Rodrigo’s Mexican Grill - Laguna Hills — Restaurant in Laguna Hills

My wife was upset and my baby was fussy. Yet we still wound up here with my grandparents as we tend to do when we visit Southern California. They love Rodrigo's and have long frequented various Mexican restaurants. When I was younger they would take me to El Torito, El Adobe, Olamendi's, and others. They have all gone through ups and downs, but in general the food has a similar presentation and taste. Recently, older restaurants everywhere have undergone hard times. The new, sleek restaurants popping up usually have a smaller menu and focus on one or two excellent menu items, while older restaurants struggle to know which changes to make in order to both stay relevant and keep their existing patrons. It's a hard thing to tackle, and I feel that Rodrigo's is experiencing this now. This location hasn't been here for terribly long, and before this area popped up all the new, younger places it used to be 'old people' dining, like Carrow's and Mimi's. The In N Out has been around a while, but Canes, Chick Fil A, Farmer Boys, and Rodrigo's are a little newer on the block, and most appeal to younger crowds except Rodrigo's. There's a reason we only go with my grandparents. So at Christmastime, I really enjoy going because the decorations are fun to show to our little boy when he's fussy. The overall ambience is unique - a little old-fashioned and traditional - but also lacks the sleekness and even cleanliness to attract a younger crowd. But as the old Mission Viejo and Liesure World population slows down, I fear Rodrigo's might undergo some harder times if a couple of things don't change. I don't know much about anything, but here are the biggest things that I would recommend: Food quality is not great. Not being a chef I don't really know what specifically to say, other than I am a glutton who spoiled himself eating out too much during his single years, and I am not impressed here. The chips, salsa, and tortillas don't taste homemade, the meats taste fairly bland, and the rice and beans are the same that you get at every other Mexican place that doesn't care much about the rice and beans. It's not bad food, it's just that I would never recommend this place based on the food, and it's a restaurant so that's a problem. Upkeep/appeal is older. I hate to admit this because I am an old man at heart, but I think Rodrigo's would benefit from a couple changes without gutting everything. The booths, tables, carpets all just feel old, and the older they get the dirtier they look and feel. Although I wouldn't describe Rodrigo's as dirty, it doesn't feel clean. The ambience including the fun wooden bridge on the way in and the unique layout of the restaurant itself yield to a really fun experience, so I think if cleanliness and upkeep became a priority then this could attract more people too. First things first though - Rodrigo's needs better food. I will go anywhere and even sit in squalor if the food is good enough, and so if the food here went from a 5/10 to a 7/10 it would be enough for me to come back on my own accord. The whole point of this is to say that while my deaf grandpa was trying to get a water refill and I was trying to calm the baby and my wife was trying to not implode and my grandma was probably feeling bad for us, I thought, "the food here is surprisingly bland." Or maybe it was my wife trying to blame her surroundings for her anxiety again. Either way, this...

I’ve dined at a few different Rodrigo’s locations across California and have always had a positive experience—unfortunately, this particular location has been the complete opposite.

I’ve eaten here twice, and this most recent visit was very disappointing, both in terms of service and food. I was part of a family dinner for my aunt’s birthday with a group of nine. Several of us arrived early, but it took over 20 minutes just to get water or have our drink orders taken. Our server (a woman with bright red hair—I didn’t catch her name) seemed disengaged from the start.

Instead of serving guests directly, she handed drinks and plates down the table—even though there was room for her to walk around. This continued throughout the meal, and she often seemed more focused on her own convenience than on providing a good dining experience. Several drink orders were missed, and after dessert was served, she stopped clearing plates—even while some of us were enjoying the dessert, leaving us to eat over dirty dishes.

As someone who worked as a server for six years, I understand the pressures of the job and am always patient—but this felt more like a lack of care than a busy shift. Her section included only two other small tables, so it was disappointing to see how little effort was put into service.

On the food side, my husband and I both ordered the steak fajitas. They weren’t sizzling when brought out, and the meat was extremely tough—almost as if it had been sitting out before being served. To top it all off, despite the clear signs we were celebrating a birthday (cards and gifts on the table), the server didn’t acknowledge it at all.

Overall, this was a very underwhelming experience. I won’t be returning to this location and hope the management takes time to train the staff more thoroughly—or at the very least, ensure they’re interested in providing guests with a better...

It looks like I made them breakfast and fries had brown spots, just tosse them in the plate. No food etiquette whatsoever. On our way to SD or OS we always stop by and have some great food. For Father's day we stop and had the brunch special that includes champagne! We order avocado toast carnitas and kids quesadilla and coconut margarita! Maggie had a good taste! When our food arrive I had the carnitas and to my luck it was half fat and the rest was over cooked and dry! Inask the server to bring me another order because this ones had too much fat! His response was: " Thats how the order comes abd they are measured in a plastic bag and I can't bring you another order" my wife and I look at each other and he walk away. After that I call him again and my wife ask him, what happen to our champagne? His response was, You did not ask for it! When in the menue states included w the meal! Other table had a bottle in a bucket on the side! I was so disappointed that I wanted to walk away! I wait until our kids finished their meals! I went to the fro t desk and ask to speak to the manager. The host called him and he came a few minutes later. Manager Manuel Rodriguez approached me and I ask him to speak in private outside that way no gueat will hear my very bad experience. Mr. Rodriguez response was: "I can't get out of the restaurant" I explained all that transpired at our table and he was like the same as the waiter! I was shocked and at the same time upset of the way they handle my concer! He seem not to care and he told me the same thing the wauter told me. I hope his last name is not related to name on the Restaurant! I just could not believe what just happen. We left robbed of the Rodrigo's food experience that we had in the past! We got FATrnitas not Tender juicy Carnitas the way is supposed to be. You be...