I've been sitting on this review for years, which honestly feels like a crime at this point. Fonda Moderna might be the best Mexican food I've had outside of Mexico City itself, and that's not something I say lightly as someone who takes that title very seriously. The place is tucked inside Mess Hall Market, a food hall in which you expect casual, fine, whatever food. Instead you get high end, luxury level food that actually backs itself up with flavor instead of riding on presentation alone. The tortillas are handmade and taste like straight up magic, like someone's abuelita is in the back personally rolling every single one. What I appreciate the most is that the staff is incredibly kind every single time. We've been coming here for years and they still remember us and say hi, which in 2026 feels like a small miracle. The atmosphere at Mess Hall is great too, and parking is actually plentiful, a small win in Orange County. People complain about the prices, but they're not thinking about what it actually takes to consistently deliver this level of quality. This place deserves a Michelin star, full stop. Long overdue review, but here it is. read more

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Located at the flight mess hall. Plenty of parking near the area there's also a paid parking lot where you can get validated. Food took about 15min. Ordered Shrimp 3/5 - decent but a little on the pricey end for what you get. I think Taco Nazo is a bit better for around the same price Al pastor - 3/5 - the flavor was good and I like this is on the sweeter side of al pastor, but some pieces of the meat was a little stringy. PICANHA 4/5 - tender and good smokiness on the meat $23 for 3 tacos Reminds me of tacos Los cholos but not as hyped and not as over filled with meat. Overall, a bit overpriced for quality tacos imo. read more

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Are you looking for a taco spot that will completely leave you in awe? Well look no further, Fonda Moderna DID just that to me and my hubs. Our kiddos wanted pasta so we stopped by this food hall and decided to eat here. They had great customer service. Staff were very friendly. Super chill environment as it's located in a food hall. They put out the different salsas for you to grab. They give you a pager and when your food is ready it'll go off. Ordered: -Birria Taco $5.50 this was amazing!! One of the best Birria I have had in a long time. Super flavorful and the meat was tender. -Wagyu Rib eye burrito $22.50 this was ok, wasn't super memorable. But this was personally better the picanha. -Picanha steak burrito $22.50 - this was ok. -2 NY tacos, churro, and a glass of beer $16 (special that day) the tacos wasn't bad but the birria was still better. I do like that they give different options of meats that you typically don't see from other Mexican spots. Also, they offer those meats in three different options: tacos, burritos, or a bowl. Overall, I would come back for the birria tacos. But I do have to say everything was priced a bit steep. My pockets felt a dent afterwards. I would stop by if I am in the area because that birria taco is worth stopping by for but definitely can't all of the time cause it is on the pricey side. Tips: *Credit card accepted. *Restroom is available but outside. *Parking is free for 90 mins with validation. *Located inside the Mess Hall at FLIGHT. *Runs various promos depending on the day of the week. *Closed Sunday read more

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The tacos are OK here. Flour tortillas are quite thin. I found the tacos to be a little too salty. The tacos are a lot smaller than you'd expect (bite-sized). I can see the tacos hitting hard after several drinks at the bar nearby. I think this place has potential and hope they can work out the details of their food. read more

Fonda Moderna - 5 Guisado Taco Sampler - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

Lovee their tacos, their flour tortilla is firee it's the kind that's like kinda flaky pastry, reminiscent of roti. Definitely elevates the taco. The tacos are also decently large so even one is pretty filling considering it's a single taco, not that I stop at one. My favorite one so far is the cecina taco. I've tried other ones too (from my memory the al pastor, Baja fish, and one of the chicken ones) and enjoyed em all so I feel safe trying new ones cuz they seem pretty consistently good across. I didn't love the steak burrito tho, i think I got filet? I don't remember the specifics about it except that the meat wasn't tender and the other components didn't make up for the disappointing meat, was underwhelming as a whole. Will def stick to the tacos. I also don't get how they don't have limes to squeeze:(. They do provide lime juice but not having limes feels like a crime for a Mexican spot. I love also getting a drink at the bar right across, conveniently next to each other read more

Fonda Moderna - Cecina Taco - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

