As I'm writing this review, I'm deeply saddened that it appears La Vida Cantina is coming to an apparent closing! I've developed so many fond memories here with awesome Taco Tuesday and DJ dance nights with friends that it's a bit emotional. Literally designed to feel like you've been transported to Cabo, Mexico or somewhere exquisitely beautiful along the Latin American Coastline and beach, La Vida Cantina in my view was such a wonderful spot to get some yummy Mexican bites and drinks and just have an amazing time with the people you love being with! I really loved the ambiance, from the artsy cabanas to the fire pits and the cool dance floor inside with the colorful strobe lights. Everything about it was glamorous! I particularly loved their crunchy tacos and their special mango habanero salsa was to die for! And the servers here were almost always awesome! Situated at the popular Triangle Square, La Vida Cantina was hands down one of my favorite Tuesday Taco spots in Orange County and again, I'm truly saddened to see it go. I wish a sad farewell! read more

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Worse service ever. Overprized for the quality of service they offer. Our drinks were horrible and bartender kept just talking with the server... Don't recommend this place at all. read more

Happy Hour Monday - Friday 3pm - 6:30pm Best happy hour I've been to in over a year, and I can't wait to share all the highlights! The wonderful experience was the inviting patio vibe, complete with a few fire pits that made it cozy on the chilly night. The atmosphere was perfect for enjoying good food and drinks with friends. Our waitress was incredibly friendly and went above and beyond with her recommendations. Her warmth and attentiveness made our experience even more enjoyable. We kicked things off with the Chips & Salsa for just $3. I'm not usually a fan of salsa, but this homemade version was incredibly fresh and flavorful. It paired perfectly with the basket of warm, crisp corn tortilla chips that were made fresh--definitely a great way to start the evening! Next up was a delightful Strawberry Margarita. Imagine a drinkable smoothie, but in the best way possible. It was refreshing, perfectly balanced with sweetness, and just the right amount of tartness. This margarita alone is worth the trip! Then came the showstopper: Carne Asada Fries Crispy French fries, topped with chopped certified skirt steak, Jack cheese, and the star of the show--Rico's Queso. Topped with guacamole, salsa fresca, and queso fresco, these fries were absolutely amazing. Honestly, they're worth visiting for all on their own! We also enjoyed a Quesadilla filled with Jack cheese and Carnitas. The carnitas were perfectly distributed, ensuring that every bite was bursting with flavor. The cheese was melted to perfection, and it was a fantastic addition to our spread. Next, we dove into the Buffalo Wings. Eight perfectly cooked wings tossed in the house-made BBQ sauce were a highlight. They were crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside--a true crowd-pleaser! To finish off our meal, we tried theTaquitos with chicken drizzled with avocado sauce, salsa fresca, and queso fresco. While they were good, I'd say you can skip this one and stick with the stars of the menu instead. Overall, this happy hour was a culinary journey that I can't wait to revisit. The combination of fresh ingredients, mouthwatering flavors, and incredible prices made it an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend checking out La Vida Cantina for your next outing! I know I'll be back soon! read more

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Enjoyed a refreshing Pineapple Piquante Margarita with salsa, guacamole & chips by myself. La Vida's outdoor atmosphere makes you feel you're on vacation, even if it's momentary or for a few hours. Cedric was attentive and very personable. He made the experience to come by myself fun. People joined in and the experience was even better! Tacos, rice, and beans to take home. Food was fine but ambience and staff were even better! Please consider getting fresh tortillas from Northgate Gonzalez Market if you're not making your own. Their chips and tortillas are delicious! read more

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A dog friendly Mexican restaurant count me in! I visited a buddy out in Irvine and was desperately looking for places that welcomes pups. We got sat outside on the patio. I got some chips and guac and some taquitos. Both were super good! You can get chicken or beef or one of each for the taquitos. I got one of each and both were yummy. The waiter was also very kind. There was an accident where a strong gust of wind flew and our parasol flew up. We got very lucky because the lights caught the umbrella and we were able to grab it before someone got seriously hurt with that thing. Maybe as visitors we should make sure to ask the waiter if the umbrella is properly locked in X.X The restaurant staff were quick to apologize and fixed everything. Watch out on windy days! read more

