About Vaca
Beyond their size, small businesses are defined by their spirit. And at the helm are their intrepid founders—scrappy, ambitious, and resilient. They invent and build things despite uncertainty, because it’s what drives them. Their risks lead to innovation that moves the world forward. And we need them.
This restaurant transported my wife and I back to Spain, it was phenomenal. Everything smelled so good, we tore into it before we got half ravaged pictures, but we did have the presence of mind to get really good pictures of the sangria. I would happily purchase their bravas sauce by the jar. We tried both the red and white sangria, while our server said the red was more popular, we liked the white more. Next time we will try the rose so we can pick a favorite. We’ll be back, driving to Costa Mesa is way cheaper than flying to Spain.
We had Rabo de toro 10000⭐️. Flavor is rich and complex from the wine reduction. Meat (oxtail) is fork tender!! Highly recommend getting this one. Chicken croquettes 3 ⭐️. Burnt. Not as good as other places' croquettes. Too much pollo, too little bechamel (the bechamel wasn't creamy either) Pulpo 3⭐️. Also not as good as how other spanish restaurants make it. Theirs aren't grilled. Bikini sandwiches 5 ⭐️👍 Paella valenciana 3/5⭐️ Cocktails 5/5 ⭐️ Would go back to try their other stuff.
I wanted to love this place and had high expectations based on the reviews. We came for a date night and I found the restaurant underwhelming in terms of food and vibes. Service was great, but for a place that takes such pride in its meat the steak was a bit underwhelming especially for the price. The tapas we tried were also just lacking a bit in texture and flavor.
We had a 6:30 PM patio reservation and were seated promptly. However, while waiting inside, there was an overwhelming smell of meat, which wasn’t pleasant—better ventilation would definitely help. Service was good, and we ordered two drinks, two steaks, Brussels sprouts, spicy potatoes, and crispy fried artichokes. The steaks took quite a while to arrive, and despite requesting medium well, mine ended up a bit dry. The Brussels sprouts were the best side dish, and the spicy potatoes were tasty too, but the artichokes were overly greasy. The steak quality wasn’t the best I’ve had. The outdoor seating area was well-heated, but the metal chairs were uncomfortable with no cushions. By the end of the meal, my lower back and tailbone were sore—I highly recommend switching to more comfortable seating.
Who knew one of Orange County's best meals would be found in a business park? Hands down: Vaca served up one of the best steaks around. In fact, the quality and flavor was as good as - if not better than - the meals on my recent trip to Argentina. I went with the skirt steak, which was served with both the house steak sauce and a creamy chimichurri. I also got an order to the roasted broccolini. Both were ridiculously good, and I can't to try more items on the next trip!