Vaca Brunch & Beyond

Even though it’s conceptually almost impossible to replace Maizano Cocina, the excellent upscale Mexican restaurant that debuted inside Costa Mesa’s Mercado Gonzalez Northgate Market and closed one year later, there was little question that the nicely decorated space would eventually find another tenant – and in September 2025, it did: Vaca Brunch & Beyond. Not to be confused with Amar Santana’s Vaca (the 10-year-old Costa Mesa tapas restaurant also named after the Spanish word for “cow”), this brunch spot doesn’t aim quite as high as Maizano, but may be a better fit for its supermarket home.

Originally opened in LA County’s Baldwin Park, Vaca Brunch reminds us somewhat of Toast, another Costa Mesa restaurant where upgraded American classics sit side by side with dishes that have become Southern California via cultural osmosis. Pancakes, waffles, and french toast ($12-$17) are each offered with six different toppings such as tres leches, mazapan, bananas foster, and tiramisu, with breakfast burritos ($16) and pork belly fried rice ($18) similarly offering examples of fusion recipes. American dishes include acai bowls ($12), steak and eggs ($23), burgers ($16 to $19), and what Vaca labels a “boring breakfast” ($15) of eggs, toast, potatoes, and either bacon or sausage, while Mexican dishes range from ceviches ($16-$19) and taquitos ($15) to tacos (2/$13-$16), birria ($18), and enfrijoladas ($15). Numerous drinks range from $6 coffee and tea choices to $7 licuados, frappes, and mocktails, each a great value. During its opening period, no alcohol is served at Vaca, but that will change when it gets its liquor license.

On the food side of the equation, Vaca’s execution struck us as solid rather than great. Two separate ceviches – shrimp ($19) and mahi mahi ($16) – were distinct from offerings at Mercado’s Cevicheria and represented good values for their prices: Each arrived in a medium-sized bowl with plenty of fresh fish or shrimp and vegetables, and just enough spicy citrus juice to keep everything wet. Yet Vaca’s included tortilla chips were close to stale, astounding given its steps-away proximity to a tortilla production space. Similarly, a stack of three Tiramisu pancakes felt oversized for its $13 price, and had no shortage of espresso syrup, strawberries, blueberries, or cocoa dust, but there was too little mascarpone cream. As a result, eating plain, thick pancakes with berries wasn’t as enjoyable or tiramisu-like after we finished the top layer.