A fantastic experience. I really felt inclined to write this review to discuss how phenomenal of a server Jake is (give this man a raise). I have certain food allergies and very rarely encounter servers that ask their guests about this before ordering. He asked about it right away and made sure to offer the best choices that were safe for me. On top of this, he checked in on our table multiple times to make sure everything was okay. I really appreciated his service, accommodation, and attention to detail. Will be returning soon!
Spencer S.
On the east side of the mall by the pedestrian bridge. Full service sitdown restaurant. Upscale casual attire at a minimum. Booths, tables, and bar seating. Dim and classy atmosphere. Fast and friendly service. You can make reservations via Yelp, which is recommended! Complimentary chips, salsa, and bean dip (contains pork for those who care). Wife and I split pineapple carnitas tacos (comes with three, and includes beans, rice, and guac), and chicken tostada. Large servings and everything delicious! Even the toddler couldn't help us finish everything, so we came home with some leftovers. I had their Mexican inspired coffee martini and loved it! All-in only $80 including tax and tip isn't bad for a fancy place like that as of March 2024!
Sahar Y.
Went here a few months ago for a birthday and we loved it. Good food, good vibes, great service, and they even gave the birthday boy a hand written cards and all the employees wrote alil something too. Great experience, highly recommend!
Neva G.
My search for perfect crunchy tacos has ended... their chicken and beef crunchy tacos are to die for. If you've been bitten by this bug, this is your cure. You're welcome.
Shahla S.
We celebrated our anniversary along with our daughter's last night at this lovely restaurant. Our hostess Erica was very pleasant and professional and attended our needs and orders on time with a beautiful smile. The food was excellent. The ambiance was great. We cannot wait to go back there again in next few weeks. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who likes to have a delicious Mexican food and get the best service.
Erika C.
I've been to this Calo location numerous times since it opened late last year, and let me tell you it has not disappointed. The service is phenomenal, staff is always so cheerful and friendly, they make us feel at home every time. The apps and entrees are all tasty, flavorful, and well made. I'll keep coming back either way my family as often as possible whenever at South Coast. Jake is absolutely our favorite server and needs a raise STAT!!! Thank you Jake, you're a real, customer service oriented, gentleman.
Martin C.
Food portions are too small for their prices. I guess it goes with the community! When you live privilege in OC you don't care. That's another issue, but the food it's too expensive to eat there.
Kerry K.
The food here is fine but nothing special. The host was super weird to us when we arrived for our reservation 15 minutes early and there was no one in the restaurant. He said that he would have to see if he could find a table for us early. (There was no one there). So that could use some improvement but otherwise it was a fine experience.
Purbali S.
Very beautiful interior. Located inside the mall next to boudin. It is an upscale modern Mexican. There is a nice bar and different styles of seating. We ordered : shrimp ceviche which was fresh and tasty 7/10 - nothing amazing but solid Mexico City style quesadilla -9/10 these were really delicious and unique. They were almost like a mix between a dumpling and an empanada made with all the yummy cheese. Last we got the camarones de Al ojo which was good but there was not a lot of sauce and lighter plate. 7/10 Overall the ambiance is very beautiful along with great service and solid food. Drinks were very tasty and would definately good back to try out more dishes
Cat C.
I normally don't leave 3 star reviews. If I love or hate a place and think some comments are noteworthy I will write a review. I feel like this place is trying to be elevated Mexican cuisine. It's really hard to get a reservation. We tried almost a month in advance and had to eat at 4 pm. Yet nothing had any flavor. Our tortilla chips had maybe a single grain of salt each. The salsa was average. The "bean dip" was just plain mashed beans, no spices or seasoning. I ordered the shrimp and lobster enchiladas. There was maybe one piece of lobster in there. It had some weird sweet sauce on it though. It came with standard refried beans out of a can with no flavor and a little cheese on it and plain white rice, also with no spice or flavor. Why do we need to spend so much money and eat at 4pm when we can go anywhere and get the same or better food in SoCal?
Tried this restaurant for the first time. The halibut tacos were a but dry but I'll give the ambiance 10/10. Our waiter Lalo was great! He made sure I was taken care of due to the dry halibut. Lalo was patient, kind and attentive. You ROCK LALO!!! Thanks
Andrea L.
This is a great restaurant for a special occasion. Since we were a larger party we were seated out on the heated patio, but the bar seating also looked super cute and perfect for date night. The food, service, and ambiance - all amazing, no complaints. I got to try several things on the menu, and I don't think there was a single thing I disliked. The complimentary chips, salsa and bean were constantly being refilled by our amazing server. The only thing I would do different next time is not to order the ceviche appetizer, since the portion is way too tiny for the price. That being said, we left absolutely stuffed and with tons of leftovers.
