Taco Maria serves locally sourced Californian-Mexican delights in a cozy patio setting, where every dish shines with authentic flavors and Michelin-star finesse.
"By now, most have heard the news about the pending closure of Taco María. Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano wrote an appreciation post last week, and a second story outlined the Orange County restaurant’s cultural impact." - Mona Holmes
"One star. Chef Carlos Salgado serves a four-course tasting menu for $100 at Taco Maria." - Eater Staff
"This guinea hen breast was perfectly cooked, juicy and tender, the skin light brown and perfectly crispy with a ragout of gooseberries as well as some smoky fava greens from the woodfire grill. Last but not least, it came with five warm and excellent masa tortillas. On the side, they also brought a small glass bottle with water and fresh cilantro to pick from, some with small white flowers and others with bright pink flowers." - Nancy DePalma
"Taco Maria, one of the most acclaimed modern Mexican restaurants in Southern California, recently dropped their tasting menu format, but eating there still feels like a very special experience. Their updated menu has a lot of compelling options, like blue cornbread with huitlacoche butter, a lamb tongue tlayuda, and probably our favorite caesar salad in existence. Its location inside an upscale shopping plaza is a tad generic, but it never takes away from the inventive food coming out of the kitchen. And besides, who’s really complaining about watching a dancing fountain all night? " - Brant Cox, Garrett Snyder
" $100 for 4 courses If you’re coming from LA, Costa Mesa isn’t exactly a quick drive, but even with rising gas prices, we think it’s a small price to pay for a special meal at Taco Maria. This progressive Mexican fine dining spot is a place everyone needs to hit at least once—and for the price, the tasting menu is a great way to do it. There are two options for every course, so bring a date and try the entire menu. You’ll eat things like smoked albacore tacos on heirloom blue corn tortillas and dry-aged ribeye tartare with charred avocado. " - Nikko Duren
