Sariñana's Tamales Factory 2216 W 5th St Santa Ana, CA 92703 (714) 547-90276 Listing at Yahoo! Local Listing on Super Pages Official Facebook Page |
If you're wondering what Mexican restaurant is the oldest one in Orange County then wonder no longer because Sariñana's is it. Established in 1939 (OC Weekly says 1936) Sariñana's has remained the humble yet sincere place it started out as. When you're here you really are at home because Sariñana's was built into an old house on a sleepy stretch of 5th Avenue in Santa Ana. Of course they are famous for their tamales and you can't go wrong with theirs but what they might be even more well known for is their hard shell crispy tacos. These are made the way my dad made them when I was growing up, by deep-frying a corn tortilla, folding it in half and stuffing it with ground beef, lettuce, cheese and tomatoes. The result perks you up and fills you up and reminds you what a non-mass produced taco can be. Sariñana's also serves soup, burritos, enchiladas, tortas, quesadillas, sopes, tostadas and Mexican breakfast items and has a quick service grocery store next door to the restaurant.
For trooping on so long and remaining 100% true to their roots Sarinana's Tamales Factory earns a 5 Speedy Gonzales rating: