TLT Food

OK, I went to TLT for the first time last night. Awesome tacos! When my niece made the suggestion we eat there, I thought, «Tacos for dinner? How could tacos fill me up?» Well, these are delicious and filling tacos. Yum. And the brussel sprouts… delicious. The atmosphere is casual and fun and the seating is interesting and varied. Paulo is a crack-​up and a very good ambassador for TLT. He made the adventure for a first-​time even more fun.
I got 3 tacos and we shared the brussel sprouts and I was full! I definitely look forward to eating there again… I’m a fan!

Love the food. LOVE the friendly service behind the counter. Like many, I first tried this wonderfulness via the Lime Truck. Super happy to find out their brick-​and-​mortar is right near my office!
Sipped on really delicious peach tea while we waited — not too long — for our feast. Favorite tacos were the Ultimate and Pork Belly tacos, the Chimichurri wings (would be even better with a spicy kick), and the Brussels Sprouts — don’t kid yourself, these are not healthy but they’re damn delicious. Not as crazy about the short rib taco which was a little flavorless. Can’t wait to come back and try the whole menu.

I went with a few friends and we mainly shared different entrees. The tacos are classic and always a good choice– they do a taco Tuesday deal! We also ordered the beef short rib sliders and short rib grilled cheese, which was my favorite! The meat didn’t make the sandwich soggy and it had a nice crunch with the crust. We also shared the chimi noodles, which is basically udon with chimichurri sauce and steak. This was a little disappointing because I expected it to be similar to a stir fry but it wasn’t really udon and the dish was served cold. It tastes better reheated as leftovers.
Definitely get the mango limeade!

TLT Food is where I usually go when I hit up the Spectrum. It is based on a food truck that was very famous in the area, The Lime Truck, (TLT… Get it?) that has since morphed into a brick and mortar store.
All food items in this place are about $ 3-​$ 10. On Taco Tuesday the tacos are even cheaper! They have rotating limeades of various flavors like dragonfruit. They also serve wine and beer. I am a vegetarian now, but I wasn’t when this spot first opened. I can attest that everything on their menu is delicious. My top 3 here are the tofu tacos, the Brussels sprouts, and the short rib anything.
One of the best things about this place is one of the employees, Paulo. He is hilarious and seems very invested in the restaurant. He is very personable and it livens up the place. Everyone who works here is so nice and even the cooks are in on the fun. You feel like you’re family when you’re here.
Overall every experience I’ve had here has been great and I always bring people here when they visit me in Irvine. I highly recommend TLT!

Best place to eat at Spectrum! Colin recommended the Steak Quesadilla Salad Bowl and the Pork Belly Nachos. Definitely would come again!

I came inside and was swamped with all of the decisions they have available. However, the cashier, Colin, graciously helped me with my order. He took into account the different flavors I liked and I let him order for me. He did not disappoint!
1. Prob belly nachos. Bomb. The cheese sauce is amazing, never had anything like it. Pork belly cooked to perfection. Nachos had a perfect crisp
2. Steak quesedilla salad bowl. Huge portions, whopping amount of avocado. Delicious.
3. Pork belly tacos. This is where the money’s at. I will definitely come back for these. They don’t skimp on the meat! All the sauces and flavors mix so well! Better than kogi/​urban seoul imo.
4. Coconut limeade. Wonderful mix of flavors. Not too sweet. Not too sour.
5. The lime Panna cotta. This is no ordinary dessert. How can something so simple taste this good? The pudding itself has a tangy lime and coconut flavor. The game changer is the candied almonds though. Crispy and sweet, the perfect topping!
Once again, thanks TLT and Colin for making this a wonderful first experience. Will definitely come back!

Taco Tuesdays as everyone says, $ 3 for any of the tacos. Opportunity to try some variety. All their tacos are flavorful, I particularly liked the pork belly and ahi tuna tacos. I’d say they can be a little less saucy, but overall they were filling. A variety of ingredients which make it fusion style and unique compared to the normal street tacos.
Lime truck, I expected lots of lime, but not so, only my ahi tuna taco had a lime on top.

Being a girl who’s full Korean AND full Mexican, (WOOO okay you caught me, this is only partially true), I have high expectations for Korean Mexican fusion. DO order the pork belly nachos and the short rib quesadilla.

