BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:Get hefty, healthy portions at Cabo

Sitting against a sprawling mural of El Arco of Cabo San Lucas with the smell of fresh Mexican food wafting from the kitchen, resident Nathan Cramer tells his buddy Zach Wayne that he plans on visiting the newly opened Cabo Grill every day.

As the two Orange Coast College students wait for their takeout from the Mexican restaurant, general manager and co-founder Al Talebi works with the cooks, including head chef Braulio Nuñez.

No doubt the compliments from their customers would please them because they’ve worked hard to get the point where they have satisfied customers, but it’s interesting to note the bond between Talebi and Nuñez wasn’t originally formed in a kitchen.

While Talebi was a student at OCC’s airframe and power plant program learning to become an airplane mechanic, he made friends with Nuñez’s son and learned about his father’s passion for food.

Talebi shared the passion and for the last three years the pair, along with co-founder Erin Curry, have been investing time, money and long hours into their dream of owning a restaurant.

The restaurant features Nuñez’s family recipes — he is originally from Durango, Mexico — and Talebi said the restaurant focuses on big portions of healthy food sans trans fat.

“The food is all really good, especially the fajita taco salad,” Cramer said, adding since the small restaurant opened a couple weeks ago he’d already been back a handful of times.

Cramer and Wayne said ever since they saw the sign go up on the restaurant they had been waiting for the “open” sign to click on. Each visit Cramer has tried to order something new to find the dish he likes best.

The restaurant is small by any standard, with seven tables situated next to a salsa bar filled with salsas made fresh daily, along with pickled vegetables and jalapenos.

“All the recipes are family recipes and everything is made from scratch with fresh ingredients,” Talebi said.

In order to make the restaurant work, Talebi and his partners waited till they found a location that was right and the corner of Del Mar Avenue and Newport Boulevard fit the bill.

There are not many restaurants to serve the locals around this neighborhood, he said. He’s also hoping the college crowd makes its way from down the street.

Cramer plans on walking from his house, which he said is right down the street.

If everything goes as planned, Talebi plans on serving wine and beer in June, with delivery service to begin in summer. Looking for a place to watch soccer and eat a monster burrito? Cabo Grill is it — the venue always has soccer on TV, Talebi said.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. For more information or to place an order call (949) 645-CABO.