Since we're planning a trip to London, we thought a visit to a gastropub (a pub that specializes in high quality food) might be a fun warm up. On a very busy Saturday evening, we showed up and were the only party with children. In the middle of Corona Del Mar, I expected some attitude. None to be had. With a 45 minute wait, we had time to observe . . . from the bartenders expertly tending their craft to the hostess adeptly managing the growing crowd while still waiting on the bar customers to the cheese & charcuterie chef preparing the delectable looking combinations . . . . everything just hummed like a well oiled machine. The wait also allowed us to research the menu options and there are so many tempting selections. Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomach. We settled for the following feast: Pork belly and shrimp - pork was braised for 6 hours was flavorful and not overly fatty, accompanied by 3 jumbo size shrimps which were grilled just right, plainly prepared. An odd pairing but a great plate nevertheless. Prime rib sandwich - Since SideDoor is Lawry's owned, no surprise this was A+. Similar to Lawry's Carverie Jidori chicken pot pie - takes 25m to prep so we were already full by the time it arrived but it still got polished off. The pie crust was super flaky. As good as Marie Calendars (not meant as insult). Avocado mash - Simple guacamole. Perhaps too lemony for some tastes, served with pita chips Cheese & charcuterie - we had prosciutto with 3 cheeses - good but not spectacular Brussels sprouts - sauteed with bacon. Would be excellent if less salty. Even though the Yelp reviews were excellent, our experience was still a very pleasant surprise. This was certainly no pub grub. We would definitely come back. I hope The Olde Ship take notice! *Open for dinner only! read more

SideDoor - Pork belly and shrimp - British Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

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Its been on my bucket list for a long time. SideDoor used to be the Five Crown's restaurant lounge and waiting area.  Then, 6 years ago it was turned into a gastropub, serving a lighter fare and cocktails to draw a younger crowd. Recently, the OC Register said Five Crowns is going to do a makeover, emphasize the word MAJOR makeover to be completed by mid-June. Stephen and I decided to have dinner here, before the June make over.  The SideDoor really is a small, compact area with a packed bar, and tables scattered thoughout the side area.  The area was first come, first serve, but apparently you still had to track down the hostess to be seated.  We were 3rd in line, and the wait was about 20 minutes, and we were seated on a cozy bench/ coffee table near the fireplace. The menu had a potpourri of everything, from snacks to sandwiches to dinner plates to charcuterie platters.  It took a while to narrow down our order, but Stephen and I decided on: - The Prime Rib chili with onions, served 3 ways.  It was almost a thick stew.  It was a genuine chili as it was served with no beans, and 3 types of onions: fried, green and white.  $9. - The Prime Rib sandwich, which is what the restaurant was known for.  I ordered mine medium rare and asked for fries instead of chips. Served with horseradish and au jus.  $18 - Lastly we decided to share a 5 item charcuterie platter with 2 types of meats (a prosciutto and a Speck from Iowa) and 3 types of cheese (Whiskey Cheddar from Ireland, a Sawtooth from Washington, and a Ossau-Iraty from France). $24 The meal was wonderful, and even though we had to awkwardly eat side-by-side at the coffee table, it was cozy.  What was even better was I had a $25 credit on my Lawry's VIP rewards account, so the charcuterie was pretty much free. I'm glad we came, and  I'm also looking forward to the new make over. read more

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Food, service, ambiance and Old Fashions oh my! One word delicious. One of the best kept secret spots in Orange County. You think you're expected to have an adult meal (prime rib) but try ordering their burger! It's the best... read more