I have followed these guys from their start in The Great Food Truck race and it’s truly amazing to see how much they’ve grown. I remember ordering their tacos from the parking lot of Boomers in Irvine so it’s crazy them open their own brick & mortar.
Come on Taco Tuesdays because all tacos are $ 3! I believe they also serve alcohol so it’s a great spot to hit up after a long day’s work. My favorite is their sweet & spicy steak tacos (Sweet & Spicy Steak, Asian Slaw, Wontons, Chimichurri). It’s incredibly delicious so don’t expect to share yours with other people. The tanginess of the sauce goes really well with the meat and the wonton crisps adds a nice crunch to each bite. I also recommend trying their fresh fruit limeade! They have rotating flavors, but the one I tried was dragon fruit. I like that it’s refreshing and not too sweet.
If you’re not familiar with Irvine Spectrum, it might be confusing as to where to park. TLT is located right behind Sports Authority so either parking in the lot out front of it or parking in the structure to the side of it. The structure can become a war zone depending on the time you go though!
Overall, I am excited to see how much more this place will blow up and I will continue to recommend this place to all my friends.

«Can u dig it?»
(In the infamous words of Shaq)
This place is the biz-​omb! So seriously good maybe it shouldn’t be located in Orange County. ;)
The SHORT RIB GRILLED CHEESE is excellent once again but with beef tending to dry out more than pork or dark meat chicken my new best friend here is the PBAT SANDIE with braised pork belly, arugula, red onion, aioli on a ciabatta. I vetoed the tomato. This was an amazing sandie and it will be mandatory each time I eat here.
Their CHIMI NOODLES with SHORT RIB are served cool and would be even better on a hot summer day. The ROASTED CORN with cheese and chipotle-​honey aioli are a nice appetizer for sure.
The LIME PANNA COTTA has some tasty fluffy whipped cream on top and is served in a glass style cup. Spiced candied almonds are on top. The lime flavor is so pronounced and being a panna cotta lover I would take this over key lime pie any day. It is delectable and once again would be even better in the summer.
The MODERN TIMES «Black House» NITRO OATMEAL COFFEE STOUT is un-​be-​liev-​able! It is the closest I can find to the Ballast Point Sextant Oatmeal Stout Nitro I had at a Slater’s a few years ago. It is a bit similar to Guinness with more body weight, even creamier with a beautiful velvety creamy head and pronounced coffee notes. You can get the non-​nitro version of this black house at Total Wine but without the «nitro factor» (the creaminess is gonzo) it simply isn’t the same.

Came here on taco Tuesdays. Any taco for $ 3! Wow, these tacos are out of this world! These are not your ordinary street tacos. Color, taste, texture all there… each taco like a work of art. Good to the last bite. Great relaxed ambiance to go with the great food!

Came in to catch up with a friend around lunch time and I’ve been here a few times before this place is absolutely amazing… best fusion tacos I’ve ever had and there is something for everyone!
I ordered the short rib taco, the steak taco, the pork belly taco, and the ultimate taco… As usual they were all delicious! The steak taco comes with some crispy wontons and the steak is seasoned deliciously as always.
The pork belly was cooked perfectly and he’d this amazing earthy flavor. It was delicious — all the tacos were! I was also pleasantly surprised with the ultimate taco which comes with cojita cheese and some guac everything was seasoned perfectly and the meat was melt-​in-​your-​mouth tender! I got a side of their sambal sauce and extremely hot sauce and put some on all my tacos it literally was the perfect combination of tangy, sweet, and spicy !! YUMM
SERVICE WAS AWESOME AS WELL! this place has a knack for hiring confident employees with personality and unafraid to give their personal recommendations of what to get! Great 5 star experience!

I had perviously gone on a lunch date with a girl friend here. We both fell in love and I decided that my husband MUST try this place!
Today my husband and I ordered about about 8 tacos. My favorite are the short rib & potato! (a lot tastier than you would think) TLT’s ingredients are fresh, you can really taste it. I couldn’t stop raving about their tomatoes! Our bill came out at about $ 44.00 for 8 seriously A M A Z I N G tacos, his beer, and my peach limeade.
This place is about $ 4 — $ 6 a taco depending on what you get! I was full off of about two tacos.
I can’t wait to try their other options that aren’t tacos, this guy ordered some really good looking fries today.
They also have breakfast/​brunch on weekends!

