Appointment Trader
Search 
Sign In
Developers
How It Works
Get into Vaca Costa Mesa! 🔥
Chat
Buyer Protection
Option to Cancel
Alias Check-In
Upload Your Reservation Now
10 users watching
Vaca Costa Mesa Reviews
Sat at the counter for lunch and ordered a bunch of tapas.
Quick, clean, easy and delicious. The tapas are unique and small so you can have a variety and not get too full.
I visited Vaca for a friend's birthday and had a decent
I visited Vaca for a friend's birthday and had a decent experience. We were seated outside pretty quickly and had menus in our hands right away. It was a nice evening and the sun was blocked by the bush hedges they have around the outdoor seating area. We ordered drinks and a couple dishes to share. FOOD: Overall the food was good but the portion sizes are small. For the price you're paying, I was hoping for a slightly larger portion. The actual taste and quality of the food is a strong 4.5/5.0 though so come for the taste but not to get filled. The little dessert that they brought out for our friend's bday was a 3 out of 5. Kinda dry. SERVICE: The service was very slow. All night it took forever to place orders and/or get anything we needed. At one point it felt like we were forgotten in our little corner. When we were trying to get out of there and just pay the bill, they pressured us slightly to get dessert off their menu. Summary: I would only go back if I made a lot more money and planned to be there for a couple hours.
Their tapas are good but we went here for steaks and its
Their tapas are good but we went here for steaks and its overpriced and over rated. The steak was cold and when I asked to reheat it they just turned it into well done and it was still cold.
How disappointing.
Vaca used to be one of our favorite restaurants in OC but after our recent visit, we won't be returning. The deconstructed pan con tomate was mediocre, the seafood dishes (seabass and scallops) were too salty and didn't have the right flavor especially the green curry that accompanied the scallops. The only two dishes that were Ok were gambas al ajillo and La bola. We also tried the cauliflower side dish which had too much tahini mixed in and the steak which was mediocre (the sauces that accompanied were awful- not true chimichurri and the red sauce was inedible.) Sigh... then the cocktails. We ordered two cocktails and two glasses of wine. One of the cocktails was the pacific coast fog. They served the drink less than half full with a big whiskey ball inside. Where's the rest of it?? The service was severely lacking too. Our server kept disappearing and we had to flag him down several times to order more food and drinks. So long Vaca, thanks for the memories but we won't be back.
First n last time..
First time here. Don't waste money. Fancy looking exotic dishes. With no food on the plate.. Think your chicken. These chefs make these dishes .where's the beef or did they have mom show how to cook. Verses chef school..They have alot liquor I guess to chase food down..
Best Spanish restaurant I've ever tried.
All their tapas is a MUST try along with their paella.
Love this spot for shared plates! So many to choose from
Love this spot for shared plates! So many to choose from with some definite must haves. Right next to Segerstrom Center for the Arts - a perfect pre-show dinner spot. We didn't have paella tonight as we were a smaller group. The sin alcohol drinks are worth trying.
Loved the food here! Ambience is nice.
Smaller than I expected. They have a parking structure and you can get validation from the restaurant. Service is good here. They are attentive. We ordered some cocktails which were ok. Food here is Spanish style small dishes and it's a-little more on the pricey side for the amount of food but the taste is there. We got the New York steak which was good. The croquettes were also tasty and the Brussels sprouts had like a sweet balsamic glaze. Would come back for a birthday event.
A visit to celebrate a birthday.
They will seat you as soon as the entire party arrives. No problem! We'll wait at the bar and start with an Apertivo! That was a fortuitous decision. While we were perusing the cocktails menu, the bartender was busy mixing up a carajillo. I'll take me of those! Ooh, a new favorite! The wait staff were friendly and knowledgeable. The bar staff were also helpful and friendly. My favorites of the meal were: Pan con tomate. Deconstructed. I was apprehensive when I first saw this places in our table. Pan con tomate is always a must order for me at a Spanish resto. My apprehension quickly turned to glee! Love this deconstructed version! I would've been happy just eating this and the jamon iberico! Jamon Iberico de belota. So good! The jamon is carved tableside. I could've eaten the whole plate on my own but I had to share! We also ordered paella and steak. Those were good, too. However, they did not stand out in my mind and palate the way the pan con tomate and the jamon iberico did! Enjoy!
