Went on a Friday night and it was not a hectic as most Friday nights would be. Enjoyed the service, food, and ambiance!

I'm having a hard time choosing between 3 and 4 stars. It's a strange story and long review My wife and I went to xacalli kitchen for our anniversary. The server put down two wine glasses. My wife took a sip and thought they are giving us a glass of wine for our Anniversary Even though she was observing dry January and bet my son $100 she could do it. The server asked if we wanted to order a drink and my wife said "Im good with this " at which time the server began pouring water into her wine. Mine was water all along. The server realized her mistake and couldn't figure out where the wine came from. What I don't understand is why would you serve water in wine glasses? Secondly, while there was an apology, nothing was comped for our anniversary or the mistake not even a dessert.? Thank goodness my wife isn't an alcoholic. We don't know whose wine it was or why it was sitting with the water glasses. Anyway, I'm pretty sure it won't happen to you. The food was very good and unique but the place is kinda far. If you go try the lamb shank. Lastly, my wife sent an email to the restaurant over a week ago and has yet to get a response So while the food is good and the service was OK I'm not sure the customer service is worth four stars. So I'm giving it 3 stars to draw your attention to it. Why check out 4 and 5 star reviews, You know they r going to be good. read more

This place has the best mushrooms! I was hesitant to go there, but I am so happy I did. A wonderful atmosphere, great drinks and the absolute best food in OC! read more

The Margarita and Ceviche were fantastic. The main dish was not very good. The bartender raved about the leg of lamb. I love lamb especially on the bone. That wasn't what I received, it was bitter and dry and shredded. It wasn't good, the staff didn't ask if I wanted something else just didn't seem to be bothered. Not exactly the experience I was expecting. My gut said to order the carne asada however it's 24oz, a bit much for one person. Not sure I would be back and I think the customer service could be better all around. read more

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Bravo! We decided to take a chance on a new restaurant in a semi-remote but picturesque location in Silverado Canyon. This was rewarded with a wonderful meal and a pleasant evening, especially considering that this was only their third day of operation. The menu was small because the chef seems to prefer locally-sourced food as much as possible, but what we had was beautifully prepared and exquisite in taste. This is not your typical, California-Mexican restaurant. We had dishes that were new to us old Californians. I ordered the branzino, which was clean (not oily) and seasoned impeccably with a fascinating mix of spices that complimented the fish beautifully. The fish was cooked to perfection and was generous enough for two full sized portions. My husband ordered the Hongo Asado, a plate-sized roasted grey oyster mushroom that quoting my husband "had a fabulous taste". I agree. I have never tasted anything quite like it. He also had the Carne Crudo which was diced filet mignon with, again, an interesting array of spices. All dishes had warm, home made corn tortillas. The staff was welcoming and friendly. We are looking forward to our next visit and can't wait to try the pork. read more

Xacalli Kitchen - Beautifully prepared Branzino: plenty for two people - Mexican Near Me - Silverado, California

Loved the Tamarind Mule - highly recommend this drink. The portions are generous, we ordered the lamb and chicken tortas and enjoyed them.

We live in Silverado so we finally decided to give this new restaurant a try. They are only open 5 days a week from 5-9 so it was suggested we make a reservation. The restaurant is really trendy and cute inside. My first suggestion is - don't bring your kids! This restaurant is not kid friendly, we brought our eight-year-old and 15-year-old but, we made it work. The menu is not a big one and was a little confusing, we didn't know what a lot of the stuff was and we were actually looking some of the items up online. When we finally decided what we wanted, the waitress told us they were out of two of the options. Mind you, it was 6:45 and they open at 5! Not to mention the work it took to figure out what to order.The second thing that was awful was, all four of our entries arrived at different times, even though we literally ordered two of the same thing. And I don't mean a few minutes later, I'm talking my husband had to wait 20 minutes for his food (even though our older son ordered the same meal) after the rest of us had already been served! All this aside, the food wasn't bad. I will tell you that I had a margarita that was delicious, my husband and my older son the pork chop and my husband really liked it. Our favorite thing was the chips with salsa and guacamole.. All in all it was OK but I don't know that we will go back even though it's just down the street from us. read more

