Great food and service Nathan was very helpful. Appreciate the nice atmosphere they provided.

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

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Food was great and definitely worth the stop. The tacos were fresh, flavorful, and came out pretty quickly. The real entertainment, though, was the lady calling out the order numbers. She is an absolute trip. You can hear her from across the parking lot, and she announces every number like she's headlining a concert. By the end of the night, everyone knew exactly whose food was ready. Good food, good portions, and a free comedy show while you wait. I'll definitely be back. read more

The food is too amazing like genuinely no joke. The wife and I got the Cali Burrito the burrito by itself is already great but please im begging you add the cilantro sauce it elevated the burrito to another level. My wife couldn't even take a picture of it I finished it too fast. We also got the carne asada fries but don't even worry about the fries just get the Cali Burrito and cilantro sauce. Service isn't that important here as the only time you talk to a employee is to place your order but the lady taking our order was nice and helpful and gave a great recommendation in the Cali Burrito. The food came out pretty quick as well. Seating and parking are pretty terrible, limited amounts of tables and the parking was quite packed. We came on a weekend so im not too sure how weekday parking would be. Ambiance is lively you can see the workers making the food. It is quite crowded and loud as there is music playing and people talking but overall a very lively and fun atmosphere. Will definitely be back for the Cali Burrito. read more

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

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Shrimp taco and churros are dynamite! Cashier was nice but no other service. The restaurant is tiny but super popular so it's jammed inside. The trash was overflowing, the salsa was out, only sprite was an option with no ice... but the shrimp taco was amazing! Also tried the Baja fish taco, it was soggy. The El Pastor taco was ok, very sweet. read more

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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

The Taco Stand - California Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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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

The Taco Stand - Mar y Tierra burrito, but like, partially devoured before I remembered I should take a photo. Really good. - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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

The Taco Stand - Al pastor burrito - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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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

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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

The Taco Stand - Carne Asada Fries, Adobada Burrito, Baja Fish Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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

The Taco Stand - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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

The Taco Stand - Al Pastor, Carne, Pollo and Pescado - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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

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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

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I've been wanting to try The Taco Stand at The Camp for a while because the reviews are strong and I love good Mexican food. Finally went and... I have thoughts. First off, it was insanely busy. Like line out the door busy. We waited about 30 minutes for a to-go order, which already sets a certain expectation. We ordered a carne asada burrito, chips and guac, and a side of beans and rice. Starting with the sides, both the beans and rice were pretty underwhelming. They just lacked flavor and definitely needed more salt. The chips and guac didn't really hit either. The chips were thicker than I prefer and the guac wasn't salty or citrusy enough to balance it out. Honestly, Baja Fish Tacos does this better. Their chips are warm, thinner, super crispy, and the guac has more flavor. The carne asada burrito itself was good. Solid, no major complaints, but not something I'd wait 30 minutes for again. The standout was actually my boyfriend's volcan carne asada taco from the specials menu. That was really good. The melted cheese added that salty, crispy, cheesy layer with the grilled meat that just worked. Overall, I wanted to like this more than I did. Between the wait and the food being just okay, I don't know if I'd come back. read more

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

The Taco Stand - Al Pastor Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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So good I put this place a solid 9 outta 10. The churros were honestly the best churros I think I ever had honestly.....and the carne asada fries were to die for. They were really friendly too definitely a place I would bring family and friends read more

Absolutely demolished my California burrito! The carne asada was smokey and juicy. Their tortillas are made fresh and are so perfectly buttery, and flakey. Their salsa bar is great too - highly recommend the creamy cilantro sauce, pico, and salsa verde! Staff are friendly and food comes out pretty fast. Super great taco spot and the price is super reasonable as well for the amount of food you get. read more

The Taco Stand - California burrito - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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

The Taco Stand - Chicken burrito to go - you can grab your own sauces at the sauce bar - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Ruby was great she explained the menu to us and told us her favorites! Place was packed meaning it is good and the options are great! read more

The Taco Stand - Outside of restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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It was my first time at this Taco Stand spot. Maribel was so sweet and hooked it up for me! The churros are delicious! Came out piping hot and the sauce is a perfect pairing. It's a cake donut texture -- but not too dense. The outside is perfectly crisp. Definitely try them hot. All the other food was solid. Love the Taco Stand. Fresh and good quality ingredients. Food came out pretty fast and my experience was so positive. Bless all the workers. They work so fast and diligently. I don't even live very close to this location but if I'm ever on this side of town again, will definitely be back! read more

The Taco Stand - Churros - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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

The Taco Stand - Salsa bar - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Excellent service!! Love everything about this place. Maria is so sweet and everyone very thoughtful and fish burrito is the BEST!!

