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Fast service and delicious food, modern industrial decor with authentic Mexican food. They also have a killer salsa bar where you can load up on all the different sides no extra charge. Their prices are super fair as well!! Check out this spot next time you're in Costa Mesa off of Bristol Street.
Whooooa! If you're looking for incredible churros this is def the place. I've been looking for good churros locally since I visited Mexico city and... I'm in love! Tacos and burritos are fire too! I had chicken and grilled fish. I'm from LA so I'm a little picky with my tacos but the hand made tortillas really hit the spot. Until next time
Americanized tacos and burritos. The al pastor came in large, dry pieces and unfortunately lacked flavor. The burrito also had some sort of non-authentic, creamy mayo-like sauce in it that was not great. There's a self-serve salsa bar, but the salsas were a bit bland. Unfortunately, there were no extra onions or cilantro available at the salsa bar, so I couldn't really add anything to improve the burrito. Parking was also difficult to find in the small, busy CAMP plaza, and seating inside the restaurant can be limited. Our food also took quite a while to come out. Overall, there were quite a few misses here and I wouldn't recommend.
This place is gooooood! But the parking is STOOPID. Fresh fish and shrimp. The churros are amazing too.
I tried out Taco Stand for the first time about 4 years ago and it still remains as one of my fav places to eat. You can't beat their yummy tacos and burritos for such a great price. I always get the carne asada burrito with a side of guac. Can't forget to get the avocado salad and extra pico at the salsa bar. It's literally the perfect combo. The line at this location moves a bit slow, but once you order the food comes out pretty fast. So definitely worth the wait.
Stopped by after a long shopping day at South Coast Plaza! It was my first time visiting the Costa Mesa location, and wow... it was packed. The parking lot is surprisingly small, and I managed to grab what seemed to be the last available spot. I'm not sure if there's additional parking nearby, but I did see several cars circling the small lot or waiting with their hazard lights on, hoping someone would leave. That wasn't even the most memorable part, though. The moment I stepped out of the car, I was hit with the incredible smell of grilled meat, tacos, and burritos. It immediately made me even hungrier. Thankfully, the food lived up to the aroma. Otherwise, I would've been seriously disappointed... or maybe I was just starving after shopping all day! Either way, you know it's a good sign when the line stretches out the door. Despite the crowd, the line moved surprisingly quickly. It looked like a lot of people ordered their food to go, which makes sense because seating is pretty limited. There aren't many tables inside, and everything is fairly close together, so I wouldn't recommend coming with a large group. We ordered two tacos and two burritos, and I went with the carne asada burrito. It was huge and definitely filling! We also wanted to try the churros, but unfortunately, they were sold out by the time we got there. I'll definitely have to come back for those. The carne asada burrito was excellent. It was packed with generous portions of juicy, tender, and well-seasoned steak, and every bite was flavorful. It paired perfectly with the sauces from the salsa bar, which was almost as busy as the ordering line. After trying a few, my favorites were definitely the habanero salsa and the avocado sauce. The habanero had just the right amount of heat for me, as most places don't make their spicy sauces spicy enough for me, but this one actually had a nice kick without overwhelming the other flavors. The avocado sauce was smooth, creamy, and balanced everything out perfectly. It added a nice richness to the burrito. Overall, it was well worth the wait, and I can definitely see why this place is so popular. I'll be back, and next time, hopefully early enough to grab an order of churros too!
Double meat Steak Burrito. Asada was tender and trimmed, pico de Gallo was fresh. I know it's out of the ordinary but I wished they had lettuce( I didn't see the option to add it) you can add cheese for extra. This location is always on point - I guess that's why there's always a line out the door
Near the anti lab mall so parking is tough especially during lunch hour. Enough so that people will need to double park. Don't think a weekday can save you because this place is still packed af like any other the taco stands. I like their asada taco and same sauce bar as the other locations. Their churros are good too and freshly made. Just be prepared for a super long wait and crowded/minimal seating. Not really the place to bring kids due to the crowdedness and wait. Their drink fountain is eh but they do have a fridge of drinks. Be sure to take a paper receipt to double check your order!
My review will never change. 5 stars for service, quality of food, portion size, self serve bar- just exquisite all around.
