Las Brisas — Restaurant in Laguna Beach

Black Salt Peach Margarita is served in glassware hand-crafted by a local Laguna Beach artist. It reminded me of the ocean, splashes of cobalt blue swirling within clear glass. The margarita was smooth and refreshingly sweet with peach nectar. Rating: 5/5

Fried Calamari is dressed with Fresno jelly, cilantro, peanuts, and charred scallions. The calamari was lightly battered and fried to perfection – crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The Fresno jelly had a nice balance of sweet and heat, reminiscent of sweet chili sauce in Asian cuisine. Peanuts were an interesting touch, adding a crunchy texture and nutty flavor. Rating: 5/5

Oysters on the Half Shell are served with pomegranate mignonette, horseradish, and cocktail sauce. Artfully shucked, the oysters slid right off the shell. The oysters were a tad briny with a sweet finish. I love playing with flavors and bounced between the mignonette (sweet and sour flavor) and the cocktail sauce topped with horseradish (sweet and spicy flavor). Rating: 5/5

Lunch Trio is a great way to try a few fancy dishes in one plate. Choose from Cauliflower dos Caminos, Arancini, Blue Corn Tostada, Bruschetta, Nueske’s Bacon, Crispy Sweetbreads, Scallop, Seared Tuna, or Crab Cake. Here are the ones I picked:

Crispy Sweetbreads served with plum chutney and sunflower seeds. Sweetbreads are the thymus gland of a calf. You would likely find them on a high-end French menu and now on Las Brisas’ menu. They were cooked just right - seared on the outside and creamy on the inside. The pairing of plum chutney was an amazing play on the taste buds consisting of tangy plum and creamy sweetbreads. The sunflowers added an earthy, nutty flavor and crunchy texture. Rating: 5/5

Arancini is stuffed with goat cheese atop peppadew relish. The arancini didn’t have any risotto inside though. It was a ball of goat cheese rolled in bread crumbs and deep-fried. It worked well with the sweet, tangy peppadew relish. I just wished I had a few pieces of crostini to eat it with as it is very rich. Rating: 4.5/5

Bruschetta is topped with a thick slice of sirloin and bleu cheese butter. If you have been following my blog, you would know that I love steak and bleu cheese. It is a perfect match like chocolate and peanut butter. The bread was nicely toasted, and the bleu cheese butter melted into all the nooks and crannies of the bread. The steak was tender and juicy. Rating: 5/5

Asada Dip is made with prime New York steak, Oaxaca cheese, sautéed onions, and served with serrano au jus and house chips. If you love a good cheese-pull factor like I do, this sandwich is made for you. Oaxaca cheese has a nice stretching ability like mozzarella as well as a creamy, yet subtle flavor. The thinly sliced medium rare steak and sweet onions paired nicely with the cheese. The bread was sturdy enough to hold up to the juicy steak and au jus with a crusty outside and spongy texture inside. The house made chips were amazing with kettle-cooked goodness. Rating: 5/5

Chocolate Mousse Cake is layered with chocolate mousse, encased in dark chocolate glaze, and served with macerated strawberries. If you love chocolate but don’t want something heavy, this is the perfect! The cake was light along with the mousse but exuded deep chocolaty flavor along with the dark chocolate glaze. The strawberries added a sweet and tangy flavor to balance out the chocolate and cream. Rating: 5/5

Crème Brûlée is made with Mexican vanilla and is crowned with a caramelized sugar shell and seasonal berries. There is nothing better than breaking into that caramelized sugar on top of a Crème Brûlée. It is like shattering glass. When torched correctly, the sugar should be dissolved but not burnt and should taste like a smoky caramel. It is the perfect pairing with the creamy vanilla custard and adding a crunchy texture. Las Brisas’ version is...

I've been going to this restaurant for several years. If you're looking for spectacular views and wonderful outdoor ocean ambiance then this is your place. It is located above Laguna Beach and has spectacular views. Also there is public parking close by and a stop to pick up the trolleys (Laguna Beach offers free trolleys that travel throughout the city, so having a stop close by makes this an easy destination to get to ), making this a great pregame location if you're planning on going to the pageant of the Masters etc.

That being said, the last two times we've gone we have been disappointed with the food. And that is a big problem in my opinion, because dining here is not cheap. We went with a party of four. We each had one alcoholic beverage and as a group shared two appetizers and each had one entree. The meal was $360 not including tip.

