Descanso - A Modern Taqueria
1555 Adams Ave. #103
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
I've come to the conclusion that Katie and I are not, "make food at home people". This is probably a good thing considering that I love to go to and write about restaurants. Before the stay at home order, we probably would run our dishwasher about ten or so times a year, if that. To emphasize that we like to eat out, we still have multiple kitchen wedding gifts unopened in their original boxes. Yep, home cooking is not something that we do too much, until the last month.
We were coming up on our fifth wedding anniversary, and instead of making another boring meal at home, fate stepped in. Descanso in Costa Mesa reached out to see if we wanted to give their Family Taco Meal ($45) a try. A night that I did not have to do dishes and Katie did not have to pretend to like what I made for her? I could not say yes fast enough.
For those of you that are not familiar with Descanso, they are located in Costa Mesa near the corner of Adams and Harbor, in the same shopping plaza as Vons and CVS. They've been open for business for one and a half years now. When we are in more normal times, they have quite a unique concept. They cook your meal right in front of you, on a traditional plancha, think of it as a Mexican style Benihana, but with way better food. Sorry to all you Benihana fans out there.
Anyways, back to the present. The planchas are all sitting silently, along with all the dining rooms in this and all other restaurants for as far as the eye can see. That's why it's so important for people to get out and support the local places that have provided us with great food and drinks, along with giving back to communities whenever we ask them, whether it be sponsoring our kid's sports teams, donating gift cards or food to charitable causes, and providing excess food to our local food banks to help feed the hungry in our communities.
It could not be easier to get food to go from Descanso. They are operating with the limited hours of 4pm - 8pm Monday thru Thursday, and 2pm - 8pm Friday to Sunday. Ordering is done by calling or texting 714-486-3798, or if you would like, online ordering is available here: https://www.toasttab.com/descanso-restaurant-1555-adams-ave-suite-103/v3 They also are on Doordash if you are inclined to order through that third-party app.
The food menu is pared down a bit, but plenty of your favorites remain. They have appetizers, salads, tacos plates, quesadillas, alambres, a California burrito, and others. specialties, including the aforementioned Family Taco Meal which you will see upcoming. There's also a beverage takeout menu with assorted beer and wine, margaritas, cocktails, and a tequila bottle special. Lastly, with Cinco de Mayo only a couple days away, they have family platters of wings, nachos, alambres, and margarita specials. They're going to be open from noon to 9pm on Tuesday, May 5th for all your Cinco de Mayo needs. Enough info for ya so far? Let's see what the family taco meal we had was all about.
Here it is, in all of its glory. The Family Taco Meal ($45). With this kit, you get two pounds of meat, and you can choose from carnitas, chicken, steak, or al pastor. We went with the carnitas and steak. You also receive a quart of each refried pinto beans and Mexican fried rice, 15 tortillas, a pint of pico de Gallo, and a half-pint of salsa Verde, salsa frita, and lime wedges. We also made the very wise decision to add the Clasico Guacamole ($10).
Both types of meat were good, but I'm always partial to carnitas, which I enjoyed better on this evening. There was a great variety with this shredded pork. Some pieces were crispy, while others had a little bit of fat incorporated into some of the bites. It made for a flavorful experience. Katie and I had a difference of opinion when it came to whether the beans or rice was better. I liked the refried beans, which I added to all of my tacos for a little moistness. Katie loved the rice, which was a departure from the Spanish rice that is served at almost every other Mexican food restaurant around the county. I would have liked to have tried this with the spicy mayo sauce that they usually put on during regular service. Salsas both had rich deep flavors to them but lacked a kick of spice I was hoping for. The guacamole is definitely worth ordering here and went way too quickly between Katie and me.
The Family Taco Meal from Descanso was a great option for our 5th wedding anniversary dinner. We both ate way too much but had plenty left over for the next nights' dinner. I've even used the salsa with other things we have eaten since our anniversary. Not only was this a great deal, but it's a great chance to support local restaurants, which is more important than ever during these times.
Thanks so much to Owner Rob Arellano, Chef Sergio Ortega, and all of the essential workers at Descanso who are coming to work to feed the community. It's much appreciated.
For more information and updates about Descanso, head to their website here: https://www.descansorestaurant.com/
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