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What do Ramadan and Cinco de Mayo have in common? Patrons have to find ways to celebrate privately this year. With restaurant dining rooms closed, these holidays will be observed on a smaller scale. But they don’t have to be spent in starvation.
Here’s a sampling of restaurants offering deals to help you celebrate at home.
Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is to Mexico what St. Patrick’s Day is to Ireland — a celebration that is a bigger deal in the United States than it is in its own country.
Celebrated on May 5 every year, the holiday is promoted by restaurants in the U.S. as a way to drum up business and celebrate Mexican heritage. Many of those restaurants are going to lose out on revenues from the annual celebration this year. To compensate, some are offering party packs to help you celebrate with your loved ones at home.
Acapulco Restaurant
Seal Beach and Costa Mesa
Acapulco Restaurant is offering “Cinco Party Packs,” which are food packs that include rice, beans, chips and salsa, and your choice of tacos or fajitas made to serve four to six people. For those struggling to get into the festive spirit, Acapulco will also be offering a margarita pitcher and four sombreros for each pack (while supplies last).
The prices vary from $50 to $65, but for orders over $20 the restaurant is offering free delivery. Hungry customers can start pre-ordering their Cinco Party Packs on their website.
But for those who are tired of being cooped up in their house, Acapulco also offers pick-up and curbside.
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
Solita Tacos & Margaritas
7631 Edinger Avenue, Huntington Beach; 714-894-2792
For foodies in and around Huntington Beach, check out Solita Tacos & Margaritas. The restaurant offers an array of specialities including Charro Smoked Pork Ribs for $18.50 (including two sides). The pound of pork ribs are oak-smoked with a chipotle rub, tossed in barbeque sauce with some grilled toreados for a little added spice.
Among the options from its menu, Solita will also be offering a Cinco De Mayo value pack feeding three to five people for $65.00. The pack can be pre-ordered online and will also include Solita merchandise with their pre-orders (while supplies last). The pack includes:
- Solita guacamole
- Ensalada Ranchera
- Six pack of street tacos (with a choice of three pairs of: grilled chicken, carnitas or tofu)
- 32 oz. house margarita pitcher
Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day; Solita offers delivery and curbside pickup, with free delivery for all orders over $20.
Las Brisas
361 Cliff Dr. Laguna Beach; 949-497-5434
Located along Laguna Beach’s coastline, this SoCal restaurant was initially established as Victor Hugo Inn in 1938. Even after transforming to Las Brisas in 1979, it hasn’t lost its vintage charm or premier reputation.
Guests used to enjoy Mexican cuisine while admiring the endless pacific and soaking in the ocean breeze. Now, as people count down the endless days left in quarantine, they can also munch on Las Brisas favorites while imagining a world without the coronavirus.
The Las Brisas Cinco De Mayo Pack is $75 and available for curbside pickup or delivery. This holiday deal can feed three to five people and includes:
- Guacamole, with chips and salsa
- Caesar salad
- 6 tacos (choice of 2 types of tacos: sautéed shrimp, grilled rockfish, carne asada, mushroom)
- Margarita pitcher
Orders can be placed through the restaurant’s website or by phone. For orders priced $20 or more, free delivery is available. Hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Anaheim, Cypress, Dana Point, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Orange, Tustin, Westminster, Yorba Linda
El Torito’s Cinco De Mayo meal packs feed four to six people and are $50 for the taco packs and $60 for the fajita packs. Each meal pack coming with four sombreros. Whether you’re feeling tacos or fajitas, both packs come with:
- Rice
- Refried beans
- Chips and salsa
- Pitcher of house margaritas (for $5 more, the pitcher can be upgraded to Cadillac margarita pitcher)
Pickup, delivery and curbside pickup.Hours from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturdays; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Ramadan
For those observing Ramadan, which began this year on April 23, a number of restaurants are offering take-home packs to help you and your family break the day-long fast after sunset.
For those unfamiliar with this religious holiday, Ramadan is a month-long religious holiday celebrated by Muslims through fasting, prayer, reflection and community. As a part of their daily observance and reflection, Muslims do not consume any food or drink from dawn to dusk. They eat before sunrise and after sunset with family or with the local community.
Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen
229 East Commonwealth Avenue, Fullerton; 714-853-1081
This newly opened eatery came to downtown Fullerton three months ago, bringing with it an array of highly rated Australian wagyu beef and Desi cuisine, all of which are 100% halal.
Available throughout the month of Ramadan from Friday through Sunday, 2 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., is Khan Saab’s Ramadan Iftar package.
For $25, the package will include:
- Dates
- Vegetable samosa
- Sloppy khan
- Tandoori chicken
- Chicken biryani
- Nihari
- Naan
- Double ka tudka
To try any of their other street, steak or signature dishes, make sure to call for that discount.
During this pandemic, the restaurant’s hours are 2 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Take out services ordered by phone get 10% off and third party deliveries through Grubhub, Doordash, and Postmates are also available for those who don’t want to make the drive.
Mint Indian Food
25381 Alicia Pkwy C, Laguna Hills; 949-305-1556
You can order to go and taste the creations of a chef who has been cooking Indian food for over 20 years. From chicken to lamb courses and desserts to drinks, their expansive menu has enough options for even the pickiest of eaters.
This year’s holiday special is Mint’s Ramadan Sahar package, available for takeout Thursday through Sunday from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. for the duration of Ramadan. This $20 package includes:
- Halwa
- Puri
- Chana masala
- Nihari
- Qeema aloo
- Sweet lassi
Call the restaurant to place an order. Open for take out every day for lunch and dinner, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Virtual Services With The Islamic Society of Orange County
9752 13th Street, Garden Grove; 714-531-1722
Ramadan isn’t just about the food. In place of special deals and discounts, this organization offers programs and prayers.
The Islamic Society of Orange County is continuing services through weekly programs via Zoom, which are recorded and published on Youtube, Facebook and their podcast feed.
Every Friday, ISOC publishes their program, “Qur’anic Recitation and Jumu’ah Message,” which consists of a recitation of Surah Kahf by Hafiz Naveed Iqbal at 1 p.m. and Jumu’ah Message by Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi at 1:30 p.m.
Every Sunday from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., Dr. Siddiqi goes in front of the camera again to offer a methodical explanation of the Qur’an with historical context.
ISOC offers additional virtual programs and special events too, all of which can be found on their website. Those who are interested can sign up for their newsletter here.
Kristina Garcia is an intern for Voice of OC Arts & Culture. She can be reached at kristinamgarcia6@gmail.com.
Kim Pham is an intern for Voice of OC Arts & Culture. She can be reached at kimhphm@gmail.com.