La Chiquita Restaurant — Restaurant in Santa Ana

I was looking for a place to eat near the Amtrak station and stumbled upon this gem two blocks away. We were in and out very quickly. The food was absolutely delicious. We started with some nachos, some of our party had the pork special and I had the homemade chicken tamale. When it comes to Mexican food and it's the first time going to a restaurant you never know what to expect, this will meet and exceed all your expectations. You can see by all of the teams they support and the pictures on the wall that this is an established family run business. they also have plenty of parking so if you drive just passed the restaurant and pull into the driveway you'll see plenty of spots to park. we went for lunch and although the restaurant was full there was not a long wait. If you're planning to take a train or come into the station anywhere around lunch time I truly suggest trying...

They serve the best memories here. Sammy has been here over 20 years. He remembers when my father would come weekly for the chips with cheese and the special meat burrito. Here we are and the food is the same, delicious as it was then. Wife had 3 tacos and they were loved. The special meat burrito was too spicy for the boy, but he enjoyed the tamale with sauce. The service was as good as the food. Sammy checked on us while the waitress had already taken care of everything. Refills and to go boxes were prompt. For covid style, There is a little patio dining under a roof with heaters. If you have ever had La Chuiquita, come and try it again. It's just as good as you remember. And if you haven't tried it yet, come make some new memories...

This place makes me wish I lived in the neighborhood. We live in Fullerton, but husband and I made plans to meet up here because It is just a few blocks from the Metrolink station and he was driving in from Los Angeles to pick me up before we went down to a show at the Segerstrom Center, which is only a 15 minute drive.

We grabbed the quick meal of their fabulous chili made with big chunks of beef and their chips with cheese melted on them. A single order of each was more than enough for us to share, and we ended up taking some of the chili home.

Service was perfect and the atmosphere was very pleasant. Our favorite taco place in Orange burned down last year so I think we will be coming back...