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    Franco's Famous

    4.1 (88 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 9:30 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

    Franco's Famous Photos

    FRANCO'S FAMOUS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Classy
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Franco's Famous

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    Maritza S.

    The is the newest Franco's Famous in the area. If you're looking for authentic Mexican food this is not it. That being said it's good enough for a quick diner. Tried the potato fried taco and I'm obsessed. Could've eaten four! The Cucumber jalapeño margarita with Tajín rim is delicious. Not too spicy but really refreshing.

    Ground beef and shredded chicken enchiladas
    Betty G.

    We have been eating out so much this past week but kept on going to the same places we've been to before, so tonight decided to find a new location. We all agreed to visit this Franco's Famous. The restaurant was packed inside out when we arrived around dinner time. We were glad we came here because the foods was so good. The salsa for the chips was perfectly spicy. For dinner, I had the shredded chicken enchiladas, hubby had the chicken and ground beef enchiladas, and both dishes were delicious. My daughter had the shredded beef soft tacos and her husband had the two smash tacos and a grilled shrimp taco and they loved everything they ordered. We had a great meal tonight. We had America as our server and service was good. We will return.

    Wally P.

    Food is good. We go to Franco's in Aliso so we know the menu well. Service is terrible. Maybe it's just poor management because it's new. But compared to the Aliso location, the service at Ladera is awful. Walked in at 5 pm on Thursday. Half the dining room was empty, and most of tables were piled up with dirty dishes. Many tables had food and rice scattered on them and on the floors. Did they just finish feeding some livestock? Chips and salsa came quick, but no waiter for a good FIFTEEN minutes. We asked bus boys and the chip girl to get us a waitress but they ignored us. There was a young waitress gabbing with her friends next to our table. Despite our efforts to flag her down she would not leave the conversation with her friends. Maybe she was on break? Turns out that chatty girl was indeed our waitress. Not good. Our food came but she never checked on us. I had to flag down the chip girl to pay my bill. I can't place all the blame on this one poorly trained waitress. She was the only one we saw in the dining room. No manager. Just overall poor management. 3 stars for the food , but 1 failure star for horrible service. I live in Ladera and want all local businesses to survive. But I'm not coming back. I give the over/under of failure of this location at one year. Sorry. But I'll keep going back to the Aliso one.

    Chips and salsa are perfect!
    Samantha D.

    We were stoked for a new Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood! We came here the first week or so it was open, ate on the patio, and the food was great. Even though it was a weekday, it was busy and the service was pretty slow, though. We came here again with my in-laws and had a rough experience. Came on a Sunday at 5:30, and it was busy, but we were told we could wait for a table outside and it would just be 15 minutes. After 20 minutes, they told us it would be "at least another 15 minutes because people are still eating". We decided to eat inside so we could get seated more quickly. The restaurant was really loud and the waiters bumped into our seats every single time they walked by because the tables were so close together. It took us over 30 minutes to get our drinks and over an hour to get our food. Our waitress explained several times that it was her first day and shared that they were told not to take food orders for a while because of how backed up the kitchen was. Looking around, several other tables were complaining about one thing or another. Honestly, the food and drinks are GREAT quality, but it seems like Franco's has some catching up to do when it comes to figuring out their processes. We're planning to get food to-go until all the bugs get worked out.

    Menu
    Tara H.

    Great Taco Tuesday! $3 tacos for crunchy chicken, shredded beef, shredded chicken and potato. Margaritas and beer on special too! It was quite busy but staff were great and attentive. Upbeat atmosphere. Would love to come back and try off taco Tuesday specials. Rank of tacos: #1 being the best was shredded beef, #2 potato, #3 chicken, #4 ground beef. I'd typically be a chicken and ground beef fan but they had a spice in there that I didn't care for as much. Also, they don't have a super spicy salsa, only had El Yucateco hot sauce as an option. Super happy with that option but just to note! The "spice" was not due to spiciness, just particular spice in the seasoning.

    Shrimp tostado
    Renee T.

    Came in a Friday night wasn't very busy not many servers were working. Ours was nice and we sat outside by the fireplace which was nice. Food was good I had the tostada and hubby had a few items but he raved over the Tijuana dog. Will be back and hope this restaurant lasts and continues to thrive!

    Bob S.

    First time here! The food was very fresh, savory, flavorful, and delicious. Also, the chips were super crunchy, crispy, and salty, and the salsa was perfectly served. Good service, and atmosphere with upbeat music, and I had an amazing wonderful first visit today.