The services is extremely attentive.
The oxtail was so tender. I loved the artichoke and the Brussel sprouts. The chicken croquettes were not my favorite. The tomato bread was missing something that I was hoping would bring me back to Spain. It's definitely worth a visit to experience something new
Starting off the service is to die for.
It was very professional and courteous that really allowed us to enjoy a nice weekend dinner out. They were very helpful in explaining the various options and allowed us to really have an awesome time. Our table got seated outside, it was pretty chilly though even with the outdoor heaters on so I would say for dinner try and get an inside table. The whole place was kept very clean and tidy as well. Moving onto the food. It's great and is pretty tasty. I definitely would say this place is try once and never come back though because even though I understand it's a more bougie kind of establishment, I feel as if there are better places. The food was great though, but as expected the portions are small yet expensive. I would recommend if you want to try this certain cuisine but otherwise, be ready to leave not full. Also they do have an additional 3% surcharge that you can ask to get removed. Strange how they can't just pay their workers more instead of adding a surcharge. I really dislike surcharges so this was kind of a strike for me as well.
Watch out for extra 3% charge on tab
First, i dont believe it’s Michelin Star rated. Very crowded and noisy large restaurant. Inside tables way too close to other guest tables. I coul hear every conversation with the other table. Sat down and presented with paper menus. No chips, bread or anything to munch on. I ordered a Mr. Roboto and didnt even get a slight buzz so didnt reorder. Our tapas were tasty but small. Then ordered a paella for $61. It was a nice portion but overall the food was on salty side. Would have stayed longer but i felt like people next to us were sitting at our table again. Got the check and there was a 3% surcharge bc of overall costs but is not added if take out or online ordering . I asked wait staff if they get any of the 3% and was told no but i could decline the 3%. The 3% goes to the back of the restaurant, ie cooks. But cooks etc, cook for inhouse, pickup and online. So if you pay 3% that 3% is compounded and increased to total so the 3% is now taxed at 15, 18 or whatever % you tip. Makes no sense. Instead of doing it add 50 cents or $1.00 to each dish. The place is not cheap in the first place so why piss off customers. Just a silly game to play. Prob won’t return
In my opinion, this was a five star evening.
The ambience was great. Sitting outside on the back patio was lovely. Our servers Cat and Marco were excellent. My water glass was never empty. We had helped from Cat making choices on items to eat and how to spread out the meal. One tapas plate was better than the next. Hard to choose which was better. They were all amazing. There was only one glass of wine which was a Tempranillo and it was good. Now for the food, we started with five cheeses, manchego, Cabrales, Cabra, Al Romero, and Cana de Cabra. We then had the bikini sandwich, and Albondigas de Wagu which were unbelievable. Then for my favorite bone marrow. It was outstanding. We had the frisé put on the side not on top. And the brussels sprouts with the sherry. Gastreich and chorizo was excellent. It was my birthday, and they gave us a delicious butter cake, and we ordered churros with chocolate, which was great. I would recommend this to anybody!!
Fabulous!!!!!! Everything on the menu was sooooo good.
Favorite restaurant in OC! The staff was also super helpful and nice.
Pricey but delicious.
Food is real good and service is friendly and fast. Ambiance is great.
I only go here once in a while because the menu items are a
I only go here once in a while because the menu items are a bit expensive, but when I do go, boy do I like to splurge. I enjoy how some of the menu items change seasonally, but some still remain the same due to their popularity (and rightfully so). I love to get 4-5 small plates to try and sometimes I get their seafood paella depending on who I'm with. I honestly forgot the actual names of each of the items, but I ordered a Vaca tonic, egg and uni toast, wagyu meatballs, steak and tuna tartare, albacore tataki, pork belly, and tres leches. I loved the meatballs and tartare the most. The tonic was quite strong this time around, so I'd say the way they make their drinks is inconsistent. The albacore and pork belly were a bit disappointing, as the albacore's sauce was too overwhelming and the pork belly was tough. I liked their uni and egg toast, but they skimped out on the uni this time around :/ Their tres leches was good; nothing that wowed me, but you can't go wrong with it. The waiters are always so hospitable and friendly!! I have no complaints with their service. They also seat me right away, even when I arrive earlier than my reservation times. I'm always a sucker for interior design so I really liked the layout of the restaurant. I do think it is a bit snug, as there's nowhere to really stand if you do need to wait for a table, but it only gets like that during weekend dinners. I definitely say it's worth going at least once (but don't be surprised when the bill comes out high). For the most part, their quality matches the price and I'd go back again.
