We decided to share a three item combo. Rice, beans, enchilada, Chile rellebo and chicken taco. All were extremely bland! And portions were tiny! Service for how show it was was not great, not friendly. The hostess was the only warm welcome and goodbye we got.bwill not be returning! read more

Caló Kitchen + Tequila - Three item combo, super bland! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

We went for an early dinner on the weekend and were told the wait would be 1 to 1.5 hours, so we were a little disappointed at first. However, the host kindly let us know that there were open seats at the bar, so we decided to eat there instead. The bartenders were incredibly friendly, and more importantly, every single dish we ordered was delicious. The black beans were honestly the best I've ever had. We'll definitely be back! read more

Caló Kitchen + Tequila - Prime Skirt Steak Fajitas - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Oh my goodness! This place is amazing The staff are great, friendly and attentive! I love coming here to eat authentic food and high end with best quality food! Love their black beans and carne asada is so tender, so yummy! I highly recommend this place if you're in south coast plaza mall try it! read more

Caló Kitchen + Tequila - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Came to this restaurant to celebrate my friend's birthday, and we had a group of about 15 people. It was really nice that they were able to accommodate us in a private area, which made the celebration feel more intimate and comfortable. Because we were a large party, we had a set 3-course menu that included three appetizers, one entrée per person, and three shared desserts. For the appetizers, the cheesy empanada was definitely a standout for me. The pastry was crisp and flaky on the outside, while the inside was warm, gooey, and packed with rich, savory cheese that felt indulgent without being overwhelming. The birria crunchy tacos were also very enjoyable -- the shell had a great crunch, and the birria itself was flavorful, slightly smoky, and nicely seasoned, with that slow-cooked depth you expect from good birria. The ceviche, on the other hand, was just okay for me. It leaned heavily on the citrus, which made it refreshing but also a bit one-note compared to the other starters. For my entrée, I ordered the ribeye tacos. By the time they arrived, I was already pretty full (which is probably a good sign for the portion sizes). The ribeye itself was tender and flavorful, and it sat on a cheesy base that added extra richness to each bite. My only small wish here was that the tacos came with a salsa or sauce on the side -- we ended up using the salsa that came with the tortilla chips served earlier, which worked, but a fresh pairing would've really elevated the dish. Dessert was a trio of churros, flan, and tres leches cake. All three were good and satisfying, though they definitely leaned on the sweeter side. The churros were warm and crisp, the flan was silky, and the tres leches was moist and rich -- just a bit heavy after such a filling meal. As for drinks, service was a little slow, likely because of the size of our group, but once they arrived, they were worth the wait. I ordered the spicy margarita, and it had a great balance of sweetness, acidity, and heat, with a nice kick that didn't overpower the drink. Overall, it was a solid experience with flavorful food, a fun atmosphere for groups, and just a few small things that could be improved. I'd definitely consider coming back, especially for celebrations or group dinners. read more

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Calo Kitchen & Tequila was delicious! The restaurant is beautiful with a fun, lively atmosphere that works just as well for a casual lunch as it does for date night or even a birthday celebration. We loved that they started us off with complimentary chips, salsa, and bean dip, everything was so fresh and flavorful. We ordered the mango tuna ceviche, fish tacos, and lobster enchiladas, and every dish was delicious. The portions were generous too, we ended up taking plenty of leftovers home and didn't even have room for dessert. We'll definitely be back to try more! The only thing I'd mention is that the food does lean on the spicy side, and there doesn't seem to be an option to adjust the spice level. I have a pretty low spice tolerance, so even some items, like the beans, had a noticeable kick for me. If you're sensitive to spice, I'd recommend asking your server which dishes are the mildest. Other than that, we had a fantastic experience and hope Calo's stays at South Coast Plaza for a long time. It's a great addition to the mall! read more