Reviews for Taco María in Costa Mesa, CA
[1 Michelin Star] Tacos Tuesday is on point, follow me! Highlights of the menu: 1. Aguachile: MX bay scallop crudo, persian... cucumber, jalapeno, pink guava, lime 2. Camarones a la diabla: blackened prawns, chile morita, black lime crema 3. Chuleta deporco: grilled Kurobuta pork, bacon chorizo, gold dust peach, marigold 4. Aguacate tatemado: charred avocado, toasted cumin,hazelnut oil 5. Raspado de Melon: frozen Weiser Farms melon, Straus yoghurt mousse, anise hyssop, blueberry Drinks: 6. Icedmango-ceylon tea 7. Margarita clasica Such a great ambience and vibe for this spot with industrial design and candle lighting.This spot has both indoor and outdoor seating areas. I love how simple and modern this place is. Such a cute spot! The foodhere is incredibly good!! I fall in love at first bite with both the shrimp and scallop dishes. Such a great balance to pickthese 2 dishes to have together as appertizers! The drinks are so good and once again, I have to say that I love both thealcoholic and non-alcoholic ones. So good!! Worth the 1 star Michelin earned. The best of the flavor and presentation.Everything was on point! I love how pretty all the dishes are decorated with edible flowers. I think I need to come back just toorder 2 of the deserts. The best I have had in the last month so far. Read more
Taco Maria. Santa Maria. This place is heavenly. Where do I start. The location is quaint and unassuming elegant but nothing... about it is ordinary. Even the caesar salad is Amazing. I mean it is extraordinary. The cheese on it is so good. The aguafresca I had with it was a perfect pairing. The service was top notch, everything about the place is great. We are so lucky tohave this restaurant in OC. Read more
Amazing flavorful cuisine. This is fine dining, and it's delicious. Staff is courteous and attentive. I can't wait to go back... and try more items. One of the best meals I have ever had. Read more
We ordered the aguachile and shrimp as appetizers, pork for our entree, and the postre for dessert. Everything was so so good.... Come and try the aguachile if you want to keep it light, phenomenal dish. The balance between the sour lime juice and the guavajam/purée was incredible. Staff were extremely friendly and were happy to have conversations with us. Will definitely be comingback! Read more
Taco Perfection. The team has not skipped a beat and the accolades are well earned. Without hesitation, I feel Taco Maria... delivered on all aspects. Starting with the warm welcome, the comfort conveyed by the service, to the every excellent food, theexperience left us looking forward to the next time. The crab ceviche tostada and Caesar salad opened the meal. Dusted in a capof shaved Parmesan cheese and studded with diced croutons, we enjoyed the juxtaposition of balanced flavors and texturesprovided by the Tijuana inspired salad. The tostada proved to have a punch from the salsa, but didn’t overpower the subtlecrab. A strong start to the meal. Blue corn tortillas, salsa, a mini bouquet of herbs, and our chosen side of avocado arrivedas a prelude to our main dish, the ribeye carne asada. Once the grilled main event touched down, it was taco making time. Funnyhow I didn’t grasp the make your own taco concept our first time at Taco Maria. That was a bit awkward to ponder not seeing acomposed taco on the menu. This time things fell into place and we enjoyed every self assembled bite. Six tacos in total betweenthe two of us. The strawberry jamaica agua fresca and michelada with house made chile sauce were refreshing and wellcrafted. Dessert was the wonderful Pastel de Piloncillo. The cake was similar to a sticky toffee pudding with its satisfyingPiloncillo base. The MX vanilla bean frozen custard was a perfect match for a hot and cold bite. Thank you for anotheroutstanding meal. ???? Read more
Capturing the heart of Mexican cuisine with a very inventive and personal approach, it's easy to see why Taco Maria has earned a... Michelin star and its many accolades. Chef Salgado creates inspiring and exciting dishes, plated simply yet elegantly. Hisstaff is patient and knowledgeable, welcoming but not overbearing. The restaurant is small, with most tables seated on thepatio, and tables are somewhat close together. If you're cold, the staff will offer you a cozy Mexican blanket to wrap aroundyourself while you dine. If you're lucky enough to snag one of the tables inside, you are treated to an open kitchen where youcan view where some of the magic happens. But, the real treat is in the food itself. Make sure to book early, as it's nearlyimpossible to get a table on short notice. Read more
Food was great, had the scallops, mushrooms, striped bass, and grilled avocado. Striped bass was game changing, creamy sauce and... perfectly cooked bass. Blue corn tortilla was the highlight of it all and brought all the main dishes together. The waiterchanged a few times during our dinner, but the other two waitresses were incredibly nice. Read more
Monique made tonight really special. She helped us navigate the menu and everything she recommended was on point. The food was... divine. We didn't take a photo of the beans. But let me tell you. These beans were something else. You have never had beans likethis before. The scallops were so melt in your mouth fresh and the guava paired so well w the spice and citrus. So good. Theshrimp were so good and spicy. The heads were so crispy and then so creamy inside. And again so fresh and the fingerling limeswere such a great and fresh touch. The duck mole. I couldn't figure out who was the star. The duck or the mole but lord thetexture and nutty flavor were soooo good. I don't have the words. The pickles were crisp and amazingly flavored. The desert hadsuch depth and flavor the orange really just rounded everything out. We were so happy with the experience. I can't wait to comeback. Read more