A great experience at this lively establishment. We both has Southwest breakfast bowls. The food was fresh, delicious and healthy. The ambiance is warm and welcoming with thoughtful details. read more

Dined here last night with my best friend and my son. The food was okay, nothing memorable. What really disappointed me was the service. I had to ask three separate times to be moved to a booth or an outer table. My son has sensory issues and cannot sit in the middle of a busy restaurant. Both the hostess and our server repeatedly said those tables were being held for larger parties. After continuing to explain my son's needs and advocating for him, we were eventually moved. However, it felt like there was very little willingness to accommodate him. The lack of empathy made the experience uncomfortable. read more

Service and restaurant was a 5. But may $22 salad was a huge disappointment. Chopped chicken salad was very small with 4 cubes of chicken. A few cherry tomatoes and a nice portion of avocado. Husband's chicken katsu sandwich was very good. Server very friendly and informative. Restaurant was lovely inside. read more

Culinary Dropout - Chopped chicken salad - New American Near Me - Orange, California

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Food is amazing !!! Service was great . I loved the vibe inside . We will definitely come back read more

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Great experience right from the start. Complimentary valet (still tipped upon picking up vehicle) was a huge win in the busy Orange Circle. Greeted, seated, and ordered within minutes. Love the staff. He recommended the soft pretzels with cheese to start. I wasn't really a big fan of pretzels, but he said, we can do a half order, so we did. In addition, my wife and I also ordered hotwings, mongolian beef and and classic MAC burger. The staff asked if we are eating for two and will be sharing, and I told them we will. Pretzels came out and to my biggest surprise, it was hands down, the best pretzels and cheese I've ever had. I complimented the waiters recommendation and that set the evening's food expectations high. The rest of the food came in a quick, but comfortable pace. Lighting was great inside and one my favorite parts about the restaurant is that they served the dinner for two, into two separate serving plates!! That way, we didn't need to cut the burger or split the mongolian beef bowl. Little things like this shows thought and care. Food tasted excellent. My wife and I were very happy leaving with our bellies full and smiles across our face. read more

3 of us went for dinner about 6pm on a Thursday. We were able to find free public parking across the street. The restaurant/bar is nicely decorated however it is dark and at the bar you cannot see the menu without a (phone) light. Unfortunately, our wait for a table was well over an hour. The menu choices were ok, not a very large selection. Our server, Sam, was friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. As far as food, the cocktails were tasty as were the house chips. The braised short ribs and the salmon dinner were just ok, but their fried chicken was the clear winner, very tasty. Prices were about what you'd expect at a nicer restaurant in this area. It has not been open long, it is a nice place and they have great potential but I felt the food could be better. read more

Excellent vegetarian options, casual environment, good place for lunch. Parking is available in the shared lot.

We made reservations for an early dinner (4:45) and were glad we did. It was quite busy by the time we left. Between my husband and I, we had the Waygu Pigs in Blankets, Chicken Katsu sandwich, and the Mongolian Short Ribs. Everything was delicious and I really enjoyed the "minimal consequences" Vida Verdita. Fancy and tasty non-alc drinks can be hard to find. Another bonus was the outdoor dining which was beautiful. Almost immediately after we were seated, the staff turned on the heaters and it stayed quite toasty throughout the meal. Service was friendly and the right level of attentive. We look forward to returning soon. read more

We visited the first week of opening and had an amazing time. Service was impeccable. This time, we sat at the bar for drinks. The lady bartender greeted us immediately, offered food. She ended up leaving for the day. The two other bartenders completely ignored us during our stay. The bartenders coming in for the next shift greeted the new guest next to us, didn't even bother to check in on us. Mind you, our glasses were empty. There were four people behind the bar at this point, not one of them checked in. My husband had to intervene on one of their conversations to ask for the check. We had high hopes after our initial visit and wanted this to be a place in our regular rotation, but it seems the bartenders are not willing to give the service the table servers are giving. read more

Isabella was excellent. Super personable, fast, and attentive without being overbearing. Everything came out on time, she checked in at the right moments, and she kept the vibe fun. If you're sitting in her area, you're in good hands. read more

This restaurant is outstanding!! My food was delicious and portions generous. I was there on a Saturday night and they had live music which was delightful. This was my first visit so not sure if music is nightly but truly enjoyed it. I probably should have raved first about our excellent service and my entire meal delicious!! read more

