Zack the chef has done a terrific job. Food was delicious and hearty and innovative. I'd love to have lingered but the "vibrant vinyl soundtrack" made us eat fast and leave. Way too loud for us. But the service was attentive and kind, and the food out of sight. read more

Decided to write this review the day after our dinner at Darkroom. Why? Well, I have to admit that I've written a few dining reviews directly after a meal (sometimes while still at the restaurant) and let's just say that the glow of a bottle of good wine or a couple old fashions may have had me gushing about how the experience was the very best in my 5 decades on this planet. I still stand behind every review and given that Yelp's 5 star rating system tops out at great, not afraid to go 5 stars when a place does something unique and special. Oh, where was I...Darkroom! Day after. Sober. If there was a 6th star to be had (Yelp, you should have something that signifies "outstanding"), Darkroom would earn it hands down. Service from Dominic and all others we encountered was nothing short of excellent. Attentive and very knowledgeable. The food...at one point I couldn't hear my other half talking due to the sound of angels singing from the heavens above as I tried each dish. The Wanderer steak, mushrooms, tuna crudo and zucchini bread made for a meal that truly was one of a kind brilliant. The wine list is as unique as their food...a bottle of red in perfect wine glasses was the final touch to a very memorable dinner. The place itself has a such a cool vibe with great music, eclectic art and a dark moody embiance that pulled it all together. Drew, one half of the duo chef team, came out to say hello (nice touch). Thank you Darkroom for existing. Will see you again! read more

The ambiance was great, it had cool vibes. The dishes were hot or miss. Surprisingly the Caesar salad was my favorite, it was loaded with flavor and I really liked the presentation. The swordfish was ok, you can tell quality ingredients were being used but I don't like a smooshy "skin" and there was a sweetness in the sauce I didn't like. I was looking forward to the contrast of sweet and hot but it didn't work too well. The ice cream was confusing to me, we all expected bananas in it but there wasn't any, it was probably my misunderstanding but it didn't taste like banana either. Everyone at my table tried it and was confused lol. Other people liked the mushrooms, the donuts, the potatoes,and the steak but I didn't try them. I really like the concept and trying unique flavors and would've rated higher but honestly the service was lacking. I think our server was having a bad day and/or new. She seemed very unhappy and several times when we asked questions, she just excused herself and didn't return for a long time or someone else would come by. One specific incident, I asked if we could have separate checks and instead of answering the question she informed that everything was meant to be shared. The conversation went longer than needed and finally I said I just want whoever ordered whatever to pay for their order regardless if we choose to share that plate or not and that's when she left and someone else came to explain the shared plates deal. It was extremely annoying, we have people who don't drink or don't eat this/that so we didn't want to split the bill evenly regardless if the plate is shared. I wish she would've just said no and moved on but then apparently she was dwelling on it because in the end I paid with one card and she thanked me for being understanding blah blah. Oh and, we had a few dishes come out waaay slow, like they forgot. But she was nice and took it off the bill. Sadly, we all agreed we wouldn't return just because we didn't want to deal with moody service. read more

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Came here the other night with a girlfriend and I must say this place is definitely a vibe! Definitely a cool spot to go to for a date night or girls night. We ordered pretty much everything off them menu but the highlights are definitely the sweet potato and oysters. The oysters were actually so good that was ordered it a second time. Just a heads up, they only serve beer and wine though which wasn't an issue for us. Definitely looking forwards to coming back here :) read more

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I felt like I have to leave a review because of our experience here. It was our 20th year wedding anniversary. When we arrived, they had a card for us signed by the staff. Everyone was friendly and took the time to speak with us. Our server, Lex was the best. She was very sweet. She explained everything on the menu, gave us her recommendations, and made sure we were doing great. Now, on to the food. The selection was interesting and very creative. We ordered the zucchini bread, bay scallops, and the butternut squash to start with. Wow! Everything was delicious. Best zucchini bread ive ever had. Best butternut squash ive ever had. And the swordfish? Flavor was great. The texture was perfect. The skin was nice and crispy. Only complaint? Wish they had real liquor, but that was not a deal breaker. Plus, we got donuts on the house because we celebrated a special occasion with them. Can't wait to bring our friends here. read more

