Restaurants in Rancho Santa Margarita

“customer service definitely recommend it”

“This place is adorable. We've been here a few times now. Food is good and drinks are great. I mean who wouldn't like googly eyes on their sandwich bun and coconut drink?!”

“they always change their menu. we drive down here from irvine to find out what we like ismt on the menu today its only on the menu on certain days we asked the server when is it on the menu and he didnt know. We won't be back. how hard is it to keep the menu the same? I can see lunch and dinner menus but changin the dinner menus all the time?”

“I visited my brother who lives locally. He took me and our other brother here because he loves this place and goes frequently. Being a wine lover, he let me pick our dinner wine. Came across an O’Shaughnessy Cabernet and had to stop right there. I know the product, had the pleasure of drinking this with Luke Russ when he did a wine dinner in northern Illinois a few years back. The owner saw the bottle on our table and introduced himself to us and we talked about Luke. Great moment. Fabulous food! Asparagus fries, halibut, deviled eggs, butter cake…. It was all fabulous! Look forward to returning!”

“The Chili Fries, and the Stand Burger is the Best.”

“Always good food and great service at this location.”

“A wonderful evening at Todos Santos with my wife. We were greeted by Daniel the owner and chef extraordinare who took us to a very nice table in the outside patio. We started off with drinks which were made by one of our favorite bartenders Jaime! The other bartender of choice is Francisco who had the day off. Kenya was our waiter and was superb, very personable and professional. We each ordered the appetizer salad which were so good. We spoke with Daniel about the fresh fish and decided on the Sea Bass for my wife and I ordered the Salmon and lobster plate. These two dishes were amazing upon presentation and even tastier than they looked lol. I must say since we began dining at Todos Santos from when Daniel took over this place has blossomed this restaurant into the best Mexican cuisine in Orange County. With multiple awards to his credit Daniel has new menu items that he creates regularly and now opens after hours on Tuesdays and Fridays with a DJ and dance floor. On Saturday and Sunday the restaurant serves breakfast from 10 am to 2 pm and the dishes are delicious. Make a reservation and ask for Daniel. Let him know George sent you. Great place, great food and amazing people! Highly recommended”

“I love this place!! Not only is the food amazing and the setting on the lake so picturesque, but I have a shellfish allergy that keeps me from eating at a lot of places. They are so incredibly accommodating and I feel so safe eating there. The bar tender, I believe his name is Herberto, has been my server the last couple times and he goes out of his way to explain their processes and knows exactly what is safe for me to eat. So knowledgeable and I’m so grateful. They even make me special chips that are fried in their own oil, which I told them was not necessary but oh so appreciated!! Plus, I got their Smokey Caesar Salad and it’s just a 10 out of 10. (So are their short rib enchiladas… but it was too hot to get that today!)”

“We have been going to Niko Niko for 10 years now. We love the restaurant and the community and the friends we made there I would definitely recommend this place, the food is amazing and the owners are very accommodating to the costumers needs. Love you Niko Niko family. My youngest daughter was so in love with their miso soup that they named an specific to go order with her name. “Christiana style”.”

“Healthy portions of delicious food. We were there between lunch and dinner, so it was relatively quiet. Casual Fast Dining. Looks like killer Taco Tuesday deals.”

“Great service and very clean”

“Clean, bright, new-ish restaurant in a shopping center with lots of parking. Staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. Probably the best scallion pancakes that we've eaten. Chicken in the noodles were perfectly done. Not a lot of chicken options, but they use higher quality Kurobuta pork. They use soy oil and those pancakes were a bit oily.”

“Burgers Are Always The Bomb Diggity”

“I went in for the all you can eat lunch. They are always friendly and outgoing to help you and the food is great as always. Good DEAL for the money as well. 🤑😀”

“La Fiesta is the best Mexican food west of the Rio Grande!
The freshest Ingredients, fresh roasted salsa made daily. By far the best I have had since living in Texas. You have to try it!!!”

“I recomend her cake!! we love what she created for us , RV cake for my husband, it look so real and great that I did not wanted to cut it. thank you”

“We liked this place and I definitely want to come back. Their yogurt is tastes fresh and delicious, like thick homemade yogurt. There are many different smoothies made with it. We tried dragon fruit yogurt smoothie and melon green tea. I liked that they use real fresh or frozen fruits to make it. And it was fun to see a cute robot bringing food to our table!”

“i really like crumbl!! i would totally give this 5 stars but this specific one though is closest to my house and they have not done any special hometown picks or fun features that other crumbls do through the app. i have been waiting to see some fun hometown picks for the RSM location but sadly i only see Foothill Ranch doing it. Compared to Foothill Ranch, the RSM crumbl customer service is mediocre, as no one seems like they want to be working there however the cookies are great nonetheless i just hope i start seeing more fun stuff in the app for the RSM location!!”