Xacalli Kitchen - Mexican Near Me - Silverado, California

OMG, ambiance is perfect for a canyon cafe: a mixture of stick-to-your-ribs breakfasts, and a downtown deli menu! Service is A-1, and friendly - and the staff does not treat customers like an inconvenience! XACALLI is a must-stop for weekend canyon cruisers! HARLEYS, HONDAS, or HOTRODS, you must visit! Animal-friendly too, but don't bring a "mad-dog..." Seasoned locals wi' goo' Pups won't appreciate you! ;) read more

This restaurant is an experience starting with the location, food, and drinks. Farm to table food delicious one of my favorite was the ceviche. The service was attentive. read more

Xacalli Kitchen - Delicious drinks. - Mexican Near Me - Silverado, California

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We went to this new restaurant for their soft open. We were quite disappointed, but I saw so much potential. I held my review. I hesitated. I wanted to see this place succeed. I recently turned to Yelp and saw that some people had gone afterwards and had, good reactions and a good experience. So we gave it another try. I'm glad we did. Service has improved tremendously. The menu has improved as well. More options are given and provided. Hoping to continue to see the menu change as the seasons change. Hoping to see more vegan and vegetarian options added although I am a meat eater. For those of us who live in the canyon, I would love for this to be one of our go to places for a weeknight dinner. Hopefully we will see something like a weeknight dinner added to the menu that is easily affordable while leaving the à la carte options available for those that want to continue to explore more of the menu. Remember some of us just want a nice meal to sit down to, but not necessarily go in big groups to do family style eating. If you have not tried this place you should. Everything we ordered was impeccable. Our drinks to the desert. Starred w the tostadas and trio of sauces accompanied by drinks. They mentioned being busy so they were only serving drinks off the menu. Somewhat disappointing as I was looking forward to seeing the bar tenders flex and see how they prepared some of my favorite drinks. Hopefully next time. Drinks we ordered: their old fashioned and the jamiaca limonada. The wife had a French pressed coffee to close out the evening. read more

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A truly remarkable culinary experience in a magical setting. Go with an open mind and sense of adventure. Do not expect tacos, burritos, and the like. The exquisite, authentic Mexican flavors bring out the best in the top-quality food, much of which is grown across the street. It's the caliber of food you would expect in a high-end, big-city restaurant, yet it's served in a rustic, friendly environment. The camarones and the sweet potato dish were my favorite. read more

Excellent. Worth the drive (which is scenic) into the Canyon. If you like Chaak or Gabbi's, you will enjoy this restaurant. Creative flavors. Beautiful presentation. Good cocktail list. Service was excellent as well. Went for brunch and had the pozole. Yum! Look forward to taking friends here for a culinary adventure into the Canyon. read more

It's different from your traditional Mexican Restaurant. No chips and salsa. No enchiladas. Pretty high end entrees. The specialty margaritas were good. But they advertise that their dishes were to be shared, but our carne asada, although very tasty, was not enough for two people at $48! The ceviche was good. But overall it was very expensive for what you got. read more

Nothing pretentious about this place, food is amazing, service is great. I came for Sunday brunch and I will definitely be back to this hidden gem in tucked away in Silverado Canyon. read more

Awesome food, ambiance, and service. A very elegant atmosphere with a top chef menu This is my new favorite restaurant!!! We had the duck and pork chop served with great style and excellent sauce Perfect evening!!! read more

Do not go here if you have a food allergy. They do not allow any adjustments to the menu, including for food restrictions. I have a dairy allergy and was very limited in what I could order. I have never had an issue with a Mexican restaurant simply not adding cream or cheese to the top of the meal but for some reason, this was not allowed. The menu is also not written in a way that makes it easy to know which dishes account for food restrictions and the server also did not seem very knowledgeable - he recommended a dish that the menu specifically said had cheese. The food I got was fine but there are several better Mexican restaurants in OC. read more

You know that feeling that Mexican could be so much more? Xacalli is so much more! Every dish was beyond my expectation. Really. Who are these people? Stunning. read more

