Mission Accomplished at Tavern at the Mission

 Tavern at the Mission

26860 Old Mission Road

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Whenever I write about a restaurant in San Juan Capistrano, I feel compelled to start my review with the incredible dining scene that has emerged in this city over the last couple of years. It's truly unbelievable the transformation that this South Orange County city has undergone with its restaurants. I could be here all day listing the great places that have opened up since I started my blog nearly 16 years ago. But that wouldn't leave me much room to write about Tavern at the Mission. 

The Tavern at the Mission replaced the local favorite, Cedar Creek, two years ago. It was bought by legendary OC restaurateurs, David Wilhelm and his business partner, Gregg Solomon. Wilhelm is the man behind many notable OC restaurants, French 75, Savannah Chop House, and Jimmy's Famous American Tavern, among others. David and Gregg also run the sister restaurant, Tavern House, in Newport Beach. Their menus are similar, but their are some slight differences between the menus. 

When ownership changed from Cedar Creek to Tavern at the Mission, they immediately began updating the space with a muted Western theme, upgrading the bar area, and altering the flooring and walls of the dining room. They did all of this in stages, allowing them to remain open during the refresh. Their guests have responded to all the changes around here with a very positive 4.3-star rating on Yelp and a bustling dining area on most evenings. 

The menu here features many of David Wilhelm's greatest hits from his past restaurants, including his French 75 onion soup, buttermilk fried chicken, and the prime rib French dip, which I first had at Jimmy's. Entrees range from $30 to $50 for dinner, and most sandwiches and burgers cost $25. There's also an intriguing special that runs Sunday through Thursday, which offers your choice of fried chicken or a petite filet mignon, along with soup and salad, for only $28. A good deal, but we were here with our friends Sunday and Anthony on a Friday evening, so that option was not on the table. Let's see if we ended up enjoying Tavern at the Mission as much as David Wilhelm's other restaurants. 

We started off with the Garlic Cheese Bread ($7). The ciabatta was topped with parmesan and garlic butter, and served three to an order, which was awkward since we were a party of four. The bread was toasted nicely, but could have been brought to greater heights if the parmesan and garlic butter had been applied with a heavier hand. 

I rarely get to have calamari because Katie isn't a fan of it, so I get excited when we eat with other people and they order it. Thanks to Anthony and Sunday, I was able to try the Calimari and Shishito Peppers ($21). Maybe it's because I haven't had fried squid for a long while, but I really enjoyed this starter. The pieces were bigger than most calamari, and the breading was nice and crunchy. The peppers were a nice complement to the calamari, and made even better when dipped into the spicy chili aioli. It wasn't particularly spicy, but I did enjoy the consistency, as it coated the calamari and peppers well. I found myself trying not to eat more than my fair share, which means I really enjoyed it. 

Entrees were on their way out, so we'll start with Sunday's selection first: the Pan-Seared Mahi Special ($36). Every evening, they have their nightly fish, which is presented in the same way, regardless of the type of fish. This particular evening, mahi mahi was served over mashed potatoes and sautéed baby spinach, accompanied by a lemon butter and caper sauce, and garnished with a few olives. Sunday was not too thrilled with this, as she felt it needed more seasoning, and the mahi could have been a little more tender.

Anthony was intrigued by one of the specials, the Bavarian-Style Duck ($36), which was offered on the evening we were there. It was around the holidays, and this plate exuded the end-of-the-year feels. Two pieces of roasted duck were served in a Michigan cherry sauce, accompanied by Brussels sprouts, cornbread stuffing, and butternut squash puree. An old-school Christmas on a plate, if there ever was one. This was my first time sharing a meal with Anthony, so I'm not sure if he gets as excited about food as I do, or if he's just as hard to impress as I am. I don't remember him saying too much about this. 

Katie is a big stroganoff fan, as her mom attempted to make an edible one multiple times while she was growing up. I'm not sure if her mom ever mastered it, but Katie gave this Short Rib Stroganoff ($38) a go this evening. The pappardelle was joined in the bowl with pearl onions, forest mushrooms, chunks of short rib, and a Dijon mustard sauce. She thought this was a pretty average version of this classic dish. She liked the tenderness of the beef and the earthiness of the mushrooms and onions, but wished the dish packed more of a punch in terms of flavor. I would have thought that the mustard would have been enough to get over the hump, but not according to Katie. She'd select something else on her next visit here. 

