Descanso Plancha Dining

We had a wonderful experience, we recommend trying the Fideo soup delicious

We were aware we booked for their cool the the table deal. The chef was nice. The waitress was loud and perhaps checked in too much. The MGMT and hostess were jerks.

We enjoyed the new experience of Teppan—Mexican style. Very unusual and very good. We will try it again!

Service and Staff...wonderful! Miguel and Armando were so nice. And Mgr Jeffrey came by to chat which is a great touch and not done enough.
We did La Plancha style eating as it was our first time there and they recently opened for brunch. La Plancha style is like Benihana style and a bit of a different menu. Hubby and I had Huevos Rancheros with Steak, and Machaca. Both were unbelievable and so big we had to take some home. Of course, it didn’t hurt that we started with the Quesorizo which is enough for 4. Latter is like a Queso Fundido but waaaay better and more creative!
And my hubby’s favorite restaurant for Southwest Mex Food used to be Gabbi’s in Old Towne Orange. NOT ANYMORE!!! Descanso’s beats Gabbi’s hands down. Food and service. Example: Gabbi’s Queso Fundido turns into a glob if cheese quickly. Descanso’s is creamy with a great mix of chorizo, herbs, flavors, and comes with a buttery carnrlization. And Gabbi’s staff, especially the host station, make you feel like you’re doing them a favor by eating there. Yes, Gabbi’s location is better. But who cares when the food and service is far more outstanding at Descanso’s.

Descanso has become one of our favorite restaurants.

Amazing and delicious food.

Very good food. Fun time

The food was excellent. Had we had more time we would have sat at the Plancha tables, but we were kinda rushed as we had a show to go to. I would like to try their tapas plates next time.

Plancha table was fun. Took a while to serve the food but once served it was delicious. Meal definitely served two and you could easily get by with splitting a dish with a guacamole and soup or salad. Food was very tasty and sangria was excellent.

Great experience

Lovely experience for the family. Food is filling! Could definitely have split the entrees. Great taste and good energetic interaction with the server and cook. Would definitely recommend to go back.

It was an interesting concept bu the execution and quality was not good at all. I will not go back

Great food and drinks
perfect for a birthday or family gathering
the private table are awesome

What an interesting concept! We all are intimately familiar with the traditional Japanese teppanyaki but blend that concept with Mexican cuisine is brilliant!!! Super fun server who was patient with first timers and knowledgeable of the menu. Al Pastor skillet and cheesy corn is a MUST!

Everything was wonderful from service to food. We sat at the plancha table. The cooked in front of us!! Yummm the staff were all so friendly!! Exceptional!

Booked regular table for three for Sunday brunch which was confirmed twice by email and once by their follow up call. Arrived ten mins early and were asked again if we’d like to do the Teppan. no. Ordered drinks at bar while we waited for tables and bartender very surly. Gave us our drinks then followed up later with napkin to put them on. Guy came to get us and asked if we needed table for four! Waitress came to get order immediately so we ordered Guacamole while we decided. She then came back for main order without bringing our appetizer ! When I mentioned we weren’t having a good time with service so far she told us she was doing her best as she was the only one !! Food was warm but sufficient size and good taste .
Doubt I will return but others seemed to enjoy the food.

Fun atmosphere and experience. Food was creative and flavorful...not your typical Mexican food. Carnitas are delicious as is the al pastor. The plancha table is a fun and lively experience for a special occasion.

We went to try La Plancha for my bday.
The rib eye was delicious as my La Sirena drink.

Bomb. Come for brunch and order the huevos rancheros.

Descanso is new to the neighborhood and of course we had to try it. The first few experiences were for lunch, and we couldn't have been happier (except the servers gave us straws--a big negative). Last Wednesday we came for dinner a la Plancha. What a lovely experience! The staff was solicitous and effecient, the chef was a delight, and the food was wonderful. Thank you for the unique experience! We intend to return.

I took my good friend there for her birthday and everything was more that I could have guessed. The staff and owner were very attentive to us and the food was amazing. My friend and I were so pleased to find such a gorgeous gem in Costa Mesa.

