Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
54 Reviews for Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen
Really great quality Mexican food, as in "reminds you of homecooked meals" good. Their homemade tortillas and salsa are suberb and the fine touches on the dishes keep me coming back. Serivce could be better though, hasn't improved since I've been coming, but the food is consistently excellent!
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WOW! What a delightful dining experience. Warm atmosphere, great decoration, GREAT FOOD!
Ever since our Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico vacation in June, my husband and I had been searching for an authentic Mexican restaurant that served arrachera steak. After a quick google search we found ourselves in this restaurant situated in the very heart of Old Towne Orange. We arrived at the restaurant at 8pm on a Sunday. The wait was only 5 minutes. We ordered the arrachera steak dish which was everything we expected, yummy! Loaded with a variety of delicious sides - oh, how can I forget the fried plantains :)
We were lucky to have Romi as our server. Later on we learned that he would not normally be working on Sundays. He is a great guy with a highly positive attitude who did every effort to ensure a great dining experience for us.
Long story short, we will definitely go back and bring friends with us.
This so-called "fantastic" establishment is RACIST, INAPPROPRIATE, UNPROFESSIONAL, and RIDICULOUSLY INSULTING. We will never again visit this restaurant and will urge any hungry consumer NEVER TO GO TO GABBI'S.
Preferential treatment to their friends even if you've been waiting in line for 40 minutes was shockingly insulting, rude, and plain wrong. Blonde douchebag host with the highlights (male cougar) and fat ugly whispering/gossiping hostesses made no effort to conceal their deceptive acts. Host/esses denied aforementioned preferential and unfair treatment and nervously pointed to a random party of 2 (which was obviously not the said couple, clear from his stuttering and shaking finger and waivering-but-asshole tone that he was trying to bullshit us) on the wait list acting as if the couple who came in after us had in fact come before us (we were there for 40 minutes and this couple showed up at the tail-end, without a doubt -- we're not idiots). After arguing with the host staff and being lied to (and glared at as if we are dumbasses), we turned on our heels and left to eat anywhere else that was NOT Gabbi's.
Unprofessional and seriously disappointing.
Just because their food is supposedly good doesn't mean they can treat people with ill respect as if they were second class citizens.
ZERO STARS.
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It was an odd experience here. From the reviews I read, aside from JW.s on 7/16/08, I was expecting a lot more than what I had received. Perhaps I came in with too high of expectations.
I tried to call in for reservations and was told they did not allow reservations. I always come to yelp before I go to a restaurant and I do not believe Yelp was lying when they said no reservations. I am unsure if the hostess was new or if they really don't take reservations.
Being sat, our server was very good. I loved the service here. Never had to wait for the server.
The server sold us on the appetizer, Calabassa Quesadilla. He said goat cheese was smothered within the quesadilla and topped with tomato chipotle sauce. I ordered a pomegranate mojito for a drink. The mojito was very sweet, but my friend asked what was I expecting with a pomegranate mojito. The quesadilla was a dissapointment. The sauce tasted like tomato sauce from Chef Boyardee. I didn't taste much of the goat cheese, the tomato sauce was over powering.
I ordered a medium rare flat iron steak with chipotle sauce. Was good, but there was a lot of chipotle sauce on the plate. Our food came out luke warm. It seemed it had been sitting out for a while under a heat lamp.
My dinner companion ordered crepos de langosta. I thought the crepes would be like a french crepe, but it was just a corn tortilla. It was very good, lightly sweet. I thought I should have ordered this.
Dessert was nice. Ordered the bread pudding, Capriotada. :)
The server said this Mexican food was from the South, near the Yucatan. I thought the food was okay. I don't know if I would come back.
I'll just heap on my review here!
This is a great place for a DATE. :) Cozy and dim, moderately priced for the quality -- in short, sure to impress. If you have a little wait, take a walk and window shop and talk about antiques. Trust me fellas, chicks dig that stuff.
There's an interesting cross-section of mexican food on the menu. We asked our waitress about it and she let us know that the owner and her husband travel around Mexico looking for good recipes and then she (the owner) puts her own twist on it.