I believe this is the first time I've had D's Honey-Buttermilk Fried Chicken ($34) at one of Chef Wilhelm's restaurants. I now know why he has it in every one of his restaurants that he opens and operates. The boneless fried chicken is breaded with a nice and crunchy outer crust, which, once bitten into, reveals the moist chicken inside. It gets even better with the thyme cream gravy poured on top. The mashed potatoes had an excellent consistency, neither too lumpy nor overly smooth. I even ate most of my green beans, which had a decent snap to them. A very satisfying meal.  

Dessert was needed, and Anthony and Sunday ordered the Warm Carrot Cake ($16), and Katie and I had the Coconut Cake Supreme ($15). The carrot cake resembled the Pizzokie from BJ's, served in a cast-iron skillet and topped with ice cream and cream cheese frosting. It looked good-sized from across the table. We had the coconut cake, which is a cake that I've heard was a staple from this location's former tenant, Cedar Creek. It was good, and even if you are not a fan of coconut, you might like this one. The coconut is not too overpowering, but I wish the icing were sweeter. The scoop of vanilla ice cream was a nice touch. 

Tavern at the Mission was a mixed bag for us on this visit. My chicken, the calamari, and the coconut cake were all highlights, while the garlic toast, stroganoff, and Sunday's mahi left something to be desired. I also felt that the prices were a tad too high for the amount of food that we received. It's not really an eat here every week kind of restaurant; it's more of a special occasion or date night spot. As has been the case in every David Wilhelm restaurant we have dined at, service was not an issue here. Our server was cordial and kept everything moving forward with minimal interruptions. I think I can say that the Tavern at the Mission is another fine option for a city that already boasts numerous outstanding restaurants.  

Out of five mission bells (because while doing some research for this review, I learned that the bell tower of the nearby mission holds two of the mission's original bells, which date back to 1796, something I should have learned in fourth grade, but I was not a great student), five being best to zero being worst, Tavern at the Mission gets 3 mission bells.  

For more information about Tavern at the Mission, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.tavernatthemission.com/

It’s No Trick, Parlor Is Open in San Clemente

 Parlor Woodfire Kitchen and Cocktails

216 North El Camino Real

San Clemente, CA 92672

San Clemente has suddenly become not only a seaside paradise, but also a pizza paradise. In a city that already is home to Gibroni's Pizza, Pizza Port, Sonny's Pizza and Pasta, Station Craft Pizza and Taproom, and the recently departed TJ's Woodfire Pizza, it has been an embarrassment of riches for the pizza-loving people of San Clemente. Eleven months ago, another pizza spot burst onto the scene in SC, and we had high hopes for our visit to Parlor Woodfire Kitchen and Cocktails. 

The optimism that we had for our trip to Parlor was based on two things. It's the latest restaurant opening from one of our favorite restaurant groups, RJB Restaurants. They run Vine Restaurant, which is located across the street from Parlor, Ironwood, Olea, Sapphire Kitchen, and Bloom Restaurant in nearby San Juan Capistrano, which I heralded as the best restaurant I ate at last year. Russ Bendel and the people he surrounds himself with are hospitality veterans, and they know how to run a successful restaurant for long periods. 

The second reason we were excited to try Parlor was that they have received some significant accolades in the local press for their pizzas, pastas, and meatballs. They also possess a 4.5-star rating on Yelp. Pretty good for a restaurant group that has not previously operated an Italian-American restaurant. I'm thrilled to see that they are willing to take risks and open new concepts. 

The building where Parlor is housed used to be Brick Restaurant, until David Pratt decided to sell the space because he was opening Finca, a spot a little to the north at the River Street Marketplace in San Juan Capistrano. That restaurant is definitely on my growing list of restaurants to try soon. 

Back to Parlor. Their one-page menu predictably features wood-fired pizzas, but they also offer pasta dishes, larger entrée options, starters, salads, and four dessert options, including the Grand Ice Cream Sundae, which we will have to come back for when we're not headed out to a party right after this. The price point for pizzas is around $25, the same as the pasta dishes, and entrées cost close to $30. They also offer a Sunday prime rib dinner special for $35, perfect for any of you carnivores out there. We were here on a Friday, so no prime rib was going to be consumed, but let's see what we did have on our first visit to Parlor. 

