Javier’s Cantina and Grill

Javier Sosa’s life is an example of the classic American success story. He was born in Tijuana, came to California as a young man and then worked his way up from dishwasher to waiter to manager at Tortilla Flats restaurant in Laguna Beach.

Eventually, with the help of his partner, Mark Post, he opened his own restaurant on Coast Highway, followed by another much larger, elaborately designed version in the Irvine Spectrum. They are planning a move to a beautiful new ocean-view location in Crystal Cove.

Javier’s life has always revolved around work. He met his wife Silvia when she was a cook and he was a dishwasher. He met his partner when Mark had a summer job as a waiter and Javier was his manager. His three children all work in the restaurants, and many of his employees have been with him for more than 20 years.

The popularity of Javier’s seems to spring from the casual and lively atmosphere, partly attributable to the pitchers of Margaritas on almost every table.

The always-crowded restaurant and the crush of people waiting for tables create a convivial, noisy buzz. Make a reservation if you can. It will cut down on the hang time.

With its ocean view (through the Hotel Laguna parking lot) and its retractable ceiling and patio area in the bar, the feeling is light and airy in most of the rooms.

In the evening, the pale walls take on the tints of the colored lighting. The floors are Mexican tile, and the entire restaurant is filled with plants.

Sipping our beer and munching on the house-made tortilla chips and spicy salsa, we noted that both were much better than the usual commercial versions served in many Mexican restaurants.

Our game plan was to focus on their specialty, which is seafood, rather than the typical American-style Mexican fare, such as quesadillas, tacos and the like.

We began with tostadas of shrimp ceviche. These were three little crispy corn tortillas brushed with sour cream, each topped with a generous portion of very fresh chopped shrimp, marinated in lime juice and combined with bits of jalapeno, onion, tomato, cilantro and chunks of perfectly ripe avocado.

The shrimp were plump and flavorful, and all together the spicy concoction was ambrosial. Other appetizer options include queso fundido, a dish of melted cheese with onions, mushrooms and chorizo served with warm tortillas; seafood nachos and chicken or beef taquitos.

On the lighter side, there are entrée-sized salads of steak, chicken, shrimp, crab and vegetables or tostadas with chicken, carnitas, crab or vegetables. In addition to an extensive menu of classic Mexican combinations, there is a choice of entrées from the grill that include prime steaks and butterflied breast of chicken.

A recommended choice is the carne Tampiqueña, a thin New York steak topped with strips of grilled chiles and onions served with a mole chicken enchilada, taquito, frijoles and guacamole.

House specials feature chicken in molé poblano, pork tenderloin in chipotle cream sauce, carnitas, fajitas and La Tablita ? a huge wooden platter of do-it-yourself steak or chicken tacos served with all the accompaniments.

From the especiales del mar, we ordered the lobster enchiladas in tomatillo sauce, served with tasty refried beans and excellent Mexican rice. Unfortunately, the presentation of ingredients on the crowded plate meant that the beans oozed onto the enchiladas, overwhelming their flavor.

The lobster had no distinctive sweet lobster taste, providing texture but little else. There was only a small amount of tomatillo sauce, but upon request, the waiter graciously brought more immediately. As a special, the dish was satisfactory but not really special.

A better choice was the pescado a la Veracruzana. The fish of the day was halibut in a classic sauce of tomato, olives capers and mild chilies. The accompaniments were buttery white rice and an olla of richly flavored black beans.

The fish was fresh and moist, but again we wished that there were enough of the light tomato sauce for every bite of fish.

We have always been fans of the green corn tamales that can be ordered as part of the Mexican combination plates or as a side. We recommend that you try this memorable sweet corn and green chili treat. It’s a great complement to almost any other dish.

There are only two dessert choices: fried ice cream that is vanilla ice cream rolled in cornflakes, nuts and honey, then deep-fried and served on a bunuelo, and flan.

They describe the flan as “a light custard baked with caramel sauce” but, in fact, it is a very dense, rich, sweet version that we much prefer to the lighter, more delicate kind. Again, there was a shortage of sauce, but this time it didn’t need any.

The food here does not represent Mexican cuisine so much as the Mexican food of California that Americans seem to love.cpt.26-gourmet-CPhotoInfoTD1RA87220060526izsm1incKENT TREPTOW / COASTLINE PILOT(LA)Javier’s Cantina and Grill serves dishes such as Loma Azteca, with pork tenderloin and chipotle sauce, in foreground, and Asada salad.