This is one of my top late night foods when you want fresh tacos along with some good churros. This is the spot. It's a small little restaurant that's pumping out great food they're Asada and Pastor are my go to, but I recommend anything on the menu. The service is quick but the lines can get long so catch them at the right time. read more

Ok there's a line but that likely means good tacos and worth the wait. But it took an hour after ordering to get our tacos. Painful. The folks are working hard so it's not on them. It's just busy! So if you're aware and ok with waiting then go for it. Or online order and come late because those orders were running late too. Food is excellent. Tacos are fire. The tortillas are made fresh on site. So are their churros! Everything is good. You just need time to get the food. The seating is full but you have time to wait for folks to go while waiting for your order to be ready. The parking is horrendous. Would not be good for disabled if you wanted to feel comfortable. You'd probably get trampled over with the amount of people eating, waiting for orders, etc. it's truly packed but if you can order ahead or be ok feeling like a sardine, your taco and burrito desires will be fulfilled read more

The Taco Stand - Crowded - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Got their carne asada fries and it was massive for $11 ! The asada meat was tender and not dry too. Def would come back again read more

The Taco Stand - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

incredible food! also excellent service from Ruby and team! We love the Taco Stand! Their California burrito is amazing.

I have heard really amazing things about this place and I finally got to try it on Friday even on a Friday morning around 11 AM. There was already a line and it was getting packed and they were already really busy. we ordered six tacos and each one was incredibly flavorful, especially the Al Pastor and the Camaron tacos. The salsa bar is incredible and we were also gifted with churros and those were phenomenal. My partner said they were the best churros he's ever had in his entire life. Highly recommend getting here early due to limited parking, but the ambience was great. The staff was incredibly nice special shout out to Luis who helped us out! We will definitely be back. read more

The Taco Stand - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Been wanting to come here for a while. Worth the wait. Get the churros. Ruby is the best.

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

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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

The Taco Stand - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I went here with a large group (~10 people) on a Wednesday afternoon. The line went out the door and the indoor space was crammed, but fortunately we didn't wait long. The carne asada tacos were delicious, but I was even more impressed with the churros fresh out the oven! The churros paired with condensed milk is an unstoppable combo. I have to point out the ceiling at this location appeared to have a minor leak. My party and I noticed water droplets occasionally falling from the ceiling. While I almost gave 4 stars because of this, the food was too bomb to not give 5 stars. I hope the workers fix this leak soon (if they haven't already). read more

The Taco Stand - Churros - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Great spot! It was pretty packed on a Saturday night. They got our order mixed up but they did correct it when we showed them the receipt. The tacos are large and the salsa bar is excellent. Not a ton of space though to sit down so be warned! read more

The Taco Stand - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Great food, good portion size, and price. Their team has the system down. Pretty quick from order to pick up. Busy place and everyone is friendly. Clean and well stocked condiment area. Definitely recommend! read more

wow. actually so good. i got the el pastor tacos, carne asada fries, and chicken burrito. the tacos were yummy and waiting in line is worth it. the fries were pretty good but i didn't really like the canned cheese that they put on top. it made it way too heavy and it tasted heavily like it was from a can. burrito was good too! prepare to fight for seating if you're going on busy days and the salsa station can get crowded real quick. food was amazing though so it's ok read more

