On the positive side, there is a decent amount of parking since it is located at Irvine Spectrum. The ambiance is nice and the interior decorations fit the theme well. The service was on the slower side which was surprising considering there were only maybe 2-3 other tables that were seated throughout the entire time that we were there. We went during happy hour and ordered a variety of items to share while we were dining. We ordered the oysters for that day (Misty Point) and while we were eating them, there were several shell fragments in the oyster. I understand this can happen because they are freshly shucked, but crunching on shell pieces is not usually what you want to be experiencing while eating oysters. When we were ordering the steamed clams/mussels, our server let us know that the happy hour size ($10.50) is about half of the size as the one from the regular menu ($18). He then clarified by saying that it's cheaper to order that dish from the regular menu. We ordered the dish from the regular menu but when it arrived, we received the happy hour size. The happy hour size had 8 clams/mussels and 2 of them were closed/dead. The rest of them were extremely mushy. It's a pretty disappointing dish when 1/4 of the food is inedible. They did send us a new one and they were cooked well, but a handful of those were also closed/dead. We had a similar issue with the Roasta that we ordered. The dish is served with 5 mussels and 1 of them was closed/dead. I actually really enjoyed the rest of the dish. There was a lot of cheese, the pasta wasn't overcooked, the shrimp were juicy, and it was well seasoned. The oyster po boy and fish and chips were sub-par at best. Both had batter colors similar to that of when a restaurant uses old oil in the fryer. The oyster po boy had a heavy amount of sauce and there were some very chewy/stringy parts that were more difficult to consume. We ordered it with a side of chowder which was salty more than anything else. The fish and chips had a batter that maybe I'm just not used to. It was closer to a chicken tender batter than your typical fish and chips batter, but the fries were perfectly crispy and tasted good. read more

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Came here on a Friday night, and got seated immediately for 2. The roasta had a nice mix of shrimp, mussels, and sausage on top of a bed of creamy linguine. The chowder frots were crispy and bursted with different flavors. The food came out pretty fast. I have to try the oysters next time during happy hour. There's seating inside and outside, with table and bar options. read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - THE DIVE'S ROASTA - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

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The raw oysters were to die for! We literally have food before but wanted to come in for the oysters. And even on a full tummy- we enjoyed the oysters so very much! Very fresh and the sauces were plentiful. The chowder was good but it wasn't amazon. It was also a bit saltier for my liking. The place had no wait when we came. Service was good! read more

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Service and food was great! We enjoyed the pan roast (house) that came with all the seafood. It was good but beware it's very rich. We got mild and it had just a little kick. The fried oysters were also very crispy on the outside and the oysters were fresh and plump. Next time I will try the raw oysters. We also got the cheesy shrimp and grits and wow they weren't joking with the cheese. It was honestly too cheesy for me, but still very delicious. The bread pudding for dessert was a crowd pleaser. read more

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Ever since Ritter's closed, i have not been able to get a pan roast anywhere. Luckily, a friend of mine was visiting from NYC so we were able to stop by and try a little bit of everything. The restaurant is on the same side as the movie theater and where Silverlake Ramen is. We ordered the oysters, which were served with your usual accruements of horseradish, cocktail sauce, and a cilantro mignonette. Honestly don't remember the oyster we had since we did one of basically each, and enjoyed them all. Oysters were fresh and I would get again. We also shared the clams and mussels in a white wine broth, the seafood pan roast with pasta, and the jambalaya. All the seafood in each of the dishes tasted fresh and with lots of flavor. My only complaint is there there wasn't much crab in the pan roast which was supposed to have crab. The shrimp was very large and of good portion. Overall all the plates were of great portion. Restaraunt is very brightly lit, and kind of a very casual feel. Service is good and prompt. Would come again, but would try different dishes. read more

‍‍‍ food is great you know it's a little bit expensive not crazy, but the staff is a little bit too young to really understand. Customer service in an intuitive way. Still good to ambience good decorations decent food at a mall that you know you gotta bring a girlfriend or boyfriend or themfriend too... yeah I made it up that last word deal with it. read more