Darkroom - Drinks, menu, and anniversary card from the staff - Wine Bars Near Me - Santa Ana, California

The food is unique and absolutely amazing The service was over the top. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great feel to the restaurant[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

Took my wife here for her birthday and had an incredible experience. Every plate that came out left our table spotless. We mixed it up and got a bunch of appetizers and shared an entrée just so we could try more things. Everything was delicious but my favorite was the beef tartare. Melts in your mouth and is so very good. Each ingredient seemed to stand out on its own. The mood of the ambiance was awesome. Dark shadows with a nice mellow lighting and great music on the turntable. The chef came out to our table to say hi to us and that was very fun. Wine selection was fantastic and it wasn't hard to find a great glass to complement the dishes. Can't wait to come back this weekend for the comedy show! read more

This is my favorite place to eat in Orange County. I've lived in cities my entire life and moved to Orange County a few years back. OC is beautiful, but what I miss is the edgy culture and creativity of the city. This place is a city-dweller's dream but down here in OC. Dark lighting, a unique vinyl playlist every night, servers who will vibe with you and help you figure out some choices while also recommending 3 bands to check out on Spotify and one cocktail bar you need to go to. The food is super differentiated - an artist experimenting. Some dishes you will love, some you may only like. That's kind of the point - order a bunch of small plates and experiment - plus the menu keeps changing. I don't come here to get the same steak once a month, I come here to try 9 small plates I've never seen made anywhere else and discover that I can't stop talking about 3 of them. My wife and I love everything about this place. read more

We went to Darkroom on our anniversary. It was pretty easily to get a reservation online. We came for dinner and the ambiance was exactly how the name implied, with some nice music in the background. We told them it was our anniversary and they gave us some complimentary champagne to celebrate. It was some of the best champagne we've both had. For food, we ordered the hangar steak and the yellowtail schnitzel. We've heard the term flavor bomb used, and this was the first time I think we've both experienced this with our food because both entrees were packed with flavor and were delicious. Everything here is meant to be shared as well. We'll definitely be coming back to try some of the other items. read more

They are not kidding, it is certainly a dark and moody atmosphere. Depending on the VINYL music, the place can be lively. It is a new restaurant and I would say its fairly busy and service was quick! Their menu is more like tapas and wine style. They have wine aperitif type cocktails, but the bartender is pretty knowledgeable and will recommend wines to pair with your order. I dined here with my boyfriend, so they recommend we order 2-4 dishes. If you dine here with a larger group, then you can probably try the whole menu. A majority of the dishes have japanese and asian ingredients combined with italian and french techniques. We found the scotch olives to be innovative and well balanced. I prefer the scallop tostada to have less oil and more citrus, despite being served with a lemon. A couple dishes were too salty for me like the smoked maitake and burger. My favorite dish is the agnolotti, because the savory sauce with kabocha filling. I know the Observatory is close by, so if you're a wine drinker then maybe stop by the bar for a pre-show meal. read more

One of the best restaurants I've been to in a long time, the food is abundant with flavor. All the dishes are unique. Everything was a hit. The only thing I didn't really care for was their steak. The pork chop Tomahawk tasted like a Wagyu steak. All the vegetable dishes were delicious, absolutely worth coming to,cheers and definitely will come back for more read more

My third visit. Dish after dish of outstanding and inventive food with super fresh ingredients, imbued with artful depth balance of flavor. Darkroom's DNA is part DJ, part mad scientist, part varsity chef. Wine pairings were on point. Stimulating music sings from the sound system at just the right volume. Everyone on staff is a real pro. Menu changes often, every visit offers something familiar and something new. read more

I wanted to check out this restaurant to celebrate my 50th because the vibe looked cool and unique for a special night. Unfortunately, the experience fell apart almost immediately. We were seated and given water, then were left in the DARK. Never greeted. No "hello," no check-in, no acknowledgment at all. We sat there for 15 minutes, and it wasn't just us. Other tables around us looked just as confused and unattended to. The whole room had this weird "does anyone work here?" energy. It got so awkward we just got up and left. read more