If you like the ARC Food and Libations, this place is for you. This place is fantastic. Proper craft cocktails. We had the Porterhouse and it was perfect. Give this place a chance. You won't be disappointed, a perfect little spot for Silverado Canyon. Xacalli is here to stay. read more

Didn't love everything but I still think they deserve 5 stars. Abraham our server and Mimi the owner were wonderful. The dining room furniture feels out of place but that's something they can address later. I personally loved the ceviche, lamb carnitas and the margarita. Thought the queso and branzino were alright. Skip the basque cheesecake. Absolutely awful. read more

Been here for dinner but just came for lunch and it was equally great. Different menu items with a few similarities but overall outstanding. read more

it's a bit out of the way but such a great find. the food and drinks are delicious! a word of warning, there's no cell service there. you won't be able to make calls or text but it will allow you to focus on the people you're with without distractions. read more

The food is AMAZING! It was nice to go somewhere different. I live in Orange and felt like we were out in the wilderness, driving the 8 minutes to Xacalli Kitchen. read more

We live in the canyon and decided to give it a try for our first date night since having a baby. We got there early for our reservation with no expectations to be seated early. But we got there and the restaurant was about half empty so we though hmm okay we will probably get to be seated early. After 20 minutes of waiting we got seated in the bar area that had been completely open the whole time we were there. Weird? We were told not to sit at the bar though because of an event that we never saw happen. The staff was friendly and nice but it's very expensive and the portions are very small. We ended up ordering 4 appetizers and left starving after spending over $100. My drink was very good and the food was good but definitely not worth the price. I feel bad saying so because I really wanted to love it and for it to do great but I think there might need to be some adjustments to the menu if they want to survive long term in the canyon. read more

Ambiance was modern. Service was fine. Average price for libations is $16, and that's ok with me but the food better be out of this world, but I found the food to be just ok. Not a huge selection, so if a restaurant is going to have limited selections, it better hit it out of the ballpark for me, but it only made it to first base. For two people our bill was about $150. It's the average price we spend for dining out, but for the price, there are better restaurants we've dined and not wasted gasoline money. read more

Great hidden gem. Hours are a bit random but this is a fine restaurant hidden in the canyon. Worth the drive. Excellent service, unusual food items (wonderful) and great drinks. Beautiful restaurant and decor. Will definitely be back!! read more

Excellent fish and service. Remodeled building and good parking. Good drinks but limited menu.

Unique and Foodie! Zach was a great server. It's so nice when the servers have tasted all of the food and can tell you detailed info. His service and recommendations were excellent. We started with the queso fundido and ceviche appetizers, very good and I loved that the queso DID NOT have chorizo-which I don't enjoy. For entrees, my husband had the Al-pastor style DUCK and I had the LAMB which was carnitas style. BEST LAMB I've ever had! Both were cooked perfectly. Had a few very unique cocktails that Zach recommended, yummmm. For dessert we had the Rosquilla al Carbon. If you like trying new places with unique cuisine and great service, highly recommend! read more

The aguachile and queso fundido were great appetizers to start. Handmade tortillas were very fresh, you can taste the quality. The pork chops were so juicy and cooked to perfection! Yum! Will definitely come back and try the some of their other entrees. Nice dinner ambiance for date night or for drinks with friends. Definitely recommend. read more

Food was as delicious as it was beautiful! A hidden gem worth checking out! The service was fantastic as well..a must try!

A delightful adventure: We loved each dish we tried at Xacalli Restaurant in Silverado Canyon. The food is fresh and delicious, and although we had to look up some of the seasonings to appreciate their special additions, that was a small price to pay for a tasty wonderfully-seasoned meal. Each dish is sized to be shared, and the carne asada was my discerning husband's favorite. The oyster mushrooms (Hongo Asado) also well seasoned and grilled and a big hit. Now we can't wait to return to try the desserts! We'll be back! read more

A brilliant reimagining of the cuisine of Mexico, with a tender and citrus-y ceviche, smoky prawns and a lusciously cheesy fundido. This is food and drink of a different level from what we usually find in our beloved canyons. A skilled and imaginative chef, a friendly and attentive waitstaff, all in an atmosphere unmatched in the area--Silverado! A hidden gem, but likely not hidden for long. So go now! read more

