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La Cocina de Ricardo

4.0 (611 reviews)
ModerateMexican
Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

Order La Cocina de Ricardo Takeout or Delivery

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LA COCINA DE RICARDO ATMOSPHERE

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

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Recommended Reviews - La Cocina de Ricardo

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Taco  Tuesday!
Tony J.

Happy taco Tuesday! This is a great place to have tacos, authentic, Mexican food. A margarita perhaps too. But today taking just taking the food to go. Family asked if I'm going bring tacos home, so this is my location to swing by. I called in the order in advance and the tacos are generously prepared quickly, waiting for me. In my opinion, the shredded beef tacos are delicious. Generous with the sauces and chips. In addition, It's a great price as well. So when I feel like going to an authentic Mexican restaurant, this is one of my top choices, especially on taco Tuesday when I can't beat the price.

Beer and c hips salsa
Michelle T.

It's been a while since I dined here. I remember how good the chips & salsa were and this time was the same - delish. Restaurant wasn't crowded, plenty of tables available in the front and back room. The server took our drink order quickly and service was great the whole time. We had the albondiga soup, the pulpo and a sope dish. Everything was really yummy and fresh. Portion size was perfect, we brought home a good amount of the pulpo. Great frijoles, that's always my way to know if a place is legit!

Corri C.

Our favorite place to come to. Big bowl of white pozole with a side of taquitos is our go to. This time we got the oysters with ceviche! Delicious! Very nice staff and the restaurant is always very clean.

Skinny spicy margarita and breakfast burrito were so delicious. Ask for Mario to make you this same margarita!

Mario makes the best drinks. Always a huge smile and great service. Really enjoyed the breakfast burrito.

Enchiladas De Mole
Harry P.

Tasty authentic Mexican food in an unsuspecting strip mall in Lake Forest. Mole was great but the chilaquiles was a bit too salty for me. I'm a bit sensitive to salty food so I'm sure it's really for other folks. Fun decor like a fancy Mexican restaurant. I'm coming back for the mole!

Morgan S.

What a delightful treat!! A super cute mom and pop Mexican restaurant. The servers were very nice and helpful. The chips and salsa were fantastic - and they kept them coming! For dinner, they had a variety of yummy looking options. I ended up try the guarachon and it was AAAAMAZING!!! I devoted my plate because it was epic. It's essentially a large flat tortilla smothered in beans with a whole bunch of goodies piled high. It was like a salad on top of the fat tortilla. I'm already wanting to eat another one because it truly was to die for. The quality of the food in the dish shone through. Absolutely insane!!

Carne Asada. Hidden under the delicious sides but worth the hunt.
Fred F.

Service is always friendly here. Ambiance is standard for food genre. Food is delicious. Only down side this visit was margaritas were very sweet and felt like had zero tequila. Other than that, La Cocina is a hit!

Pozole
James L.

Came here with some coworkers for lunch on a weekday, was not busy and we were seated immediately. Loved the inside and the ambiance, the decor make you feel like you walked into an authentic restaurant in Mexico! They have a few big TVs inside that had the soccer games playing. I heard it gets very busy and lively during the weekends, especially when there is a sporting event being broadcasted. We ordered the pozole, which is a traditional Mexican hominy with meat and garnished with shredded lettuce, cabbage, chili peppers, onion, garlic, radishes, salsa, and limes. It tasted extremely healthy and hearty. All the staff were extremely friendly and there is definitely a family feel to dining here.

Pozole Rojo, Fajitas, extra rice and sour cream, chips
Jennifer L.

The servers were so friendly and the interior was cozy! I'm in the northern OC area, but had ordered caldo de res from here to my workplace nearby, and the caldo was perfect. I had to make sure my SO and I came to dine in despite the long drive. I ordered pozole and he ordered fajitas with an extra portion of rice and sour cream. The chips and salsa are so addicting that by the time my pozole came, I could barely make a dent in it. Everything was delicious and my SO, who is very picky with food, agrees. We definitely want to come back.

Chili Verde was excellent, with rice & beans, Celantro, onions, lettuce and choice of corner flour tortillas. So good!!!
Barbara W.