    Happy hour beer battered fish and grilled shrimp tacos!
    Sade N.

    Soup of the day: chicken tortilla Happy hour beer battered fish and grilled shrimp tacos Crispy taco dorados that are half off on taco Tuesday!

    Michelle H.

    Been waiting to try this place for a while. Pros Drinks are ok, I'd come back for maybe just drinks Cons Food is rough. My elote was watery and tasted like canned corn that wasn't drained poured into a bowl and sprinkled with Tahin. The shrimp taco was made with a stale tortilla and inedible. The kids menu is super limited so we ordered a Tijuana dog and just asked for them to leave everything off because it was for my two toddlers, but of course they had no problem leaving the spicy ketchup which made it in-edible. My husband had the chicken flautas and they were extremely dry. I'll be back for drinks, but definitely not food.

    June 2025 Menu
    Michele D.

    First time at this place. This restaurant is almost 2 months old, and I'm so glad we checked this place out! The service was super friendly and stellar! The food... I ordered their Jalapeño bacon wrap with cream cheese as an appetizer. It came with this raspberry sauce that totally balances out the heat and your tastebuds! Extremely spicy!!! I had their Chili Relleno, as an entree, and it certainly didn't disappoint! It was wonderful! And for the grand finale..... I couldn't pass up their churros! Delicious! EVERYTHING served came hot out of the oven. Super fresh tasting! Their simple decor was aesthetically pleasing. Do come and try this place out! And be sure to welcome them to your neighborhood! Overall, another fantastic dining experience! You bet, I'm returning! I LOVED it! Cheers and Enjoy!!! Highly highly recommended!

    Mike L.

    Went here for Taco Tuesday and Happy Hour with some friends. We ordered quesadillas, tacos and margaritas all around. We were greeted and seated promptly. Our server was polite and gregarious. The food and drinks were delicious and the atmosphere was upbeat and lively. We had a great time and would definitely go back.

    Chicken Fajitas
    Daisy G.

    Went to Franco's for the first time yesterday and had such a great experience! The drinks were strong, the food portions were huge and the food was very tasty! I could easily have shared the fajitas and would have still had plenty. I am looking forward to next trip to Franco's!

    Smash Tacos!
    Calley G.

    This place is amazing! Really great tasting food, yummy drinks and good service. Perfect for special occasions or just grabbing a drink with friends. Love the outdoor seating areas too with fireside seating and a side cute bar. They do happy hour Tuesday thru Friday and brunch on Sundays! The tacos dorado are perfectly crispy and flavorful, the best is the potato taco and the ground beef. The flautas equally delicious and their guacamole is fresh and delicious. Tijuana dog is a fun option with tasty creamy sauce. Cheese enchiladas and the vegetarian refried beans are the best in this area! That homemade red enchilada sauce is perfect. The cheese quesadilla trio with guacamole and sour cream is the perfect size to share. Their bartenders craft the most delicious margaritas and drinks! Overall such a great place!

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    5 months ago

    Maxing spiciest margaritas they are so tasty and the tacos are the bomd, sundays are the best brunch ever

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    2 months ago

    Food was really good and the service was amazing. The atmosphere is fun as well and the outdoor patio is cute. I would come here again.

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    4 months ago

    Great food, service and accomodations for my fur baby. Will now be a family must. Plus great vibes. Go and enjoy

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    El Zarandeado  - Aguachile negro

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    4.8(386 reviews)
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    If you're looking for authentic, fantastic Mexican food in San Juan Capistrano, El Zabandeja is…read moreabsolutely worth your time. This is the kind of place where the food speaks for itself. As a local gringo, sure--I wouldn't mind a few pictures on the menu--but honestly, it doesn't matter. Just pick something and go for it. Everything I've tried has been excellent, and you really can't go wrong. What makes it even better is that it's truly family-owned and operated. And I mean that literally--you'll see them in the front, in the back, and serving tables. There's something special about that level of care and pride in what they're doing. It's incredibly important to support places like this, especially in South Orange County and particularly in San Juan Capistrano. Restaurants like this are what give the area its character. Take your time when you go--make it a date night or bring family when they're in town. If you want real, authentic, fantastic food, this is the spot.