I ordered some grilled chicken tacos, and, in the interest of being brutally honest, the chicken was a little dry for my taste BUT IT WAS STILL EXCELLENT. The tortillas are made fresh and that really brought everything together. Nothing beats a fresh tortilla!
My friend got the special which was a medium rare steak (I tried some, it was cooked to perfection!!) over an open faced enchilada. I had to mention it because it was fantastic.
I got the garlic rice instead of the spanish rice and it's very good. The beans are also good. As someone else mentioned, a nice consistency and a great flavor.
The drinks are also quite good. I got a tamarindo margarita and it was excellent! Flavorful without being sugary and the right taste of tequila. (It was there, it just wasn't overpowering.)
The best part of the meal was definitely the dessert. SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT. We got a baked vanilla flan with guava sauce (amazing and I don't even like flan), fresh tropical fruit sorbet also with guava sauce (just sweet enough and very refreshing) and a Mayan chocolate tart -- which I might just go to eat the next time I miss my boyfriend while he's on a business trip. It wasn't just tasty, it was phenomenal!!
Overall there was nothing to complain about. The service was well above average, the food was well worth the price and I was thoroughly satisfied when the meal was finished.
I will definitely be back here.
Wow pomegranate mojito! I'm in love!
A quaint high end Mexican restaurant that is tucked into the Orange Circle area. Their bar glasses were that hand blown Mexican kind that I always am wanting to buy, but for some reason never do. And the whole place has a rustic, charm to it. Big over sized candles with dim lighting and it def sets a good vibe to the place.
They have a small L-shaped bar towards the back of the restaurant and we were lucky enough to score 3 bar chairs. Yes, bar chairs. Cuz these were not just stools. We cozied up there with such good chips & salsa and our yummy drinks. A perfect spot to catch up with the girls on the latest in life. We were tempted to take shots from of the very phallic shaped tequila bottles.....but we refrained. Families were still dining, and this ain't that kind of joint. I am sure it was a high end tequila. It was mid-week and we certainly have restraint until the weekend! But you could easily do a mini tequila tasting here with all the varieties that they have..... note to self.
I will definitely be back for dinner here.....
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Nice little spot in Old Towne Orange. I hadn't made it to Gabbi's since they opened but I had heard good things so its been on my list for quite some time. I was out with some friends last night and three of us had Thursday off so we made plans to meet at Gabbi's for lunch.
It wound up being just two of us....I guess we were all feeling a little rough this morning after our night at Sunset Lounge....
We had a decent margarita on the rocks. The chips and salsa were tasty. Our entrees--Chili Relleno for me and Crepes stuffed with lobster for her. Both dishes were artfully presented and tasty. Top it off with an attentive waiter that didn't over intrude and allowed us to eat slowly and sit and talk after our meal and we had a great experience.
A bit pricey for a casual lunch (2 entrees and 2 margaritas $65 including tip). But I definitely want to come back and check out more of the menu.
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LOVE This place. I have been looking for a Mexican Rest. to replace my old fav Javier's in Laguna. Ever since Javier's moved to Newport it isn't the same. Gabbi's is great and remains authentic even when exploring nuevo flavors. I have not had a bad meal here. You must go on a Fri or Sat to try their homemade tortillas. YUMMO. The one down is the wait for dinner on Fri/Sat. It can be anywhere from 45 min to 1.5 hours!!! and they do not take reservations...they really need to start! I have been for lunch on these same days with little to no wait and Sundays are less busy.
Great restaurant. Expect to wait if you come during busy times. I recommend dinner or lunch during the week when the crowd is much smaller.
We love the enchilada suizas. Many other food items are wonderful.
The restaurant is in a beautiful Old Towne building. Old Towne needs more like this!
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I had dinner at Gabby's Mexican Kitchen last Saturday. We started off with margaritas and empanadas, which were both good. The felt the salsa was bland, so we kicked it up with there Habanero sauce. My kids had Taquitos, which are also very good. I had the Camerones en Mole Verde. The dish was decent, but did not bedazzle me, as I thought it may. My wife had Puerco Poc-Chuc. The sauce that the Berkshire pork was marinated in was great, but the pork was tuff and did not pick up the flavors of the marinade. I believe that an inch and a fillet cut of pork would have picked up the marinade much better.