OMG!! me and my family had been here to this restaurant probably 20 years ago because I believe it's the same family that owns a restaurant in San Juan Capistrano and we'd like the one in San Juan so we decided to try this one many years ago and it was great many years ago it was just kinda like a deli style. You walk up to the counter or your food sit down so I walked in just because I'd remembered and I said let's just try it. I was starving of course it was so cute inside it had a bar which it never had before and when I looked at the menu, I knew this is authentic Mexican and they had stuff on the menu that are things that they only make in Mexico seafood items very interesting combinations but I always judge a restaurant just because I love chili Verde and I love salsa. It was excellent. It was beyond compared and it was very reasonably priced, I brought the rest home and had another meal at home. It was delicious. I loved it and the people were so nice. Very sweet. Very attentive. Food was very attractively presented with a lot of it and as I said just excellent I'm going back on Sunday so I'm so excited because this is a go to place and so quaint so so quaint I'll post some pictures. You'll love it. You will not regret.

Caldo de Res Soup
Rebekah W.

Been coming since they were in San Clemente in the 1990s. Best Caldo de Res I've found! Their salsa and chips are also authentic and flavorful! Wonderful family owned and operated business!

combination plate with chile relleno & quesadilla

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Great happy hours, prices and size of plates. Great service. Good food. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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The food is excellent! Service is always great And my favorite part, ambience and margaritas!

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Thanks, Brad! We look forward to seeing you again soon!

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Menudo to go. $18.26. Pretty delish, among the better ones around imho. Only problem was there wasn't enough but will return for more. .

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La Cocina de Ricardo Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - La Cocina de Ricardo

When do they serve menudo, is it only certain days?

What is the taco Tuesday deal?

$2.50 tacos choice of crispy it soft with either shredded beef, chicken, or pork tinga. Price is only good with purchase of a drink.

Is pozole gluten free?

I think pozole is gluten since it is made with hominy.

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La Casita Olvera - $1 Taco Tuesday  all day 11am-9pm

La Casita Olvera

4.0(549 reviews)
4.3 mi
$$

Happy Cinco de Mayo! This is the place where our family…read morereally wanted to be to get our delicious tacos, at an excellent price, plus it's taco Tuesday ! I still love the fish tacos here, everything is delicious especially the salsa bar when we get to do all the toppings ourselves! They mariachi singers today, Spanish songs are playing by different Mexican folk music-often rancheras (performers), setting a wonderful Cinco de Mayo vibe. They have a full service bar, or you could get a delicious Mexican coffee with a huge slice of flan like I do! - My dessert. :) Yumm

Went in during a dead time between lunch and dinner. Evidently I was a burden because nobody felt…read morelike giving me a menu when I sat down, or ask if I wanted anything to drink. The blonde was nice but got side tracked. The male bartender (Hispanic guy with the earrings) looked at me 3-4 times but I guess he didn't realize that sitting at the bar means you might want something to drink. He was just carrying on with tedious tasks with no desire to make himself or his company money. In a time where people are going out less and less - it's an interesting choice to basically ignore patrons when they go in your establishment. Hard pass.

Photos
La Casita Olvera - $1 taco Tuesday  11am-9pm w/drink purchase  9 different meats to choose from

$1 taco Tuesday 11am-9pm w/drink purchase 9 different meats to choose from

La Casita Olvera - Free pancakes every Saturday and Sunday 9am-1pm fallow @La_casitaolvera

Free pancakes every Saturday and Sunday 9am-1pm fallow @La_casitaolvera

La Casita Olvera - $2 Coronas every Thursday all day come watch Thursday night football

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$2 Coronas every Thursday all day come watch Thursday night football

Chuponcito - BANANA LATTE

Chuponcito

4.8(798 reviews)
2.6 mi
$$

We've always seen this spot but had never tried it, so we decided to check it out on Mother's Day…read more They were BUSY, but still moved quickly to get the line down. The restaurant itself is pretty small inside, you order first, then they bring the food to your table. Even with how packed it was, the wait honestly wasn't bad at all. My wife, who's pregnant, saved us a table while I waited in line to order, and Fidel, who I'm assuming is the manager, was very nice and welcoming. He checked up on us a few times even though he wasn't our server, and was very personable asking about our baby. The food was AMAZING. I'm so glad we decided to stay. I had the carnitas Benedict, which was delicious and packed with flavor. My wife had the El Chupon burrito, which was also amazing. But the star of the show for us was their hot salsa, incredibly flavorful with the perfect amount of spice We'll definitely be back!

