Kind people, great food always and excellent prices. Enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. The margaritas aren't bad either

Great Amex in Costa Mesa (Newport/Wilson) is amazing! Great service, and it never disappoints! There is no better beef machaca north of the border, and the prices are fabulous! It's a hidden gem, despite the lack of ambiance. read more

Whoa, best al pastor tacos I've had so far. Mexican style tortilla = greasy, crispy goodness. Parking sucks and the place is small, but...I'm still dreaming of those al pastor tacos. read more

Great Mex - Al pastor Mexican style tacos - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I went in tonight and once again, had the worst experience. It's always at night or when the female staff is on. The short chick is incredibly rude and just condescending. She was on her phone when I came in talking to the taller chick, I waited for 2 whole minutes (I timed it) until even being acknowledged. When I asked "are you gonna help me or keep playing on your phone", the short chick slammed her phone down and rudely took my order. My wife and I have been customers here for the longest time and ever since these chicks started working here awhile ago, the service has been ridiculous and absolutely horrible. I will never go back if these two rude people are working read more

Humble little spot, perfect with a Mexican coke. Being the gringo I am, I defaulted to the California burrito for lunch one day. It's important to remember that no one is forcing you to get carne asada. I swapped for the pastor, and I'm probably never going back to steak. They make their food timely, delicious, and the salsa tastes like it has candied chili! Freaking love Great Mex! read more

Very good basic breakfast burrito! Salsa bar was full and good! Well worth the money ! I could eat here everyday! read more

Great Mex - Good food! - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Love great mex taco tuesdays and taco fridays! Their pico de gallo / chips are essential

Great Mex is unlike any other place in Costa.. or any place for that matter! it is a serious hook up on the food.. and the food is super good and authentic, not to mention a salsa bar with bomb mild salsa and all the amenities, and endless chips with your meal. but seriously i got a plate with the bean and cheese burrito/ rice and beans and my plate got me so full for 6.74$ AFTER TAX! needless to say this place is a must go.. it looks dumpy but it is as good as any (actually better...) than any expensive location near this, or in all of Arizona which is where im from. go! read more

Great Mex - combo plates and chips and salsa from their salsa bar :) - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The best Mahi Mahi burrito with extra quacamole and sour cream I've ever tasted and really nice service. I can highly recommended

Great local place that never disappoints. Taco salad is my repeat order but burritos, taquitos and nachos are all great as well. Chips are crunchy and salty perfection. Staff is always friendly and nice! read more

My second review and my everytime review for this place is 5 stars, the service the food the clean environment!! They all gets 5 stars

Stopped by for dinner, the meat was old and fish was not so fresh. Ordered chips and salsa only got chips and all of the green and red sauce we recieved was old. Not as good as they used to be. read more

My favorite place for crispy tacos. This is our go-to place for Mexican food. Delivery is fast and the food quality is always consistent. I've also enjoyed trying the nachos, burittos, and the churros are a sweet treat. Haven't had the opportunity to dine in yet but looking forward to soon. read more

Found a long hair in my tamale. I've had a few problems like this here but I've coming for years. Food is always good but this was just disgusting. read more

Great Mex - Long hair in the tamale - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Great food, solid amount, and fair price. Couldn't ask for more. It's my favorite Mexican food place.

Waiting 20 mins for 2 burritos no line at all, both people chatting in the back, horrible service. When I got here, no one bothered to approach me either. And I'm still waiting... for TWO burritos read more

I've always supported local businesses during the quarantine yet the last 3 times I've given this business a chance everything has been wrong. Never again. read more

For food alone, it is around 2 stars but other aspects of this Adventure raised it to 3 stars. The chicken enchilada had dry chicken, the batter of the Chile Relleno was tasteless, and overall the food was pretty greasy. Feel free to see the full Adventure at https://ochappyhouradventures.blogspot.com/2020/08/mexican-feast-great-mex.html read more

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Ice cold taccos!!! Are you for real??? I had taccos yesterday and they where delishes, today friday special and they are ice cold!!! If you can't provide same quality on tacco friday than let it be! Gave it another try this morning, and just have to say, DO NOT order the breakfast quesadilla, it is tasteless!!! Eggs not seasoned, potatoes soggy as well as the bacon... barely any cheese!!! On too of it, the green salsa which is usually on spot, tasted watered down and Flavorless. So disappointed, worst fing breakfast ever!!! After the first 1/4 of the dish i was done and the 2 quesadillas went to waste, thx to not seasoning any of the food. Never again, there is other good places for breakfast around read more

Our favorite breakfast burrito place in Newport Beach / Costa Mesa! They also have phenomenal chips and salsa!

