Our experience at Rosa Madera was absolutely delightful! We went on a Saturday night, and although it was busy with lots of people, the wait was still very reasonable. The live music was so entertaining and really added to the atmosphere. The vibes throughout the restaurant were amazing, and our server was wonderful; very attentive, friendly, and brought such incredible energy to the experience. The food was delicious, and the portions were generous. We definitely recommend the papas enchiladas as an appetizer they were so good! And the drinks were beyond amazing. Overall, we had such a great time at Rosa Madera and would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for great food, drinks, music, and an amazing atmosphere. We'll definitely be back! read more

Rosa Madera - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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I was warned by several people not to go and eat at this location..! So I wanted to try and see if it was all true about the servers literally kicking you out after two hours EVEN if you still ordering food, drinks or dessert. Food and drinks are fine no problem there.!! Karla our waitress forgot to bring the tortillas that were included with my dish. I asked for a mineralized lemonade, never got it till I ask for it again.!! We were told to please wrap it up and leave cuz they more customers waiting to get it. We were at almost 500dls on the bill and we still were to leave.!! They just lost another valuable customer.!!! Food 100% good Customer service C- read more

Unfortunately, our first experience at Rosa Madera was very disappointing. We came as a party of 14 to celebrate both of my parents' birthdays, so we were really looking forward to having a nice evening together. 09/15/26. The biggest issue was the service. Our server rarely checked on our table throughout the night. Several of us needed refills and wanted to order additional drinks, but we couldn't get our server's attention. At one point, we looked over and saw our server wiping down glasses and laughing with other coworkers while our table was still waiting to be attended to. With a party of 14, especially one celebrating two birthdays, I would expect the server to check in periodically and make sure everyone has what they need. Instead, we felt overlooked and had to constantly look around for assistance. The service continued to be frustrating when it was time to leave. We waited for the check, but it never came to our table. Eventually, we had to get up, and I stood by the door waiting for our server to finally bring me the check so I could pay. When I was paying, I directly told our server that the service had been pretty bad and that we had a bad experience. I expected at least an acknowledgment or apology, but there was none. He didn't apologize or really acknowledge my concerns at all. On top of that, an 18% gratuity was automatically included because of the size of our party. I understand automatic gratuity for larger parties, but considering the lack of attention and overall service we received, I absolutely did not feel the 18% gratuity was deserved. For our first visit to Rosa Madera and what was supposed to be a special celebration for both of my parents, this was an extremely disappointing experience. Having to repeatedly look for our server, wait for refills and additional drinks, and ultimately get up and wait by the door just to receive the check is not the level of service I would expect--especially for a special occasion and with an automatic 18% gratuity added. read more

We visited Rosa Madera in Santa Ana at the last minute for a business lunch, and what a pleasant surprise! This place is truly a hidden gem. The exterior does not do justice to the beautiful interior. Once you walk inside, you're greeted by a spacious restaurant with beautiful, authentic, and very well-themed Mexican décor. The food was amazing! I had the shrimp fajitas, and they were absolutely delicious. We also tried the mole flautas, which were another excellent choice. Everything was flavorful, fresh, and beautifully prepared. Great atmosphere, delicious food, and a place that definitely exceeded our expectations. We'll be back! 5 stars all the way! read more

Rosa Madera - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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I went with a large group of friends to celebrate two birthdays and we had such a fun time! Our waitress was great and handled our big group really well. The food was delicious! I had the shrimp gobernador tacos and queso dip and really enjoyed both. Their happy hour is definitely a plus--even though I don't drink, the food options alone make it worth it! There was plenty of parking which I always appreciate. The inside also surprised me because you would never expect it to be so spacious and nice just looking from the outside. Overall we had a great time and I would definitely come back! read more

Rosa Madera - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ana, California

There are plenty of parking spaces. The restaurant has really nice decor and vibes. They serve Chicharrones per table as good starters. We ordered Flautas De Tinga Con Guac and Queso Con Chorizo to share. Both were absolutely delicious and great appetizers to start. I ordered the Enchiladas Verde, which comes with rice and beans. The Enchiladas Verde were delicious and flavorful. I also got the Guava Margarita, which was a bit sweet, but still good. Recommendation(s): - Flautas De Tinga Con Guac - Queso Con Chorizo - Enchiladas Verde - Guava Margarita Service: 5/5 Tip(s): - Plenty of parking spaces - Restrooms available read more