This place is great. Be ready to wait in line because I'm not the only one who thinks it's good. The workers are friendly. Tortillas are fresh and the meats are juicy. It's a small restaurant so seating could be difficult but luckily we got a seat pretty quick. You're here for the delicious food, it's not a nice sit down type of restraints. The self serve sauce bar is good, I like how they have limes.
The shrimp and carne asada tacos are delicious. The salsas are really good in both variety and quality. Unfortunately the parking is always a difficult situation and the service can be slow at times
Really reasonable prices, fast service and great food. What's not to love about The Taco Stand?! I had a Sonora taco, which comes on a flower tortilla and includes beans and Asada, and it was delightful! The only thing they did not offer that I would have liked to have was iced tea.
1 month ago
1 month ago
2 months ago
Fast service and delicious food, modern industrial decor with authentic Mexican food. They also have a killer salsa bar where you can load up on all the different sides no extra charge. Their prices are super fair as well!! Check out this spot next time you're in Costa Mesa off of Bristol Street. read more
1 month ago
Whooooa! If you're looking for incredible churros this is def the place. I've been looking for good churros locally since I visited Mexico city and... I'm in love! Tacos and burritos are fire too! I had chicken and grilled fish. I'm from LA so I'm a little picky with my tacos but the hand made tortillas really hit the spot. Until next time read more
2 months ago
21 hours ago
Americanized tacos and burritos. The al pastor came in large, dry pieces and unfortunately lacked flavor. The burrito also had some sort of non-authentic, creamy mayo-like sauce in it that was not great. There's a self-serve salsa bar, but the salsas were a bit bland. Unfortunately, there were no extra onions or cilantro available at the salsa bar, so I couldn't really add anything to improve the burrito. Parking was also difficult to find in the small, busy CAMP plaza, and seating inside the restaurant can be limited. Our food also took quite a while to come out. Overall, there were quite a few misses here and I wouldn't recommend. read more
1 day ago
I tried out Taco Stand for the first time about 4 years ago and it still remains as one of my fav places to eat. You can't beat their yummy tacos and burritos for such a great price. I always get the carne asada burrito with a side of guac. Can't forget to get the avocado salad and extra pico at the salsa bar. It's literally the perfect combo. The line at this location moves a bit slow, but once you order the food comes out pretty fast. So definitely worth the wait. read more
3 months ago
Stopped by after a long shopping day at South Coast Plaza! It was my first time visiting the Costa Mesa location, and wow... it was packed. The parking lot is surprisingly small, and I managed to grab what seemed to be the last available spot. I'm not sure if there's additional parking nearby, but I did see several cars circling the small lot or waiting with their hazard lights on, hoping someone would leave. That wasn't even the most memorable part, though. The moment I stepped out of the car, I was hit with the incredible smell of grilled meat, tacos, and burritos. It immediately made me even hungrier. Thankfully, the food lived up to the aroma. Otherwise, I would've been seriously disappointed... or maybe I was just starving after shopping all day! Either way, you know it's a good sign when the line stretches out the door. Despite the crowd, the line moved surprisingly quickly. It looked like a lot of people ordered their food to go, which makes sense because seating is pretty limited. There aren't many tables inside, and everything is fairly close together, so I wouldn't recommend coming with a large group. We ordered two tacos and two burritos, and I went with the carne asada burrito. It was huge and definitely filling! We also wanted to try the churros, but unfortunately, they were sold out by the time we got there. I'll definitely have to come back for those. The carne asada burrito was excellent. It was packed with generous portions of juicy, tender, and well-seasoned steak, and every bite was flavorful. It paired perfectly with the sauces from the salsa bar, which was almost as busy as the ordering line. After trying a few, my favorites were definitely the habanero salsa and the avocado sauce. The habanero had just the right amount of heat for me, as most places don't make their spicy sauces spicy enough for me, but this one actually had a nice kick without overwhelming the other flavors. The avocado sauce was smooth, creamy, and balanced everything out perfectly. It added a nice richness to the burrito. Overall, it was well worth the wait, and I can definitely see why this place is so popular. I'll be back, and next time, hopefully early enough to grab an order of churros too! read more
26 days ago
Double meat Steak Burrito. Asada was tender and trimmed, pico de Gallo was fresh. I know it's out of the ordinary but I wished they had lettuce( I didn't see the option to add it) you can add cheese for extra. This location is always on point - I guess that's why there's always a line out the door read more