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If you can't go to the Oyster Bar at Palace Station in Las Vegas, then The Dive Oyster Bar will do. It's a chain. Located inside Irvine Spectrum, next door to Regal theaters and The Alley. You get a mix of indoor and outdoor seating. There's happy hour M-F 3-6pm on oysters and various items. Every item we ordered had clams, muscles, shredded crab,and shrimp. Each had their own unique flavors. The spice levels are not spicy. Medium did not have a kick for me and I have low tolerance. -Steamed clams/mussels ($18): we got half and half. Mild. The broth was so good with tons of garlic, basil, citrusy lemon. I drank the broth afterwards. 3 pieces of bread was included, you're able to request more at no charge. -Hot Cheetos truffle Mac n cheese ($12). I like the white cheese but I prefer it to be thicker. This was runny and bland, topped with hot Cheetos. Nothing special. -House Pan Roast ($30): blue crab, shrimp, clams, mussels, sausage. Choice of rice or pasta. Medium spice. I'm used to the rice being separated, but it was in the broth. Personally, I don't like soggy rice. Make sure you tell them if you want it on the side. -The dive chowder ($24): New England style w shredded crab, shrimp, clams. I prefer a tad bit thicker but it was still tasty. So many more items to try. It's a mix of traditional Cajun and creole cuisine with an added California twist. read more

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Service- 5/5 Very helpful and knowledgeable server, didn't catch her name but she didn't hover but was very attentive Ambiance- 3/5 It's super casual, almost seems like a place you'd order at the counter and get a number for your table but it isn't Food- 3/5 Definitely pricier oysters on the half shell Had 4-5 types so moderate variety but they were out of one. Liked how they listed a brief description of size and taste profile/ finish For half dozen of Kumamoto (my favorite) and half dozen of sun seekers (too creamy for me) Liked them but not amazing, at $4-4.5 each it's a bit pricy. Didn't like the green spicy sauce, it's be very overpowering! Got the appetizer steamed clams- 2/5 Very small clams Seemed a bit overcooked as they were shriveled up rather than plump Sauce was a more Cajun style rather than the French Belgium white wine sauce Comes with 3 slices of bread (didn't eat it) Side of French fries-3/5 They were cooked well, thicker than shoestring but thinner than steak fries Wine-4/5 Prosecco wasn't bad Pinot Grigio was crispy and dry, quite refreshing Decent prices $9 for Prosecco and $13 for the Pinot Grigio Overall, I may go back if a friend wants to go or if I'm at the spectrum and wanting seafood but I wouldn't get the steamed clams again My friend got the lobster roll and loved it so maybe I'd try that! read more

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If you are craving raw oysters but don't want to go to a very expensive steakhouse, try this place. Definitely worth the try. Jambalaya and pasta are flavorful. Most favorite item were the fresh raw oysters. read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - Dozen raw oysters - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

A very pleasant surprise! The restaurant is small, sleek, and minimalistic -- but the food was anything but minimal. We enjoyed a dozen fresh, flavorful oysters from the raw menu, as well as the jambalaya and the cioppino. Both dishes were incredibly bold, rich, and perfectly spiced -- and each under $20! Our server, Sandra, was super attentive and genuinely fun, which made the experience even better. Highly recommend! read more

I wasn't terribly impressed with this place. Only a few tables were taken when we arrived, and service was still very slow. We ordered a dozen oysters, fanny bay, and a couple of beers. The oysters took quite a while, and the beers even longer. This was pretty annoying. The oysters were okay, but not bright at all, a bit muddy and seemingly not too fresh. An hour later i had severe stomach cramps, followed by a gastro distress you can imagine. I only had the beer and oysters, so assume I got a bad one. My wife had no issues, but I won't be returning. read more

If you're looking to satisfy your seafood and oysters needs in Irvine, I would definitely check this place out! I would say that this place is quite pricey provided the average portions. The jambalaya was delicious and the sauce was both creamy and flavorful. It comes with small scoop of white rice. The oysters were amazing as well. They offer a variety of oysters depending on taste and sweetness. The oysters were quite large and did not taste "oceany" which is a huge plus! The location wasn't busy at all for lunch, but it seems like it picks up for dinner. It is also an open dining space with a good amount of seating and quick service! read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - Oysters - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

