Actor and Boston native Mark Wahlberg — who, along with his brothers, co-owns casual burger joint Wahlburgers — has moved into the fine-dining landscape with his own culinary project: Flecha Cantina, a nearly 10,000-square-foot Mexican-American restaurant located inside the Bella Terra shopping center in Huntington Beach.
Flecha Cantina, the Spanish word for “arrow” (also the name of Wahlberg’s tequila brand), features a roster of Mexican-American staples. The menu offers a handful of ceviche like poached scallops and calamari, yellowtail and avocado, poached shrimp and avocado, and marinated mushrooms with tomato ponzu and avocado yuzu mousse. Starters include chicken taquitos, crispy cauliflower, queso, tableside guacamole, calamari and more. Enchiladas (carne asada, chicken or mole), burritos, chile relleno, seabass, fajitas, chimichurri steak, braised short ribs and more make up the entree portion of the menu.
ALSO SEE: The Sand Bar, Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo extension, opens in Huntington Beach
A lunch menu, available from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday though Friday, features a torta, a breakfast burrito, chilaquiles, cheese enchilada and “street tacos.”
The weekly Sunday brunch buffet, happening from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., comes replete with hot stations of carnitas, chorizo and eggs, enchiladas, eggs benedict and chile verde.
The cocktail program features margaritas galore, specialty cocktails (like an apple cosmo or mezcal Negroni), martinis (from dirty to espresso), nearly 100 brands of mezcal, beers, wine, and more. Guests can also look forward to “taco Tuesdays,” happy hours, live music and DJs.
The actor, noted for his Oscar-nominated turn in “The Departed” and “The Fighter,” as well as his musical breakthrough in the ’90s with Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, will appear at Flecha in June for a red-carpet media event kicking off his venue’s grand opening.
Flecha joins a list of other Orange County restaurants owned by celebrities, like Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo and Sand Bar, also in Huntington Beach, director McG’s A Restaurant in Newport Beach, Tony Hawk’s GuacAmigos in Newport Beach and Hockey hall of famer Teemu Selanne’s namesake steakhouse in Laguna Beach, to name a few.
Another location in Las Vegas is in the works, which is expected to open later this year.
Flecha Cantina had its soft opening on Tuesday, May 7.
Find it: 7821 Edinger Ave, #110, Huntington Beach
