I think this is on everyone's speakeasy list!…read more Make sure you make a reservation It is very packed. They offer bar seating and booth / table Follow the wall from Randy's donuts and Look for a wall of Japanese sake/beer barrels and head towards the restaurant - the rolling boil. There will be a check in host and stand there and wait (it will be located up against the wall with a big secret door right next to the hostess station) It's very New York inside. When I first came in Spring with the amazing, Karen, the menu and everything was great Now, I took my friend who was in town from Nashville and it was a brand new theme. It's the great Gatsby. Even our waitress, Jasmine was dressed for the occasion. I would say this place is known for Absinthe. They have cocktails featuring it or you can get one of the huge apparatus (huge and glowing green) which, if you are into it? I highly recommend. Just one of the huge apparatus makes one regular drink. Or, what Karen and I did, was split it and make it into a shot for the both of us. The waitress comes out and shows you how it works and goes over everything. Karen, who I came with, was a pro and knew her way around it. She showed me the ropes lol. Honestly, if you are here? When in Rome. Go all out and try it, since it's where they shine here. They took off a few menu items and added some themed drinks. ( a couple new champagne themed drinks) They have big entree items but I suggest small bites and sharing and mostly coming for the drinks. There's no bathroom inside, so you do have to leave the bar and go to the closest one (over behind Randy's donuts) and then enter the speakeasy again Both times coming here I've never had an issue. It's a small, packed place. And yet they still have the cocktails flowing and the food coming out in a good time. So the food and drinks are good Atmosphere is lovely. Service is good. Especially for it usually being very busy in here This place is located inside the Anaheim packing district. So I suggest hitting up a couple other spots before or afterwards for some more food or drinks P.S. it is very dark In here. They never cared if we used our light to look at the menu. However, they do not want flash photography They also do not strictly enforce a dress code (my friend from Nashville asked) however, they suggest dressing business casual and not too underdressed

Date night for mom and dad away from the kids type of night. Very mellow and chill. Small but cozy…read more I loved the Gatsby decor. We chose to be seated at the bar. Service was decent. I really liked the clarified strawberry drink, similar to strawberry and cream. I ordered a drink after that unfortunately forgot the name (photo attached with a tall glass) but there was no special cocktail craft taste to it. Just hard liquor taste and undrinkable :( the bartender kindly offered another drink. Unfortunately none of the food was the least bit good. Steak and fries was ordered medium rare and cooked to medium well with what seemed like no seasoning was on there at all. Crab cake was just ok and the slaw beneath it was drenched in a vinaigrette that was just sour and unpleasant. And the Mac and cheese, as we were very hopeful and looking forward to, was probably the blandest Mac and cheese we ever had. We asked the lady bartender for salt and she handed us, no exaggeration (and you guys will probably think I am) a salt shaker with 10 grains of salt in it and said "looks like there's a lil something you could still get out of there" My jaw dropped. But yeah. The shredded meat on top of the Mac and cheese was cooked beyond the point of edible. That one was unfortunately sent back bc we just couldn't eat it. We were bummed over all mostly about the food.

Strong Water isn't just a place to grab a drink, it is an entire experience from the moment you…read morewalk through the door. We were escorted inside and our hostess immediately started introducing us to the lore of the place: a capsized ship with the space decorated using pieces recovered from the wreckage. The room is VERY dimly lit, and we actually stood near the entrance for a moment while our eyes adjusted, but honestly that just added to the atmosphere. On the way to our reservation in the Captain's Quarters, our hostess gave us a little tour of the main room and even pointed out the bathrooms for later. Once we sat down, we met our bartender, Drew, who was fantastic. He walked us through the different menus, explained the food and cocktails, and really added to the experience throughout the night. I'm normally a whiskey drinker, so I started with the Southeast Spice Trade while my girlfriend ordered the Pineapple Whipped Colada. Both were delicious, but half the fun was watching Drew make them. You could really see the amount of care that went into the craft and presentation of every drink. For food, we ordered the chicken katsu and ahi poke nachos. I was especially excited when the nachos arrived and I realized they were made with wonton chips. I'm a sucker for wonton chips, so those were an immediate win. We obviously couldn't stop at one round of drinks, so next came the Tarobi Colada and Zombie King. Drew told us a little about the history of the Zombie King and gave us a lesson on rum, so I had to try it, plus it came in one of the coolest mugs I've ever seen. The Zombie King was easily my favorite drink of the night. The flavor was fantastic from beginning to end and dangerously smooth. I didn't even realize how much it had hit me until I stood up. Even leaving was part of the experience. We finally checked out the bathroom and the door has what feels like TEN different locks on it. It genuinely felt like I was locking myself inside the bathroom of an old pirate ship. Between the storytelling, incredible atmosphere, Captain's Quarters, food, cocktails, and especially the service from Drew, this was such a memorable night. Strong Water completely commits to its theme without sacrificing the quality of the drinks. Absolutely an experience worth having, and we can't wait to come back.