Food here is fire!! It's amazing!! I've had the Cecina street taco and the cauliflower-mushroom street taco before, and it was amazing! When eating the vegan tacos, it doesn't feel like it's vegan because of the great flavors. Recently had the Cecina bowl for $18. It was super filling. Flank steak is great quality and quantity. Comes with so many side dishes from guac, rice, beans, cabbage, onions and chips!! Favorite salsa is the mild avocado, which has a bit of a spicy kick! Service counter is small and very clean. You get a buzzer and come back to get your food. I enjoy the flight area where there's lots of food options for others and they have lots of seats and water station. There is 90 mins free parking. You must know your license plate to enter in the kiosk read more

Fonda Moderna - Cecina Bowl - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

The food here is really good. I had the Cocina burrito. This is made with Hanger Steak. Each burrito is loaded with lots of tender yummy steak. It came with a small side of chips. I also got a bottle of Coke. They have a salsa bar on the right side of the counter. I went with the spicy which was really good. Everything here is fresh and made to order. read more

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Got a carne asada burrito without rice. It was pretty salty, not sure if it was the steak or the tortilla itself. The tortilla is thicker than I'm used to but I didn't mind. The burrito came with a side of chips that were nicely crispy and seasoned. read more

If you love homemade Mexican food, you will love this place. The food is made from homemade recipes and served in Hand Made tortillas. It is kind of tricky to find this place and the parking is with an automated service that requires your credit card. One suggestion I need to make is they serve their tacos on a tray with paper under them. The issue is these tacos are very juicy and some of the filling spills out onto the tray. There is no way to avoid this. I would like to suggest they serve their tacos on a paper plate or cardboard tray to retain the juice and filling. We tried the steak and pork tacos and like others have said, they were excellent. I loved the pork with pits of pineapple in them. Crunchy, sweet, and tangy. This place is a new discovery in OC. read more

Fonda Moderna - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

Mexican food stand located in the Mess Hall Market. The vibe/decor of the Mess Hall itself is meticulous, clean, large airport hangar turned food hall. As for Fonda, I would say that the food seems very traditional with a modern punch up in ingredients and presentation. The service style is you come up and order at the counter and you pick up your food when it's ready (fast casual). The person at the counter was really friendly. I came here specifically to try their Baja style fried fish taco. The fish was perfectly fried with a nice crisp on the outside with not too much batter and the ingredients and salsa all tasted really fresh. All held together by a delicious, chewy flour tortilla. Just a really great fish taco all around. Parking was easy to find because there is a dedicated lot to this area. You get some validation when you dine at the Mess Hall. Which is a scan and app process which might be a slight inconvenience the first time, but if you come here often, I would imagine it getting easier. read more

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I have been going to Fonda Modern for about 2-3 years now. Every time the food is delicious. My favorites are the Baja fish tacos, the Mexican squash tacos, and mushroom tacos. I am not a vegetarian or vegan, but their vegan tacos are so good it makes me consider it. The homemade tortillas are the best. They are paper thin, but don't fall apart or overtake the taco with the flavor of flour. Their salsas are perfection with my favorite being their Salsa Macha. You can also buy the organic tortillas and the Salsa Macha for take home. Staff are always nice and super friendly! Love this place. read more

A hidden gem!!! Had a lovely outing today and split four tacos in between myself and my mom. We ordered a taco combo with Al Pastor Taco, Cecina Taco, Pacific Shrimp Taco!! Tortillas were delicious and absolutely tasted home-made. Was enough between us and was totally delicious. Honestly some of the best tacos we've had in awhile and we are Very Picky about our tacos! Service was quick and the front cashier person was kind enough to give us a second tray so we could split! Definitely making this our to-go spot for tacos! read more

Fonda Moderna - Taco combo with Al Pastor Taco, Cecina Taco, Pacific Shrimp Taco!! Tortillas were delicious and absolutely tasted home-made. - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

5 stars - Where Vegans Get Their Taco Fix (And Tesla Owners Get a Charge) Let me tell you something: vegans crave tacos. We absolutely do. And Fonda Moderna at the Mess Hall in Tustin actually gets it. I've been coming here enough that Diane noticed when I dyed my hair. That's the kind of place this is. You're not just another order number. You're a person, and apparently a person whose highlights they're paying attention to. Now, the food. I went with the Mushroom en Adobo burrito -- oyster mushrooms, vegan mozzarella, beans, guacamole salsa, cilantro -- and it delivered everything a taco craving demands, just without the meat. Real flavors, real textures, real satisfaction. And the vegan section of the menu isn't an afterthought; it's a whole category with five thoughtful options. The chips and salsas? Multiple dipping sauces and all of it lands. The Mess Hall space itself is beautiful -- soaring ceilings inside, a lovely outdoor deck with olive trees and red chairs for when Southern California decides to cooperate with the weather. Which is most of the time. And here's my personal cherry on top: I pull up to the Supercharger out front, walk 500 feet to eat an exceptional burrito, and walk back to a charged car. Efficiency is a love language, and Fonda Moderna speaks it fluently. read more

