Javier’s Cantina & Grill
Crystal Cove
7832 E. Pacific Coast Hwy.
Newport Beach, CA 92657
949-494-1239
Irvine Spectrum
45 Fortune Drive #400
Irvine, CA 92618
949-872-2101
Serves: Lunch and dinner
Price: $10-40
Service: Very attending wait staff, food service can be slow, bathroom attendant
Cleanliness: Excellent, even the bathrooms
Seating: Indoors - some with views
Crowd: Trendy locals ages 35 to 50+
Parking: Valet recommended, self-parking is hard if you go during peak times
Notes: Make reservations weeks in advance
Dine-in
Last night I ventured to the new Javier’s Cantina & Grill in beautiful Crystal Cove in Newport Beach, California. It faces the ocean, but on the other side of Pacific Coast Highway, so if you go for lunch or an early dinner your view will be magnificent. Javier’s has other locations in California - one in the Irvine Spectrum and one in Laguna, which has recently closed. This new location, which opened it’s doors in January, I believe, is the talk of the town. All I hear from my clients is how much I have to go to the new Javier’s, or “oh my god it’s such a scene over at the new Javier’s.” I’ve been to the one in Irvine many times and I always enjoy my meal and the atmosphere. Their decor is very original with interesting fountains running throughout that utilize broken glass, chains and metals, and Javier’s signature metal tree as its centerpiece in the room. I never understood the big deal about another Javier’s opening up, but when I was invited to dinner with my BFF Wende & Co. I thought this was a great opportunity to see what all the fuss was about.
We arrived at 8:45pm to a fully packed parking lot which we had to circle around for 5 minutes until we found a spot that said NO RESTAURANT PARKING, so we pulled out and circled around a bit more and found another spot with the same sign, but disregarded it because by now it was getting ridiculous. Valet was another option, but we can park our own car, thanks. When you’re a Newport Beach yuppie that drives a canary yellow Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 then you would pull up to the valet so everyone can admire you. You see in Newport Beach valeting your car is all part of the “entrance”. Plus there is usually no parking at these places anyway.
We arrive at the front door to be greeted by a robust man with A.D.D. who asks us if we have a reservation because at a quarter to 9 p.m. this place is a mad house, and you can’t simply walk in otherwise. You have to be “on the list”. The other part of our party is already inside and I don’t know who the reservation is under so I make something up and he finally lets us in. I just can’t believe Javier’s has a bouncer - my god! The first thing I see is boobs, boobs, and more boobs - that’s Newport Beach for you. I see Wende and she begins to walk us to our table as we squeeze through all the beautiful people who are wearing their most expensive outfits their credit cards can buy (because few people here really “own” anything). I’m noticing that the crowd is not young at all; I’m 27 and I was most likely the youngest person there. The average age was between 35 and 50+.
The place is huge. As you enter, to your right there is a large indoor/outdoor sitting area with a fire pit and lots of comfortable cushy seating. To your left you see more bench seating against the wall. As you make your way straight through the corridor you definitely get the feeling that dozens of eyes are on you. Soon you arrive at the main bar which I must admit, I couldn’t see very well as I was fighting to follow Wende through the crowd (I’m also 4′11″ and was surrounded by giants). We veered to the right and entered the dining area, which seemed more like a spill-over room from the main bar. The place seemed to never end and everywhere you turn you catch a glimpse of some new interesting architectural element, which you can admire for only a split second before you get swallowed up by the massive crowd going one way or the other.
We finally arrive at our table that seats all seven of us comfortably. After everyone was introduced I got to sit on a cozy leather couch that faced out so I could people watch, (my favorite!). Those who had trekked here before me were right about two things: yes, it is for sure a place to be “seen”, and the vast interior is admirable with many different sitting areas. Its North African design makes great use of woods, metals, cement and leather without being overdone. The designer’s use of light was very dramatic. The hanging light fixtures projected intricate patterns on the ceilings and walls, like bindhi. Large candles and various fire elements played on its desert-sand/beach-theme that reminded me of my trip to Tunisia. All that was missing was a camel.
Ice water and chips & salsa were at the table before I arrived and Queso Fundito, which is melted jack cheese with sauteed onions, mushrooms, chipotle chiles and chirizo, served with warm tortillas, arrived about 20 minutes later. Javier’s menu is the same at all locations and since I’ve eaten here before I pretty much knew how it was going to taste. We started with a chicken quesadilla and really, how can you screw that up? My only critique, and almost every Mexican restaurant does this, is that they give you large chunks of chicken inside the quesadilla so when you bite into it a huge piece comes out rather than chopping the chicken up so you have the perfect bite each time. I guess that’s a pet peeve of mine; I’m always looking for a balanced bite. Two pieces of the quesadilla were good for me, but I also ordered two crispy shredded beef tacos, which came with refried beans and rice. The shredded beef was a bit chewy and the rice was over salted, however I still enjoyed my meal, but I was mainly there for the company. The portions are large and if you were able to eat everything on your plate you would be beyond stuffed. We stopped there; no room for dessert, which is fine with me since Mexican cuisine normally falls short on making fabulous desserts.
In my opinion, Mexican food is pretty straight forward unless you reinvent it, fuse it with another cuisine, or choose to highlight a specific region of Mexico and it’s local foods and preparation. Javier’s food is clean, satisfying, and to the point. It is one step above street food. You go to Javier’s to be seen, have a few drinks, pick up a rich older man, or to find yourself a young hottie, but beware: the lights are turned downed so you better have good eyesight or you might wind up with a 65-year-old woman who looks like she’s 35 in dim light. The people-watching is fun and it’s a great place to go with your girlfriend for a few bites and rag on the tables next to you.
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