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

All Fired up to Try Bushfire Kitchen

 Bushfire Kitchen

24420 Alicia Parkway Suite D

Mission Viejo, Ca 92691

I've had my eye on the corner of Alicia Parkway and Charlinda for a long time. As long as I've lived in this area, I've always thought Target's parking lot was too big for the number of people who shop at this particular Target location. Even during Christmas time, the lot was never more than half occupied. The owner of this plot of prime real estate must have felt the same way as me and decided to build an addition to this underutilized piece of land. 

I got even more excited as the project progressed, and it was revealed that some of my favorite restaurants would be opening in this newly christened Alicia Landing shopping complex. Dave's Hot Chicken, The Taco Stand, Philz Coffee, and Mendocino Farms were familiar to me. Still, I was unaware of the fifth restaurant, Bushfire Kitchen, which has its roots in the Inland Empire and northern San Diego County. I quickly did a Google search to learn more about Bushfire Kitchen.

Bushfire was founded by two cousins in 2012. Their mission is to serve healthy, delicious food at an affordable price. Fast-forward thirteen years, and this restaurant chain has expanded to eight locations, most in the Inland Empire. This is their first opening in OC, and they have also announced they will open their doors in Long Beach later this year. 

The menu at Bushfire is broken up into bowls, sandwiches, burgers, salads, plates, empanadas, and hot sides. Most items here are priced right around the $15 mark, with only two plates costing more than $20. Ordering is done at the register, and then the food is brought out to you by a food runner. We have made two visits here, one of which was during their friends and family event, which I won the chance to attend on their Instagram page, and everything was free. The other visit was two months later, and we paid for everything we ate then. Whether we are hosted or visit incognito, I'll always give you my honest feelings about any restaurant I choose to write about. Now, on to my take on Bushfire Kitchen. 

Empanadas are a big deal at Bushfire Kitchen. They are handmade, baked in-house daily, and are featured prominently in a case right near the register. They offer three versions every day; beef, chicken, and veggie. There's also an empanada of the month, which, from what I've been able to tell from their Instagram, is primarily a sweet incarnation of this Argentine staple. We got the Cage-Free Chicken ($4.60) on our maiden visit. It was filled with marinated chicken, red onion, sundried tomato, basil pesto, and feta cheese and came with a chimichurri dipping sauce. The flaky crust was sturdy, had a nice crunch, and was soft inside. The inside was a little mellow for my tastes, but the chimichurri sauce provided the needed flavor boost. It's not bad and a nice starter while waiting for your food to arrive. 

I selected their Chimichurri Tri-Tip Plate ($19.95) as my meal. I liked that they asked what doneness I would like my meat to be, and it did come out to my desired medium rare. The tri-tip was tender and flavored well, especially the outer edges. Again, I used the chimichurri to punch up the flavor of the beef that needed it. Plates come with your choice of two sides, and I selected the Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Grandma's Mac and Cheese. Their website's mac and cheese picture includes a panko/orange top, which you can clearly see was not included on my plate. Maybe it was an opening day blunder, but the crunchy top would have elevated this mac and cheese to even greater heights. As it was, I loved the creamy texture and flavor of the mac and cheese I was presented with. The Brussels sprouts were halved and topped with a balsamic glaze, which needed to be applied with a heavier hand. 

Katie had her eye on the Gaucho Steak Sandwich ($14.50). The tri-tip was joined on the soft and pliable ciabatta with sliced tomato, caramelized onions, and chimichurri. They piled the tri-tip higher than I imagined, and Katie was happy with this sandwich. The bread was soft, and the steak was tender. She would ask for a touch more chimichurri next time, though. The French fries she had for her side were crisp and went nicely with the provided ranch dressing.  

Like the empanadas in the case near the register, I could not resist the cookie case either. This Chocolate Chip Cookie ($3.25) was soft and filled with chocolate evenly spread throughout the cookie. I would have liked this even more if it was slightly heated, but it's a nice end to any meal at Bushfire Kitchen. 