We had a 6:00 reservation for the hibachi which I verified 2 days before. When we got there, they only had a regular table available. The manager said he could get us in at 6:30 at the hibachi so we agreed. However, the hibachi experience didn’t start until 7ish... way too late for a 2 and 5 year old and the grandparents. They were all hungry and grumpy. I feel like the least the manager could have done would have been to comp a few apps pr drinks since we had to wait over an hour for our table. But, nope.

Fabulous food we will return

Food was amazing but they need to do a better job at explaining how things work and why we had to wait for two more people to fill our table. Also a drink menu would be beneficial.

Super yummy food, great atmosphere, amazing chefs.

Really cool spot, a bit pricey, but food was great! Highly recommend!

We have never experienced Mexican cuisine on a grill Fantastic.

Loved the experience, you have almost five different dining areas to choose from and three different experience. I went with the a la plancha where the chef cooks in front of you - fun experience since they are talking you through the email and also happy to have conversation with you. My first time trying fideo which is like a noodle soup. A great experience overall and highly recommend.

When we arrived we waited 10 minutes for a table even though we had a reservation and the restaurant wasn’t busy, we then waited 10 minutes before they decided who’s table we were. After ordering and receiving our dinners they said my tortillas would be right there but again I finally had to ask someone to get them. The manager did come over and apologize, but someone needs to coordinate the service staff so everyone knows what their jobs are.

This was our first time at Descanso's. We had a very nice lunch.

Releno tacos were very good; Al pastor and tamales dorados were good as well. This is authentic Mexican cuisine. Well worth the trip from south Orange County.

I highly recommend Descanso's.

Service takes longer than it should. The food is good but certainly nothing memorable. If I am going to pay for over-priced Mexican food, Javier’s is much better. Unfortunately, the experience was forgettable and I’m finding it difficult to come up with a good reason to return.

The food and experience was amazing

Can’t wait to come back. Next time we are going to try the taco bar.

We had hoped for the private grill would be more of an entertaining experience, like Benihana’s... but there was no entertaining... no fun... just a personal cook basically. Cool concept, but poor execution.

The food was super mediocre. And to top it off, our waiter reeked of booze. Like, lay off the sauce buddy!

Cheap quality food, way overpriced. Don’t go.

Good service and food experience. Plancha was a great choice. Front hostess are a little casual but no big deal.

Had a great time at Descanso! Definitely a very energetic atmosphere so if you like a calm quiet place, this is not the place for you. We had a reservation at the Plancha and our cook was excellent and entertaining! It's a little pricey for the Plancha but they also have a taco bar and regular dining options that are more economical.

I mad reservations here for my daughters 21st birthday after seeing an ad on youtube. This place looked fantastic and a lot of fun. From the ad I was expecting a Japanese Tepan experience but with Mexican food. Aside from cooking in front of us, I could not have been more wrong.

The menu for the "plancha" is very limited and is basically just something covered in a bunch of grilled cheese. Now dont get me wrong, I love grilled cheese but I drove 2 hours for that? Ugh!

There is no show and the cooks are just average. With each dish he lit the grill on fore and told us to get our cameras ready. After the first time, big deal. Aside from that we might as well have been sitting in the kitchen next to the grill.

Service was very slow and not very good, I ordered a side of elote and it never came. The entire experience was just so basic.

I have owned a Mexican Restaurant for the past 20 years. When I saw this ad I was very excited and even a little envious; I wish I had a tepan style Mexican restaurant. Unfortunately the people ar Descanso have a great idea/concept but fail at the execution.

Brainless hostesses. Very weak overpriced cocktails. Mediocre food. Two boring hours at the plancha while the “cook” heated pre packaged food potions with no flair or flavor. Won’t return

The food is excellent, however, I took my friend there for her birthday and there were only two of us at the teppan bar. Had I known that it was only going to be the two of us I would have sat at a table. It was a bit uncomfortable and I felt as if I couldn't change my mind once I was there.

After dinner we went into the bar and sat there with no one acknowledging us or taking our drink order so we continued on outside to the patio where we were greeted and served right away.