Tacos Ensenada

Went here for dinner and absolutely loved the food! The salsa bar was kept clean despite the heavy amount of use it was seeing. The place was absolutely packed which is always a good sign. Will be going back here a lot!

It's my favorite place in Lake Forest. I always order the shrimp tostada with Avocado and love their salsa and chips. The service is super friendly and the authentic taste makes you come right back.

I come here very often. I love how they offer vegetarian items for my girlfriend. The portions are very large and very filling! Salsa bar is always fresh and very delicious.

The menu and the selction of beverages was excellent. I opted for the carne asada y las camarones with homemade, horchata. Everything was delicious and came with generous, portions. And the service I received from "Rosie," who worked there, was so outstanding, I thought she was the owner.

Authentic mexican food, huge menu with patio seating. Friendly staff, good portions and flavors

I love this place! The food is both great and generous. I like more unusual foods, so I often get the tacos de lengua. This last time, I also got a taco pastor. They're both excellent and very generous with the meat. They have a great salsa bar, where you can load up on at least four different salsas. I fully recommend!

wow. the most AMAZING carne asada tacos. goodness gracious. 10/10. the meat is SO well seasoned. the salsa is perfect. the pickled carrots!!!! what a delightful surprise. the tacos are huge and I have zero regrets. I went on a slow monday afternoon, so the lady brought my tacos to my seat and then offered to bring me ice water!! that was such a simple gesture that I appreciated.

I tried the pozole and it was very good plus you get some nice warm tortillas on the side. My buddies tried the menudo and they were pleased as well. The basket of chips were perfect, not salty, and the different salsas available were a nice touch. The surprise for me was the coffee. It is served in a lil clay cup and the hint of cinnamon gives it a great taste. We will be back to try the many seafood options.

I love coming to this location when I'm in California! I've been coming here ever since I was a kid and this place has always been consistent and delicious.

Don’t let the scaffolding outside the building fool you. They are open!!! The best taco Tuesday spot! The fish tacos are great! All their tacos are great! 👍🏻

The staff was really nice and made us feel welcomed. We each ordered a meal and everything was on point! Deliciously tasty. I was not disappointed at all. So worth the drive we took.( We are not from the area) I highly recommend this place if you are near the area.

My family and I come here all the time for a quick dinner or take out, love their diverse menu. also the salsa bar is amazing

Huge portions, delicious horchata that tastes like cinnamon toast crunch cereal, and really tasty food!

Harley Johnson

wow. the most AMAZING carne asada tacos. goodness gracious. 10/10. the meat is SO well seasoned. the salsa is perfect. the pickled carrots!!!! what a delightful surprise. the tacos are huge and I have zero regrets. I went on a slow monday afternoon, so the lady brought my tacos to my seat and then offered to bring me ice water!! that was such a simple gesture that I appreciated.

Enrique Martinez

I tried the pozole and it was very good plus you get some nice warm tortillas on the side. My buddies tried the menudo and they were pleased as well. The basket of chips were perfect, not salty, and the different salsas available were a nice touch. The surprise for me was the coffee. It is served in a lil clay cup and the hint of cinnamon gives it a great taste. We will be back to try the many seafood options.

Sebastian Gomez

I love coming to this location when I'm in California! I've been coming here ever since I was a kid and this place has always been consistent and delicious.

Traci Matkoski

Don’t let the scaffolding outside the building fool you. They are open!!! The best taco Tuesday spot! The fish tacos are great! All their tacos are great! 👍🏻

Leslie Morales

The staff was really nice and made us feel welcomed. We each ordered a meal and everything was on point! Deliciously tasty. I was not disappointed at all. So worth the drive we took.( We are not from the area) I highly recommend this place if you are near the area.

brendino

My family and I come here all the time for a quick dinner or take out, love their diverse menu. also the salsa bar is amazing

Katherine Bennett

Huge portions, delicious horchata that tastes like cinnamon toast crunch cereal, and really tasty food!

Mark T

Authentic mexican food, huge menu with patio seating. Friendly staff, good portions and flavors

Small mom and pops shop. Great deals and specials with fast service. Salsa bar and ice cold horchatas. Going out for Mexican food has gotten so expensive these days. But Tacos Ensenada has kept the pricing affordable.

I have been looking for some bomb Mexican food by my place since I moved to Lake Forest at the end of 2023. I drove past this spot more than 50 times because it would be just too convenient. If I fell out of my second story window I might land there with a good bounce. Last Friday I placed an order online and I picked it up on time and hot 15 minutes later, with plastic utensils napkins and way too many salsas without having to ask. Taquitos and a burrito. Best Mexican food I have had in a very long time. One of the salsa's put a dent in me. I have not been able to sit down for a week! I can't wait to go back. Seriously I will be back. Thank you Tacos Ensenada.

