Oh Happy Day!! Carmel's is ALIVE! It is like finding a brother you have been told for years is dead. It is with great pleasure that I confirm that the former employees of Carmel's have opened a restaurant nearby - El Progreso - on El Toro and Raymond. The food and menu are exactly the same as the old Carmels. My friends and I frequented Carmels for over a decade. It was the Wednesday lunch spot during high school. We loved their incredible bean and cheese burritos, carnitas tacos and salsa bar. It was the place we brought out-of-state visitors for real Mexican food. Where else gives you homemade white sauce and fresh sliced (raw) habaneros in a salsa bar? Needless to say, when it closed last year, we were very sad. Tonight I read on yelp about El Progreso and had to run right over. The food is awesome -- same great Carmel's quality. The same salsa bar and great burritos, tortas and even cheese burgers. Unfortunately, the place was dead. I was the only one there. I spoke to the owner, who is extremely nice. He explained that when Carmel's closed he and many of the same people who had been at Carmels for 20+ years (including two cooks) left to form their own restaurant. They are committed to producing the same great food, with some expanded authentic Mexican dishes, such as Al Pastor. He asked me to spread the word that Carmel's is back! (Rumor has it that the wife of Carmelo, the original Carmel's owner, would not let them use the name or reference Carmel's in the new restuarant.) If you liked Carmels, or if you are just a fan of cheap, good Mexican food, I highly recommend you try El Progreso. Good food and good people. read more

Tried the Carne Asada Burrito- Good Chips- Good Salsa - ok Lemonade - Not so good Handmade Tortillas- Really Good Over all Ok. I might go back for breakfast. read more

My favorite burrito spot there always so friendly and there salsa bar is great also I recommend this to any one ! read more

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This place is owned by the former owner of carmel's!! huge menu! and the prices!! Best bang for the buck in orange county when looking for real mexican cusine! the Salsa bar is the best one I have ever seen! like almost 20 different types of slasa..crema..avacodo..habienero..WOW! Great service.. and the food! I like the steak picado plate at 5.70...and the pombasa!! chorizo plate 5.75 is a breakfast delight! from carlsbad to north orange county this place is the best..in my opinion.. Try this place out its real deal! read more

I had to check this place out after hearing that it was Carmel's with a different name. I ordered the Beef Nachos Supreme and they tasted EXACTLY like I remember from when I was little. Very decadent, but worth the food coma! Also the horchata is some of the best I've ever had! If you loved Carmel's, the just come to El Progresso & get what you loved! read more

Consistently delicious food! A very homemade taste and feel that makes you feel like you're eating at your grandma's house. I'm tired of trendy places with expensive food. Sometimes you just want good food for good prices and a clean comfortable environment and this is it. read more

This restaurant needs to be busier. Great food and nice atmosphere. I came in to order some breakfast burritos for my co-workers and I, I was greeted by a young lady. I believe she was the child of the nice wonderful lady making homemade tortillas. This is by far the best mexican restaurant in the area. Anyways, I ordered 2 breakfast burritos, an El Progresso and a chorizo burrito. I sat down and waited for my food. The lady making tortillas comes up to me with a big smile and offers me some of her homemade tortillas and told me to put some salsa on them while I waited. I ate one and I swear it tasted like my grandma's tortilla. I teared up a bit because of all the memories. This place deserves more recognition. I will most definitely come back here and try out more of their menu items. read more

Honestly I have no idea why this place has 4 stars. Service is horrible and food is very blah, bland, and just average at best. Nothing really to brag about. The actual decor and the place itself is rather plain, more on the ugly neglected side. In my opinion this place is barely worth 2 stars but I gave it one more star for having very low prices, which actually kindda reflects everything else at this place. Will I come back? Absolutely not! read more

The best Mexican food!! This is our favorite Mexican restaurant. Very authentic! I would definitely recommend it. Love this place. read more

Totally stumbled upon this place after getting a tattoo at Ghost Wolf. We had the fresh made Strawberry Margaritas. They were really good. Beef Tacquito's are yummy and the chips and salsa hit the spot. Great for a hole and the wall. We had awesome service and tons of parking. read more

At first I was interested but once I saw the food it's like damn I can make this at home quesadilla was ridiculous salad was a joke lettuce just thrown together read more

If you grew up in El toro and loved Carmels this is the same food as the Mexican food we grew up loving!!!! Don't mind the Mexican Couture environment the food is still amazing!!! Carne Asada burrito is 5stars!!! read more

