La Laguna Mex Grill — Restaurant in Costa Mesa

We went here based on good reviews, but were disappointed. First, shared tiny parking lot of 10-min-only parking was full, so we had to park around the corner and hope we didn't get towed. Most of what we ordered was okay but wasn't epic. I had high hopes for the Birria tacos, but they came without sopa(?), and when I asked, they said sopa only came as quesabirria, but they capitulated and gave me a small cup complimentary - nice. (I might not have received it without the help of our Latino friend who was with us, because my weak Spanish wouldn't have sufficed here. Counter person didn't seem to understand much English.) However, what I received was a molé-type sauce rather than beef broth birria. It could have used more seasoning. The birria taco meat itself was good, but could have been great with more seasoning. (I don't usually eat my Birria with salsa, only sopa.) Their chicken burrito was okay, but it was surprisingly under-seasoned, over-shredded and made the whole thing a mushy, fall-apart mess. Asking our Latino friend about his tortas, he gave them a 3/5 and said they looked great, but the meats were under-seasoned: "My mom's were better, and she wasn't a cook." Again, everything presented very well, the flavors just didn't live up to the appearance.

This is more of a take-out, dine-in space is very limited. To be fair, it's very clean and well-kept.

PS - The electronic menu boards here couldn't contain the entire menu, so menus were swapping out every 2 seconds, just long enough to be frustrating. Owner should add at least 2 sec to the current rotation. Ask for a paper menu at the register if...

I stopped by this place on the weekend looking for a quick bite, and it was the best choice for that. We were welcomed by the young lady at the register who quickly took our order and answered our questions. We ordered the flautas and tacos de asada. Both orders had good flavor, and the Fresh-made flautas were very crunchy. They gave complimentary chips and salsa in the meanwhile we waited for our order. The salsa bar has good options. They have mild to hot flavor with the usual tacos opitions; cilantro, onions, lime, and even pickled onions a rare find these days. The place is small, but it feels cozy as the food and the service make it feel like so. I will definitely be coming back when...

The best Mexican food I’ve tried in Southern California by far. Always comes out hot, fresh, and with complimentary chips. The California burrito’s size and flavor would make it 15-20 dollars at any other restaurant but it’s 10 dollars here. Also the best churros I’ve ever had. Super friendly owner and staff. If someone wanted to try Mexican food but could only be one restaurant, it would be La Laguna. Give it a try and you’ll be a...