I have been a big fan of Amar's for years and have been to Broadway in Laguna Beach a couple of…read moretimes. I've always wanted to try VACA in Costa Mesa and last night was the night. We took advantage of the Friends and Family menu they provide on Mondays Only from 5:00 to closing. We sat at the beautiful bar and were watched over by Jacob. The wife had some special non-alcoholic drink that was very pretty and tasted great. I went with the VACA Tonic, an icy concoction made with gin. It was super refreshing and a nice way to start. This menu has selected tapas items that range in price from $8 to $19. We ordered the Pan Con Tomate ($8) which comes with sliced toasted bread slices, tomato pulp, a delicious olive oil and a side of sea salt. You take a piece of toast, squirt some of the olive oil on top, then pour on the tomato pulp. Light, tasty and delicious. Next up, the Patatas Bravas ($9). Perfectly roasted spicy potato cubes, slathered with tomato sauce and a garlic aioli. WOW! So simple yet so good. I licked the plate clean. Next up, the Bikini Sandwich ($9). Two small perfectly toasted cheesy sandwich wedges that have Iberico ham, manchego cheese and a hint of truffles. It was really delicious and the special ham was the star of the show. These are great starting items, yet surprisingly filling. I couldn't stop there though and wanted to order some of their famous paella. I decided on the Paella De Carne ($53). This is a meat paella with pork belly, chorizo, blood sausage, duck confit (a leg & thigh), beef cheek, with bomba rice and a garlic aioli. You have to wait about 20 minutes for them to make it but it's worth the wait. It was perfectly cooked and awash in flavor. The special paella pan they prepare the dish in looked well seasoned and I wished I could have taken it home. The menu is extensive with lots of choices to accommodate any palate. The restaurant is beautiful and has a front and back patio seating. If you have a choice, sit on the back patio. There is valet parking for $12, but there is a parking structure right across the street that provides easy access and is free with validation.

Splurge restaurant but food is very solid! My husband and I…read morecame here for date night and had a great experience~ Vaca is located next to south coast, interior has tall ceilings and have a small indoor and outdoor seating. They have Spanish menu items, several tapas and main dishes. We got 4 wines and both loved with whites and reds! La bola (8.5/10)-the meat inside was delicious wasn't overly crispy, sauce on top was too much but a classed dish Pani puri (9/10)-interesting concept scallop was delicious and sauce was rich, shell was crispy Cauliflower (7/10)-bit too salty and rich but they give you a good portion Steak (7.5/10)-we asked for medium but it was more in medium rare, good quality but small for price Churro (9/10)-cant beat a piping hot churro with chocolate sauce portion not too large Our server was friendly and vibe was classy Would love to try the paella my next visit!

What a magnificent restaurant in the heart of Costa Mesa! Plenty of parking spot and easy to spot…read moreon 17th street! Place is super chill and open format and I opt for the outdoor seating since inside seating can get Loud with a large table. We were greeted by super upbeat staff and just felt their energy was put into the food and drinks! We had the carpaccio, the octopus ceviche (onion rings were super crisp!) and the seafood paella. My friend wanted more seasoning which the staff gave us more pepper. I like the way the paella tastes and was able to have the jumbo shrimp with the juice on the side. Overall will definitely come back again and ran into other fellow foodies there so we know this is the place to be!

Just. The. Best. Restaurant. Everrrrrr…read more The food is amazing. The wine selection is amazing. The people are amazing. I would best describe it as upscale Mexican-inspired food, with a relaxed, friendly, chill atmosphere, and super cool and eclectic decor. Everything on the menu is delicious, but I especially love the lump crab squash blossoms and the ceviche tostada. We love it here.

Came here on our way to Pacific Amphitheater, searched for small plates and Sonder came up…read more Walked in right around the opening time with no reservation on a weekday night. We were sat at a table to look over their Happy Hour & Dinner Menus. Ordered one of each of the skewers & the pate appetizer. Top plates were the pork belly & scallop skewers as well as the pate pastry with the side of mustard. The entire experience felt like the upscale neighborhood bar that has the vibe of great music to hand out and enjoy lovely bites

I've Sonder-ed twice in the past few months and I really like it…read more They're owned by the same people as Kaizen so the music is on point. The decor is gorgeous and inviting - perfect if you're meeting friends or taking someone on a date. Cocktails are fire, order one. For their starters, I really like the bone marrow onigiri (2 for $20). This dish is constantly reincarnated so you never really know what you're gonna get. On my first visit, it included trout roe which is so decadently delicious paired with the marrow. The rice is proportionally small so each bite captures the decadence. The skewers are pricey, but if you order one, let it be the maitake mushrooms ($7). It's so meaty that you forget that it's not meat at all. Highly recommend. If you're sharing with a group or need some carbs, I recommend ordering the fried rice. I've had the prawn and pork versions and both are great. The fried rice is solid so any added protein is just a bonus. I've met some dishes I didn't love, but I really like that their menu is ever evolving. I'll definitely be back to try some of their specials.

