Taco Rosa — Restaurant in Irvine

For every dozen or so $1 tacos I eat off of a paper plate, I try to rotate in a "restaurant taco" or two for a well-balanced taco diet, and multiple OC-based friends had recommended Taco Rosa to me for this purpose.

Taco Rosa is an upmarket Mexican place in a fancy mall operated by Chef Ivan Calderon and his brother Marco, both of whom grew up in Mexico City, but got their start in the restaurant industry by working for 20 years at now-disintegrating Cal-Mex chain El Torito. They also own Taco Mesa, an enterprise I reviewed earlier this summer, ultimately declaring it to be "Chipotle with tattoos." Yes, I had somewhat low expectations for Taco Rosa, but I was rewarded with a meal that was at times pleasant and never as bad as I expected it to be.

I've had a few squid tacos this summer, and am comfortable declaring Taco Rosa's "Blackened Calamari Taco" the best. The mild-flavored squid is coated with a spice rub and grilled over blistering heat so that a tasty charred crust forms over the squishy yet tender "calamari" strips. More decadence comes via butter, crema, and queso fresca, and everything is piled onto a grilled non-GMO corn tortilla made from masa ground in-house.

The other tacos I ordered here I could take or leave. The "Lobster Taco" featured shucked lobster in a buttery sauce, with avocado slices and cabbage. It is accompanied by a zippy salsa roja served on the side. The great lobster tacos I've had elsewhere have been a bit more creative in layering on more assertive flavors to complement the lobster, or leveraging a lighter-flavored tortilla. Lobster's flavor is too delicate to stand up against the the corn tortilla used here. As such, my taste buds could barely find the lobster, and I was underwhelmed.

I don't understand the beef in the "Taco Alambre." It is not charred, smoked, or very well-seasoned -- It's just kind of bland and floppy. This means the bacon is left to carry the flavor of the taco, which I'm not sure is a great plan, as the bacon comes across as a garnish in a salad of mild vegetal toppings heaped into the tortilla. This taco comes with a side of very mild avocado sauce. There are pickled onions that add a little heat and acid, but not a lot. It's not a bad taco, I just wish the steak was prepared in a manner less boring.

Would I come back here? In this price range, I prefer nearby Mexican restaurants Puesto and Playa Mesa, so I don't think a revisit to Taco Rosa is in the cards. That said, I could see how this restaurant would appeal to someone who was looking more for a place to drink and eat rather than a place to eat and drink. Taco Rosa's made-from-scratch margaritas are excellent (and use aguamiel for their sweetener, sap excreted from agave plants), and the patio bar area is a nice spot to sip on cocktails...

Here is another taco review. So, I was looking for a new place and stumbled upon Taco Rosa. Located in the Jamboree shopping center, Taco Rosa is located on the corner.

Since this is located in the shopping center there is plenty of parking, and there are "Pick Up" spaces if you order to go. They actually have an online ordering option which is really cool.

There is both indoor and covered patio seating all of which is well appointed in wooden rustic decor. The facility is very neat and clean. The staff were supper cool and my "to go" order that I called in, was ready right on time.

Since it was my first time I decided to try three different types of Taco. I got the blacked chicken, the blacked shrimp and a different steak I had not heard of before. The roll the tacos up in both peper and foil for travel so the food was warm when I got home 15min later.

I have to say, I was impressed with all three types of taco. The three things that stood out was that the tacos, because of the way they were wrapped, were not soggy when I opened them up. The second was the amount of meat. Regardless if it was chicken, shrimp or beef, all three were packed with meat as well as cheese and onions.

I short, I was impressed with the service and the food, and while I did not stay for the dine in experience, it seemed like a good place to do so. If you happen to be in the area, and need a solid place to grab some delicious tacos, this...

The staff was amazing and very attentive and friendly. The decor of this restaurant was very quaint and romantic. They sat us right away. There was no wait time, I totally loved that. They bring you a small little sample of food while you wait for your meal. The food was like higher class Mexican Food. Our meals came out not to long after we ordered our food. The plate of food, had an amazing presentation about it. The meal looked very high class and was so very delicious 👌. The meal had the exact right amount of food, not to much and not to little. I would and will most definitely be going back to eat their. The prices at first seemed a bit high, but then we found out that they have amazing lunch and happy hour special's on their prices. My husband and I ordered the same meals. Originally each of our meals coast $16 each, but with the happy hour special's we got the two meals at half price. So we got 2 meals for the price of one. This restaurant is very clean and elegant. The restroom was so beautiful and spick and span clean. Just everything about this restaurant was amazing so for sure 👍👍👍👍. They have a very nice patio area to eat at if you choose to eat outside. It is family friendly so bring your family and kids along. I hope I have been of some help, and thank you for taking the time to read my really long review. Please try this place out and I guarantee...