I love to eat out. Not just for the adventure and delight of excellent taste, but also for the incredible diversity of complementary ingredients that makes each dish a unique creation. I love restaurants especially because each is it's own scene - molded by the staff (front and back of house), the design of the space, and attention to experience. Darkroom has it all. Great space. Excellent service. Everything we tasted - Kanpachi Crudo, Duroc Pork Belly, Nashville Hot Swordfish - was outstanding, unlike anything I've had before. All of it - including the excellent wine - was suggested and presented by knowledgeable and professional wait staff. Our entire party had an excellent time. I look forward to going back to try what Zach and Drew are serving up next! read more

I was welcomed by the music from The Doors, playing from a vinyl record and immediately transporting me back to what seems like a bygone era. Needless to say, the ambiance is very cool, dark as the name of the restaurant implies and somewhat like you've been let in on a little secret. Service was on point from the very start. Head chef and owner was so inviting. The cocktails were interesting as they all had Vermouth? at least from what I understood. I ordered the No. 5 and loved it. It was very much like an Aperol Spritz. Their South African wines are worth a try also. As for the dishes, we ordered the scallop, oysters, crab and peppers, cappellacci, maitake mushroom, Iberico Pluma and the dark chocolate. Flavor wise, all savory. The maitake mushroom was my favorite. The rest of the dishes were similar in that they were sauce forward, and the main ingredients seemed to be drowned in the sauce or pretty hidden and not as highlighted as they could be. One thing the menu can use is a carbohydrate like bread or rice to sop up all the sauce. The Iberico Pluma had notes of the Filipino adobo. This restaurant is definitely worth a visit. read more

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Amazing experience!!! Handsdown one of my favorite new restaurants discovered this year! Came here on our anniversary and Darkroom did not disappoint. Amazing food, amazing drinks, and amazing service!! Merv is awesome, so attentive to make sure we enjoyed all of the food and drinks and so knowledgeable of the menu!! What amazing energy and enthusiasm he has, you can see how much he loves working there and how much he cares for the customers!! On top of amazing service, the food is so yummy and so creative as well! Some of our favorites were the Nashville hot swordfish, the caesar salad and the scallops for sure! Cocktails were phenomenal with our favorites being the No 67 and No 68! Definitely reccommend trying Darkroom for any date night or any night!! read more

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My new fav in OC - been here 5 times now. Masterful sauces. Can make boring things come alive. New yellow tail - amazing. Asparagus, eggplant - somehow made them must have. Scotch olives staple. Strangely the best burger of my life- cut in half face down with a perfect high end sauce covers the plate - they only make 10 a day come early. Dessert - semifreddo - wow. Unique food experience - chef is an artist read more

Great service, wine selection, and hip vibe. All the music is played on vinyl, and the red light accents add a nice touch to the Darkroom theme. This is a great date night place for those trying to impress or get away for a night. The food, just wow. The menu will likely evolve whenever you eat here, but that's part of the fun. For a group of 5, we ordered the Steak Tartare, Scallop Tostada, Caesar, Crab & Peppers, Roasted Cabbage, Cappellacci, Hamachi, Hanger Steak, Iberico Pluma, and the Trout. Everything was delicious, but if I had to pick our favorites... I've never tasted something like the Scallop Tostada, bonus points just for the uniqueness. The Steak Tartare was soooo flavorful. Even the folks at our table who are not into raw meat loved it. The proteins were great (can't go wrong), but my biggest surprise was the Roasted Cabbage. No idea how the chef gets cabbage to taste good, but here we are. Oh goodness, I almost forgot about the desserts. We tried the Buttermilk Peach, Ricotta Donuts, and the Dark Chocolate. All were wonderful. Though I must say, I've never had caviar on my chocolate. It somehow works!?!? We'll be back for sure! read more

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This place has a lot of potential with great service but unfortunately good service doesn't save bad food. We ordered the carrots and they were so soft and overcooked it was 3 seconds away in the oven from becoming puree. The olives were ok at best, you can taste everything else except the olive part of the dish. We had the cauliflower that was cold and over powered by the key lime leafs. It's sad because the reviews were so good but a huge let down. read more

It was a fun atmosphere and all of the food was DELICIOUS! The service was phenomenal from sitting immediately (reservation) to recommendations because we were first timers, to special requests (gluten alllergy). Highly recommend! read more

Amazing food, service and ambiance. We have become regulars here for date nights and special occasions.

