Vaca

We went to this restaurant on a recommendation from a family member. We rounded up to a 4 out of 5 but I think it was closer to 3.5 due to the flavor of the food and the atmosphere. The drinks were pretty delicious I must say. I had a royal tea which has gin and Brandy and it was absolutely amazing. The presentation was also really nice with a circular ice cube that had a flower inside of it. I also had a margarita which was very tasty as well. So the drinks were definitely on point. As far as the food, to me it was just a little disappointing for the price point they are at. We did have an appetizer of choosing three cheeses. All three cheeses didn't seem to have a lot of flavor and we're very similar to each other as well so pretty disappointing there. I had ordered the scallops and wagyu meatballs as well as a rare 8 oz filet. All of the food was cooked very well to my liking, however all three dishes lacked flavor and I had to add salt and pepper to all of them which was a little disappointing again considering the price point of all of them. The steak alone was 60 dollars and was just not seasoned at all. Even the sauces that food was laying on just didn't have flavor and tasted very bland. I will say every tapas dish did a good job of incorporating different textures which was really nice, just wish they had some flavor as well. The service was very well. Our waitress was extremely nice and was on top of everything. They brought us everything in a timely manner which was actually faster than we had thought. The food also came out very hot and seem to taste very fresh as well which was really nice to see. I do think the atmosphere was a little off as all the tables were very tight and very close to each other, just made it hard to get out sometimes to go to the bathroom or anything like that cuz you had to move the entire table and once they started filling up it got pretty loud and you just felt really close to the table next to you especially if they were talking loud or anything like that. Overall we did enjoy our experience, we were just a disappointed with the food or the lack of flavor on the food. I would definitely go back for drinks as they were unique and the bar had some really cool features and choices of drink there.

Outstanding service, sophisticated menu and wonderful atmosphere. The waiters are super polite and knowledgeable. Great place to bring clients or dine with friends. Note that the menu changes every four months or so.

I ordered McAllen 18, she said it was $60. I said ok then after I sipped it a couple of times she said its $100.

I have been lucky enough to eat at Vaca a few times a year for the last few years. In that time, I’ve been able to sample a fairly large portion of their menu. Not once have I been disappointed. The amount of flavor found in each dish is amazing. There are tapas for every palate, the embutidos and quesos that are available are stunning, the paellas are perfect for sharing, and the steaks are out of this world!

Better than expected! So much flavor in every bite of everything!

Excellent spot to try hidden in Costa Mesa. Lots of delicious tapas! We really like the lamb meatballs and the scallops!