My over all experience was good, not great. I am going to go back and try some other dishes.
Any recommendations on must try favorite dishes?
We have gone to Gabby's a handful of times and it has gotten better each time. The food is always delicious and the staff is very friendly. My only complaint is the way those who are waiting are handled. The wait time is always an underestimate and the hostesses look at you like you asked for one of their kidneys when you want to see how much longer it's going to be. The owner is often there and treats those waiting with the same rudeness and has the personality of a dry piece of toast. If it weren't for the food and proximity to my house I wouldn't go there.
Delicious, but expect to wait at least a half hour. Even if you make reservations. Usually dies down around 9. Worth the wait though.
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I wanted to give Gabbi's four stars, but there was no reason not to give them five stars!
Yes, I went to a Mexican restaurant for Cinco De Mayo. We got there just before 6pm, without a reservation, and were told the wait would be 15-20 minutes. Not bad, considering it was Cinco De Mayo. So we walked around for 10 minutes, headed back and lo and behold - they had a table for us.
The service was excellent. Our waiter gave us a few different suggestions and explained how each dish was cooked and how it would pair with a side dish or appetizer. His suggestions were spot on, too.
I wanted to laugh at my mom when she ordered the enchiladas suiza after our waiter said it was a typical, boring Mexican dish. No, he didn't use those words. He made it sound much nicer than that. Of course, when her food came out, it was just okay. It was among the better enchilada suizas I've ever had, but it was nothing special. She ended up finishing my food for me when I got too full.
On the other hand, I took our waiter's recommendation and ordered the enchiladas de camarones. OH GOD IT WAS HEAVEN IN YOUR MOUTH. It had a very creamy, rich green sauce - I think it was poblano based? But it wasn't at all spicy. The shrimp inside were perfectly cooked and actually tasted like it was shrimp scampi in a tortilla covered with sauce. There was spinach somewhere in there too. It came with garlic rice and black beans, which were also good.
Oh - for an appetizer we ordered the empanada trio. That was our waiter's suggestion, too, and once again he was right. My favorite was the plaintain and black bean empanada.
The restaurant itself reminded me of a New York style hot spot. It was all exposed brick and very long and narrow. The restroom even reminded me of a NY restaurant, because you had to go right by the kitchen to get to it. The good part was the whole place was about 2000% cleaner than a NY restaurant.
And I already said how great our waiter was. (Wish I'd gotten his name.) But even better were the busboys. My glass was refilled no less than four times in less than an hour and a half. (I needed it too.) Everyone was pleasant and the service was fast. We got to the restaurant by 5:50 and were out the door by 7:15 - on Cinco De Mayo! (And no, they didn't rush us at all.)
After ordering an appetizer, two non-alcoholic drinks and two entrees, our total bill came to $46 plus tax. Not bad at all, considering the quality of the food. I can't wait to go back! (It's definitely a date spot.)
awful service I had a business meeting and arrived early they refused to seat me before my client arrived. the resturant was half empty! while I waited no other people came in it was so hot outside I couldn't believe how rude they were! don't care how good the mexican is! will not be back!
I love this place! To me, it has the best Mexican food I've ever tasted. They make a killer Sangria, and I've learned that I can't have one at lunch and then expect to be able to drive back home (45 minutes away by freeway).
I've only been at lunchtime, and always plan to get there early enough so I don't have to wait. The atmosphere is wonderful - old brick, exposed beams, antique bar, unique hanging lanterns and candles - it's quite the place.
The food is amazing as well. This visit I had the lunch special fish Taco's, which was grilled Albacore, served on fresh tortillas, cabbage & their special Yucatan sauce. Spectacular. My husband had the Taco's Dorado, which were beef tacos, perfectly seasoned and fried. I know he was impressed.
