Where can you buy the best menudo in Orange County?

Menudo at Bahia in Orange

So you partied a bit too hard last night and woke up with a dire need for…a steaming hot bowl of menudo.  But where can you buy the best menudo in Orange County?

For those of you who have no clue, menudo is a traditional Mexican soup that is said to be especially good when you are, well, hung over.

But Gustavo Arellano, over at the OC Weekly, says there is more to menudo than meets the eye, “menudo is so much more than boiled cow guts or something to soak up the booze that fueled your previous night. Menudo is a socio-historical lesson in a bowl: the fat, pale kernels of pozole have nourished Mesoamericans since time immemorial; the use of tripe and not the better parts of a cow a testament to its status as a poor person’s meal. Menudo is delicious, the trinity of firm pozole, chewy tripe and fiery, blood-red broth producing a comforting, fatty flavor.”

Arellano swears by his mom’s menudo, but he also says that the next best thing is the menudo found at El Camino Real, located at 303 N. Euclid St., in Fullerton.  Menudo is available only on weekends, and bring your own pot so you can take the soup home.  Call them at 714-447-3962.  They are open daily from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.  Dinner for two costs $10 to $20, not including the cerveza.

I used to live over by Sarinana’s, located at 2218 W. 5th St., in Santa Ana.  They are known for their crispy tacos and their tamales.  And they also serve menudo.  Read what the folks at Yelp have to say at them by clicking here.

Arellano also points us to a hole in the wall called El Fogón, which serves white menudo – a dish that is sweet instead of spicy.  They are located at 1228 E. Edinger Ave., Santa Ana, (714) 836-8896.

And if you have a hankering for goat menudo, Arellano recommends Nancy Puebla Restaurant, located at 221 E.First St., Ste.C, in SantaAna.  Call them at (714)834-9004.

Another one of Arellano’s hole in the wall finds is Taqueria Tapatia, which is known for its burritos but also offers menudo on weekends.  They are located at 202 S. Bristo St., in Santa Ana.  Call them at (714) 972-9115.

Many say that the menudo at Lindo Michoacan, in Santa Ana, is the best there is.  They are located at 4412 W. 5th St.  Call them at (714) 265-1343.

Taqueria Zamora is also located in Santa Ana, at 3121 S. Main St.  Their menudo is said to be quite good.  Call them at (714) 557-0907.

The similarly named Zamora Restaurant is also in Santa Ana, at 1241 W. Memory Lane.  Their food got good reviews over at Yelp.  Call them at (714) 541-4940.

The menudo at Salmeron’s El Tapatio, also in Santa Ana, is said to be quite good.  They are located at 1214 E. Pomona.  Call them at (714) 835-4264.

I have eaten many times at Super Antojitos, but not recently.  Their menudo got a few raves over at Yelp.  They are located at 1702 N. Bristol, Suite D, in Santa Ana.  Call them at (714) 835-3619.

But we can’t let Santa Ana have all the fun.  El Portal de Veracruz is in Orange, and menudo is one of many dishes they offer.  They specialize in cuisine from the Veracruz region of Mexico.  They are located at 4530 E. Chapman, in Orange.  Call them at (714) 538-1660.

Also in Orange is La Poblana Bakery, which serves awesome Mexican bread and tamales – and menudo too.  They are located not far from the Orange Circle, at 604 W. Chapman Ave.  Call them at (714) 771-4465.

Another place to buy menudo in Orange is Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant.  They serve it daily.  They’re menudo is serviceable, according to the reviewers at Yelp.  They are located at 135 E. Collins. Call them at (714) 639-2702.

La Casa Garcia in Anaheim offers all you can eat menudo!  They are located at 531 W. Chapman.  Call them at (714) 740-1108.  But their Yelp reviews aren’t very positive.

Did you know that Peruvians have their own menudo, called mofongo?  You can try it at Lima City, located at 2540 Main St., in Irvine of all places.  Call them at (949) 553-1401.

Here are a few more places you can buy menudo here in Orange County, courtesy of the Orange County Mexican Food Restaurant blog:

Taqueria Mini Mex

Gammy’s Cafe – comes with cow foot; small bowl $5; large bowl $7; sabado y domingo

Taqueria el Granjenal; small bowl $4.79; large bowl $6.69; sabado y domingo

Rollie’s; sabado y domingo

Pena’s

Las Brisas de Apatzingan

Las Fajitas (yes, menudo can be found in Irvine)

Taqueria Don Victor

Carnitas los Reyes

El Farolito & El Farolito Jr. $5 bowl

Sombrero’s

George’s Mexican Food

And Trejo’s at Beach and Slater in Huntington Beach

Do you have a favorite place to buy menudo?  Let us know!