Little Onion Mexican Restaurant
14429 Culver Dr.
Irvine, CA 92604
For this restaurant review, I reached far back on my list of must-try restaurants—nearly three years. That's when my long-ago coworker Dez mentioned a place I needed to try. That restaurant was the Little Onion, which, back in 2017, only had one location near the corner of Main and MacArthur in Santa Ana. Dez characterized it as a hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint that he and his family loved to visit from time to time. I was intrigued.
Little Onion's first establishment was founded in Hawthorne in 1963. In 1972, founder Lorenzo moved his family and successful business to OC, where they opened their Santa Ana outpost. Lorenzo retired in 2011, and his daughter Lori took over the restaurant. Under her leadership, she has added another location in Irvine, in the same busy shopping plaza as Trader Joe's, Smart and Final, Burntzilla, and Potbelly Sandwiches. This spot is also on my list.
This Irvine location would never be described as a hole in the wall. There's a lovely patio out front, which got a lot of love from customers on the early Saturday evening we visited. We sat inside the restaurant in one of the comfy booths lined by a brick wall. The dining area is reminiscent of a hunting lodge, with its exposed dark wood beams holding up the ceiling and the three large lighting fixtures hanging from above. The middle of the restaurant houses a bar, which saw little action during our visit, although they are known for their margaritas and cocktails.
The Little Onion menu is what you'd expect from a Mexican restaurant located in Southern California; appetizers, tacos, burritos, combo plates, and specialties are highlighted here. Prices hover right around the $20 price point for most entrees. Along with my parents, we made our dinner decisions rather quickly. Let's see if our maiden voyage to Little Onion was worth the three-year wait.
Upon being seated, we were presented with the traditional Chips and Salsa you get in most Mexican restaurants. Maybe because it was our first visit to a Mexican restaurant in a while, we devoured these chips and the accompanying salsa. The chips tasted freshly fried and crisp, while the salsa lacked the chunkiness that I usually like. However, the slight burst of heat used in this was right on point.
True to form, Katie ordered some Guacamole ($9) for the table. This was standard guacamole with tomatoes, onions, radishes, and some cotija cheese sprinkled in. The consistency of this was right on, but I would have liked some jalapenos or seasonings to make this pop more. This was just the right size for the four of us.
Every time we see Queso Fundido ($13) on a menu, we must try it. This bubbling cheese skillet is mixed with chorizo, poblano chiles, and a smear of guacamole across the top. We really enjoyed this version. The chorizo was not as pronounced as others but a little more understated. The Oaxacan and Jack cheeses set better as they cooled down and provided lovely ribbons of cheesy goodness as we spooned them into the flour tortillas. It was a tremendous, comforting appetizer to start off with.
My mom is not a big eater and only wanted one enchilada with beans and rice, but only 2 and 3-item combinations were listed on the Little Onion menu. Our server assured her she could get just a One Cheese Enchilada Combo Meal ($12). She ended up being very happy with this meal. The enchilada sauce had a rich depth of flavor that pleased her, with plenty of cheese inside. She also made quick work of the beans and rice as well. She might have even been able to finish a second enchilada if she had gotten one.
Enchiladas were a very popular choice this early evening, as my dad opted for the Enchilada Suizas ($19). These rolled-up corn tortillas were filled with shredded chicken and topped with plenty of cheese and enchilada sauce. I believe this usually comes with green sauce, but he asked for red, which is more to his liking. I am very happy that they were so accommodating with special requests.
Katie made it an enchilada hat trick when she ordered the Open-Faced Poblano Mole Enchiladas ($19). This exciting take on an enchilada reminded me more of a mulita in structure. It used two corn tortillas with shredded chicken and cheese on the inside and onions, crema, and mole sauce on top. Like a sandwich, but one you'd have to eat with a fork. The chicken inside was tender and flavored well, but their mole sauce made this for me. Dark and flavorful, this mole had a sweet and smooth flavor, one of my favorite characteristics of mole sauce. This came with cilantro rice, which Katie liked a lot.
I guess it's up to me to stop the enchilada parade this evening. I followed our servers' recommendation, the Crispy Carnitas Plato ($20). I was pleased with this pork. It had a little variety; some bites were crispy, and others were softer, but every forkful was tender and moist. Not a bad bite in the bunch. Even though the menu states that guacamole is included, I did not get any, but we still had some from our guacamole appetizer. The rice and beans were nicely done.
Little Onion was a great choice for a long overdue visit with my parents during these crazy times. The Mexican food here was very solid and tasted delicious. With recipes like these, it's easy to see why they've been in business for so long. Their price point was a little high for the portion sizes we received, but that might be the new trend as restaurants navigate these trying times. Our server, Meredith, was excellent on this early evening and kept a great eye on us. For those concerned about eating out, they were doing a fantastic job of social distancing inside the restaurant. They were spacing parties out way more than 10 feet, and all employees were always masked. They also have an outdoor patio for those who prefer fresh air. We all felt very safe, precisely what you want in 2020. Thanks for the recco, Dez. I'm sorry it took us 3 years to make it.
Out of five bottles of ketchup (because I learned that the world's largest onion weighed in at over 18 pounds, and I'd imagine you'd need a lot of ketchup if you were to make that into onion rings), five being best to zero being worst, Little Onion Mexican Restaurant gets 3.5 bottles of ketchup.
For more information about Little Onion Mexican Restaurant, head to their website here: https://www.littleonion.com/
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