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Now I know what all the hype is about! This restaurant location first opened a couple of years ago, and I remember friends mentioning that since they don't take reservations, it would take a long time to get seated. Thankfully right now, even on a Saturday afternoon, there was plenty of seating. Although they do have an online waitlist that you can join straight from their website, and you'll get texted when your table is ready. All of the food here is excellent! The Birria Chimichanga appetizer comes with 1/2 dozen mini fried burritos all packed with shredded beef, cheese and are so filling that you can order this as an entree, which is what I did. Their beans and rice are both exceptional, as is the Horchata. Oh and you get a large mug for your drinks, so you definitely get your moneys worth for your beverage. I can't wait to come back and try more delicious Mexican! read more

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The atmosphere is great and the food is excellent. I recommend the chicken enchiladas! I would give it 5 stars but the waiter was inconsistent with his service. At first he was supper attentive while we were ordering alcohol, once we stopped the service was scarce and had to ask the busboy to keep getting him for us. When I asked for the check it came quickly and while I was paying my party asked for waters and he said he will get them and they never came. After waiting another 10min we decided to leave. read more

I'm going to start off by the ambience, I loved the mariachi, my party and I were really enjoying that part and the aesthetic look of the place is beautiful. The food was average I wasn't wowed but it wasn't terrible. What gives the place my rate (definitely had more potential on receiving a 4 star) was that we pretty much got told to wrap it up by the manager. My husband had payed the tab and we were sitting enjoying our time celebrating my mother's 50th birthday and suddenly the manager came and said if we can leave bc there was more party's waiting. I completely understand BUT we had called ahead of time to get the times that are the busiest so we were sure to be seated before it gets busy and have an enjoyable dinner. Now we made sure to arrive early and organized ourselves to be able to avoid the wait, etc. Our tab was $400 not including the tip and we got told to leave by the manager. My party and I literally LOL and said really?!?! After she left, so we all got up and left. This act of the manager shows that what they cared most about was $$$$ versus customer service and truly caring about customers enjoying their time. I left out that she had said "I noticed you payed your tab already". Clearly she thought "payed tab we got what we needed now leave". This was our experience dining at Rosa Madera, most likely won't be coming back. read more

The food is amazing!!!!! I usually only review when I'm pissed off at quality or service. The food is insanely tasty. The happy hour deals are a steal and the service was amazing. Carla N was our server and she did a great job navigating the menu and joking w my dad while he asked for off menu meals. The mini ceviche was the best I've ever had. The street tacos were packed w flavor. And if you want something out of pocket good, the birria........ they have tacos w consume and birria chimichangas! I came in expecting the lunch special of birria tacos and got there in time for their happy hour and it was an insanely amazing surprise!! I came two weeks ago w my dad for the lunch special. And we got here in time for happy hour today. And I just ordered randomly and wasn't disappointed in even one thing! read more

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Been wanting to visit and finally did so. Was not that impressed. Food was mediocre - at best. Several dishes provided less than impressive results. Yes, your ambience is nice, service is great, and drinks were not bad. But if you don't deliver on the food, every else is irrelevant. read more

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Came for dinner just before the rush. Was pretty busy. The inside decor is really pretty. I ordered the horchata and the Combination option where you can select two items for $22. I got the quesabirria and the flautas verde. These came with a side of beans and rice. I do wish that the quesabirria came with consome but it did not. The horchata was good but it has a bit of a coconut flavor to it which was unexpected. Quesabirria was delicious. They had a mariachi band playing which was nice but also made it really loud and difficult to talk with my group at the table. read more

Rosa Madera - Horchata - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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If you're looking for a place with amazing vibes and even better food, this is the spot! They also have live music on the weekends. They have amazing cocktails as well as agua frescas. I've tried a few different dishes from here and it never disappoints. The service is fast and friendly. Perfect place to have birthday or anniversary dinners. I'll be back! read more

