El Zarandeado

Amazing aquachile, tacos, and drinks! We had the shrimp aguachile black and pulpo tacos. This is our go to place for fresh and favorable Mexican food.

I will keep it more brief this time since I wrote plenty last time. This was about 4.5 stars.

MARINATED SHRIMP PLATTER:

-- this sauce is really nice and they are cooked very nicely
-- the garlic oil on the side is delectable and was also used later with our whole fish
-- we hammered these in no time

RATING = A

LARGE WHOLE FISH w/CHILE RELLENO:

-- the chili relleno was not warm but I do not eat these often so maybe that is normal? it was tasty regardless with a delicious sauce
-- the fish is in the branzino family of fish and was very tasty
-- the fish appeared slightly under done which I actually like versus a fish getting even remotely dry or overcooked...it was a bit more fishy tasting than the branzino we had last time
-- came with corn tortillas and some guacamole

RATING = A-

BIRRIA QUESA TACO:

-- not moist not dry
-- could use a bit more oil for moisture
-- tastes very good regardless and I enjoyed the "surf and turf" addition to my meal
-- I have not had birria tacos in a while since I transitioned to birria quesadillas at a local restaurant in my town so I think this taco is likely just fine but birria quesadillas are more my jam with great balance of cheese, meat and use of oil

RATING = A

FLAN:

-- caramel style, not cinnamon
-- could benefit from some dulce de leche
-- normally flan has dulce de leche, thin caramel sauce and/or whipped cream on top
-- this flan had chocolate sauce which seemed odd on flan...never saw that before...I think a lot of restaurants think they need to dress up their desserts like putting chocolate sauce on a cannoli pastry...not needed but places feel like it works...and for some people I'm sure it does
-- texture is eggy, not smooth and delicate, more firm
-- light to medium sweet
-- taste is pretty good but not remarkable...I think it was a little grainy for me

RATING = B+

The service was better last time and the second dish took a very long time to arrive but they were very busy and crowded in their defense. It was a weekend night and we were not in a hurry so it worked out. Maybe their kitchen is small? Regardless, the waiter did apologize in the end and was accommodating which was appreciated. It will not impact us coming back as "stuff happens" in life and nobody is going to be perfect every time. :)

I ate at this restaurant last month. March 2024.
Service was ok. Not bad but not great.
Food was not very good. Presentation was fabulous!!
Rice and beans were flavorless and came out barely warm.

Great service and seafood dishes here! We ordered some tacos and the empanadas. The shrimp empanadas were spectacular! A delicate and crispy shell that was an excellent complement to the shrimp. The shrimp texture was just the right level of doneness, not rubbery and overdone, with a delicious blend of cheese and guacamole inside.

Great flavor on their Al pastor taco as well. Unfortunately we didn't eat many of the other tacos since we were trying to be cautious of the queso fresco/cotija recalls affecting the area - watch out y'all! Do give them a try but remember to leave these items off

We should have gone with our first impressions - when walking in, we got hit with the strong smell of the cleaning fluid - very unappetizing. Unfortunately, we were so hungry that we ate too many of the stale tortilla chips, while waiting for our tacos. The tacos - meh.....can find tastier tacos at numerous restaurants around town. Why this place gets such good ratings truly defies logic.

It's a hard no in the future.

This is a nice restaurant situated behind a small shopping area. You enter through a nice courtyard after parking out in front.
The place was empty, so do not let the notice on Yelp that there is a waitlist scare you off. We were glad we came, did not wait, and were seated immediately.
It was lunchtime, so we decided to share the Pescado Zarandeado, a delicious huge fish, and cooked with delicious seasonings. It comes with a chili relleno with shrimp and smothered in the most delicious sauce. Would definitely order again.
The place is clean and casual, and the service is excellent! We will definitely be back to try other menu items.

Love it and the cook and server where amazing loved it he was so friendly and the hostess ass well

This is THE BEST fish I've had in Orange County. My husband doesn't even like fish and he agreed that it was amazing. The price seemed steep at $45 but when I saw the plate come out I understood why. The portion is HUGE. The Branzino was coated in a spicy sauce that was perfection, not too spicy, but spicy enough to make your lips tingle.

My husband had the Torre Aura which is a tower of scallops, octopus, fish, cucumber, avocado, and shrimp. They give you a couple of sauces on the side to pour over the tower. The sauces are super savory and salty. It's served with tostadas and saltines on the side We could barely finish it!

Our server was super friendly, and checked on several times during the meal. The chef also came out to see how we enjoyed the food. Everyone we interacted with was pleasant.

All in all, this place was perfection.

Had dinner here before a concert at the Coach House. I was curious to try EZ because of all the great reviews. I had the Connie's Birria and my wife had the Scallops. In a word, delicious! The menu is packed full of interesting choices. Service was excellent and ambiance was nice. If you're in San Juan Capistrano and you're in the mood for delicious Mexican food, give EZ a try. You won't be sorry.

Wow. This place is 10/10! We got a little bit of everything and I can't tell you what our favorite was. Everything was so flavorful!

Our order:

Camarones a mojo de ajo- the most delicious garlic sauce! It came with a side of potatoes and veggies and white rice... perfect to scoop up some that garlic sauce.
Tres amigas- customize your taco but highly recommend the shrimp taco. This was very seafood forward but it doesn't have to be! Every item was 10/10.
Crab & shrimp chile relleno- beyond delish. The sauce was so good and it wasn't breaded (preferable) and filled with so much seafood.
Cheese enchilada- so simple, so perfect and bursting with flavor still.
Cheese quesadilla- the perfect cheese quesadilla.
Habanero salsa- spicy! Exactly what I asked for.
Chips and salsa- light and crispy, green salsa was to die for. Had to hold off because we knew what was coming for us!

It was our first time here and Ivan took great care of us. He was super helpful and so kind to us. He went above and beyond especially because we had tons of leftovers. Even the chef and owners, Gaspar and Connie, came out and asked how our food was. Family ran and you can feel the love in the food! We felt very welcomed. Thank you!

We cannot wait to be back and bring our family and friends!