I've also had the Empenadas Tres Marias; three empenadas, one each of plantains, chicken & chorizo, with a special sauce for each.
Fantastic fare...highly recommended.
I had dinner here for the first time over the weekend and absolutely loved it. When we first arrived the host told my friend it would be about 30-40 minutes, but she worked her magic charm and we were seated within 10 minutes. The $9 glass of sangria I had wasn't worth writing home about, but the chicken/pesto/goat cheese quesadilla appetizer was mouth-watering. I also really enjoyed their chips and salsa; the salsa was fairly mild but that's A-OK by me. My main course was the carne asada soft tacos--the meat was delicious and the flour toritllas were indescribable; I'd never tasted anything like them. It was almost like slightly greasy raw dough, which sounds terrible but tasted fantastic.
I also thought the dcor was great--another Yelper described it as "medieval Mexican," which I think is apt. The menus were planted on longish wooden boards, which I also thought was a nice touch. Our server was possibly the most soft-spoken human being on the planet, but other than that the service was fast and friendly, just how I like it. When we left they even remembered my friend's name and used it when saying goodbye. I found this a tad creepy but she didn't seem to mind.
I can't wait to go back so I can try to figure out what the hell they do to those flour tortillas!
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This place makes a mean mojito, and trust me...my friend and I have been on the scour for a good mojito lately. (+1 star for that) Service was excellent and we started with a carne and onion quesadilla which was amazing. The meat was cooked perfectly and the cheese has some bite was mellow at the same time. It was gorgeous. It was pretty big also for an appetizer, if I had just one I am pretty sure that would be a good meal. (+1 to this also)
Next moving onto the main courses, I ordered the skirt steak and my friend had shrimp tacos. He said the tacos were a bit lacking in spice, but still cleaned his plate, so it must have been good. My steak was nice, with usual rice and bean sides, nothing to brag about. The meat was very nicely finished with browned onions and bell peppers. I throughly enjoyed it. The brown onions and bell peppers gave the meat a nice balance. With corn though, I'm not sure you need the rice...seems abit excessive to me but whatever floats your boat.
No room for dessert, as we had to catch Bad Religion at HOB in Anaheim, which was freaking amazing.
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I went to Gabbi's in Dec 2007 to celebrate my grandmother's birthday with a group of 12. I was pleasantly surprised with how charming this little restaurant is, the decor was in a rustic style. The service was great, all of our meals came at once. We all started with guacamole and chips which was decent. Presentation of food is very pretty. I ordered huitlacoche quesadilla it was a little on the cold side, but the combinations of the flavors were succulent . (Any Mexican restaurant that has huitlacoche is super cool to me) My husband had a shrimp dish which was amazing. One con about this place is that they do not serve hot sauce with their chips they serve a sweet salsa (which is fine), but they charge a few $ extra if you want hot salsa. The overall experience was great. I recommend it, but a smaller party would probably be more enjoyable due to the size of the restaurant.
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Back in OC for a few days and it's going out time with my friends. I had always meant to try Gabbi's when I lived here, but never got to it.
I wanted to like this place because I love "fancy" Mexican cuisine. However, my Oaxacan mole enchiladas were really bad. It was so over salted it overpowered the flavor of the mole. My friends' dishes were really good and the drinks were fabulous. The pomegranate mojito and the guava margarita were very inventive and tasty.
The outdoor seating with heat lamps provide a great atmosphere.
I would be willing to give it another try and stay away from the mole.
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i really like this place, really really. Last time I went I got a enchilada de camarones, those of you that don't know, thats Spanish for enchiladas OF camarones . . . .wait, no, shrimp enchiladas, & they were SOO effing good. The environment is pretty rad, kind of medieval Mexican.The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is because of the price, it's a bit pricey but it's worth checking out for sure
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I had read many "good food, bad service" reviews about Gabbi's and I have to say the first time, I agreed with them. We sat on the small outdoor patio in front and our service was pretty slow. However, it's certainly fun to look out into the circle and people watch, so we didn't complain and just relaxed. We decided to just try a variety of appetizers instead of having a full meal. The empanadas tres marias is awesome, I didn't think I would like the plantain one but it was great. I agree that their salsa isn't the best, but the guacamole is perfect...just a little lemony and very flavorful. Their mole sauce is extremely well done compared to other mole sauces I've had at CA restaurants. The chicken quesadillas were wonderful, light and I loved the goat cheese, really a different flavor.
