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Descanso - Standard Dining, Costa Mesa, CA

Descanso - Standard Dining

4.6
4.6
588 Reviews
$30 and under
Mexican

Make a reservation

2 people
11:00 PM
Booked 12 times today
  • Great for happy hour
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for creative cocktails
THIS PAGE IS FOR OUR STANDARD DINING TABLES ONLY. For reservations at our Plancha Tables (Where the Chef Cooks at Your Table), please search for DESCANSO PLANCHA DINING on Open Table or call us at 714.486.3798

Descanso is a modern taqueria in that it celebrates authentic Mexican flavors and recipes executed in a lively setting that brings in the smells, sounds and energy of a busy Mexican town.

Types of Dining at Descanso:

PLANCHA
At a Plancha Table, you will receive an intimate experience with our Planchero Chefs. This is a multi-course menu where your meal is cooked in front of you at your table! Please go to our DESCANSO PLANCHA DINING page in order to book for this experience online.

STANDARD DINING
Make a reservation here for our indoor dining room or patio.

TACO BAR
The Taco Bar (Counter) is an a la carte version of the Plancha Experience where one of our chefs cooks in front of you at a counter top.

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR BAR
Bar Top Seating indoor and patio
Private dining

Private dining

Book your next event with us

View details

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Contemporary Mexican, Dining Bar
  • Hours of operation
    Mon 3:00 pm–9:00 pm Tue–Thu 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri 11:30 am–10:30 pm Sat 11:00 am–10:30 pm Sun 11:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Plenty of Parking right in front of the Restaurant.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Jose Angulo
  • Delivery & takeout

Offers

  • Happy Hour

    Multiple dates available
    Mon - Fri - 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
    Our Amazing Happy Hour is From 3pm-6pm Monday Through Friday $4 Beers $5 Wines $6 Margaritas $3-$8 Appetizers

    Happy Hour Photo
  • Wine Wednesday!

    Multiple dates available
    Wed - 11:30 AM - 9:00 PM
    $5 OFF WINES BY THE GLASS, SPECIALS ON SELECTED WINE BOTTLES, LIVE MUSIC AND NO CORKAGE FEES… EVERY WEDNESDAY! Listen to adored resident musicians each Wednesday as they play acoustic Latin hits and modern favorites with a Latin twist. Music Starts at 6pm! Make a Reservation Today!

What 588 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • North Orange County

    Mexican

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Descanso - Standard Dining offers "exceptional service and food," creating memorable experiences for families and friends. Patrons appreciate its "delicious food," "fun atmosphere," and "great birthday celebrations." While some note service inconsistencies, the vibrant ambiance and flavorful dishes, especially tacos and margaritas, make it a neighborhood favorite worth visiting.

588 Reviews
  1. Sumi VIP

    Los Angeles15 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food is always delicious, and we had a lovely server. Unfortunately, I don't know what her name is!!

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  2. OpenTable Diner VIP

    Orange County7 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    $2 for each small pico de gallo sides is bizarre especially when server doesn’t mention it. Overall the place was pretty good but pricing is def a bit much for what you get

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  3. Tim

    Orange County2 reviews

    2.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    The best way to describe the quality of the service this time is like being served by a busser at Denny’s. I think he was the bartender. He wasn’t busy bartending at noon, but maybe he just didn’t like having to be assigned a table in the restaurant. The food tasted great, but I got really tired of having to spit out chewy inedible bits of beef. I have been to Descanso many times but this was experience was a huge letdown. Was it a one-off or a sign of decline, that the restaurant is taking its customers for granted? No way to tell.

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  4. Doris

    Orange County4 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food here is actually quite delicious, love their tacos. And the guacamole is outstanding - we always get it. And they have nice selection of drinks.

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  5. Michael VIP

    Orange County21 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    The service was poor. Had to wait for glasses, and about everything we asked for was forgotten and we had to bother other staff to get what we needed. At the end of the day, this was for my sons birthday dinner and there were 12 of us. I wouldn't suggest this place for a party over 4. We have visited many times, and have always loved the creative and delicious dishes, but this time the place went downhill. The soup was cold, the food was a little above average and it was overall not a great experience.

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  6. Joyce

    Los Angeles27 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a relaxing time celebrating my long time friend's birthday. She was surprised with the Birthday dessert which made the meal festive. Food and service was excellent. Looking forward to dining here again.

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  7. Crystle

    Orange County16 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    I love the food here. My only issue is that I’m never sat right away when I have reservation. I always wait at least 20 minutes to get seated.

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  8. Barbara VIP

    Los Angeles31 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were celebrating a birthday and you made it fun! Food was delicious and well priced.

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  9. Lindsay VIP

    Palm Springs1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was amazing. The flavors had so much depth. Best Mexican food I have ever had. And the service was great. Everyone was so lovely.

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  10. Loren

    Orange County7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We will return again and again after discovering this neighborhood favorite. Thank you!

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FAQs

Descanso - Standard Dining offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (714) 486-3798.

Descanso - Standard Dining is rated 4.6 stars by 588 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
11:00 PM
Booked 12 times today
Google Map for Descanso - Standard Dining

1555 Adams Ave, Suite 103, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Contemporary Mexican, Dining Bar
  • Hours of operation
    Mon 3:00 pm–9:00 pm Tue–Thu 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri 11:30 am–10:30 pm Sat 11:00 am–10:30 pm Sun 11:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Plenty of Parking right in front of the Restaurant.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Jose Angulo
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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