El Progreso Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Hats on the wall!!! I knew it had to be good!! - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Nearly Christmas time 2016 and tamales are a seasonal favorite with many people. I like to refer to myself a connoisseur of tamales. As strange as it seems, it's really not easy getting great tamales. Thanks to El Progreso they are selling one of the best tamales you're ever going to taste. They are tender, moist and full of flavor and once you eat one you'll realize this is the way a tamale supposed to taste. I bought nearly a dozen yesterday and I now see me planning on buying more before Christmas. I suggest you order ahead because these go fast. If you're planning on buying your tamales, I would even consider buying him anywhere else if I were you. :-) read more

Came here for the first time. Food was good. The guy who took our order was patient and friendly. I would come here again if I was in the area. read more

I left the area for a few years, but am back now. One of the first places I went to was El Progreso and it happened to be on Taco Tuesday. Awesome crispy 6" tacos for $1.50. The hidden gem is the potato taco..yummmmm. Since everything is made fresh, sometimes the food may take a while longer to come, but always fresh and hot. Chips and salsa bar are great. read more

Love the food, brings me back to the days when Carmel's was open. The food is in good portions and tastes good. The burritos are a bit skinnier then the Carmel ones, but still yummy. The nacho supreme are still the same size and tastes just like they should. Love it!!!!! read more

Went for lunch and this place was very good! We had breakfast burritos and a carnitas burrito. Salsa was excellent, service was ver good too! Highly recommend this place. We will be back! read more

It's not often that you walk into a restaurant that closed 15 minutes prior and still serves up food for you out of the kindness of their hearts. However that's what happened at El Progreso Mexican restaurant. Upon entry and learning they were closed, my friend and I informed them that yelp told us you were still open and that we were sorry for intruding. The worker/owner Michael, insisted that we place an order and he would cook it for us. We ordered some chicken tacos ($1.25 on tuesdays!) and a burrito that were simple, yet tasty. As we enjoyed our meal in the closed restaurant, Michael kept insisting we reload on chips and Horchata. The restaurant had a wonderful ambiance with the T.V. blaring it's occasional "GOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLL, GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL, GOAL, GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLL on the current soccer match. It also had a stage for the mariachi band to setup when things in the restaurant are poppin off! If you are looking for a authentic Mexican restaurant and friendly staff, don't pass this place up! Just remember they close at 10pm on most weekdays! read more

So when Carmel's shut down a long time ago, I was so happy that I was still able to get the same exact food at El Progreso. Their meat and egg burrito was my favorite. However going there today was a huge disappointment. I go to order the meat and egg burrito with carnitas. I get home and come to notice all that's inside is carnitas and cheese. I did not pay $9.45 (which to me is pretty pricey) for a 2 ingredient burrito! I call the restaurant and let them know my order was wrong and said they would remake my burrito. I live close by RSM so it's a pain to drive back to Lake Forest. When I got back to the restaurant they said they wouldn't charge me again for another burrito. Why would I pay for another one?! Due to the inconvenience I asked them to refund me and get my food for free. They declined my request and said they could give me a free drink. In the end i didn't take the burrito and asked for my money back. It's just sad I've been going here for so many years, I won't be coming back anymore. read more

This is everything you want in a real Mexican restaurant. The food is authentic, cheap, and tastes great. I guess the menu will be a change for gringos used to 5 choices at Chipotle, but I loved the variety. read more

Thanks Yelpers (not)! I checked it out based on your reviews and was thoroughly unimpressed. Stale chips, watered down flavorless salsa, mediocre breakfast burrito and sorry guacamole. I can cook better than this at home. Wanted to like it....but couldn't. Not worthy of a 2nd visit. read more

The reviews sounded great and we decided to try it. Purchased our food and while waiting the kids went and served their drinks. One of the workers was cleaning up ice and tossed the ice that has fallen back in the machine. Needless to say we never went back. If that happens in the open what happens in the kitchen read more

This is my favorite place around my area. Authentic mexican flavor. The other Mexican food around always have an Americanized taste.

Although the food was tasty and the salsas were incredible, I have come down with food poisoning. Not worth the risk.

Four stars from me, two from my wife. Came in early on a Sunday morning craving some Pozole or Pollo Caldo. All they had on offer was menudo (the soup, not the boy band), the soup was spicy and rich but there is one major omission...hominy. The tripe was great and overall it was a good bowl, would be a five star soup if it was not for the lack of hominy. My wife had the taquito plate and said that they were dry and a little hard to eat, we will give them a second try when the kitchen is a little more alive (we were the only people in there at 715 am on a Sunday) and hope the quality of their main plates goes up a little. read more

I ordered beef tacos, they brought me chicken. Sent it back and they brought back beef. The meat is over-boiled so it is whitish so it's easy to mistake chicken from beef though they charge more for beef. I don't think this place is as great as the old Carmel's was. read more