This Mexican restaurant in Lake Forest, California is truly a hidden gem. From the moment you walk in, you immediately feel welcomed and appreciated. The owner is always cheerful, kind, and genuinely attentive to his customers. He greets people with a smile, checks in to make sure everything is going well, and makes you feel like more than just another table. It’s rare to see that level of dedication and warmth, and it really makes a difference. The restaurant itself is well kept and organized, and you can tell that the owner takes pride in maintaining everything in order. The atmosphere feels inviting, comfortable, and family-friendly — the kind of place where you can relax and enjoy your meal without feeling rushed. One of the things I love most is the incredible variety of dishes and desserts they offer. There is truly something for everyone. Whether you’re craving traditional Mexican flavors or something a little different, the menu has plenty of options. The food is flavorful, well prepared, and consistently satisfying. And the desserts are a wonderful way to end the meal — it’s hard to choose just one! I absolutely love coming to this place. Between the amazing service, the friendly and attentive owner, the wide selection of delicious food, and the welcoming atmosphere, it’s always a great experience. I always leave happy and looking forward to my next visit. I truly hope to return again very soon — this is definitely one of my favorite spots in Lake Forest!

I was looking for tacos near where I was working and found Tacos Ensenada. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food was. The tacos were delicious and the service was great. I will definitely come back!

Had the fish taco. It was flavorful and fresh. Staff was friendly and served complimentary dipping beans, chips and salsa. Salsas were made well with good flavor and heat. Its was worth trying this place.

We love eating here. Quality food, huge portions, and great service with smiles. Highly recommend.

Jeri Elder

We love eating here. Quality food, huge portions, and great service with smiles. Highly recommend.

Bradley Boeck

Had the fish taco. It was flavorful and fresh. Staff was friendly and served complimentary dipping beans, chips and salsa. Salsas were made well with good flavor and heat. Its was worth trying this place.

Gregory Veritas

Small mom and pops shop. Great deals and specials with fast service. Salsa bar and ice cold horchatas. Going out for Mexican food has gotten so expensive these days. But Tacos Ensenada has kept the pricing affordable.

Scott Lynch

I have been looking for some bomb Mexican food by my place since I moved to Lake Forest at the end of 2023. I drove past this spot more than 50 times because it would be just too convenient. If I fell out of my second story window I might land there with a good bounce. Last Friday I placed an order online and I picked it up on time and hot 15 minutes later, with plastic utensils napkins and way too many salsas without having to ask. Taquitos and a burrito. Best Mexican food I have had in a very long time. One of the salsa's put a dent in me. I have not been able to sit down for a week! I can't wait to go back. Seriously I will be back. Thank you Tacos Ensenada.

Philippe Tusler

I love this place! The food is both great and generous. I like more unusual foods, so I often get the tacos de lengua. This last time, I also got a taco pastor. They're both excellent and very generous with the meat. They have a great salsa bar, where you can load up on at least four different salsas. I fully recommend!

Great food, and so delicious.

+4

My wife and I have been here many times. This is Mexican food prepared by Mexican people. Very Authentic. My only problem but not my wife's is you cannot get a taco or burrito with only white chicken breast meat. The chicken is a combination of light and dark meat. My wife is okay with that, I am not. I either order something else like Chile Verde or, you can order a chicken breast by itself. I'm not sure why they can't offer white meat only when they have chicken breast on the menu. I have encountered the same thing at other traditional Mexican restaurants. My wife however enjoys everything she's had here.

The Al pastor is usually great here, however, today wasn't their best foot forward. The pork was almost gritty and the marinade wasn't absorbed by the meat that much. I know it will be delicious eating here again next time.

This place is tasty if you want something close to authentic mexican food ! I recommend the Shrimp Ceviche it's definitely one of their best entrees ! The burritos are huge and so are pretty much all of their plates. There's a whole salsa bar and they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner ! They have so much variety and the cashiers are always nice ! :)

Great chips and salsa bar is always fully loaded. Veggie burrito was really big and delicious. Great lunch spot but can get really busy around lunch time Food - 4.5/5 Environment - 3/5 , Service - 5/5

I have only gotten a burrito here and horchata, but not only was the food good, but the customer service is great. And I'll keep coming back! Keep it up!

My husband and I have gone back several times staking family and friends. Sadly in this last visit I got the ceviche and they didn’t clean the shrimp so I only ate about half of it. Other than that I love it. You can see the shrimp line in the side of my plate

I wanted to post this because like us I'm sure many people thought that Tacos Ensenada had closed. They actually just gave the shopping center a facelift and have yet to add signs for any of the shops, even after a year and a half. Same great food and menu as always. Highly recommended Mexican restaurant!

Nelmalee f

My husband and I have gone back several times staking family and friends. Sadly in this last visit I got the ceviche and they didn’t clean the shrimp so I only ate about half of it. Other than that I love it. You can see the shrimp line in the side of my plate

Devin Bunch

I wanted to post this because like us I'm sure many people thought that Tacos Ensenada had closed. They actually just gave the shopping center a facelift and have yet to add signs for any of the shops, even after a year and a half. Same great food and menu as always. Highly recommended Mexican restaurant!

they have tv on in spanish , the food is really good , they r friendly n they keep it clean plus they have a variety of choices to pick from . they also have beer n fresh fruit juices

The food is good large portions, but the hard part is deciding what to eat!! Horchata is solid!!