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Having been a big fan of Palace Stations pan roast in Vegas, I had bookmarked this place to try when I found out they had pan roasts. My friend and I stopped by for lunch on a weekday and it was relatively empty when we arrived. We ordered their house special pan roast and their catfish poboy to share. The service was friendly and the food came out fast but we were both disappointed in the taste. The pan roast was a bit bland with very little seafood inside it (maybe a couple actual pieces) and just tasted more like cream. It's served along a very small bowl of rice and so we ended up asking for a side of bread that we could dip into the sauce. The catfish in the poboy was seasoned well and lightly fried but the sandwich overall was underwhelming with a mustard sauce that I personally wasn't a fan of. While it's a nice space and glad I got to try the food here, I don't think it's a meal I'd seek out more than this one time. read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

My experience at The Dive Oyster Bar was definitely subpar. This was my second time here, and I must strongly advise against visiting at 2:30pm on weekdays. Do not come at 2:30pm, I repeat, do not eat here at 2:30pm. At least wait until they start their Happy Hour (Monday through Friday only). We arrived at 2:40pm and were seated immediately. However, once seated, we ordered Cheesy Grits, Brussels Sprouts, Steamed Clams & Mussels, The Pan Roast, and I attempted to order the Lobster Roll and a Diet Coke. We were informed that a shipment had just arrived, and the Diet Coke wouldn't be cold, but they had Coke Zero, which was just as good. Additionally, we were told the lobster wasn't ready as it needed time to marinate, so we couldn't order it. We were also informed that Fish & Chips and other items were unavailable. 20 minutes into our meal, they dropped off the Happy Hour menu, which we were unaware of. We noticed the Steamed Clams & Mussels and Cheesy Grits were on the Happy Hour menu, which would have saved us around $12 had we waited another 15-20 minutes. Halfway through the meal, they notified me that they could now prepare the lobster roll, but I declined based on the earlier marinating explanation. Overall, the food was good, decently priced considering the type of cuisine, and I enjoyed their playlist, but the unavailability of certain menu items was perplexing given the restaurant's been open long enough & some of those unavailable items were on their HH menu. I'll be back for the Lobster Roll and may update my review then. read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - Happy Hour Menu (M-F only) front - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

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Had happy hour dinner on a Friday. The wait was about 20 minutes. The restaurant was smaller than I expected. Once we were seated, we ordered right away for happy hour specials. We ordered the following: HH steamed clams HH sprouts HH oysters le Petite 1 House cab Soft shell crab House pan roast Kids's chicken Alfredo The food came out quickly. The oysters were fresh and so delicious. I should have just order 1 dozen. The sprouts were flavorful. We ordered all steamed clam without the mussels. It was ok. I wanted it to be a light more garlicky. Soft shell crab was tasty. Crispy to perfection and not overly battered. House pan roast was good. Chicken Alfredo was ok. Service was good and food was overall good. I will be back to try the lobster roll. read more

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Came during lunch time and was seated promptly! Service was super fast. Put in our order and got our food very quick. Clean and nice restaurant, just a little cramped in the back tables. What we ordered: - Popcorn Crawfish (4/5): Has a nice crunch that pairs well with the garlic aioli. Some pieces were a bit too batter heavy for us, but I guess that's why it's so crunchy right? - Lobster Roll with Clam Chowder (4/5): Like most lobster rolls, it's a bit on the smaller side. The chowder had a lot of various toppings and was super creamy. - House Specialty Pan Roast (5/5): This one was definitely a must try here. You will definitely get full of savory, seafood goodness. The spices sure pack a punch. Would get the rice on the side next time. So many more items to try from here and will definitely come back. read more

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This place has an amazing happy hour for happy hour. Unfortunately the portions have gotten smaller since the first time I've came here, but the food is still really good. I stooped getting the mussels because the quality has seemed to plateaued, but the clams are delicious. The service is okay, nothing spectacular about it. The ambience in the restaurant is great, and I love the music they play! read more