Nice tapas and good paella, great for pre-theater dinner!
Nice tapas and good paella, great for pre-theater dinner! Located by the arts complex the restaurant offers valet and plenty of self-parking in the structure across the street (with validation). Some tapas are definitely smaller than expected like the Jamon but the paella (we had the paella de pescado) was a good portion for two. There is both an inside (more moody) and a front and back patio (with heaters).
Immaculate.
The atmosphere. The food. The service. Everything was amazing, I definitely want to go back!
Tapas are delicious but the paella needs work.
Ambiance here is amazing and the service is excellent. I've come here a handful of times and have learned that in order to get the best experience, stick to the tapas. It's just a bit disappointing that a Spanish restaurant's paella needs work.
Really enjoyed the food here.
We shared some apps and had a paella. Only downside is there isn't much on the menu that is on the lighter side. Lots of meats and heavy dishes. That being said, everything we had tasted great.
This was my favorite restaurant until tonight.
Sadly, it seems the quality of the food and service has gone downhill. We ordered the oyster mushroom appetizer - it was overcooked and tough. Too bad. I brought it up to the waiter and he said that it was supposed to be like that. Then I ordered the skirt steak which I have usually really liked to the point that I've even ordered an extra one in the past. Tonight it lacked seasoning and was a bit chewy. My husband ordered the cordero (lamb), and that was overcooked and dry. One piece was like shoe leather tough. Again, the waiter said it was supposed to be cooked like that. My husband sent it back and ordered the strip steak but that also lacked seasoning like my skirt steak. For dessert I ordered the churros and chocolate. The churros were so overcooked they were literally hard and dry. I tapped them on the dish and then tried to break one in half but it wouldn't give. I called the waiter over, demonstrated, and he said they were supposed to be crunchy. Yeah, I said, that's true but they're not supposed to be rock hard. These were obviously overcooked. I told him to take them back and he said he would exchange them and then he made us wait about 20 minutes for a new batch. The new batch was fine but overly frosted with sugar (which I shook off) and there was no apology for the time delay. Our party of four waited for me to get my dessert after everyone was done. This was a very disappointing experience. I will not go back. So sad to see my once favorite restaurant become so mediocre. The chef de cuisine was drinking wine with some of his friends who were at the table next to us. Maybe he should've been paying more attention to detail in the kitchen. And for $300 I'd like to leave satisfied and happy, not disappointed. As I mentioned, this was our favorite restaurant and now I just feel like it's not worth going back at all.
The seafood paella here is out of this world good.
This place is hipster trendy but nice and cozy. Service can get a bit busy but what understandable since this place gets packed. Had my birthday meal here and I absolutely loved everything about it. Highly recommended!
Vaca is a breath of fresh air around Orange County.
They create beautiful, unique sharable dishes. Come and order a bunch and let everyone have a bite of each. Most of their plates are tapas style, so only a few bites, but they are wonderful. There are a few larger dish options but I feel like Vaca is at its best when you bring a group and have fun with all their smaller sharing plates.
$350.00, only to get food poising!