Best restaurant in OC at the moment. The service, the vibe, the food...everything. Go check it out. read more

Great service and great food, will definitely be back to try more of the menu. The broccolini was amazing, hopefully we can try the burgers next time we visit. read more

We loved our experience at Darkroom. Once you set foot in the space, you feel like you've been transported to a swanky lounge. Loved the hip vibe provided by the vinyl collection, music, and decor. Hostesses were all very friendly and accommodating during our brief wait to be seated. What's unique about this restaurant is that they invite guests to help pick the music so feel free to peruse the collection and put in a request! According to our server, menu items change fequently so what you see on Yelp today may not be available the day you're there. That said, everything we had was amazing. We ordered everything at once and our server determined the order in which to bring the items. Starting with the appetizers, we tried a scallop dish which was so light and refreshing, I almost wanted to order another one, but there were so many other plates in our queue. Some of our favorites were the Scotch olives, hangar steak, watermelon, hamachi, and mushrooms. We heard there's also a very limited number of specialty burgers served nightly only at the bar so really looking forward to coming back to try that! Highly recommend this spot to anyone looking for an upscale date night experience. read more

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Came to Darkroom for my birthday dinner. As soon as we got to our seats, there was a birthday card waiting for me. We sat at the bar & our bartender Scotty was very helpful. We started out with the zucchini bread. It was moist in the middle, had these crispy bits on the sides, & was topped with Jamon serrano that added to the bread perfectly! The burger was really good & the sauces it came with were delicious. The burger bun did get soggy; however, that didn't stop me from dunking it into the sauces even more. We were debating between the duck and the pork tomahawk. We decided on getting the duck since the tomahawk is one of the regular items and we could always come back to try it. The duck was tasty, but for 2 pieces and the price of $46, we realized we should've just gotten the tomahawk. We ended our dinner with a free bday dessert. The donuts were soooo good and the brown butter margarine that it came with was bomb. I could eat a whole bowl of it lol. The cocktails were low ABV. We got the pandan drink, it was yummy but if it's gonna be $17, I want to get at least a little buzzed. Overall, food was good and service was even better. read more

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The vibe of this place is absolutely immaculate. It's cool without being pretentious and the food is fun without being too intimidating. We were here on 9/12 for my husband's birthday and ordered a selection including: Steak Tartare Cappellacci Scallop Tostada Hanger Steak Watermelon with lemongrass Every dish was amazing but the watermelon was our surprise favorite. It was unique and had a great texture. The huge vinyl selection is a really fun touch. There was a DJ (I think his name was Zach?) that (while mildly pretentious) did a great job with the music selection and keeping the vibe going. Also be sure to visit the bathroom for a selfie, the lighting is great! We will definitely be back in the future! read more

Darkroom - Scallop Tostada so good! - Wine Bars Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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If you are wanting to have a true dining experience then make a reservation at the Darkroom. The food is at another level. A diverse and fun menu executed flawlessly by their experts in the kitchen. Also their front of their house is some of the kindest, knowledgeable in the industry. Their recs are spot on and pair wines well with your meal. Lastly the vibe is just perfect for a date night. Great vinyl playing and overall just epic experience. Cant recommend enough. read more