We have returned to Strong Water several times in recent months, so it's time for an update. We…read morefirst returned in early June since they introduced some new cocktails and food to the menu. The other visits were just because this is by far our number one place. Recently added cocktails: Buzzin' Jungle Bird (Jamaican gold rum, coffee infused campari, dark rum, pineapple, lime, hemp orgeat, cane, Angostura bitters). This is a great spin on a jungle bird, with some complexity and coffee flavor. I'm usually not a big fan of coffee, but it is at a good level. Chi Chi (Whey vodka, pineapple, lime, date, honey, coconut, salt). This has a great creamy texture which I believe comes from the dairy component of the whey vodka. It is well balanced with some sweetness, and I could taste the coconut and date flavors. Lapu Lapu (Asian rum, Jamaican rum, dry curacao, lime, orgeat, demerara). It is juicy, well balanced, and served with a flaming sugar cube on top. This is the cocktail they chose to serve at their booth at Tiki Oasis recently which says a lot, try it! Thai Me Down (Barbados rum, coconut liqueur, papaya, lemon, demerara, Thai basil). It is served old-fashioned style, and was light and perfectly balanced. Those Thai inspired flavors were all noticeable. Demerara Dry Float. They added and took this one off the menu as of now. It was a balanced light citrusy drink which was served with a delicious sidecar of Hamilton 151 rum infused with banana chips. I sipped half of that and mixed the rest into the cocktail. It was served with a beautiful ice shell. I'm guessing it was too labor intensive, and took up a lot of space in their freezers. Recently added food: Ahi Poke Nachos (marinated ahi tuna, masago, avocado, cucumber, spicy mayo, furikake, green onion). This is such a tasty starter with so many textures and flavors. I love that the nachos are wontons too, and not just chips. Crab & Cream cheese wontons. Nice crisp wontons with a good amount of crab and cream cheese inside. The chili sauce and spicy mayo adds another layer of flavor, and there is a slice of jalapeno on top for a little heat. Pan-Seared Scallops. This was an excellent lighter entrée. The four scallops are cooked perfectly, and even have a little dollop of caviar on top. I liked the mix of veggies and really liked the bed of potato puree underneath. Steak & Eggs (8oz hanger steak, crying tiger glaze, Nam Jim Jaew sauce, sunny eggs, rice). I normally wouldn't try steak & eggs for dinner, but I can't resist a good hanger steak. It was cooked a perfect medium rare and I appreciate that it was pre-sliced. The crying tiger glaze and sauce were so flavorful. There's plenty of rice to soak up any left egg yolk or sauce. Recently added desserts: Dubai Chocolate Lava Cake. This was excellent, but it's definitely sweet and rich. Save some room if you plan on ordering this. Ube Flan Cake. I'm usually not a fan of flan, but I have to try anything with ube and this was good. The cake had nice ube flavor, and I liked that the flan was a little firm since the looser custardy/gelatinous texture is not for me. This is definitely a lighter dessert than the lava cake. It's not a new drink, but I also had the Naval Grog for the first time. (Lost Voyage rum, overproof white rum, allspice dram, lime, grapefruit, demerara, honey). It is boozy with nice spice notes. Other repeat cocktails enjoyed were Tales from the Black Lagoon (my favorite), Missionary's Downfall, Agave Parrot, Singapore Sling, and Serpents Grasp all of which are excellent. Their cocktails, food, ambiance, and service are always top notch. Thank you Ying, Erica, Greg, Jordan, Joey, Iris, Karen, Kyle, Joy, and John for your wonderful hospitality during our visits. We will return again soon!

A unique & beautifully decorated spot!…read more Spinach Artichoke Dip with mini toasted bread! Brisket Pizza...YUM Décor, Props, theme...really fun Service was excellent: very attentive, respectful & courteous. Will return soon to try the Buffalo Chicken Pizza.

Food: Decent Drinks: Good…read moreHappy Hour: Great deal! Decor: Perfect for spooky lovers Ambiance: Could use some music to match the theme Service: good & attentive waitress I actually ended up here by accident. I was trying to go to Villains Brewery. I didn't realize I was at the wrong place until I looked at the menu. The two spots are right next to each other, have similar aesthetics, and are easy to mix up. Since I was already there (and starving), I decided to stay. The spooky decor is totally my vibe, so I was happy to give it a shot. The food was decent not bad by any means, but it didn't have that wow factor. I've definitely had better steaks and mac & cheese, but everything was cooked fine and tasted good. The drinks were solid, and I liked the cocktail selection. What really impressed me was the happy hour. BOGO drinks plus two free sides with the steak is a pretty great deal these days. The steak was a little pricey for the quality, but honestly, what isn't expensive anymore.... Service was good. My waitress was attentive, though to be fair I was the only customer there at the time. My only real complaint is that the place felt a little quiet. With the spooky theme, some music would really help set the mood and elevate the atmosphere. Overall, this ended up being a pleasant surprise. I'd recommend it for food and drinks, and I personally enjoyed it much more than Villains Brewery (you can read my review on that one... no bueno). Not sure if the two businesses are connected, but I had a good experience at one and a bad experience at the other. ‍