Shoshanah P.
The staff, ambience and food at this restaurant are all amazing! Mom and I went to South Coast Plaza planning to eat dinner at another restaurant and ended up eating here instead. And we are SO glad that we did! Mark and Kyra made our experience absolutely amazing! They were attentive, friendly, and very funny! We will definitely be eating here again! Also, the churros were SO GOOD!
Ron W.
Mall dining elevated to a grand scale just when Malls are scaling back. Here it is. The architectural elements and design are smart, sophisticated, and dramatic if you need all that to enjoy great Mexican food. Of course you do, it's South Coast. The space is open and breezy yet with the guest's comfort in mind. It's as cool as the first morning breeze at the beach. In fact, it's like being in the prettiest part of Puerto Vallarta only without flies, thugs and Lower G. I. issues. Calo is a perfect spot to plop under a Palapa after a grueling afternoon at Bulgari and Chanel. Heaters are embedded into the ceiling with fans to waft the warmth over patrons overheated from enthusiastic eating. The place is huge and it's packed every night. A large horseshoe Bar anchors the main dining room along with a massive Fire Pit suitable for slipping your Marriage Certificate into while celebrating your recent Dissolution. That explains the crowd crowding around the Pit. Plus there is a small hidden Bar in the far reaches of the dining area. And there are a few intimate dining rooms sprinkled around the restaurant in case you're planning on proposing and taking another run at bliss with your new miss. The Bar: Duh, Tequila forward. A few shots and you'll become more forward too. Mexi-craft Beers on Draft, and Mexcal to make you skip and go naked through the Mall. A short but tight Wine List rounds out your sobriety check check list. My Cadillac Marg had Reposado plus Sweet and Sour and was fuerte como el Toro. Once I swizzled the rocket fuel lurking at the bottom of the Highball glass, the beast calmed itself and did its duty. Made feel good. If you must have a Kir Royale I bet your server can walk the Bar Tender through it with Google's help. The Staff: Trying...in a good way. Attentive knowledgeable, nice people dedicated to making your dining experience nice. Nice. So, make that trying and succeeding. Bella was lovely and totally professional. Having finished my Caddy and quickly dispatched the first basket of Chips with Salsa Fresca, and warm Frijoles Negros I re-visited the ample menu and tried not to order with my eyes which is always a recipe for an error be it dining out or online dating. Out comes the second basket of chips. (They do have salsa por la gente (read hot if you want red hot). This stuff was molecular acid that will drip through the hardwood table, your shoes and the subway tile floor on it's way to China. Be warned. Were the chips as good as Superior Market? Nope. But they are the best commercial chips the hip will like. They are. Three baskets says that's true. The Food: This kitchen can bring it. I am a sucker for a Caesar done correctly. This version was very, very good. Start here. The Smokey Caesar had chopped Romaine laced with just the right amount of serious creamy Adobo Dressing. The kitchen added halved fresh tiny Tomatoes, Bacon Bits, and Queso Fresco (that hadn't been recently recalled as I recall), Crispy Onions and Avocado made this a terrific Salad. It was Interesting and perfectly composed and balanced. Plus it kept me from ordering the Queso Fundido con Chorizo which doesn't appear on any Internist's preferred diet. Although maybe it should as sometimes you just have to say WTF. Thank you Risky Biz. The Pollo Serrano made me nervous as I thought the heat might be relentless. It wasn't. I was still reeling from the Flame Throwin' Salsa with the Chips. The Habanaro Salsa won't blister your lips, it will burn'em off. The Chicken Breast was laid to rest under a reservoir of Serrano Crema, topped with a tangle of Caramelized Onions, a charred Poblano Pepper spread eagle over more Frijoles Negros and a perfect Avocado fan. I'm a fan now. The mound of White Rice was, well, a mound of White Rice but good for some sopping so there was a purpose to it other than filling the plate. The Chicken Breast flirted with being a touch dry but it was just a quick wink. The Sauce was a generous pour and all in all this was the ri
Melanie D.
From the start, I enjoyed the ambiance. It takes you out of the mall environment and puts you inside a coastal Mexican vacation dining spot. Right off the bat we had quick and friendly service and that continued. They were even able to get me a basket of gluten free chips separately. My friend has the short rib enchilada and I had the quinoa salad with salmon. Both were really good tasting and presented attractively. Overall a good experience and good food, I would go back!