We came here for dinner and had mixed feelings about the experience. The drinks were genuinely delicious--well-balanced, flavorful, and definitely the highlight of the night. Unfortunately, the food didn't live up to the same standard. The dishes were underwhelming in both flavor and presentation, and the portions were extremely small. If you're expecting a satisfying, full-sized meal, you'll likely need to order two entrées per person. While the cocktails impressed us, the food and portion sizes were disappointing enough that we wouldn't return. read more

Me and My Husband have been wanting to try this place forever!! last night for our two year anniversary. We made a reservation and Boy, were we pleasantly surprised.!! the ambience of this place was stellar. It felt very chill and a perfect for date night! We also brought our 15 month old! So this place is kid friendly!! we were greeted when we walked in and our server was super friendly and super attentive!! NOW THE FOOD!!! holy bejeebers!! if you are looking for a savory dish. This is the place for you.!! we ordered brussels sprouts for an appetizer, My Husband ordered the Paloma and I ordered the espresso martini. I got the salmon while My Husband got the dip and our little girl got a burger! Every single item was outstanding!! All of the dishes are power packed with flavor.!! I do feel as though there may have been a little too much flavor, with what we ordered together but it was still really good!! if you're looking for bold savory flavorful items this is the place for you!! read more

Good fuckin luck finding a place to park. circled the restaurant five times. All the surrounding streets are "no parking on this block" or by "Parking by permit only". There are a couple lots that are always completely full. Dumbest location ever for a restaurant, absolute ridiculous. Will never go back, life's too short for this bullshit location. Maybe Culinary wasn't the only thing they dropped out of, maybe business school too. Available parking for a restaurant is pretty important don't you think? read more

Went here for the first time tonight and it was amazing. Drinks were fabulous, service was great. I had the Turkey pastrami and it was amazing! Highly recommend. read more

Culinary Dropout - Patio, Paloma spritz - New American Near Me - Orange, California

Fried chicken is great. Worth the visit. Would come back. To the owner, 8 hot wings for 18 dollars is absurd. Quality was extremely mediocre. I dont know in what world it's acceptable to pay that much for chicken wings but lesson learned. read more

Everything here is amazing. We have been 3 times now and have enjoyed all the dishes we had !!

One star for food, location. In concept this place is great and the food is good. Steep for what it is but okay - not my issue. I called while ago asking about the free valet and the host said "they don't offer that."....imagine my shock when I saw the "free valet" sign when I got there this should've been my warning about their service model. The issue was it felt like no one wanted to serve us and the restaurant was dead. We came during happy hour, had a reservation but arrived early. This was 2/2/26 at probably around 3:10 pm...While we were greeted by the expo or another bartender ..she let us know the host would be back to seat us (mind u the restaurant is dead...empty patio too so the host was running food? who knows... but still we waited. The host comes back finally (girl with dyed blonde hair, long, large baggy jeans and large grey sweater) and seemed like we bothered her for asking to be seated. She says one moment as she said she will get a table ready for us (the entire restaurant is empty and ready ) we had a reservation, Mind you, but you could hear a pin drop in this restaurant so we didn't know it would be a huge deal to be seated early. I had to let her know I had a reservation...I saw her delete said reservation which took 1 second. After a long min of finding where to put us she lets us know to follow her almost through rolled eyes ....why thank you. We had to laugh! We ask to sit outside, more frustration on her end. We literally just showed up and have barely said anything so idk why we bothered her so much. We ended up laughing because we thought this attitude was a joke. She finally seats us and we thank her profusely bc it seemed very difficult for her. Never saw her again since no one else came in after us during our whole meal. Idk why this was so hard - big restaurant with many seats and tables. Served by the bartender - he was attentive but we closed out with someone new. It can tell it's very food focused but fine tuning on your staff and expectations for them would make this experience different. It's a bummer since the food was nice and drinks were good but the service makes me want to RUN and never come back. I was a host for many years - idk why it's hard to greet people with a smile. You don't have to be a host! Hoping she has a better days ahead read more

Love this place the food and Staff are Amazing!!! I've been here 3 times it never disappoints

Excellent service even better food! Corey was our server and he went above and beyond to explain the menu and make suggestions for our brunch day. read more

