Elevated Fast Food at Taco Mesiata?

 Taco Mesita

765 El Camino Real

Tustin, CA 92780

There are different ways we find ourselves at restaurants. Most of the time, I'll find out about a place on Instagram, Yelp, magazines, or even on TV. I jot them down on my restaurant wishlist and hopefully get around to visiting them. I also get tips from readers of this blog, followers on my social media channels, and people I meet and talk with once it's revealed that I'm a foodie. This visit to Taco Mesita was about different. 

Back in the heyday of restaurant blogs, I'd get invited to restaurant openings or restaurants that were looking to boost their sales, wanted to highlight new menu items, or wished to showcase seasonal menus. Yes, it was fun to get free meals, and we had a great group of OC bloggers that we got to know well and saw at all these places. It was like having dinner with friends, but a bill would never come to the table. Then, bloggers were replaced with Instagrammers and TikTockers, and they are now getting free meals.   

Every so often, I get an invite to promote a restaurant. I always imagine it's a PR person who is new to the industry and inherited someone's old Rolodex or list of media contacts. Taco Mesita contacted me through Instagram and invited me to their first-anniversary party. We went back and forth, and I said I was in and made sure I knew who to meet up with before we left for the party. 

The place was packed with people, and I made the split-second decision that we'd just pay for our food and write a review for all of you. I saw the person I was supposed to meet with briefly, but he was swamped, and I didn't want to bother him. We stood in line and waited to order. 

Taco Mesita took over the old Alberta's Mexican Food place in Tustin. It's completely unrecognizable from when the former tenant was there. The vibe reminds me of a hip Palm Springs restaurant. The predominant color is white, and the breezeblock wall shuts out what's going on outside the restaurant. There are only six tables, and the kitchen activity is easily seen through huge windows behind where you order. There's also a drive-thru for your convenience. 

Taco Mesiata is the brainchild of Ivan Calderon and his son, Nico. If they sound familiar, it's probably because you've eaten at their other restaurants, Taco Mesa or Taco Rosa. They added a third partner, Nico's childhood friend Max Moriyama, a designer in charge of branding and the restaurant's look and feel. Nico wanted to create high-quality food in a fast-food setting, something that you don't find anywhere. 

The menu at Taco Mesita is smaller than that of other Mexican places, which the owners say helps them provide high-quality items while keeping prices relatively low. They offer a trio of tacos and burritos, snacks, and breakfast items served until noon. Most items hover around the $6 mark, with only the chicken and steak burrito reaching double-digit territory. People looking to save even more can partake in their Taco Tuesday and late-night happy hour offerings. Now that you have the backstory let's check out what we ate this evening. 

We've always enjoyed the Chips and Salsa ($3) and Guacamole ($7.25) at Taco Mesa, and we are happy to report that the same is true at Taco Mesita. In fact, I'm pretty sure these are the same chips that they serve at Taco Mesa. We got more than enough chips for three dollars, and they came with a whipped jalapeno and a smoky tomato salsa. Both salsas were on point and provided an excellent contrast to each other, as I found myself switching back and forth between the two. The guacamole could also be the exact same recipe they use at Taco Mesa. We've eaten there numerous times, and Katie always orders the guacamole. This had the same flavor, freshness, and texture to it. If it's not exactly the same, it's very similar. Katie also tried the Jamaica Palmero ($4.50). This hibiscus beverage also included lime and organic agave. The lime helped subdue the sweetness, which was much appreciated. Very refreshing and one of the better juices that Katie has had in a while. 

The majority of the menu at Taco Mesita is snacks meant for sharing. We decided to share all the ordered items, which is rare because I'm usually a selfish eater. First up was the Quesadilla Dorada ($6) and the Panella Taquitos ($6). The quesadilla was like an empanada filled with corn, vegetables, and Oaxaca cheese. It was too bland for me. The outer shell was crispy, but the inside portion fell flat, with only the corn providing any flavor. The taquitos were a better pick. They are filled with fresh cheese and fried nicely to give a big crunch when bitten into. I would have liked more of the avocado crema, which was promised on the menu but was absent when these came out to our table. 

