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El Habanero

4.1 (574 reviews)
Closed 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

El Habanero Photos

EL HABANERO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - El Habanero

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Reviews With Photos

Gabe P.

I happen to be in the area and seen this Mexican spot. didn't think much of it just by driving by but glad I stopped in the food was delicious and portions are big.

Menu
Roselia G.

Very good Mexican restaurant. They serve beer, and other bottled drinks, along with an amazing salsa bar! The Carne Asada is sliced up with grilled jalepeno's and onions. The carnitas is soft and moist, with plenty of fatty pieces. They do take credit cards, but do not take Apple Pay. You can walk in, or call to place an order. Although they do not delivery, and do not take payment over the phone. There's also no option to order online. They are old-school, and those are at many times the best!

Menudo
Tony J.

Overall, this place is great. I came for the Menudo and the taste is always stellar. Small little cozy environment. The workers are always very nice. Just had an unpleasant experience when I last went, and I don't want to necessarily blame this establishment because it could've been a one off and which I'm hoping for. I really enjoyed the Menudo so if you're looking for some Menudo, this is your spot.

Pozole verde with toppings
Diana R.

My coworkers have been here many times, but it was my first time here at El Habanero. This place is a no-frills hole in the wall family run type of restaurant. Warning, there's no air-conditioning so beware when dining in when it's super hot. I was dying from the heat and I shouldn't have ordered pozole verde soup. Actually, I'm glad I did because the soup was good. I was anticipating shredded chicken breast because that's the only way I've had it before. Instead, it came with one chicken drumstick. My co-workers ordered chili relleno plate with rice and beans, chicken soft tacos plate, and California burrito. They all enjoyed their food. The one thing that provided me some relief from the hot stuffy restaurant was the refreshing Chia, cucumber, and lime drink. My coworkers recommended it and I'm glad I ordered one and I finished all of it. It was so refreshing and thirst quenching. It's a regular place on our lunch rotation with my co-workers. I'll bring my family next time. The service was just OK. Despite the fewer number of customers dining in, the staff was not as attentive. We had to get up a couple times to go ask for basic things that we needed.

Gabriel V.

The only thing this place has going for it is the salsa bar. If I'm ordering a 9 dollar bean and cheese burrito, I would expect it to be bigger than something from a fast food joint. This is compared against the veggie burrito. And to add insult to injury, there is hardly any beans in the burrito.

Salsa Bar
Thomas T.

Very delicious Mexican food. Highly recommend coming here. Food and service was all on point. I got some Al Pastor Tacos and a Carne Asada Quesadilla. Both were super flavorful, filling, and cooked perfectly. Didn't go wrong with these choices. Girlfriend also got some tacos and she loved them. I like their salsa bar as well. They had 6 or 7 different salsas available for you to choose from. Fresh limes, onions and cilantro too. The lady working here was very nice and gave great service. She didn't speak English but it's ok. They know what you want!

Tacos
Elaine C.

Authentic (from what I can tell) sit down casual or take out Mexican food. They also have some mix of other Latin cultures as they have fried plantain (yummy!) and ceviche on the menu. Love that they have a variety of meats including lengua (tongue), al pastor, etc. also love that that hand make their corn tortilla here (you get one thick tortilla instead of 2 store bought put tougher like most other places). Why not 5 stars? The meat wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked. The meat was tender but not flavorful. Something like grilled onions would help out this place to 5 stars to me. Service here was polite and efficient. Food does take a little time to make so it isn't "instant" (maybe 10 minute wait for food?)

Al pastor tacos, asada tacos and chorizo sope
Karen E.

The drinks are good here we ordered the horchata and Jamaica. I ordered asada tacos, Al pastor tacos and 1 sope of chorizo. The meat for the tacos were not good at all. The Al pastor was over cooked.

Menu is five pages

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18 days ago

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3 months ago

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6 months ago

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27 days ago

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3 months ago

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14 days ago

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12 days ago

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5 months ago

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9 months ago

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14 days ago

Great authentic Mexican food with large portions. Breakfast and lunch are both good, served all day. Micheladas hit the spot every time too.

