The Experience
Puesto's Anaheim outpost sits at 1040 W Katella Avenue. Ground floor of The Westin Anaheim Resort, a AAA Four-Diamond hotel directly across from Disneyland. This is Puesto's Orange County flagship, part of a small San Diego-based group that has built its reputation on the single best-executed crispy cheese taco in California and a mezcal program deep enough to justify a separate visit.
The format is modern Mexican with a taqueria heart. The signature is the Mexican City Taco. A crispy layer of melted cheese that forms the taco's outer shell, wrapped around fillings that rotate with the season. Filet mignon, chicken al pastor, Baja fish, and a rotating vegetarian option all receive the same treatment. The kitchen also produces ceviches, tlayudas, and entrée-scale plates (carne asada, whole branzino, crispy pork belly) for tables that want to spread beyond tacos.
The interior is a deliberate counterpoint to the Westin's corporate lobby: Mexican tile work, open kitchen, long bar, and a dining room that manages to feel neither resort-generic nor try-hard. A tequila and mezcal list running into the hundreds. Presented with genuine expertise rather than tourist-trap reverence. Gives the bar program weight. The margaritas are award-winning; the horchata cold brew is the low-key menu item the regulars order.
Consistency is Puesto's defining characteristic. In a resort corridor dominated by mass-market chains, it represents a category of contemporary Mexican cooking that is taken seriously without being stiff. The value proposition. $35-55 per person for a full meal with mezcal. Is reasonable for the location and the quality, and the energy of the dining room makes it work for nearly any occasion short of a proposal.
Best Occasion: First Date
Puesto is the correct answer for a first date in the Resort District. The format encourages sharing (tacos invite exactly the right amount of hands-on engagement); the mezcal program gives the conversation somewhere to go; the lighting is flattering; and the check comes in at a level that signals intent without showing off. It is the rare taqueria that holds up as a serious date venue without trying to be something it isn't.
For team dinners, the shareable format and reasonable price point make it a dependable group choice. Especially for out-of-town teams that want an authentic SoCal experience without the fine-dining formality. For birthdays, the kitchen will accommodate groups, and the mezcal flights create the right level of celebration.