My son, daughter-in-law, and I dined at Vaca on October the 9th. We all shared an order Raba De Toro (oxtail), Canellone de Pollo Ahumado, the bikini sandwiches, a three cheese plate and then an order of the Seafood Pealla (de Mariscos). Everything tasted fine. The service was only OK, as the waiter never didn’t remember to order one of the other dishes that we ordered. With the tip, the bill was close to $350.00. Unfortunately, all three of us became quite ill starting around 2:00 in the morning. This continued well into the next morning. The next day I called the restaurant and spoke with their manager Brandon. He asked that i give him 24 to 48 hours to investigate what might have happened. Several days later he called and left a message on my voicemail. I returned that phone call and was simply told we looked at everything and we can't find anything that could have caused you to become ill, “We're very sorry”. I asked him if he thought that it was extremely odd that all three of us who shared all of the same dishes would become so ill from eating there. He said well we followed all of our protocols and there's nothing else I can do for you except to apologize. I truly expected that a restaurant of this caliber would offer more than a simple, wrote apology. I explained that it would be very difficult for us in good conscience to return to their restaurant, and he glibly said “do what you want to do”. Enough said, I can tell you that we won't return.
Nice dinner spot for couples
Had dinner here last night with my hubby. He said this is owned by a Top Chef and serves spanish cuisine which i have been craving for. We were promptly seated in the patio at the back even if we didn’t have reservations. Below are the food we ordered: Drink Sangria Rosa - 4/5 Pulpo - 4/5 flavorful but a little dry. They should’ve added more olive oil. Gambas- 5/5 very good with the right spice Vieras a la plancha (scallops) - 5/5 scallops was cooked well and taste was like thai curry Seafood Paella - 3/5 it was okey. I’ve tasted better. The Paella at Telerefic in Palo Alto is the best Ive tried here in California. The seafood was well cooked though. Churros con chocolate 3/3- i was looking forward to this. But the churros was overcooked so it was so hard and it was thickly coated in sugar which we had to scrape off. Spanish churros don’t have sugar coating. At least the chocolate tasted like the spanish chocolate that is not too sweet. Our server miguel was very amiable and checked on us regularly. The ambience was also nice. Parking is in the lot across Vaca and can be validated at the restaurant or you can do valet for $10.
Very Good but not Outstanding Tapas
My brother in law and I went to try this place, which is notorious for being booked, even mid week. We walked in at 6:30 and luckily found a table for two in the outside area in front of the restaurant. This was the perfect place since we were not blasted by the noise inside. We came to try the tapas. I suspect that the meat is excellent at this place, but we wanted variety, and I craved tapas with a good glass of wine. We had several tapas, each of them large or small enough to share, the carne crudo, gambas a la plancha, pulpo al la Gallego, patatas bravas, and a mixed cheese and jamon platter. The best was the carne crudo, a small stack of raw meat with egg salad on top. Next was the gambas, shrimp in a sauce that probably had vinegar in it, not the typical butter and herb sauce. The other tapas were not as exciting, especially the Fermin jamon, which was dry (I should have ordered a smaller portion and gone for the Cinco Jotas). The toasted bread that comes with each plate has a funny taste, which I could not identify. Vaca buys into the common misinterpretation of tapas outside of Spain. In Spanish bars, the tapas (or pintxos in Basque country) are right in front of you in a vitrine, and they are small and super affordable. They are also served within a minute, once you alert the person behind the bar. The entire setting encourages spontaneity and promotes socializing. Outside Spain, tapas are glorified mini dishes that are served with fanfare and cost a fortune, especially at Vaca. The wine list, when it comes to glasses and not entire bottles, is utterly unimpressive. We had a tempranillo, presumably from Rioja, a crianza and a reserva, but there was no further information in the wine list. Decent, but not outstanding wine. All in all, a nice experience, but this is a far cry from a Michelin star (even a one star) restaurant. Nothing here was super exciting, and so, the search for a decent tapas place in O.C. goes on.
Hmmm...want to waste your money? Come on down!
Wow! I mean, wow. How disappointing can a restaurant be? Forget the location and expectations for an amazing dining experience. I've cooked better steaks from Stater Bros and Vons hundreds of times since 2012 when we moved to 3400 Avenue of the Arts until today. Wow. Don't bother. Stay home and cook your own food.
Taste this, it's really good! I think you would just love
Taste this, it's really good! I think you would just love it. The cake turned out fine.
ServiceSolid with everyone.