Near the anti lab mall so parking is tough especially during lunch hour. Enough so that people will need to double park. Don't think a weekday can save you because this place is still packed af like any other the taco stands. I like their asada taco and same sauce bar as the other locations. Their churros are good too and freshly made. Just be prepared for a super long wait and crowded/minimal seating. Not really the place to bring kids due to the crowdedness and wait. Their drink fountain is eh but they do have a fridge of drinks. Be sure to take a paper receipt to double check your order! read more
This place is great. Be ready to wait in line because I'm not the only one who thinks it's good. The workers are friendly. Tortillas are fresh and the meats are juicy. It's a small restaurant so seating could be difficult but luckily we got a seat pretty quick. You're here for the delicious food, it's not a nice sit down type of restraints. The self serve sauce bar is good, I like how they have limes. read more
2 months ago
The shrimp and carne asada tacos are delicious. The salsas are really good in both variety and quality. Unfortunately the parking is always a difficult situation and the service can be slow at times read more
4 months ago
Really reasonable prices, fast service and great food. What's not to love about The Taco Stand?! I had a Sonora taco, which comes on a flower tortilla and includes beans and Asada, and it was delightful! The only thing they did not offer that I would have liked to have was iced tea. read more
2 days ago
The taco stand is definitely a must try! The food is fresh and they make homemade corn tortillas read more
2 months ago
Not sure how this is the first time I've ever been here, but I will definitely be back! I originally tried to order online and then it told me they weren't accepting online orders. When I arrived, there was a decent amount of people in front of me, however, it took just under 20 minutes. I was shocked that after ordering, my food took less than 5 minutes! I only got two tacos which was the Baja fish and the Mar Y Tierra taco (special menu). Both of these were really good but shockingly I loved the Baja more! Next time I would probably try one of the burritos. I also thought the chips and guacamole pricing was very good and looked like yummy in house tortilla chips. read more
2 months ago
Let me explain why this place is a legendary goodie spot!... Nearly every time I fly in or fly out of John Wayne Airport, I have a hard time going anywhere else!! Without fail, I can walk up to this place and there's either a short line or a very long line, but there's always a line. These guys have a few different secrets to success: 1. Extremely friendly staff.!! tonight I'm going to Spotlight Ruby because she was extremely kind and helpful as we just wanted to get some water and she was able to take care of us on the side without needing to wait back in that really long line. 2. I can easily stop at the fact that this place hand rolls their tortillas.. one of the most exciting things that my kids love about this place is watching the handmaid tortillas being made and knowing how good they taste! Real MAIZ! The flavor of the tortilla alone is undeniable and extremely Mexican taste. 3. The tacos are literally made with love every single one of them.! each one is packed with meat and just watch out because if you don't eat them fast enough, the hand made fresh tortilla will begin to fall apart!! 4. Churros churros churros.!! yes I had to say it three times to get your attention because these are hand pressed churros that go right into that delicious fryer and then come straight out into a little box and rolled in that cinnamon and sugar that those churros are known for!! , Chuy, and delicious!! not to outdo your expectations, but just wait till you dip it into the sauce it comes with 5. My family will literally hold me hostage at the airport just to make sure that I came home with a fresh bag of tortillas. You're wondering if this is any different than the flavor of the tacos? Not at all every single chip is that same legendary taste. 6. The salsa bar is one of my favorite items because they do not hesitate to keep it clean and restocked with all your favorites. They also don't skimp because these are the same sauces that make some of their tacos, legendary and they're allowing you to get even more of each one on your own.! This place isn't that big but for some reason, it's the right size for the amount of people that they rotate in and out of here. The vibe is extremely useful. It seems comparable to a beachside college town vibe with a cross between yoga and Health nuts wanting to get an authentic local flavor at a reasonable cost. If these guys can keep the balance that they have of price and quality this place will continue to be generational as I sit down at this table tonight with three generations of taco lovers Cheers!! and I hope you get a chance to experience a little bit of what I've shared above!! read more
