Playa Mesa

Reviews

• Abbie G.

  star star star star star 20 June 2026

  Favorite shrimp enchiladas and horchata in all of OC. Maybe even all of So-Cal.
  
  Make sure to take advantage of their yelp reservation feature! It works wonderfully on short notice, too.

• Jeff P.

  star star star star_border star_border 14 June 2026

  Nice area and spot.
  Interior decor was nice and update to date.
  Hosts were welcoming.
  
  Bartenders were a bit not tentative, rarely any eye contact, follow up, and totally forgot to provide utensils. How am I going to eat my salad?
  
  Ordered the battered fish tacos which were mediocre. Nothing wow about this and needs extra sauce. No hot sauce were given on the side. Had to request for some. 3/5
  
  The allagash white beer was probably the best thing that night lol
  
  Definitely service needs to be more tentative and focused on every single customer need and expectations.

• Jameson K.

  star star star star star 11 June 2026

  What a great place to get high quality Mexican cuisine.
  Was there last night with my sweetie and shared the Carnitas plate and the House Salad (see food photos delivered by our amazing server Scarlet). The preparation of these dishes is fantastic. We always order a "fatty cut" of the carnitas - and the wait staff knows how to make it happen - and it's full of juicy slippery goodness - it's soooo tender with a nice salty bark on the meat too. The salsa verde cruda that comes with it is just the right amount of chili limey sweetness. Handmade corn tortillas just like mom makes. OMG!!!! The signature salad is extremely refreshing and good. It has a house made orange vinegarette, with 5 large grilled shrimp, tossed with arugula, candied walnuts, orange sections and crispy whisps of what I think are fried onion. A smear of ricotta cheese on the rim of the bowl is the perfect counterpart to the sweet citrus and the arugula pepperyness. We like the shrimp just cooked rather than charred on the grill, and the Waiters always deliver on our request (Juan G. Is another favorite professional there). There are plenty of smaller options at this place whether you go for the Fish Tacos or even my favorite starter like the scallop ceviche appetizer -- too good to describe, must experience.  The bar is the centerpoint of the place and the drink menu proves it. I normally just drink Anejo Tequila neat, but I really love their spicy cucumber margarita rimmed with Tajin. And when I ask them to go easy on the Agave sweetness they do it just right and save me the calories. And lots of drink specials like  $6 margaritas all day on mondays.
  All in all, this is a great place. Great food, drinks, servers, menu and ambiance.
  I hope it keeps its vision strong and fresh. Go here and support this place, and fill you belly with really good stuff.

• Isabel S.

  star star star star star_border 31 May 2026

  Beautiful restaurant, aesthetically pleasing and very housewives dinner party vibes. I came for brunch and 10:30 and there was zero wait which is unheard of on a Sunday Morning. Soon after it started to get pretty full. The bar is fully stocked and the drinks are insta worthy. The food is perfectly plated and I was impressed by the flavor. Although it might be more Americanized, it was 10x better than your average Acapulco. Prices are average about $30 pp with an alcoholic drink and a main dish. Chips and salsa are complimentary and the salads are authentic. I asked for a side of spicier salsas and was given Chile de aceite and an habanero sauce.

• Roxy M.

  star star star star star 29 May 2026

  Playa mesa was incredible! My new favorite Mexican food place and excellent service, Scarlett was one of the best servers I've ever had, she was so attentive and helpful throughout the evening! Best fajitas I've ever had and incredible chocolate lava cake and margaritas, guac and salsa! My first impression is based on a place's guac and salsa, And it only got better from then on, with the delicious steak fajitas, sauces, and perfect lava cake. I'm very interested with fresh and premier quality of food and they nailed it