Came to The Dive Oyster Bar for Happy Hour. We're not raw oyster fans, so we did not take advantage of the $2 HH oyster of the day. Their HH menu has cheesy grits, chowder, brussels sprouts, steamed clams and mussels, hot Cheeto truffle Mac n cheese, grilled cheese with pan roast, and fish & chips. The bowl of chowder ($6.50) was great, full of clams. I got the steamed clams and mussels ($10.50), which was fine. There were about four of each, in a slightly spicy broth with three slices of bread. The cheesy grits were the weakest - more soupy than creamy, with the emphasis on bacon and not much shrimp. Indoor and outdoor seating available. I saw other reviews comment about having to wait, so going on the earlier side, like during lunch or Happy Hour (M-F 3-6pm) may be the way to go. read more

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So Ritter's is gone forever so I was searching for somewhere that serve pan roast. Found it! Warning about mild spicy here. Mild spicy is very spicy. I can handle mild spicy from most places but I feel like mild spicy here is probably medium in other places so if you want to be safe, go for not spicy. I ate mine mild spicy and I was burning. The waitress asked how it was and I told her is more spicy than I thought. She was so nice and asked if I wanted it remade? I felt bad since I kinda ate all the rice already and they still remade it for me so they get a 10/10 for service! The non spicy version I can actually taste the seafood so I'm glad they remade it! Now I know this place is good enough for a revisit! read more

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Came on a Saturday night and it was pretty packed but got lucky and seated right away for a party of two. Ordered the fried crawfish, lobster roll with clam chowder, and house pan roast medium spice and subbed it with pasta instead of rice. All of the dishes were so good and super filling had to Togo the rest. read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

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We went in for happy hour after work and the food was great! We ordered the steamed mussels and clams, raw oysters, clam chowder, and friend calamari. Everything was fresh and tasty! The ambiance was a little weird that day when we went. They seemed short staffed but the servers who were there were really trying their best to make the environment welcoming and upbeat. read more

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New spot in the spectrum. The interior is nautical themed and has available indoor or outdoor seating. There's also an option for bar seating which I think I'll try next time to get a view of the open kitchen/prep area. We had the Cajun popcorn crawfish. Incredibly soft and seasoned well. The outside was nice and crispy. The sauce that went with was good but it would be been nice to have maybe an aioli to go with. Fish and chips came with 3 large pieces of fish perfectly seasoned and fried. Super soft and juicy inside. Would definitely order again. Cajun fries had light seasoning but I think it paired with the fish really well. Service was really great. Even when busy we got our food rather quick. I do want to come back for happy hour during the week read more

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I love a good pan roast. A lovely tomato cream, thick, soup with all the fixings (shrimp, crab, clams, mussels, sausage). The Dive Oyster Bar recently opened at the Irvine Spectrum and the place is super inviting inside. I used to go to Ritters in Santa Ana, but happy a similar style restaurant opened up closer to me. We ordered: 1. House Pan Roast You're able to order it mild/medium/spicy. I ordered medium, but would probably get spicy next time. This was so good. Great portion to share as well. 2. Fish and Chips Fish was flaky and the batter had great flavor. I liked that it wasn't your usual beer battered fish. This is also great to share with the table as well. You can get it with fries, salad, or upgrade to their chowder. 3. Popcorn Crawfish appetizer These little babies were probably my least favorite - only because they're pretty small and it just feels like you're eating the same amount of batter. It did taste good though and I loved their garlic aioli. 4 stars only because I asked for no mussels, but it came out with it and it took quite some time for our check to come out. However, everyone at the restaurant was sooo nice. They do have happy hour so interested to come back to enjoy happy hour next time! read more

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Expensive ingredients but there is no passion or love in the kitchen. Everything was cooked well but it was all so bland. The seafood pan roast was totally drowned out with an overwhelmingly thick sauce. Surprised how a dish with mussels, clams, crab, and sausage can just taste like one homogeneous mush The fish and chips were really moist but soggy overall Not bad, just boring. I feel like 50 dollars is better spent elsewhere read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - HOUSE PAN ROAST FISH N CHIPS - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

