Unexpected pleasure. Friendly staff. Fun food choices. Nice, informal neighborly feel.

Food was decent, service was mediocre at best which is tolerable because they were friendly. The problem here is, you don't get what you pay for. Like I said in the beginning, the food is decent but so are the other 10 burger joints in town that are 30% cheaper for a very like item. I wish them all the best but it was so unique that I'm willing to pay more for an average prototypical burger because it has a hipster name or a special sauce on a hipster bun. read more

I love this place! I just wish they were open more. They have amazing green curry muscles!

Great range of gastropub foods. Loved the mussels in coconut and mint sauce and also the chicken wings. The Bahn Mi pork belly roll was also exceptional, along with their crispy fries with homemade ketchup. I have been coming here for a few years and the quality is always higher than you might expect from a gastropub. My friends and family all rave about this San Clemente Jem ! read more

A hidden gem! The food, the beer, the service! All 5 star! We love this place!! Try the Thai salad with beef, you won't be disappointed!

This place is so great! Everything I've had here has been delicious. Can't go wrong with the Pork Belly Bahn Mi. I've lived around the corner from here for over a decade and this location has housed quite a few different restaurants, but I'm glad MRK has made it and been successful here. read more

Excellent food! Excellent people. Try the chicken wings, they're like eating candy. We also tried two different Bahl Mi sandwiches that were the best I've ever had. My wife had the short rib sandwich and keeps talking about it. read more

My wife and I stopped in here yesterday and were very pleasantly surprised. We knew it would be good because of the high quality and quantity of reviews, but this offered more than just a good meal. Before I get to the food I want to comment on one of the elements that set this restaurant apart: the staff. Note I didn't say the service, which was spectacular, but I noticed from the moment I walked up and looked at the beer list, bewildered on what to get as I hadn't tried many of them, that this place was different. A guy behind the bar asked good probing questions about my beer tastes and poured me a sample of one I was curious about, before I even had to ask. It was the smoked porter, which was delicious. But the staff was conversational and not simply because it was their job. I got the sense, from three different employees we interacted with, that they were warm engaging people. The greeter and I had a conversation about darker beers and traded recommendations. The food alone here would give it a high rating, but there is something about actually giving a damn about the people walking through the door you really can't fake and I'd be remiss to not give them credit. Next came the actual ordering of food, which proved more of a quandary than we had expected because everything looked and sounded delicious. There just seemed to be a few extra ingredients on each dish that denoted real skill in developing the menu. We had the wings, Brussels sprouts and Tuscan Toast. If I had to pick a favorite, get the Brussels Sprouts. Here is the description: Hoisen Sauce, Black Vinegar Aioli, Sesame, Chives, Bonito. This exemplifies there menu. Someone knows what they are doing, the menu masquerades as simple, but it's really refined, but unpretentious and very reasonably priced. Midway through the meal I wandered back to the bar area and requested another recommendation; he recommended the West Coast IPA and it too was on point. As an entree I ordered the Fried Chicken Sandwich, which, surprise surprise was delicious. Finally. We come to dessert. I was pretty excited about the Brown Butter Sweet Potato cake, my wife was markedly less into it...until it arrived. It was as delicious and enticing as the description promised. I would 100% go back here. read more

MRK Public - Brown Butter Sweet Potato Cake - New American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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I've been here 6-8 times now and even introduced some friends to MRK. This place has rocked it each time! Consistently delicious and fun! Not a ton of menu items, but it's got enough to satisfy everyone. Before MRK, I didn't like beer! Some of those nitro stouts are a meal on their own! Lol Yummy desserts,too! This place tends to get packed because it's small but worth the wait. read more

HIGH QUALITY AND UNIQUELY FLAVORFUL! A rare combination around San Clemente. MRK has a friendly, warm staff and environment (unlike Nick's). The appetizers, main courses, alcohol, and desserts are all excellent. My three favorite dishes are the thai chicken salad, the house burger and the chili cheese fries. They have their own unique ketchup and ranch that make any fry dipping experience worth while. I rarely order desserts at resteraunts, but everytime I'm finished with my excellent meal I have to order the lemon ricotta beignets. They are like perfectly fried donut holes that you ravishly dip into a subtle lemon icing. MRK is the best resteraunt in San Clemente. read more

All I have to say is the muscles are my favorite dish. The chicken sandwich is great too. It's a grey place to eat in San Clemente. They staff is always great too. read more

Awesome environment! Great food, drinks, and service! Highly recommended. . Most stop when I'm San Clemente.

