Another bucket list restaurant. Such a great spot in Old Tustin. It's a beautiful free standing restaurant with lots of indoor and outdoor seating. We were greeted pleasantly and quickly shown to our table in a great location in the middle of the restaurant. The decor and atmosphere immediately makes you feel like you're in the Yucatán. We ordered the shrimp huarache, Cochinita Pibil torta and Pato (duck) Salbute. All three were completely different and delicious. We also ordered the Basque cheesecake for dessert which was both pretty and delicious. read more

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Delicious food with plenty of great vegetarian options as well! Everything we ordered was flavorful, fresh, and beautifully presented. The decor and ambiance made the whole experience feel cozy, warm, and inviting. The service was also excellent. Everyone was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the meal. Honestly, I'm so glad we ended up here instead of going to Javier's! We had such a great experience from start to finish, and it turned out to be the perfect spot to celebrate a birthday. Definitely a place I'd be happy to come back to! The only thing I didn't like was the beignets. It just wasn't what I expected. It was undercooked, dense, and just not great. read more

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Came here to celebrate a birthday, and it was such a great experience. It's tapas style dining, so it's perfect for sharing a variety of dishes with the table. The atmosphere is beautiful, it feels like you're dining in a cozy house/patio. Our server was incredibly friendly, attentive, and welcoming, which made the meal even more enjoyable. Guava Brava - Such a refreshing and delicious cocktail. I would definitely order this again. Almejas al Vapor Picantes - The avocado clam sauce was incredible, especially paired with the focaccia bread for dipping. Pulpo al Guajillo - One of my favorite dishes of the night. Perfectly cooked and full of flavor. Empanadas - Really good! We all loved these. Salbute Pato Ahumado - Tasty, but it wasn't one of my favorites compared to the other dishes. Poc Chuc - I'd probably skip this next time. The flavor was good, but the meat wasn't as tender as I expected and was a bit tough to chew. Beignets - So delicious! They come with chocolate and caramel dipping sauces, and they were the perfect way to end the meal. Our server even brought us a side of vanilla ice cream to enjoy with them, which turned out to be an amazing combination. Overall, we had a wonderful birthday dinner here. Between the cozy atmosphere, excellent service, and standout dishes, I'd definitely come back to try more of the menu. read more

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Really nice food presentation and experience overall. We got a few dishes to try off their lunch menu. The flatbread and clams were stood out to me with the amazing flavors. Also got the octopus ceviche, definitely very limey taste I would think adding a sweet notes to balance out the dish. The pulled pork tacos were mediocre. I loved their Smokey black hot sauce so do ask for that. Overall great dining experience and service was good. read more

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The food was absolutely delicious, with so much flavor in every dish. The atmosphere was beautiful and inviting, and the service was friendly and attentive. Everything felt thoughtfully done, from the presentation of the food to the overall dining experience. Such a great spot for a nice meal and definitely somewhere I'd love to come back to! read more

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Had a great experience at Chaak Kitchen this month for a birthday date. The interior of this restaurant is stunning. It is the perfect spot for a date night out, especially in the summer. We ordered carne crudo, castacan, cochinita pibil, and beignets for dessert. For a drink I got a pineapple tamarind agua fresca that was a perfect combination. I really enjoyed everything we ate here. 3 dishes was enough to feed 2. The standout was the cochinita pibil. I do wish we got a little variety and picked a different dish instead of getting 2 pork dishes but both the cochnita pibil and castacan were highly recommended by a friend. The beignets and the dipping sauces were delicious . The dough was so fluffy. The service was great and we sat right next to the kitchen. You could tell the staff is organized and keeps a clean kitchen which is always nice to see with these open kitchen restaurants. Parking is street parking only. read more

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This place is so cute! In the heart of old town Tustin. Open air seating, good vibes + the best service and food. Everything we ordered was so good. I forgot the names of them all but just trust me on this one! Our server brought us out their house made hot sauce that complimented every dish we ordered. Don't forget to ask for it! One was a black charred ghost pepper paste like sauce, nothing like I've ever had. So good. The best thing about all of the food was nothing was too saucy or salty. My girlfriends ordered some drinks and they loved it too. We went on a Thursday and they had a farmers market on the streets as well! read more