On visit number two, I should have looked back to what empanada we had on our first trip because we got the same one, the Cage-Free Chicken Empanada ($4.60). It was equally good, but the chimichurri texture was a little more solid in form, which did not affect the taste much. I promise to try the beef version next time. 

This colorful Garlic Butter Mahi Mahi Plate ($15.95) was a limited-time special when we visited, and Katie jumped at the chance to try it. The mahi mahi was light and flaky, according to Katie, and she was thrilled that they included some extra garlic butter on the side so she could dip her fish into it. For sides, she went with mixed veggies and mashed potatoes with garlic. In her opinion, both side items were stellar, and she would get this plate again if it was available when she was here. 

After I had the tri-tip my first time here, I selected this Grass-Fed Braised Brisket Bowl ($14.75). The brisket was served in a sauce of onions, tomatoes, smoked peppers, and garlic. I was expecting these items not to be cooked down as much, which left the brisket to stand alone. The brisket fell apart easily but bored me after a few bites. I gave their Brussels sprouts another try, and I still wish they had added extra balsamic glaze. The garlic mashed potatoes were the star of this plate. A good creamy consistency, buttery, and just the right amount of garlic included made these the best side of my two trips to Bushfire. 

Bushfire is a welcome addition to our neighborhood, but I would not call this drive-worthy food. It's a good option if you want something more elevated than fast food, but it's not destination dining. Bushfire reminded me a lot of Urban Plates, as they both have the same concept, but Urban Plates does it better based on these couple of visits. Bushfire is reasonably priced, and the portion sizes are generous based on how much you pay per plate. I've yet to find my favorite meal here, but I have my eye on their burgers, spicy chicken sandwich, or chicken curry bowl. On both visits, we found the Bushfire staff very helpful and friendly, and the food came out promptly, even during peak dining times. I'm glad they turned this little used corner of the parking lot into more dining options. The neighborhood is grateful.  

Out of five soccer balls (because the city of Mission Viejo was the site where the US Men's soccer team trained before the 1994 FIFA World Cup), five being best to zero being worst, Bushfire Kitchen gets 3 soccer balls. 

For more information about Bushfire Kitchen, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.bushfirekitchen.com/

Brining Chicken to Dizzying Heights at a Mall?

 Dizzy Bird

555 The Shops at Mission Viejo

Mission Viejo, CA 92691

This is a first. In my 14 years of writing about restaurants, I am trying to remember writing about a restaurant in a mall food court. In the early days of this blog, I might have written a review about Hot Dog on a Stick, Mrs. Field's, or Cinnabon, but I didn't. Now, there's not one of those places within 15 miles of where I live, and there is no longer any Hot Dog on a Stick in OC. It's not surprising because malls are being bulldozed at an alarming rate. 

I thought my days of mall food were over, except for the occasional visit to redeem a gift certificate at either Island's or the Cheesecake Factory that my mom and dad get me every year. What has brought me to the mall food court? I've seen the glowing reviews for Dizzy Bird, a Mediterranean-inspired chicken rotisserie that opened at the Shops at Mission Viejo almost a year ago. They possess a very impressive 4.8 rating on Yelp and have had some prominent social media influencers visit to try their food.

That was enough to get me moving and plan out the seven-minute drive from my house to give them a try. They are located in between Island's and Blaze Pizza. Park near Dick's Sporting Goods for the closest parking to Dizzy Bird. Predictably, ordering is done at the counter, and they call out your name when your order is ready. I visited here two times, and each time, they seemed to be one of the busier tenants at the food court, with their only competition for the title of most foot traffic at the food court being Paradise Bakery. People really love those cookies. 

It's no surprise that chicken dominates the menu at Dizzy Bird. If you are not a fan of poultry, it would be best for you to move along to another stall nearby. They feature chicken in various forms: a wrap, bowl, salad, plate, or, for larger groups, even a platter. Six sides and nine house-made sauces close out the menu. Plates go anywhere from $14 to $18, while wraps will set you back $12. Let's see how our two trips here went. 