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The perfect spot for after work happy hour. Monday - Friday from 3PM to 6:30PM ALL margaritas & appetizers are 50% off. Clearly our team was famished that I only snapped a photo of the guac, but we had an entire spread of all the appetizers. We got everything to share. Our favorites were the taquitos (beef & chicken), the buffalo wings are a must, ceviche de camaron was good, the asada quesadilla & the carne asada fries are also delish. The margaritas were good and strong. Lol. Our favorites: watermelon mint, the passion, pomegranate, La Vida (Cadillac), & the Tito's mule. They sat us al fresco, which got a little chilly but they were kind enough to turn on the heaters. Fun place especially for a big group. Great service. Good food. We'll be back for our next happy hour. read more

La Vida Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I like the vibe of this place but the food wasn't that great. I thought the service was decent and even though we were a large group our food didn't take that long to arrive. I liked that they have a lot heaters for you to be comfortable outside. I wasn't a big fan of poblano pepper in my fajitas instead of bell peppers and the Margarita flight was okay. The nachos were delicious and the buffalo wings. Winter is low season for them not too busy compare to Tuesday. read more

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Came here around 8pm on a Saturday night with our dog to have a couple drinks and eat some nachos. There was plenty of free parking in the attached parking garage so super easy. We got right in without a reservation but a lot of tables had "reserved" signs on them. It seems like it was picking up as we left around 9:30pm. The drinks didn't have any prices listed on the menu, which was odd. I had a $16 margarita which was tiny and not very strong at all. Tasted good though. The nachos were okay. Not bad, not great. Certainly enjoyable. For $18 though, not very big. The ambiance was really nice though. Fire pits outside, plenty of space between the tables. This alone would make me come back. Felt like a really nice SoCal night out. However, when the bill came there was a 3% service charge tacked on. I understand that a lot of places are doing this now but it will stop me from returning. I also own a small business and I don't do this to my clients - paying my employees a living wage is part of doing business and my prices reflect that. Raise the prices on your menu if you need to, I'll understand, but I'm already pay tax and tip - don't add another 3% on to that. I won't be back unless this changes. read more

Came here to meet up with a few friends for drinks. We ended up staying and shared a few dishes between us. I don't remember the food being this tasty actually. The refried beans and salsa were great. The beef nachos also was a highlight. The place is mostly outdoor but well heated. read more

La Vida Cantina - Cadillac margarita - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Sergio was a great server and took very good care of us. He made our night. Besides the great service, I was disappointed to learn that I had to pay extra for salsa for my tacos. How does an establishment sell tacos and not include salsa?!? That's like ordering a hot dog and being asked to pay extra for the ketchup. Totally ridiculous. The drinks are good and the vibes are always on point. I just wish they'd rethink some of these decisions. read more

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The manager mark is so sweet, so genuine and caring about customer service! Ordered a marg it was amazing!! Tacos were perfect! read more

La Vida Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Pretty chilled spot, staff were nice and attentive, food was ok. Not recommended for a full blown dinner, but more of drinks and some appetizers to munch on, we went on a windy/cold Thursday night, but this place has plenty of heaters all around so that was not an issue, plenty of seating. I liked this place for its coziness and will definitely be back. read more

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The Fajitas were great. I got the Mix which comes with steak, chicken, and shrimp. All of the meats were seasoned nicely. The chicken was not dry. It also comes with a side dish of beans, rice, guacamole, sour cream, and diced tomato salsa. I usually like to ask for an extra side of their regular salsa as well. Watching UFC here is a great experience. They have TVs everywhere, including a bunch inside. If you're sitting at the outside bar and you want to hear the commentators, then sit at one corner under one of the TVs. They nicely turn up the sound when the main event begins. read more

La Vida Cantina - Mixed Fajitas (steak, chicken, and shrimp). All of the meats were seasoned nicely. The chicken was not dry. Great! - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Food - 3/5. It's not tasty. It's our 3rd time here and tried few items off the menu and the only thing that's good is their buffalo wings and salsa. everything else is just tasteless and okay for me. Service - Pretty good, not too bad. Just seems like they always have new people. Ambience - It's chill. The crowd isn't too rowdy or boring. read more

La Vida Cantina - Huevos con Chorizo 3/5 for me - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Are we charging extra for ice? $2 per drink? I would like an explanation for this. And 3% for the service and maybe you expect tips too? read more

