[Irvine] [Mexican] Javier’s Cantina and Grill
Javier’s Cantina and Grill
45 Fortune Dr
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 872-2101
http://www.javiers-cantina.com
We finally went to Irvine Spectrum for the first time after living in Irvine for 5 months. We were smart and got there around 11:30am. There were plenty of parking the parking structure. But when we left around 4pm, the parking was just crazy. It took us about 20 minutes just to get out of the parking structure. So it is best to go a little early I think.

We wanted to eat first before shopping. Looking at the directory, I thought…. Hmmm, I like Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen, but I’ve never been to Javier’s Cantina before. Should we stick with a restaurant we like, or try something new? Since both Dr. P and I are adventurous food eaters (haha….), we decided to take the risk to try a new place.

Chips and Salsa
The weather was nice so we requested to be seated in the patio. We walked through the restaurant to get to the patio. The inside of the restaurant was really dark and it looked fancy. As soon as we sat down, our waiter brought us the menu and chips & salsa. The salsa was too addicting. It was a little spicy and just delicious!

Coffee ($3.00)
Dr. P ordered coffee for his late breakfast. I stole a few sips. It was a cup of strong and very good coffee.

Pollo A La Chipotle ($16.00)
Two 4 oz natural chicken breasts sauteed then baked and topped with chipotle cream sauce, flavored with mushrooms and onions. Served with avocado slices, white rice and black beans.
I was deciding between Mole chicken and this Pollo A la Chipotle. Our waiter recommended the Chipotle cream sauce chicken, and I was glad I took his suggestion. Pollo A La Chipotle was damn good. The chicken was moist, and the mushroom was juicy. And the chipolte cream sauce, mmmmmmm…….. it was OMG good!

Enchilada, Tamal & Taco ($14.00)
Choice of cheese, natural chicken or shredded beef enchilada and a natural chicken or shredded beef crispy taco. Choice of natural chicken, natural pork or green corn tamal.
Dr. P ordered Enchilada, Tamal & Taco combination lunch. It was a lot of food. I had a few bites. Love the enchilada! Tamal was great as well. And their spanish rice was very tasty.

Beef Taco
The beef taco was stuffed with shredded beef, lettuce, tomato, and tons of cheese. The shredded beef had a few pieces that were too hard to chew. Maybe next time we’ll get chicken instead of beef. But still, this was a good taco.

What a surprised find! We absolutely love the food at Javier’s. Service was good, and the ambiance of the restaurant was nice. The price is a little higher, but we think it was totally worth it. Definitely will be back again for some yummy Mexican food!




December 28th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Eileen,
You can also check out their Newport Coast location for the great sunset view and fun people watching.
December 28th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Definitely looks like a great fancier Mexican restaurant! Love the simple but vivid colored plating of the food. I’d think I would also enjoy the pollo a la chipotle too.
Haven’t visited the Irvine Spectrum either yet. Should though!
December 29th, 2009 at 11:27 am
they are the best in Irvine
December 30th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
今天在整理bookmarks時看到了這個好久沒按過的連結
我曾經是個忠實讀者。不過後來受不了版主老愛自稱是中間理性卻老是對綠營冷嘲樂諷,當讀者希望多一些尊重時還被反嗆不認同就不要來,既然版主都這樣說了我也只好離開啦。
現在回來看這裡怎麼感覺比以前冷清許多,不知道是不是也有許多跟我一樣對版主失望的人離去? (雖然不應該,不過我承認我有一點幸災樂禍的想法)
恩不管怎麼說還是要感謝Elieen的美食日記曾經陪伴了我許多日子
祝新年快樂~
January 1st, 2010 at 10:33 am
Eileen’s blog still maintain one of the most popular blogs for good eating and entertainment.We do not leave a comment does not mean we did not visit the blog!
January 2nd, 2010 at 12:57 am
that place was terrific! a pleasant surprise and a wonderful lunch w/ a beautiful woman
January 6th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Let’s go to the Newport Coast location for breakfast or afternoon drinks! Sooooo pretty~~