Katie was getting a wrap, which I'd typically get, but I selected the Half Chicken Plate ($18.99) for the sake of diversity.  This comes with a leg, breast, thigh, wing, two sides, pita bread, and garlic sauce. It was a good sized plate of food, but I'm professional, so I finished the whole thing. Truth be told, I'm not the world's biggest fan of chicken because, most of the time, it's as dry as the Sahara Desert. This was one of the juiciest versions I have ever had. Even the breast was juicy, which is very rare. The skin had a crispy texture and was very flavorful. For my two sides, I got lemon garlic potatoes and Mediterranean rice. The rice was bland, but the potatoes were bursting with goodness. A tinge of lemon hung out in the background of each bite while the garlic was front and center. Very tender potatoes also. The pita bread was good, and the garlic sauce was very strong, just as I like it. It might be one of the better garlic sauces we've had in OC. I'd get more next time to help wake up the rice. 

On our first visit to Dizzy Bird, Katie got the Silly Bird ($11.99), one of four wraps available. I also got this one on my second visit several months later. This one contains rotisserie chicken, potatoes, pickled cucumber, garlic sauce, and Dizzy Bird sauce for dipping. As you can see from the pictures above, Katie's wrap was left on the grill a little bit too long, but she enjoyed it. The wrap was filling and satisfied my hunger. The chicken and tender potatoes worked well together. I'd ask for extra garlic sauce the next time I get this, as it was less noticeable than I would have liked. The dizzy bird sauce had a nice tanginess to it, and I found myself using it more and more while I was eating my wraps. 

I also tried the Hot Bird Wrap ($11.99). For this one, they tossed their chicken in a hot sauce mixture and added garlic sauce and pickled jalapenos to the wrap. This woke up my taste buds, but not in an overly violent way. The heat was a slow burn but never really got too intense. I used the provided dizzy bird sauce liberally, which helped mitigate the heat index of my wrap. My wraps were both excellent, but I'd opt for the hot bird the next time I visited. 

Dizzy Bird is a step in the right direction for the food court at the Shops at Mission Viejo. It is an independent concept that offers good-quality food to the six people who still visit malls instead of buying things online. Dizzy Bird is an excellent alternative to this venue's fellow chain tenants: Chipotle, Charley's Cheesesteaks, Panda Express, Smash Burger, and others. This is not my favorite lineup of places to grab a bite. Besides Dizzy Bird, there might be another reason to visit the food court soon, as Shaya Grill will soon open in the old Rubio's spot. They are a lamb restaurant, which might be a tough sell because lamb is not on many people's radar, but I'm a fan. So, there may be another mall review soon. 

Out of five trumpets (in honor of jazz great Dizzy Gillespie, who famously played the trumpet), five being best to zero being worst, Dizzy Bird gets 3 trumpets.  

For more information about Dizzy Bird, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.dizzybird.com/

Wondering If the Sun Will Shine on Sol Agave's New Location - CLOSED

Sol Agave

27741 Crown Valley Parkway

Mission Viejo, CA 92691

I was re-reading some of my old restaurant reviews of places we have visited at the Kaleidoscope in Mission Viejo. I always mention the shortcomings of this albatross of a shopping center in each of these reviews. I've decided for this review, I will reverse the trend and leave the poor Kalidescope alone, instead focusing on another new tenant setting up shop just outside of the Union Market. That new face on the upper level is one of our favorites, Sol Agave.

I started following Chef Manny Velasco on Instagram when my friend at work mentioned that he was his next-door neighbor. Chef Manny gained his culinary experience at Marie Callender's, Savannah Chop House, Carmelita's, and Amoreila, which is an underrated Mexican restaurant in Costa Mesa that you should definitely try out.

Chef Manny and his business partner, Jesus Galvez, began their dream of operating their own restaurant when they entered the food truck business in 2014. The following year, they opened their first brick-and-mortar restaurant in San Juan Capistrano, where we joined them in their modern take on Mexican cuisine. They then relocated Sol Agave to a larger location in the same shopping center, allowing them to expand their operations.

Fast forward two years, and they have expanded once again, opening a second Sol Agave location in what used to be Anchor Hitch. This critically well-received seafood restaurant was unfortunately not the right fit for this area of town. Chef Manny has always wanted to showcase fresh and organic ingredients in his cooking, which results in what he hopes is healthier and more enjoyable Mexican food. The times we have eaten his food, we have definitely found this to be the case. We were hoping that trend would continue at this new Sol Agave location.