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I came here with a reservation for a birthday dinner with a big group. We ordered the family menu set to share with everyone. The set menu was super filling and the food was pretty good. My favorites is the steak and salad. It was super yummy. The food did take awhile to come out but the servers checked up on us often. Overall, the food was good but a bit pricey. I would come back for special occasions and try other items on the menu next time! read more

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Wow. Totally outstanding. We had reservations for 1:30, but traffic was really bad so it looked like our arrival time was more like 2 o'clock. We call them and give them a heads up and wondered if there was still availability. Melody was pretty transparent and said that there is a different menu between two and five ---a more limited menu. She asked if there was anyway we could get there before 2 o'clock. Long story short, she was super gracious and told the cooks that we would get there a little after two and they would make us something from the lunch menu. Isa was our waitress, and she was phenomenal! Great sense of humor, very transparent about the different menu items. I got a copal and it was fantastic! Smoky and spicy, but not too spicy. We started our late lunch with Caesar salad, Sopa Limon, Seabreem fish dish. We also got the cubano. We were so stuffed by the end of it, but everything was phenomenal. The Caesar salad was a great way to start the meal, but after a couple of bites of it once we had the other dishes, it didn't stand out as much. We probably would've ordered the same thing all over again, with the exception of the Caesar salad (although it was still good!) Sopa Limon had a very unique bone broth flavor. It was a little sweet. So amazing. Seabreem dish - the vegetables played an important part in the flavors! The fries and the aïoli for the Cubano was amazing. The Cubano was excellent, but was a big serving. We sat outdoors, but if I had to have my choice, I would prefer indoors because the ambience indoors is similar to a resort. It reminds us of a place up in the Bay Area called Luna in Campbell. Except the food here is slightly better :). Will definitely return! read more

Chaak Kitchen - Copal! So good! A must! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tustin, California

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Sooooo good. This place is amazing. Every detail is in order. Val was our most excellent server and she was great! Inside seating or outside seating you can't go wrong. The cocktails are great nice beer selection great wine list. I had a Willamette Pinot Noir call Coeur de Terre. My group only had small plates as we were not that hungry but the quality of all our dishes makes me want to come back for the Platos Fuertes! Definitely come give this place a chance and ask for Val. read more

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Chaak is at the center of charming Old Town Tustin. Between walks around this captivating area, you can relax at Chaak's patio or inside its modern dining room to enjoy its supreme Yucatecan cuisine. Cochinita Pibil: When you unwrap the banana leaves, the prize is the pork shoulder that has been smoked for 12 hours. Grab some of the insanely tender pork with the warm and supple blue corn tortillas. Add some achiote-sour orange braising juice, pickled onions and watermelon radishes. Top it with the avocado puree and salsas. Also add some black charred habanero sauce, whose fiery heat puts this dish over the top. Pulpo al Guajillo: The grilled octopus is lightly charred and crispy, and nice and meaty on the inside. The garbanzo bean puree is like the smoothest creamiest hummus. The diced chayote is similar to young potatoes with a little crunch. Crumbled red chorizo enhances the savoriness of the ingredients. And the hoja santa gremolata is a medley of green herbal flavors. Ceviche Campeche: The cubes of striped bass and octopus are delicate and soft, combined with yellow and red cherry tomatoes, onions, cilantro, scoops of avocado, avocado mousse, cucumber, watermelon radish, and leche de tigre. The zing from the lime juice and the crunch of the blue tortillas makes for a perfect bite. Tamal Colado: This is a deconstructed tamal. The masa is molded into a slender rectangular block. The consistency of the masa is like pudding, just really soft and creamy. Chile braised lamb shank is placed on the masa. Then, an herby tangle of carrot tops and sorrel leaves go on top. On either side are clumps of crunchy cucumber-mint xni pek and silky hazelnut muhammara. Parrillada Yucatan: If you are still hungry, this mixed grill plate will do the job. The prime skirt steak is exquisitely cooked, so soft, moist, and tender. The smoked sausage has a wonderful flavor and is a little spicy. Pollo pibil has a dry rub of achiote and sour orange, and it gives a nice smoky kick. Chuuk Trio: This appetizer plate features sikil p'ak (a dip of pumpkin seeds), guacamole, and salsa. Dip the tortillas and light and crispy rinds into these dips. read more