“One of the best lunches I’ve had in quite a while. Food was super fresh - even through DoorDash - and clearly made with love. The chicken sandwich, breakfast burrito, and French toast were absolute highlights. Can’t wait to make a trip to eat here in-person; will absolutely be returning!”

“We had brisket 7oz and it was delicious! love the rolls and peanut coleslaw. Our waitress checked with us frequently and provided excellent service. Thank you!”

“Javier, the manager delivered the most amazing food last night for a thank you dinner for my Catechists. I highly recommend Alza Italian Kitchen. Every thing was superb…. Thank you!”

“The food isn’t as wonderful as it use to be but it’s still very good. I’m sure they are doing the best they can under the circumstances!”

“Juan makes the best sandwiches I have ever had. If I go get my lunch and Juan is busy, I let the next person go and wait for Juan to make my sandwich. Amazing service and always clean restaurant. Everyone should try this place, make sure Juan makes your sandwiches.”

“Spicy and delicious, nice atmosphere.”

“This is the ultimate sushi spot. We have been coming here for many years for date nights and also nights with the family to celebrate and enjoy a special occasion. Everyone here knows us and we are always welcomed with big smiles and “come in, come in!” The staff and chefs here make this place feel like home, like this is our spot. It’s a very small restaurant, hole in the wall, which I absolutely love. We’ve sat at tables inside, the bar, and the tables outside are great too! They have enhanced the outdoor area with umbrellas and heaters, candles and table lamps. We always ask about the specials - go with the specials! They have sake, beer, sodas, tea - we usually get a large Asahi and share it, or ask for a recommendation on sake. The oysters and monkfish liver, when they have it, are incredible! Any and all of the nigiri is our go-to, can’t go wrong with any of the rolls too (we usually do sushi when dining in and get rolls for take out). I love the uni and unagi, chu toro and buri toro (all the toro), hamachi and kanpachi… I honestly love it all. The kids always get udon and karaage chicken with a side of white rice. This is our special place to celebrate, so grateful to have this kind of spot to go to that’s close to home. We love it here.”

“Delicious and you can still get a good old fashioned malt!”

“My Chimichurri steak wrap was soo good🔥!”

“Great little brewery with really good food. No need to check a good truck schedule which is usually the case if you want food at a brewery. We loved the pizzas here. Ordering beer or food is so simple with the QR code online ordering and it gets brought out to your table quickly. This also is a big improvement from typical brewery service. They had live music the night we were there. And don't be fooled, they hadn't yet replaced the old sign on the building yet.”

“Above and beyond impressed with the service, cleanliness, and food quality. Our food was fresh and the meat was quality in my carne asada taco. The guacamole was perfect. The refried beans are my favorite, smooth with great flavor. This was my first time coming and it will not be my last. I love that they have an outdoor patio with plenty of seating—great place to bring my parents. The staff was friendly and attentive. Support a local restaurant and enjoy tasty Mexican food!”

“Highly recommend Sweet N Rush. 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟”

“Great atmosphere and friendly staff that made our event so much fun”

“Excellent and delicious food. Flavorful. Portions are generous. Great variety for different dietary needs. Some of best food I’ve had in this cuisine in a long time.”

“Love this place for a great glass or bottle of wine, and good conversations. Great before dinner reservation place for wine and charcuterie board or after for wine and chocolate. And if it’s a good night, both lol 😂”

“Absolutely delicious and very welcoming. We can got given a free desert as well. We would highly recommend”

“Definitely try the Borgia in the morning and the Santa Margarita Iced Tea in the afternoon! Both are unique drinks that offer something a little different from the usual coffee/ tea choices.”

“Great food, and awesome service!”

“Fantastic place to watch football!”

“Excellent drinks and an attentive staff. We were here for a golf tournament and they handled the large crowd with ease. The patio is wonderful and overlooks the beautiful course. Overall a 10/10 experience”

“Always our choice for Thai food!”

“Love our little sushi spot. Best sushi! We get no rice rolls and we cannot find the selection elsewhere. They r fantastic with kids”

“This chicken sauté was very delicious, and the rest of my meal too! Toby was very helpful and flexible with half of my family being fully vegetarian, thank you! The restaurant was empty, but aside from that, amazing experience.”

“the food was delish 😋 it was our first time and we will definitely be back”

“We love poke bowls!!! Just had it for dinner last night. Love the addition of the combo to the menu. Service is always great!”

“One of my favorite breakfast spots.

