Cabo Grill & Cantina - Mexican restaurant in Brea - 301 N Brea Blvd, USA

Updated 7-25-2023 Start off with a couple of their fabulous margaritas, like the crowd-favorite Herradura Mango and the refreshing Watermelon! Our favorite salsa was the guacamole salsa, which is creamy, tangy and oh-so-addictive!! And, who can forget the buffalo wings?! Tender bites with a kick of heat, which is even better dipped in their fabulous ranch dip! Thank you Carlos for sharing what makes your restaurant special in the city of Brea!! I also have to give a shout out to Bethany for her friendly & excellent customer service! **************************** If you’re looking for a new local go-to spot, Cabo Grill and Catina is worth checking out! From the moment you enter the restaurant, there’s a cool vibe. I could tell that it’s a local spot, with a diverse group of customers. It does get quite lively in the bar area, so if you have kids, you may want to sit in the dining area instead. Otherwise, it just adds to the ambiance. We went on a Friday night around 5pm and had no problem getting a table. It got busy by 6:30pm. There was a lot of laughter so you know they were having fun! So, definitely a great place to meet a group of friends and maybe meet new friends. Looking at their menu, they had the typical Mexican type dishes. Large variety to choose from. If you haven’t tried their Queso Fundido appetizer and you’re a cheese lover, this will easily become your new favorite!! It is absolutely A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! It comes piping hot so be careful not to touch pan! 🔥 That cheese pull!! So cheesy!! 🧀 The chorizo adds a depth of flavor to it. It’s fun to share and you can’t help smiling & laughing as you’re fighting that cheese pull so that you can get it into your mouth lol 🤣 It’s one of those dishes that you can’t stop eating! So good!! Definitely memorable!! Chips and salsa were good. Liked the green spicy one the best! So good! We got to try 2 other salsas that are not on the menu: guacamole salsa (smooth salsa with good flavor and a little kick) and a habanero one 🌶️ Loved the guacamole salsa!! We tried their Chicharrones and guacamole on their Small Bites menu. Nice and crunchy. Seasoned well. Squirt some lime juice over the chicharrones and hear the sizzle. It’s not as easy to dip into the guacamole though. The chicharrones is not as crunchy from the lime juice if you let it sit too long. So eat away! Guacamole tastes freshly made. Well seasoned. Loved the guacamole!! 🥑 Love the Carne Asada Grilled Fajitas at this place!!! It comes sizzling in a cast iron skillet! Most everyone loves to hear that sizzle, right? It’s like music to your ears, telling your taste buds they’re in for a real treat! And, we were not disappointed. The shallots, are caramelized, which brings out the natural sweetness. The yellow bell peppers and red bell peppers had a little bit of sweetness and still a a little crunch to them, which I like. That combination brings out some fabulous flavors!! Gives it some great color. You could also tell that they use good quality meat! Love this dish!! Plus, it’s quite a show as it comes to the table. Everyone usually looks that direction, thinking I should have got that! Or is that just me?! Lol Drinks we tried… Skinny Margarita (pretty good) Mango Margarita (my daughter’s favorite). Squeeze lime in and blend well. So pretty 🧡 Blueberry Margarita (my favorite) Just when we thought we were full, Bethany asked if we wanted any dessert. Before I knew it, we were saying yes to Deep Fried Ice Cream (Nieve Frita) lol So glad we did! It was good quality Vanilla ice cream rolled in cinnamon, sugar and corn flakes, deep fried and covered with whipped cream and topped with chocolate. The corn flakes got a little hard and chewy to eat. The dessert itself was very yummy!! We finished the whole thing! Overall, it was a fantastic meal. We enjoyed some mother/daughter fun 🤩 Thank you Carlos, Bethany and staff for making our time there enjoyable and fun. Thanks for the rec @enjoybrea 👊🏼

In terms of dishes, the Grilled Fajitas (either Carne or Pollo) are seasoned very well and come with a larger portion than you might expect; highly recommend either sharing this dish or enjoy the hefty take home portions for a meal later on. Nachos were average, but consistent and the Enchiladas were flavorful enough to satisfy any patron. The red tray ant portion is large enough, with generous parking in the back. The Cantina part of the business was a bit more lively; nice the separation between the two, but you can still access both easily. One star deduction for service not being completely stellar over the top. However, if you are looking for consistent Mexican Food that is as you read on the menu, definitely stop by here.

It may look like every other Mexican restaurant when you drive by but the food sets it far above the rest. The dishes we had were packed with flavor and I can't wait to go back and try more of the menu. The service was very good, it was our first visit and our waitress took the time to point out dish we should try and answered all our questions.

Went there at an odd time so there weren't many folks, but the service was really great (girl with nose ring sorry didn't get your name) and the fajitas were super tasty! The combo plate was a lil too smothered for me.

We love Cabo, our local go-to for casual family dinner. We're so so so happy they are open again! GET THE MEXICAN PIZZA!!!!!! All the food is delicious, and made to order. Service is friendly. The bar is very casual and full of locals - friendly vibe. Service can be a little slow, but the chips and salsa make up for it! Could be a little cleaner under the tables. Overall, we love Cabo!!!!

September 12, 2023 Update. Place is jumping for a taco Tuesday night! Great place to mingle. Food is decent. But the lettuce in my tacos tasted like ammonia because they're washing it in too high a concentration of preserving agent. Just cut it as you need it off a head. Place didn't really empty out till around 8:00 pm. Large crowds and the food comes out of the kitchen fast! Waitresses we're all really friendly too! There's a reason so many people patronize this place. January 15, 2022 Update. Ok, under new ownership now. Place has been cleaned up a bit during the transition. Same menu, recipes and drinks of old. Quality of food has improved slightly. Everything we ordered and tasted is slightly under salted. Good news to those watching their salt intake, for those who aren't, shake some salt on from the salt shaker. Now, prices are high for this average decored Mexican restaurant. Average dish is $18.00 to $20.00. Cocktails are $11.00 to $15.00 on average. I got the Cadillac margarita, and to me not worth the price they changed for it. Food is flavored well and fresh ingredients are the norm based on what I was served. No complaints about the quality of food served. Great salsa's and chips! If you're not money sensitive, then this is a solid choice for Mexican food. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Old Review three years prior below. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Fair to middle. Nothing to write home about. Lots of regulars who apparently enjoy being recognized more than they enjoy really good food. Fair prices for average fair food.

Great food, great service! Grilled chicken tacos and salsa are the best!!

A very clean restaurant with very good service and food that many people of all ages will enjoy. The dishes offered our authentic. They're not overly seasoned and they're not overly spicy or hot, now. If you do enjoy heat, simply request a hotter salsa and they will definitely take care of you..