Expect a wait but the Tierra de mar taco on the specials menu is absolute fire . It is made with shrimp, carne asada and a deep fried cheese topped with avocado, onions, cilantro and their famous sauce! The churros are freshly prepared as you order and the corn, the chips and guacamole and the fries and all additional items you can try if you fancy! If you are a taco lover you don't want to miss the opportunity to try this spot, they even have mushroom tacos for vegans and everything on the secret menu is worth considering... read more
5 days ago
One of my favorite burrito spots in California! There's a reason why the wait is always so long and people wait a lifetime - because it's so WORTH! Came during my lunch hour and almost fell into a food coma at work after. HAVE TO GET CALIFORNIA BURRITO! I only ate half but still felt so full and had the other half for dinner - and it was still bomb CLASSIC! read more
Coworker recommended it, so we took a trip over. Parking as always is horrible in The Lab, so I went to the liquor store next door to get my boss a layoff gift before my last day next Friday. But coworker grabbed us Mar Y Tierra burritos. It was quite delicious, even without the salsa or spicy mayo. The tortilla was fighting for its life to contain everything, but that's what foil is for. Also pretty affordable for Costa Mesa. Was like $14, and really filling. Vibe and service were probably nice, coworker wasn't in a panicked state after grabbing. But again, parking is horrible in that center, and shows no sign of improving. Bike over and grab one. read more
Located in beautiful Costa Mesa is The Taco Stand. Lines at 6:40pm was already out the door & there aren't enough tables to really accommodate patrons. With the lines out the door, it is comforting to know that this place must be good. Orders: Fish taco-a nice strip of grilled fish w/lettuce & tomato was both satisfying & filling. Usually the fish taco's that I have gotten are small, so this was a pleasant surprise. -California Burrito includes French fries(no beans) & Carne Asada. It was filled w/tender well marinated pieces of meat. -Carne Asada w/pinto beans was as expected & good. It was fun to visit this well patronized place. read more
Coming from SD, I usually love The Taco Stand, but unfortunately I left feeling just a bit disappointed with this location's food. Not sure if it was on off day or just this location, but I found everything lacking a bit of flavor. The meat options all felt under-seasoned, and none of the salsas packed a punch (except for the habanero!) Burrito pricing is great, while tacos are on the pricier side. Overall, the food was still decent and did the job, but definitely not worth fighting for your life in the camp parking lot for. read more
Tacos 3/5 - these were just ok in my opinion. I don't know if they were having an off day or something because I've heard good things about this place but the tacos were missing some flavor. Salsa bar was nice but none of the sauces were anything special. Churros were really good though! Long wait on a Saturday night and not a lot of seating. read more
6 months ago
BE PREPARED TO WAIT. I stopped by 2 times during my time in costa mesa, and the food was amazing both times. I came around 8:30pm on sunday and had to wait around 45 minutes to order and for the food. I stopped by at around 2pm on Monday and had to wait 20min. The food was worth the wait. I highly recommend al pastor anything. I loved the tacos and burritos -- both were very juicy and flavorful. They have have a sauce bar with pico, onions, lime, and of course sauces which can enhance the taste. read more
4 months ago
We stopped by The Taco Stand today at the Costa Mesa location. The parking lot is on the smaller side, and while there is indoor seating, you may need to wait for a table since it gets pretty busy. There is also some outdoor seating available to the left of the restaurant or at 1954 bakery. They offer the usual taco meats, burritos, and beer. We ordered two Baja Fish Burritos, what was supposed to be two California Burritos, and a churro. There was a mix-up with our order, but the staff was incredibly nice and ended up comping a California Burrito. In my eyes, the customer service was impeccable. The employees were constantly cleaning tables, picking up after guests, and helping everyone who came through the door. The atmosphere is very casual with a street-food vibe. If you don't want to wait for a seat, takeout, eating outside, or even enjoying your meal in your car are all good options. They also gave us complimentary churros in exchange for a review. The flavor was good, but the texture wasn't quite what we're used to. The inside was a little chewy and soft, whereas we prefer a crispier, hollow-style churro. As for the food, the Baja Fish Burrito was excellent--crispy fish with plenty of fresh vegetables. The California Burrito was also very tasty and packed with generous chunks of steak. The size of the burritos are pretty big. For the price point, service, and food quality, we would definitely come back. read more
8 months ago
