As a 626 resident, I can confidently say that this place rivals some of the best Chinese skewer places in the SGV!! My go-to order has been: lamb skewers, sweet and sour cucumbers, *lamb vermicelli soup (I come back just for this), tornado potatoes, and the garlic chicken skewers. The orange sorbet is also a fun and refreshing dessert to end off the meal. In fact, the food was so good that I ended up forgetting my phone at the restaurant. Thankfully, the staff were very kind and held onto my phone until I could pick it up again the next day. Overall, a great experience if you're craving Chinese skewers or a late night eats.

Andrew D.

Good skewers in Irvine! We were seated and served relatively quickly. This place has large seating capacity and seems to be tailored for those looking for a quick bite. We got a variety of different skewers including Chicken Skin, Chicken Cartilage, House Special Garlic Chicken, Pork Belly. Overall, it was great but not particularly noteworthy relative to other skewer places. Would recommend to those in the area looking for skewers in Irvine!

Janette N.

This place is always packed with Chinese foodies, so you know it's the real deal. I usually come for the skewers, but I love that they offer so much more than just that. The menu is surprisingly extensive, with everything from hot pot and noodle dishes to stir-fried dishes. I jwish they had guo bao rou available every day since it's my favorite but they only serve it once a week because it's such a labor-intensive dish and they make it fresh to order, which is understandable. The skewers are consistently good, they're open late, and it's become my go-to spot when I don't feel like driving out to the 626 for great skewers, definitely a good find for Irvine.

Catherine B.

TLDR: verrrry authentic Chinese restaurant. Great ambiance. We were definitely the only non-natives there. You order through a QR code. Their menu changes regularly based on demand I think. A little concerned that they reuse their skewers..

Rosemary T.

If you're craving Chinese skewers in Irvine, this place is easily one of the best. The skewers are flavorful and satisfying, even though everything is cooked in the kitchen rather than in front of you. That said, consistency can vary--sometimes the skewers come out a bit dry or slightly overcooked. The spice level is no joke. "Spicy" is very spicy, so it's better to order non-spicy and add the dry chili powder on the side to control the heat yourself. It's a small restaurant, so waits can get long when it's busy. Our go-to order is always the beef skewers and lamb skewers. The chicken wings are usually good, though they've been a little dry the last few visits. The foil vermicelli is solid and can be ordered non-spicy. Oysters are hit or miss--sometimes nice and plump, sometimes smaller. The grill setup is more for show than actual cooking, but it still adds to the atmosphere. Overall, it's a great spot for lighter eats on days when you're not super hungry, and surprisingly, it's not as smoky or smelly as you might expect from a skewer place.

Sabrina L.

Overall, Most dishes were actually really good Flavor on point, great variety, and perfect for sharing with friends. Nice service and good ambiance. Definitely worth trying if you're in Irvine, Come hungry... you'll want to order everything

James Q.

Was craving for skewered bbq and didn't want to drive too far, so we tried this place. When we arrived they just opened, can't tell if the restaurant is clean or not, but staff were chatting and seems like they were having dinner. Their skewers are all fried not grilled, which is a huge red flag, service is friendly actually. I recommend their Hunan dishes, their stir fried rice noodles is very good, so is the fish maw, just don't come here for the skewers. Would be 4+ if not for the fried skewers.

Michele L.

Nestled among Irvine's Plaza Resident Community, 949 Grill Lounge is a neighborhood restaurant that's sure to be a go-to for lunch or dinner! They have a modern design with an open kitchen, where you can see the chefs wok-fry with flames!! Pretty impressive to watch!! Their dishes are bursting with bold, authentic Chinese flavors, each dish tells a story. I absolutely love their Bento style Lunch Boxes, which comes with a main + 2 sides + soup and steamed rice that range from $17.99 - $21.99. I tried the Hunan stir-fried pork belly lunch teishoku set 湖南小炒肉-午市定食 with sweet and sour soup, Sweet and Sour Black Fungus, Sweet and Sour Cucumbers and bowl of steamed rice. I asked for medium spice and it was just right for me! So beautifully displayed on a wooden tray!! Their stir-fried baby squid with chili sauce 辣炒海兔（小鱿鱼) is a customer favorite!! I am in love with this dish!! So aromatic and satisfying, with the right chewy texture for baby squid!! Stir-fried Pork Belly and Chili Pepper with Rice 肉汤泡饭 features thinly sliced pork belly stir-fried with fresh chili peppers, aromatic garlic and ginger, and seasonings. Again, I asked for medium spice! Perfectly balanced!! They also have skewers (served after 5pm), Hunan stir-fried spicy dishes, foiled dishes, bullfrog dishes, stone cooked dishes, noodle soups, rice dishes, noodles, dongbei and Lao Dao specialties and a variety of desserts. They also have a full bar with an array of Sake. Dive into a culinary journey that both locals and foodies rave about. They have a full bar with an array of Sake. Alysa had terrific and friendly customer service!!

Bethany L.

if you've never had traditional chinese bbq before, go check it out!! order through QR code menu and food comes out quickly. got the scallop + vermicelli (so buttery, garlicy), a bunch of skewers (lambs, beef tendon, mushroom, eel, beef brisket), northern cold noodles (briny and refreshing), but my favorite was the egg and eggplant. it doesn't sound fancy but the egg makes the dish earthy/nutty while the eggplant is creamy and umami. please get it! place is super clean and staff brings around extra napkins/waters (: for 2 people, we couldn't finish everything and it was under 90$!

Miranda L.

The lamb skewers are good. The corn and the steamed bun barbequed was packed with flavor. The spicy meat off the bone was good. Service was slow. Took them a long time to get our orders and took forever to get water refilled. But I would still come back because the food tasted great?

Kat N.

The lunch started well with the kung pao chicken and the generosity of the tray veggies, perfect seasoning on the cucumbers and radishes. It went downhill from there unfortunately: the cumin lamb and pork lunch set were super salty. The fried rice had a little section that was (accidentally?) super salty. Otherwise pretty normal, nothing special. There's only one server so expect the wait service to be 15-20 min longer than expected. At one point we saw a customer stand up to help deliver teishoku lunch trays to his table.

Nareen C.

Authentic Northern Chinese barbecue and Hunan-style spicy dishes. its extensive variety of charcoal-grilled skewers using dry" seasoning method that creates a smoky, bold, and aromatic crust over charcoal flames. We enjoyed The signature spicy seasoning skewers ( garlic chicken,chicken feet, chicken gizzards, chicken wings and potato tower) Bento lunch Set - Kung Pao Bento lunch Set - Spicy Eggplant Green Beans with minced pork Pork ribs soup with corn

ting h.

My friend knows how much I love frog legs, so they recommended a spot right here in Irvine -- 949 Grill Lounge. The English name sounds pretty normal, but the Chinese name is hilariously dramatic: "Chicken Fly Frog Jump 949" Definitely memorable! We ordered the stir-fried frog with perilla leaves, which wasn't spicy but super flavorful -- even the kids enjoyed it! The frogs are killed fresh, and you can really tell -- the meat was incredibly tender and bouncy. It's rare to find freshly butchered frog dishes around here, so this was a treat. The kids saw the skewers and wanted to try some -- and to our surprise, they loved them so much we kept ordering more! The skewers have that classic Northeastern Chinese BBQ flavor, well-seasoned and grilled just right. I just wish the portion per skewer was a little bigger The restaurant has a great vibe for casual gatherings too. I'm already planning to come back with friends for a BBQ + drinks night