Grabbed lunch the other day...I have gone here for years and enjoy their food. However,the customer service was lacking. Called over 20 times and could not get through. I decided to stop in and order, assuming they were very busy. To my surprise, when I arrived, no one was dining or waiting in line, but the cashier was on the phone talking and continued to talk the whole time while I waited for my order to be made (she asked another girl to take my order while she was on the phone). I was surprised by this level of disregard. read more

I eat here often because of proximity. I would generally give this spot 4 stars. It is good food, good service. Nothing over the top, but a good neighborhood staple. Be sure to try taco tuesdays & Friday's. Soli That said, they have some phone service that screens my calls! So frustrating. It rings once and then a robot voice tells me I'm being blocked from calling them because I am spam or something lol. All my roommates phones work fine. Frustrating because I order takeout 1x a day and now this place is no longer an option. Would be happy to revise to 4 stars if they solve this issue. read more

We love great Mex! I had their taco salad, my husband had their mushroom taco, my son had a hamburger, and my other son had the cheese enchilada. Delicious! We will definitely be back! read more

Tried this place for the first time last Taco Tuesday and I was happily surprised by how good it was. The tacos were decently sized and offered at such a great deal ($1.75/taco). We had to try all the tacos--soft taco w carne asada, crispy taco with beef, shrimp taco, Al pastor Mexican taco, mushroom taco! The beer was also like $1.50. Apparently, they have taco Tuesday deals on Friday too... so I know where to go if I'm craving tacos and beer! Also, get their buenolitos. It was my first time having this dessert (cinnamon encrusted chips) and it was so addicting. They make them fresh there everyday. I will be coming back. read more

This place has really gone downhill. Reason it has over 3 stars is because of its quality in prior years. Service is nice but their meat quality is complete garbage. Their carne asada is almost inedible with impossible to chew fat and whatever else. Also their chicken literally tastes old or something else is seriously wrong with it. I Had mild food poisoning right after eating a chicken enchilada from here. Hate to say it but I'm Done with Great Mex until they turn things around. read more

Is this the best mexican food I've had? No, but it's a convenient location that I keep coming back to (maybe once every couple months) because: 1. The food is tasty and comes with a chips and salsa bar (free). I recommend the enchiladas, burritos, and taco salads. I would discourage you from getting the nachos (not much flavor), chile rellenos (odd texture because they are not breaded, it's essentially just a flattened pablano with cheese in it), fries (thin and tasteless). 2. The food comes out fast. If I'm heading back from work and make a take out order over the phone, it's ready in 10 minutes. 3. It's conveniently located. Right at the entrance to and exit from 55, it's a good place to grab food on the way to the beach or up north. I'm only dinging a star because parking can be tough. It's a small complex that is often full, and you'll probably have to park in the adjacent street. read more

I have been going to this place since it first opened. Usually pretty good. I don't know if they have been struggling with changes in food and safety, opening, or what, but quality has gone down a ton. I got a poor excuse of a burrito, more tortilla than anything, hardly wrapped properly, and the taco plate we got was very bland. The worst thing and why i'm writing this mainly, Mold on the Chips. We called to tell them and they weren't the least concerned or even cared. read more

It's official. I hate you. As you can see from my first review which was almost a year ago, I was pretty happy with my initial visit. Like most relationships I was looking forward to getting to know you better. Little did I know our relationship would go sour much like the rotten chipotle sauce on the shrimp burrito I was served. It was so awful I actually threw up. So, thanks for that. read more

This is my absolute favorite spot in the area. Authentic Mexican food that beats everyone else by a mile. I am beyond happy each time I come here with the quality and service. Highly recommend! read more

Astute readers know that I had a long, intense love affair with Great Mex's Balboa Peninsula location. That guy did me dirty one too many times and, though I'm quoted on his web site, the quote is outdated. I no longer harbor love for that guy. Brotherly love though, I was willing to entertain. This Great Mex location has none of the charm of the brother, where real live bros climb in through the street-facing window on Taco Tuesdays. None of the beachy feel, nobody with sand on their toes. This place is alongside a freeway on-ramp and, judging from the number of people arriving by foot and skateboard, appears to attract those who live nearby. So, it's not much to look at and has zero charm but I was willing it to taste as good as its brother once did. No luck. Not as bad as its brother was in my last visit to him but also not very good. My mom's enchilada/rice/beans plate was served lukewarm. Staff happily reheated the food but the beans tasted like nothing and the rest of the platter wasn't much better. Ditto for my litmus test standard Great Mex order, the Carne Asada Fajita Salad. The ample carne asada wasn't very tasty and the way it was laid out to completely cover evidence of the salad below was just odd. My son seemed to like his 3-item combo platter (with tacos) but he's 21 and just happy that someone else is paying for his meal. I think I can finally say I'm done with Great Mex. It was a good ride while it lasted but, as these things tend to do, it went on a little longer than it should have. read more

