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Lf - Morena's Mexican Cuisine - Lake Forest, Lake Forest, CA

Morena's Mexican Cuisine - Lake Forest

4.4 (11)
$31 to $50
Mexican
22651 Lake Forest Dr, Lake Forest, CA 92630-1749

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM

About this restaurant

  • Great for brunch
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
Morena’s Mexican Cuisine is owned and operated by the Rosales family. They opened their first location in Rancho Mission Viejo in 2019. Since then have plans to open several more locations in Orange County and the Inland Empire.
We offer our customers authentic Mexican food made with the freshest ingredients. We never use pre-made sauces, mixes, or frozen ingredients in our food.
All of our cocktails are made with fresh ingredients like freshly muddled blackberries, organic agave and fresh lime juice.
Lunch Specials: Our lunch menu also features tacos, burritos, huevos rancheros, chile relleno and more. All dishes are $12.99 from 11:00 AM - 02:00 PM

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Contemporary Mexican
  • Hours of operation
    Mon, Wed, Thu 11:00 am–9:00 pm Tue, Fri, Sat 11:00 am–10:00 pm Sun 2:00 pm–9:00 pm Brunch Sun 9:00 am–2:00 pm Happy Hour Mon, Wed–Fri 3:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Dress code
    Business Casual

What 11 people are saying

Morena's Mexican Cuisine - Lake Forest 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

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Morena's Mexican Cuisine in Lake Forest offers "great traditional Mexican food" with standout service, even on busy days like Mother's Day. Guests praise the "excellent green salsa" and commend the welcoming atmosphere. The buffet is a popular choice, and dishes like the Chile Verde platter receive high marks. The restaurant promises a delightful dining experience.

11 Reviews
  1. Eric VIP

    Orange County85 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on May 12, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    The ambience and service need some work. The food was good, but not enough to want me to go racing back, particularly with so many good Mexican restaurant options in Orange County.

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  2. Sylvia

    Orange County4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding service! Even on their most busiest day of the year, Mother’s Day, the staff greeted everyone who came in through their front door, the buffet (brunch) was always kept stocked and well supplied, and their servers kept our drinks full. They have a bunch buffet every Sunday, my family and I will be back to enjoy this welcoming experience again. Great traditional Mexican food. 😋

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  3. Joseph

    Orange County8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wife, Son and I went for Mother's day. Many choices at the buffet and the service was wonderful.

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  4. Barb VIP

    Orange County3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 3, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    food and service were very good, excellent green salsa. phone for restaurant is not working and that worried us, we wondered if the restaurant had closed but were very pleased that it was still open.

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  5. Robin VIP

    Orange County26 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on April 30, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    First of all, our waiter was excellent!! So friendly and checked on us often. The food, however, was a different story. We ordered ceviche/shrimp - the shrimp had a metallic taste but thankfully no one got sick. Then we ordered queso fondido- it came out a boiling mess! It was so hot that the cheese was deconstructed. Or disintegrated , if you will. Our server was truly great and took it away and replaced it with a cheese quesadilla.

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  6. Elena

    Orange County2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food at a reasonable price. Our server was excellent. Will definitely return. 

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  7. Allen VIP

    Orange County34 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on March 30, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Carnitas dish was good. Chili verde dish pretty much tasteless. Beans and rice were good.

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  8. DianeB

    San Francisco2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Chile Verde platter and an organic margarita with agave and lime…perfection!

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  9. Sharry

    Orange County6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delightful Valentines experience. Food was superb and friendly waiter. Presentation of special dinner was a culinary masterpiece!

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  10. Jonathan VIP

    Central Coast10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We have a very good meal and the service was great. This was our first time and we will certainly be back.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Morena's Mexican Cuisine - Lake Forest is rated 4.4 stars by 11 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. South Orange County
  5. Lake Forest

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Google Map for Morena's Mexican Cuisine - Lake Forest

22651 Lake Forest Dr, Lake Forest, CA 92630-1749

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Lake Forest
  • Hours of operation
    Mon, Wed, Thu 11:00 am–9:00 pm Tue, Fri, Sat 11:00 am–10:00 pm Sun 2:00 pm–9:00 pm Brunch Sun 9:00 am–2:00 pm Happy Hour Mon, Wed–Fri 3:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Contemporary Mexican
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    None
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