I had really wanted to try the meatballs when we came to Parlor, but Katie has an arancini obsession, so she vetoed me and selected the Seasonal Arancini ($15) to start off with. When we were here, these fried rice balls were served with a whipped goat cheese and pumpkin, crispy sage leaves, and pepitas. I thought the arancini were good on their own, but the sweetness of the pumpkin did not jive with me. This combo worked out a lot better for Katie, as she was a big fan. Maybe I was still bitter about not getting the meatballs. 

Pizza time, and whenever I see a meat lover's listed on the menu, there's a 99 percent chance I'm going to order it. This held true at Parlor when the Meat Lover's Pizza ($26) was placed before me. It might not look like it from the picture, but there was a whole cavalcade of meats on this one: pepperoni, fennel sausage, sopressata salami, and pistachio mortadella. This pizza was also topped with tomato sauce and sharp provolone. It was lighter than most meat lovers' pizzas I've had, likely due to the high quality of the meats and the restraint in adding cheese. It was not as greasy as others, and I enjoyed the uniqueness of the sharp provolone, which had a great flavor. The crust was crisp in the middle and had minimal flop. A tad more sauce would have been appreciated, but overall, this was a delicious pizza. I finished all but one slice, but if you're not as ravenous an eater as I am, you can maybe get by with splitting this with someone. 

When I glanced at the menu before leaving for Parlor, I already knew that Katie would be having the Herb Tagliatelle Bolognese ($25) for her dinner. The slightly spicy tomato ragu was accompanied by shards of short rib and pork, and a sprinkling of pecorino Romano. The tagliatelle was cooked perfectly al dente, and the mingling of the ingredients in the bowl was very comforting. Katie felt that this version could be held up against some of her favorite Italian restaurants in Orange County. She practically licked her plate clean. 

Another hit for the RJB Restaurant Group. I'm thrilled that they've branched out and added an Italian-American restaurant to their portfolio. Their pizza is good enough to rival the others available in the pizza-rich city of San Clemente. I'm also looking forward to trying their non-pizza offerings, such as their carbonara, chicken parmesan, and crispy porchetta, on future visits. As is the case in all their restaurants, RJB Restaurant Group has assembled a first-rate team to staff Parlor. Everyone we encountered here was cheerful and genuinely proud of their work. It was especially great to meet Joe Guillena, the operating partner of Parlor. His passion for the restaurant industry was infectious, and we could have chatted for hours, but he was busy making sure things were running smoothly and checking on every occupied table in the restaurant. We can't wait to see what this restaurant group comes up with next. 

Out of five glasses of milk (because not only is a parlor a fancy room in a house, but the area where the cows are milked on a dairy farm is called the milking parlor), five being best to zero being worst, Parlor gets 3.5 glasses of milk. 

For more information about Parlor Kitchen and cocktails, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.parlorsanclemente.com/

Egg-Tastic Breakfast Sandwiches at Egg Bred in Placentia/Brea

 Egg Bred

1085 East Imperial Highway

Placentia, CA 92870

Man, do I love breakfast. Some of my most vivid early memories are tied to the first meal of the day. Trips to the donut shop with my dad, barely sitting through church as a seven-year-old because of the promise we'd stop on the way home for pancakes, and when my parents finally found out about brunch buffets with endless food, and champagne for them, these impressions are all still etched in my mind and why breakfast has always held such a deep rooted love in me. 

I often imagine that kid of yesteryear feeling betrayed by who I am now. I've turned my back on who I once was. I don't even know when I stopped having breakfast every day. It must have been a little after high school when sleep became a higher priority, due to the late nights I was having while hanging out with friends. Even now, as my nighttime antics have wound down, I still find myself skipping breakfast, but that may come to an end after my recent visit to Egg Bred. 

For those who are unaware, Egg Bred has been opening locations at a steady pace lately. They currently have six locations open for breakfast lovers, with six more listed on their website as coming soon. All of them are in LA and OC, except for one that will be in Fruit Cove, Florida, just south of Jacksonville. Duuuuvvvaaalll! We were fortunate enough to be invited by Michael Yi, the Brea-Placentia Egg Bred franchisee, to learn more about their operations. 

Egg Bred started out in La Habra in 2020. The Brea-Placentia spot is open from 7 am to 2 pm daily, located in the same shopping center as Stater Bros., Campitelli's Cookies, and sandwiched between Wienerschnitzel and Jack In The Box, alongside Imperial Highway. The reason for the Brea-Placentia moniker is that they essentially straddle these two North Orange County cities. Even with my weak throwing arm, I could throw a tennis ball and have it hit Brea from the front door of Egg Bred. Okay, maybe on a bounce, but it would make it there eventually.  

So what's on the menu at Egg Bred? They feature breakfast sandwiches made on soft and airy milk buns and handcrafted English muffins. There are also seven breakfast burritos to pick from, a couple of benny options, avocado toast, a chorizo chili cheese hash, and a breakfast poutine, which you will see as you read along. Not feeling like breakfast? They offer four lunch sandwiches, along with sides, beverages, and a kids' menu. The price point for the breakfast sandwiches hovers around $10, while lunch sandwiches are closer to $14. 

With branding like this, you'd never know this was a former Subway sandwich shop. My friend Jesse and I arrived here at half past ten on a recent Thursday morning to meet up with Michael. He was very personable and really took a hands-on approach with all of his customers during our visit. You can see just how much he believes in this concept and how proud he is of his business. We ordered at the counter and found a seat while we waited for our food. A steady stream of guests arrived throughout our stay. Enough talk, let's check out the food. 

Yes, I tried two sandwiches at Egg Bred. Hey, it was a long drive with Jesse from South OC. The first one was the Eggbred Cheeseburger ($11.49). I'm always a big fan of egg on a burger, no matter what time of day it is. The Angus beef patty was placed between a toasted milk bun, accompanied by a slice of sharp cheddar cheese, an over-medium egg, caramelized onions, dill pickles, and house spread. As I took my first bite, I was impressed with the way the bun was soft and pliable, yet it kept everything stable inside the burger. There's nothing worse than a bun that slips and slides as you are trying to eat it. The egg yolk did a great job of tying everything together, and the dill pickles did not overwhelm. I would have liked a heavier hand used when they applied the house spread, and I'd probably add some bacon the next time I order this. A very satisfying burger. 

For my second item, I went with a more traditional breakfast sandwich, the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese ($9.29). For the sauce on this one, they use a smoked jalapeno ketchup, which again needed to be used more liberally. I might even sub out their ketchup for their delicious-sounding white truffle spread. The rest of this sandwich had a good balance to it. The sharp cheese they use melts nicely, there was plenty of crisp bacon on this, and the egg yolk really popped after my first bite. It's a good idea to keep the sandwich wrapped to avoid losing any of that delicious yolk.  

Most people would describe Jesse as basic, and I guess that's how he likes his breakfast sandwiches, too. Sorry, big guy, I couldn't resist. The Scramble Me Softly ($8.99) features soft scrambled eggs, chives, sharp cheddar, caramelized onions, and a smoked paprika spread, all served on a toasted milk bun. It didn't have any meat on it, but Jesse enjoyed the understated flavor of the ingredients intermingling between the two halves of the milk bun. He made quick work of this sandwich, which was deceptively filling. Great hand modeling, Jesse. 

Not an authentic poutine, but a not-to-be-missed item at Egg Bred is The Breakfast Poutine ($14.99). If you've been a reader of this blog for a lengthy amount of time, you know one of my favorite items to get when eating out for breakfast is a skillet, and this is as close as you're going to get at Egg Bred. It actually surprised me how much I enjoyed it. No cheese curds on this, but it does come with beer-battered potatoes, popcorn chicken, a poached egg, cheddar jack cheese, roasted pepper chimichurri, and it was all tied together with country sausage gravy. The gravy here is nice and peppery, and the chicken was very crispy. I liked that each bite was different, but I'll ask for an extra egg next time, as I'd like a little more spread across the plate. Nicely done. If you're not in the mood for a breakfast sandwich, this would be a great alternative. 

I'm a big proponent of mixing sweet and savory when having breakfast, and since Egg Bred only has one sugary item on their menu, we had to give their Mixed Berry Cheesecake Waffle ($13.69) a try. This was not overly sweet. The waffles were topped with a cheesecake drizzle, berry compote, and powdered sugar. Not very heavy, splitting this with someone and having one of their sandwiches is doable for almost everyone. I liked the cheesecake drizzle way more than I thought I would. A nice ending to our visit to Egg Bred. 

When Jesse and I got in the car to go home, we both wished that there was an Egg Bred near where we live. There's really nothing like it in South OC, and we hope that gets rectified sooner rather than later. It would be nice to have an alternative to the fast-food egg sandwiches that we often resort to when we don't want to dine in a full-service restaurant. Crossing my fingers.  

For more information about Egg Bred, head to their website by clicking here: https://eggbred.com/

**We were provided this meal for free in exchange for an honest review of their service and food. ** No other compensation was received.

Eight Plates Is Not Going to Be Enough at Hachi

 Hachi Japanese Izakaya

3033 Bristol Street D

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

I'm certainly no expert on Japanese food. When I was growing up, we mostly stuck to American dishes, white-washed Mexican food, and spaghetti mixed with hamburger and a jar of Ragu. Not exactly elevated cuisine, and it's part of the reason I love restaurants to this day. My only exposure to Japanese fare was an occasional visit to Benihana for a birthday dinner. I know that doesn't really count. 

Enter my aunt Hiroko. She met my uncle in 1988, and they have been together ever since. She came from Japan and introduced us to the food she loved from her homeland. Nothing too outlandish (I think she might have sensed we weren't adventurous eaters), she'd make us homemade California rolls and Asian-inspired sauces for our annual fondue feast on Christmas Eve.  

Nowadays, we have dinner almost monthly with my aunt and uncle. Hiroko coordinates where we will be eating, which is rare, because with everyone else, I'm the go-to guy for picking a restaurant. It's a relief not to have the pressure of choosing a place that everyone else will like. To be honest, I always enjoy seeing what she'll come up with. This time it was for her birthday, and we all headed to Hachi Izakaya. 

Hachi is located at the corner of Bristol and Paularino Avenue in Costa Mesa, and is housed in the same shopping plaza as The Halal Guys, Capital Noodle Bar, Wanderlust Creamery, and other highly rated Asian restaurants. With so many highly rated restaurants in this plaza, parking is notoriously difficult to find. However, since we were meeting at 6 pm on a Sunday, I easily found one of the twenty or so free parking stalls and was ready for my first visit to an izakaya. 

For those of you who are unaware, like myself, an izakaya is described as a Japanese bar or tavern that serves small plates meant for sharing in a relaxed and casual atmosphere. Like a gastropub or tapas bar. I counted 71 items on their menu, all of which are small plates meant for sharing. Choices include sushi, izakaya dishes, sashimi, yakitori, tempura, and hot pot. Prices range from $5 to $94 for the pork shabu shabu hot pot, which serves 3 to 4 people. 

There were six of us this evening, and since my aunt has been here before, we let her take the lead on what we should order. She ordered the first round of items and then asked for input on what else we'd like to try. The food came out relatively quickly in what felt like waves. Here's what came out for us. 

Let's start out slowly with the Mentaiko Potato Salad ($10). This was unlike any potato salad my mom had ever made. The mashed potato is mixed with spicy cod roe, cucumber, onions, pickles, and smoked beef. It was good, but a little more understated than I had expected, particularly with the spicy cod roe and other listed ingredients. A fair side item, though. 

For a restaurant not typically known for its sushi, Hachi served some solid sushi. We tried the Negi-Toro Roll ($11 for 4 pieces) and the Crab Rolls ($12 for 4 pieces). I found the sushi here to be fresh and well-crafted. My aunt is a harsh critic when it comes to sushi, and she had no complaints with either of these well-made sushi rolls. 

I never really associate fried cooking with Japanese food, but Jidori Chicken Karaage ($12.00) was available, so we had to give it a try. This fried chicken was not as greasy as I expected, and perhaps that's why it lacked the big punch of flavor I was expecting. Not horrible, and it was lighter than other versions, but still had a good crunch to it.  

The winner of the silver medal for me this evening was the Crispy Mayo Shrimp ($14.50). This was the second-best thing I had, as it was tempura on the outside, and the shrimp inside was fresh and went well with the sweet chili mayo that was drizzled on top. I would have liked the mayo on the side, because the drizzle did not cover the whole shrimp. It's still a must-try when you're eating at Hachi. 

The Beef Tongue ($26.50) gets the most love from online reviews, and for good reason; it was the best bite of the night. This tasted more like a delicious steak, rather than tongue, maybe because it was thick-cut. Great tenderness and umami flavor were present throughout. It's definitely worth getting, and a definite frontrunner for the best bite of beef  I've had this year. 

