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    El Habanero

    4.1 (582 reviews)
    Closed • 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

    El Habanero Photos

    EL HABANERO ATMOSPHERE

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

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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!

    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.

    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.

    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

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    11 months ago

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    8 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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    5 months 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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    10 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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    1 year ago

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

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    3 months ago

    genuinely couldn't pay me to eat here again, and i think the AC was out too because it was uncomfortably hot in there

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    Page 1 of 15

    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.

    View All 5 Questions

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    Chaak Kitchen - Bone marrow corn

    Chaak Kitchen

    4.3(1.3k reviews)
    0.8 mi
    •$$$

    Another bucket list restaurant. Such a great spot in Old Tustin. It's a beautiful free standing…read morerestaurant 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.

    Pros: interesting menu, good drinks, service was pretty good, flavors solid aside from what was…read morelisted in the cons, cocktail refreshing. Pork belly tacos were pretty good. Cons: pricey, but price alone isn't the con. Overly charred/burned proteins (especially the steak), the iberico Secreto not as bad. I actually enjoy the char on a steak, or proteins in general, but here, I'm not sure what the issue was. Is it the kind of wood/charcoal they use? Are they burning the steaks? Is the grill dirty? When I say the proteins were over charred, I mean that's all I tasted on the exterior, just burnt dirty ash. For a place of this caliber and price, I expect execution to be on point. Also everything was borderline too salty. Notes: I really wanted to like this place more than I did. This place was a bit of a letdown I'm sad to say. Factor in price and execution and I've gotta give this place 3/5.

    Photos
    Chaak Kitchen - Dining Room and Kitchen

    Dining Room and Kitchen

    Chaak Kitchen - Bone-In Prime New York Strip

    Bone-In Prime New York Strip

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    Parrillada Yucatan

    Palmilla Cocina y Tequila - Lobster  Tacos

    Palmilla Cocina y Tequila

    4.4(1.1k reviews)
    10.0 mi
    •$$$

    Dare I say I prefer this place over Javier's??…read more Okay okay I came here on a whim with a girlfriend and Palmilla fully exceeded our expectations. We did not have a reservation but we were able to sit at the bar, and eventually we moved to the center communal table. Honestly, I would prefer to sit there than at a private table! You are so in the mix of the whole restaurant, great place to be social. To drink I had a skinny margarita with raspberries added and my friend had the orangutan (espresso martini). My drink was SO good and SO cute. I am being serious when I say after I ordered it, the entire communal table got it too. I love that instead of chips and salsa they bring you fresh, hot tortillas with salsas and HONEY BUTTER?? to dip them in. This was so yummy and definitely unique to Palmilla. We ordered the guacamole, combo plate with a cheese enchiladas and crispy beef taco, and the filet mignon tacos. The only thing I might skip is the guac but thats just knit picking because everything else was so good. The ambiance of this place is beautiful. Think boujee beach bar in Tulum with a natural pallet and foliage. Every member of staff we met was also a 10/10! I'll be back!

    10/10 Most…read moreimportantly: Oliver @ the bar made this is most memorable experience. All of the cocktails and margs we had were delicious! The hand made tortillas with salsas was such a great and unique choice! Someone finally realized that as delicious as they are, eating that many fried tortillas in one setting can't be good ...Oh! And that honey butter. Divine. Fruit margs, spicy margs, every single one of them is PERFECTION. Make sure you upgrade to Ocho blanco (trust me it will save you a hangover)... Shared the carne plate with chimichurri with asparagus and spanish rice...so flavorful and delicious. Large portion and perfectly cooked. Seabass ceviche was spot on and the plantains were next level. Music, ambience, people and vibes were just POSITIVE. New favorite Newport spot...I mean seriously, what other place has a motorized ceiling that opens at sunset hour? Take my money.