    The seafood was fresh and full of flavor, and everything tasted very well prepared. I highly…read morerecommend trying the agua chile con salsa negro -- it had great flavor and was one of my favorite dishes. The camarones a la diabla and camarones al ajillo were also both delicious, well seasoned, and cooked perfectly. If you enjoy seafood, this is definitely a place worth trying. I would gladly come back again.

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    Tacos De Birria Estilo Guadalajara - The  best tacos

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    4.6(659 reviews)
    5.8 mi
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    Outdoor seating
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    Hidden spot located in a church! Parking can suck - I would get here a little earlier for lunch to…read moreavoid the mess that is parking. There's limited spots and some spots are reserved for clergy, daycare, etc. Tacos are a bit on the pricey side, but they're honestly some of the best tacos in the OC. There's a punch card available where you get $10 off after 8 visits. Best Tacos: - Questaco w/ Birria - birria is super flavorful (beef) and perfect with that green salsa and the consume. The cheese is melty and the tacos perfectly crispy. - Fish Taco - Classic fish taco that's perfectly battered and fried with great flavor. Overall, since our first visit, it's become our go to taco spot and we can never go wrong with it. Covered seating + outdoor seating available. Bathroom available via the room onto your left if you're sitting in the covered seating area. On our first trip we walked alllllll the way down the church just to wash our hands since we sat outside, lol. So don't be foolish like us!

    We felt like having tacos on a Tuesday evening and found this place on Yelp. It's the type of…read morerestaurant where you would not notice it when driving by. But good thing for the Yelp platform and the Internet. It had just sprinkled recently and so all the outdoor tables were wet. We were so glad that they also have covered semi indoor seating. Parking was plentiful since we came in the evening and it looks like this is the parking lot for a school also during the day. We ordered at the register and were helped by a couple different staff members. One gentleman took over since it seemed like he was able to explain things better about the menu. I ended up getting a fish taco and a shrimp taco. I should've asked, but didn't realize that the tacos were fried. I was a little surprised because most fish tacos I've eaten are usually served on a tortilla that is not fried. It was a little too greasy for my liking but still tasty! We also ordered birria taquitos to share, which were fried obviously. My family also ordered Carne Asada tacos and birria quesotacos. It didn't seem like there were any taco Tuesday specials for the dishes we ordered. The total amount seemed pretty expensive. Maybe I'll come back to try the ceviche. There are accessible restrooms, which was great since our hands were very greasy afterwards and the small thin napkins weren't sufficient. From the inside dining area, we saw a dance class taking place in the main church assembly room (I think that's what it was). it appeared to be a hula or Polynesian dance class.

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    Taqueros Mexican Restaurant - Two shrimp tacos. So good. So plump.

    Taqueros Mexican Restaurant

    4.1(275 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$

    It's been a while since we last stopped by and grabbed some food from Taqueros Mexican Restaurant…read more The kids wanted Mexican food for dinner but we originally were headed to our go-to, Adolpho's. We decided to grab birria tacos instead. Taqueros, is off of Marguerite across from the car dealerships in Mission Viejo. Outdoor seating is available, however, I can't recall if they ever added heaters out front. The weather was too windy and cold to eat outside anyway. I couldn't make up my mind. Eventually, I chose the shrimp tacos as a couple people in my party grabbed the Birria tacos. Service from the staff was friendly, patient and fast. Birria tacos - three came in an order with the consomé along with lime, onions and cilantro. My son was so reluctant to eat here cause he has his favorites elsewhere, but that kid devoured all three tacos. My oldest kid was so excited to eat their birria, they scarfed it down and finished before everyone else. Shrimp tacos - I ordered two of these. The shrimp was PERFECTLY cooked. They were plump, juicy, tasty, seasoned well and sat in a bed of veggies with their sauce. I like to squeeze lime for the acidity or the green salsa from the salsa bar. Salsas - I love that green one. It's very mild for me and I could literally eat it by the spoonfuls. I can't remember how the red (hot) one tastes like. It's been too long and I forgot to grab some this time around. Overall, Taqueros, is still a place we love for Mexican food. It's not fancy, but it's delicious. They will definitely continue to stay in our rotation.

    Hidden gem! The food is authentic and Mexican traditional. The taste and presentation reminded me…read moreof my grandmothers cooking. I am in awe on how delicious the food was and I'm looking forward to the next time I'm in the area to try it again. The service was friendly and we enjoyed the complimentary chips and salsa. Prices were fair and staff provided a warm and friendly ambiance.

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    Franco's Famous - wine_bars - Updated May 2026

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