My GF used to always follow this truck wherever it went and I never really understood why. She’s a huge fan of carnitas and I would have a bite of hers here and there. Good, but not my fave. Well we were strolling through the spectrum doing some Xmas shopping when we realized that this was the brick and mortar of the truck she used to love so much. So we gave it a try for old times sake. It was taco Tuesday after all.
We couldn’t decide as usual, so we tried a handful:
Ultimate taco — their carnitas taco was surprisingly the lightest and most simple of the ones we tried. The flavors were singular but the pork was tender and the guac was a nice touch.
Seared ahi tuna taco — fresh fish with an amazing chipotle honey aioli. I wish there was a little more veggies, perhaps crunchy onions to add texture to the fish.
Sweet and spicy steak taco — tons of flavor with moist/​tender steak. More sweet than spicy but the chimichurri and crunch from the wontons and Asian slaw married all the flavors together nicely.
Beef short rib taco — the only taco served on a flour tortilla, which is my preference. Slightly toasted, it was the perfect vessel for the tender meat, crispy onions, and arugula. The horseradish crema was just right and wasn’t overpowering.
Pork belly adobo taco — the most flavorful of the bunch. It was the most greasy, but I didn’t even care. I ate it so fast, I didn’t realize I had grease running down my chin until the GF started laughing.
Steak fries — fresh, skinny, and crispy fries piled high with the insides of their sweet and spicy steak taco. More than enough for 2 people to share. I think some melted cheese would bring it to the next level.
I usually prefer burritos to tacos, but TLT’s portion size and execution of fusion flavors were so amazing, I’m not even mad they don’t have a burrito on the menu (except for their bfast burrito during brunch). I can’t wait to come back to try the other items on their menu. Bonus: they’ve also got a nice selection of beers.

Here we have The Lime Truck, parked! This brick and mortar offers a casual atmosphere great for a quick bite. Service is friendly and fast. If you are seated towards the back you will have a clear view of the open kitchen partitioned by glass.
Had to try those fancy tacos and at $ 3 a pop on Tuesdays it was the perfect time to check them out. ;)~~ Beer/​tacos /​unique lemonade, friendly service and patio seating is the making for a good experience.
Food: The flavors were not quite there for me but definitely worth a try for taco Tuesday.
Seared ahi tuna — good amount of fresh fish (needed some texture or pickled vege to finish)
Sweet Spicy Steak (underwhelming)
Pork Belly Adobo (mushy, no texture no pork belly fat taste)
Beef Short Rib (too salty)
Cool Coconut Lemonade– Tasty and tart!
The best value would be the raw ahi tuna for $ 3 a pop on Tuesdays. I’m not sure I’d bother for $ 5.
Must come back to try breakfast, slider and other offerings. Hoping next time my palette will be satisfied.
What you need to know:
— $ 3 tacos on Tuesday
— Buzzer handed to let you know when your order is ready
— Plenty of patio seating
— Friendly staff 4 stars
— Creative fresh lemonades
— Check out the beer selection
— Ample parking is available at Irvine Spectrum
— Located close to Sports Authority
— Bottomless mimosas offered during the weekends for $ 15 (11am-​3pm), with purchase of an entrée

I literally just got done eating 1 minute ago and NEEDED to share this with the Unilocal community. This is the child of The Lime Truck food truck. I have tried their food before and thought it was delicious. They have Taco Tuesday ($ 3 tacos). Popped in and tried ⁵⁄₇ tacos. They are LARGE tacos. TLT definitely does not skimp on portions. I listed the tacos by most to least favorite:
1. Pork Belly Adobo Taco: holy cow! Please let me worship this taco. It is incredibly flavorful. The pork belly is tender and falls apart easily. I thought it was greasy at first, but it was just juices from the pork which surprisingly didn’t turn me off.
2. Beef Short Rib Taco: this is the only one out of the five that was on a flour tortilla. First, the flour tortilla is amazing. Second, the mixture of steak and crispy onions really works out. The horseradish really elevates the taco.
3. Sweet and Spicy Steak Taco: the crispy wonton strips and slaw give this taco a great texture. I’m not a huge fan of chimichurri sauce, but that flavor isn’t the focal point of this taco; the steak is. It’s not spicy, but isn’t overly sweet either.
4. Seared Ahi Tuna Taco: the honey chipotle sauce is to die for. This taco is really simple. The tuna is sushi grade.
5. Ultimate Taco | pulled pork: my least favorite simply because the other tacos are much more flavorful. The pork is tender, but without sauce it is a tiny bit dry.
I scoped out everyone else’s food while I was waiting. I’m definitely trying the Steak Fries, Chimi Noodles, Spicy Sambal Wings, and of course getting many, many more tacos.
The décor of the restaurant is simple and almost commercial with all the stainless steel and grey-​in a good way. The staff was really friendly and nice. I’m willing to bet I’ll be back before the week ends :)