The Taco Stand - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

We love taco stand and try to find one whenever we are traveling anywhere. This one is located off a busy street inside a mall area. They have a small parking lot in the front but they also have another parking lot behind the restaurant. Parking can be rough since there are a lot of business around this area. There's also another business that provides valet so they take up a good section of the back. So we drove around for a few minutes before finding a spot. They have a pretty spacious inside with around 6 tables. It gets pretty busy around the lunch/dinner so there were some people waiting for tables. They are very fast and efficient and the food is delicious. We love taco stand, their flour tortillas are bomb and they do a great job with their portion sizes. We'll be back! read more

The Taco Stand - Carne asada burrito, quesadilla and tacos - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The Taco Stand is a chain of taco restaurants that started in San Diego in 2013 and now has locations throughout the country. This location is in Costa Mesa with a small parking lot. There's also a small interior but has some tables. AL PASTOR TACO ($3.99) - there was a good char on the meat and it was a lot more flavorful than the Baja taco. 4.5/5 BAJA TACO ($3.99) - the batter was light and I liked the flavor although it wasn't as strong. Eating it to go didn't help with the crispiness so to maximize that I'd recommend eating it fresh on-site. 3.5/5 CARNE ASADA FRIES ($10.59) - I was not the biggest fan of the melty nacho cheese on the fries as I usually prefer the shredded kind, but it still added the cheesiness I'd expect. 4/5 CALIFORNIA BURRITO ($10.19) - this was a solid California burrito and one of the better ones I've had in Orange County. 4.5/5 MAR Y TIERRA BURRITO ($11.89) - this is their camaron burrito with more angus steak. I particularly liked the flavor from the shrimp but overall I preferred the California burrito. 4/5 They have a salsa station serving sauces ranging from mild to very hot. However I found that none of them were particularly spicy. I also liked that the pico was at the station so you can get more of it. The packaging for my to-go order didn't make the food visually appealing but the flavors were still there and the prices are solid. read more

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Moving here from LA, and being from the Mexican part of Santa Rosa, I was aching for a good burrito. The Taco Stand fits the bill and for a pretty good price to be honest. It's just down the street and less than 15 bucks for a decent if small California burrito. It's a medium sized taqueria with a cute pink aesthetic. Admittedly there are slim pickings for meat choices, but their carne asada is I'd say decent, tender and mildly asada'd. The pastor is very red and very sweet, which I'm personally into but to a lesser degree. My partner had the fish taco at some point, and it was unremarkable but solid. The tortillas are actually pretty good, too. The service is objectively terrible. Which is actually an achievement for a counter-serve taqueria. First time I came after a long day at work, it took them 20 minutes to get through 4 parties' orders in front of me. Then the cashier/ general worker locked eyes with me and spent another 4 minutes dusting two churros to then walk out and give to someone in the dining room. Then for some reason the woman who I got my actual food from was dismissive of and didn't believe that I bought a bag of chips. I came for a burrito to leave in like 10 minutes, and spent 45 minutes total waiting getting progressively hangrier. Comparing this to higher volume, much higher quality, and much more... *Mexican* places in LA and SD, it's unacceptable. Subsequent visits have had me place online orders, walk past the line, flag down a line cook, and get out with my order in 30 seconds. And I've enjoyed munching on my (rather small) burrito at home each time since. I almost begrudgingly come here because I can't find any acceptable Mexican food within 10 minutes driving from my apartment. But it does hit the spot when I need it. read more

The Taco Stand - California burrito. Tasty, steak is good, fries are slightly crispy. It's 1/3rd tortilla inside. - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Holy moly. That was probably one of the best carne asada tacos I've had. The asada was super juicy, tender and cut in thick chunks. They did not skimp out on the meat or guac on the taco. It is a bit on the pricier side for a taco but the quality is definitely there. You can also add cheese to the taco (I believe it's an extra 0.99 cents for it) but it was pretty worth it. The cheese is melted onto the tortilla and not just sitting on top of the taco. I also tried the Sonora taco. I preferred the simplicity of the carne asada taco over the Sonora as there are more toppings such as beans and they used flour tortilla over corn for the Sonora. They have a salsa bar with a variety of delicious salsas you can try out! It was pretty crowded on a weekend during lunch (food came out pretty quickly considering) and parking was quite challenging but totally worth. read more