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I had high hopes for this place when looking up places to take my mother for her birthday. Highly recommend making a reservation. Once we arrived, we were seated relatively quickly. The inside was decorated beautifully and there were plenty of tables for parties of any size. We tried many different things. The food tasted good but I personally felt that the dishes were more to the blander side. When asked if there was anything they offer for a birthday, we were just told by the staff plainly that this restaurant 'offers nothing complimentary' right in front of my family. That's fine, but on a whole atmosphere level, I won't be taking my family back here or recommending this place to my friends. There are better options close by. read more

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Had the pleasure of dining at Chaak, and since I knew I'd be in the area that day, I decided it was best to make reservations. We arrived about 15-20 minutes early because we weren't sure how busy it would be. When we walked in, it was surprisingly slow, which was odd, the maitre d took a good minute to seat us. There were plenty of available tables, but she decided to wait until exactly 6:30, which felt a bit off. Our server also took a while, maybe another 10-15 minutes to arrive, but at least someone was pouring water in the meantime. After some time, Lyndsay came over apologizing, explaining she was busy cleaning up broken wine bottles? Once that was sorted, everything got much better. We ordered the bone-in NY steak, octopus (pulpo asado), esquites, and finally the Bombas! Everything was absolutely -- it was a fantastic experience. I can't wait to visit their sister location, which offers more modern Mexican cuisine, compared to Chaak, which is inspired by the Yucatan Peninsula. Very modern ambiance! Reservations not required but highly suggested! read more

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Food was mostly great (empanadas dough could use some salt), drinks were watered down a bit (they didn't really taste like an alcoholic beverage). The five stars are mostly for service, particularly Ryan. Just awesome attitude, attentive, responsive. read more

First of all, please note the lunch menu is just 1 page and I heard the dinner menu is more expansive! I had lunch with 2 girlfriends and 3 toddlers under the age of 3... and somehow, we all survived and everything was delicious. My favorite was definitely the ceviche: it was fresh and tart and clean and full of flavor. The shrimp dish was kind of like a pizza? but it was good with the ceviche sauce. The service was excellent- our water cups were never empty, and the toddlers were given cups with lids. The ambiance is vibey and bright, and there is a full bar. I am suuuuuure it gets crazy at nighttime, but during the day (and it was Saturday!), parking was not bad and I saw lots of cars go in and out. read more

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Yesterday was my birthday my best friend took me to Chaak love the ambience. Service was amazing. Food delicious. read more

Chaak Kitchen - Yesterday was my birthday and the chef made this for me even though it wasn't on the menu and thank you to the chef for an amazing dinner. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tustin, California

I ate here with a group of work colleagues. When I had Googled the location before coming I realized that I would be eating at my first Michelin star rated restaurant in the US. This in a old downtown area of Tustin where parking is limited; I had to cruise around the block a few times to find a parking place on the street. We were seated after checking in with a reservation. The restaurant is dimly-lit so I needed the light on my phone to illuminate the menu. I started out with the Higa, a gin cocktail. There were quite a few offerings to chose from but ended up getting the half chicken. That chicken had a generous spice rub on it and gave it great flavor. I was disappointed that they had very limited offerings for vegetables. My colleagues were pleased with their food and the service was good. I had never been to a Michelin starred restaurant in the US and didn't know what to expect. I was surprised when I saw how plain the restroom was. This was a four star experience for me. read more

