The Family Story Behind Mi Casa in Costa Mesa

Mi Casa describes itself as family owned and operated, serving Newport-Mesa since 1972. The timeline on the our story page backs that up with names and dates that run back before the restaurant opened. This is a walk through that timeline, with the guest voices that match it.

Taco Tio, 1956 and 1957

The story starts with Barrie Moore. In 1956 he opened Taco Tio in the San Gabriel Valley, which the timeline calls "the first 'Taco Drive-In' in the Los Angeles area." It grew to eight locations. The photo with this article is a black and white picture of the drive-in from the family's archive.

In 1957 Taco Tio expanded to Santa Ana. The timeline calls it the first Taco Drive-In Restaurant in Orange County. That puts the Moore family in Orange County food more than a decade and a half before Mi Casa opened.

The blue door on 17th Street, 1972

In 1972 Barrie Moore opened Mi Casa on 17th Street in Costa Mesa, "with a bright blue iconic door." The building used to be a Sizzler Steakhouse, and the timeline says you can still see remnants of the wagon wheel chandeliers and the cattle iron branding symbols on the dining room tables. Anyone who sits under the chandeliers today is looking at the building's earlier life.

The kitchen had a leader from the first day. Jose Perez was head chef from day one until he retired in 2004, and many of the sauces were originally his Abuela's recipes. The timeline doesn't list which sauces, but it does credit a family recipe tradition at the root of the cooking.

Balboa, a famous guest and a handoff

A second Mi Casa opened in 1976 on Main Street in Balboa. It closed in 1984, when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar bought the Balboa Inn. In 1986 President George H. W. Bush dined at Mi Casa and had the #12: a taco, an enchilada, a chili relleno, rice and beans, and two Tecates.

Barrie Moore died in 2003 at the age of 85. His sons Rick and Dennis Moore ran the restaurant after him, and Jose Perez retired from the kitchen in 2004.

Mi Casa Cares and the third generation

In 2008 the restaurant began an annual charity event called Mi Casa Cares. It started with the Wounded Warriors Project, and later beneficiaries have included the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, Toys for Tots, local high schools and youth sports.

In 2010 Rick Moore sold the restaurant to his son, Ryan Moore, making him the third generation to run it. A year later, in 2011, the Burro Room bar got a makeover and draft beer was added. In 2016 Ryan Allen joined as managing partner to oversee day to day operations. Locale Magazine has named Ryan Moore one of the Top 5 OC Entrepreneurs.

Recognition, and the recent years

The awards page lists a long record. The Orange County Register's Best of OC People's Choice gave Mi Casa first place for Best Taco in 2014 and 2015, plus first place for Best Burrito and Best Mexican in 2015. US Foods named it the #1 Family Friendly Restaurant in California.

The press list is long too. CBS Los Angeles named Mi Casa for the Best Margaritas in Orange County, GAYOT placed it on a list of the top 10 kid-friendly restaurants in OC, and ABC7 featured it in a Community Eats segment on January 10, 2026, titled "Classic Mexican Favorites Make Mi Casa Feel Like Home in Costa Mesa."

The restaurant marked 45 years in 2017 and its 50th birthday in 2022. In 2025 the dining room and bar were updated with new booths, tables and chairs and a more open feel. The history is still visible, though, from the blue door to the chandeliers.

What regulars say

The guest comments on the restaurant's site line up with the dates. Greta S. of Newport Beach wrote, "We have been going to Mi Casa since they opened," and says her server Shasta knows their orders by heart and that Ryan always stops by the table to chat. Another regular, Val T., has been coming for 35 years and writes that "the food is as good as it ever was." Jerry C. of Costa Mesa says the remodel brings a modern twist to the ambiance. Between them, the comments span the opening years and the 2025 remodel.

Mi Casa is at 296 E 17th St in Costa Mesa, and the phone number is (949) 645-7626. The our story page has the full timeline, and the hours page has the current schedule.