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Tortillas made in house (!!!) I repeat. TORTILLAS. MADE. THERE! Delicious options- Can't beat it!! My favorite is the fish taco, al pastor, and any of the stew meats under the guisados. The tacos, even with no meat is great as well. I've been 3 times the past month read more

Wow! So glad I finally had the chance to come and check out this place. The place is inside the Mess Hall located at the Tustin Legacy. Inside you will find various other food places but we came to try this place. We ordered the Guisado taco sampler and the quesabirria. I can honestly say that all the food was so delicious! The tacos were small but filling my husband tried some and I had a few. We couldn't say which one we liked better because they were all good. The quesabirria was also delicious, the birria was tasty and it was not overly greasy. Let me also tell you about the delicious salsas. One of them tasted like the one my mom makes, so good!!!! We will come back to try some of their other food options because I am sure they are delicious! Also inside there is a bar that is owned by the same company as this place and I had a passion fruit margarita and a hibiscus margarita and both were so good. Miguel the bartender was very nice. Definitely be back for some more margaritas! read more

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If you're in the Tustin area and looking for a great spot for lunch, I highly recommend checking out the Mess Hall. I stopped by for the first time today, and I'm so glad I did! A coworker suggested I try the Mexican restaurant there, and it definitely did not disappoint. What I liked most was that they offer vegan options, which is always a plus. I decided to try the Cauliflower Mushroom Taco and the Mexican Squash Taco. Both were cooked fresh to order and served on warm flour tortillas with fresh, high-quality ingredients. The flavors were vibrant, and the tacos were packed with deliciousness. While both tacos were fantastic, my absolute favorite was the Mexican Squash taco - it had the perfect balance of flavors and was just incredibly satisfying. I'll definitely be back to try more from their menu, and I'm looking forward to making this a regular spot for lunch! read more

Fonda Moderna - Cauliflower Mushroom Taco and Mexican Squash Taco - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

So if the restaurant closes at 7:30 then change your hours to say you close at 7:30. The hours say 8pm on here. Horrible customer service. I just moved in down the street and was so excited to try this place. I called at 7:20 just to ask a question about the menu and said I would call right back to order a pick up. Well, 5 min later I call back, 4 times no answer. I'm already on the way because I was driving home from an appointment and I walk up to the counter at 7:40 and they tell me they're closed. That they closed early because it was dead. I worked in the restaurant industry for over 15 years. Yall just lost customers who would've dropped $80 on food from you weekly. read more

3.5 stars. I got a few tacos, the quesabirria (doesn't come with consume), a fish, and the surf and turf. The tortillas are handmade and are really quite good. I could easily eat those tortillas by themselves. The tacos are pretty solid also. I was tempted to get the wagyu A5 burrito for $50! But I decided to get the imberico burrito which I thought was just ok. Overall I did really like the tacos and would come back and the service is really friendly. read more

My son was hooked by a picture he saw online for this place, so we came by to try it out for dinner. The place is inside of the Tustin food hall, amongst a few different spots for food and drinks. It's cute, but definitely needs more businesses. The ordering process was easy, the cashier was friendly. The food was okay, and not worth the price. I bit into my chorizo burrito and it was mainly beans and rice, and it was regular white rice, which was strange. Hardly any cheese. My son ordered the chicken tinga burrito, which lacked flavor and was not juicy. read more

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I tried Fonda Moderna a couple of weeks ago. It is located inside the Mess Hall food court in Tustin. We ordered a few tacos, the al pastor and the beef. I enjoyed the al pastor tacos the most. They were extremely juicy and had a pineapple salsa in it. The decor inside the food court is nice. read more

Fonda Moderna - Front of the restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

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Excellent tacos! Fonda Moderna is located inside the Tustin mess hall. Parking is plentiful and can be validated at any restaurant inside the mess hall. I got the 5 taco sampler ($15), which comes with mini versions of chicken, beef, birria, pork, and chorizo. Seating is also plentiful inside or outside. My favorite was the beef and chicken, very tender. The size is small so a perfect meal for one or appetizer two share between two people. The salsa bar is great, they have three types and highly recommend the green salsa. Overall solid taqueria. Would love to try the seafood taco my next visit. read more

This place is so slept on! I'm not sure if this food court is more busy during the weekdays because of the office buildings being open, but it was super dead on the weekend during prime dinner time. I got the filet mignon burrito and it was delicious! The meat was great quality and the tortilla was sooo good. Excellent option for authentic Mexican food in the Tustin/Irvine area if you don't want to make the drive out to Santa Ana! read more

The food and services were great! Cool place to hang out. The fish tacos were unique and tasty.