This gastropub is attached to Five Crowns - both are Lawry's Prime Rib establishments but conceptually reincarnated in Orange County. I like Lawry's. I like Lawry's prime rib. I do not like Lawry's prime rib reincarnated into sandwich form. I don't know. I didn't like how the meat was sinewy, and even though I prefer my prime rib to be medium rare - which this was - I don't think medium rare cooked meat belongs in sandwiches. The blood soaks into the bread and on the whole, it doesn't look appetizing. But hey, that was my bad for expecting something that clearly this is not. Try it. It's very gastropub friendly, but for my palette, I probably wouldn't order this again. I would, however, order their prime rib entree priced at $25 bucks. So 3.5 stars for the sandwich. The other .5 stars to make this place a 4, would be the dining experience and then some. My party and I shared the 5 meat/cheese charcuterie platter. You can mix and match from their expansive list of meats and cheese. That was fun. The ambiance of the place was also a nice break from the cookie cutter establishments in the general area. Their outdoor dining space is very cute. You can street park in the neighborhood, or you can pay meter on PCH. I would come back if I was ever in the area. read more

SideDoor - prime rib sandwich - $18 - British Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

This is one of those places that I can not believe I have never reviewed! Most things I have had here are a hit! Their menu constantly rotates which is nice so I try different things here often. The fries are always a hit! I generally get a seasonal appetizer which has yet to disappoint me. Recently I have really enjoyed the beef Wellington. Unlike most beef Wellington which has fatty liver/ pate they use mushrooms! It's sooo good! The cheese appetizers are generally a must. Most recently I tried the Barbara and persimmon and it was such a great combination of ingredients. If you are a fan of steak covered in bernaise sauce and crab meat the Neptune steak is for you, although I was not a fan. It was too saucy for me. The house pasta with clams in it is delicious and has A LOT of clams in it. The duck is delicious, tender, with great seasonal veggies. If they have the pistachio cheesecake make sure to order it although I honestly love all their desserts other then the birthday strawberry macaroon cake. Great service even better food! read more

Still great food !!Covid did not effect this restaurant! The menu is a tad smaller but I totally recommend this restaurant.

I LOVE the chicken pot pie here, and the little gem Caesar is what every Caesar wishes to be. Everything is fresh and quality here, I've only had excellent dining experiences. The frito mixto was killer too, but it's way bigger than we expected!! A good problem to have, but we over-indulged. Our waitress was terrible, total space-cadet who forgot parts of our order and never placed the order of the guy next to us. She seemed very confused the whole time we were there. Hopefully she's no longer working there, because I would hate to leave a less than stellar review because of a poor service experience. read more

Literally the best chicken sandwich ever had my goddamn life. Go down or lose out forever

It's been a very long time since I've been back, I want to say like 3-4 years, but it still has the same vibe and a similar menu as I had remembered it. Crazy! Some items seem to be staples on the menu, such as the Prime Rib Sandwich, so I decided to skip over those since they most likely will be there for awhile. Started the night with a few drinks - Alpine Swizzle and a glass of wine - for my friend and I. Sorry guys, not doubling up that night haha. Here's what I had on deck for dinner: Stilton Cheese Potato Chips with crispy prosciutto. The Stilton cheese was very prominent but not super overwhelming how bleu cheeses typically are. The plate comes out hot and the chips are very crispy, BUT you gotta eat them fast or you end up with soggy chips. Beet & Strawberry Salad. There's more to the salad than just that. It's got goat cheese at the bottom with a mix of fruits - Asian pears, strawberries, grapes - pistachios and mixed greens all tossed with a light balsalmic vinaigrette. It was a great light dish to have with our heavy setup we had going on. Seafood Linguini with shrimps and mussels in a spicy tomato sauce, which wasn't very spicy. The mussels were a bit small, but the shrimps were cooked to perfection. To finish off, we also had the SideDoor Sampler of charcuterie and cheese. Our server was extremely helpful with narrowing down our choices and they are very knowledgeable on what the fresh selection of the day is. For us, we got - Carmody, Robiola Bosina, Midnight Moon for cheese and then Bresaola and Lonzino for the charcuterie. The boards are fantastic by the way. They are dressed up with all the fixings - honey, fresh and dried fruits, mustard, nuts, etc, which was fun to pair up with our selections. There's a small communal table toward the back of the bar, which if you're open to it and it's available, you get seated relatively quick. It also makes for interesting conversation or eavesdropping - whichever you prefer. Our neighbors were talking about the federal reserve and their opinions on it, some stronger than others. Very...interesting.... It's a spot worth checking out. Parking is available on the street or valet. read more