Been a fan of Chef Zach for years, and I was STOKED that he opened his own place. Went to the soft opening and even though I had high expectations, they were blown away. The food is as good as I expected - having only really ever had the tasting menu experience with Chef Zach, I was curious to see how the "regular restaurant" menu experience would be. You know what's delightful? Ordering something, loving it, and then realizing I can just come back here and order it again and again. Which I will for SURE be doing, especially when it comes to the Scotch Olives, Steak Tartare, and the absolutely incredible desserts. No joke, the chocolate with caviar and maple had me dancing in my seat. The restaurant has fantastic ambiance - they're playin' good music, loud enough to vibe but not so loud you can't easily hear the people you're with. Really fun place to hang out, with a bar and a little side area to wait for your table and sip some drinks. THIS IS NOT A DRILL - It's not every day we get a restaurant THIS good in the OC. Darkroom instantly zips to one of the top restaurants in OC. You absolutely can't miss it. It's not open yet, but immediately to your left upon entering is the secret tasting-menu side restaurant, Chrysalis. It's opening next month - I can't wait! read more

Darkroom - One of the best desserts I've ever had, WOW - Wine Bars Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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We had a fantastic meal at dark room! I highly recommend this restaurant! The menu is very creative and the service is fantastic. The ambience is very unique and the music is awesome! Our server was very friendly and had fantastic recommendations. The chef-owner came to our table twice and discussed the dishes and was very friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant. You should go as soon as you can, and the menu changes every few weeks, so we plan to go back again and again. We highly recommend the Iberico pork, Caesar salad, and trout. I also really love the old world wines - the French and Italian reds. read more

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We had an amazing Dine OC tasting menu experience at Chrysalis (inside The Dark Room)! Every dish was crafted with fresh ingredients and packed with umami flavors. You can really tell that Chef Zach has a passion for cooking and genuinely enjoys interacting with guests. All seven courses were outstanding, but my top three were the Hamachi, Tuna, and Chocolate dish--each one was beautifully presented and bursting with flavor. While we didn't get a chance to try Darkroom, I absolutely loved the ambiance. The vinyls, the vibe--everything made for such a unique and fun dining experience. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a memorable meal! read more

Super hyped!!! The food was not enough for even one person, the vibe was not what I expected and the drinks were very weak. Very disappointed read more

We came for a birthday celebration tonight. Ordered scallop tostada, beef tartare, pork belly, yellowtail, marinated watermelon and a melon dessert. Each of the dishes was delicious and unique. Our server, Stephen, was enthusiastic, attentive, friendly and very patient to explain everything and make great recommendations when asked. We look forward to returning for additional culinary experience! read more

Wanted to try Darkroom after seeing plenty of good reviews. We got sat right at our reservation time. The ambiance was nice. The hanger steak was amazing and so was the zucchini bread. The tuna crudo and the peppers with cheese were just ok. My main frustration was our waiter Scottie. He was VERY pushy. You could tell when we only ordered a couple of things he was frustrated. The servers need to be trained on properly present the menu. I could tell the 3 dishes at the bottom of the menu were going to be larger but I wasn't told this. Overall, decent concept, too much experimenting. read more

Interesting spot in Costa Mesa. Decor is subdued and gothy. There is a concept here, but am not sure it's executed well. The high ceilings give the place a bit of a loud and cold feel. Menu is interesting and has a variety of dishes curated by the chef. The idea is for shareable plates that are coursed by your server. Overall this was a very uneven experience. Some dishes, such as the roasted Carrots were absolutely sublime and a true masterpiece of culinary excellence. Other dishes were simply mind boggling bad. Of particular note were the baby back ribs, which tragically, may be the worst I had ever eaten. Of a total of 6 dishes, 2 were excellent, 2 were average, one was absolutely terrible, and one never arrived at all despite reminding our server about it 3 times. Overall would have to say this was a bit of a disappointment and underwhelming experience, considering the culinary reputation. Service has some issues and the food was wildly inconsistent, ranging from amazing inspired recipes, to poorly cooked and flavorless in other areas. Needs some fine tuning here. read more

Steven our server was very knowledgeable and talked us through the whole menu. Everything he recommended was fantastic. I don't think you can go wrong with anything. We got the steak tartare, the Parisian gnocchi and the Nashville hot swordfish. Everything was very flavorful. The donuts were just ok. Probably wouldn't get them again. read more