After several visits here I have no complaints. Wow on the brussel sprouts, P.E.I. mussels, burgers, chili cheese fries and baby romaine salad that are all served with a simple, but delicious twist. The beer selection is varied and showcases some highly respected breweries. The staff is friendly and efficient. They come across as sincere and interested in you. read more

We have been coming here since they opened. It's one of our absolute favorite spots in San Clemente and we love the laid back vibe. The food is always fresh and tasty, and the staff is super friendly and always remembers what we like. We have turned all our friends on to MRK and they love it too! My favorite dish is the Thai salad with pork belly on top! read more

Wonderful Resturant. Great neighborhood vibe and delicious food. Yummy. A local favorite!

Great vibe, wonderful food! Terrific beer selection. Really enjoy the relaxed atmosphere

Like this place- great atmosphere in stand alone building that might have been an old fast food joint. Lots of craft beers to choose from. Food is not as good as similar gastro pubs, like Public88 in San Juan, or even as tasty as Nomads a little closer to the center of San Clemente. Brussels sprouts w bonito flakes were good and bonito flakes are always so much fun. 6 of us polished off the plate and considered a second. The poke was just ok, the burger was quite good, with ok to middling fries. Bahn mi were tasty. Lemon beignets for dessert were a bit dense but still crowd pleaser. how far wrong can you go w fried dough? read more

Awesome food. Owners are from the north shore. Great menu. Everyone has to go! Thanks

Everything I've had here has been absolutely amazing. My favorites are the chicken sandwich and the bahn mi. Highly recommend this little spot to anyone visiting San Clemente. Pros: Right off the 5 freeway. Stop by if you're passing through town. read more

Some of the best food in town. They have it all. Secret hidden away gem. Don't miss out

First off MRK is the BOMB !!!! I love that everything is kept simple as far as choices and always deliciously prepared with consciously sourced ingredients that are delivered with the deft touch of Chef Rayne and his soux chefs on the line. Another awesome thing to always ask if if they are running any specials (like his house made pastrami) and daily soup specials that are out of this world. Hopefully I'll get that cheeseburger soup I heard about one day soon I missed out on. Other personal favorites are the fried chicken sando (before it was hype), Asian wings and all the appetizers. Finish off with his lemon sauced beignets to cap off a great meal. Salud to the unique beer selection while you wait for scratch made goodness. read more

3.75 stars. I ordered the short rib sandwich and the fries. The short rib sandwich had plenty of short rib meat and the meat was moist and pretty flavorful. The fried onions and garlic aioli flavors came out and were distinct. The rest of the ingredients: horseradish crema, pickled chilis, and caramelized onions got a little lost. Overall, it was a good sandwich. I thought that some of the other ingredients served on the sandwich could have stood out a little more. I ordered the fries which were just average. They were thin and were not the skin on, freshly cut type. The location is in what appears to be a prior old mexican food or hamburger joint. It didn't really take away from anything. But, nothing fancy here. read more

MRK Public - Short rib sandwich and fries. - New American Near Me - San Clemente, California

Kind of a pricey meal, but totally worth it. My husband got the burger and I got the Banh Mi with pork and the food and fries were perfect. The portions are sized just right. What really stood out were the dipping sauces. I'm not sure, but I think they were all made in house, including the Ketchup; it wasn't regular old Heinz. I also really liked that they had a wide variety of beers on tap including three kinds of sours. All in all, I would go again, but for two meals with a drink each, expect to pay more than you would at most gastro-pubby establishments. read more