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i LOVE chaak. Have been here 3x this year alone. I believe this place had a Michelin star but now it is just Michelin Bib Gourmand recommended. Stand out dish is the verde clams. there's green onions, avocado, and chorizo all married together in this broth. I normally dont like bread much but this comes with two toasted pieces and I could literally just eat it by itself. We even ordered extra. Cocktails were good - nothing amazing. Cute atmosphere and very well decorated, perfect for date night. Service was great read more

Quality Mexican food. The ceviche was pretty good I like the freshness, the Caesar was whatever, tacos are decent. The highlight is their sea bream - so fresh w the sauce and goes perfectly with the carmelized onion. Also their empanada is corn and super crispy and cheesy. Great ambiance and great staff! read more

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I asked an OC foodie friend to recommend a good brunch spot around Santa Ana, and his answer was immediate: "Chaak Kitchen, hands down." Great call--and it's even listed in the Michelin Guide. The restaurant is beautiful, with inviting indoor/outdoor seating (a bonus since I could bring my dog). The brunch menu is somewhat limited, but there are still plenty of appealing options. We started with the empanadas, which were excellent--perfectly crisp, filled with melted Oaxaca cheese and scented with epazote, and served with a tangy habanero romesco. The ceviche campeche was equally impressive: bass and octopus with avocado and cucumber over a bed of avocado mousse, accompanied by blue corn tacos. Two of us ordered the Cubana torta with spicy fries. The roasted pork, Nueske ham, pickles, and Swiss cheese came together on a perfectly griddled roll. However, the chilaquiles rojos our friend chose were less successful--once the fried egg, crema, and avocado were gone, what remained was a plate of tortillas drenched in red sauce. Still, this Yucatán-inspired spot is a gem--and to top it off, our wonderful server was named Maya! read more

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CHAAK Kitchen is one of those places you walk into and immediately know you're in for something special. The flavors are bold, layered, and so thoughtfully done. Every dish feels like it was crafted with intention. The proteins were perfectly cooked, and the sauces had that deep, savory richness you can't fake. The atmosphere is warm and modern without trying too hard, and the service was genuinely kind and attentive. You can really feel the pride in everything they bring to the table. If you're looking for food that's memorable, elevated, and still comforting, CHAAK Kitchen is absolutely worth the visit. I'd come back in a heartbeat. read more

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This place seems to be highly recommended by people online, so we were extremely excited to try it. We came in around 8:40 p.m., and they told us they were closing soon, so we had about five minutes to put in our order. That wasn't an issue for us--we already knew what we wanted and understood we were coming in a bit late. The main issue was that our food came out undercooked. We ordered the Marisco en Arroz Negro, and some of the shrimp were undercooked--the bottoms were still transparent. We asked the server about it, and they told us, "It's usually fully cooked, but these tiger prawns can be eaten raw." But this dish is supposed to be cooked?? I didn't want to risk it tho. They did offer to remake it for us. Unfortunately, that experience kind of killed the vibe. I understand that mistakes happen, but for a dish that costs $52, you'd expect more care. Maybe it was because we came in close to closing time--I'm not sure--but overall it left a bad impression. Putting that aside and focusing on the food itself: aside from the undercooked seafood, the flavors were good. The crispy black rice was different, and I enjoyed the texture. The seafood tasted fresh. However, there were two major downsides--the dish was way too salty and extremely heavy. You can't finish it without feeling like you just drank a bunch of oil. We also ordered the castacán (pork belly taco). It was good, but overly sour. That said, I really enjoyed the tortilla--it tasted fresh and well made. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this place. Maybe this was just our experience, but it felt way too expensive for what it delivered and didn't have a wow factor. read more

Chaak Kitchen - Marisco en Arroz Negro - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tustin, California