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Went to dark room last night for appetizers with my boyfriend, and we had an amazing experience from the moment we walked in the door we were greeted and seated at our table, and several of the servers came over to check on us. We enjoyed sparkling wine with our appetizers, the Hamachi & the tuna were so delicate and absolute delicious with the accompaniments. We enjoyed a glass of red wine with the most delicious focaccia and fried olives. It was a culinary delight! Even the chef owners came over to say hello. The ambience is dark and moody and the vibe is really cool. They play vinyl records for the ambience of the music which is absolutely rad!! Will definitely be back to try new dishes as their menu changes weekly. Bravo Darkroom!! read more

Darkroom - Tuna & Hamachi - Wine Bars Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Walking into Darkroom I immediately felt a warm and happening vibe. You look to the right and you can see the "spinning room" ( I'm calling it that) where the vinyl records are set up and the music is playing through the restaurant. Perfect background, not too noisy to have a conversation. While the room is dark, each table has low table lamps so you can read your menu and see the faces of everyone around you. The service was excellent! We asked for suggestions for 4 people,each item was described in detail. We ended up ordering 4 shared smaller plates ,1 entree and 2 desserts! I'll drop pics of what we ordered. You can't go wrong , we wanted everything on the menu. I would say don't miss the Fried Scotch Olives, Konbu glazed sweet potato and the hanger steak. Menu does change every few weeks. I can't wait to go back! read more

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All I can say is Wow. I am a chef and I know of no other restaurant in Orange County doing anything close to the incredible food that Chef Zach and Chef Drew are putting out. from the Scallop toastada to the Jidori Chicken that was sous vide to perfection with a Mimolette Black Truffle sauce . To give you an idea on how perfectly prepared the sauces were when we were done with the protein we had to order the Focaccia Bread because we could not imagine leaving one drop of the any of the sauces on the plate. The Dark Room vibe was amazing and the service was perfect. This new Gem is destined for success. I cannot wait to go back. Chef Patrick read more

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You can count on one hand the amount of places in Orange County that actually attempt to do something outside of the "Little Boxes, on the hillside" collective. And I lost a few fingers from a firework accident a few years back which makes that statement even more impressive. We are a land of French fusion, gastropubs, and cul-de-sac leftovers in styrofoam to-go's. To understand what Chef Zach Scherer and Chef Drew Adams are attempting to achieve in this new temple of vibes, is to understand that your Grandmother is no longer the target demo. And to be clear, your GMaw is gonna love this place regardless. Unironically. Post-ironically. Completely. It's Nordic Noice. Scandinavian Sleek. A Japanese listening bar meets ambiance-laden, pop-art paraphernalia. Where the records are changed constantly to fit the exact feel of the exact moment. Twilight setting outside? There's a record for that. Esoteric wines and underrated stunners. Amaro based cocktails that feel more like Brooklyn or Portland. It's a restaurant baton being handed off from Trust and entrusted to the new kids on the block. When their prix fixe chapel: Chrysalis, opens in October, other contenders need not apply. Grab a seat. And some tunes. Celebrate the vibrancy of culinary verve with someone who wants to go on an adventure. At the very least...sit at the bar. Order the secret smash burger. And tell a friend. This is the slowest they'll ever be. Get in before the waiting list explodes. Eat a ricotta doughnut. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Yes, chef. We'll be back. read more

Darkroom - Secret Menu Smash Burger. - Wine Bars Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Came here for girls night dinner ! The food was really good! We got scotch olives, steak tartare, Cesar salad, maitake mushrooms, swordfish, hanger steak, duck breast, zucchini bread and the crab squid ink rice. The service was good too! My favorite things- zucchini bread, Cesar salad, mushrooms and the Nashville hot swordfish We also got all 3 desserts the donuts (they gave us 6 when the order was 5), dark chocolate with caviar and i totally forgot the name of the third dessert it was an ice cream. I would definitely come back ! Heard theres a secret menu of a hamburger served only in the bar. I want to try that! Lastly the bathroom they have good quality toilet paper ! That thick, soft 2 ply ! Very nice read more