We finished off our meal with all three tacos on their menu: Pork Shoulder ($5), Rottisserie Pollo ($5.75), and Woodfired Steak ($6.50). I actually liked all of these tacos, but if I had to pick my favorite, the Pork Shoulder would get the gold medal. It came with savory and smoky pork that played well with the pineapple and cascabel adobo. The silver medal goes to the chicken taco, which is rare for me to pick chicken over steak anytime. The chicken was tender and came with a delicious tomatillo corn relish and the avocado crema, which again was used too sparingly but might have pushed this taco to the number one spot if it had more on it. Settling for the bronze medal is the steak taco. I liked the marinade they used on the steak, but too much greenery and a lack of cotija cheese cost them the 2nd position on the taco podium. Yes, I've been watching far too much of the Olympics going on right now. 

Taco Mesita is a fascinating concept, and I feel they are still evolving. The food here is definitely an upgrade in quality to what you'd expect to get at a place with a drive-thru. The price point is manageable, but the portion sizes will not overwhelm you. It's a fine line that restaurants are walking these days regarding portion sizes versus item costs, especially with more quality ingredients. If you like lots of cheese, sauces, and heavier proteins, Taco Mesita might not be the right fit for you. But if you want a more authentic, subdued meal, this place might be what you are looking for. I'm glad they reached out to me, and I look forward to seeing what's ahead for them. 

Out of five digital clocks (because mesita translates to English as a bedside table, and I still have my grandmother's digital clock I inherited from her as a kid over forty years ago), five being best to zero being worst, Taco Mesita gets 3 alarm clocks. 

For more information about Taco Mesita, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.tacomesita.com/

Getting Sushi Wasted at Sushi Damu

 Sushi Damu

13962 Newport Ave/ Suite D

Tustin, CA 92780

For most of you three people who read my restaurant blog, this may become your favorite review in a long time. It has nothing to do with the restaurant or the food but with how little I'm actually going to write, thus sparing you from reading my horrible writing. Instead of going in-depth over every piece of sushi that we had here at Sushi Damu, I'll let the pictures do the talking. 

Sushi Damu is an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant. I like sushi well enough, but I do not consider myself a sushi expert by any means. I prefer quantity over quality when it comes to eating sushi. I've had some high-quality sushi, and I can see the appeal, but for something that I'm not that passionate about, I can't see paying the high price for premium sushi. 

So, an AYCE sushi option is always preferable to me. I'm not a sushi purist, either. I'll eat a full range of sushi, from nigiri to deep-fried rolls that most people scoff at. That being said, I also don't want fish that's on the verge of not being fresh. No one wants the after-effects of eating sushi that's just about to turn. 

I've been to Sushi Damu three times now, and it's one of the best AYCE experiences I've had in OC. It's situated on the corner of El Camino Real and Newport Avenue in Tustin, in the same shopping plaza as Habit Burger and other small businesses. Parking has never really been an issue for us, but we usually avoid the prime dining times of 6pm or later on weekends, when wait times for tables can easily eclipse the two-hour mark. 

There are three dining options at Sushi Damu. Their choice offerings, which cost $39.99, include everything but sashimi and premium cuts—this is what I always get. The other two levels, which cost $45 and $60 per person, include omakase-grade cuts, sashimi, and bluefin tuna. As with all AYCE sushi places, you must agree to some rules. There's a 90-minute time limit per table and a five-item limit per person for each round. Leftovers are charged at the price on the sheet, and uneaten sushi rice is also charged. Pretty standard stuff for AYCE sushi places.  

We arrived here at half past four and were seated right away. The contrast from the bright outside to the fluorescent blue light inside takes a little getting used to. The music pumping through the speakers adds to the club-like vibe, but it's not loud enough to drown out your dining companions. We made our picks for our first round and waited less than ten minutes for our first of three rounds to arrive.  

