SOL Mexican Cocina - Newport Beach

SOL Mexican Cocina - Newport Beach reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. R

   Roxanna

   Orange County5 reviews

   2.0

   Dined today

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 2

   Not a great experience. We went to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Even with a reservation, we still had to wait over 20 min. I understand it was cinco de mayo. But with a reservation, I didn’t expect to wait longer than 10-15 min. I requested a view of the marina, which I did not get. That is also why I thought we were waiting so long to get seated. So was disappointed after finally getting seated in the back, with no windows. The waiter took quite awhile and said he didn’t know any specials, because he just started his shift. We were served chips and salsa with a bean dip. Was good after adding salt. We could not get the table side guac because of where we were seated. So we got the naked guacamole, which was good after salt. You could tell it was fresh. We asked for salt and more chips, which took quite awhile to get. The food itself was out in good timing. My husband enjoyed his steak fajitas. But also said, how could you get fajitas wrong. I got the shrimp chile relleno. Was good after salt. All the food was great after salt. But I do like food saltier than most. I got a watermelon margarita and a spicy margarita. Both tasted very good. My second margarita took quite awhile to get. Our waiter was not rude, but was not very attentive. He seemed more concerned with the larger parties on either side of us. I put in the reservation that we were celebrating our anniversary. Which was not mentioned to us be either host nor waiter. Overall not a great experience. I don’t think we will be going again.
   

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2. M

   Miranda VIP

   Las Vegas7 reviews

   2.0

   Dined today

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   Server felt very rushed and occasionally came off as rude. He argued with one of my guests about their order (she specified allergies) and proclaimed several times that it was entirely the kitchens’ fault. She had an immediate allergic reaction to the food and the manager had the kitchen remake it though did not comp the food for her. We had 2 more orders that were missing items and 2 plates that came out cold. Food tasted good but the service from both the manager and server made me want to not come back. We were placed in the lower level of the restaurant away from the water view which we accepted since we were a larger group but the music was incredibly loud. We could barely hear each other and despite asking them to turn the music down, they eventually turned it back up a few minutes later. As someone who works in fine dining, I’m aware everyone has off days especially when it can get busy and I usually give restaurants the benefit of the doubt. This however was the first time I was shocked by the lack of quality guest service. Either the restaurant stretched these employees thin by taking too many resos or they are training the wrong people for the wrong positions.
   

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3. M

   Monica

   Orange County3 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   I didn’t like my chilaquiles . The waiter was trying to get me something else , but I decided not to have anything . They didn’t charge me for the chilaquiles . They tried their best . The bathrooms were dirty
   

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4. M

   Mark VIP

   Orange County41 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Food is decent, though they do have amazing chips, salsa, and bean dip. Service and setting were great as usual.
   

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5. C

   Crystal

   Central Coast7 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 2

   Unfortunately we had a 6:45 reservation and we even got there early and they didn't seat us till after a reservation time and told me that they had to seed other s before me because they got there ahead of me.... What in the world does it mean to have a reservation? Also specifically we were supposed to have an outdoor table and they took a huge party that took up the bar and said now they couldn't accommodate that or else we waited even longer... Thankfully we were able to get moved when a table opened up, but we had already ordered drinks, then we ordered a drink with mezcal and the charge was absolutely outrageous... The wait staff needs to explain the up charge before completing the order... We would not have paid an extra $6.50 per drink if we would have known ahead of time...
   

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6. P

   Pam

   Orange County7 reviews

   4.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Overall, it was a good dining experience. We had to wait a bit for things we asked for, like chips and salsa. Food was good and a nice ambiance.
   

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7. C

   Celia

   Orange County7 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The service was excellent! And our server, Delia was very sweet. Thank you!
   

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8. d

   daniel VIP

   Orange County15 reviews

   2.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 2

   Enjoyed chips and especially salsa and tableside guacamole Chips warm but not hot I had chicken fajitas,wanted to separate onions and peppers and was told it’s already mixed. Also the grilled chicken lacked flavor and did not have a sizzzling quality,just seemed lackluster. My wife had carne asada street tacos ,w rice and beans . The rice was mixed with a batch undercooked and overcooked ,also lacked flavor,beans seemed very average,sons had burritos which were average Expected more from an upscale restaurant in Newport Beach,I was especially disappointed by the quality of the chicken in the fajitas,this should be higher quality.
   

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9. J

   JC VIP

   Orange County3 reviews

   1.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   We made a reservation for 9:30 PM for a party of 10. From the moment we arrived, the experience was disappointing. The manager on duty was extremely rude and clearly didn’t want us there. Before we even had a chance to order drinks, the staff started cleaning up, turning the lights on, and shutting off the music — making it obvious they were trying to close for the night. I asked the manager why they would even accept a 9:30 reservation if they weren’t planning to accommodate us properly, and he responded with nothing but excuses and a bad attitude. The only bright spot of the night was our server, who was genuinely great and did their best to salvage the situation. Unfortunately, the manager’s behavior cast a shadow over the entire evening. We won’t be returning.
   

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10. D

    Daphne

    Orange County1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    Great food, awesome view, good service. Gets busy fast! Enjoy.
    

    SOL Mexican Cocina - Newport BeachResponded 6 days ago

    Hi Daphne, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our food, view, and service. We always aim to provide our guests with an enjoyable and memorable dining experience. We're glad that you found it fast and good value. We look forward to your next visit! Warm regards, The Management Team
    

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