Our server Catiosca was great and thorough - definitely trained well and overall helpful during a busy dinner hour.FoodThis was listed in the top 10 restaurants in OC. Lmao. I literally have profile picture of a dog getting hit in the face with a frisbee but understand depth of flavor. Canelon - 2/5. Most overrated food I've had in a while. Slightly too salty and sweet. Unbalanced. Mid depth of flavor. Paella - 2/5. Shrimp was tasty but a bit salty. Rest of the dish was bland and underseasoned. For $60 you'd think you'd get rice that had a good stock flavor. Just literally add some generic bouillon or something. Nope. Ultra bland and dry. Needed to add salt and pepper. Needs chili flake or a spicy sauce.House hot sauce - 1/5. There was ZERO spice on the paella so I got some of this. It was the worst hot sauce I've had in my life. Hilariously awful - just hits you straight in the face with tons of chili and doesn't give a f***. Unpalatable. $100 down the drain. Could get tons of delicious food in OC for this price.
A very solid spot for Spanish style tapas in Irvine! They
A very solid spot for Spanish style tapas in Irvine! They have a plethora of tapas to choose from so it can be a little intimidating! I'd highly recommend the La bola and one of the perfectly cooked steaks! Their speciality is the flame grilled cuts of steaks, so if you have a larger group, go with the house special. Dessert was also very good. Service was great and they timed out the courses perfectly. The restaurant is clean and modern! Would recommend coming here with a group of ppl to share some tasty tapas!
VACA total bill $480 (~$100 pp) As a self proclaimed steak
VACA total bill $480 (~$100 pp) As a self proclaimed steak connoisseur there was no doubt that I wouldn't get steak for my birthday. It's been an ongoing tradition for me to always get steak, this year we decided to go to VACA! I also went to Vaca last year for my one of my many birthday dinners but not for their steak... I went for their paella (scroll down to see my post from last year). I was definitely impressed by their selections of meats and their in house dry aging process Great spot for yummy steak, authentic tapas and paella! Service was super attentive and I loved how lively the ambiance of this place was! Super casual, but super classy Prime Ribeye Steak (aged 50+ days): Steak was so tender, juicy and flavorful! I loved how rich and deep the flavors were from the 50+ days dry aged process . You can really taste it. I wish we got it a little more medium rare as opposed to medium rare plus. 8.9/10 Prime Hanger: Super good hanger steak. Cooked so nicely and super tender. 8.7/10 Prime Skirt: This was so tender and juicy! Loved it! 8.7/10 Jamon Serrano Fermin: Loved the Jamon! So good. 8.6/10 Pan Con Tomate: How can something so simple taste so good? Who would have thought tomato pulp on bread with salt and olive oil could make me so happy. This was so simple but executed so well. It put a smile on my face. Bread could have been a little less toasted. 9/10 Bruselas: This was so flavorful! Perfect amount of acidity and sweetness! Loved the touch of chorizo in it. Brussel sprouts were crispy. 8.7/10 Brocollini a la Parilla: So good! Loved the manchego cheese sauce on top SO MUCH. Brocollini was also cooked so perfectly. 8.6/10 Calamares: I wasn't a fan of this. The calamari was super fresh, but the batter was a little too soggy. Flavors were mediocre. 6/10 Sorbet: This was the perfect end to the meal! It was so refreshing and all the flavors were so well executed. It had such an amazing texture and the perfect amount of sweetness to it. There was mango, blackberry and pear. My favorite was the mango. 9/10Churros: I wasn't a huge fan of this. It could have been more light and airy, it was too thick and heavy for my preference. Disneyland makes better churros imo. 5/10
Outstanding service and bartender knew exactly what how to
Outstanding service and bartender knew exactly what how to make my Bobby Burns. We appreciate the food having lived in Spain
Amazing.
Everything was on point. Can't wait to go back. Will definitely refer friends
Loved the ambiance.
Service was outstanding. To be able to choose you steak was awesome and the way they presented it all was exceptional. Drinks are great too. Can't wait to go back!