Ok. This is a super winner. Truly it is very very good. Very. Beer selection is good with an eclectic variety with which to choose from Very comfortable seating inside The hamburger is THE BEST hamburger I have had in Southern California. Really. It's that good. Medium rare with warm interior. Perfect. We had their chicken wing things. Oh. My gawd. Really. 9 pieces of heaven. We had to stop after 2. So perfect. A Banh mi pork belly. This is the is the best one I have ever in all my travels. The pork belly was THICK TENDER AND JUICY. Beer. Something with coconut - creamy. Kinda blew my mind. Then another beer with cherries and cacao. Blew my mind. Truly one of the most pleasurable beers in along time. Then the dessert. Oh my gawd Beignets Booom. Lemon Curd Beignets - the best things ever. It's a HUGE Serving - it's well worth it for these. Best desserty thing I have have had in forever. Mmmmmmmmm No pics from me this time. The ones already posted are pretty good. Oooooh!!! The French fries were PERFECT! House made ketchup and homemade buttermilk dressing for the fries. Real BUTTERMILK. Great staff great service and cool people. Oooh,.. you can see the ocean from your inside booth. The ocean. The. O c e a n. read more

This restaurant is absolutely amazing! Every chance I get I recommend this place or even better, bring my friends and family here. Honestly, I feel like family when I dine here. Everyone remembers your name, your occupation and the experience they had with you the last time you dined there. I've sat at the bar and had amazing conversation with Toby! He's so fun to talk to and great with the beers! I've sat in Alex's station and he has taken me and my family on a culinary experience. If you don't know what to order, ask him, he will make your dining experience better than you thought it could be. Even if you don't want dessert you'll end up getting it and you couldn't be happier!!!! Their desserts are TO DIE FOR!!! Thank you Alex, Tobi and ALL of the MRK staff, FOH and BOH!! You guys are amazing. Keep being rocking!! read more

My sister and daughter and I love this place we have been trying out everything on the menu. Yesterday we tried the pastrami sandwich and it was great we split it so we could try the lemon beignets and boy were they good . We have had the same server each time and she is a sweetheart. Her name is Carissa and she is a joy always serves us with a smile and very informative about the menu. It's a must try if your in south San Clemente. Ok we have been going here at least once a month our server was Curtis he is very good always let's us know what's good . This last week we ordered chicken sandwiches these are so good the seasoning is perfect and of course saved room for our favorite dessert lemon beignets you can't go wrong with this place . The only problem I see is people think it's out of business because the outside doesn't draw you in kind of plain but the food is always excellent. read more

MRK Public - Went today and had a great. Lunch the hamburger with homemade pickles and homemade roasted tomatoes. Five star lunch - New American Near Me - San Clemente, California

Dog friendly!! The food was really great PEI mussels in a superb green dipping sauce that we took home leftovers and put over veggis the next day. Poke was great too. Beer and wine only. The only semi complaint is that the outdoor area has a reflective sound ceiling and floor and no street buffer plexiglass. The side wall has attractive marble tile but it also reflected the street traffic and talking super loudly. I suggest A sound deadening ceiling wooden hanging thing or a draped cloth surface or curtains somehow might soften sound within the patio. And plexiglass sound barrier adjacent to the parking lot? it has only a small outdoor table and patron capacity and somehow down below from the traffic on el camino real just resonates against the restaurant windows and ceiling. read more

#39/100 Aaron E is giving this place a 4 star. Well I am too. If only the noise level was a tad bit lower, I'd totally give them a 5 star. But I know its not the establishment to blame, it is US. Regardless, I am rating my experience... Moving on... Our servers were amazing. We stayed for about four hours there. I had to sort of let the effects of my two glasses of Cab, burn off. So we had two servers taking care of us. Both were awesome! They explained what they had on tap and the wine list they had, and their specials. Although some of their specials caught my attention, I had to pick one of Aaron E's choice when he visited here. Yup. Their house burger. Their house burger is this half pound juicy Angus beef dressed with white cheddar with roasted tomatoes (YUM) hold the pickles, greens, with slightly burned grilled onion (Noooo), with yummy lemon aioli (loved this!) We also tried their red wine braised Angus short rib with rosemary roasted garlic aioli. I'm in meat heaven! Amazingly good! Seriously huge portion meant to be shared. And we did. It is tender and soft and tasty. Served with greens. We also had their sweet chilli chicken wings. We inhaled that in minutes! Order it! It's one of their most popular item on the menu. Really good! And then there was the pepper crusted bone marrow with salsa verde on the side accompanied with roasted red pepper paired with grilled baguettes. I had one word to describe eating this - orgasmic! So glad we tried this place out. Breath taking views of the ocean. Excellent service. Yummy grub. Parking is plenty. Outdoor seats available as well. I would definitely return! read more