La Vida Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Upon walking to the front I was greeted immediately. Asked where our groups table was. And was directed towards it with good direction. I ended up getting a booth next to the bar for the four of us. It was great seating. Let's move onto the food. One cheese and chicken enchilada. Cheese was melted perfectly. Chicken was well seasoned. Enchilada sauce was pretty good. Nothing too explain about. Asada street taco plate. Rice and beans were made well. However the steak was a bit tuff. Not very tender and not marinated properly. Chicken quesadilla Like I said the chicken is marinated well so this was a good classic quesadilla. The guacamole with it was excellent as well. So overall would I return? Yes. The only reason I have it 3 stars. Is the place needs a cleaning. Bathrooms do too. And leaving the door wide open during a cold night with rain was also not ideal for your customers. Waitress was working her ass off with to many tables. Seemed they were under staffed that night. Unsure of what was going on. I'll return again and give it another chance in the future. Since the food was fairly decent. read more

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Came here for dinner. Ash was our server. She was so attentive and sweet. Can't wait to be back! read more

La Vida Cantina - Margarita tower - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Booked a reservation ahead of time. Had a group of 6 that wanted to get lit off mimosas and let me tell you, WE HAD A TIMEEEE. (They also offer bottomless bloody Mary's which one of the girls from the group chose, $20 for either choice). They did a great job of constantly topping us off it was impossible to keep count of how much you were drinking. The food is sooo good I'd been here before but my group hadn't and they were satisfied with the food. Definitely going back (: read more

La Vida Cantina - Me and my mimosa - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Ash is the best server I've had at La Cantina. She keeps the party going and everyone happy! Thank you Ash. Cheers! read more

La Vida Cantina - My hot friends on taco Tuesday - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Came on a Friday night with some friends, food was amazing, dodger game was on & DJ was on point. Ash our waitress was amazing and she always checked up on us making sure we had everything we needed! 10/10 the perfect spot for a Friday night out!!! read more

The Birria Quesadilla is a signature dish! Comes with cilantro and onions, the traditional rice and beans and a side of consume. read more

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Friday Night. Our server was an amazing! The quality of the food was poor our chips were oily and guacamole was ok. The carnitas were cold. The carne asada was tough to eat. The salsa were not spicy and charged us $1.50 for each one. Ended up getting sick from the food. read more

Outside dining environment was superb! Service was fantastic! We enjoyed appetizers which were quite tasty. This was such a wonderful dining experience especially for the time of day we went because the sun was going down and Michael came over and lit the gas fire pit right next to us which was beautiful and gave off just enough heat to keep us comfortable to continue enjoying the outside. It's a place you should definitely add to list of dining options this summer for great outdoor seating!!! read more

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2 stars for the food. The chips and guac (not pictured) and the ceviche were the only edible items from the food we ordered. The nachos and taquitos tasted like cheap dive bar food. I take that back some dive bars serve better food. If you come here eat before, somewhere else. I had a mojito that was not good. I struggled through it. I had a beer as my second drink. Didn't want to risk a second bad drink. My friend orders some lemon type shots for the table... they were not good either. I didn't finish it. The service was great. Nice servers and we were served in a timely manner. My reservation was honored and we were seated right away in a great spot!! The ambiance is a vibe! We got a table by the fire pit near the entrance. You could hear the music from the inside but it wasn't so close that it didn't drown out our table conversations. Overall a nice experience. read more

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We came for a joint birthday dinner for a party of ~20 people. They sat us along the back wall by the fire pit which was nice. They started us off with free chips & dips which was pretty good, especially the chips. It did take awhile for the food to come out but that's to be expected for a large party. The chips helped the table keep hunger at bay. They do have a dance floor and a live dj near the bar so you can go dancing after you eat. It wasn't packed for a Saturday night which was nice. Birria Tacos ($18): This came with 2 tacos, consome, rice, and beans topped with cheese. They gave a lot of meat but the flavors weren't there so I got sick of eating it pretty quickly. I could only eat half of a taco and gave the other one to my husband. The consome was also pretty flavorless. Nothing stood out. I just had amazing birria tacos at Papi Tacos & Churros the week before so this was just so disappointing. Street Tacos ($17): We got asada and al pastor. They were both better than the birria tacos. Al pastor was the best since the asada was a bit dry. This entree also came with a side of rice and beans topped with cheese. Cactus Fruit: This drink didn't taste that great and gave me a headache. Mezcal Pina: Way better than my Cactus Fruit but it was just okay in terms of taste. Drink wasn't strong for a mezcal too. Wouldn't get drinks here again. Also they serve their drinks in plastic cups which I thought was strange given that we were dining in. read more