The second time we went we had dinner, I had margaritas on the rocks (mixed perfectly and refreshing) and the carnitas tacos. The meat was tender and juicy, and not dry at all, but it was a touch bland. I thought the tacos were good, but not spectacular. My husband had the enchiladas suiza which were also very well done - he loved them. I like that they do a higher-end presentation, and also their food isn't as heavy and greasy as other Mexican restaurants. Also, I really think Gabbi's has heard the buzz about their bad service and is working on improving it. Everyone we encountered was very nice and our waiter was really fantastic, friendly, attentive and a great storyteller. If you can wait a few extra minutes, sit on the outdoor patio rather than inside...it just seems a little less crowded. All in all, we'll definitely go back.
Gabbi's is now kind of trendy to trash. First I do imagine a lot of people whose idea of Mexican food is Don Jose's or El Torito are going to react badly to a place that serves regional dishes of Mexico and breaks the everything covered in melted cheese mold. Are they a little full of themselves, can the wait be bad and the staff confused a little? Sure ( we came with a party of 8 in December. They had set up the table for us already but because all of our party hadn't arrived we could not sit at the table, but we could fill up the tight space at the bar ordering drinks and blocking everyone's way. Finally they realized how stupid this was and let us sit.)
But to me it is all about the food and I have never had anything that was good to excellent. The food choices represent personal research the owners have done traveling to the regions of Mexico. They have a restaurant and catering background and take these regional dishes and refine them with a trained chef's skills.
People say it wasn't spicy enough. I love spicy food but it is a poor gringo stereotype to equate all Mexican food with hot and spicy. I really think some of the comments that dis this place are more about that reviewers preconceptions than the food they are served.
Ummm YUMMY! First of all, I think that the salsa has great flavor (it could definitely be hotter but it's delicious nonetheless)! The service has been fantastic all but one time I've been and they are sooo super busy in there, I'm surprised it's so great! The decor is awesome, such a cute little quaint place with bitchin big wood furniture and huge sliding doors that open to an adorable little patio that over looks Glassell in the heart of Old Town Orange. It would be fun to have dinner or lunch & then walk around the circle, my only problem is I typically have 1 (or more) of their INSANE margaritas (seriously, it's one of the best margs I have EVER had), so walking in my high pretty shoes half-crocked and stumbling might not be the wisest of choices. When I'm not in the mood for Margs, I have their Dos Equis Amber on tap and let me tell you...it's sooo crisp and cold it makes my mouth water. I've eaten several things and the only thing that left me unsatisfied was the black bean soup, there just wasn't enough flavor. My favorite things include the spicy shrimp tacos (which aren't too spicy so don't be afraid), the trio of empenadas (sooo great to order as an appetizer to share) and the cactus flower enchiladas ( so original and sooo sooo tasty). It's a little pricey but well worth it in my opinion. Come early and be prepared to wait, it is packed every night of the week.
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Update: 01/28/08
Still a great place to eat. The service was friendly and on point.
Their mole sauce is KILLER! Savored every last moment.
Pomogranite mojito is very tasty. The bartender was very good at not making it taste like minty soda pop.
Tacos Al Pastore was good with the steak but it would have been better with pork.
The food here is purrty good but next time, I'd like to come back and order from their regular entree menu.
I ordered their daily special, " Grilled swordfish on top of garlic rice topped with a molcayete sauce and garnished with roasted plantains with crumbles of Queso Fresco. it was delicious
The restaurant is a bit dark and the decor is very earthy and rustic. If you get a chance, sit at the bar and the bartender can tell you all about the Tequilas.
I ordered the Margarita special on the rocks. hmmmm.... lots of ice, sweet at the top but when you get to the last four sips, the liquor starts to taste a bit bitter.