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This place is awesome! It's about time we get something creative and different in San Clemente. Not to mention, the best restaurant that has been in this location ( Love's, Surferosa previously). I ordered the burger and it was juicy and full of flavor. I also tried the fried chicken sandwich and this was loaded with flavor too ( Using thigh meat instead of a breast. Brilliant). Their beer selection is also awesome, and $5 for any beer. I will definitely recommend this to everyone in San Clemente. Thank you MRK for bringing creativity to the San Clemente food scene. read more

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YES YES YES! So many Yesses! Recently went here for first time and loved it! If you're tired of the same old places and the same old menus, with chefs that are just phoning it in, give MRK Public a try! Inspired menu, delicious food, and great service! Loved it! Make sure you start with the TuscanToast because OMG, mind blowing! Can't get enough of that! And the photos don't do it justice! The Pork Belly Bahn Mi was also scrumptious! As for the lemon ricotta beignets, please just give me a big bowl of the lemon curd...YUM..I think I licked the bowl clean! read more

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The appetizer (bread) ,Tuscan Toast, was burnt. Why would you serve charcoal bread? You can see the bread in my photo. The beers were teeny tiny? Maybe 6 oz glasses, if that. I received 2 chunks of cheese in my entire appetizer. I was soooooo disappointed. I wish I wasn't. Needless to say, I will never be back! I I have given this restaurant a few chances. When I had their fried chicken sandwich, it was all dark meat. I also had the short ribs, which were loaded with fat. The prices are VERY high for what you get. The customer service was mediocre, at best. read more

After reading the great reviews my hubby and I decided to try them out tonight and we loved it! We both had the Bhan Mi pork belly sandwich ($9) and paid $3 extra for their fries. The fries and house ketchup were delicious as was the sandwich and highly recommend. The portion sizes are perfect and not monstrously big. We also ordered the lemon ricotta beignets ($8) that everyone was raving about here on Yelp and we concur, they were delicious! Hot out of the fryer, not at all greasy, sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with a delicious lemon ricotta sauce to dip them in. Highly recommend ordering when you are half way through your meal or at the end, as they are delicious piping hot. We will be back! read more

MRK Public - Enjoying the Bhan Mi pork belly sandwich with delicious house fries and house ketchup. - New American Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Stumbled upon this little spot in an attempt to avoid terrible traffic on the 5, and what a pleasant surprise. MRK is a small restaurant with big flavors. You place your order at the counter and choose from a short selection of sandwiches, salads, and snacks. And of course don't forget to grab a beer - MRK has a lovely sampling of local craft brews to choose from. The Toast is not to be missed: perfectly toasted bread served with a bowl of roasted garlic and tomatoes, fresh sprigs of rosemary and oregano, and delicious goat cheese all resting in a mix of tasty olive oil and balsamic. We sat at the counter in the back corner of the restaurant. From there, you can enjoy beautiful San Clemente ocean views along with your meal. The patio seemed like another great option (sidenote - love the succulent wall at the entrance!). The attentive staff brought us our order and a bottle of water to split. Besides the Toast, I had the Thai Beef Salad and he had the Burger. Both were great, but the beef salad especially so. Highly recommended! read more

MRK Public - Toast, beer, ocean views. How could you go wrong? - New American Near Me - San Clemente, California