The bartender named Rafa was really personable and friendly he came up and introduced himself, asked for our names and shook our hands. He made us feel comfortable asked us what we were up to and what food and drinks to try. He made sure we were served even after we left the bar. He refilled our waters and checked in with us! The pretzel and cheese fondue was amazing! read more

The food, ambience and service were all wonderful. The menu is very diverse and there is something for every palate. Our server, Christian, was the best! He was very knowledgeable about the menu and made great recommendations for us to try. We will definitely be back!! read more

Sad to say I think I've had my last visit to Culinary Dropout. Use to live next to the Tempe, AZ location and went all the time, so I was excited when I saw one was opening near me in CA. Went last night for my birthday and ordered some of our favorite dishes. Unfortunately, everything that was fried tasted like rancid oil. You can tell they aren't changing out the oil and just reusing it over and over. Service was bad. We were rarely checked on. Our server asked the table next to us if they were celebrating anything but never asked us... so my husband told our waitress that it was my birthday and asked if they did anything. She responded with "I'll get you something" and came back and threw down a dessert menu and walked off. Not what my husband was asking. He wanted to know if they had anything to bring out to sing happy birthday. We are assuming that she was insinuating that we need to order desert to have happy birthday sung. We were just trying to do something fun for our kids. Really wish the food and service was what it use to be but it's just not there... At least not at this location. read more

GOOD, BAD, UGLY. The GOOD: Valet parking, great menu, good food. The BAD: Had a reservation, but were forced to wait 15 minutes. Note that tables were availble. Would not let us sit until exact reservation time. Hostess staff not very good. The UGLY: We all ordered drinks. The martinies were pathatic! Half full and served in a coup not a martin glass. Same with a wiskey on the rocks. A tiny pour. read more

Tried this place for the first time for lunch and loved it! It's beautiful inside, great food and service. Can't wait to come back for all of the delicious drink options! read more

This place is so good and such a cool little spot! The food is great and ambience is nice

WOW! let me just start by saying our server Corey absolutely elevated the experience in multiple ways. This was my first time at this location and it was for my birthday with friends:) We ordered drinks and some starters all recommended from Corey. He was very descriptive and honest about the food which I really appreciate coming from a fellow customer service warrior lol. I had some friends arrive a bit late but that didn't stop the drinks and food from arriving. We were there quite close to when they opened so it was very private where we sat. The booths were very spacious for a party of 6 people. One of my friends asked if they had iced coffee which they didn't which was fine and he wasn't interested in hot coffee, he ordered a different drink instead. About 10 minutes go by and Corey walks back to the table with an Iced coffee completely unprompted. I was under the impression the kitchen had gotten creative.... nope Corey walked down a few doors and got coffee from another buisness! Who does that?! I was so shocked I just wanted to hug this man because he could've have gone more above and beyond. Needless to say I will definitely be back to try more of the menu since everything was delicious and unique from other starters at other restaurants. Thank you again Corey for making such an impact on our experience read more

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Went on a double and we really enjoyed it. The food was great! We ordered the potato chips with onion dip, feta tahini dip, half order (definitely a good option) of pretzels and cheese dip, tomato soup, ribs, salmon and steak frites. ALL delicious. The drinks were also really well made and top notch! Espresso martini, whisky sour, old fashioned and peaches and rye. The Ambiance was really nice and it was a good scene. Only complaint, but it's minor, is the service was a little slow and seemed unprepared. Food came before side plates, no water was offered and the server didn't do much checking it. The restaurant has only been open 30 days so I get that they're still working out some kinks. She was still very nice and I will definitely go back! read more

Oh! My! Gosh! This place is SOO good! My husband and I came here for date night and we kept raving literally about everything we had. We started with drinks while we waited for a table. I had Room Service and he had Abandoned Cadillac and they were both so good! We also enjoyed Full Moon Party and Tijuana Spa Water which were also so good! As a starter we had pretzel with provolone fondue and it was delicious. Definitely a must have! I had the Steak Frites and my husband had the Crispy Chicken Katsu. The steak was perfectly cooked as requested (medium), the small salad it came with was simple but bold in flavor, and the ranch (for the fries) tasted homemade and rich. My husband's sandwich was tastey! The bread was toasted, but soft and the flavors combined was so good! I wouldn't mind getting the same thing to eat every time, but if everything we had was delicious, we definitely want to try the rest of the menu and drinks! read more

