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Our Latest Reviews
CARNITAS PLATE
OMG! Best carnitas I've ever had (and I order them a lot)! Tender and flavorful with the yummy, crunchy pieces too. Corn cake is UNBELIEVABLE. Makes a great dessert. Portion was huge - enough for another meal - and the price VERY reasonable. Will definitely be a customer for life!
CHICKEN GRILLED 8 Oz
So delicious, saucy orange sauce with Spinach ch salad was amazing!! A Thursday special must try!!
Corncake
Corncake is one of my favorite mexican foods, and Caliente does it right! Perfect consistency and perfectly sweet. Yum 😋
ZUNI TOSTADA
I love this it's so delicious. The tostada shell is always crunchy unlike other restaurants. Try it with steak and you'll experience a symphony of flavors! This will be your go to entree!
PANCHOS GRILLED AND ROLLED QUESADILLA
The Panchos quesadilla is one of the best quesadillas I've ever hadn't ! Perfect combination of chicken, cheese, avocado & more grilled perfectly
QUINOA SALAD
Love Love Love the Quinoa salad with chicken. The dressing gives that kick of deliciousness!
PAKA RICS
I just tried this place over the weekend, and tried a few "unique" items that I haven't seen from other similar restaurants. So far, I loved everything I ordered!
RANCHERO CRISPY TACO
I just tried this place over the weekend, and tried a few "unique" items that I haven't seen from other similar restaurants. So far, I loved everything I ordered!
Rajas
My coworkers and I all work one parking lot over and we all get so excited as a team to eat here! We'll come on our lunch break or order takeout and rave about it to everyone! The Rajas is my absolute favorite salad (with shrimp). The perfect mix of healthy + filling! I could eat this every day and I do haha!
BREAKFAST BURRITO
Sampled some of their deliciousness at at Newport Beach Boardriders event so I hit it up for a breakfast burrito. I was already stoked on the prices I was looking at and they substituted bacon for the chorizo and potatoes at no extra charge. Dawn was so hopeful and the servers were very well groomed and pleasant. Great atmosphere, love the hot sauce collection. Place is epic 6 stars out of 5,bursting over the top with flavor for such great prices. Blowing all my taco trucks out of the water. Thank you Caliente. Lo mejor, the best!!
Shrimp Enchilada
Shrimp enchiladas are the best also the Spinach enchiladas a must. Selected these items as part of our wedding menu. Heather is the best, she put an awesome menu together for us.
Rajas
The rajas chicken salad is quite possibly my favorite meal on the planet. I wish I knew how they made the chicken, it's so tender and flavorful and perfect. I recommend the salad and the restaurant to everyone I know :)
Rajas
Always always get the Rajas salad with chicken. It is bursting with flavor, mango, avocado, and the pepita dressing adds a nice LIGHT creamy flavor. It is the best! Its a big portion too so always full after eating this salad. We are ordering Caliente to cater my birthday this weekend and the Rajas salad will definitely be on the menu! :)
CARNITAS PLATE
I got this to go and was so happy once I got home because there is a ton of delicious food in this plate! The carnitas are wonderful with crispy edges, and the sides are plentiful and delicious. Great value and I definitely had leftovers for next day lunch!
CARNITAS PLATE
Quality meat and full of slow-cooked flavor!! This is my go-to meal...& the corn cake on the side is perfection!! Can't beat the amount of food for the price either.
CLOUD 9 TACO
Caliente is a secret spot for all residents of Eastside Costa Mesa. The Cloud 9 taco is so delicious! Exactly as the name implies, and really never had anything like it. And the carnitas tacos are the best around.
GRILLED FAJITAS PLATE
Caliente is an amazing gem - healthy, great ingredients, well made, fast and consistent! Our goto spot for the best Mex in Newport!
CALIENTE FLAUTAS
These flautas will be your new obsession! They are so delicious! The flavors are amazing!
BEER BATTERED FISH
We are having a wedding in in July 2019. Our venue has Caliente as one of their vendors. My Fiancé and I are trying Food from the all recommended catering vendors for our wedding. My fiance and I went to Caliente and it was awesome! The beer battered fish tacos and chicken tacos were delicious! Great food and great experience! Viva Caliente!
Blue Moon
This is the yummiest salad ever! The chicken is always perfection! You must try it!
Chicken Flauta
I am a homemade, organic cooking kind of person, so I rarely ever eat out. A friend helped me with some reupholstering and I took her to lunch! Wow The best thing I have ever eaten! I normally would never order Deep fried flauta's but thought I'd try the Tuesday special. I am so glad that I did! Crazy good! I Am blown away!
Cheese Enchilada
I truly enjoyed the cheese enchilada, it was tasty and full of cheese. I look forward to expanding my food selection choices next time. My favourite is carnitas - anything.
STREET TACOS: GRILLED CHICKEN
I honestly don't know what I was ordered but, I work at a HOA in new port and one of my residents brought me these delicious tacos. I drove from La Habra to Costa Mesa for this food... a few times
RANCHERO CRISPY TACO
Caliente is the best place we randomly found by mistake. We don't live close but we will now drive all the way out there just to eat! We have loved everything we have tried especially the crispy tacos and enchiladas! Yum! Beans and rice are good too and even their drink selections are great!