I don't mind paying good money for exceptionally well made meals, but this was glorified basic Mexican food. Absolutely, nothing to write home about Period! We ordered the ceviche and oysters on the half shell. The ceviche consisted of large bulky pieces of shrimp, avocado, cucumber and cilantro with little pieces of crab intermingled. The flavor was very lackluster and was missing that wonderful citrus bite that one is expected from a great ceviche .The star of the appetizer were the homemade chips. The oysters on the half shell were 30 bucks for six tiny little oysters. They are literally the smallest oysters I have ever seen served at the Oceanside location. Exceedingly disappointing.

I ordered the only halibut dish that they had on the menu (for the life of me, I cannot remember the name of this dish, but it was the only halibut dish on the menu , previously they had a macadamia nut crusted halibut that was fabulous but it was no longer available ), as in the past it has been one of my favorites at this restaurant. Although I wasn't familiar with this particular presentation of halibut, I decided to give it a go because I had never been disappointed previously. What I received was a boiled piece of fish sitting in soupy rice and capers. Absolutely flavorless! Literally the worst halibut dish I have ever had in my life. The fish was completely overcooked and had no sear or depth of flavor on it to give it any kind of texture. The consistency was literally soggy boiled fish.

The rest of our party ordered the mole chicken enchiladas which consisted of two small Enchilada's served with a side of Spanish, rice and black beans. They all tasted fine but there was no elevation to this meal to make it a standout at all. The lobster enchiladas were no different. The same presentation and the same mediocre composition. My husband ordered the baked chicken and potatoes which was surprisingly the star meal and our table. The baked chicken was really well done with well seasoned crispy skin, and the roasted potatoes were delicious.

We all ordered various margaritas. The house margarita was tasty and well balanced, but my recommendation would absolutely be the spicy. Margarita. It had a wonderful sneaky heat that sat on the pallet and was a perfect balance of sweet and sour. One of the best I've ever had! But it does have a good kick to it. So be prepared for that.

Overall, my recommendation for this restaurant is to go have margaritas and a few appetizers. The views are literally some of the best in Laguna and the outdoor dining is an experience in itself that is worthwhile of your time. However, if you're a foodie like me and willing to drop $400 on one meal for an exceptional dining experience. Go do it somewhere else! The competition is fierce in this area for phenomenal food and sadly Las brisas has just been crossed off of my dinner recommendations for this area. Another post COVID...

I've been going to this place for 40 years. Its views are an easy 5 star. Sadly the food and associated prices leave it - as a friend pointed out 'a tourist spot', meaning high prices with meh food. There used to be these wonderful seafood enchiladas - filled with fish, sauce, grapes - a creamy green sauce topped it, unique n beautiful. I got the steak n lobster enchiladas at $40 - reasoning a high end place will do em right.

The lobster was a meh corn shell, some big chunks of lobster which I think may have been boiled and nothing else inside - the lobster chunks were way too big, making eating bite sized portions difficult - the sauce was green, but lacked cream, it was strong in tomatillo flavor, but that was it. Throw some veggies into that thing (sauce and into the inside shell), season the lobster n grill it, put a sweet component like the old grapes or mango or? I give it 2 stars because of the location and the fact it had hunks of real lobster.

The steak enchilada reads like the lobster one. The steak chunks were too big, the cut kinda chewy, the fling was steak, the sauce was a red one that was better than the green, sharp in flavor, but nothing special - I generally order things with extra sauce - I forgot to, but didn't care because these were just sooooo average. Again, fill the steak with other veggies n stuff, make the sauce shine - this isn't rocket science!

It came with a small side bowl with half rice, half black beans. Why they weren't plated with the main course is silly. They look like a cheap addon you might get at Denny's - and a small portion too. Rice was ok Mexican, black beans were ok too - to me 'ok' or 'good' = a 'C' grade. I want excellent and delicious etc.

Most places have chips n salsa, but the tourist theme of this place dictates $12 for chips salsa and mashed black beans. The 'red' salsa was watery, but nice, the green was creamy, and I'd argue better than the sauce on the lobster. The chips were just too thick n crunchy - El Torito has good light airy chips - why not move those here???Mashed beans were good and tasty. Sol Agave gives you much better beans, chips and salsa for free.

The interior hasn't changed in 40 years - I'm going with that's another negative, but the views and location are awesome.

It's an El Toroto property, so I guess that's what happened to this place - though I like the food and sauces at El Torotio??? Corporate should do a lunch at Gabbi's kitchen in Orange and try their seafood enchiladas the sauce/filling are delightful - same with the steak version. Taco Mesa (Taco Rosa sister restaurant)) also knocks it out of the park.

I sadly rate this place a bit less than a meh - it used to be my favorite. It's in need of a big overhaul - or just a new owner...