They need a way better seating policy. absolutely unacceptable. We were waiting in line, ordered…read moreour food, and someone had put their stuff down to "reserve" the table, when it is completely packed. And they hadn't ordered yet. It should not be like that. There should be proper seating, where ONCE you order, you go find your table. If you don't get a table then you wait your turn. We ask the staff if we can put personal items to reserve a table and she said yes??? What sort of service is that ?!? They should have a host. Or someone guiding it. The food is rather great but what an unpleasant experience. The manager needs to fix this, cause this isn't a cafe. It's a restaurant.

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Chuponcito - Ordering counter

Ordering counter

Chuponcito - Papas cargadas

Papas cargadas

Chuponcito - Interior dining

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Interior dining

Tacos De Birria Estilo Guadalajara - The  best tacos

Tacos De Birria Estilo Guadalajara

4.6(656 reviews)
0.7 mi
$$
Outdoor seating
Private events

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.

Photos
Tacos De Birria Estilo Guadalajara - The best  tacos De Birria on Orange County ,jesus uses the World clase meats .

The best tacos De Birria on Orange County ,jesus uses the World clase meats .

Tacos De Birria Estilo Guadalajara - Quesataco

Quesataco

Tacos De Birria Estilo Guadalajara - Fish taco

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Fish taco

Lupe's Mexican Eatery - Two Taco Combo

Lupe's Mexican Eatery

4.0(515 reviews)
2.4 mi
$$

Alitzel was very helpful Food is delicious…read more Thanks for the service Great customer service

Lupe's Mexican Eatery has a surprisingly fulfilling array of appetizers, plates, and drinks, though…read morethe main draw for me are their stuffed and voluminous burritos. I've tried several of the burritos here for their size, flavour, and variety of ingredients, most memorably the Lupe's, Hot Cheetos, California and birria burritos. The Lupe's is stacked with steak and bacon, grilled onion and cilantro, jack cheddar cheese and Chipotle sauce AND guac, so you'll love it as the mash of distinct savoury flavours it is if you love each of those ingredients. It's filling and fills you with both strength and fatigue to prep for or recover from a day of hard work. 5.7/10. Hot Cheetos burritos are something you occasionally see around for some reason, and the one's here are solid, though I prefer the version available at Primo's by a solid margin. Lupe's Cheeto's burritos do have an interesting compressive texture that I strangely somewhat enjoy. 4.4/10. The California burrito is a standard and very solid rendition of a classic. I would put the Lupe's version at above average in quality as they're definitely not mediocre or disappointing. 5.3/10. The birria burrito is just as packed and filling as the other burritos, but tastes and feels significantly more fresh as it consists of a juicy but light birria steak, red beans, and LOTS of chopped cilantro and diced onions. In fact, it primarily tastes of the leafy green, so definitely avoid it if you're not a fan. I enjoy it, though it definitely feels lighter and less satisfying to eat than its less healthy, heavier siblings, and suffers from its birria juices settling at the bottom of the burrito to be largely untasted throughout the eating experience, possibly as there isn't enough of it provided. 4/10. This spot also has a good salsa bar with particularly tasty sauces. My favorites are the classic verde and another, pale green sauce with a creamy flavour, both of which go well with all meals to varying effect. I like how the tortilla chips feel a bit cakey- it's slightly hard to describe, but they're not excessively salty either and fun to eat as a receptacle for the delicious sauces here. A solid spot with a nice, comfortable and fun, kitsch decorated interior, solid burritos and a solid selection of menu items at fairly standard prices.

