
A few weeks ago I was invited with some friends to check out the Happy Hour Menu and awesome cocktails at Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen in Brea Downtown. Honestly, I never make it out to the Brea area and did not know what to expect. Sure it took some nasty rush hour traffic to get down there and I was fashionably late, but and this is a big BUT…It was so worth it!!! Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen originally opened in 2009 and has continued to grow and flourish ever since. They have been featured in several popular publications, such as Fox News & the Orange County Register.

I was pleasantly pleased with the outside of Cha Cha’s and how it appeared from the street view and when I entered the dining room on what was a taco Tuesday, not only was the bar area packed, but the line of people waiting for a table was also sufficient. The staff was polite and friendly as I arrived and I was impressed with how popular the place was. I will definitely go back as this was one of my most favorite restaurants I have visited in awhile! If you regularly follow me, you will see I regularly dine at new places to review them on my blog and I go to lots of places I like, but this one really blew me out of the water!

For Happy hour we got to try a variety of items which were amazing. These items included fresh guacamole, shrimp ceviche, shrimp tacos, mahi mahi tacos, cha cha fries, fresh manila clams, chicken flautas, “wood fired” queso fundido, Nachos Cha Cha’s, crisp calamari and quesadillas with grilled chicken and skirt steak! These items were all fresh in flavor. See prices below for awesome happy hour savings, as well as regular prices. 🙂 This is definitely an awesome place to go for happy hour!! Great patio and great food and drink!
Fresh Guacamole is made with Haas avocado, Serrano chile, and fresh lime juice and is served with chips and fire roasted tomato and tomatillo salsas – 7.95 / Happy Hour Price 5.95 This was so fresh! It was one of my favorite guacamoles.

Shrimp Ceviche Marinated in fresh orange and lime juices, Serrano chile, red onion, and Haas avocado and also served with corn chips – 11.95 / Happy Hour Price 8.95 This was a very refreshing summer option!

Tacos These were made with soft organic corn tortillas, epazote black beans and roasted salsa rice 3 – 13.95 6 – 24.95
Flavor Options
Shrimp mango habanero salsa, chipotle cabbage

Carnitas grilled pineapple – chipotle salsa
Chicken fresh tomatillo salsa, lime cabbage
Carne Asada home-made roasted guajillo salsa
Mahi-Mahi chipotle cabbage, pico de gallo

Portobello organic greens, cotija cheese
Cha Cha Fries Crisp Yukon Gold potatoes, tossed with fresh garlic and herbs, smoked chipotle aioli 6.95 / Happy Hour Price 4.95 I absolutely loved the aioli sauce these were paired with and the potatoes were so flavorful!

Fresh Manila Clams Sautéed with garlic, Spanish chorizo, fresh herbs, white wine and a touch of butter 9.95 / Happy Hour Price 7.95 I am not a clam person, but everyone in my group was ranting about them.

Chicken Flautas Fresh chicken, roasted corn, gaujillo chile, Oaxacan cheese, in crisp flour tortillas; served with mango-habanero salsa 8.95 / Happy Hour Price 6.95 These were crispy and delectable in every bite..Yum!!

“Wood-Fired” Queso Fundido Traditional “cazuela” baked cheeses over roasted poblano pepper and potatoes 7.95 / Happy Hour Price 5.95 *Add Chorizo or Portobello mushrooms 8.95 / Happy Hour Price 6.95 This was my favorite item on the happy hour menu! You can never go wrong with warm melty wood fires cheese!!

Nachos Cha Cha’s Crisp tortillas topped with epazote black beans, melted Mexican cheeses served with pico de gallo, jalapeno-escabeche, and sour cream 8.95 / Happy Hour Price 6.95 ADD Yucatan spiced grilled chicken 9.95 / Happy Hour Price 7.95 or ADD Marinated grilled skirt steak 10.95 / Happy Hour Price 8.95 I loved how these were made as individual chips with ingredients loaded on top of each chip.

Crisp Calamari Lightly coated with Mexican spices and golden corn meal, lime-cilantro aioli 9.95 / Happy Hour Prices 7.95

Quesadilla
Mexican cheeses, Poblano chile, white corn, jalapeno-escabeché, fire roasted tomato salsa, and sour cream 8.95 / Happy Hour Prices 6.95 ADD Yucatan spiced grilled chicken 9.95 / Happy Hour Prices 7.95 Or ADD Marinated grilled skirt steak 10.95 / Happy Hour Prices 8.95


Beverages
There were a variety of beverage menu items, see HERE for complete list. Some of the beverages I tried were the Fresh Watermelon Margarita, Cha Cha’s Margarita, Classic Margarita, and the Mango-Habanero Margarita. They were all great, but my personal favorite was the watermelon margarita! I definitely look forward to having one of those again!

Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen has a little bit of something for everyone and has a great atmosphere for great fun, food and libations! I cannot wait to go back soon. The next thing I want to check out is their Sunday brunch. It looks amazing. See HERE You can never go wrong with all you can drink mimosas for $6!!

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WOW! Love this post! Great info and pics. The chicken looks delicious! Thanks for sharing such fun posts!
Alexandra, Thanks for the kind words:) Glad you enjoyed my Cha Cha’s post! The food there was pretty amazing for sure:)
Looks really good, and the guac looked awesome!
Yes! The guacamole was awesome, but the queso fundido was crazy amazing!!
This post should come with a warning: Do not open if you’re on a diet. Yum. It looks so delicious.
Hahaha..so true…definitely not diet food here…but oh soooo yummy!!!
The Cha Cha Fries sound delicious!!! 🙂 And the drinks too. Thanks for sharing, Danielle! 🙂
They were both amazing…That watermelon margarita literally stole the show though! 🙂
Oh yes, I love this place. Doesn’t hurt that it is close to Nordstrom too! You should check out the Chop House in Costa Mesa (it’s actually not a steak house; it’s a salad joint). Ask for my son, who is the bartender there. 🙂
That sounds awesome! Thanks for the referral:) Will do! What is your son’s name Shelley? 🙂
Wow! Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen sounds great and your photos are an excellent touch. I would love to visit if I am ever in the area.
For sure.:) This was one of my favorite restaurants I have visited and I visit many!.:)
What fabulous photos! It all looks delicious 🙂
Thank you so much Carolyn! 🙂 It is a great place:)
Your descriptions of the food makes it sound absolutely delicious.
And it is absolutely delicous:-) Thanks Pat for the comment:-)
I was surprised to see clams at a place called Cha Cha’s … but with chorizo they sound delicious. Once again, Dani, you make the dinner I enjoyed tonight pale in comparison. I’m so glad I read your posts AFTER I eat! 😉
Everything at Cha Cha’s is amazing Sharon! Too funny about the dinner comment:-) Love it!:-)
mmmmm the food looks amazing!! you are making me hungry. Looks like quite the experience too
Most definitely:) Cha Cha’s rocks! I will be going back soon to check out that Sunday brunch:)