Culinary Dropout - Room Service & Abandoned Cadillac - New American Near Me - Orange, California

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Omg, the best service Lindsey and food!! Turkey pastrami sandwich was phenomenal. Gluten free bun was delicious. Will be back! read more

Culinary Dropout - Mocktail choices were great - New American Near Me - Orange, California

Excellent service and food. The vibes, ambience, and playlist were great! Not to mention, fun drink list

Let me start with the service, it was great. Lindsay was amazing you can really tell she works hard. She has a great personality. Now let's talk about the food. My friend and I ordered bbq nachos and it was actually pretty good. I loved the flavor and the bbq wasn't overpowering. And then I ordered the MAC burger and it was horrible. I mean I honestly think they used a McDonald's big MAC burger. It was overall bland tasting. Their bun felt like it had been microwaved, and they used iceberg lettuce for their burger. Now my friend ordered the Prime Rib Sandwich and let me tell you, it was horrendous. I am not joking when I tell you it tasted expired. read more

Great decor and ambience. Our server Brennan was excellent. I loved the hot wing, feta dip, and chips and dip appetizers. Wasn't a huge fan of the prime rib dip nor the fried chicken. Will definitely be going back to try other things. read more

The service was awesome! I accidentally booked the wrong day for my reservation and they were still able to accommodate me. I know that is a typical ask and hard to do but they were very friendly and level set expectations clearly and kindly. Server made great recommendations. The wings and brussel sprouts were delish...but it was the homemade ranch that sealed the deal. Drinks were wonderful. read more

This is a new culinary dropout. I've been to the one in San Diego two times and it's very good well wait maybe three times. My girlfriend and I shared a French dip and then we also had the potato chips which are amazing. Being that it is a new restaurant they have a ton of employees so the service is very good. Yes I highly recommend them. In the summertime I can see that this restaurant will be very fun like the San Diego location is to go to. read more

Cool space! Friendly staff and great food. Happy Hour is only available at the bar fyi! read more

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Great food! Parking was a bit challenging but for now they have complimentary valet which is great! Inside restaurant is so pretty, cozy and not too loud to have a conversation. Went with a friend for dinner, Ordered the Mongolian short rib - was tasty, delicious, loved the egg on top; split this with a friend and was more than enough. house side salad also really tasty - really delicious dressing. Blake, our sever, was attentive, informative and kind. Great service! Will be back! read more

I have one word to say about this place - LOVE! Everything about our experience was perfect. 1) Mikey was our waiter and he was super nice, friendly and very attentive to us. LOVE 2) We chatted with Isabelle who was as equally as nice and friendly. I told her I had eaten at the location in Gilbert, AZ and she came to Orange from an AZ location. LOVE 3) Dave the manager came to ask how everything was for us and we chatted about the location and our previous experience with CDO. Super nice, accommodating, and professional. Everything you would want in a manager. LOVE 4) The food was delicious. We went for happy hour. A must have with any visit is the soft pretzels with provolone fondue. Its is big and great to share with a group. We also had the antipasti plate and the meat loaf sloppy joe which was super delicious. LOVE 5) Not sure about what cocktail to get - try the Campfire Vibes. Did not know what to expect but was super happy with my choice. LOVE 6) They have Valet - game changer since parking in Orange can be a problem. LOVE Overall you can see that I LOVED my first visit at this location and I will definitely a repeat customer. read more

Came here for an anniversary they forgot to mention it. That's not the worst part at all sat here for an hour the first 30 minutes we got our soup. It wasn't that hot and then the steak came out and it wasn't hot either they took forever to bring the dessert took forever to bring the check our server left and didn't tell us, and then finally came out towards the end. The ambience is cool. I would give it another chance but they gotta step it up out here. Not a good look for a restaurant that's brand new. I wonder where Management is or what they're doing. read more

Went here for the first time and was blown away. Decor was gorgeous, was seated right away, and the food was absolutely amazing! My fiancé and I had no idea what to expect but were guided through our options and ended up ordering the fried chicken (the best fried chicken I've ever seen or gotten to experience) and the pub burger. Everything from the buttermilk biscuit to even the salad and fries the burger came with were a solid 11/10. Jade was our server and she did absolutely amazing. Our drinks were never empty and she anticipated what we needed without us ever needing to ask. We'll definitely be looking forward to the next time we can come back. read more