Came here for an impromptu lunch with the gals because the place we wanted to go to was closed. I guess we were too ambitious in our ordering and didn't anticipate QUITE so much food to arrive at our table. I've been back many times now and have stuck to my favorites. Chile Relleno is one of them! There is not much batter and the cheese is melty, oozy and good. The other thing I love here are the enchiladads -- and generally I hate enchiladas. The red sauce is killer and usually what they put on there isn't enough. I always ask for more. The shrimp tacos are also delicious as are the al pastor ones. In fact, anything with the al pastor is really good! The al pastor quesadilla is my son's favorite! They don't have anything fancy. No mojarra or shrimp cocktail or anything like that. But if you want a burrito, taco or simple things like enchiladas etc, it's pretty damn good! Everything is always tasty and you can munch on tortilla chips and help yourself to the items on the salsa bar while you wait for your food to be ready. My only complaint is, depending on who you get at the counter will determine if you get a smile, a frown, the extra roja sauce I requested when I put in my order or will I have to remind them again -- and also, the amount of sauce I'll get. Ahhh, but the food's good so I tolerate :) read more

I came here the morning of baseball season's Opening Day. I was hungry and I needed some food in a hurry. GM did not disappoint. The place was a lot cleaner than what I had expected. I thought it was going to be a hole-in-the-wall but it was actually OK inside and there's a small outdoor patio. They even had ESPN on (so I wouldn't have to miss any of the action). I ordered a chorizo breakfast burrito and I was very happy with my choice. I'm sure I shall return. I'm told that this place is a madhouse during Taco Tuesday and Taco Friday, but I may give it a shot one of these days. read more

Great taco tuesday prices and their hot sauce is on point. My bf and I wanted to try something new and decided to come here. The parking lot is kind of a disaster because it is so tiny and the seating situation was a little difficult but we managed to park on the street and find outside seating. I ordered the carne asada, al pastor and fish taco and I loved all three. I could've definitely devoured at least 2 more. This place is so close to my house, I am definitely coming back read more

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I love great mex!! Ok so this review is solely based on shrimp soft tacos, beer and chips which I order everytime. But they are all incredible every. single. time. The parking lot is no bueno and it's as small as a match box. But the great part about this location vs the balboa location is that it's filled with normal people instead of drunk balboa boys & girls. Ahh.. Tacos in peace. Tuesdays and Fridays are very busy but it's worth the wait! read more

Great Mex - Shrimp soft taco! - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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The food selection was large.The service was OK, nothing special quality of food is OK, I ordered "Nacho" and it was not really good, my Friend had the fish burrito and it was very Delicious. since I like to try Nachos in different places, I don't think I would go there again. read more

Great Mex - Chicken Nacho - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Been here dozens of times over the last year mostly due to convenience. The food is ok. Typical forgettable Mex food. Prices were decent and portions were fair. Well, that's all changed. Their idea of an order of two taquitos is one cut in half. And, they charge $4.25!!! Holy S$@t. This is a hole in the wall. Their convenience just got trumped. Too many better placed. Nope. NEVER coming back. read more

Great Mex - This is the taquitos order. Hmmm, if I ordered three, I guess they would have to circumcise this one again. - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Taco Tuesday is my favorite. But even when it's not Tuesday the tacos are Bomb. Freshly made and super crunchy. Salsa is yummy too!

This review is for the chicken enchiladas I had tonight. The chicken was just dry little chunks inside a tortilla with nothing else inside...slice into it and just little bits of dry chicken fall out. Zero moisture, zero flavor to the chicken. Covered in enchilada sauce and cheese that gave it some flavor but not enough to make up for the dry chunks of chicken inside. So bizarre. This was the worst enchilada I've ever had. read more

This restaurant could do much better if they had a new staff. The female that runs the register has the worst attitude in the world. Been there twice now and she has a chip on her shoulder every time . My wife went in on a separate occasion and she said the same thing . As well she charged me twice for a burrito they messed up on by putting meat in it. I'm a vegetarian and you would think if the restaurant messes up they would fix the issue and not charge you for the burrito. If you hate your job that bad and aren't about the customer service you might as well find a better profession. read more

When I used to live in the Newport Peninsula, I used to frequent their other location. The taco Tuesdays and Fridays were very common place for my roommates and I. Now that I have been living in LA I knew I needed to stop by whenever I was in the area. I visited the Costa Mesa location because it was closer to the work I was doing. I had one carnitas taco and al pastor taco both Mexican style. Mexican style is onion, cilantro, meat over a couple corn tortillas. I love the street taco style and this did not disappoint. I also had a crunchy chicken taco. The taco is a hard shell and this was one of my favorites back in my Newport days. The shell is pure crunchy goodness and the chicken is juicy and flavorful. Finally I had the shrimp taco. This was THE GO-TO. the shrimp is decent size and the baja sauce is addicting. A MUST when visiting this place. Ambiance was decent. Place is small. There is a parking lot but plenty of street parking which is a big plus over the Newport location. read more

Great Mex - Salsa bar and complimentary chips - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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