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Just tried SideDoor for the first time with my mom and we really enjoyed the food! We recommend the prime rib sandwich with truffle fries! Bernard was absolutely amazing and provided top notch service! He truly made it a wonderful experience! Thank you Bernard! read more

This was my first time here and we sat next to the man that makes the charcutiere. He was extremely helpful and knowledgeable about the different kinds of cheese and meats and what went well together. And as it was my first time there and my first time having charcutiere he put together the most delicious selections for the palette. ^_^ The drinks there were delicious too. I had some sort of apple drink which was super refreshing. Quality of food: 5/5 I ordered so many things here and they were all delicious. The avocado dip was new to me. They put some sort of vinegar in it which gave it a nice kick. The Prime Rib fries were mouth watering. I couldn't stop eating them. The burger was juicy and soft. and the charcuterie is something I feel like I could eat everyday. Atmosphere: 5/5 It's so homey here. It's a great place to come by and just relax with friends or have a date. the light is a little dim and makes things extra serene. Speed of service: 5/5 I like how this place brings out whatever is ready first. It keeps the food hot. We were even able to ask them to wait to put the burger on the grill so that we could have that a little later. I feel like it's efficient. Quality of Service: 5/5 Everyone was so polite and friendly. I just smiled every time one of them came by or whenever charcuterie man started talking. hehe Definitely a nice place to go to. I wouldn't definitely come here again. read more

SideDoor - Charcuterie and avocado dip - British Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

I've been dying to try SideDoor after my friends raved about it and I'm so glad I finally got to go tonight! Adorable little pub-like restaurant attached to Five Crowns in CDM. Atmosphere: I love CDM and this restaurant is another reason to love Corona Del Mar. It's literally on the side of Five Crowns and can be easy to miss if you don't know where to look. It has a super cute English pub feel and it's dark, cozy, and inviting. It's much more casual than Five Crowns, and I've heard the bar can get crazy busy on weekend nights. They have valet across the street for both restaurants for $6. Service: SideDoor doesn't take reservations so I would suggest getting there early, especially on the weekends. We arrived a little before 6pm on a Saturday and were seated within 5 minutes. The first table was next to a table with loud little kids so we asked to move and they were very accommodating. We moved to a quieter table in the corner of the restaurant, which was much quieter and I really appreciated that they were willing to do that. Shelby was our waitress and she was so sweet and endearing. She offered lots of menu suggestions and was very professional. I will definitely request her the next time I dine at SideDoor. Food: SideDoor changes their menu every day depending on the what ingredients are fresh and available. We started with the grilled asparagus and burrata appetizer, which was delicious. It came with pickled onions and arugula, as well. I had the burger, which came with red onions (I asked for them grilled), bacon, white cheddar, and Russian dressing. I asked for it "medium rare plus" and it was cooked perfectly. My mom had the small portion of fish and chips, which is always a gastropub favorite! For dessert, we enjoyed the brownie sundae with toffee sauce, candied pecans, and whipped cream - divine! I can't wait to come back to SideDoor and try more of their mouth-watering options including the prime rib sandwich and bread pudding! A CDM must-try for locals and visitors alike! read more

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The food is good. The fun spot was the bar, Josh & Jason the bar tenders was excellent!! Highly recommended this place

I stopped by SideDoor on my way home and was not disappointed. My bartender Lacey was incredibly knowledgeable and attentive, boy did she make a mean cocktail as well. I would highly recommend the Side Door for the ambiance; however, I would advise you to sit at the bar for the quality of service and drinks Lacey provides. read more