    Photos
    Palmilla Cocina y Tequila - Bar and dining room

    Bar and dining room

    Palmilla Cocina y Tequila - Ceviche Tres Maneras

    Ceviche Tres Maneras

    Palmilla Cocina y Tequila - Inside decor

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    Inside decor

    El Camino Cafe - Chile Relleno

    El Camino Cafe

    3.8(1.3k reviews)
    0.8 mi
    •$$

    El Camino Cafe in Tustin is such a great local find. It's a family owned business with a warm,…read morewelcoming atmosphere, and the care they put into the food and service really shows. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and generously portioned. Complimentary water is also available for customers both inside and outside the cafe. The chilaquiles were delicious, and the birria special was easily another favorite. The menu has a great mix of breakfast favorites with creative options that make it stand out from the typical brunch spot. The drinks are also worth coming in for. The Matchata was light, smooth, and perfectly balanced, and the Dirty Horchata was so good. Between the food, unique drinks, friendly service, and inviting atmosphere, this spot is an easy place to recommend.

    Really enjoyed breakfast here. My wife and I came around 8:00 AM, ordered inside, and sat outside…read more The patio was spacious and relaxing, and the restaurant had a nice Mexican feel to it. One small thing I really appreciated happened before we even ordered. An older Mexican gentleman got in line before us, but when he realized we were there to eat, he told us he wasn't there for food and let us go ahead of him. He mentioned he was there looking for an opportunity to work there. That was a really nice gesture, and I genuinely hope they gave him an opportunity. I got the red chilaquiles with carne asada, and they were really good, crispy, saucy, and pretty spicy, and the carne asada was tender and well seasoned. My wife got the chile relleno and finished her entire plate, which is pretty rare for her. Service was excellent, our food came out in under 10 minutes, and the water refill stations inside and outside were also a nice touch. $44 for two felt very reasonable for what we got. This is definitely one of our favorite breakfast spots now, and we'll be coming back.

    Photos
    El Camino Cafe - Hallway inside

    Hallway inside

    El Camino Cafe - Chilaquiles Rojos with Carne Asada

    Chilaquiles Rojos with Carne Asada

    El Camino Cafe

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    Casa Ramos Restaurant - Ceviche Mixto

    Casa Ramos Restaurant

    4.6(290 reviews)
    3.8 mi
    •$$

    This establishment recently moved location from South Main to North Main in Santa Ana, now located…read moreinside Main Place Mall. I'm telling you where, so you can find it and go if you're looking for a delicious Mexican restaurant. Santa Ana has plenty of authentic Mexican fast service dining places and food trucks that are pretty tasty, but when you are looking for something along the lines of a not-too-pricey restaurant with respectable cocktails and a Mexican food menu that delivers variety, quality, taste, along with a nice, clean, well-decorated establishment with excellent customer service, this is it. I'm an enchilada person, I look high and low for the next best thing to a homemade enchilada -- Casa Ramos doesn't disappoint. The crunchy beef tacos are also a favorite of mine. Someone once said, "You can really tell by the chips and salsa if a Mexican restaurant is going to be good or not." Their chips and salsa are so good, you have to stop yourself from filling up on them before your food comes out. The portions are sufficient. Most times, I need to box my leftovers up. Try this place, and let me know if you disagree.

    Honestly i wanted to love it but i dont. Pros- service was great. The chips were freshly made (they…read morewere delicious so most likely the nachos would be great). The cheeseburger was a great deal - kids loved it. Actually pretty decent for the price point. I think server messed up my order (i was supposed to get a trio of different meat tacos but got asada only). The carne asada however is not a meat to get. Too dry.

    Photos
    Casa Ramos Restaurant - Inside New location Main Place Mall

    Inside New location Main Place Mall

    Casa Ramos Restaurant - Pork Belly Tacos

    Pork Belly Tacos

    Casa Ramos Restaurant - Crispy chicken taco and beef enchilada

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    Crispy chicken taco and beef enchilada

    El Habanero - mexican - Updated October 2026

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