Had a lovely time on Saturday after lunch at the Anaheim Packing District. I had always passed by…read morethis place and never went in, even though the outside looked so cool and fascinating. When we entered, the inside felt like we were in the inside of a train, there were various train themed decoration scattered throughout the walls and floors. My girlfriend got the sex in this city cocktail and I opted for the painkiller cocktail. Both were stunning and delicious. Lots of different photo ops for you and your loved ones as well as movies playing behind the bar. We also loved our bartenders, who made our drinks with ease and were knowledgeable in the different drink items. Overall, would definitely visit again!

I had been looking forward to coming to this bar for a long time, so unfortunately, the experience…read morewas extremely disappointing. We arrived about an hour after opening, and the bar already felt completely unprepared. The bartender was eating food at the bar while we were there, and after getting our initial drinks, we were essentially left on our own. She never checked back with us, and not once were we asked if we wanted another drink. For a place I had been excited to finally visit, this was easily one of the worst bar experiences I've ever had. The service was inattentive, the atmosphere felt unprofessional, and the overall experience left a very bad impression. Unfortunately, I won't be coming back.

What a cool place! Chapter 4 is the extension of the Les Amis main restaurant so it's a small…read moreseparate section divided by a small hallway. We couldn't see anything from the ch.4 section so it kept this side nice and intimate. It's a small place but when we arrived there was still plenty of seating inside. I love their decor with the dim lights. Even though this side is the speak easy experience you can order food which appreciated very much. We were mentally prepared to eat elsewhere if need be. The food is Lebanese and like any Mediterranean food, delicious! We had the chicken kabob entree and everything was really good! The only thing I was not a super fan of was their pita bread and how it came. It comes in a plastic bag inside a little bucket and it's a thin pita and I usually prefer the thicker pita, but that's just my personal preference. The drinks were really good too! We had a great time chit chatting and right before we left we got to enjoy a couple of songs from live performance. It was a perfect date night and their service was exceptional!

Zero stars if I could!…read more The service was terrible from the moment we sat down, and all of this happened within the FIRST HOUR. Water wasn't even consistently poured for everyone at the table. Drink orders were skipped even while orders were being taken from people sitting right next to each other. The first time, we literally had to go ask our server about a drink that had already been ordered. Then later, someone ordered the exact same drink as another person at our table--one came out and the other was completely forgotten. How many times does a table need to be overlooked before it's no longer considered a simple mistake? We shouldn't have to keep tracking down staff, asking where our drinks are, or reminding someone that our table exists. The whole experience felt careless, disorganized, and honestly just rude. So over this place. If basic service is this difficult within the first hour of being there, that says enough.

Had an awesome meal and the coolest atmosphere! The music was on point and I did the whiskey…read moresampler! Christa was super accommodating and got us right in at the kitchen.

We found Stone Groove on accident looking for whiskey tastings and WOW DID WE LUCK OUT! Amazing…read moreexperience front to back! The hostess explained their whole shtick: in-house distilled spirits that are infused with music to change the flavor profile. It SOUNDS crazy...until you order a flight and taste their two burbons side by side: same bourbon, different music, different tasting notes. Totally crazy experience! For cocktail lovers, they are doing some really cool stuff there. I got 2 savory cocktails (Mariposa & Aquatinted), the former was more my speed, but I always appreciate when restaurants experiment more in the savories for cocktails. Their signature list has many unique flavor combinations, and I'm looking forward to our next visit to try more! Food-wise: no misses for us. We debated going for a bunch of small plates (easily doable with their menu), but the sea bass was calling to us. Split that + the Wagyu Short Rib. Both were delicious, but the Wagyu was a little under salted for me. The smoked carrot conift actually stole the show on that dish - we're definitely going to try the carrot appetizer next time we're there! Dessert: Both full desserts looked great (their 3rd dessert right now is a cocktail - also cool!), but we opted for the Baked Alaska. DELICIOUS! The dish was stellar, but the cherry sauce with it took it to the next level. Ambiance: Great vibes. They have a live DJ Fridays and Saturdays, and the music was present but not overwhelming for me. The whole space is designed with sound in mind so it was very cozy, very atmospheric, and very chill. Can't wait to come back! Huge shout out to our server/bartender Jimmy who was CRUSHING IT managing so many drink orders. Hope we run into you again next time!

Great ambience and the vibe is very much classic speakeasy! Had a blast and enjoyed some delicious…read moredrinks.