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    Chelas Mexican Kitchen

    4.4 (240 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Chelas Mexican Kitchen Photos

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    CHELAS MEXICAN KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Chelas Mexican Kitchen

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    Looking forward to trying the chilaquitas!
    Denise S.

    This was our first time here. We were in the area and yelped breakfast so we decided to try it. We had the chiliquitas, which was new to the menu. It was a winner ! We were warned that it might be spicy so she let us try the habanero sauce and it is very spicy but delicious. We asked for it on the side and dipped into it to eat with the green sauce already on it. She also gave us 3 other salsas to try. All delicious. We mixed a little tiny bit of habaneros salsa and it was perfect! I love the artwork too! Edgy! I look forward to coming back and trying the Chelas MVP Burrito. It was voted best of OC.

    Adele M.

    Met there yesterday with a group of girlfriends, we love the fact that everything is made fresh to order nice inside and outside patio seating. I would prefer that they would take my order at the table than to have to stand up and order it, but the food was delicious the burrito That I got was awesome. We will go back.

    Chicken salad
    Anita M.

    It's the Chela's salad with chicken added. So good. I also like the verse salsa and the chipotle salsa.

    Chela's Mexican Kitchen.
    Bob S.

    I love this place very much because the food here is super fresh savory flavorful, and delicious. Also, the chips were super crunchy, salty, crispy, and really tasty, and the chili verde salsa was perfectly served too. Good service, nice atmosphere with upbeat Spanish music, and I had a good time.

    1st time trying a Jarrito. Such a light & refreshing drink. And when poured into a glass w ice it turns so light & bubbly!!
    Mary J.

    Ok this is my 2nd visit. And I came back because the 2 cheese enchiladas plate is AHMAZING!!!! Chela's is the ONLY Mexican restaurant Uve been to that doesn't use the typical red sauce on top. They use an absolute delicious fresh topping of Mexican cheese, cream, tomatoes, and lettuce. it is so refreshing!!! I've been twice and I plan to go back again real soon! Well done, Chelas!!!

    2 taco Tuesday-Carnitas Papas are delicious. Comes with chips 2 salsas.
    Rex C.

    Taco Tuesday! 5.50 for 2 crispy tacos. 2 salsas and small bag chips. Everything fresh and delicious. You can order online (website) Ribeye burrito is awesome. Beans too. Happy hour and Thursday specials too. Fresh and tasty. Come try.

    Best fish tacos
    James S.

    Best fish tacos I've found in South OC. Full size tacos with delicious perfectly cooked fish. Plenty of cabbage and great salsa. Friendly service in a nice clean local vibe location... two restaurants in San Clemente, one on Pico, & one on Estrella. If you love fish tacos this place is a must try

    "Carbs asada fries"

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    3 months ago

    The food is fresh and tastes wonderful, and the service is amazing. We loved the fish burritos, along with the homemade chips and salsa.

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    3 months ago

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    11 months ago

    Delicious, friendly, great service! Cute little place with indoor and outdoor seating.

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    Chelas Mexican Kitchen Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Chelas Mexican Kitchen

    I just found out recently I'm allergic to garlic and onion. Do you have any dishes that are garlic and onion free? For example, what is the chicken in the crispy chicken tacos marinaded in and seasoned with? Thank you!

    Hello, Crispy chicken has Garlic onion, tomatoes, salt,pepper. Most of our marinades have one or both of those ingredients including our salsas. My apologies we don’t have… Read more

    Do you fried the beer batter fish in a separate fryer from the GF chips? My son has gluten and soy allergy. Thank you!

    Hello, Yes our beer batter fish is fried separate than our chips. We use canola oil for everything.… Read more

    What type of oil do you guys use in your fryers? I have a gluten allergy, what things on your menu is gluten free?

    Hello, We use Canola oil on all of our food.… Read more

    View All 4 Questions

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    Chaak Kitchen

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    Chaak is at the center of charming Old Town Tustin. Between walks around this captivating area, you…read morecan 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.

    I had high hopes for this place when looking up places to take my mother for her birthday…read more 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.