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Chaak Kitchen truly exceeded all my expectations - from the service, to the food to the restaurant's ambiance and decor, everything was top-notch. They offer a modern take on Yucatan-style Mexican cuisine, and every dish tasted incredibly fresh and thoughtfully prepared. While we tried a number of dishes, my favorites were the Ceviche Campeche, as the bass and octopus were perfectly marinated, and it was served with fresh blue-corn tortilla chips. The empanadas were soo good as well, they came out of the oven piping hot and generously stuffed with gooey Oaxaca cheese. The Caesar salad was elevated with their unique twist of crunchy corn nuts and plenty of cheese, making it better than your average salad. The Bistec en Recado sirloin steak was the star of the night, as it was cooked to perfection and paired with Chaak's flavorful (although a bit spicy) take on chimichurri. The service was great as well - our waitress, who is from the Yucatan, took the time to explain the roots of each dish, explaining what elements were traditional and how they were modernized, adding an extra layer of appreciation to the experience. read more

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Came here on New Year's Day for dinner with a reservation. Food was amazing! We ordered the Castacan (pork belly tacos), Codorniz a la brasa (grilled quail), mariscos en arroz negro, and orange margarita. The two of us had a pretty large lunch so we weren't super hungry. We got full after eating the quail and pork belly tacos and could only finish half of the mariscos en arroz negro. The Castacan tacos look small but they are actually really hefty and filling! The mariscos en arroz negro was also quite a large portion; I heated it up in a pan the next day and could barely finish the remaining half of the leftovers before I got full. Be aware that the rice is burnt and crunchy. I would recommend trying everything, especially the mariscos and the pork belly tacos. The orange margarita is a good recommendation for anyone who enjoys the clean strong taste of alcohol. The orange adds mild citrusy flavor, but it definitely is not a fruity drink. read more

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Chaak is a personal favorite of mine. It's in the Michelin Guide as a Bib Gourmand restaurant; however, it's known for their representation of Mexican and Mayan flavors from the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. Their Chuuk Trio is a must have. It features tortilla, plantain, and taro chips and chicharrones with a trio of dips: guacamole, salsa, and an addictive tomato-pumpkin seed dip. The dips are assertively seasoned with salt and limes and so flavorful. Another must have are their empanadas on their "del maiz" (corn) menu. The empanadas are filled with cheese and they feature a thick corn masa that's ridiculously good. If the empanadas are the only thing that I'm served, then I'd still leave content and happy. Their "del maiz" menu features their corn masa and their castacan (pork belly tacos) and enchilada en cazuela (cheese enchiladas in red chile-mole sauce) were unbelievably flavorful. If you want a heavy entree to share, then they also have these here. I enjoy their cochinita pibil, a classic regional dish from the Yucatan with pork, sour oranges, and delicious flavor from spice that isn't spicy. We also had their Marisco en Arroz Negro (Seafood in black rice), which was a flavor bomb. It had black rice cooked in seafood stock and served with clams, scallops, and prawns. The seafood flavors were balanced by unbelievable flavor from spices that aren't spicy and lemon aioli as a creamy element. Overall, the flavors they serve up at Chuuk are full, the ambiance is nice, and it's definitely worth the money. I am generally happy with ordering a bunch of appetizers and tacos; however, it's hard to go wrong here! read more

Dined for dinner with a group of friends on 8/2/2026 for 7:45pm. We made reservations about a week in advance, so we were surprised when we arrived and were told there was no indoor seating available and no estimated wait time. Around 8:00pm we were offered outdoor seating, which we reluctantly accepted since the kitchen closed at 9:00pm. We specifically selected standard (not outdoor or high top) seating. Kind of pointless to have a reservation system if your table is not going to be reserved. Unfortunately, missing out on the indoor dining experience and having our reservation not honored was disappointing. The service had several issues. We requested the heat lamps be turned on, but this was only addressed after reminding our food runner. Our friend ordered the CHUUK Trio and Enchiladas, but never arrived. Our server acknowledged the mistake, but still, the Enchiladas never came out. Another dish also never came out. We also felt the pacing of the dishes could have been better, as the pace started slowly but several dishes arrived quickly toward the end. Review above is for the food, not the server. CHUUK Trio. The blue corn chips were perfectly seasoned. The guacamole was simple, but seasoned well. The sikil p'ak was excellent. The pumpkin seed flavor came through nicely without being overpowering. It was also very acidic, but balanced by the fattiness of the pumpkin seeds. Our favorite was the salsa. It was a blackened charred salsa with a subtle heat. 5/5 Ceviche Campeche. The leche de tigre was herbaceous and acidic. No fishiness. Just clean flavors. The octopus was tender and the bass still had texture to it. 4/5 Lamb Merguez Huarache. Not bad, but not great. Everything was seasoned well, but it was one of the least memorable dishes of the night and don't quite recall much about it. 2/5 Almejas al Vapor Picantes. The herb broth was herbaceous. The flavor was not overpoweringly "green" and had acidity running through it. It was served with charred bread (I think sourdough or focaccia?). The bread tied it all together. On its own, it was certainly missing something. The clams were cooked well and the green chorizo was slightly salty. 4/5 Chakut Platter. The veal sausage was tender and flavorful. The smoked linguiza was also tender and flavorful. We weren't fond of the grilled pineapple with the sausage. The house pickles were great. The grain mustard was overpowering for the sausage. Even in small quantities did not pair well with the pineapple and sausage when eaten together. 3/5 Pulpo al Guajillo. The grilled octopus was tender and not charred. The garbanzo bean puree was not pasty or grainy. It was very rich and paired nicely with the octopus. The chayote provided some additional texture. The red chorizo was very delicious, not too oily, and salty. It balanced everything on the dish. The hoja santa gremolata provided some earthy notes and lifted the entire dish from being too heavy. It paired nicely with the octopus. 5/5 Mezcla de Hongos. We were quite shocked as we felt the mushrooms weren't cooked well and some were quite dry. The tempura mushroom did nothing for the dish. It provided some texture, but wasn't seasoned well. The Pipian verde did not pair well with the mushrooms. We didn't feel the pickled onions added anything to the dish. Overall, the dish lacked balance and cohesiveness. 0/5 Chayote. The grilled chayote had a lot of depth. There was smokiness, tenderness, and seasoned well. The requeson was creamy and smooth. The vinaigrette was smoky and provided a contrast to the grilled chayote and help cut through the creaminess of the requeson. 5/5 Tamal Colado de Elote. The corn mole had a lot of depth, was sweet yet rich. The squash blossom did not add anything meaningful to the dish. The tamal was light and airy. 4/5 Empanadas. The Habanero-romesco salsa was flavorful and paired well with the heaviness of the cheese. The masa was light and airy and not too heavy. 4/5 Salbute Pato Ahumado. I did not notice cherrywood smoke flavor on the duck. It was stringy and dry. The tortillas were light. The molcajete habanero was fine, but there wasn't enough of it. The cooks also went light with the duck chicharron so didn't really add the texture I was expecting. 1/5 Castacan. This one never came out. 0/5 Enchiladas. Never came out. 0/5 Pollo Pibil. The chicken was tender and not dry. However, no cherrywood smoke flavor came through. The house roti was delicious! It was thin, had herbs flecked throughout, and light. The coconut yuzu rice was fine. I could not taste the yuzu flavor or acidic fruity notes you normally get from yuzu. The coconut flavor was quite prominent. The mojo criollo was fine. Each component seemed too separate from each other. 3/5 Bone-in Prime New York Strip. The strip was cooked extremely well. Had a nice char on the outside and the pink medium rare color was consistent from the top to bottom. It was also nicely seasoned. 5/5 read more

Food was great.... service was sub par.... the waiter acted as if he was doing us a favor. Orlando, be nicer and you'll get a much better tip. I'm super generous.... overly generous but your attitude was horrible. read more

Three flavors are insane! Make sure you mix your dipping sauces together and put it on EVERYTHING! The lamb is a must have! The flavors will open up your palate in a way you've never experienced ! Ricky and Raul were so kind and knowledgeable! Excellent service! The manager Omar stopped by and was very kind. Ambiance is so beautiful and just enhanced the whole experience ! I'll be back to try those empanadas! read more