We've been waiting to try this place for a while now. Greeted and seated right away. Service was great and our server made recommendations and super friendly. We went with half dozen oysters special, shrimp louie salad, and lobster roll with a side of cajun fries. Big portions so it's good for sharing. Overall, the food was good, the lobster roll could use a little more flavor in my opinion. Love the green sauce that was served with the oysters and the side of cajun fries were amazing. Cute and cozy place with indoor/outdoor dining. Will recommend and probably come back to try the pan roast. read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - LOBSTER ROLL - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

Came a little after lunch on a weekday and the place was pretty empty so had no issues with seating. The service is super friendly. They only had one type of oysters that day which I had half a dozen, then the crawfish popcorn, and finally the grilled cheese with pan roast. Oysters are hard to mess up as you just shuck them so they were good! The crawfish was ok, nothing special. Was missing more seasoning? Or a better sauce to dip in, they give you a mayonnaise based sauce. And the grilled cheese was ok as was the pan roast. I was honestly a little surprised at how flat the grilled cheese was with a pan roast. Maybe I came on an off day? read more

I came here last night with my daughter. Upon walking in I asked the hostess to view the menu. No smile, no greeting, and she had an attitude like she hated being there. Not a great first impression. We both checked out the menu and decided to dine in. We shared the fried oysters and pan roast. Food was good but I had better pan roasts at other spots. I found their base was a bit too tangy for my liking. Our server was a young gentleman whom was very friendly . The ambiance was nice. Clean place but the tables were pretty close together being that it's a smaller restaurant. Don't think I'll be back. read more

Happy hour is good - still managed to rack up quite a bill with happy hour. Oysters were fresh and tasty. I would probably come back just for the oysters and get full somewhere else. The rest of the happy hour menu was decent, but nothing really blew us away. The staff was great. read more

I really like this place. Been to this location a few times and the temple city location about twice. However, I did not appreciate this visit. My regular order is the house pan roast and I have to say that I'm really disappointed in this order. I get it without mussels and add sausage. I got 3 shrimp and two clams. Had I not added the sausage I really wouldn't have had any meat. Also what really disappointed me was how extremely runny the broth was. The flavor was there, but it's usually much thicker than what I received (I included a video for reference). Idk if they were rushing or what, but this was not it. $30 that I contemplated on spending...smh read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - house pan roast. Disappointed :( - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

I went on a Monday place was clean and the food was seasoned well, my wife had the po boy shrimp sandwich and she loved it. I had the fish and chips Hot and tasty read more

First visit for us. The place could use a bit more ambiance. Very bright. The oysters were fabulous! We didn't like that everything on the menu was not available. But the oysters they had I have to say were delicious. We ordered the only sav blanc they had. Next time I'll order a beer. The waiter was very kind and helpful and apologetic about not having the oysters from the menu that we wanted. read more

I'm a huge pan roast fan and like others that reviewed here, looking for a great place for Southern cuisine. However, I think the Dive Oyster may look the part but misses the mark in terms of execution at least as of November 2024. Coming in at 11AM at opening on a Sunday, the restaurant was pretty empty (filled up closer to 12:30PM). The interior looked neat with fun sea artwork all over and the specials/some of the menu on chalkboards in the front and back. The server was nice (just was one guy at the start which increased to three by the time we left), although there were some strange inconsistencies such as water never being refilled until we asked. Napkins and some condiments were given to the side at the table. *Pan Roast: My friend got the pan roast and the end result was super creamy and super thick. The server gave a side of peppers but think that it really needed more of a kick in general // lacked flavor. I thought the meat (my friend got the chicken) was also a bit dry. *Roasta: I thought the idea itself was clever combining pasta with the pan roast broth. However, I thought a similar thing happened where the sauce was super thick and oddly came out a bit bland. It came with seafood like clams which was okay. *Lobster Roll: I thought the lobster roll was a bit disappointing. This dish itself was nearly $40, but the portion size was small and the lobster itself was minced/dry. Their spicy mayo was also a bit bland. The bread itself was okay although I wish it was warmed up. I got the truffle fries with it which I'm not sure is worth the extra money. It didn't come with many fries to begin with and barely had any truffle flavoring. Maybe was an off day and would love to give the place another chance since there isn't a nearby pan roast spot any more sadly! read more