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    Olamendi's - ##5 Two Tacos

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    3.1(1k reviews)
    4.2 mi
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    Olamendi's in Dana Point is one of those places that feels like a local secret once you're sitting…read moredown with a plate of great food in front of you. I had the Pollo Tomatillo, which was absolutely delicious - tender, flavorful, and nicely balanced for such a simple recipe. My friend ordered the 2-taco combo plate, and it did not disappoint. Everything tasted fresh and well prepared. The salsa had a great flavor with a nice little kick at the end that sneaks up on you in the best way. The location is a bit wonky and the parking lot is tight, but once you're there, it's worth it. The patio is surprisingly comfortable, and inside is the most eclectic collection of tchotchkes you've ever seen - it's like dining inside a little museum or a shop on Calle 16 de Septiembre in Cabo. Even if you eat on the patio, be sure to go in and take a look around. Service was friendly and attentive, and our meals were complemented perfectly with ranch waters - tequila, mineral water, and fresh lime juice. Simple, crisp, and refreshing. We'll definitely be back.

    A group of nine of us decided to visit Olamendi's in Dana Point. The patio's view is beautiful and…read morewe asked to be seated there. Although there were two large tables that could be joined, they refused. We were seated inside. Our server, Claudia, approached our table with a sour attitude. She never greeted us and coldly asked for our drink order. She brought our drinks, and proceeded to take our order. I politely asked if she would break down the bill individually, she said no. Our food was mediocre at best. I ordered a shredded beef Chimichanga which completely tasteless (and to my surprise was charged $4.00 extra for Birria which I did not order). I later discovered the Birria was the shredded beef I ordered). Everyone at the table was disappointed with the taste of the food. We visit many restaurants, especially Mexican Food; we had never encountered the added charges for the basics, i.e. chips and salsa (refills were $3.50 for each item). The carnitas were dry, the Guacamole ordinary, and the tacos were served without salsa. My friend ordered Pico de Gallo and was charged $4.00 for it. We do not recommend Olamendi's.

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    Corazon Taste of Mexico - Happy Hour

    Corazon Taste of Mexico

    4.0(96 reviews)
    34.2 mi
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    Went out for lunch on St. Patrick's Day and had such a great experience! The place wasn't too busy,…read morewhich made it even more enjoyable. Carlos took amazing care of us from start to finish--super friendly, attentive, and just has a great overall vibe. He greeted us right away, prepared our drinks himself, and kept checking in to make sure everything was perfect without ever being overbearing. The food was delicious, and the drinks really stood out--especially the spicy cucumber margarita, which was absolutely top-tier. Overall, fantastic service and a really enjoyable lunch. I'll definitely be coming back!

    We had a 12:30PM reservation for their Mother's Day "Mariachi Brunch". The restaurant called us the…read moreday before to suggest we move it to catch the full mariachi set. We changed our plans to 12pm. That's where things started going wrong in ways we couldn't have predicted. There was a huge line outside. All reservation holders, all waiting, none being told anything useful. We stood there for over an hour. This restaurant enforces a 90-minute table limit, so the only way reservations run 60 minutes behind is if you sold more tables than you have. When they finally seated us, they walked us to the very back of the restaurant to plastic folding picnic tables and plastic chairs. The furthest possible seats, out of sight from the mariachi stage. Then we asked for the brunch menu. The server looked surprised, "We're out of the brunch menu. Everyone ordered the same thing." You promoted a brunch, and everyone ordered brunch? Shocking lol. We had to order off the regular menu instead. Our reservation was at 12pm, we sat down at 1:05pm and I finally got my meal at 1:30pm. There were several mistakes to our orders. One person at our table got the grilled shrimp. They served it raw and he sent it back. He ended up not eating and left without a meal. One of the staff was telling frustrated customers that this is simply what you should expect on Mother's Day. No accountability. Just the excuse that wanting a functional experience on a holiday is your fault for going out. This made it worse. And the mariachi? They stopped playing five minutes after we finally sat down. The same guy who told us this to lower our standards told us the band was on a 15-minute break. That break lasted 50 minutes. They came back to play right as our plates were being cleared away. Remember, we were seated in the very back, nowhere near the stage. The band finally made their way toward us just as we were asking for the check. They comped a few items and brought complimentary dessert. It didn't matter by then. This is a bar and lounge that decided to become a holiday brunch venue for one day. The grandmothers in that line didn't come for the lounge atmosphere. They came for the brunch and the mariachi -- the two things this restaurant completely failed to deliver. But I'd bet the staff is somewhere high-fiving each other for surviving a busy shift, convinced we all got exactly the Mother's Day we deserved for daring to go out. We still spend $300. We fell for the trap. And the portions were not large enough, so we went down the street to an Irish pub after and ate some appetizers to make up for it. Better to stick with family restaurants that have experience with special occasions.

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