I haven't eaten at many izakayas, but if there's one rule I've learned online about them, it's that you should try as much of the food served on skewers as possible. We tried our best by getting the Jidori Chicken Meatball Skewer ($11 for 2 pieces), Jidori Thigh Skewer ($11 for 2 pieces), and the Chicken Tender Skewer ($11 for 2 pieces). 

All were good, but the standouts were the chicken thigh and the chicken meatball. The chicken thigh was tender and flavorful, with a good amount of smokiness. It was also incredibly juicy. A must try when eating at Hachi. The chicken meatball was glazed with a sweet sauce of some sort, which complemented the savoriness of the ground chicken underneath. The other chicken skewer was fine, but the dab of whatever the green sauce was on it did not elevate this to anything other than passable. 

New to me, I found my hand reaching for the Gobo Chips ($12) more than I imagined they would. I learned that gobo is made from burdock root, which is sliced thin and lightly fried. I was surprised by the large serving size and the earthy, yet sweet tinge of this. It was finished off with ao-nori, which are sea cabbage flakes. Something different, but I'm glad I tried them. 

The one item that didn't jive with me this evening was the Jidori Egg Omelet ($13.50). It wasn't bad, but it wasn't something I'd order again. It was bland and just sat at our table until almost the very end of our meal. 

More sushi rolls were ordered, the Negi Toro that we had earlier, and the Toro-Taku Roll ($11 for four pieces). The bluefin tuna was good in this, but the fish-to-rice ratio was a little off kilter in favor of the rice. There was too much of it, and it overshadowed the tuna and other parts of the sushi roll. Consider sticking to nigiri sushi if you want the fish to stand out a bit more. 

The Creamy Crab Croquette ($17 for 2 pieces) piqued my interest. They were bigger than I imagined, the size of two ping pong balls. They were filled with crab and a bechamel sauce, which are two of my favorite things separately, and breaded with panko and fried. The bechamel overpowered here, and left me searching for any hint of crab in each bite. They also fell apart structurally after the first bite, and were best eaten with a fork after they collapsed. 

I'm not sure who ordered the Corn Kakiage ($10), but when it came to the table, it reminded me lookwise of the Corn Pop Cereal we had as kids. A sweet and salty snack made with tempura and corn, it's more like a fluffier rice cake with added flavor. Not bad, and it didn't taste like Styrofoam, unlike rice cakes. 

Hachi was a pleasant surprise, and has whetted my appetite to try more izakayas soon. I also feel like I just scratched the surface at Hachi, as we only had 15 of their 71 items, so we have just eighty percent of their menu left to sample on future visits. I look forward to trying their ribeye, baked crab salad, pork belly skewers, and others on future visits. Hachi is only open for dinner daily, and they do have one other location in Torrance. Make reservations if you plan on eating here on Friday or Saturday, as I've heard the wait can exceed an hour or more on these nights. I'm thrilled that my aunt Hiroko brought us here, and I'm even more excited that she has taken us out of our comfort zone to experience a broader range of Asian cuisine.  

Out of five saunas (because hachi translates to eight in Japanese, and my favorite hockey player, Teemu Selanne, wore that number, and he's from Finland, where they have the most saunas in the world), five being best to zero being worst, Hachi Izakaya gets 3.5 saunas. 

For more information about Hachi Izakaya, head to their website by clicking here: https://hachi.takefiveusa.com/

X Marks the Spot in Mission Viejo (Plus My Top 10 South OC Mexican Restaurants)

 Xclusive Mexican Kitchen

25571 Jeronimo Road #1

Mission Viejo, CA 92691

I often hear it from people, "there's no good Mexican food in South OC." I agree that most of the great Mexican food in OC is located north of Irvine, but there are some excellent Mexican restaurants in South OC; you just have to do a little more hunting to find them. I'll post my top ten Mexican restaurant spots in South OC at the end of this review, but for now, let's see if Xclusive Mexican Kitchen can crack my top ten list. 

If Xclusive sounds familiar, it might be because you have been to or heard about Xclusive Taqueria Moderna in Ladera Ranch. I reviewed that restaurant in 2020, right before the pandemic threw everything into chaos. At that time, they were a fast-casual restaurant, where you'd order at the counter, and then the food was brought to you. They pivoted sometime after I published my review to a full-service restaurant, and even though they don't have the most high-visibility location, they are still thriving and have a very high 4.6-star rating on Yelp. Very impressive. 