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9 months ago

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11 months ago

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10 months ago

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28 days ago

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3 months ago

This place has decent food. I'd say it's in the middle of the pack as far as Mexican food.

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2 years ago

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9 months ago

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5 months ago

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6 months ago

Service was good, had the fish tacos that were excellent. Menudo was really good. Bathroom was clean and music was jamming.

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3 years ago

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8 months ago

Service is abysmal. Cashier seems absolutely miserable and she makes sure you know it. One and done.

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1 year ago

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7 months ago

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1 year ago

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10 months ago

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3 years ago

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9 months ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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6 months ago

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El Habanero Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - El Habanero

Does this restaurant offer Taco Tuesday deals? If so, which types will be discounted and what are the prices for each? Thank you and see you soon.?

They don't have taco tuesdays, as far as I know.

Do they have vegetarian/vegan options? I worry the beans & rice have meat/broth. Thanks!!

Yes we have some vegetarian option, and we have beans, no rice.

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Fat Of The Land

Fat Of The Land

4.9(398 reviews)
2.6 mi
$$$
Family-owned & operated
Free parking

It was Mother's Day morning when my daughter came home after picking up the flowers she had…read morepreordered, along with a cup of milk tea and a bag of chocolates. Smiling, she said, "Let's celebrate with Spanish tapas." So the beautiful day began with milk tea and chocolate before we headed to the newly opened restaurant Fat of the Land for their Mother's Day brunch, conveniently located on North Main Street in Santa Ana. I later found out it was a special Sunday brunch created just for Mother's Day. Thanks to my daughter's reservation, we were seated right away. The menu selection was smaller than usual, probably because of the special brunch menu, but every tapas dish sounded delicious. We ordered the Castelvetrano olives, Galician smoked paprika octopus, French steak tartare, and Basque cheesecake, paired with a Fiero Spritz and Red Sangria. Both the octopus and steak tartare were outstanding. The Galician smoked paprika octopus was tender, flavorful, and carried just the right hint of spice. The French steak tartare was served on crispy toasted bread with cheese sprinkled on top -- a creative and delicious twist on a classic dish. Fat of the Land truly feels like a hidden gem, and I had such a wonderful time celebrating Mother's Day with my daughter there.

Came in for Mother's Day, my mom has been wanting to try this place for a long time…read more We ordered a variety of different tapas, and decided on sangria. The sangria was super delicious, not overly sweet, which we liked. We ordered the arepo plate which was devoured instantly. - good appetizer to start. Next up was the octopus, pork peppers, shrimp and cheesecake. The shrimp tasted fishy and not my favorite. Octopus was good... decent. Mushrooms were fine. Cheesecake was passable. Over the sangria, arepo plate and pork peppers were the best thing of the night. Staff was very friendly, the setting was intimate. Overall good dinner.

Photos
Fat Of The Land
Fat Of The Land
Fat Of The Land

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Poached Kitchen

Poached Kitchen

4.3(1.5k reviews)
3.9 mi
$$
Vegetarian friendly
Locally sourced ingredients

This is a great spot! We were welcomed right when we walked in. The place is nice and bright with…read morebig windows, high ceilings and open seating. You order your food and then find your seat. There were so many yummy sounding items that it was tough to decide what to order. I'm not a traditional pancake person but they had a tropical one that sounded amazing. And I really want to try their chicken sandwich and breakfast burritos. I ended up getting the churro waffles with a side of the mango that went on those tropical pancakes and it was so dang good! We also ordered Birria Short Rib Eggs Benedict - with perfectly flavored meat and the best poached eggs on top, a macadamia nut milk latte - loved it so much, and a delicious Bloody Mary. The service was great, the place is nice, neat, and clean throughout, and we can't wait to go back and try more of their menu!

We go at least once weekly. Our favorite place for breakfast…read more Food is always good - pasture-raised eggs done perfectly. Service is always excellent - at the counter and on the floor. Ambiance is surprisingly quiet even though it's usually full - we go typically at 830am. Last two times we've had to ask for water.. the guys are standing ready but don't seem to notice we sat down and are ready for water and silver and more napkins. If you have your barrista visit tables who got coffee drinks and offer more you would generally get more paid business - they just have to take the portable CC machine.

