Javier's Restaurant - Irvine
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Irvine's Best Mexican Food! No Downsides Except for the Crowds!
beach_bum_lifebeach_bum_life
1340
My wife and I recently had the pleasure of dining with Javier’s Mexican Restaurant located in Irvine CA at Spectrum Center. Our server, Liliana, was very kind, professional, informative and efficient about her work. We were made to feel welcome and were treated like a “king and queen” with first-class service by the entire wait-staff and the Concierge; who seated us immediately even though they were packed to the brim on a Wednesday night (between 8 and 9 PM). We both appreciate the finer things in life, which includes fine-dining; and we’ve frequented some of the best restaurants around the US during our cross-country adventures and travels. Even based on our very discerning tastes, we consider Javier’s to have the finest Mexican food and menu selections we have ever experienced! The Designer of this establishment did a phenomenal job with the aesthetics, floor plan, flow and circulation — which included lots of detailed architectural features throughout the entire restaurant and bar areas. This restaurant is open-air; and the entire perimeter is surrounded by lush plant-life, torches and fireplaces that combine Mexican hacienda and nautical themes that have been done to perfection! Lots of white stucco walls mixed with rich woods and softly burning candles everywhere. The ceiling itself is a work of art comprised of white ship-rope and off-white branch thatching. As busy as they were this evening, the food came quickly, along with the best Margaritas ever (order the Javier which includes Grand Marnier and a salt-rimmed glass). We were celebrating a couple of special occasions, together, and the ambiance couldn’t have been better. Great energy coming from the entire staff and customers alike. Their food portions are HUGE — and the food is gourmet-quality that is served hot and as fresh as could be. We ordered Chicken Taquitos for an appetizer and two separate combination entrees with Classic Cheese Hot Chile Relleno, Chicken Enchiladas and Shredded Beef Tacos, which were all delectable! If you are looking for the best place to celebrate your special occasion, or are just looking for the finest in Mexican cuisine, look no further. We highly recommend Javier’s to those who are only looking for the finest dining experience. Including our tip, appetizer, entrees and two rounds of cocktails, we outlaid $250.00, and it was worth every penny! We simply cannot wait to return for more of the wonderful food variety and top-notch service being offered daily. 😊
Richard FragelRichard Fragel
00
First time here. Heard good things about this spot. Unfortunately, didn't live up to the hype. Let's talk about the pros: -service: overall it was good. Our waiter was friendly and helpful. There are some things that need improvement. - some of the food was good. Queso Fundido, an appetizer, was the best thing we had. -decor was nice. That's it. Yes, that's it. CONS: - Food: the main entre, Cabo azul, which had a lobster enchilada, chile relleno, and a breaded shrimp taco. Side of plain white rice and refried black beans. Sounds good right? Looked even better. Unfortunately, it was very disappointing. Here's why. Lack of flavor, & bland. The lobster was fresh, but there was simply no flavor. The sauces appear to be full of flavor, but shockingly they were not. (see pics). The Chile relleno was undercooked. Very hard to cut and crunchy. Shrimp taco was average at best. Might as well be from del taco. Best thing on the plate were the Black beans. Go figure. - drink: Javier margarita nothing special. Average. -service: as I said earlier, overall service was good, but the what left a bad taste in my mouth, pun intended, was that at the end of the night, we were the last people in our section and in deep conversation, idk who he was, maybe the manager, never introduced himself. He at first, kindly said, "sorry, but the restaurant has closed and we need to finish clean up"agree asked us to leave, in a nice way. We, had no idea, first time and all she had no problem with it, having previously worked in a restaurant and folks just wanna go home. Context, we were in a section that was closed off from the rest of the restaurant and could not see the rest of the place from our area. It was a small area. We, apologized and my friend said, sorry we didn't realize, and the guys response was, " well look around, it's empty" in a rude tone. I almost went off, but I was ready to go and would address it later. Very unprofessional and poor service. That should not have been the first time we were informed of the restaurant closing and in that manner. Do better. Ambiance: music was way too loud and tables were too close together. Expected better from a "fine dining" restaurant. I don't recommend at this time. Especially, for the price and hype. Average.