I am fairly new to this restaurant, but let me make it
I am fairly new to this restaurant, but let me make it clear that being a regular here is on my agenda. Every employee here made me feel extremely welcomed. The food is beyond phenomenal & I applaud the bartenders for the outstanding drinks. I felt right at home & I want to thank everyone for that. From the managers, to the chefs, bartenders, food runners, & hosts, I am beyond thankful for this experience. I don't need to mention names because everyone I talked to treated me with the utmost respect. - Jack
My son and I dined at Vaca, so he could get extra credit
My son and I dined at Vaca, so he could get extra credit for his Spanish class. It w a such a nice experience. Our waiter gave us great service. He was very kind and patient while my son ordered in Spanish. The food was so fresh and flavorful, truly authentic Spanish dishes. We loved the ambiance too.
I love Vaca and dine here whenever I'm attending a show at
I love Vaca and dine here whenever I'm attending a show at SCR or SCFTA. The ambiance is reminiscent of wonderful places in Spain and the food is delicious and consistently high-quality. The service is always wonderful as well! The bikini sandwich and hangar steak are menu favorites.
We’ll Worth the Trip
We stayed at the Westin across from the restaurant with no feeling either way about the restaurant. We were seated and ordered a few tapas along with the meat paella. We were not disappointed. Each dish was amazing.
Disappointed
I love this place but today 11/20 I came in at 9:30 pm and the valet guy was just rude asf, he said he didn’t wanna deal with me and to go park the car myself
Not good
They knew we were going to the theater. After 1 hour and 15 minutes, we still didn’t have our entrees. Had to leave. Not a good experience.
Good tapas bar
We came to the restaurant from a recommendation of friends. We enjoyed the excellent service from the staff, and their knowledge of the menu and wines. We ordered a variety of tapas that were well prepared, and the meat paella, which was a little over cooked and burnt at the bottom. It wasn’t particularly excellent. The tomato bread was a unique presentation with the bread and tomato sauce presented separately, and you have to add the sauce which is different than at Spanish restaurants, where they usually come already prepared. The prices are high relative to the food provided but overall it was a good experience with good but small type of presentations.
Connect with users posting reservations for Vaca Costa Mesa
AppointmentTrader is a community-driven platform where users can exchange their reservations or leverage their personal relationships with Vaca Costa Mesa. Buyers can make informed decisions using automated seller ratings, which reflect past transactions and reliability.
Each posting on AppointmentTrader shows you which user submitted it and along with that provides a trackrecord of that user which indicates how much experience
the user has and how many percent of their transactions resulted in them issuing a refund.
If there is no user posting that fits your schedule, you can bid on your preferred time.
Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to Vaca Costa Mesa at 6 PM the same day.
He checks the restaurant's website and sees that no reservations are available. He then looks at the Vaca Costa Mesa page on AppointmentTrader, but finds that there are no user postings either.
That's where the community-driven bid process comes in.
Peter can place a bid on AppointmentTrader, which serves as a reward for any community member who chooses to work on securing the reservation. AT then notifies experienced users who may be able to help.
Step-by-Step Process
1.) Setting a Reward (Bid)
* AppointmentTrader uses historical data to recommend a reasonable reward amount for securing a reservation - let's say $100.
* Peter really wants to go, so he increases the bid (or reward) to $200.
* At this stage, the reservation does not exist yet.
2.) A Community User Picks Up the Bid
* FluffyStar64, an experienced AT user, has a strong track record of successfully securing reservations and low refund requests, they receive a notification about Peter's bid.
* FluffyStar64 picks up the bid, meaning they will now work on securing the reservation.
* Peter can now talk to FluffyStar64 for any questions Peter may have as FluffyStar64 user fills the bid.
3.) Finding the Reservation
* FluffyStar64 now uses their connections at Vaca Costa Mesa to secure the table.
* If they successfully get the 6 PM table for four, Peter receives a confirmation that the reservation has been secured.
* If FluffyStar64 fails to secure the reservation, the bid is returned to the pool so another user can try.
4.) Payment & Protection
* Once the reservation is secured, FluffyStar64 receives the $200 reward which is credited to FluffyStar64's AT balance, where users manage their own funds and can withdraw via available payout options such as bank transfer, PayPal, or Zelle.
* Peter can now enjoy the dinner with his friends at Vaca Costa Mesa!
* As with all transactions on AT, disputes and no-show fees are handled through the platform's community-driven resolution system. Users with a strong track record are incentivized to fulfill bids successfully, and community members can report issues to maintain trust in the marketplace.