Best steak taco. Perfectly cooked, insanely tender with the right toppings. Worth every bite.

A taco shop tucked away inside the Mess Hall at FLIGHT. Lots of seating area inside and there are ping pong tables that you can use outside. Extra bonus is the bar right across from here. Counter service was quick and their staff was friendly/helpful. I loved that there's a self serve salsa bar. All of them were delicious and had a slightly different level of spice. Was hoping their extra caliente salsa would pack a punch but sadly it under delivered. Birria Taco - 3.5/5 the meat tasted good but a little under seasoned Al Pastor Taco - 5/5 loved that there was pineapple on top Carne Asada Hanger Santa Carota - 3/5 had very little hanger steak and mostly fillers Overall, it was not bad. Burrito was disappointing since there was barely any meat inside but the tacos were solid. I want to come back and try their vegetarian tacos. The cauliflower tacos looks amazing. read more

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Taco #21 on my LA Times 101 Best Tacos in LA (even though they include OC and Ventura). The Times taco choice was the Baja fish and it was delicious. I'm not a big fish fun but I am a fan of anything fried! The fish was light and the other ingredients complemented it perfectly. I also got the birria de mushroom taco which was so good, a newer version than the one on the menu, according to the counter person. My hubby got the al pastor and it was good ( but not ad good as in DF, according to my native Mexican honey). We were there during lunch time and the food court clearly caters to the business crowd so it was busy but we got our order pretty quickly. We sat outside and it was lovely. It's a fancy food court so lots of goodies to choose from. Can't wait to go back!! read more

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We met up with a few couples at Mess Hall. Most of us ordered from Fonda Moderna. My friend and I shared tacos and sushi (from another food stall). I had the chicken & pinto bean taco. Very tasty. I ordered 2 steak & pinto bean tacos to go. My son & I had the steak tacos for lunch the next day and we agreed they were good and flavorful and wished we had more! My daughter had a steak bowl and she said it was great. Everyone at our table who ordered from Fonda Moderna were very happy! read more

If you're in the Tustin area, you have to try Fonda Moderna inside the Mess Hall at FLIGHT. I promise you that you won't regret it. I've been here a few times already, and it's always consistently delicious and flavorful. I don't know why I haven't posted a review on it yet. The service was wonderful. The food speaks for itself... I'm a repeat customer! A5 Japanese Kobe Taco: 11/10 It melted in my mouth. I devoured it in a few bites. It was heavenly. Surf & Turf Taco: 100/10 My favorite is usually the A5 Wagyu taco, but I was feeling this taco today. It was so juicy and they were generous with the lobster and beef. The melted cheese took it to another level. I could've eaten five more, but I didn't. Fish Taco: 8/10 It was crispy and good. read more

Fonda Moderna - 4/20/2024 Fonda Moderna inside the Mess Hall at FLIGHT - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

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Tried this place thinking it might be good since it has almost 5 stars . I will say I was very disappointed! Ordered a few stuff from the menu and absolutely nothing was what I expected. The alpastor tasted like boiled chicken it was the weirdest taste it definitely didn't taste like alpastor at all. Also had a hanger steak burrito and The hanger steak had absolutely no flavor it was very disappointing! The salsas were what made this food eatable. I wouldn't recommend this place if u are looking for flavor Mexican food! Definitely not it! Instead check out FONDA MODERNA DEL SUR!!! Now that is some tasty food! Not sure if it's by the same owners but it's delicious!!!! read more