Rosa Madera - Enchiladas verde - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Portion size was great price was good and so was the service. This spot is so cute and perfect for any event. The ambiance is dimly lit and beautiful interior and lighting. Overall great food all around A+! read more

Rosa Madera - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Rosa madera is a hidden gem in Santa Ana It's a somewhat upscale restaurant that offers live music and entertainment. Food is very delicious the service was good. Very attentive. The price was mid point for 8 people came out to less than 250 which wasn't bad. Overall I would be down to come back ! If your ever around the area check them out read more

Rosa Madera - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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To be honest this time around Rosa Madera was a huge disappointment. I understand the staff doesn't always have to be super happy but dang our waitress seemed to be annoyed to be serving today. I understand bad days i really do but even on my worst i try to not let it affect my work life. I tried to be kind but even then it felt like we were a bother when in reality everything was so simple from our order. Even with other tables she seemed to not really care. Then we got our drinks and i kid you not they were the most mediocre drinks ever and i've been here multiple times but today it felt like the drinks were premade or something. We ate and within 34-40 we left. Super disappointed in this. So i will definitely update my review read more

Rosa Madera - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Finally came back and I still love this place! I was craving asada nachos and a margarita and immediately remembered this place. I came in with my mom who was craving the exact same thing and we were so happy. There was live entertainment so it was sort of loud but we were still able to maintain a conversation and service was good, no complaints. I will say the same thing as last time ... those nachos are shareable and possibly still too much food for just two people. We got food coma and weren't able to eat anything else although the menu looked yummy. read more

Rosa Madera - cucumber and mango margarita - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Food? Gooood. Drinks? Goooooood. Ambiance? Annoying. Too many birthday announcements and it gets really obnoxious when you're trying to dine with who you brought. They loudly play this annoying birthday message and then most of the time forget to dial the music back down to a comfortable level, so you'll be stuck with louder music, but it's okay because they'll do another birthday and it's a 50/50 chance the music will be put to a regular volume because it never ends. :) I think they should just change how they announce birthdays or how they make that a cool moment so it doesn't overtake everyone else's time in the restaurant. The birthday sombrero thing they do is cool but I'm not sure how sanitary that is. They come over and put a nicely made sombrero on you with a complimentary treat and sparklers, but mind you that sombrero goes on all 30 birthdays of the day... of people of ALL ages.. kiddos too. No amount of spray or cleaning agent would convince me to want to put that hat on, so put on at your own risk! Service is great and friendly, my waiter even brought out more chicharrónes for me and my friend; great hospitality! He was super sweet! Also, you can tell the servers are worn from the multiple birthdays. Their faces on the way back to the back says it all, and I even heard a male server say, "another one?!" And I don't blame them! They're doing back to back, back to back, and back to back, birthday marches to tables and they're expected to be hyped every single time! So management, instead of talking to your employees about their faces and comments from this one review, let this be insight for how your employees are feeling. Maybe reconsider how you're valuing them and their energy and how you can think of a different way to still make birthdays special for everyone without tiring out your staff and taking away the dining experience from other guests. read more

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Service = 5 stars! This place has fantastic service. Carla is amazing but honestly all their staff are friendly and attentive! Food = 10 stars!!! We've been here 4 times now and have had several items on the menu and haven't had anything bad. Everything has been perfect and tasty. Very authentic and the homemade tortillas are the best! Ambiance = 5 stars Clean, modern and fun! read more

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Even though there was a wait because it was the weekend, the check in time went by quickly. It originally had an hour wait but we only really waited less than 30 minutes. Do wait if needed. They had live mariachi being that it was the weekend. Everyone was friendly and the food was decently portioned and quite tasty too! It wasn't too loud in there as I was able to have a conversation without yelling. Their micheladas and paloma enamorada were very good too. read more

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They do not have traditional chips and salsa. An absolute let down. It's not all bad the ambiance and the live band were a nice touch.

