Red O
Rick Bayless's former OC Mexican restaurant shifts to something less authentic yet more expensive
We were genuinely wowed on our first visit to Newport Beach’s Mexican restaurant Red O years ago: With seven-time James Beard award-winning chef Rick Bayless as a partner, the Fashion Island restaurant was somehow every bit as excellent as Bayless’s better-known places in Chicago, including high-end and midrange Mexican spots Tapolobampo and Frontera Grill. A Sunday buffet featured superb el pastor tacos sliced by hand, a gigantic paella pan, fresh pastries, vegetables, prawns and king crab legs, baskets of churros, plus many other great choices that appealed to everyone in our group.
At some point around the pandemic, Bayless quietly exited Red O, and whatever else changed behind the scenes left the restaurant a shell of its former self. We returned in 2022 to find both a menu and dishes that were less Mexican than at El Torito Grill – mostly American recipes with hints of Mexican flavors. Between the high prices and mediocre service, we’ve had no desire to return, but would gladly try anything comparable that Bayless opens in the future.