Fonda Moderna - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

Best Burritos in OC! WOW! WOW! WOW! Chef here! And i absolutely approve! Not cheap, BUT WORTH the experience! I'm going there tomorrow to just get a bean a cheese burrito because the avo-poblano sauce is the most delicious I've ever tasted. This place is hand crafted authentic meets fine dining flavors. I'm completely shocked! And if you love cozy tortilla that's nicely steamed, YOU will find there burritos at it's truest perfection! The deep flavors are there! The perfect acid in the avo-poblano sauce! Chorizo was home made! The tortilla was moist! And the beans!!! Wow! Oh, the chips are delicious. Soak the avocado sauce in it and it's another meal! And the sweet team, are just precious! A big smile and cooked w love! I have no idea who these folks are. I was just passing through! This is not a paid review. LOL I truly want family businesses like this to succeed because we need real food around! GO support em! read more

Fonda Moderna - Smother your meal with their Avocado-poblano sauce!! Wow, this place is super authentic and it hits home! For any culture!! - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

Located in Mess Hall. Fantastic flavors not that I can find at any other taqueria. I had the Cecina as a bowl and quite filling. Fast and friendly service. The Mess Hall is very open and a great place for groups. read more

Fonda Moderna - Bilbao Chorizo y Papa taco - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

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5 STARS. But really more. Good food. Always fresh, and they are so nice. The way Burritos should be. If you have never tried it before, I say give it a try. Just by writing my review I am thinking to get myself one read more

I got a fish taco, Al pastor taco and a carnitas taco. I absolutely loved the Al pastor and the carnitas tacos, but the aioli on the fish taco wasn't my favorite. I think their tortillas are fantastic. Definitely excited to try the other tacos read more

Fonda Moderna - Baja fish taco, carnitas taco and an al pastor taco. Very good! - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

Try the guisados taco sampler. You won't be disappointed. Phenomenal. Brb, off to order another one.

Great tacos..will be back for sure. Fish taco and Birrea taco were on point. Quick easy in and out also! read more

You have to try a fish taco. They are on the pricier side, but they are very large. I ordered one and it was filling. The sauce is just so good. read more

Fonda Moderna - Taco - Seafood Near Me - Tustin, California

The good: There were lots of taco options and the tacos were fun, bite-size, street-style tacos with colorful garnishes and a nice crisp on the tortilla. I also had a cheesecake-like flan here that had a nice cherry on top. I tried 5 different taco options (the sampler for under $12) and liked the pickled red onion. The 5 tacos were: birria, stewed pork with beans, stewed chicken, stewed beef and stewed pork with pickled beets. I liked that they had a variety of meat options. I thought the prices were fair and the menu had other options like burritos and agua fresca. The bad: The flan tasted mostly of just condensed milk. The tacos were mostly all salty for my liking. One of the meats I had was a bit chewy. There was a tres leches dessert option that ran out when we tried to order it. The interesting: This place is located in a modern food hall so there is plenty of seating. read more

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I sometimes work from my company's Tustin Legacy office, and Fonda Moderna is my favorite spot in the Mess Hall food court. The ingredients are high quality and fresh, and cooked to order (any restaurant with homemade tortillas is a winner for me!) Great steak and seafood varieties... my favorites are the lobster taco and the waygu steak taco. They're generous with fillings and the flavor is incredible. Two tacos is almost too much for me to finish (but I really wanted to so I did!) The service is friendly and also fast, even during the lunch rush. I'm looking forward to going through the whole menu here! read more

This is my favorite place to eat inside this mess hall. The food is always cooked to order and fresh and the service is impeccable. Always polite and with a smile. Very friendly and they make you feel at home. It's either Kayla or Julie up front greeting you and taking your order and I'm always glad favorite cook Jesus as well. I have to say my favorite here is their fish tacos. They're a great size and always cooked to perfection. They honestly are my go-to fish taco place out of all I've had. The cabbage and dressing that goes on top are a great addition. I always recommend the green hot salsa as well. Gotta be ready for a nice kick you'll get outta that. Around noon can get pretty busy during the week so be ready and patient. This is worth the wait! read more

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I kind of always suspected that I probably ordered the wrong thing when I last ate here oh so long ago, and the fact it has persisted and gets good reviews prompted me to give it another go. This time I have the American Waygu steak burrito and it was darn good. It was also $20 for something about 1/2 the size of a Chipotle burrito, but this is about the quality, not the quantity. The key here is the beef, nicely marbled cooked to medium side of medium rare, but very tender and juicy. There are other fillings, but the star here is the beef. The hot sauces were an odd trio. The mild was a decent (and not hot) chipotle salsa, and the hot was a not very hot red salsa. The medium was a pretty hot green salsa. So either they didn't make the hot one correctly (and if that is the case beware of it) or they mixed them up in the tray. read more