A fantastic experience. I really felt inclined to write this review to discuss how phenomenal of a server Jake is (give this man a raise). I have certain food allergies and very rarely encounter servers that ask their guests about this before ordering. He asked about it right away and made sure to offer the best choices that were safe for me. On top of this, he checked in on our table multiple times to make sure everything was okay. I really appreciated his service, accommodation, and attention to detail. Will be returning soon!
On the east side of the mall by the pedestrian bridge. Full service sitdown restaurant. Upscale casual attire at a minimum. Booths, tables, and bar seating. Dim and classy atmosphere. Fast and friendly service. You can make reservations via Yelp, which is recommended! Complimentary chips, salsa, and bean dip (contains pork for those who care). Wife and I split pineapple carnitas tacos (comes with three, and includes beans, rice, and guac), and chicken tostada. Large servings and everything delicious! Even the toddler couldn't help us finish everything, so we came home with some leftovers. I had their Mexican inspired coffee martini and loved it! All-in only $80 including tax and tip isn't bad for a fancy place like that as of March 2024!
Went here a few months ago for a birthday and we loved it. Good food, good vibes, great service, and they even gave the birthday boy a hand written cards and all the employees wrote alil something too. Great experience, highly recommend!
My search for perfect crunchy tacos has ended... their chicken and beef crunchy tacos are to die for. If you've been bitten by this bug, this is your cure. You're welcome.
We celebrated our anniversary along with our daughter's last night at this lovely restaurant. Our hostess Erica was very pleasant and professional and attended our needs and orders on time with a beautiful smile. The food was excellent. The ambiance was great. We cannot wait to go back there again in next few weeks. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who likes to have a delicious Mexican food and get the best service.
I've been to this Calo location numerous times since it opened late last year, and let me tell you it has not disappointed. The service is phenomenal, staff is always so cheerful and friendly, they make us feel at home every time. The apps and entrees are all tasty, flavorful, and well made. I'll keep coming back either way my family as often as possible whenever at South Coast. Jake is absolutely our favorite server and needs a raise STAT!!! Thank you Jake, you're a real, customer service oriented, gentleman.
Food portions are too small for their prices. I guess it goes with the community! When you live privilege in OC you don't care. That's another issue, but the food it's too expensive to eat there.
The food here is fine but nothing special. The host was super weird to us when we arrived for our reservation 15 minutes early and there was no one in the restaurant. He said that he would have to see if he could find a table for us early. (There was no one there). So that could use some improvement but otherwise it was a fine experience.
Very beautiful interior. Located inside the mall next to boudin. It is an upscale modern Mexican. There is a nice bar and different styles of seating. We ordered : shrimp ceviche which was fresh and tasty 7/10 - nothing amazing but solid Mexico City style quesadilla -9/10 these were really delicious and unique. They were almost like a mix between a dumpling and an empanada made with all the yummy cheese. Last we got the camarones de Al ojo which was good but there was not a lot of sauce and lighter plate. 7/10 Overall the ambiance is very beautiful along with great service and solid food. Drinks were very tasty and would definately good back to try out more dishes
I normally don't leave 3 star reviews. If I love or hate a place and think some comments are noteworthy I will write a review. I feel like this place is trying to be elevated Mexican cuisine. It's really hard to get a reservation. We tried almost a month in advance and had to eat at 4 pm. Yet nothing had any flavor. Our tortilla chips had maybe a single grain of salt each. The salsa was average. The "bean dip" was just plain mashed beans, no spices or seasoning. I ordered the shrimp and lobster enchiladas. There was maybe one piece of lobster in there. It had some weird sweet sauce on it though. It came with standard refried beans out of a can with no flavor and a little cheese on it and plain white rice, also with no spice or flavor. Why do we need to spend so much money and eat at 4pm when we can go anywhere and get the same or better food in SoCal?
Restaurantji Recommends
Tried this restaurant for the first time. The halibut tacos were a but dry but I'll give the ambiance 10/10. Our waiter Lalo was great! He made sure I was taken care of due to the dry halibut. Lalo was patient, kind and attentive. You ROCK LALO!!! Thanks
This is a great restaurant for a special occasion. Since we were a larger party we were seated out on the heated patio, but the bar seating also looked super cute and perfect for date night. The food, service, and ambiance - all amazing, no complaints. I got to try several things on the menu, and I don't think there was a single thing I disliked. The complimentary chips, salsa and bean were constantly being refilled by our amazing server. The only thing I would do different next time is not to order the ceviche appetizer, since the portion is way too tiny for the price. That being said, we left absolutely stuffed and with tons of leftovers.