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Lupe's Mexican Eatery - Veggie Breakfast Burrito Combo with all hashbrowns $18.49

Veggie Breakfast Burrito Combo with all hashbrowns $18.49

Lupe's Mexican Eatery - Dolphins Burrito

Dolphins Burrito

Lupe's Mexican Eatery - California Burrito

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California Burrito

Xclusive Mexican Kitchen - Taco Sampler

Xclusive Mexican Kitchen

4.6(579 reviews)
0.9 mi
$$

I come here every month or so with my wife and kids. The food and margaritas are delicious. The…read moreservice is great, they are very friendly and there's no hesitation to fix any mistakes. My favorite Mexican food in Orange County. I love this place!

My sister and our pups went to eat at this wonderful little restaurant after a great hike with our…read morepups Kobie-Star and Willow . We sat outside in their outdoor patio where they had a couple of TV's -one with the basketball playoffs going on ( my favorite)! The staff was just amazing and welcomed us and our pups and brought out water for both pups without us even having to ask for it , love that . They have lots of food to choose from but we stuck with the traditional combo plate : Cheese enchilada and carnitas taco - mine was a crunchy and hers was soft taco ( both were delicious). I also ordered a delicious blended strawberry margarita and it didn't disappoint. Our servers were : Enrique and Alfonso both were great . They brought us extra bean mixture dip for the chips as their dips and chips are AMAZING as is their food . If you haven't tried this place, you must try this place as not only is the food great , the people that work here are really amazing and that made our time here even better . We checked their hours and found they are open ALL DAY something like 8AM for breakfast -10 PM like what ??? Not everyday but most days , this isn't fast food either ... You have to try this place and for those who want to eat inside it's nice inside or sit at their bar or sit outside at the really big outdoor eating area , you can't go wrong ... Stop by after a Target run it's near by !! Thank you to you all for helping us and our pups - Enrique and Alfonso we will be back for sure !! Thank you again ! Prices very reasonable! Location corner in center - plenty of parking Margarita $$

Photos
Xclusive Mexican Kitchen - Dining Room / Kitchen

Dining Room / Kitchen

Xclusive Mexican Kitchen - Xclusive asada tacos, grilled onions and mushrooms

Xclusive asada tacos, grilled onions and mushrooms

Xclusive Mexican Kitchen - Mimosas and Cafe de la olla (cute)

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Mimosas and Cafe de la olla (cute)

Avila's El Ranchito

Avila's El Ranchito

3.6(898 reviews)
0.6 mi
$$

This is my favorite location because of the ambience and the decor! It's super cool and so much fun…read moreinside! The staff is very friendly and our hostess and waiter are very helpful and quick to get a seated and our food came quickly. It's just a fun environment to be at and great for a date night! We went for a Valentines dinner but the night before Valentine's Day. The chips and salsa are really good and those are complementary. Normally, I would get the tableside guacamole, which is really good, but I didn't want to fill up too much so I could eat dinner. They also had a special valentines drink. I got it as a mocktail style and it was so delicious that I want to make it at home because this was just a specialty drink that they had. So me and my husband both ordered fajitas he ordered the steak and I ordered the chicken. The rice and beans were incredible! But I have to say unfortunately my chicken was did not taste very good. It was just kind of dry and not juicy and flavorful. And way too many bell peppers. I love bell peppers, but it was overloaded. But the portions are big and the price is competitive for the area and for this type of food and the amount. Will I come back here again absolutely but maybe I'll try something else like the soup! The soup looked really yummy

Year 3 of coming to Avila's for a work Christmas party and they are still treating us like royalty!…read moreYou're always welcomed with a smile here and the food is still so delicious. Our entire party of 25 was going ham on the guacamole because it's just so good (and so is the salsa)! Several people in the group enjoyed margaritas - this time I went with a hibiscus tea and it was so refreshing! I really enjoyed it! As always, I got my favorite, a shredded beef hard taco and a cheese enchilada and it was a comfort meal for me. We hosted our annual white elephant gift exchange and had a great time here. Appreciate Avila's for always doing a wonderful job!

Photos
Avila's El Ranchito - The atmosphere is so cool

The atmosphere is so cool

Avila's El Ranchito - Grande Taco Salad w shredded beef

Grande Taco Salad w shredded beef

Avila's El Ranchito - Delicious Sauvignon Blanc choices!

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Delicious Sauvignon Blanc choices!

La Cocina de Ricardo - mexican - Updated May 2026

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