For this dinner, we met up with our good friend Tom and his lovely wife, Daniele. I'm always curious to see how these two will view a new restaurant they've never been to before. They both love trying new places, and our tastes are similar. We had made 7 pm reservations on a recent Friday and arrived at a full restaurant. I liked the vibe of the restaurant. It's a little cramped, as the tables are close to each other, but the modern decor was very relaxing in this rather busy space.

The menu at this new Sol Agave is a little different from the San Juan menu. There's some overlap, but there appears to be more on this Mission Viejo menu with the addition of dishes from the Michoacan and Vallarta regions of Mexico. There's no fundido on the Mission Viejo menu, which is a shame as it's one of our favorites, but as you will see below, they are very accommodating about making it for us. The other big difference between the two menus is that at Mission Viejo, there's a taqueria section which offers six à la carte taco options, one for $7 or two for $12. Most entrees hover around the twenty-dollar mark. Let's see how everything shook out for us on this evening.

While we were waiting for Tom and Daniele (always running late), we were treated to a better version of chips and salsa. I always enjoy it when a restaurant steps up their salsa and chip game by adding something unexpected, like this bean dip. At Sol Agave, they bring out what I'd call tostada chips, a slightly spicy salsa, cotija cheese, and bean dip. The best part of this is the bean dip, which has a great, earthy, and smooth flavor that becomes more and more addictive as you wait for your friends to arrive. The salsa and cotija were fine, but got neglected at our table. The tostada chips were okay, but I would have preferred the much better traditional chips that they serve at their San Juan restaurant.

I knew it was going to be a long night of listening to Daniele's long-winded stories, many of which I already knew about thanks to her Facebook page, so drinks were definitely in order. I had the Small House Margarita ($9), while Tom had the way more photogenic Strawberry Jalapeno Margarita. My margarita was fine, made with Moestro tequila and an agave mix. It was average, but it did the trick of dulling my senses when listening to Daniele. I was way more interested in Tom's cocktail, which used the same kind of tequila as mine but added muddled strawberries, jalapeno, and a salted chili rim. Predictably, this had hints of sweet and spice but in muted tones. It did not overwhelm, which I was afraid it was going to do. A very even beverage, and one I would get on my next visit.

Guacamole ($10) is always the right way to go when dining in a Mexican restaurant. At Sol Agave, they offer a guacamole sampler, which gives you versions with carnitas, lobster, and their classic, which we will try on our next visit. This time, we just got the classic version only, which was a good-sized portion. The avocado mash is mixed simply with roasted Serrano peppers and garlic and is then topped with a sprinkle of cotija cheese and some pico. Very creamy, and the peppers gave it a little spark of heat. Good consistency to this as it had some nice-sized chunks to it. Very fresh also.

As I had mentioned earlier, we were bummed to see that one of our favorites from the San Juan location had not made the transition to Mission Viejo, but they were kind enough to make the Cazuela de Queso ($14) for us on this evening. They use a cheese blend of manchego, oaxaca, and a cheese fondue mixed with sour cream, serrano peppers, and homemade chorizo to create this appetizer. Since Daniele has a delicate palate, she requested the chorizo be served on the side because she finds the crumbled pork to be too spicy. We let her have the first serving, and then we dumped the chorizo in and mixed it around. It still ended up being very good. The inclusion of the sour cream makes this lighter and creamier than a regular queso fundido. The corn tortillas are made here and are an excellent vessel for this must-order appetizer.

I love the carnitas at Sol Agave, but have had them numerous times, so it was time for something different. The Tacos de Hongo ($20) were a good choice on this evening. I was presented with a bubbling skillet of cheese, which was topped with skirt steak, portobello mushrooms, and onions. As this sat for a while, the cheese got nice and toasted and reminded me of a cheese skirt that I've seen on some burgers on TV. The steak was good, but a little overcooked as I asked for it to be medium rare, and it came out more like medium well. I did make a couple of tacos with this, but I forgot to take pictures of the flour tortillas. Rice and beans were fair, but I prefer refried beans. Not a bad dinner option, but I plan to go back to my carnitas on my next trip to Sol Agave.