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Poached Kitchen
Poached Kitchen
Poached Kitchen

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NEP Cafe - Irvine - Salted Egg Yolk Pasta with Shrimp

NEP Cafe - Irvine

4.5(2k reviews)
3.1 mi
$$

Absolutely unforgettable experience! After a small hiccup with one of our dishes, our server Aarwin…read moreand Justin the manager graciously took care of us for the rest of the evening. Every dish we got was delicious and the drinks were exquisite- my favorites being the pork tomahawk and the pandan old fashioned.. The atmosphere was wonderful and the staff put in a lot of effort to keep the restaurant clean and running smoothly. I plan to make this a regular stop whenever I am in OC, and would heavily consider traveling from San Diego for the service alone. Truly well done!

Cousins night out! I love almost everything Kei Concept touches. We've heard the hype about their…read morebrunch, but we wanted to try their dinner experience. Parking: Free parking lot. They're located in a high foot traffic plaza. Parking will be difficult to find. Ambiance/Environment: We visited on a Saturday evening around 19:30, and it was extremely busy. Luckily we were seated within 15 min. I love the vibes here. It's a bit loud, but you can still have a conversation. They have a large indoor area and a nice bar. Everything is kept clean. Service: Thank you Mia for taking care of us! She's very attentive, and throughput was surprisingly quick & efficient despite how busy it was. She also checked on us multiple times and refilled our waters. Food & drinks: We absolutely enjoyed everything! Safe to say the hype is real. 1) Curry Crab Omelette - This is my favorite dish. This was presented on a small skillet with rice in a separate bowl. The omelette was drenched in curry. The curry was seasoned well, semi thick consistency, with a hint of spice. 2) Vietnamese Shaken Beef (one w/ garlic noodles & one w/ rice) - I personally prefer the shaken beef at Vox. For whatever reason, the beef seemed to be overcooked bc it was very chewy. The vegetables tasted as expected, and the red rice was really delicious. The garlic noodles were good. 3) Lemongrass Tofu - The tofu was cooked well and seasoned deliciously. 4) 5-Spice Roasted Chicken - Exactly what the description says. The roasted chicken was huge. We weren't sure exactly what it was seasoned with, but we all devoured it. Yum! 5) Lychee Milk Punch - It's not dinner without alcohol. I thought it was pretty strong with the rum & whiskey. It's more on the sweeter end from the lychee & pineapple. The foam wasn't too thick, and it paired well with the drink. Pricing: These are elevated prices. We'll definitely be back for dinner, and we can't wait to try their brunch. Highly recommend joining the Kei Rewards!

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NEP Cafe - Irvine - Beef Tongue Fried Rice

Beef Tongue Fried Rice

NEP Cafe - Irvine - Xoi Ga Roti

Xoi Ga Roti

NEP Cafe - Irvine - Bananas Foster Sticky Rice

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Santa Ana Brunch Club - Hot N' Crispy Chicken Sando.

Santa Ana Brunch Club

4.5(482 reviews)
1.6 mi
$$

I'm so glad my foodie bestie found this gem! We wanted to refuel after our 4 mile hike and stumbled…read moreupon this place on Yelp. The pictures and reviews of the French omelette with caviar and sourdough pancakes sold us! When we arrived, the parking situation was seamless and easy to find a spot. The place isn't big but the aesthetic is clean and simple. You go up to the register to get seated. There was a wait list since this is a cozy spot but they had chairs available outside of the entrance. The time waiting was little longer than promised but not too bad. Once we were called to our table, we had iced water cups on the table with the menus and table settings. We already knew what we wanted - a horchata iced latte and a steak breakfast burrito for me and a black strap molasses iced latte and crispy chicken sando for my bestie. We also got sourdough pancakes and the cinnamon roll to share. The coffee came first then food was pretty quickly after and presentation was beautiful. The breakfast burrito was so delicious. The scrambled eggs in the burrito were cooked perfectly and they had a perfect amount of steak pieces. They brought a strawberry haberno hot sauce for the table and it made it even tastier. I preferred that sauce over the side of green sauce. I then tried a bite of the chicken sando and wow the flavor you get in the bite was also so, so good. We also enjoyed the sourdough pancakes with the crispy edges and the cinnamon roll had the perfect amount of cinnamon! This cinnamon roll had pistachio pieces on top and it wasn't too overwhelming. As for the iced lattes, I preferred my bestie's latte more than the horchata one. The horchata one had a burnt aftertaste. Other than that, food and service was TOP NOTCH! We were greeted and treated with the best hospitality from Alex. Thank you so much! We really can't wait to come back to try other tasty menu options and will more than likely be frequently patronizing Santa Ana Brunch Club!

