Caló Kitchen + Tequila - Costa Mesa

March 2025Food ~ Delicious! The chips, salsa & bean dip is so good. Service ~ Awesome.. our server was happy, friendly & knowledgeable.Ambiance ~ We had a booth across from the bar so that was fun to be in the bar but the comfort of a booth, it was also in an enclave so we could have good conversation and not to much noise.

Holy guacamole! This place is good! If I could eat a plate of their seafood enchiladas every day, I would! These beauties were stuffed with the most perfectly seasoned shrimp and crab, smothered in a creamy, cheesy sauce that made my taste buds danced! And let's talk about the margaritas. THE. MARGARITAS. One sip and I was convinced I could salsa dance (spoiler: I can't dance). They're strong enough to make you forget your worries but smooth enough that you'll happily order another... and maybe another.The vibe? Festive. The service? Friendly and attentive. The food? So good I considered licking the plates.10/10, will be back--probably still dreaming about those enchiladas.

I went here with my mother-in-law and some of her friends for a birthday dinner which was unfortunately somewhat ruined by the server, Bella. Upon arrival, Bella, was incredibly rude and condescending when speaking to us. She asked how many and when we told her 7, she threw the tablet down on the stand and said "I'm gonna need to figure out where to put you" and stormed off. Another server, Britney came to asked us if we needed help and she said she had a table for us. When Bella got back to the stand she was arguing with Britney about where to seat our party. Bella finally sat us at a table. As we walked through the restaurant, we noticed it was almost completely empty and this was at 4:30pm. Bella informed us that she would be our waitress and slammed the menus down on table and stormed off. Bella took our order and as my mother in law was ordering, she cut my mother in law off and said in an incredibly condescending tone "are you asking me?" To which I replied "no. She's ordering her food". After Bella took our order, we were informed that we would be getting a new waitress as Bella was going home for the night. Isabella was our new server and she was wonderful. As we continued our meal, Britney was serving another table close by and every time she would walk by, she would stare at our table. Our conversations between one another were in Spanish and it appeared that was an issue due to her staring problem with us as the night went on. It is unfortunate that Bella had such a sour attitude and was not pleasant to our party from the very beginning. She ruined the mood for us and made the dinner less enjoyable. The food was decent but not worth the high prices. I feel like it was mediocre. The short rib enchiladas were dry and the meat was tough for being short ribs. Overall, I do not think I will be back to dine here due to the poor service and poor attitudes of the staff. While Isabella was great, Bella was not a great first impression of the establishment and Britney was not much better.

Austin our server was fantastic! 5 for service!Ambience is cool. Indoor and outdoor seating.Parking lot is decent size and alternate parking when crowded.Chips salsa and bean dip is delish.Watermelon salad with HUGE shrimp added was delish. Beef tacos served fajita style was good too. Cool spot. Food was barely a 4 for me though. Nothing extra special but good flavor.

First time coming to this restaurant and it was a great experience. We didn't try any of their appetizers this time, but we hope to try them during our next visit. They provide you chips and salsa to start off with a side of refried beans, all delicious. We ordered a spicy margarita and a blueberry margarita both well-made. As for our food choices, we went with recommendations provided by our great waiter. Both the shrimp and meat were delicious! The restaurant itself is beautiful inside, lots of tables and not too loud where you can't speak to one another. Definitely look forward to coming here again and trying more of their wonderful food .

This restaurant is located at one of the entrance to southcoast. Parking is in front and valet parking is available as well. Went here on a date so my date already made reservations ahead of time. However when we arrived, I didn't see anyone waiting so I don't think the wait would be very long even without a reservation. I really like the vibe of the restaurant. We went for dinner and was seated in a booth. Lots of room to move around. It didn't feel cramped at all even though there were several large parties around. Our waiter was very nice and knowledgeable not only about the menu but also drinks as well. I don't really drink alcoholic drinks but my date and the waiter had an extensive conversation about which drinks to pair with what dish, which I find interesting. I had the salmon and it was very filling! No complaints about the food at all.I would love to come back here for brunch to see how the restaurant is during the day! I enjoyed my experience here.

I took my best friends here to celebrate a birthday, they both drove down from Fullerton on a very rainy night. We were given the best booth in the restaurant (my opinion), and Myra, the on duty Manager was wonderful! She was so kind, and accommodating from tying up my balloons, arranging the flowers on the table, and she introduced me to our server, Hillary. When my friends arrived, a few minutes late due to traffic with the rain, she escorted them to the table, wished my friend a Happy Birthday, and told them to enjoy their dinners.My BD friend is a real Mexican food connoisseur, and she was so impressed with the first rate decor, Hillary, our server, and the dish, Chicken Tostada, which she said has become hard to find on menus anymore. I had the Crab & Lobster enchiladas, which were excellent, and my other friend had the Skirt Steak Picado, which he almost licked his plate he said it was so good.I made a reservation to bring some 8 friends here for the 2nd year in a row for Valentine's Day. This is one of the best Mexican restaurants I've ever gone to, and I'm not a real fan of Mexico food, so it has to be exceptional! But, it's not just the food here, it's the beautiful decor with the fire pits lit, and most important the service and accommodating manager Myra, was outstanding!!!! Thank you for making me look good for my choice tonight.

We have been here numerous times and have taken friends and family. Each time it has been a great dining experience with delicious food in a beautiful space. Last night was no different. It was a very busy Saturday night and we had to make reservations. We waited just a bit but that was to be expected because the place was buzzing. Our family was served by Natalie and she was fantastic. Her presence made it a memorable dinner. It really shows how excellent service can make or break a dining experience no matter how delicious the food. She was on top of it even with how busy the restaurant was. Our water was topped, our chips and dips were switched when low, she checked in at the right times to make sure we had everything we needed but wasn't overbearing. The food was excellent and she brought out plenty of boxes for leftovers along with items to bag up chips and dip. I haven't had such great service in a while and this was comparable if not exceeded nicer restaurants like The Ritz. We walked away impressed and very happy with our meal. The food (amazing every single time) and ambience (a variety of seating styles that are all very comfortable and stylish) is always great here, but the service definitely made this meal. Thanks to Natalie and the wonderful staff for always making it so we are looking forward to coming back.

MARK was an amazing server!! The food was fantastic but the service was exceptional!! Highly recommend Calo Kitchen. Thank you Mark for making our experience so great!! We will definitely come back and ask for you personally!!! .

Absolutely LOVE this place! From the moment you walk through the door the staff makes you feel like you're family. The ambience is wonderful and the food is second to none! This has become one of our go-to places to eat for all types of occasions. The staff all went above and beyond to make the experience memorable, but then their General Manager, Jacob Migliaccio, came to the table and really put a bow on the whole trip! He talked to us all and it felt like we knew him for years! thank you all for such a great experience!!!