With my glowing recommendation, Tom ordered the Carnitas ($15). The guys at Sol Agave use organic Kurobuta pork for their carnitas. What I like about the carnitas is that there's a little bit of everything for everyone. The pork has some parts that are a little fatty, some crisp parts, and some that are in between. Whichever bite you get, it's going to be flavorful and pair well with the provided corn tortillas and guacamole. Tom liked this, but didn't seem as excited as I was about it.

Our little diva, Daniele, was torn between a few items on the Sol Agave menu, and after much debate and many questions to our very patient server, she went with the Steak Fajitas de La Casa ($23). This was the most generous portion size of all the entrees that we had on this evening. They also appeared to have cooked this steak to the perfect medium rare that Daniele requested. I liked the look of this from across the table because they didn't overload the fajita plate with veggies, which is why I usually steer clear of fajitas in restaurants. Daniele only ate half of this and took the other half home for lunch the next day. She probably could have finished, but she needed time to fill us in on her love for the chickens at her new workplace. Riveting stuff as always. Kidding, of course, D.

I ended up liking Sol Agave more than the rest of my dining partners on this evening. Yes, there were some minor service issues, but nothing that would prevent us from coming back. I found it interesting to see the difference in the preparation of the food between the two locations, and also what they chose to bring over to this much more visible location. The main issue I have with Sol Agave is that the portions are too small for the price, making this a once-in-a-while restaurant rather than a weekly spot. They use better ingredients than most places, so if that's important to you, this might be your new go-to spot for Mexican food. See, I can go through a whole review of a restaurant at the Kalidiscope and not talk about its shortcomings.

Out of five purses, (because not only is the Kaleidoscope the location for this restaurant, but Kaleidoscope is also a woman's catalog retailer based in England, and I'm sure they sell plenty of purses) five being best to zero being worst, Sol Agave gets 3 purses.

For more information about Sol Agave, head to their website here: http://www.solagave.com/

Panini Kabob Grill Part of the Comeback of the Kaleidoscope

Panini Kabob Grill

27741 Crown Valley Parkway #212

Mission Viejo, CA 92691

I have passed the Kaleidoscope in Mission Viejo nearly 2,500 times, give or take a few in the last four years. I guess I should explain, we live a block away from this often maligned shopping and entertainment complex. When we first moved to this part of town the only reason to come to the Kaleidoscope was for the movie theater and Island's. About two years ago now the tide started to turn, and there are more reasons than ever to visit this center.

It was around this time that the Union Market opened here, after some lengthy delays, and that has spearheaded the revival at the corner of Crown Valley and the 5 Freeway. After that, the hits just kept on coming. Tapas  Flavors of Spain, Portola Coffee Roasters, and one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, Sol Agave have set up shop here. The management team of this shopping center has also seemed to be committed to their guest's positive experience by keeping the escalators running and adding more dining options to fill the vanishing empty storefronts.

Panini Kabob Grill did not occupy one of those empty storefronts, they took over what used to be the loading dock of the Kaleidoscope, which is easily seen from the cars driving south on Crown Valley Parkway. This high visibility spot has worked out well for Panini Kabob Grill, as everytime we pass by, we see a full patio of people enjoying fresh and delicious Mediterranian cuisine. We were recently invited to experience what we have seen so many others enjoying as we drive by.

Panini Kabob Grill, or as the cool kids call it, PKG used to be formerly called Panini Cafe. The name change seemed to be needed as just like me, I thought this was just a panini restaurant. I had no idea until about a year ago, after my first visit that this is more of a Mediterranian spot. Yes, they still have paninis, but they are also so much more.

After that first visit, I became a fan of this mini-chain, which now boasts 13 restaurants in LA and Orange counties, with a newly announced expansion plan to bring their brand to the people of the Inland Empire and San Diego area in the coming months. Katie and I feel extremely lucky to have a PKG within walking distance from where we live. We grabbed our friends and fellow food bloggers, Tom from Tom's Foodie Blog and the wildly popular Daniele from Dani's Decadent Deals for dinner to experience this Mission Viejo location for the first time.

