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Descanso - Standard Dining, Costa Mesa, CA

Descanso - Standard Dining

4.6 (593)
$30 and under
Mexican
1555 Adams Ave, Suite 103, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 28 times today

About this restaurant

  • Great for happy hour
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for creative cocktails
THIS PAGE IS FOR OUR STANDARD DINING TABLES ONLY. For reservations at our Plancha Tables (Where the Chef Cooks at Your Table), please search for DESCANSO PLANCHA DINING on Open Table or call us at 714.486.3798

Descanso is a modern taqueria in that it celebrates authentic Mexican flavors and recipes executed in a lively setting that brings in the smells, sounds and energy of a busy Mexican town.

Types of Dining at Descanso:

PLANCHA
At a Plancha Table, you will receive an intimate experience with our Planchero Chefs. This is a multi-course menu where your meal is cooked in front of you at your table! Please go to our DESCANSO PLANCHA DINING page in order to book for this experience online.

STANDARD DINING
Make a reservation here for our indoor dining room or patio.

TACO BAR
The Taco Bar (Counter) is an a la carte version of the Plancha Experience where one of our chefs cooks in front of you at a counter top.

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR BAR
Bar Top Seating indoor and patio

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Contemporary Mexican, Dining Bar
  • Hours of operation
    Mon 3:00 pm–9:00 pm Tue–Thu 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri 11:30 am–10:30 pm Sat 11:00 am–10:30 pm Sun 11:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Jose Angulo
  • Catering
    Please contact us at 714.486.3798 or info@descansorestaurant.com
  • Private party facilities
    Please contact us at 714.486.3798 or info@descansorestaurant.com
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Neighborhood
    Costa Mesa
  • Cross street
    Harbor Blvd. and Adams Ave.
  • Parking details
    Plenty of Parking right in front of the Restaurant.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Offers

  • Happy Hour

    Multiple dates available
    Mon - Fri - 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
    $5 Beers $9 Wines by the Glass $9 Margaritas $8-$11 Bites Available Monday Through Friday 3pm-6pm

    Happy Hour Photo
  • Wine Wednesday!

    Multiple dates available
    Wed - 11:30 AM - 9:00 PM
    $5 OFF WINES BY THE GLASS $20 OFF SELECTED WINE BOTTLES NO CORKAGE FEES LIVE MUSIC (On Hold Temporarily) AVAILABLE ALL DAY EVERY WEDNESDAY! Make a Reservation Today!

    Wine Wednesday! Photo

What 593 people are saying

Descanso - Standard Dining reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • North Orange County

    Mexican

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Descanso - Standard Dining delights with "great food, great staff" and a "phenomenal dining experience." Guests praise the "amazing drinks," "outstanding guacamole," and flavorful Mexican cuisine. The restaurant shines in celebratory settings, offering "excellent service" and a "fun, inviting ambience." Despite occasional service hiccups, it remains a beloved neighborhood favorite.

593 Reviews
  1. Sandi VIP

    Los Angeles18 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Love this restaurant. Dine here at least twice per month. Great food, great staff!

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  2. Mary VIP

    Los Angeles7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We had a special request for seating and they were so kind to accommodate us. Food is excellent, service always very attentive and friendly.

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  3. Alyssa VIP

    Orange County13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We love this place. Great food, great service and the drinks are tasty!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Leo VIP

    New York City5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The experience is always to the top!!! Great service! Amazing drinks and food. I am a regular and love every minute of it.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Steve

    Orange County4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on March 16, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I called to ask about food preparation, because one of my party has a citrus allergy. I was told there are items on the menu NOT containing any citrus products. An entree was selected, and again was asked about preparation with citrus. Our server asked the chefs, and was told ALL items on the menu contain some citrus. It was a celebration for her 40th Birthday. She had to have a bean and cheese burrito. There needs to be some kind of way to let customers know about how these meals are prepared up front. Aside from this SNAFU, it was a great time. Our server was GREAT, and the hostess was very pleasant and caring.

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  6. Sumi VIP

    Los Angeles15 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food is always delicious, and we had a lovely server. Unfortunately, I don't know what her name is!!

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  7. OpenTable Diner VIP

    Orange County8 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 8, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    $2 for each small pico de gallo sides is bizarre especially when server doesn’t mention it. Overall the place was pretty good but pricing is def a bit much for what you get

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  8. Tim

    Orange County2 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on March 7, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    The best way to describe the quality of the service this time is like being served by a busser at Denny’s. I think he was the bartender. He wasn’t busy bartending at noon, but maybe he just didn’t like having to be assigned a table in the restaurant. The food tasted great, but I got really tired of having to spit out chewy inedible bits of beef. I have been to Descanso many times but this was experience was a huge letdown. Was it a one-off or a sign of decline, that the restaurant is taking its customers for granted? No way to tell.

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  9. Doris

    Orange County4 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 6, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food here is actually quite delicious, love their tacos. And the guacamole is outstanding - we always get it. And they have nice selection of drinks.

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  10. Michael VIP

    Orange County21 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    The service was poor. Had to wait for glasses, and about everything we asked for was forgotten and we had to bother other staff to get what we needed. At the end of the day, this was for my sons birthday dinner and there were 12 of us. I wouldn't suggest this place for a party over 4. We have visited many times, and have always loved the creative and delicious dishes, but this time the place went downhill. The soup was cold, the food was a little above average and it was overall not a great experience.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Descanso - Standard Dining offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (714) 486-3798.

Descanso - Standard Dining is rated 4.6 stars by 593 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Orange County
  4. North Orange County
  5. Costa Mesa

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 28 times today
Google Map for Descanso - Standard Dining

1555 Adams Ave, Suite 103, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Harbor Blvd. and Adams Ave.
  • Neighborhood
    Costa Mesa
  • Hours of operation
    Mon 3:00 pm–9:00 pm Tue–Thu 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri 11:30 am–10:30 pm Sat 11:00 am–10:30 pm Sun 11:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Contemporary Mexican, Dining Bar
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Plenty of Parking right in front of the Restaurant.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Jose Angulo
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Delivery & takeout
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