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There's a good reason why this place is in the 3's for rating. Atmosphere is built for teenagers and the food is awful. I'll keep it short. read more

First impressions, seems to be mainly outdoor seating. Very nice large proper heaters outside. Waiter took about 8 min to come over and introduce himself to take drink order - acceptable I guess. No prices on the drink menu. Sticky table. Metal chair, butt is very cold. 18min in and still no drinks nor chips and salsa. 25min in and we learn that we need to pay for chips. 27min in still no drinks. 29min in drinks came out 1hr 2min in food comes out. Dry enchiladas. They gave me refried beans instead of black beans read more

La Vida Cantina - Why were the marg rims so poorly salted? - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I went today to La vida, after a few months, for lunch. I've been going to this place for years. The food has always been decent, good drinks, and atmosphere. To my surprise, la vida is charging for chips and salsa now. I understand that. We ordered food, drinks, and chip and salsa as well. I asked for more salsa for the food. The salsa was an extra. First time ever I have been charged for salsa, with a food order. On top of it, 3% service charge was added to my bill. I'm not cool with hidden charges. Never again... read more

Ash was the best server. The service was amazing and I love coming to La Vida. The food and drinks are great.

While they do have both indoor & outdoor seating, my favorite part about the ambiance at La Vida Cantina is the outdoor patio with huts. The guacamole ($11) is always a solid starter, and it's topped with fresh Roma tomatoes & cilantro. The carne asada fajitas ($23) are large enough for two to share. The steak is mixed with fajitas veggies (reds bell peppers & onions), and on the side you get tortillas and a plate with rice, beans covered in cheese, pico de gallo, a dollop of guacamole, & sour cream. As far as cocktails, I personally enjoy The Passion, which comes with Tosco Plata Tequila, passion fruit puree, pineapple juice, agave nectar, and lime juice, with a pineapple garnish. read more

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One of my go to spots. The staff Is always welcoming and the atmosphere is consistently great. It's the kind of place you just enjoy being at. Thank you Ash for the great service :) read more

Are you interested in a great happy hour with a good menu and people watching? Look no further. My friend and I had discovered this hidden gem during one of our adventures that had included a speed dating event. Five years later we returned to the scene of the crime for kicks. The circular bar area was surrounded by heaters, and you could have a bird's eye view as well. We definitely saw new and current romances appearing here during a Friday happy hour. It was fun to also see people hanging out. This is a cozy place. Their excellent selection of half off margaritas and appetizers. I asked for a cactus lemonade which had the right amount of sweet and sour, along with beef taquitos that were quite crispy and savory. My friend chose a margarita and the chicken nachos were quite delicious. Then we proceeded to roll away because we were so full. I would return for the food and entertainment. read more

La Vida Cantina - Beef taquitos and Chicken nachos! - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Food and drinks were good but when it came time to pay they scam you for a higher tip. The tip percentages on the device is spiked way higher than what it's actually supposed to be. A 20% tip is actually 33% so everyone be careful of that scam! read more

If I can recommend a brunch spot. La Vida Cantina would be it. Ash was a super amazing waiter and super sweet. She gave us food recommendations (i.e. chorizo con queso) and did not disappointing. Super attentive and kept us topped off with the bottomless mimosas! 10/10. read more

La Vida Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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W server named Chloe. came here for our friends graduation and music was very good. House margarita is pretty bomb too

Dhamar is absolutely the best bartender here! She is so attentive and professional and welcoming! She has the best food and drink suggestions ! We come here to La Vida because of her fabulous service & the great food ! Btw the best happy hour and we love wing Wednesday! We will be back again! read more

La Vida Cantina - Delicious Wing Wednesday! - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

It's my first time eating here and the food is delicious, the atmosphere is a total vibe, good music, and my server Sergio was so friendly and great recommended a yummy pineapple jalapeño margarita, thanks Sergio!! read more

My company hosted a pre-cinco de mayo lunch on Friday. They had fajitas, salad and churros for us. Man the food was good. The chicken was char grilled while the veggies were fresh and crunchy. I think the steak fajitas were skirt steak...delicious. And the churros were dangerously good. Hard to stop when there's a big tray of the things. read more

My server Ash was not only the sweetest but took the best care of myself and my girlfriend. Absolutely will be back again

Amazing food, vibes and service from Ash. Great place to be festive on holidays like St pattys!! read more

La Vida Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California