Two Madres Mission Viejo

Disclaimer: I received one or more of the following items for free for the purpose of a review. I was not obligated to give this restaurant a positive review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This past week I was invited to try out the new restaurant “Two Madres” in Mission Viejo. When I first arrived I immediately thought the place was going to be a Chipotle experience. However,  I was quickly reminded that was not going to be the case. It smelled so good when I opened the doors. It reminded me of coming home from school as a kid while my mom had dinner cooking in the crock pot for hours.

The decor inside “Two Madres” is hip and modern. They use a lot of light and dark woods to give it a very relaxed yet contemporary feel. There was a lot of lighting and a lot of space in between the tables. I especially liked that there was a few high bar stool tables as well as lower tables and even booths.

The overall vibe in the restaurant was very inviting and playful. At the entrance to the line they had some fun signs showing you the way. You can grab a menu while you are standing in line so you have some time to decide. I like that because it prevents the line from getting held up by customers  like me who can’t decide right away. Even the workers wear funny shirts that say “Whose your Madre“?

The ordering process is similar to most Fast Casual Mexican Restaurants. You place your order at the counter, they ask you which meat you would like, if you want beans and rice and what kind of salsa. I realized when I got to the counter that the wonderful smell I had been smelling was a bunch of Citrus Marinated Rotisserie Chicken on a spit. I was practically salivating when I saw them. Usually in  these types of restaurants you see pre-cut chicken in a warming bin. Not here. Not even close.

I love that this restaurant takes pride in serving natural, HORMONE and STEROID FREE MEAT as well as fresh produce and tortillas. Everything is also available gluten free and vegetarian.

Here is the breakdown:

• Your choices of meat are: Steak, Rotisserie Chicken, Pork or Line Caught Fish. (or veggies)
• There are 7 Types of Salsa
• There are 3 Kinds of Rice (White Rice, Brown Rice and Seasoned Fiesta)

My friend and I both had our 2 year old daughters with us so to start with we ordered the girls each a kids chicken Quesadilla. They loved it. It had moist, warm, shredded rotisserie chicken with melted cheese on a grilled tortilla. It came with chips and milk.

We also ordered some chips and Guacamole  as an appetizer. I used to think Baja Fish Tacos had the best Guacamole in town but it looks like I have a new favorite. Two Madres uses half corn chips and half flour chips. They are so light and crisp. The Guacamole was amazing. It was thick, chunky, flavorful and had just the right amount of spice.

For my main entree I ordered a steak burrito. It came with brown rice, beans, meat, corn, lettuce, pineapple salsa, cheese, crema fresca and tortilla strips and onion strings for crunch. This burrito was massive. It must have weighed a couple of pounds. When I took a bite out of it I noticed it had an odd crunch. It wasn’t a crunch like tortilla strips or onion strings but it was still tasty so I kept on eating it.. Halfway through my meal head Chef Brent Omeste comes over to me and tells me I need to stop eating my burrito because he just tasted the brown rice and it was really undercooked. (That explains the crunch). He said he could not allow me to continue eating sub par food and that he must make me a brand new burrito with fresh rice. What an awesome gesture. He did not have to tell me that and he did not have to go out of his way  to make me a new meal. I told him I was already getting full so he made me a smaller version of the burrito I was eating and it was even tastier. I am in love with their Pineapple salsa. You can see in the photo there are fresh chunks of cut pineapple in it.

My friend ordered the Tacos and she said they were superb. You get 3 hearty flour or corn tacos filled with meat or veggies, lettuce, salsa, cheese, and crema fresca . One really good thing we both noticed is that none of the food was overly salty. We could taste the actual ingredients and not just salt or sauce.

The steak was cooked to perfection. Pink on the inside and brown on the outside. It was tender and delicious and they use big pieces so the meat to tortilla ratio is very even.

As we were eating Chef Brent also brought out a few other things for me to try. One of them was a Torta sandwich filled with pork and guacamole. The brioche buns were a perfect match for the pork.

I also sampled their Line-Caught Fish which was a mild white Ono seasoned, grilled and served with salsa. It was nice and flaky. I also tried their vegetables and some more chicken.

As for beverages, Two Madres has a Tropical Mango Iced Tea that  really good and a soda fountain and bottled drinks.

Prices vary from $6.45 to $8.95.

I highly recommend this restaurant and I am looking forward to coming back again  just for the chips and guac alone!

With years of chef and executive chef experience at top Orange County restaurants including Charlie Palmer, Cucina Enoteca and Marché Moderne, Chef Brent Omeste brings upscale culinary skill to the Two Madres kitchen.