You order your food at a counter inside the restaurant which has indoor seating but I highly recommend sitting outside. There are many tables both in the shade or out in the sun, a large water fountain, and many trees and shrubs. If you do choose to sit outside be sure to tell them when you place your order. They'll bring the food to you but they don't offer full service at the outdoor tables. They will eventually bus your table but I'm sure they'd appreciate it if you do it yourself by bringing your plates inside and putting them on the cart close to the restrooms.

I usually order the same thing every time: the Breakfast Egg Burrito with either Spam or bacon. These burritos are large and stuffed with generous quantities of deliciousness.”

“Friendly staff and very clean store! We got a large strawberry ice cream with brownies and sprinkles to share. We came for the ice cream but walked out with huge smiles because the service is so sweet and delicious! There were plenty of ice cream cakes readily available in the fridge for purchase! Will definitely be back!
Highly recommend..”

“The service here was excellent! The staff were very friendly and helpful. This morning, I forgot to specify only 2 pumps of mocha in my drink, but later when I mentioned it the young lady ( I forgot her name) immediately took care of it with no hesitation. They all deserve 5 stars!”

“Team members are chill and the tea slaps. What more can you ask for?”

“5 stars all the way! Great location, large store with bright, pleasant decor, fresh rolls and super friendly staff..what’s not to love?They’ve only just opened and seem to be extremely busy. They serve Cinnabon & Auntie Anne’s so you can get both your sweet & savory treats at the same time! Great addition to the plaza.”

“1st time my son suggested - was not a disappointment...food was very tastful and fresh...will be back - many times...💪🏾🤙🏾”

“Had lunch on a Sunday afternoon and watched some FIFA soccer. The restaurant didn't anticipate the soccer crowd and was trying to operate with one server and a host.
About a dozen patrons showed up, plus a party of 10 on the patio. The service slowed down dramatically (3 stars) not necessarily the fault of the staff, just understaffed. We didn't look in the bar but could hear a few more people cheer when a goal was scored.
Food was served hot and drinks were refilled on request. The Chicago style Hawaiian trio was good. The sauce over the toppings was too much for my pallet. The sauce overwhelmed the toppings and primarily tasted the sauce.
The atmosphere was good with multiple screens to watch the match.
Servers (host began serving) were friendly and hard working. Booth was clean and comfortable. Cost was typical for dining out, but we had a coupon, so that helped make it affordable.”

“We ordered your carnitas tacos delivered a few days ago and they were the absolute best Carnitas I have ever had! And I make my own pretty good so it's tough to impress me 😄 They were 🔥 so delicious! with all of the nice crispy bits. And that cilantro dressing on them 😳 I could drink that. I'm already craving it again. Will definitely be ordering again, probably going to get that awesome 2lb meat deal you have next time. You guys rock!”

“Excellent food , wine and desert and great service. Can’t wait to go back.,we are from New York and we know what good Italian food is !! 🇮🇹”

“Excellent customer service! As I was walking to my car I dropped my pizza upside down and ooey, steamy goodness went everywhere. I was embarrassed to say the least. I sat there for a few minutes then decided to go back inside. I explained to the young man at the counter and they had a new pizza made for me within 10-15 minutes. A++++ service. Thank you”

“Love their tacos! I've been to all of the locations, but the RSM one has been my fav. The staff is always super friendly and welcoming. My favorite thing to order is the La Tia Special. It's so good!”

“Great location. Love Yo, she's the best and has a great staff!! Always helping our school out with coffee for our events. �”

“Me and my kids love this place! And th Boba is fresh and soft 🤤”

“Fresh & tasty Mex food Get a burrito made for you while you wait or take your meat home & bbq your own! And don’t forget the salsa!!”

“My mom had to order for me and decided to order no onions which was sad but that also meant nothing other than meat cheese and bread, so it couldve been a better experience but its not their fault. But what I did get was still really good so Im sure it can only be better once i go back.”

“I came here with my grandpa, and it has become one of our favorite places. My grandpa absolutely loves the fish, and I have to say they make the best eggplant I’ve found in Orange County. As someone who doesn’t eat meat, it’s one of the main reasons I keep coming back.

The food is always delicious, but what really makes this place special is the service. Joyci is amazing! She remembered us, made us feel welcome, and treated us like family. That personal touch means a lot and makes every visit even better.

Great food, warm hospitality, and a place that creates wonderful memories with loved ones. We’ll definitely be back!

Good restaurant reviews often mention the food, service, and overall experience, which helps others understand what makes a place special.”

“Excellent and friendly service 😊”

“Staff is very friendly and outgoing. Even showed me how to use my phone for the order.”

“It's Del Taco. I haven't been here in years but stopped for a friend. Del Taco has always had much more fresh ingredients than the other place. That's from over 40 years of experience. Good job Del Taco!!!”