As promised, I'm not going to go into detail about all the things we ate here. You're welcome. I will tell you that everything was fresh, and we left very satisfied with everything we had. The variety here was impressive. I counted 30 items on their izakaya menu alone. There are dozens upon dozens of signature rolls, cut rolls, hand rolls, and nigiri to pick from. We definitely ate our $40 worth. 

The only drawback about this place is that it seems to be run by teenagers. For the most part, their service was on point, but empty dishes sat in front of us way too long. They were slow about picking up our paper for our next rounds, and we waited a long time for our check. Maybe we just caught them on an off day, but we will be back when we crave all-you-can-eat sushi. 

Out of five pieces of ginger (because I'm sure with how busy this restaurant is, they go through quite a bit of ginger), five being best to zero being worst, Sushi Damu gets 3 pieces of ginger. 

For more information about Sushi Damu, head to their website by clicking here: https://sushidamu.com/

Pacific Catch Opens in Tustin

 Pacific Catch

3040 El Camino Real

Tustin, CA 92782

I've been writing this blog for a long time when I have been to three restaurants at the same address. This is the case with this review. In the early days of my blog, this location was home to a Black Angus. That restaurant was torn down to the studs, rebuilt, and turned into Bonefish Grill. They had a nearly five-year run before they closed their only California restaurant. The space sat vacant during the COVID years but has been reborn as Pacific Catch. 

Pacific Catch is a fourteen-unit seafood chain restaurant founded twenty years ago, with a significant presence in Northern California. The only other Southern California location is in La Jolla. Still, I've heard rumblings of two or more OC restaurants opening soon and one in Santa Monica. Good news for seafood lovers. 

They call themselves a West Coast fish house, but a Pacific Rim fish house might be more appropriate. With a quick glance at their menu, you will find influences from Japan, Hawaii, Korea, Mexico, and more dotted across the page. The menu includes starters, sushi offerings, mix-and-match entrees, bowls, tacos, and sandwich options. Starters range between $9 to $27, while entrees go from $15 for an ahi burger all the way up to $59 for a mixed seafood grill for two. 

We arrived at Pacific Catch on a recent Thursday at the peak dinnertime of 6pm and were met with a bustling restaurant. We had made reservations, so we got seated right away. This dining room seems much lighter now from when it was Bonefish Grill. Natural light pours through the large windows and the skylight in the dining room. A very relaxed and peaceful atmosphere plays into the island vibe they have going on here. Our order was promptly taken, and we were excited about our first experience at Pacific Catch.  

I don't usually get a drink when we eat out, preferring to save room for more food, but the island vibe I was getting from this restaurant drew me to the Mai Tai ($14). This was a very high-quality mai tai, not made from a mix. This beverage had a smooth feel with three kinds of rum, lime juice, and a housemade mixture of papaya, orange, and guava. I enjoyed this because it was not too sweet and made me feel like I was in the tropics. Very well done. 

When you check out the Pacific Catch Yelp page or look at other tables while dining here, you'll see just how popular this Pupu Platter ($27) is. Every table near us ordered one. This platter changes slightly with the seasons, but when we were here, it featured coconut shrimp, guaca-poke, two pork belly musubi, blistered shishito peppers, and a spicy cucumber banchan. My favorite of these items was the guaca-poke. The yellowfin ahi was dressed with their sesame-soy marinade, which was not too overpowering, so it let the ahi shine through. The guacamole was an excellent accompaniment. I have a love-hate relationship with coconut shrimp, as I usually find the breading way too overwhelming, so you can not taste the shrimp underneath it. That is not the case here. The outer coating was light, yet crispy, and did not need too much of the provided Thai sweet chili sauce. I popped many shishito peppers in my mouth, served with an addictive wasabi aioli. The pork belly musubi did not do it for me. I found it lackluster, and I'm a pork belly fan. It needed to be more prevalent, as the teriyaki glaze covering it, along with some grilled pineapple, sabotaged the richness of the pork. The cucumber was okay but not spicy, and we left most of that alone to focus on the more substantial items of this platter. 