The staff, ambience and food at this restaurant are all amazing! Mom and I went to South Coast Plaza planning to eat dinner at another restaurant and ended up eating here instead. And we are SO glad that we did! Mark and Kyra made our experience absolutely amazing! They were attentive, friendly, and very funny! We will definitely be eating here again! Also, the churros were SO GOOD!
Mall dining elevated to a grand scale just when Malls are scaling back. Here it is. The architectural elements and design are smart, sophisticated, and dramatic if you need all that to enjoy great Mexican food. Of course you do, it's South Coast. The space is open and breezy yet with the guest's comfort in mind. It's as cool as the first morning breeze at the beach. In fact, it's like being in the prettiest part of Puerto Vallarta only without flies, thugs and Lower G. I. issues. Calo is a perfect spot to plop under a Palapa after a grueling afternoon at Bulgari and Chanel. Heaters are embedded into the ceiling with fans to waft the warmth over patrons overheated from enthusiastic eating. The place is huge and it's packed every night. A large horseshoe Bar anchors the main dining room along with a massive Fire Pit suitable for slipping your Marriage Certificate into while celebrating your recent Dissolution. That explains the crowd crowding around the Pit. Plus there is a small hidden Bar in the far reaches of the dining area. And there are a few intimate dining rooms sprinkled around the restaurant in case you're planning on proposing and taking another run at bliss with your new miss. The Bar: Duh, Tequila forward. A few shots and you'll become more forward too. Mexi-craft Beers on Draft, and Mexcal to make you skip and go naked through the Mall. A short but tight Wine List rounds out your sobriety check check list. My Cadillac Marg had Reposado plus Sweet and Sour and was fuerte como el Toro. Once I swizzled the rocket fuel lurking at the bottom of the Highball glass, the beast calmed itself and did its duty. Made feel good. If you must have a Kir Royale I bet your server can walk the Bar Tender through it with Google's help. The Staff: Trying...in a good way. Attentive knowledgeable, nice people dedicated to making your dining experience nice. Nice. So, make that trying and succeeding. Bella was lovely and totally professional. Having finished my Caddy and quickly dispatched the first basket of Chips with Salsa Fresca, and warm Frijoles Negros I re-visited the ample menu and tried not to order with my eyes which is always a recipe for an error be it dining out or online dating. Out comes the second basket of chips. (They do have salsa por la gente (read hot if you want red hot). This stuff was molecular acid that will drip through the hardwood table, your shoes and the subway tile floor on it's way to China. Be warned. Were the chips as good as Superior Market? Nope. But they are the best commercial chips the hip will like. They are. Three baskets says that's true. The Food: This kitchen can bring it. I am a sucker for a Caesar done correctly. This version was very, very good. Start here. The Smokey Caesar had chopped Romaine laced with just the right amount of serious creamy Adobo Dressing. The kitchen added halved fresh tiny Tomatoes, Bacon Bits, and Queso Fresco (that hadn't been recently recalled as I recall), Crispy Onions and Avocado made this a terrific Salad. It was Interesting and perfectly composed and balanced. Plus it kept me from ordering the Queso Fundido con Chorizo which doesn't appear on any Internist's preferred diet. Although maybe it should as sometimes you just have to say WTF. Thank you Risky Biz. The Pollo Serrano made me nervous as I thought the heat might be relentless. It wasn't. I was still reeling from the Flame Throwin' Salsa with the Chips. The Habanaro Salsa won't blister your lips, it will burn'em off. The Chicken Breast was laid to rest under a reservoir of Serrano Crema, topped with a tangle of Caramelized Onions, a charred Poblano Pepper spread eagle over more Frijoles Negros and a perfect Avocado fan. I'm a fan now. The mound of White Rice was, well, a mound of White Rice but good for some sopping so there was a purpose to it other than filling the plate. The Chicken Breast flirted with being a touch dry but it was just a quick wink. The Sauce was a generous pour and all in all this was the ri
From the start, I enjoyed the ambiance. It takes you out of the mall environment and puts you inside a coastal Mexican vacation dining spot. Right off the bat we had quick and friendly service and that continued. They were even able to get me a basket of gluten free chips separately. My friend has the short rib enchilada and I had the quinoa salad with salmon. Both were really good tasting and presented attractively. Overall a good experience and good food, I would go back!