Overall, I like this place and look forward to coming back.
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I've been meaning to try this little Mexican kitchen for a few weeks now. I finally had the chance over the weekend when I met up with my friend for lunch on Sunday. The restaurant was a little busy, but we were able to a table pretty quickly. The host was a little rude to my friend (putting in that comment for you Anh =o) ) She had gotten there a few minutes before me and tried to get a table for us. Apparently, the host hardly acknowledged her and walked into the restaurant without appropriately addressing her table request. This was surprising to hear. I had actually walked by here a few weeks ago, and the hostess at the time was really friendly. In any case, we were seated at a table inside when I got there. The restaurant itself was a little dark, but the atmosphere was nice and had a rustic feeling. The waiter brought us out some chips and salsa. The tortilla chips were warm and multi-colored. Our waiter was friendly and accommodating. I ordered the spinach/shrimp enchiladas which were really tasty. It was presented really well, and they came with a sides of garlic, Spanish rice and a cup of black beans. The sides were also good, but the portion of rice given was not very much. This could definitely be improved. I felt like Oliver..."may I please have some more...". Anh ordered the Sea Bass fish tacos. I was able to try some of this and was pretty impressed. The Sea Bass was really tender and melted in your mouth. Well, overall a good experience... I may try having dinner here next time and partake of their house-made sangria.
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The food here is quite good...as are the drinks. The service, however, is awful. The wait is always outrageous, no matter if you are a group of two or eight. But if you have time to kill, it is worth going to for the atmosphere and the heavenly quesadilla tropicale.
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Another "upscale" Mexican restaurant in the vein of Taco Rosa and co., in terms of ambience and decor. Arrived here at just past 7 p.m. tonight for dinner with the little brother, who insisted on Mexican food, sigh. I had called ahead to put my name in so our wait was only 5 min.
Service was really great. Our salsa was refilled without asking, as were our drinks. Chips were warm and crispy, not too greasy though being the sodium freak that I am, had to sprinkle salt to the fresh salsa.
Upon the recommendation of our engaging waiter, we started off with the Panuchos de Yucatan, three small tortillas topped with black beans, shredded pork and slices of avocado and habanero salsa. For all of its pretty layers, the flavor was lacking and it was rather soggy. My brother didn't even realize there was any pork in it until I pointed it out -- he could only taste the beans.
The Tacos de Hongos came with shiitake mushrooms, onions, melted cheese and carne asada, all topped off with a spicy salsa ($14). The mushrooms complemented the meat nicely and kept it from being too dry of an offering. The Tacos de Arrachera ($13) looked particularly appetizing with grilled skirt steak, cilantro and a tomatillo salsa that was supposed to be spicy but was just mild. The chunks of skirt steak were indeed tender, juicy and flavorful. It was my favorite dish of the meal, but at $13-$14 for three small tacos, I'm not sure it was worth it. Also, the rice was super dry and again, on the bland side. Decent meal, but nothing that would make me become a regular.
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OK - so if you are looking for a $6 plate of refried beans, rice and enchiladas in generic red sauce DO NOT COME HERE.
This is an attempt to apply modern cooking techniques to classic Mexican cooking. It is not nouvelle cuisine. It is high end, well prepared food in an attractive space.
Best example is the chicken vegetable soup. Usually, this has giant chunks of chicken and vegetables. Gabbi's juliennes them; this allows you to taste all of the flavors in a single bite.
Other dishes:
Queso Fundido - traditional queso fundido with home made chorizo which was very good and made to order corn tortillas which were incredible.
Sopa Azteca - good but not great.
Chicken mole enchiladas - really awesome. Chocolatey, a bit spicy. wow.
Tacos de Cochinita Pibil - pork cooked in banana leaves - quite good.
Squash blossom enchiladas - with chicken and corn - quite tasty
The beans (pinto, black, refried) were all very very, good.
Dessert was a chocolate tart with home made pate sucree. Chocolate cinnamon truffles on top. Really interesting, chocolatey and tasty.
Beautiful space.