RolandoRolando
00
We recently celebrated my lovely wife’s birthday at Javier’s, which used to be one of her favorite restaurants. Our evening started off at the Newport Beach location, but it was incredibly crowded. When I asked the front desk for a nice table with a view, we were rudely told that it could take up to two hours to get what we wanted. This lack of customer service was disappointing, so we decided to try our luck at the Irvine location instead. The Irvine location was much better in terms of service. Check-in was smooth, and we were seated without any waiting time. The ambiance was pleasant, which set a nice tone for the evening. We ordered some drinks and guacamole for an appetizer. For the main entrees, my wife chose her favorite steak Picado, and I opted for the enchiladas de Mariscos. While the chips and salsa were complimentary, and we appreciated the free flan for my wife’s birthday, the overall dining experience was underwhelming. The portions were small relative to the high prices, which didn’t seem justified. My seafood entree was overly salty and unenjoyable, which was quite disappointing for a place that prides itself on fine dining. For dessert, we ordered a tres leches cake in addition to the complimentary flan. Both desserts were decent, but not enough to elevate the overall dining experience. The check came to nearly $300 for four people, which seemed excessive given the quality and portion sizes of the food. In summary, while Javier’s offers a nice ambiance, the food and service at the Newport Beach location left much to be desired. The Irvine location was better in terms of service but still did not meet our expectations for the price. Unfortunately, Javier’s is no longer a highly recommended place on our list. We were left feeling that we were paying more for the experience rather than the quality of the food.
Ali RajaAli Raja
00
Alright.... This location for Javier's has definitely not lived up to their brands name at all. Upon walking in we were greeted immediately. They brought us to an a middle seat, immediately asked to be moved. Asked for a booth at 4pm. Was denied even though NO one was in here. It was empty. And by the time we left? Still empty. Seating experience was terrible. Moving onto the service and food. Waiter seemed slightly confused. Kept grabbing another waitresses hand like they had more important things to do. Really awkward. He wasn't very attentive. Just came by twice for the hour we were there. Beef taco. Extremely dry. Couldn't even eat it after two bites. Cheese enchilada. Cheese wasn't even melted. With the usual hot plate put into a heating area to warm up all pre made food obviously. Taco Bell tastes better. Chili relleno. Batter was good, cheese was melted. This was the only highlight. Bathroom. Paper all over the floor. Water everywhere. Smelled horrible. Needless to say after all I've said. I will not return here. And I don't recommend this location. Crystal cove location stands on top for Javier's. The food there tastes much different. The staff is 10x better. The view is obviously beautiful as well. So unfortunately. I won't be back here.
Lord Van CannonLord Van Cannon
00
I honestly thought this would be one of those overpriced, over-hyped restaurant chains. I was wrong. We had a reservation for an early Mother’s Day and got seated immediately. I was surprised since it was a busy BUSY Saturday. The restaurant has really nice vibes. I liked the metalwork decor. The drinks were really good with the exception of Javier’s margarita. The pina colada margarita was good and I drank two of the Jamaica margaritas. We started with the shrimp ceviche. For 3 people, it was a perfect size, leaving room for the entrees and extra chips and spicy salsa you might snack on. We ordered the steak and lobster, seafood enchilada trio, and the chipotle chicken. All 10/10!! The steak was cooked to a perfect medium which rarely happens. The lobster had so much flavor. The enchiladas were so good I wanted to order more to take home. We didn’t have room for dessert because we devoured our plates lol. Our server was amazing as well. He was very attentive and kind. The food came out in good time (again, I was surprised since it was so busy). I would definitely come back here or try the other locations!
Tia NTia N
00
Nearby Attractions Of Javier's Restaurant - Irvine
Irvine Spectrum Center
The Escape Game Irvine
Costco Wholesale
Living Spaces
Regal Irvine Spectrum
Alton Marketplace
Irvine Spectrum Center Giant Wheel
Los Olivos Marketplace | Irvine Spectrum
Nordstrom
Courtyard Irvine Spectrum
Irvine Spectrum Center
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The Escape Game Irvine
5.0
(2.6K)Click for details
Costco Wholesale
4.5
(2K)Click for details
Living Spaces
4.6
(1.6K)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Javier's Restaurant - Irvine
Dave & Buster's Irvine
Habana
Puesto Los Olivos
Hello Kitty Café
Panini Kabob Grill - Irvine Los Olivos
Irvine Improv
Paul Martin’s American Grill
Cucina Enoteca Irvine
Capital Seafood Restaurant
Angelina's Pizzeria Napoletana
Dave & Buster's Irvine
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Habana
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Puesto Los Olivos
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Hello Kitty Café
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Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
536 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine, CA 92618
Map
Phone
(949) 872-2101
Call
Website
javiers-cantina.com
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.3
(1.4K reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Festive Mexican eatery & bar has potent margaritas & vast tropical space with cabana & patio areas.
attractions: Irvine Spectrum Center, The Escape Game Irvine, Costco Wholesale, Living Spaces, Regal Irvine Spectrum, Alton Marketplace, Irvine Spectrum Center Giant Wheel, Los Olivos Marketplace | Irvine Spectrum, Nordstrom, Courtyard Irvine Spectrum, restaurants: Dave & Buster's Irvine, Habana, Puesto Los Olivos, Hello Kitty Café, Panini Kabob Grill - Irvine Los Olivos, Irvine Improv, Paul Martin’s American Grill, Cucina Enoteca Irvine, Capital Seafood Restaurant, Angelina's Pizzeria Napoletana