This is a special little spot! We thoroughly enjoyed a nice bottle of cherry pie Pinot, off menu veggie plates and truffle fries that will make you wish you had ordered more. The entire group, ranging from vegan to carnivore, and all in between, found something they loved. The place was spotless clean and very mindful of masks on, until guests arrive at their table. Tables are separated so you aren't too close to others. Outside seating was also available. Wonderful place for a nice night out with outstanding service! read more

Delicious and curious combos They put interesting into the donut gig You won't regret giving this place a shot! read more

Nice and cozy (although I probably would prefer to be in a brighter/airier setting if the weather was gorgeous outside). We thoroughly enjoyed our cocktails off of their specialty menu, as well as their vodka martinis. The Prime Rib Sandwich and (surpringly delightful) panini sandwich with carmelized onions were both delicious. All of the sides we ordered were quite tasty, as well; however, the portions were truly petite -- with exaggerated prices (for the portions. Our total bill was just over $100). I suppose the individual prices were not necessarily so expensive; we wanted to sample a lot on the menu. Despite the portion sizes, we did not leave hungry (a rarity that we didn't even order dessert). In addition to the enjoyable selection of foods, service was truly helpful, entertaining, and attentive! We're glad to have finally visited this location. read more

SideDoor - British Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

Guys, you are my favorite restaurant in the area, but, for the love of God please bring back the old playlist ... sitting here enduring Bryan Adams and Somewhere Over the Rainbow is hampering my ability to enjoy my artisanal cheese board and oysters. Thank you, Robert read more

Carrie H. was a phenomenal waitress!! Her menu knowledge is spectacular. The manager, Eliza, came by to thank my boyfriend and I for our first time attendance. I highly recommend the pear tree and scotch and cigars cocktails. The scotch and cigars cocktail comes out smoking Both were very smooth. For appetizers I recommend the pretzel with stiloton...heaven! Highly recommend the create your own charcuterie board the Bleu cheese from Rogue Creamery Oregon has spectacular flavor. YOU MIST GET THE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE FOR DESSERT; IT COMES WOTH A HONEYCOMB!! All in all this is one of my favorite finds! We'll be back with our mommas read more

Went here on a Monday night with my boyfriend and got great seats at the bar. We were served by Mark and he was amazing from start to finish, had a lot of knowledge about the food and offered a few recommendations on the drinks. We got the crab cake, beets, pork shank, and pistachio crème brûlée and they were all delicious! We will be back for sure. read more

The SideDoor is an absolute must! That is if you like good food, great drinks, warm atmosphere, and superb service. If not, then please stay away. As you walk into this place through the, yes, the side door and make your way to the main floor, you begin to feel the history of it. This place has been here since the 40's. Then, word like gastropub didn't exist yet, but boy are we lucky that we live in the now. There isn't much I can add to what has already been said about this institution, but I will talk about one aspect in particular, the charcuterie board. Recently, I saw this on Overheard LA: "What is a charcuterie and cheese board?" "It's like Lunchables with class." If that's true, this is one of the classiest Lunchables you'll ever have. It makes no sense for me to talk about what our board consisted of, since part of the fun is making your own, but I will say that the honeycomb, mustard, preserves, all meats, and all cheeses were absolutely spectacular. And if you're wondering why with all these accolades have I not given this place five stars, I'll tell you - it was the bread. The crispy toasts that came with the board were stale, unexciting, somewhat sweet, and just blah. Luckily, we did keep the extra pieces of charred bread which accompanied the Bone Marrow (also a must try, but be sure to add a touch of salt) and so it all worked out in the end. read more

SideDoor - British Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

Joanne was fantastic!! She was very knowledgeable with drinks and food. Her suggestion of the the jolly roger was delish and the burger was bombbbb read more

Love Side Door they make a great hamburger. They are always busy but there's always somewhere to sit. Great wait staff... read more