This past Sunday, my friend and I decided to do brunch at the last minute. This popped up as a new…read moreone, so we decided to give it a go. It did not disappoint. The food, the services, and the vibes were all perfection. We arrived at 10 am, and we got the last table. I will say the parking lot was a little suspect on arrival, but just park and get inside. It's in an unassuming part of town, so not near much else. To start - the Horchata latte- DIVINE. I would get this everyday all day. I ordered the Chicken and Sourdough pancakes - everything was cooked to perfection. The flavors were fresh and balanced. Then the chef came by and brought the housemade mango habanero hot sauce- it took everything to another level. My friend had the city plate and really enjoyed her meal too. Ask for the donuts and enjoy every bite!

Photos
Santa Ana Brunch Club - Inside casual dining

Inside casual dining

Santa Ana Brunch Club - Smoked Brisket Poutine Scramble

Smoked Brisket Poutine Scramble

Santa Ana Brunch Club - Drip coffee

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Drip coffee

Charlie's Best Burger

Charlie's Best Burger

3.2(481 reviews)
1.6 mi
$

Just went here for a burger and some chili fries, my goodness it was delicious. The young ladies…read morethere were very friendly and provided excellent customer service. Definitely going back. Place was very clean too.

This was mine & my boyfriend first time coming here since his brother came here this morning and…read morerecommended for us to go here. Today, we got frisco burger with fries along with horchata and carne asada nacho fries upgrade. Their menu consist of breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, dinner, Mexican, salads, sides, kids, and beverages. Frisco burger has a beef patty with bacon, lettuce, tomato, American cheese, and 1000 Island dressing, served on grilled Parmesan cheese bread. The burger was decent, it didn't quite blow me away. The ingredients were fresh, and the combination was enjoyable, but I felt it was missing a little something to make it truly memorable. If you're looking for a solid burger experience, it's worth a try, but it may not be my first choice for next time. the burger was decent, it didn't quite blow me away. I would rate the Frisco burger a solid 3 out of 5. It was decent, but I expected a bit more to make it truly stand out. My boyfriend would rate it a 4/5 since it was okay for him. French fries were crispy and well-cooked, with a nice golden-brown color. They had a satisfying crunch on the outside, while remaining fluffy on the inside. I would have appreciated some dipping sauces or seasoning options on the side to enhance them a bit more. I would give the French fries a 3/5. They were decent but didn't quite wow me. Horchata was refreshing and creamy, with a lovely balance of sweetness and cinnamon spice. The texture was smooth, providing a comforting drink that complemented my meal well. I would rate the horchata a 4/5 since I have to mix mine to get the horchata flavor. Carne asada nacho fries were crispy and golden, providing the perfect foundation for all the amazing toppings. Generously layered with tender, seasoned carne asada, each bite was a wonderful blend of savory beef and crunchy fries. The melted cheese added a rich creaminess that brought everything together, while the pico de gallo contributed a refreshing burst of flavor. I love the chop chilies personally. The finishing touches of guacamole and sour cream added just the right amount of creaminess and zest. This is absolutely my favorite meal. My boyfriend and I would rate the carne asada nacho fries a perfect 5/5--an outstanding fusion of flavors and textures. The service was fast & employee is very nice and friendly. The store has a great atmosphere, spacious, and clean. There is plenty of parking. I'm only giving it a 4 because of the burger. I would definitely come back here to try their other food alternatives.

Photos
Charlie's Best Burger - Crew Working

Crew Working

Charlie's Best Burger
Charlie's Best Burger - Charles best

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Charles best

El Habanero - mexican - Updated May 2026

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