Inconsistent food and service takes forever Came here 2 months ago and food was way better as was service. It just became over crowded and the "birthday" restaurant to go to. Food not as good. Often waiting a very long time for our server, drinks, the bill. Anything. We were there from 6:50pm to 8:30pm but ready to leave by 8pm. Just spent a lot of time waiting. And the food was no where near what it was two months ago. The mole was perfect the first time I went sweet & spicy, last night was just spicy nothing but chili. Chicken was dry for everyone across the board. Only good thing was ambience and mariachi's. read more

Came here to celebrate my cousin's birthday and absolutely loved it! The decor inside is beautiful and loved the livelyagain! Servers and the staff were very friendly. We unfortunately came a little earlier than when they had their live music so we def have to come back. We ordered the following: -Agua de Pepino- Super refreshing and tasted exactly as expected. -Los Favoritos- Lots of food for an appetizer to share for the group. A sampler of flautas, birria chimichangas, and nachos. I honestly felt like someone could order this for their main entree! -Ceviche Verde Agua Chiles- Very filling, large portions. Spicy and absolutely delicious -Flautas Salsa Verde- Perfectly crispy and had lots of flavor! The salsa verde is not very spicy if that is something you prefer or don't, good to keep in mind. Their cocktails were also delicious, I got the Vacaciones A Tulum and it honestly tasted like juice which I prefer. Definitely would come again! read more

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The wait wasn't too bad for a Sunday. It was later in the afternoon but there was live music. So if you are sensitive to loud music I wouldn't go. The food was so good. I am Mexican so I tend to judge Mexican restaurants a little more harsh. We got a couple dishes and split them. My only issue was the wait staff. It took over 10 minutes for the waiter to even come over for a drink order. Only after we ask another waitress who our waiter was. He moved at hi down pace. We had to flag him down whenever we needed something. He never came over to check on us. Only time he came over on his own was to tell us that our 2 hour limit was over and that we needed to close the check. Had it been a better waiter experience I would have give. It a 5 read more

Rosa Madera - Molcajete and flautas - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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I'm extremely disappointed with the way this restaurant handled Mother's Day reservations and wait times. I called TWO WEEKS before Mother's Day specifically to ask how I could get a table. I was told the ONLY way was to add myself to the wait list the day of when the restaurant opened. At no point during that call did anyone explain that there would also be a physical line outside and that seating would alternate between people waiting in line and people on the wait list. I joined the wait list at 10:03 AM and was already 60-something on the list. At the time, the app estimated a 2-3 hour wait, which I understood and was willing to accept. However, it has now been almost 3 hours and the wait list has barely moved about 10 people total. Had the process been explained honestly from the beginning, I could have made different plans for Mother's Day instead of spending hours waiting with no real movement or communication. The lack of transparency and poor organization completely took away from what was supposed to be a special day. read more

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I took my mom here for her birthday and it instantly became a family favorite! The atmosphere was warm and intimate without being too quiet as it was on a Thursday when no mariachi or Banda were scheduled. Amazing service that interacted well with our family and brought over an amazing birthday flan and huge sombrero! The birria quesadillas are apparently one of their top ordered and rightfully so. The molcajete also was a favorite as the meat was deliciously seasoned and the plate was not too oily. While pricier than other restaurants, the decorations and photo worthy interior makes this spot 100% worth coming for special occasions. Ig: socalyumiez read more

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Excellent, excellent, excellent!!! Cristal provided an amazing Customer Service, the food was delicious and the live music was amazing!! One of my favorite places in OC and extremely recommended for an amazing Mexican experience!! read more

We came to this spot on a weekday so there was no wait time (yay). This place is so visually captivating in the inside. On the outside it doesn't look special but boy what a treat when you walk in. Their whole restaurant is filled with vibrant murals and their decor captures the true essence of Mexico. As you arrived you are served with some Doritos with hot sauce, which is just the perfect classic snack to munch on. Their cafe de olla was perfect, no creamer was needed and I normally cannot live without creamer or milk in my coffee. It was also perfectly paired with some classic galleta Maria's ( cookies). I ordered the chilaquiles divorciados to taste both the red salsa and green salsa and let me just say this was delicious. Their green salsa was so good, it was perfectly paired with some crema and queso. I decided to add steak and eggs and it did not disappoint. The service was great too! Karla N. was so welcoming and attentive, making sure we had everything we needed. She answered all my questions and even helped me pick the perfect dish. All in all, this is a place I would definitely return to - their decorations, food and drinks offered a wonderful taste of Mexico. read more