The restaurant was packed on this particular Thursday evening at 6pm. After an initial wait of ten minutes, we were seated on the busy patio, which was a great choice on this quickly cooling early evening. The traffic noise from busy Crown Valley was not as bad as I was expecting, which was a shame because I was hoping it would drown out Daniele a bit. The menu here includes plenty of appetizers, soups and salad, paninis and sandwiches, and of course, Mediterranean entrees. I've also been told that they have excellent breakfast seven days a week, which we will try on my next Sunday off. For now, let's see how everything worked out for us on this visit.

If you don't start your meal with this Appetizer Combo Platter ($12.95) you are doing yourself and the rest of your tablemates a great disservice. It's the perfect size for a party of four, which we were, and included falafel, caprese, tzatziki, and a trio of hummus, which included garbanzo, black bean, and edamame hummus. The plate was rounded out with plenty of pita bread which was very useful for dipping. I was very partial to all of the hummus varieties and the very well made tzatziki sauce. All were freshly made and provided wonderful flavors. I'm pretty critical of falafel, as I find a lot of them to be too overcooked and hard in the middle. Not the case at PKG. These little balls of garbanzo beans were light on the inside and made even better when dipped into the tzatziki sauce. I left the caprese for the others, as I'm not really a big tomato fan. They all seemed to like it well enough.

Entrees were up next, and let's start with Tom and Daniele's selection on this evening the Lamb Shish Kabob ($19.95). It's not like them to get the same thing, but it limits you my dear reader from having to read too much of my awful writing. Thanks, Tom and Daniele. Tom ordered this dish the way it is listed on the menu, while Daniele always has a lot of questions for the servers, and then makes modifications to what she ends up eating. In this case, she subbed out the rice for roasted veggies. The happy couple really enjoyed the lamb, which like all the proteins here are one hundred percent vegetarian fed and antibiotic and hormone free. The lamb was tender, with a great flavor to it, and excellent when dipped in the tzatziki sauce. The entrees here come with your choice of salad, and they both got the Mediterranean Greek salad which they both loved.

I'm a creature of habit when it comes to eating at PKG, as I always steer towards this Flat Iron Steak Shish Kabob ($15.95). I like that they actually ask you how you want your steak, which is a very nice touch. I, of course, got mine medium rare, which they did perfectly. The flat iron is a flavorful cut, which can sometimes be tough, but that was not the case on this evening. I could almost cut it with my fork. Never one to miss a chance to have a Caesar salad, that's the route I went on this evening. I would have liked a bit more dressing on this, but the overabundance of croutons and parmesan cheese made up for it. As always the plate was rounded out with a big mound of basmati rice which went perfectly with the extra tzatziki sauce we asked for. A very well rounded meal that filled me up.

Katie had a big lunch at work, so she did not really feel like a kabob plate, opting instead for this Chicken Wrap ($10.95) for a lighter dinner. This Mediterranian burrito was filled with grilled chicken breast, hummus, tomato, cucumbers, and greens with fresh mint and basil. She loved that the chicken was as prominent as it was and that the hummus moistened this up a bit. She was also a fan of the pasta salad, which is another option you can get if you are not feeling like a salad or soup with your wrap. There are always lots of choices to make when eating at PKG.

Not that we needed it, but the four of us split a Banana Bread Pudding ($7.95). The bread pudding was paired nicely with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A very sweet ending to our stay at Panini Kabob Grill.

Panini Kabob Grill is definitely a part of what I see as a renaissance for the Kaleidoscope. It is in a weird spot if you park in the structure, so head to the plaza level, and it's on the backside of Burke Williams Spa, facing Crown Valley. If you are in the mood for some solid Mediterranian food in the Mission Viejo area, PKG is a great option that will leave you full and satisfied. We look forward to making many return visits when we are in the mood for some great kababs and wraps.

For more information about Panini Kabob Grill, head to their website here: http://paninikabobgrill.com/