Nice spot for delicious Japanese food! We came early for dinner, so it wasn't crowded. It was…read morepretty calm inside. The workers were nice and friendly. We got the following: Tempura combo (average and good) Fresh cucumber in spicy soy dressing (loved this!!) Pork cheek with green onion sauce (really good!) Chilled soba with dipping sauce (delicious and filling) Garlic edamame (average and good)

Disappointed with our experience. Most of the yakitori came out burnt and the meat was bland and…read moredry. The chicken skin was super salty! The restaurant is quite small and the service was extremely slow. It was uncomfortably hot and stuffy inside since the AC wasn't working that day. Overall, not worth the price.

We came here on a Friday afternoon around 5pm. Trying to get in for happy hour and we made it in…read moretime. The place wasn't busy at all. Plenty of indoor seating and a nice long bar. They have 3 nice size tvs too if you're wanting to watch some games. We sat at the bar and for sure thought we'd indulge in happy hour menu times but we saw photos of the Drive Thru Burger and could not resist ordering it. My friend and I split the burger. It was the perfect amount to share as well. The patties were so juicy and flavorful along with the sauce and the rest of the ingredients, it was definitely one of my fave burgers I've had in a while. I decided to try their espresso martini. Not bad at all. I asked for not to sweet and no cream, got exactly what I ordered. We ate for sure coming back to try the bread pudding dessert as well, one of my faves!

#1 favorite brunch spot in OC! The food is TOP-NOTCH. Amazing options, great flavor, consistent…read morequality. When I say amazing...I mean AMAZING. I've had the Drive Thru burger, chicken and waffles, BTL, etc. and they were each some of the best food I've had in OC. Can't get over their French fries with the homemade ranch and the garlic aioli. Honestly committed to trying everything on the menu at some point this year. Service is also top-notch. Gabriel is the best waiter (you know they're good when you don't even want to call them waiter) I've ever had at any restaurant - he is so sweet, funny, and makes everyone feel genuinely cared for. I love that the restaurant is usually quiet and less busy because that means I don't have to wait to be seated, but I am genuinely SHOCKED. This is the type of place you expect to have a 3hr waiting list. Perhaps it's a matter of location. Perhaps they revamped their menu since some of the negative feedback. If you've tried this place and it wasn't your favorite, please give it another chance for brunch, it's fantastic! Can say enough great things about Social. BLESS YELP FOR HELPING ME FIND THIS GEM!

5/5 stars! Every item was so unique, rich, complex, and really stimulated the palate. We tried (3…read morepeople): Hamachi crudo Jimmy nardello peppers Scrambled egg agnolotti Maitake mushroom Pork tomahawk Focaccia bread Salted corn semifreddo for dessert Parking is incredibly easy which is rare, and it's right off the freeway. What really won me over was the exceptional service from the hostess, wait staff and the chefs/owners who personally came out and talked to every table. Shout out to the team and everyone who took so much time to take care of us: Ella, Chantay, Zach, and Drew! We had such a memorable, incredible experience and really look forward to being back!

my ratings are usually based on my overall experience (food/ambiance/service/location) and darkroom…read moreleft me confused and with lots of questions. service was good. servers were attentive and knowledgeable about current menu (menu does change often except for some staple dishes). per server, ingredients are farm to table. i did enjoy the food-- rating from most to least favorite 1. tuna carpaccio $28 - light and refreshing. i enjoyed the bits of fruits 2. egg agnolotti $26 - loved this! it didn't taste "eggy" at all. very creamy and not doesn't taste "heavy" in ingredients 3. king salmon $44 4. ricotta donuts $15 5. caesar $26 - i like the herbs on here but it has way more cheese than i would like i do not agree with price points. $26 for 4 little gems that you're supposed to eat like a taco? $15 for 6 donut holes? Mmm what left me confused and with questions: is this a casual establishment? fine dining? it looks kinda nice but kinda not? there's a "nice" bar area but the servers are in wrinkled t-shirts, aprons, and hair in messy buns? there's an area with vinyls but the rest of the restaurant seems to be out of place? they have romantic table lamps and black silverware but the chairs remind me of the chairs at shakey's pizza. there were people in tanks and shorts and then some dressed really nice. the ambiance is left to be a confused teenager trying to figure out their identity. it truly felt like 93% of the budget went to food ingredients and 7% went to everything else. i had a good time.. but was it worth $280 of a time?

One of my favorite wine spots in OC! Wine lab is the in…read morecamp, parking is a hassle here but valet is available in a pinch. Interior is small and cozy. We come here at least once a month. Our favorite is a set of flight where you guess the region and type of wine. I have yet to get it 100% right but it's always fun to guess. The owners here are friendly and great wine section. They also have a small food selection of cheese and meats. Highly recommend for a wine tasting in OC!

Wine was decent, but I refused to try more because of the service. Came here on a Wednesday early…read moreevening to catch up with someone and was greeted in a way that was pretty distasteful. He was an asian bartender that was the only one on shift at the time and lets just say I could tell he was projecting some insecurity in his life cause this man came off so rude lol. We tried asking questions to get a better feel for which wines would work best for us and he came off quite dismissive. I even noticed that as other customers came in, he kept chewing with his mouth full of falafel as he greeted them in. I've been in hospitality for almost a decade now and never in my years have I seen such repetitive terrible service within 30 minutes. It's actually impressive lol. Spend your money at another place that actually cares about your experience.