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By far, one of the best meals we've had in the OC area! We went on a date night on a Saturday around 6pm. We didn't have any reservations but because we went around the time they opened, we were able to get seated outside within 10 min of arriving. Now for the star of the show: the delicious food. We got the CHAAK Caesar and wow it was delicious! The best Cesar salad we've had! We got the Castacan which are 2 confit pork belly tacos and the Cochinita Pibil, which we shared everything between 2 people. The pork belly tacos were INCREDIBLE. The pork belly melts in your mouth and holy cow the tortillas were so good. The Cochinita Pibil - another incredible dish! It came with tortillas and a side of sauces, it was perfect! All three dishes were great for 2 people. Everything was fresh, had incredible flavors and was delicious. The drinks were great too! We got the Hibiscus + Grapefruit Margarita and Espinoza drinks and we loved them!!! We also got the Bombas dessert to go and wow-they do not miss! We recommend! The service was also top notch! Nothing missed at CHAAK and now it is my favorite restaurant! We will be back! Definitely recommend visiting and trying it out for yourself! read more

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Always wanted to try this place out and finally got a chance to! Made a reservation for 8:30pm and got sat right away. We ordered what our server recommended for first timers! Got some starters which was the salsa trio & the sashimi. Both so delicious omg. The drinks were amazing aswell great presentation. We also got the pork tacos I believe that's what it called. Also sooooooo good! Then for entree we got the the steak by the time the steak came we were already full. But it was so good and the perfect medium rare. I loved the potatoes would definitely come back again. read more

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I took a peak at the Michelin Guide for Irvine while I was in town for work. Chaak Kitchen was one of the first restaurants on the list that appealed to me because of its cuisine, affordability, and ambiance. I totally get why this restaurant was highlighted. My friend and I had a great dinner. I made reservations for 5:15pm on a Tuesday. The restaurant opened at 5pm for dinner, so the place wasn't busy at all. My eyes were in awe of how gorgeous Chaak Kitchen was. The vibrant centralized bar and glass roof were showstoppers for me. Would've been nice if they pulled the curtains back to bring in more natural light, but I did find that the way the curtains draped attributed to the flair of the place. Overall service was wonderful. Food came out pretty fast and in a timely manner from one order to the next. Our server was friendly and very attentive. I had the pleasure of trying one of their drinks. Don't remember the name off the top of my head, but it was as guava tequila cocktail. Loved my cocktail, and my friend's hibiscus margarita was a delight as well. We shared Caesar salad, smoked duck tacos, ribeye, and panna cotta: - The Caesar salad is a must! The dressing was unique with a little kick to it, but it was the textures of the crushed croutons that did it for me. - The duck tacos were a nice to have but weren't that special flavor-wise. I also expected more from the duck chicharron. Was it even on the taco? What's cool about the tacos were that the tortillas puffed like pocket, which made for a different hand held experience compared to a folded taco. That said, I could do without these next time. - The ribeye was excellent. The meat was tender, juicy, and seasoned well. Loved the roasted baby potatoes and side sauces. - Lastly, the banana panna cotta with cajeta was pretty good but overly sweet. Huge fan of the crunchiness from the pepitas. The cajeta was a bit runny instead of viscous. read more

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It was a Sunday and there was a dark cloud looming. It had been more than three weeks since I had taken my lovely lady out to dinner and her 'side-eye' was becoming meaner and meaner by the second. Food and I mean delicious food must be presented to this woman before somebody gets hurt, namely me. Her favorite food is Korean but I would rather risk death than have it again this week, so I pivot, her second favorite food is Mexican. This I could do, so I start looking through the Taco Bell menu on my phone when I had a change of heart. Afterall, it was her birthday, I could take her somewhere a "little nicer" than Taco Bell. That's when I went for the Hail Mary, I decided to take her to Chaak, without a reservation on a Sunday night. She hates sitting outside so we would have to wait about an hour to be seated. She was losing hope when a phone call came in and someone had cancelled their reservation. All of a sudden, we're sitting under a retractable roof, exposing a brightly lit three-quarter moon. We ordered Parrillada, Mariscos en Arroz Negro, the ceviche, the whole Branzino fish and some pork tacos just to go overboard. Everything was simply delicious. It was also a nice opportunity to try Yucatecan and Mayan inspired food, which taste familiar but also new and exciting. Add a few glasses of wine to the meal and at the end you get what I call a little piece of heaven. You're beautiful lady is happy, full and best of all quiet. Stay going for the Hail Mary my friends... read more