This is the worst Mexican food EVER! My boyfriend and I decided to take his dad somewhere new for dinner. We checked Yelp! and found El Progresso. I have no idea how this place got 4 stars. I could go on and on, but I won't. We love authentic Mexican food, we try holes in the wall Mexican places all the time, so I'm taking no stars away for ambiance. I can't remember eating at a worse restaurant. There was no one in there, which is a sign, isn't it? We all ordered something different, and everything was so bad no one finished, our drinks were even bad. We didn't complain too much, the staff was nice enough. Just do yourself a favor and try one of the 3 other Mexican restaurants one that intersection. read more

Unfortunately El Progreso no longer has Taco Tuesday. After reading the good reviews about their Taco Tuesday we decided to check them out (we typically go to La Cocina De Ricardo. We were informed they have discontinued their Taco Tuesday. Bummer, really wanted to try them, but La Cocina De Ricardo is really good too which is where we ended up! read more

Did you ever go to Carmel's in Lake Forest years ago? This is essential all the good from the famed (but now long gone) Carmel's wrapped up with a new name and a location just down the road. I have had many carne asada burritos from here as well as the breakfast burritos. Chorizo or the El Progreso (Used to be the Armando at Carmel's) The service is quick and friendly. Prices are on par for the amount of food you get. The salsa bar is wonderful. I could eat a bowl of the pico by itself. The inside is a little iffy but nothing unusual for a hole in the wall joint. Give it a shot! read more

Authentic Mexican food. Always consistently good. I only take a star off because I wish they were cleaner. That being said, it never stops me from coming by. read more

El Progreso is amazing. I always get the same thing when I go here and it never gets old. I order a carne asada burrito with a cheese quesadilla. The carne burrito has beans, cheese, and carne asada inside it. I like to add sour cream inside the burrito. The cheese quesadilla is full of cheese and very thick. The cheese they use is amazing. You can take chips to go for free or eat them there if you eat inside. There is also a salsa bar that has 3-5 different salsas to choose from. The house salsa is my favorite. They have a sauce called "White Sauce" and if your there please try it on your food. I love this sauce and can never get enough. The place has a real Mexican feel and taste to it. read more

Seriously. Poor service and communication, blaring history channel with blood death pics. No thanks. One star for salsa. Too much tortilla as if they don't know how to make a burrito. Weird. Yuck. read more

I enjoyed it, because it is basically the food of Carmel's. I had the Carne Asada burrito and boy am I full. Content, but full.

A notable hole in the wall off of El Toro .. Their tacos (though a bit greasy) and breakfast burritos are pretty good + one of the best salsa/chip bars I've been to in Socal. read more

Great breakfast burritos!!! Amazing California burritos!!! Very homely feel!!

Same people and recipes from old Carmel's off El Toro and Rockfield (where Tower Records once lived and Bon Jovi once played). However they got to the new location, I'm so happy to have found them. Their all meat burrito is huge and so good. Nachos and taquitos basket remind me of my youth. Their chile salsa de arbol and tomatillo salsa are world class. This is a gem of a little place. Please vitsit. You won't be disappointed. read more

This place is really good. I hope people go here and make it as busy as Carmel's used to be. The menu and the quality are the same. A really nice staff and a great atmosphere. Support this business. You will be happy. Try the carne asada burrito. Different than others - it has large chunks of steak and the best beans and white cheese ever! So tasty. My wife loves the chicken taco salad served in a crispy and excellent tortilla shell. Amazing salsas, including habanero/onion mix, top off the experience. Go, you won't regret it! read more

Wow!!! breakfast burrito is sooo goood!. Me & my coworker (sergio G.) working one saturday morning and he decided to check some mexican restaurant, he was told there is one, newly opened some where in El Toro. He called and ordered so he ask me if i want some i said "I'm not hungry but i can try" (coz i know i wont be able to find a good one here in our area). I was wrong and for the first time i finally found the best burrito and how lucky we are because it is SO close to our work, that means we can eat Breakfast, Lunch and dinner(for night shifts) often. I will recommend this to all of my friends. read more

First time there today. Enjoyed the vibe in the restaurant. Affordable and delicious breakfast burrito and a great salsa bar. I will be back! read more

Atmosphere is poor. Cleanliness is questionable at best. Salsa bar had many mild options, but nothing for a little spice. They don't wipe down thier condiments, so hot sauce had crusted top, salt and pepper had a film on exterior. I had a vegatarian burrito, very little taste, I added salt pepper and hot sauce. The tortilla wrap had a little crunch on the outside but a doughy taste like nmmmm it wasn't cooked through. read more