When you walk in the atmosphere is very classy and fun. Live entertainment on a Saturday evening can be a bit loud so if that might disrupt your experience might want to check if anyone is scheduled to play but it does elevate and energize the experience if you are ready for it. Came out for a birthday dinner and had Myles serve us. He was very attentive, made sure our table was clean, and made sure we were happy with our experience from start to finish. The food was great. The quality of meat was spectacular and everything was very filling. The price is reasonable for the quality of food and the atmosphere that you get here. Overall experience was amazing and would definitely come back to try other dishes. read more

Rosa Madera - Bar Area - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Excellent & delicious chilli releno & tacos. Excellent service. Great ambiance with live Mexican music. read more

Rosa Madera - Mexican draft beer - Mexican Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Rosa Madera caught hubby's eye on The Internets, just like the last two restaurants that I reviewed. He's 0 for 3 right now, and I'm HIGHLY skeptical about the foodie influencers that rate these restaurants so highly. It's my birthday this week, but life happens so we celebrated early with the whole family here at Rosa Madera. We could've easily chosen a better and more familiar spot, but I wasn't paying and it was worth a try (I guess). Upon entering, my oldest son said the decor is tacky. The overhead lights were on so it didn't look all romantic like on the socials. Hella roses, skulls, huge murals, drift wood, tiki lounge lamps, Clase Azul bottles on the wall, an Our Lady of Guadalupe at the hostess stand... Decor wasn't cohesive and was a mix of romantic, goth, pirate, tropical bungalow and coastal beach house. My older two mentioned that the playlist had a really good mix, and I distinctly remember walking to our table with La Chona playing. We went in on a Thursday afternoon, so the restaurant was not to capacity, probably 1/4 of a way occupied. We were seated quickly, and our server greeted us just as promptly with two servings of duritos, one plain and one with Valentina. We ordered our drinks and an app: Modelo, Jamaica Margarita, Cucumber Agua Fresca, Dr. Peppers, and waters, and Los Favoritos that had chicken tinga taquitos, birria chimichangas, and al pastor nachos. Drinks came out quickly and were presented nicely. The Jamaica margarita came rimmed with chamoy and Tajin and was garnished with rose petals and a lime slice. The Cucumber Agua Fresca was served in a traditional jarritos and was refreshing. Hubby took a few sips of his Modelo, then ordered an Horchata. I thought he ordered another beer, but he explained that Modelos are only good ice cold, so he didn't want the rest of his beer. Los Favoritos was served to our table, and the food looked great. Our favorite was the chicken tinga taquitos. The birria chimichangas were too cheesy for my liking, and my daughter mentioned that the middles were on the cold side. The chips for the nachos were good and crispy and held up to all the toppings. The al pastor, though, had a flavor that I couldn't appreciate, and soon as I said that out loud hubby and my oldest son chimed in and said the same thing. A red salsa and some crema were served with our app, with the red salsa having a nice flavor and a little kick to it. The twins both ordered the Ranchera A La Plancha, hubby had the Tacos de Papa, my daughter had the Mushroom Quesadilla Ahogadas, my oldest son chose the Ultimate Breakfast Burrito, and I decided on the Chilaquiles Rojas with steak. The twins quickly pushed aside all the food items they don't like, which basically left just the meat and the tortillas. My oldest son said the burrito was more cheese than anything and only took a few bites before pushing his plate aside. Hubby only ate half of his tacos. I think they gave me the mole instead of the salsa rojos because the sauce was undeniably sweet. The steak that came with, half of it was fatty. My daughter's mushroom quesadilla was almost pure cheese with tiny slivers of mushroom. We took a lot of the food home, but I doubt anyone is gonna eat it. My older two said 2/5 and the twins said 3/5. Parking is a shared lot amongst other businesses and the restrooms are bright and clean. There were two big parties to the left of us, with one table disputing the bill. That same table celebrated a birthday where they brought a dessert with a sparkler and a communal sombrero. read more

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Food and service were great. Restaurant ambiance was just right. Little bit on the pricey side. May return again for the right occasion.