Appetizers $8 main courses $13 - $25 -definitely pricey.
They did not take reservations for lunch and I had to wait 25 minutes, which sort of annoyed me.
Beautiful exposed brick interior. Mexican folk art and paintings.
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There was a lot of hype leading up to our evening here. We were celebrating a birthday and this was the birthday girl's fave eatery.
We waited about 15 minutes to sit even though we were "priority".
Our server was very enthusiastic, trying to be humorous with a few "gringo" jokes and seemingly on the ball. Our food arrived promptly and everyone got what they asked for.
But....the food was pretty bland. I was expecting it to have a kick to it.
It even lacked salt which was healthy but left the food blah. The plates that the food was served on seemed dirty.
All in all it was just o.k., I wouldn't go back.
And then..... hubby got a case of the runs about 2 hours after eating. He had the shrimp/tilapia ceviche. Bummer!
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It's a secret "upscale" Mexican restaurant located next to the Army Navy store on the south arm of the Orange Circle... no sign, no indicators that it's there other than the multiple chairs and tables spilling out onto the sidewalk from the open storefront. Some of the mysteriousness of the place lends an extra sense of fun to being there. Apparently the lack of sign is maintained by the owners as a good luck charm, having had great business there from their grand opening even without a sign, so they keep it that way.
The restaurant decor is pleasant, with the airy feel of the exposed rafters and the rusticness of exposed original brickwork paired with the addition of Spanish ceramic tiles for decoration.
For Mexican food it is rather pricier than most other Mexican restaurants, with entrees averaging around $15- $20 per person. However, the plating and presentation go an extra step further, and you do get your chow placed quite nicely in small, tall little arrangements on nice ware, and combinations of food and garnishes that can be refreshing. It just feels good to sit here and enjoy a leisurely lunch.
In terms of rating Gabbi's in relation to other places here at the Orange Circle, there really isn't another place here that comes close to the caliber of Gabbi's at this price. For folks visiting Chapman U and want to eat something a little classier, skip the other 'upscale' styled places and come here.
As for the food, I recommend the steak arrachera :)
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This place does not serve up anything remotely close to authentic Mexican food. Nor is it good. Save your money and get a chalupa at Taco Bell.... The service is bad and the food sucks.. Once was enough for boyfriend-o and I. This place seriously is a joke......
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Jesus Christ this place is good! It's more of an ambitious take on what most people are used to when they get mexican food, so b prepared for some experimentation. Shut up - let the waiter tell you what's good - and enjoy. I had the Huitacualo (can't spell...) quesadilla - a mushroom quesedilla sitting in a tomatillo sauce, pretty freaking good. The empanadas appetizers are another must-order. Just drank the beer, but the bar look pretty substantial. Great surroundings, exposed brick and lots of wood. The staff could not have been friendlier and more helpful.
The food is way over priced. Actually the food wasn't that god. I would have to say the drinks and the decor are the best things there. I will not go back this to place.
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The service is horrible but the food is good.
I have been a few times but I must share my last experience.......
We got there at 5pm (weekday) and they just opened. Several tables open. We asked to be seated outside. (no one was outside) There was 6 of us. They said the tables only seated 4. We asked if we could put two tables together. The hostess said "Why?" ....... So we told her that since the tables only seated 4 and there was 6 of us and no one was sitting at them we could push them together. Her reply was "Oh no...... we could not do that. Someone may want to sit there......" WHAT?? So she seated us inside at a 4 seater table with 6 chairs. 6 aduts squeezed in to a 4 seater table and no one was there yet...... Needless to say..... we left and ate a Felix's.
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I get cravings for this place. I'm in love with the enchiladas suizas. Their margaritas are pretty delicious too, and they make their own mix, which is fantastic. The staff and service is awesome, and it's really a beautiful restaurant. Dark and romantic and decorated well. This place does get pretty packed on weekend nights, so it wouldn't hurt to make a reservation. A delicious jewel in Old Town.
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Absolutely love it! Definitely the best Mexican food I've had in a long time. My favorite are the homemade tortillas, they are to die for...literally. With butter they just melt in your mouth. The mango margaritas are also amazing. Not only are the food and drinks great but I love the atmosphere. It's comfortable but very cute and chic at the same time. Prices are not too bad. I love it here!
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Good luck finding this place! It has no signage, no fluorescent lights, nothing...except for a tiny sign attached to a huge wooden hand...in the window of an adjacent building! What?! Why?! This place seriously can't afford a sign on the outside of its own business?!
Anyway, enough of my ranting. This place is decent. Yes, they serve up real Mexican food. Yes it's pretty good. I had high hopes after hearing about this place through my wife (her co-worker has a gallery down the street and eats here all the time). It sounded good and the other Yelp reviews built up my anticipation as well. Sorry folks, but the experience didn't live up to all the hype.
We began our meal with complimentary corn tortilla chips (red, white, and blue...how patriotic!) and salsa. The chips were nice and warm and the salsa was very flavorful, though not spicy at all. I ordered a glass of tamarindo (very tasty and refreshing; tasted freshly made). I was surprised that a place like this would serve tamarindo or horchata. You usually don't find aguas frescas in other similar Mexican eateries of this caliber. It was a pleasant surprise, though. We're off to a good start, it seems.
Well, while waiting for our food (which took about 30 minutes, at least; 45 minutes since taking our seats), I took in the sights and sounds of the place. Nice ambiance. Fellow diners were chatty and seemed to be enjoying their meals. One particular group near us on the patio was really laughing it up...like a bunch of hyenas on the African savanna. The place itself is interestingly decorated and reminded me of a gutted brick building hastily transformed into an eating establishment of sorts (exposed rafters, wicker lamps, ceiling fans, propane and electric heaters, sparse artwork on the exposed brick walls, etc...). Ehh...
Finally our food arrived. I ordered the Parrilla Mixta dish ($18). It was a combination plate that consisted of chorizo, marinated chicken and flank/skirt steak, all topped off with sauteed onions and peppers. Included with the dish was a small plate of refried black beans, garlicky white rice, and platanos. Strangely, my entree was served up in a huge, 16-inch aluminum pan (sans handle), set atop a wire frame to elevate my food for some reason (maybe they forgot to place the can of sterno beneath it?). Interesting presentation. The dish was flavorful, but quite awkward to eat. It didn't help that my steak knife had trouble slicing through the meat. The side dishes were okay, but the platanos were topped with a cream sauce that I felt was unnecessary. The accompanying flour tortillas were flavorful, fresh, hot, and handmade. Nice touch.
For dessert, I ordered the churros. It came out on an ovoid plate, joined by two different sauces. One reminded me of caramel, the other of Mexican chocolate (chocolate + chile). The latter sauce had a nice earthiness to it (that my mother-in-law thought tasted like dirt!) and a very slight kick to it at the end. I enjoyed the dessert. I would've enjoyed it even more, had I not stuffed myself with chips, salsa, beans, rice, platanos, chorizo, chicken, steak, onions, peppers, and tortillas...whew!
Overall, the meal was enjoyable. The level of service left much to be desired (see below), but I think the food was very tasty. I think this has to do with the fact that the place began as a catering service (according to the sign in the window next door). This could be Gabbi's first venture into the restaurateur business. I expect that she'll improve as time passes. I have a feeling that I'll return for more food, and if the place is too busy, there's always Felix down around the corner.
Oddities throughout our meal:
-Our waiter asked my wife how she would like her pork cooked...shouldn't pork always be cooked well-done...so customers don't get trichinosis?
-The hostess continually trekked back and forth between her podium and the dining area, leaving multiple groups of people waiting helplessly outside until she returned.
-The bus boy was instructed by our waiter to bring two slices of lime for my in-laws' diet cokes; he brought them out IN HIS BARE HANDS and hastily placed them on the rims of the glasses of diet coke. Ever heard of a little thing called 'hygiene?'
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exquisite, complex Mexican delights
We visited Gabbi's with a friend from Mexico City who gave it his seal of approval - it's expensive but entirely worthwhile for a s