Descanso, A Modern Taqueria restaurant recently opened this past November in Costa Mesa off of Harbor Blvd. and Adams. We had been dying to check this place out since it opened and when we heard that they added brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, we were excited to plan a date. The special thing about Descanso is that they have a dining area called “A La Plancha, which essentially means they cook your meal Benihana style. When dining at Descanso, there is a choice of three ways to dine. You can either do Plancha, Taco Bar or Standard dining. We opted to check out the Plancha style dining and we made a great choice.
When we arrived at Descanso on a Sunday Funday afternoon, the restaurant was bustling with Sunday brunch vibes. There were birthday parties, family events, and the Sunday Funday crowd. We were seated around a teppanyaki style grill (Plancha) with 4 other people that ended up being awesome table mates. Just to understand a bit more about what “Plancha” means and what Descanso is, here is a quote from owner, Rob Arellano below.
“If you’ve been to any quaint Mexican town, chances are that you’ve come face to face with a street-side Taquero, or Taco Man, grilling meats and vegetables on the plancha and serving the freshest, most flavorful tacos,” said Rob Arellano, Managing Partner & Concept Creator of Descanso. “There is no arguing that this experience is one of the most sought-after when it comes to Mexican cuisine, and that is what Descanso delivers.”
Chef Sergio Ortega features classics like Chilaquiles, Huevos Rancheros and Machaca Alambre, and even a sweet Conchas Bread pudding made with Mexican sweet bread! Each entrée is served with a choice of fruit or breakfast potatoes. Of course, there are some amazing brunchy cocktails as well, including unlimited mimosas for $17 with pineapple, guava, or orange juice!
Prior to ordering, and shortly after we were seated, a basket of chicharrons and chips with salsa frita arrived at our table. Most Mexican restaurants do serve chips at the table, but the chicharrons were a very nice touch! My husband went to town on them and was delivered a second basket very quickly.
My hubby and I each ordered a margarita to accompany our meal. I went for the El Descanso, which is the traditional margarita that is prepared with Cuervo Traditional Silver Tequila, Agave, lime and orange. This margarita was full of flavor and went nicely with my dish.
I opted for the Veggie Omelet prepared with egg whites, bell peppers, onions, tatuma squash, roasted corn, tres quesos, cilantro, and flour tortillas. I know this dish was vegetarian, but then yes, I decided to add some tasty steak to it for $4. I am glad I did! I had never heard of the tatuma squash before, but I will say it added a lovely sweet flavor to this dish and the ingredients all blended together nicely. The three-cheese blend was divine! The cheese blend comes in most off their dishes, so you are in luck with anything you order! I had a lovely side of fruit with my dish.
My husband went for a spicy margarita, as spicy style is usually his favorite. The “Bad Hombre” was prepared with Herradura Reposado tequila, pineapple, serrano chile, lime, salt, and pepper. He loved it! I am not into spicy items, but I did love the kick in this drink. There was great flavor!
Tom got the Steak and Eggs which came with an 8-ounce Angus chuck steak, two eggs sunny side up, breakfast potatoes, salsa frita, cilantro, and hand made corn tortillas. His plate was licked clean…so much for each of us sharing our dishes with one another. 😊 He got a side of fruit with his dish, since this dish came with potatoes.
We loved everything we devoured and unfortunately on this visit we were too full to make it to dessert. We do look forward to visiting again to try dessert though. 🙂
Chef Ortega has also created a weekend brunch menu to excite non-Plancha diners. In the restaurant’s main dining room and patio, he offers a Salmon Avocado Toast with Steelhead Salmon Confit and Sweet Corn “Pozole Verde” with the season’s most flavorful roasted sweet corn. Guests will also find traditional Mexican breakfast dishes like Huevos Rancheros, Breakfast Torta and Burrito Con Huevo.
Weekend Brunch is offered every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Plancha Brunch offerings range in price from $17 to $29, depending on the entrée, and are served with a choice of fresh fruit or breakfast potatoes. I recommend paying Descanso, A Modern Taqueria a visit soon. This was a unique dining experience, and everything was prepared to our liking. The place does get packed, so make sure you make a reservation in advance.
Descanso, A Modern Taqueria is located at 1555 Adams Avenue in Costa Mesa. The restaurant is open for Lunch and Dinner daily, Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday & Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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