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I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! It has a very cool hip ambience, a great place to come with friends, family. A Great Happy Hour Place for a small group of people. Food here is REALLY good, fresh, and the service I would say is pretty good as well. I 100% recommend this place and I can't wait to come back here :) read more

Service was awesome. Everyone was super attentive. Food came out quickly. We tried a myriad of appetizers and then had a couple of mains and it was perfect for a group of eight. The aguas frescas guava hibiscus was really good. Standouts were the clams, unique corn and the chicken with a spicy citrusy sauce. The sauces were all super flavorful. We enjoyed the dessert as well. They made the celebration super special with a card! read more

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The ambience and service is phenomenal. I didn't love the food but the cocktails were delicious. Maybe I need to try a couple different dishes next time and give it another go. Overall it was a pleasant experience! read more

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hidden gem? I only just now discovered this restaurant in old town tustin!! what a gem :) this spot is so cute inside especially for lunch/brunch time. I need to come back for the dinner menu. Service was so great and friendly they had great recommendations for dishes and drinks! The drinks were tasty and the food was very flavorful. I especially enjoyed the cubano torta... such good flavorrr and pressed nicely it wasn't messy to eat. Will definitely be back!!!!! read more

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We came to Chaak Kitchen to celebrate my friend's birthday, and it turned out to be the perfect choice. From start to finish, everything was fantastic. We ordered a few cocktails to kick things off, then shared several dishes: the ceviche, octopus, duck tacos, and pork shoulder. Every single plate was flavorful, beautifully prepared, and thoughtfully presented--honestly, we didn't have a single complaint. The standout for me was definitely the pork shoulder. It's served shredded rather than as a whole piece, with fresh tortillas and sauces on the side so you can build your own tacos. It was delicious, fun to eat, and perfect for sharing at the table. We wrapped up the night with an order of beignets, which were the ideal sweet ending to a wonderful meal. Great food, great atmosphere, and excellent service--can't wait to come back! read more

first time here, the food and vibes were amazing. very picturesque. EMPANADAS: More cheesy than I expected, perfect crisp, fantastic sauce to pair. you can skip on this. 3/5 CASTACAN: pork belly tacos cooked perfectly. soft tortilla. It was pretty filling as well! comes with 2. 5/5 COCHINITA PIBIL: this is what I came here for, and it truly impressed me. The meat was so tender. the sauces that came with paired so well with the meat. purple tortilla, very soft. I will come back just for this. 5/5 BOMBAS: Very bready donuts basically. came with a chocolate and caramel sauce. the sauce was great. won't be getting this again. 3/5 service: Nice servers and they clean your table of dishes quick. however I had to ask multiple times for a water refill. read more

With the quality of both service, food and drinks, I know this place has its well deserved Michelin recognition. The ambiance is sweet here with the open walls to the outside patio, low lit interior and modern decor. I loved the variety of plates offered with the well rounded taste of South American cuisine. The staff here are well versed in what is offered both seasonally and recommended in their house classics. I was pampered with some of the yummiest drinks and especially enjoyed the orange margarita with the ceviche the most. I did notice that many of the items on the menu could be shared with a small table, so I'd recommend coming here with one or two people who are good, adventurous eaters to split a couple plates together and enjoy the chill vibes. Overall a great evening spent! read more

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Great flavors and portions. The decor is pretty cool with a kind-of open kitchen concept. read more

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