CALIENTE FLAUTAS
I love these chicken flautas! Nice and crispy with yummy dipping sauces! My favorite thing at Caliente!
Spinach Enchilada
Amazing food, staff, and pairing of flavors!
WOW CHICKEN TACO
I just tried this place over the weekend, and tried a few "unique" items that I haven't seen from other similar restaurants. So far, I loved everything I ordered!
PANCHOS GRILLED AND ROLLED QUESADILLA
I just tried this place over the weekend, and tried a few "unique" items that I haven't seen from other similar restaurants. So far, I loved everything I ordered!
Rajas
Do you like salads? Yes! Then the rajas salad is definitely he best salad ever! Don't like salads? Well you will after you try this one! Top it with chicken & your already amazing salad mixed with mango, bell peppers, avo & the best salad ever got even better!
SHRIMP QUESADILLAS
CALIENTE is catering our Wedding, Food is amazing, Heather was fantastic in helping arrange our menu. We can not wait Thank you so much
BREAKFAST BURRITO
I have tried many items at Caliente and it's always on point! Really friendly service, tasty, healthy food! I'll be there today!
NUEVO ALMOND
You wouldn't think a salad would be the dish to rave about but this one is! My husband of 6 years introduced me to Caliente when we were just boyfriend and girlfriend and have been making the trek from the IE ever since! I've tried to recreate the Nuevo almond salad at home but it's never as good as the real deal! Sweet mango dressing, crunchy candied almonds, warm flavorful chicken, peppers and pickled jicama!! OMG We still get so excited to come and eat lunch here and now our two kids gets to experience this yummy tradition with us!
Fajitas: Steak
I had the great pleasure of eating at Caliente today. It was my first time dining at the restaurant. I'm new to the area and heard great things about the food. Caliente did not disappoint. I ate the steak fajitas plate with black beans and salad. The steak was prepared perfectly, nestled with both onions and green bell peppers. I enjoyed the beans and appreciated the flavor. Finally, the side salad was accompanied with pepitas and a cilantro based Caesar dressing. I'm researching several restaurants in hopes of utilizing one for a large event next year. I was able to speak with the owner, Heather. She answered all of my questions and gave me a few great ideas. Needless to say, I will definitely be coming back for more yummy food. Perhaps I'll eat the spinach enchiladas on my next visit?¡Muchas Gracias Caliente!
Flautas
The flautas were PERFECT! Nice and light. Not too greasy. Lots of flavor. All of their salsas were incredible and the service was great!
Spinach Enchilada
Doesn't taste healthy! But it is! I order this every time I go to Caliente. It's like comfort food without all the bad stuff - super flavorful, melted cheese, yummy sauce. Even my kids love it.
Hacienda Black Bean
Always a great salad, the mushrooms and black bean relish are an awesome pair and are always good with the dressing (I've tried many times to recreate it at home). I usually add chicken and it always hits the spot. 10/10!
Spinach Enchilada
Oh my! How could I have loved in the neighborhood over a year without visiting Caliente Southwest Grill?! My new favorite restaurant in the OC. The spinach enchilada with beans and rice was so delicious, as was my friend's mahi mahi wet burrito. I'll be back soon, and again! Thank you for a quality presentation with great service at quick serve prices. You guys are amazing!
Blue Moon
The Blue Moon Chicken salad is a favorite of everyone I know, from friends, family to coworkers! The juicy chicken breast grilled to perfection tops a generous serving of romaine with fresh mango, apple, pepitas blue cheese, mushrooms and queso fresco, tossed with THE best dressing you have ever tasted! (My mouth is watering as I write this!) If you havent tried it, you dont know what you are missing!
PANCHOS GRILLED AND ROLLED QUESADILLA
Caliente is the best ! I have been eating here for years with my husband. He loves the cloud nine tacos and I love the pancho quesadilla or fish tacos, oh and the quinoa salad (depending on my mood). The salsas are fresh, the staff is great and basically we love everything about this place. My best friend has had you guys cater a few of her events and seriously the set up, arrangement of food and service has been excellent. Don't ever leave Costa Mesa !
CALIENTE FLAUTAS
Caliente Southwest has catered alot of our team lunches and the office Loves it! The food here is amazing and we just can't get enough! The Flautas are so delicious alongside the chipotle sauce!
PAST DRAWING WINNERS
February 2020
Coming Soon
January 2020
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December:
Alma, Karai Ramen Bistro
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November:
Courtney, Axe &Â Arrow
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October:
Andy, Backwoods Brewing Co.
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September:
Amanda, Home Restaurant
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August:
Jennifer, Mark's City Grill
Columbus, GA
July:
Rebecca, Frank Gourmet
Buffalo, NY
June:
Donna, Dino's Sports Bar
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May:
Karen, This Little Pig
Amherst, NY
April:
Alicia, Plant Based Pizzeria
Atlanta, GA