Lisa Sullivan

The food is good large portions, but the hard part is deciding what to eat!! Horchata is solid!!

William Perez

they have tv on in spanish , the food is really good , they r friendly n they keep it clean plus they have a variety of choices to pick from . they also have beer n fresh fruit juices

The service was good, the atmosphere ok, but the food was below par, especially for the price. I thought it would be difficult to not get a simple burrito right, but this was almost flavorless al pastor, very watery and greasy, with higher than average gristle and fat content. Very little onion, pepper, rice, cilantro, and NO pineapple as expected for al pastor, at the expense of globbed on refried beans. The steak fajitas looked like the same meat, so I wonder if I really got al pastor or just their vat of beef. I did like the self service salsa bar with the usual carrots, lemons (no limes), and 3 types of salsa. With so many others much better nearby, I will not be returning.

Lot of meat on tacos, 1 taco is truly 2, but NOTHING else. No toppings. There's a salsa bar with pico, and that's it. The chicken in my chicken taco was an odd or off consistency. Had a n unchicken chew to it. I'd go back for carne asada tacos on a Tuesday but with my own toppings.

I had a shrimp taco, and was not like the Ensenada taco , it had grated Monterey cheese or mozzarella threw me of bc a shrimp taco should be. Beer batter deep fry , the shrimp was sautéed , should only be cabbage the crema that goes on top and salsa on the side with lime , Simple classics shrimp taco. It was ok for me. The cabbage was chopped really big didn’t like that either 😕

I used to go a lot to this place because the food is actually good and the salsa bar is great. But I stop the prices are way too high now, almost compare to El Torito or Miguel's. NOT even the seating is comfortable tables are too close to each other's coffee suppose to be "cafe de la olla" is almost $3. And is served warm not hot and the flavor not even close is just horrible they don't heat the tortillas properly. To me is not worthy even when the food and the salsa bar is good not for those prices, there's more comfortable places around.

Aracely Mendiola

I used to go a lot to this place because the food is actually good and the salsa bar is great. But I stop the prices are way too high now, almost compare to El Torito or Miguel's. NOT even the seating is comfortable tables are too close to each other's coffee suppose to be "cafe de la olla" is almost $3. And is served warm not hot and the flavor not even close is just horrible they don't heat the tortillas properly. To me is not worthy even when the food and the salsa bar is good not for those prices, there's more comfortable places around.

They’re tacos are really expensive even on taco Tuesday

Meet is to dry, no taste. Not worth the price. Worst tacos I ever.

My family and I have been coming here for over 10 years! They have always had good food especially their refried beans have always been excellent. However, the food has been inconsistent for the past year and their prices continue to increase. This last time, the beans tasted old and they were watered down too much. It was so bad we ended up throwing it all out! Sad to say, but we will not be returning here.

I used to come here back in 10 years ago, it was good not the best but good, now I was there with 4 friends everyone order a diferent dish, dude it's bad, not flavor, food was old n they took away the salsa bar(monday) so disappointing 😢

Hello First off the meat in my carna asada burrito was definitely old. The taco shells from my hard shell tacos were a bit stale and seemed old as well. The salsa was good but it didn't seem like any of the meat i got was cooked fresh. There was also a hair in my food so i hope there wearing gloves to prepare it. I wouldn't order food from here again.

Cheap quality ingredients = tasteless tacos. It was mostly cartilage and not asada. Not to be harsh but these were the worse tacos I’ve ever had. After couple of bites I decided not to eat them. I am not sure how they prepare and warm up the meat but when I went up to the register to ask for a to go cup, I noticed one of the cooks unfolding some aluminum foil and then dumping the mean on a tortilla. On top of all of that this place is expensive $3.95 taco and $3.95 for regular size agua fresca that tasted like water and sugar. The sign outside should’ve given me a hint

This use to be my favorite Mexican food to eat at. Food hasn’t been prepped well and sometimes comes out soggy and bland. Today I found a long thick thread in my 16oz refried beans. Don’t think I’ll be back.

Karla Garcia

Cheap quality ingredients = tasteless tacos. It was mostly cartilage and not asada. Not to be harsh but these were the worse tacos I’ve ever had. After couple of bites I decided not to eat them. I am not sure how they prepare and warm up the meat but when I went up to the register to ask for a to go cup, I noticed one of the cooks unfolding some aluminum foil and then dumping the mean on a tortilla. On top of all of that this place is expensive $3.95 taco and $3.95 for regular size agua fresca that tasted like water and sugar. The sign outside should’ve given me a hint

Linda Pham

This use to be my favorite Mexican food to eat at. Food hasn’t been prepped well and sometimes comes out soggy and bland. Today I found a long thick thread in my 16oz refried beans. Don’t think I’ll be back.