What an amazing experience! The attention to detail when it comes to all aspects of the food, drinks, service, and ambiance are impeccable. The charred shrimp and carne cruda are a must try! The drinks are so well balanced. You can definitely tell that everything that comes out of the kitchen and bar is made with love and passion. Xacalli Kitchen is a venue that is definitely worth traveling for when it comes to a chef driven restaurant! read more

We loved the food and the whole experience. Excellent cocktails, ceviche, queso fundido and camerones. Everything tasted incredibly fresh. Very friendly staff read more

I Live locally, so went to check out this restaurant, we had dinner at this restaurant two times in the last 45 days I wanted to give them a fair shot, the staff is very nice, attentive, and courteous I frequent a lot of restaurants all over Orange County, LA, and San Diego I am semi retired now, and we enjoy going out to eat to a nice fine dining restaurants at least three times per week for the last 30 plus years One of the staff members told me that the chef had something to do with Gabbi's in orange and Chaak in Tustin, I really enjoy them both, In my opinion, the food in this Restaurant is lacking the right flavor, (in Spanish, we say it's missing"sazón") we tried the majority of the appetizers, and dishes that they prepare there, the staff makes all the dishes sound spectacular. However, once the dishes come out, they just don't have Wow in your mouth flavor, something is just missing with the taste! I wish them the best, I just feel they need to do something to improve on all their dishes as far as taste,and flavor otherwise, I don't feel they going to make it here The head chef needs to take a good hard look and be able to take criticism because from what I understand he doesn't take criticism very well, even though it's for his own good, and it will benefit the restaurant, you need to be open minded and accept criticism It will make you better at anything you do I took my son and his wife to get their opinion and it was funny the following day my son tells me it thank you it was a very nice restaurant last night, however they needed to work on the taste of the dishes they have no "sazón" As far as their cocktails, they are decent, the bar is a little limited, and their wine selection is very poor, needs a lot of help as well This is only my opinion and advice. It's not meant to attack anyone. read more

Service and atmosphere is amazing. Food tasted authentic and was very tasty. I plan to be a regular here

Went here for dinner and the food was delish! The carne asada was cooked perfectly and the branzino was to die for. Will definitely be back to try the carnitas. The staff is friendly and helpful with menu selections. And forgot to mention the cocktails. Try the Agua Fresca. So refreshing. The drink of the summer. read more

Food doesn't get better than this. I was blown away by the complexity of flavors in each and every dish we ordered. This is not your typical Mexican restaurant. Don't expect rice and beans and a basket of tortilla chips. Each dish is a culinary work of art, served with exactly what you need to enjoy it in the way of bread and large tortilla chips. The drinks are magical as well. I had the old fashioned which was served smoked, the way I like it. My friend had the margarita and raved about it. I plan on going back many times and aim to try everything on the menu. read more

this place is a gem! the cuisine was inventive without being pretentious, a celebration of the ingredients. we tried the queso, ceviche, duck, cheesecake, and smokey old fashioned - all were a treat. the kind of meal that nourishes on many levels. we went after dark, but plan to return earlier in the day to appreciate the canyon backdrop. enjoy read more

We ate here with another couple and had such a great time. You are meant to eat family style and so we did! It's the best way to try many dishes anyway. All four of us were amazed that we loved everything. We each ordered two different things from the small, medium and large plate categories and by the time the last dishes rolled through we were all stuffed but had to keep going because EVERYTHING was so good and we had shared eight dishes and two desserts! I'm a vegetarian and there was plenty for me to eat. Vegans will probably have a hard time but I didn't ask if they had modifications for vegans to be fair. The location of this higher end restaurant is unique and you enjoy a scenic ride in Silverado canyon which added to the overall experience of the night. The main room was almost full and it was pretty loud in there. This may have been the one knock against Xacalli but a very small, faint knock. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, the drinks, the food and the ambience. I know each of our party would highly recommend and we have already started making plans to come back with a bigger group next time! read more

Excellent food and service. We've been back a few times and it keeps getting better! Among our top five favorite restaurants.