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Our Latest Reviews
ZUNI TOSTADA
This tostada is incredible. ❤
Wheat Chicken
My all time favorite. I drive over 20 miles to eat one of these and have for many years.
Beer Battered Fish Taco
I love this place! Their food is to die for. My favorites are the tacos. The hardest thing is to decide which ones to get when I go there. Fish tacos are awesome, chicken ones, and then we have the cloud nine. All amazing! Their salsas are fresh and flavorful. The staff has also always been friendly and helpful. Atmosphere is great as well.
TAQUITOS
Pork taquitos! Yum!!! Everything we have tried at Caliente is so good but you definitely have to try the taquitos and make sure to get it with rice and beans! You will not be disappointed no matter what you order. We drive Over 40 miles just to eat here and always look forward to coming back.
Healthy Rellenos
Caliente is our favorite spot for Mexican food! My two favorites are their Blue Moon Salad (which is a favorite to order for a weekend lunch when friends come over) and their Healthy Relleno! It is fresh and also it is not breaded and fried (hence the "healthy" part!). I especially love that I can order it with Caliente's sweet corncake!
Fiesta Burrito Bowls
This is my FAVORITE dish here... well, also the Blue Moon Salad! But this bowl is BOMB... it has everything and the sauce is so good! It's big, so you can share or save for the next meal.
Rajas
The Raja salad is the perfect way to eat my favorite Mexican in a healthy way! I love the mango (always spot on ripe!) combined in there with the most delicious dressing. And it's a large offering so I usually can share it with my husband along with a taco or two. Nice job, guys!
Mazatlan Mahi Mahi
This is one of the best items: it's served warm with a delicious sauce (I get it on the side for dipping), has a slight crunch with jicama inside & really, it's perfect. The sauce is so intriguing! I have yet to tire of this burrito (Martha was floored when I came in & ordered something different.....after 3-4 months, no lie).
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 :)
WOW CHICKEN TACO
The best tacos in town! My favorite is the Wow Chicken Taco. The chicken is so good. Caliente is one of the only places we can eat that all five of my kids are happy. Family favorite!!!
Chicken Fajitas
Caliente is the best Mexican spot in Newport hands down. Their fajitas are unrivaled and made with organic ingredients and quality oil. 🖤🖤
Fiesta Burrito Bowls
Every single time, the fiesta bowl with chicken. Soooo good!!! I would highly recommend this.
Fiesta Burrito Bowls
I get the fiesta burrito bowl with mahi mahi every time I come here and it is my favorite dish by far. Never fails, always amazing. You will not regret it.
Healthy Rellenos
I can't resist ordering the Healthy Relleno every single time I call or enter Caliente ! The huge unbattered chile oozes with its tasty cheese filling, and is surrounded by rice and beans and a dollop of sweet corn cake if you order the plate! It has been my fave ever since they opened ! Try it; you'll love it !
Bean and Cheese Burrito
Legit my favorite burrito in SoCal! I'm obsessed! I drive from Long Beach to get this burrito and hit the delicious salsa bar - it's THAT good
Healthy Rellenos
My favorite Relleno anywhere!! Great salsas & awesome & friendly service!! Caliente is the kind of local eqtery you hope to have in your neighborhood!!
Fiesta Burrito Bowls
The chicken fajitas is my absolute favorite dish from here! The chicken is always cooked to perfection and the overall dish is filling, yet making you crave more!
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!
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