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Good food and quick service! We ordered the House Specialty Pan Roast, half dozen fat bastard oysters, and the clam/mussel appetizer. Perfect amount for a filling 2-person dinner. Chill ambiance - pretty much what you would expect from a restaurant in Spectrum. No complaints! read more

Saw this place open up and wanted to give it a try I love Ritters steam kettle so I was hoping this would be comparable. The pan roast doesn't have as much of a spice kick but it was still pretty flavorful just different. All the menu items are pretty heavy so be prepared for that. we took the shrimp and grits home, but had some oysters there as well as the pan roast. Their happy hour specials were pretty decent so I wish we were there earlier. The drinks on the happy hour though we're just OK. The ambience is really nice. There's plenty of tables and TVs as well. We came to watch while the Dodgers were playing. read more

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Yummy seafood spot in Irvine spectrum. Came on a Saturday night and got seated fast. They offer an extensive menu. Most items are shareable here as they are somewhat heavy. Such as the gumbo or their pan roast. For starters we got the popcorn crawfish. It was tasty but on the breadier side. I did enjoy my fish n chips with Cajun fries. Recommend this item. The house pan roast was thick and soupy. It's good but I've had better. For dessert the s'mores bread pudding was scrumptious. Wish marshmallows and chocolate were more melted in but the pudding itself was yummy read more

Was so sad to see this place go downhill. This is now what the house pan roast looks like SKIMPED out on the seafood and it's a runny mess. If you're going to take sausage out of the dish, please update the menus and have your servers inform us of this change when ordering. They used to have a lot of oyster options and it looks like they only carry 3 types now. Really disappointed in the quality of food. Wouldn't recommend. read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

I miss Ritters. I was pretty disappointed. Even with all the influencers on social media saying this is so good, when it's just ok. Oysters: they had a good selection of oysters. The only way you can mess up oysters is if you don't shuck them properly. No complaints here. Pan roast: lacking real substance and flavor. Yes, it has flavor but honestly it tasted like I was eating a can of cambells tomatoes soup made into a seafood bisque. Presentation was nice. Customer service was ok. It seemed like there was only one person taking orders for the whole restaurant while the others were either bussers or hostess. It's a fairly small restaurant, maybe 20-25 table tops. Why is there a need to have 2 hostess. 1 waitress, 3 bussers. I will add that we tried this place in June 2024 and forgot to finish this review. Hopefully it's changed by now. read more

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The inside is adorable, clean, and inviting. The two female servers were so kind and attentive--not rude at all. The food came out quickly, and everything was absolutely delicious! The seafood portions are generous and taste fresh. This was my first time trying this spot, but I'll definitely be back. read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

I came here for happy hour with my friend to mainly try the oysters for $2.50. The oysters were delicious but nothing too crazy. I really enjoyed the clam chowder. However, the popcorn crawfish was overpriced and mostly batter. The truffle hot cheeto mac and cheese was decent, but I wish it was baked to get some crispiness. Overall, this was an okay place for happy hour. read more

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Service was amazing! Our waitress was very nice and accommodating.This location has an open indoor and outdoor patio ( with heaters for the outside) The artwork on the walls is so beautiful! it's located right across from Javier's. Food: we started with the fried crawfish and fried oysters . They both were good. Just be mindful that crawfish is small meat so you will have a lot of crunch than meat. But the taste of the batter was good on both. The oysters were juicy and big! ( this is a oyster bar lol ) We both ordered the pan roast with rice medium heat. Not a favorite in my opinion. The pan roast has a mayo taste to it. The heat wasn't there either. It was a pretty thicker sauce than other places I've been but I would suggest trying something other than the pan roast. read more