Extremely delicious Mexican food, and good price for what it is. I got the Al pastor burrito and churros. While the Al pastor was tasty, what really stood out was the pineapple inside of the burrito. Also, most of the burrito was meat and wasn't filled with nonsense. Salsas are also so delicious- the creamy sauce and the mild salsa. The churros are really the star of the show. Genuinely the best churros I've ever had. They're made fresh per order and served with sweetened condensed milk. The inside is soft and warm, outside crispy and sweet. Staff was super nice and helpful. I love the style of the inside and everything is well-kept. Definitely gonna keep this as a go-to. Wish they made fresh aguas frescas though! read more
8 months ago
Love the Taco Stand! I remember first going to their location in SD and a few years ago they opened this one in Costa Mesa. I typically enjoy getting their pollo or chicken tacos as well as al pastor. I believe my friend got their mushroom tacos which she enjoyed. This time I tried the chicken burrito. I did like it, but I think I prefer the tacos. The burrito was pretty big so I ate it for 2 meals, but I think portion wise I would like to just finish 2 tacos at once - plus I can get 2 different meats. Overall, I just think the flavor is great and it's always fresh and pretty convenient since I live quite close by. There's a salsa bar area to grab your salsas and stuff for your order. We went on a Friday night at about 6 PM and the line was out the door after we ordered! My friends order took a bit longer, but they were super nice! Ambiance is very casual. It's loud and busy and crowded. Definitely recommend ordering online or calling if possible although I haven't tried myself. It gets crazy busy! read more
Yummoooo! This place does a killing and I can understand why because the tacos are yummy and reasonably priced. At around four dollars a taco it makes for a real cheap lunch if you're not that hungry. The Baja fish taco was scrumptious with just the right amount of breading. The chicken taco you could taste the grill marks and know that it was made fresh. They also have a salsa bar with a bunch of different types of salsa. The pro and con is that in Costa Mesa this is located in The Camp so if you want to come on a weekend, you're gonna need a lot of patience to try to find a place to park. I went today, on a Tuesday and there was ample parking. I recommend weekdays! read more
1 month ago
The food was good and Isabela was amazing and gave us an amazing customer service experience! Thank you Isabela! read more
Such an authentic place to eat at! I had the carne and pastor tacos and they were both great. The pastor comes with pineapple which makes the whole taco sweet and juicy. The carne tacos are chunks of steak that fill each bite with flavor. There is a salsa bar with lots of toppings to choose from. The like can get pretty long and parking/seating is very limited. Overall service and ambiance was great, the food and ordering was super fast! read more
5 months ago
How does this place rate so high? I'm shocked that they are charging $4 for a flavorless baja taco, made with a raw tortilla. I had to eat the taco with a fork, because the tortilla shredded as soon as I started unwrapping it. The seasoning was noticeably absent from this item. The California burrito was decent, filling, and reasonably priced, which is why I gave two stars. I'm not saying it was great, because it was a step up from an alertos,Albertos, los betos type of spot. The line was insane and the staff was not very engaging. This was definitely my first and last time here. Be prepared to struggle for parking, because this place is located in the camp, with a congested parking lot. read more
Very long line, but we received the our food quickly after ordering. The tacos were okay for the price. I liked that they had all the salsa options. We also ordered carne asada fries. We didn't like that nacho type cheese on the fries, but the chipotle cream sauce from the salsa bar improved the flavor. read more
Stopped by The Taco Stand for the first time and decided to finally try a California burrito -- and it did not disappoint. The carne asada was chopped perfectly and had great seasoning, super flavorful without being too salty. For a first California burrito experience, this set the bar pretty high. I also tried a couple of their tacos. They were decent, but I've definitely had better elsewhere -- nothing bad, just not as standout as the burrito. What I really appreciated was their sauce bar. They have a nice variety of sauces that pair well with pretty much anything on the menu. Overall, this spot is solid and worth checking out. Friendly vibes, good flavors, and that California burrito alone is enough to bring me back. 4/5 stars -- I'll definitely return when I'm in the area again. read more
11 months ago
Absolutely spec-taco-lar! Experience (4/5 stars): *Food: the volcan carne and pastor were so good! Nice crispy tostada, the meats were flavorful. Sauce bar on the side with pickled yummies. Added a churros for dessert! *Price: ~$6 per volcan Overall, I can't wait to grab some more tacos! read more
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Are the fries gluten free? There seems to be a coating on them and would like to check due to a gluten allergy.
I don't believe so
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