What Happened??? Sidedoor used to be one of our favorites! Even during the pandemic, they did an amazing job with cheese classes and interactive opportunities for their followers (which we participated in). Sidedoor used to be an exclusive place, where you could get stellar charcuterie selections, impeccable food (provided by Five Crowns), and service that made you feel like you they really cared for your experience. But my husband and I went last Friday and it was completely different!!! No usual cheese selections, food was sub-par, staff was not as engaged as they used to, and drinks seemed streamlined. What Happened??? So disappointing :( read more

Its the new hangout!!! If you like Five Crowns without the wait... This is your place... I ordered the Henry the 8th Cut.... Extra Rare.... with a side of creamed corn amd steamed spinach.... I have only one complaint... Maybe two... Thw Horseradish needs to be stronger and the Prime Rib neess to be bigger!!!! Like 72oz or more... I can do it!!!! read more

SideDoor - British Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

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Incredible burgers... best in Cdm Perfect take out system A "go to" place for us I recommend to anyone who likes burgers read more

We love coming here for the charcuterie and prime rib fries! Such a hidden gem. The interior was great but we've been loving the outdoor setup during covid. Highly recommend dinner here read more

SideDoor - British Near Me - Corona del Mar, California

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Great experience. Took my daughter here for the first time and the waiter was on par and so easy going. We ordered the pot pies that were not on the menu and they were superb. Cannot to return with other family members. read more

I visited here on a whim and enjoyed my experience for the most part. It was super crowded when I went (Sat night) - all the patrons who made reservations for Five Crowns apparently decided to get drinks & wait inside SideDoor. It was pretty tough to find open bar seats but we managed to find a place in the corner of the bar after waiting for a bit. Currently they have holiday-inspired cocktails. We had: Christmas Morning ($15; gin, fresh lemon, spiced honey, allspice bitters) - It was interesting that they added hot water to top off this cocktail. It was reminiscent of a hot toddy that's a little bland when I first drank it. But as the ingredients started to mix, I enjoyed it more. Off Your Noggin' ($15; spiced rum, cognac, egg, cream, spiced simple syrup, nutmeg) - It tasted like a standard eggnog. Drinking this while waiting for food to come out was helpful because we were starving. Apple Sauced ($15; rye, Laird's apple brandy, leopolds apple liquor, spiced honey) - Theoretically this sounded really good, but it fell short of my expectations. It was spirit-forward and not in a good way...like you just got whiskey and mixed in apple juice. For food we got the charcuterie board, fries, and the yorkshire pudding w/ spinach. Fries were a little plain but other than that the food was generally good. Even though I didn't have the best cocktail experience, I'm inclined to give it 4 stars because the ambiance is so cute & romantic, especially when you go during holiday season. I'd probably avoid weekend nights if you aren't keen on crowds though. read more

They take reservations now so updating my review love this little gem. Always have a great experience here

The Food, Service and Ambiance are really superb here. Although I did feel the Prices are extremely high for the amount of food you are served. No drinks, one appetizer, one salad , one fish dinner adding asparagus and mashed potatoes, one desert and 1/2 of one desert and 1/2 of charcuterie plate was $170 including tax and tip. ‍ But delicious read more

I like this place!! I've been meaning to go here for years & finally did! We ordered nachos & drinks which were great. Servers were very friendly. I'll be back for sure. read more

Came here on a Friday for a date night with my boyfriend. It was really crowded when we arrived but the wait wasn't too long at all (probably about 20 mins). Also, there is a bar at the front so you can order drinks while waiting. That helped make the time go by faster :) The food here is delicious! We ordered the Chef's plate (you get 3 items to choose from). The presentation was on point and the prosciutto and wild boar were delicious! Our favorite item was the Prime Rib Sandwich. Everyone needs to try this dish! The sandwich dipped in the au jus sauce is just like heaven in your mouth. It is soooo good. The ambience of this restaurant is perfect for a date night, night out with friends, or celebrating a birthday. It's dim lighted, cozy, and intimate. The servers here are really nice and so is the crowd of people! I would definitely recommend and come back. read more

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