Katie was excited to try the Sushi Bombs ($5 each). These are other items that I do not see on their current menu, so this may also be a seasonal item. We went with the original ahi poke and the serrano ahi poke versions of these. The tuna is encased in a sweet-soy inori pocket with some sushi rice. I enjoyed the relatively large size but found the original one too bland. Some soy sauce or another sauce would have helped liven things up with this. The Serrano version was better as it was dressed up more, and the slight spiciness awoke my taste buds. A much better pick.

Most seafood restaurants offer a mix-and-match menu, where you pick the kind of fish you want and the style and sides you'd like to complete your meal. At Pacific Catch, they call theirs the fresh catch meal. Out of the five types of fish offered when we were here, Katie selected the Kanpachi Yellowtail ($32). I was struck by the portion size of this cut of yellowtail. She picked the Asian chimichurri to top the fish and kimchi fried rice with a sunny-side-up egg and Mexican elote corn as her sides. Katie felt the yellowtail was cooked perfectly, moist, and tender. She was also a big fan of the chimichurri, which bursts with flavor. She enjoyed the uniqueness of the kimchi fried rice but felt that the elote fell flat in the flavor department, with only the pickled onion adding any taste. 

As usual, when eating in a restaurant for the first time, I get as many items on one plate as possible. That meant it would be the Korean Surf and Turf Platter ($35) for me this evening. As has been the case for most of this review, this is not on the current Pacific Catch menu, but it may come around again. It included grilled skirt steak, prawns, kimchi fried rice, glazed shitake mushroom, edamame, kimchi, and cucumber banchan. The skirt steak was nicely cooked to my desired preference of medium rare, with a simple marinade giving it a flavor boost. The prawns were large and filling. For the sides, I really enjoyed the kimchi fried rice with the sunny-side-up egg that bound everything together. The rest of the sides were filler. The glazed mushrooms and edamame, the pickled carrots and ginger, and the spicy cucumbers were okay but were not really anything that made me swoon. They were all boring. 

Our server was excited about these Crispy Dulce De Leche Spring Rolls ($12), so we tried them. I was not a fan. The cheesecake filling was very dense inside the spring roll, and it was hard to eat with a fork, so I just picked it up and ate it that way. The dulce de leche gelato and the caramel sauce were my favorite parts, but not enough to get this again. I'd go for the hula brownie sundae or their malasadas the next time I visited. 

Pacific Catch was hit-and-miss for me this evening. I feel that I really just ordered the wrong things. I should have gone the more seafood route with my entree and gone with my gut about our choice of dessert. On my next trip here, I'd veer towards their fish and chips, mixed seafood grill, or the mix-and-match fish option. The service we encountered at Pacific Catch was first-rate. Everyone was so cheerful, and the food was brought out promptly. I'm glad this address is active again after Bonefish Grill closed. We definitely need more seafood restaurants to choose from. 

For more information about Pacific Catch, head to their website by clicking here: https://pacificcatch.com/

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

Making Out Like a Bandido in Tustin

Tacos El Bandido Express

13812 Newport Ave. 

Tustin, CA 92780

I usually take my nieces out to dinner once a year for their birthdays. This was not my niece Kaylie's birthday. We took her to dinner this time because she would be leaving with her church to visit the Philippines for two weeks. She had never left the country before, and we wanted to wish her well and learn about her upcoming trip. I asked her what she wanted, and she suggested tacos. She must have great taste in food, just like her uncle. I looked up places in the middle of where we both live, and the one that stood out to me the most was Tacos El Bandido Express. 

To tell you the truth, I don't know much about this place other than they have a very respectable 4-star rating on Yelp, and they opened in December of 2021. There's a food truck that is located on Garden Grove Boulevard that is named Tacos El Bandido. They use the same logo and have similar menus, so they might be related. There's no website listed for either place, so I'll assume they are somehow related.  

We arrived at this blink, and you'll miss it strip mall at 4pm on a recent Sunday. The best landmark I can give you is that El Bandido is across from Wahoo's, at the corner of Walnut and Newport Avenue. There are wanted posters above the register featuring large pictures of most of their menu items, which is helpful for indecisive eaters like my niece Kaylie. 