‘Twas Taco Tuesday and that was exactly what happened! $ 3/​taco at TLT at the Irvine Spectrum, we were there. I opted for their top three choices, the Ahi, the Pork Belly, and the Short Rib. These tacos are really 1.5 street sized tacos, so three actually almost seemed like too much food for one person. I paired it with a beer — Cali Creamin’.
Overall I would say my rating is. Well, TLT is overpriced. Their tacos are really expensive (especially for a NOT Taco Tuesday). Although the food is good quality and everything, it just isn’t a $ 4 taco to me. Or $ 3. Maybe $ 2.50. Beau had one of their bowls, and at $ 8, it was more like a meal for a small child, not a grown man! Not sure what they’re trying to pull here!
The flavors were good, it was just. It didn’t hit the spot. It was too expensive, and they left all the front doors open so it was rather chilly in the restaurant that evening. The service was great though, even though they charged us the wrong price of beer twice on separate orders. … Get it together, (wo)man!
Not too much else to add, park by Sports Authority for close parking.

I ordered the pork belly adobo taco and the beef short rib taco each priced at around 4 bucks.
Pork belly adobo taco — Okay. When I bit into this taco, I had to look at the menu to make sure that I was eating the pork belly taco because the pork belly meat had no semblance of pork belly flavor. The flavor was indistinguishable and could have been short rib. It was bland. They put a sambal sauce (kind of a chili fish sauce) on it which was overly sweet and did not taste like the good samba sauce that I have had. It tasted like someone had poured sugar water over the taco. 1 star.
Beef short rib taco — Again, the short rib had an indistinguishable meat flavor. Very bland. They piled on these crispy deep fried onion pieces which completely overpowered the short rib meat. It seemed more that I was eating a crispy onion taco. There was a white sauce that was supposedly horseradish cream on the taco but it was flavorless. I thought that the taco was a big fail. 2 stars.
Not a fan of this place.

TLT, born out of the Lime Truck, has made its way to the Irvine Spectrum!
I may not have the best review out there because I had this as a snack: P
They have $ 3 Taco Tuesdays, which actually isn’t that much as their tacos range from $ 3 (potato) to $ 5 (ahi). I had the most expensive of it, the Seared Ahi Tuna Taco! Hehe it sounded good as soon as I saw the name on the board and so I knew I was gonna get one!
It was spicy, as they warned me, but it was good. The tuna tasted fresh and did not taste at all like fish hehe. It went together really well with the spicy sauce: D
Will come back on a Taco Tuesday to try more. They have other foods as well! :)

After the Spectrum remodeled its Dave and Busters side, a bunch of small eateries popped up, and TLT was one of them. I really like these spots for grabbing a quick bite before a movie since it’s like fast food, but with better quality food. TLT is the brick and mortar for The Lime Truck, and although I’ve never tried the food truck, this place was pretty darn good.
They’ve got all sorts of different goodies, from tacos to sliders to noodles. We ordered the beef short rib taco ($ 4), the pork belly nachos ($ 9), and the chimmi noodles with steak ($ 8). All were delicious, but I think my favorite was the noodles. Interestingly, that dish is made cold, but the flavor is great with a little heat kick to it. The pork belly nachos were awesome as well, but if you’re not a fan of sweet flavors, this might not be for you. The taco wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t memorable, especially at $ 4 for just one. You might as well try their tacos on Tuesdays when they have a Taco Tuesday special.
Overall, great addition to the Spectrum. The staff is pleasant and the food comes out quickly. I’ll be back!