The men behind Xclusive are Manny Velasco and Eddie Rivera. Manny was the executive chef and co-owner of Sol Agave, but I'm unsure if he's still with them, as there is no mention of him on their website or in recent news stories about the restaurant. I was also surprised to learn that Sol Avage has expanded to six locations, with two of them in Utah. It's very interesting, and I'm sure there's a story behind it, but back to the restaurant I'm reviewing. 

Xclusive started out as Xclusive Mexican Seafood and changed its name to Xclusive Mexican Kitchen sometime after its 2022 debut. Their menu is still primarily seafood-focused, but it also offers a variety of beef, pork, and chicken options. The menu is very approachable, and almost everyone who walks through their door can find something they'd like to eat here. Entrees range between $20 and $43. Taco Tuesday is celebrated here all day with food and drink specials. 

We arrived at Xclusive at 7 p.m. on a Wednesday and were greeted by a fairly full restaurant. Upon entering, a large bar area is located off to your left, featuring an L-shaped bar and four TVs mounted above it. The dining area is spaced out nicely, as you are not right on top of other tables. A couple more TVs are scattered throughout the space, and a wall display proudly showcases their tequila collection. We made our selections with our server and waited under 15 minutes for our food to hit the table. 

The Bean Dip served with Chips and Salsa is a signature dish from any Manny Velasco restaurant. It was hard for Katie and me to keep from gobbling this down as we waited for our entrees. The bean dip here is addictive. The chips were fresh, and the salsa had a great consistency—just right for dipping. The waitstaff was very attentive to refilling our drinks, salsa, bean dip, and chips during our visit, which was greatly appreciated. 

Katie's order this evening was fairly straightforward: she selected the Two-Item Combo ($18), which includes a Crispy Chicken Taco and a Cheese Enchilada. The taco came with pico, crema, queso fresco, purple cabbage, and chicken. The chicken was nicely done with a mix of crispy and tender pieces. The tortilla was fried lightly and held everything together well. The cheese enchilada was topped with lime crema and queso fresco. It was bigger than most enchiladas we have had. Katie was pleased with this combo plate and would not hesitate to get this again. She loved the crispiness of the taco shell, the chicken's flavor, and the enchilada's understated cheesiness. The plate was rounded out with rice and beans. 

I would not normally spend over thirty dollars on two enchiladas, but the Lobster and Shrimp Enchiladas ($31) came highly recommended on Yelp, so I had to try them. Like the cheese enchilada on Katie's plate, these enchiladas were on the larger side. They did not skimp on the amount of lobster and shrimp in these either. Every forkful had at least some shrimp or lobster. The red sauce complemented the insides of the enchilada wonderfully. The little salad was okay. I would have rather had some beans, but the rice was a nice vehicle for the excess sauce. 

We both enjoyed our meal at Xclusive this evening. The portion sizes are generous, but the prices might deter some people, which is a shame because what comes out of the kitchen is some really high-quality Mexican food. I look forward to trying one of their molcajetes, steak tampiquena, and carnitas on future visits. The service we experienced was excellent, but did they make my top ten of South OC Mexican restaurants? Read on to find out.  

Out of five vigilantes (because back in 1997, Mission Viejo was home to a minor league baseball team of this name, which played in the now-defunct Western Baseball League), with five being best and zero being worst, Xclusive Mexican Kitchen earns 3.5 vigilantes. 

For more information about Xclusive Mexican Kitchen, head to their website by clicking here: https://xclusivemexicankitchenca.com/

Top Ten South OC Mexican Restaurants (I've been to so far) 

#10  Perla's Taqueria - Mission Viejo (no review yet)

#9  Baja Fish Tacos - Mission Viejo/Lake Forest

#8 Xclusive Mexican Kitchen - Mission Viejo

#7  El Campion - San Juan Capistrano (no review yet)

#6  Sol Agave - San Juan Capistrano

#5  The Taco Stand - Mission Viejo

#4  La Cocina de Ricardo - Lake Forest

#3  Calo Kitchen and Tequila - Laguna Niguel

#2  El Maguey - San Juan Capistrano

#1  Tacos de Birria Estilo de Guadalajara - Laguna Woods/Aliso Viejo