The menu is varied, and they offer descriptions of everything in both English and Spanish. One portion of their menu is dedicated to the hottest trend right now, birria. The menu does not clarify whether this is goat or beef birria, but as you'll later see, we can confirm that it's birria de res, also known as beef. There's a menu board of specialty items and another one listing the options for their tacos, burritos, tortas, and flour and corn quesadillas. Nine kinds of meats are offered, ranging from asada and carnitas to the more adventurous lengua, cabeza, and the always delicious suadero (beef) taco. Lots of options, so we quickly ordered and waited less than ten minutes before our food was ready. Let's see if this place would be an excellent send-off for Kaylie. 

It's not the most authentic of dishes, but I have been on a real Asada Fries ($10) kick lately. This version was straightforward, with pinto beans, cheese, pico de gallo, asada, guacamole, and sour cream topping the fries. I loved that they used crinkle-cut fries because they stay crispy longer than regular fries. The asada was seasoned well and was another standout. These fries could have been balanced out with some extra cheese and guacamole added to the mix. They were layered well, and I'd get them again. 

Katie is a big fan of birria and an even bigger devotee of Ramen Birria ($10). I used to think this mashup was just a fad, but it's pretty good. I should have had Katie lift some of the noodles with her spoon for the picture, but you'll just have to trust me that there is ramen in this rather large bowl. The birria was hearty and went well with the provided noodles. Katie calls this dish comforting and looks forward to the cooler days ahead when she can see this dish heating her up against the arctic chill that winter in Southern California can sometimes provide. 

Keeping the birria train running, we also ordered this Quesadilla Birria ($9.50). This is my favorite way to eat birria besides a quesa birria taco. The corn tortilla was handmade and provided a sturdy structure for the plentiful birria and cheese housed inside. It was not the easiest thing to eat, but it was satisfying. I should have opted for some consome to dip this in. Next time, I will know better. 

Here's a quick shot of the cavalcade of tacos we ordered this early evening. They have eight meat options, and these street-style tacos are priced at a modest $2 each. They drop to $1.50 if you eat here on a Tuesday. They are very reasonable, and they come with two corn tortillas and are dressed simply with some avocado sauce. Onions, cilantro, and red and green salsa are available at the salsa bar on the left-hand side of where you order. Let's see which tacos I liked the best. 

My first three tacos were Carnitas, Asada, and Pastor ($2 each). Each of these was very solid. I loved the pastor with its little chunks of pineapple, adding bursts of flavor with the marinated pork. The asada, like on the fries, was seasoned well but was more tender than what was on the fries. The carnitas were good, but I would have liked more variety in the carnitas. I like it when you have different textures of the shredded pork. Still, not a bad taco out of the bunch. 

For my last taco, the one on the left, I tried their Suadero Taco ($2). For those of you unaware, suadero is a brisket taco. It's cooked in its own fat until it becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender. The one here at El Bandido was very tender and not a taco to be missed. I've now made it my mission to order a suadero taco at every place I visit that offers one. I want to raise awareness of how delicious suadero is. The carnitas taco on the right was not mine, but I may have helped Katie finish it after she was too full from slurping down her birria ramen. 

I really enjoyed our visit to Tacos el Bandido Express. Everything we had was very good, and the prices were very modest, a combination you don't often find. Even though we were here at the early dinner hour of 4pm on a Sunday, this place was busy and had a good, consistent flow of customers during our stay. Even though a sign alerted guests that they made their food to order, so it might take a little longer to get their meals, we did not find that they took any longer than we had expected. I foresee plenty of return visits here in the next few months. 

Out of five locomotives (because one of the most famous bandits in history is Jesse James, a man who is presumed to have robbed at least 20 trains in his time), five being best to zero being worst, Tacos El Bandido Express gets 3 locomotives. 

