La Vaquera

Whenever we drive down to San Diego and back up to Orange County, we make a point to visit restaurants in San Diego County that scratch a specific culinary itch or otherwise catch our attention. In recent years, quite a few of them have appeared in small outdoor shopping centers very similar to San Juan Capistrano’s new River Street Marketplace, benefitting from hybrid indoor and outdoor seating, as well as guests seeking lightly upmarket spins on largely American and Mexican cuisines.

Billed as “the energetic center” of River Street Marketplace, La Vaquera says that it’s “paying tribute to the original Californian ranchero,” promising a menu that “reflects both the past and present of San Juan Capistrano.” A long oak wood grill with height-adjusting cranks can be seen blazing inside the glass-enclosed kitchen, and menu items such as “grilled little gem and persimmon salad” promise some char beyond the expected flame-roasted proteins. Many – including steaks, octopus, bass, pork chops, and chicken – are available only for dinner.

We happened to visit for lunch, which was… okay. That grilled little gem salad had no evidence of having touched the grill, very little persimmon, and a bland, oily dressing. Oils were also too heavy in the Kona kampachi crudo, several pieces of raw yellowtail fish thankfully paired with large and beautiful slices of citrus (as well as stiff chunks of avocado), and the steak tartare, our meal’s standout item.