Maizano Costa Mesa is the Most Authentic CDMX Food Happening Right Now

You don’t have to leave the country to taste the authentic flavors of Mexico City. After a recent visit to Maizano Costa Mesa, I was floored by the intricacies behind every dish. Everything is made with ingredients sourced from some of Mexico’s most sought-after culinary regions and cooked using techniques that have been perfected over centuries. Here is a taste of what the restaurant has to offer, including standout dishes, stellar cocktails, and one of the best mocktails I’ve ever had.

*Maizano sponsored my visit, but the opinions belong solely to EatDrinkLA.

Who is Maizano?

Maizano Costa Mesa is the brainchild of the Apapacho restaurant group, which is responsible for famed restaurants in Los Angeles, like Loreto in Frogtown and my favorite, La Cha Cha Chá in Downtown Los Angeles. Apapacho means “caressing with the soul,” and every bite from Maizano feels like a warm hug; from the sweet mole bases to the satisfying lima bean fillings. The word Maizano is a cross between maize and paisano, and the dishes exemplify the versatility of corn.

The restaurant, which opened in late 2023, is helmed by Chef Alan Sanz, whose roots are in Mexico City and Oaxaca. He made a name for himself, cooking in famed kitchens worldwide, from Argentina to Michelin-starred Épicure in Paris, but he longed to tell the story of his own culture. What you’ll find at Maizano is a blend of flavors from Oaxaca, Yucatán, and Central Mexico, done in a style that represents the regions.

The Maizano Costa Mesa Menu

The lunch menu is slightly more succinct than the dinner menu, broken up into Maiz/Snacks and Especiales/Mains. Dinner has two additional courses—Entradas/Starters and Fiesta/Celebration—before diving into Platillos Fuertes/Mains. Postres/Desserts are available during both meals.

Many dishes are available across the board, but there are a few standouts that you can only get if you visit at a select time. The Fiesta course during dinner is all moles: from the Mole Blanco to pumpkin seed mole in the Pipián Verde, but it’s during lunch that you can savor Enmoladas de Pato, which is a blackberry mole with hibiscus pickled onions, queso, crema, perejil, and duck. I can assure you that even if you’re not a fan of mole, this will be the one to convert you to the other side.

Before you can dive into an entrada, though, I suggest beginning the meal with a few starters. The mastery of maiz is prevalent in the Snacks portion of the menu, which uses fresh ground masa from their own silo that’s been prepared by Tortilleria La González from the Mercado next door.

The Panuchos are like tortilla pillows, topped with cochinita pibil, refried beans, and pickled onions. They’re served with a side of sauce that is a bit like spicy charcoal, prepared in the same manner as in the Yucatán region.

Meanwhile, the Tlacoyo is a chewier corn creation topped with a nopales salad. As is traditional in Mexico, it has fava beans tucked inside.

If you’re visiting during dinner, one of the starters is an Aguachile Negro made with blue shrimp, recaudo negro, lime, onion, cucumber, and avocado. It’s both spicy and refreshing and also available at lunch, during which it’s considered a main dish.

Be sure to leave room for dessert no matter when you visit. One of the Chef’s favorites is the Buñuelos. It’s made with blue corn instead of fried dough, drizzled with guava sauce, and topped with a pulque sorbet. If you aren’t familiar with pulque (and I wasn’t), it’s an alcoholic drink made from the fermentation of sap from the agave plant, and it’s rare to find in the United States.

What to Drink at Maizano?

The gorgeous bar area and a chilled bucket of Wines by the Glass are ultra-inspiring when it comes to drinking more than agua fria, but what I was most impressed with were the non-alcoholic beverages. Beverage Director Rodrigo Velez crafts a Tepache in Mexico City style, which means instead of just pineapple, you will find a blend of guava, strawberries, and apples. The drink also includes tamarind, piloncillo, cinnamon, and cloves and it’s truly addictive – not to mention healthy.

If you do choose to imbibe, you can’t go wrong with an Impala Margarita with Cimarron Blanco Tequila, seasonal fruit, lime juice, and agave nectar.

There are Wines by the Bottle and a nice selection of Wines by the Glass. All the vintners are from Mexico.

What Makes this Place so Special?

It’s rare to sit down with an artist and have them break down each color on their canvas, but that’s just what I got to experience from a few moments with Chef Alan Sanz. Each ingredient is locally sourced in Mexico from small-batch purveyors who might not even have a name for the type of chili they are presenting him that week. Each element is then threaded together seamlessly to create the perfect blend of flavors that both challenge and comfort the palate. Each recipe is unique but deeply rooted in history, so when you finish a meal at Maizano, you are truly feeding your spirit.

When to Visit Maizano?

Maizano Costa Mesa is located at Mercado González, a Mexican food hall with a grocery store, multiple food stalls, and a performance area. You can enter Maizano from the Mercado side or use the private entrance outside. Since it’s located in a shopping center, finding parking is never a problem.

Maizano is open Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Lunch hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The restaurant is located at 2300-C Harbor Blvd in Costa Mesa, CA. Make your reservations on OpenTable.