As I mentioned before, Tacos El Bandido Express does not have a website, so for all the latest information about them, click here to check out their Yelp page: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-el-bandido-express-tustin

A Little Noshing in Tustin

 Nosh House

678 El Camino Real

Tustin, CA 92780

As I near my 1000th review, I've been trying to hit as many restaurants on my wish list as possible. I have knocked out a good amount in the last few months, but I can not cut my list to fewer than three pages of places I want to try. As we are in the post-pandemic era, new restaurants have sprouted up more frequently and have been added to my list. One recent addition to my list is Nosh House in Tustin. 

Nosh House opened its doors in late 2020 and bills itself as OC's first Glatt kosher restaurant. They are from the same people that run OC Kosher Market a few doors down in the El Camino Plaza shopping center at the corner of El Camino and 6th Street in Old Town Tustin. This is the same shopping plaza that features Cream Pan, Acai Republic, and Kitajimia Sushi. 

So, you are asking yourself what Glatt kosher is? I didn't know either until I looked it up. It's meat that is slaughtered kosher, and the animal's lungs must be adhesion-free, which is another way to say smooth. Also, you will not find cheese included with any sandwich or burger that features meat due to Jewish dietary law. Also, remember that they are closed on Saturday to observe Shabbat. 

The menu at Nosh House is pretty diverse for such a small place. The menu includes appetizers, deli sandwiches, salads, paninis, salads, shwarma, entrees, hamburgers, and specialty sandwiches. The specialty sandwiches are priced right around the $20 price point, the same for the burgers. Dinner entrees will run you anywhere between $25 to $40 for the lamb chops. There's also a small children's menu. 

We arrived at Nosh House on a recent Sunday afternoon at half past one. We were met with a nearly empty restaurant. Ordering is done at the counter, and the food is brought to your table. The dining area is sparsely decorated, and most tables seat two people but can be pushed together to accommodate larger parties. We waited about five minutes for our food to arrive. Let's see how everything turned out for us. 

Katie has never met a Hummus Plate ($9.95) that she hasn't wanted to order, which held true on this visit to Nosh House. The hummus here was very creamy and had an excellent depth of flavor. The pita was one of the most fluffy versions I have had. It could best be described as pillowy soft, making this version stand out more than others. 

I've not had a more photogenic Tuna Salad Sandwich ($12.95) on my blog than this one. Even though I'm not inclined to order tuna sandwiches at restaurants, this one was pretty stellar. The tuna salad was joined with lettuce, tomato, and onion, and Katie substituted the whole wheat bread for toasted rye. The tuna was incredibly fresh and was mixed with just the right amount of mayo and other seasonings. She would definitely get this tuna sandwich again.  

From everything I've heard about Nosh House, the sandwich that gets the most love here is the Reuben Sandwich ($18.95). After my first bite, I can see why people love this sandwich. Hot corned beef, sauerkraut, and thousand island dressing are placed between two nicely toasted pieces of rye bread. This version of the classic Reuben comes without Swiss cheese due to the Jewish dietary law observed here at Nosh House. It's a sandwich that will not overwhelm you with its heaping piles of corned beef like other places tend to do. They also do not slather on the kraut or the dressing, instead choosing to let the bread and lean meat be the show's star. A very understated but nicely constructed Reuben. With my sandwich, I could choose from Israeli salad, cole slaw, or my eventual choice, potato salad. This was well done, with an addition of herbs that elevated this from the regular humdrum potato salads I have recently had. 

With just this little taste from the Nosh House menu, I have already made plans to return for their shwarma plate, hungry man burger, or OMG fried chicken sandwich. The only thing that's prevented me from returning sooner is that they are only open until half past six Sunday through Thursday and are only open half the day on Fridays. The guy at the counter was not the friendliest, but he brought our food out to us promptly. I'm glad I could cross this spot off my wishlist as I march toward restaurant review number 1000. Seven more to go. 

Out of five schmucks (because that's a Jewish word for a fool, and I'm sure that some people feel that I'm a schmuck for still writing this restaurant review blog for over 14 years now), five being best to zero being best, Nosh House gets 3.5 schmucks. 

For more information about Nosh House, head to their website by clicking here: http://www.koshernoshhouse.com/