Greer's OC

Get ready, Costa Mesa. Maleza, the modern Mexican kitchen and mezcal bar that made its name inside Drift Palm Springs, is opening its first standalone restaurant right here at The CAMP. Dinner service starts September 12-13, then September 16 -20, with full lunch and dinner starting on September 23.

For Irvine-based owner and operator TMC Hospitality, this one feels like coming home. Executive Chef Marco Arreguín is running the kitchen, and Maleza Palm Springs has already picked up recognition from the Los Angeles Times and Food & Wine since it opened in 2023. The Costa Mesa location builds on that with dishes and cocktails made just for this opening.

Arreguín grew up as a first-generation immigrant in Santa Ana, one of Orange County's most vibrant Mexican food communities, and that upbringing pushed him to master traditional techniques and understand the soul of a dish before he ever started putting his own spin on things. That foundation carried him through Michelin-starred kitchens and some of the region's most respected concepts. As Chef de Cuisine at Taco Maria, his work helped lay the groundwork for the restaurant's Michelin star in 2019, and he's also cooked alongside Michael Cimarusti at Best Girl and Wes Avila at Kateen, MXO and Hecho Libre. At Maleza, he's putting Mexican cuisine on a pedestal without ever straying from its roots.

The menu runs Wednesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. Midday brings the Barbacoa Burrito and Protein Bowl, while dinner moves through five sections, Crudo, Antojitos, Del Campo, Fuertes and Postres, where acid and smoke stay in constant, easy balance. On the Crudo side, expect a half dozen oysters dressed with housemade hot sauce and jalapeño-cucumber mignonette, Hamachi Aguachile with salsa negra, onions, serranos and sesame seeds, and Yellowtail Ceviche with tomatillo salsa, cucumber, jicama, red onion and serrano. The Antojitos lean into masa, with a Masa Cornbread made from Oaxacan green masa, smoked butter and salsa macha, and Masa Dumplings filled with adobo-braised beef, lemon and salsa verde.

Del Campo spotlights what's in season, including Grilled Maitake with blanco BBQ sauce, salsa macha and smoked trout roe, and Esquites with an unexpected pop of kumquat. The Fuertes section brings the bigger plates, like Branzino Veracruzana finished with capers, Castelvetrano olives, Anaheim chile and cilantro rice, and Eye of Ribeye with celery root mole, crispy maitake mushroom and tomatillo pico de gallo. For dessert, there are Churros with dulce de leche and espresso ice cream, and Horchata Arroz con Leche made with Oaxacan cornmeal crumble, almonds and horchata ice cream.

The bar program deserves just as much attention. Late summer produce like grilled peach, tomato and strawberry shows up in drinks like the Durazno, an egg sour built on grilled peach rye whiskey and peach amaro, and the Tomate, a gin sour layered with tomato vermouth. The Beso, a carrot-washed riff on the classic Vesper, is a fun one to try. For anyone who loves agave, the spirits list goes deep on mezcal and tequila, with a soft spot for lesser-known pours like bacanora.

Step outside and Maleza's dining room just keeps going, out onto an ipe wood patio tucked behind planter walls for privacy. Handmade Mexican wood furniture, cushioned bench seating, fire torches burning into the night. Then there are the Gravity Windows, massive ones, and when they're open the whole restaurant spills into The CAMP's communal spaces. A table for two can split indoor and outdoor seats and never lose the conversation.

Lunch: Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Dinner: Wednesday and Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m.; Friday to Sunday, 5 to 10 p.m.

Bar: Sunday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

2937 Bristol St. in Costa Mesa.

Image Courtesy Phyllis Langley