What can I say that hasn't been said about MRK. Hmm....the beignets rock?! I think that may have been said already but even so, they do! ;) Truthfully, I came here with no expectations but was super pleased to see that MRK actually does live up to the hype. Neither my friend nor I were starving so we opted to share a few dishes in order to try more. We ordered the Tuscan Toast and the Poutine, and of the course saved some room for the beignets! Every item was delicious and well done: The Tuscan toast wasn't your basic roasted garlic that you smear on crispy bread - it was more of a loaded schmear w tomatoes and cheese and olive oil---basically tasted like heaven on toast, which IMHO is what they should really call it. ;) Don't miss this folks! The Poutine was really delish, and loaded with pork belly and a yummy thick gravy. It was also garnished w chilies, onions and cheese - all served on a bed of perfectly crispy fries. One warning though that it is quite large. Between the two of us we barely made a dent but it was too good to not take home, and heated up really nicely the next day. AND finally the beignets...and these were not just any beignets folks -- these were LEMON RICOTTA beignets. Holy smokes, these are dangerous! Served warm and slightly under-cooked with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and a side of creamy lemon cream. These alone were worth the visit and if you are in the area, I highly suggest you stop and try these! All in all MRK really impressed. The service was awesome and super friendly. The place itself is pretty small and nothing fancy but has a cute fun vibe to it - feels really comfortable and you can tell someone put effort into making it feel that way. My only complaint is that they are too far away from me in San Clemente. ;) read more

Think.. your buddy is an amazing chef, but a big restaurant job is not for him. So he opens his own hole in the wall. That's MRK Public. New, exciting, with novel menu items. This is about to be a new hot spot for San Clemente! My wife and I visited for first time yesterday. The menu looks likes high-end restaurants lunch menu to me. The prices are a little higher than I like to spend for lunch, but I can't wait to go back and try more entrees. Original Visit 02/21/2015 Ambiance rating 3.0 My guess is the building was previously used as a fast food joint. They cleaned it up nicely and made it as nice as possible with an outside patio as well. Let's just say it's got character and the building is no where near the quality of the food. Braised Short Rib Sandwich (rating 4.5, picture attached) Today I had the Braised Short Rib sandwich. It's braised in red wine and they add caramelized onions, horseradish crema, picked fresnos, fried shallots, baby greens and rosemary roasted garlic aioli. The fresnos adds a bit of a warm bite at the end but took the short ribs to a new place for me. The meat was not overly marinated or seasoned. This is a solid sandwich! Could an interesting cheese make it better? Maybe, Maybe not. My wife had a salad (added chicken) Pretty amazing as well. (Sorry, not sure which one it was. Attached is the picture though. Visit 05/08/2015 Fried Chicken Sandwich (rating 4.5, picture attached) Wow, what a unique flavor! (Applewood smoked bacon, swiss, romaine, tomato, spicy mayo, buttermilk dressing) The spicy mayo really set this off. It wasn't a typical spicy mayo, I think it might have had some vinegar in as well or something, I just couldn't place it, but it sure made the taste novel. The chicken was a little to small whereas the flavor of the meat itself was lost but the other flavors more than made up for it. The only thing they needed to do to make me happier was make the whole sandwich bigger. This is a lunch portion, putting it in front of me for dinner just didn't do it. I needed more especially because I was good and ordered a salad instead of the fries. read more

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Went there for the first time with my best friend who lives 2 streets away and it was amazing food. We just had the poki salad, a house salad and the tomato/roasted garlic and goat cheese with toast. Everything was delish and fresh and we like the social distancing in the parking lot. The service was incredible and helpful with food choices. My best friend also had a nice red wine. I will be back again with her as well as my other best friend and family. read more

Top notch local chef, The owner is the chef!, how can you get better than that! A go to for a couples night out and high quality food.

Always excellent. Be sure to call early for takeout. They have been pretty busy so it can take an hour or so for take out on a weekend. Definitely worth it! read more

Here ye here ye....get your butts down to MRK for the short rib sandwich...the fried chicken sandwich and an absolute must is an order of the beignets which are incredible! Service is great! Tons of local brew beers! read more

Excellent Banh mi, with pork belly. Busy, but they were able to get us in within 20 min. Highly recommend! read more