Delicious food and drink, especially the cafe de olla and mole enchiladas. Inside is beautiful as shown on many other photos. read more

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I really loved this place when they first opened. The food is good, they had live entertainment on various nights, and the margaritas are on point. I didn't even mind paying the ridiculous top shelf prices because the drinks were solid. Not to mention they had a 2 hour wait list. And I was fine with that too. However, today they lost a customer. And from the looks of how empty the place was when I arrived and got rudely turned away by the hostess, apparently I'm not the only person feeling this way. They post a closing time of 10pm but don't be deceived, last call is an hour prior‍. So if you walk in at 9pm thinking you're going to have dinner and a drink, save yourself the trip and literally go anywhere and everywhere else. read more

We learned about Rosa Madera on TikTok and knew this would be the perfect place to celebrate my mom's 70th birthday! Everything about this Mexican restaurant was amazing! From the outside, the restaurant was understated and easy to miss, but the moment we stepped through the doors we were met with vibrant murals, beautiful décor, and an atmosphere that made us feel like we'd crossed into a fiesta in Mexico. Reservations were not available but our party of 11 only had to wait 30-40 minutes to get seated on a busy Friday evening. Mariachi Corazon de Maria played the entire evening. The male and female vocals were incredible. I'd say they're one of the best mariachis that I've seen live. Everyone in our group agreed that the food, cocktails, and desserts were delicious. The menu had lots of traditional dishes that sounded great. My Mexican born and raised mom loved her meal... that says a lot because she is a fantastic cook who typically prefers her own homemade recipes. Prices were reasonable for all they had to offer, and portions were substantial. This was a perfect place to celebrate my mom. At one point in the evening, the singer walked around to the tables and gave shout-outs to guests celebrating special occasions. Later, the wait staff brought her a large sombrero, flan, and sparkler, then sang happy birthday. All the staff were friendly and attentive. Thank you, Rosa Madera, for giving my mom and family a memorable dinner. I can't wait to come back again. Rosa Madera has earned the spot as my favorite Mexican restaurant! read more

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Celebrated my son's birthday on a Sunday. Reservations were made ahead of time. We were greeted and seated. We happened to get seated next to the stage, which was in our favor since there was a Mariachi show that starts at 1130amsh. That Mariachi band was awesome. The ambiance felt like I was in Mexico. Ordered adult beverages and received our complimentary Salsa with chips. Few minutes passed and we put our orders in. The Mariach band started to play while we waited for our entrees. The wait wasn't long until we received our food. We chowed down! The food did not dissapoint, it was rather delicious. Portion size was big. Overall, this place is an entertainment restaurant, especially on a Sunday. Good music and good food!! Overall l, i would come back. The staff was very friendly. Our waitress always attended to us. Customer service was great!. Long story short... Plenty of parking, good food, and a band. Comfortable yummy. read more

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Rosa Madera thank you guys for making my parents Birthday Celebration unforgettable. I was able to make a reservation for 20 people, brought our cake, the service was outstanding and the food delicious. All of my family enjoyed the amazing Mariachi and they were amazed at the music, the food and the ambiance. Will definitely keep coming back. read more

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Amazing experience. Great food, fantastic live music and the customer service we got from Cristal was superb!!! Highly recommend this place, and big shout out to Cristal for her amazing service and hospitality. read more

Highly recommend this spot. Came by a couple times already not sure why I haven't left a review. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures every time I came here but I did take a picture of what I ordered when I came here for a quick drink and bite. I ordered the "Los Favoritos" as my main since I wasn't too hungry and it was the best choice I could've made. Who doesn't like finger foods??? Flautas de Tinga, Birria Chimichangas, and Nachos Al Pastor! Super fire, all the meats were flavorful and juicy. One of my favorite things about this place is that they serve Chicharron while at the bar / before you order anything (basically in place of chips and salsa that you'd usually get at other restaurants.) A couple times that I've been here, there was also live music, mostly on the times that I've came on weekends. Been here on weekdays and it was pretty packed but no live music. Definitely expect a wait time for tables, not so much for bar seats. Los Favoritos 5/5 would order again ! Flautas de Tinga 5/5 Birria chimichangas 5/5 Nachos Al pastor 5/5 read more

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Went here for a brunch date and wasn't disappointed. Myles makes the best drinks and his vibe is the best! The birria tacos were great but the ambiance was better. Will be back soon! read more