Food was great and the oysters were fresh. Great happy hour for oysters. Food/Drink- 5 stars Happy hour oysters- I was surprised by how fresh and delicious these were. Enjoyed every oyster from our dozen Cheetos mac and cheese- I did like how they overloaded it with truffle oil. Nice order from their happy hour fish and chips- I enjoyed how it was more fish than batter. Fries were nice and crispy with delicious cajun seasoning pan roast- we ordered the (everything on it) variation from the entree menu. I read the reviews that the happy hour pan roast was a small portion without much protein in it, so just opted for the entree size. It was pretty standard. Enjoyed the 3 happy hour orders above more Service- 5 stars Food came out quickly and service was great throughout Bottom Line Excellent happy hour experience. Great seafood spot if you're at the Irvine Spectrum read more

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Yooooooooooooooooo! One of the LAST spots in the area where I can get my pan roast fix since Ritter's closed and the Anaheim Packing District spot dipped out. This place definitely comes close to the famous pan roast from the Oyster Bar at Palace Station in Vegas. First off -- get the calamari. It's my go-to here: perfectly fried, crispy, never greasy. For entrées, I've had the gumbo but I almost always run back to the pan roast. Highly recommend the House Special pan roast, and I always ask them to add chicken and sausage for that extra protein boost. If you can handle heat, go for medium -- personally I love it, but whenever I bring some home my parents tap out immediately and request mild only. The jambalaya is solid too, nothing wild or different, but definitely hits the spot. Service was great -- food came out fast, staff was super attentive, and the whole vibe is very family-friendly. I'll definitely be coming back as much as I can. Low-key wish they'd open a location in Cerritos so it's not such a drive for me. read more

The happy hour oysters are decent for the price. It's $2 an oyster, they tasted fresh, except one but that was fine, it's only two dollars so dwha. However, the pan roast was a let down. The flavoring is fine but for the amount charged vs the protein actually in the dish, it was a let down. Barely three mussels and two clams and three shrimp for $22 and the tiniest bowl of rice. I'd skip this place for the most part unless you're only interested in happy hour oysters read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - SIGNATURE PAN ROAST - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

Oysters on a rainy day. We tried their happy hour oysters and they were delicious. Medium size, firm in texture, a little briny but very balanced in flavor. It comes with cocktail sauce and a green citrusy seafood sauce which was yummy. We also ordered the pan roast. I really enjoyed it. Tomato based thick soup like with a hint of old bay seasoning. I could've licked the bowl clean. The chicken wings were a bit overcooked and underwhelming. Service from Sandra was top notch! Although it gets very crowded, she was such a delight. Funny, sweet and attentive. We shall return again soon. Also, it's dog friendly at 3 of their tables on the connecting patio. read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - Happy hour oysters - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

The food was great! I would definitely come back again. Everyone who loves seafood should give it a try! I thought it was just a small 'Oyster Bar'. It has more selection on the menu than I expected. For two of us, we tried their Lobster rolls with cajun truffle fries, Jambalaya, and the scallops from their Raw Bar. It was nice to have the food came out very quickly. The Lobster rolls come with Maine Lobster coated with Cajun spice and parsley and suited to my tasty. The Jambalaya comes with very generous variety of seafoods in very rich tomato herb spiced sauce. The scallops were very fresh and almost comparable to the ones I had in Santa Barbara. There are still so many items on the menu that I would like to try next time. read more

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We have been here a few times and it never disappoints! Always clean, aesthetically pleasant, and delicious! Outdoor and indoor dining options. Friendly staff and quick and efficient service! We order the oysters, hot Cheeto Mac n cheese, and calamari everytime. So good and perfectly filling appetizers. Price is good for the amount of food and quality you get! Absolutely will continue to return to The Dive! read more

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Irvine Spectrum has so many restaurants, it's a bit overwhelming. Luckily, we came specifically for this restaurant and it was solid. Our group of 4 started with a couple starters, but weren't impressed....just ok. Fortunately, we all loved our entrees! Lobster Roll was delicious! Jambalaya was raved about. Cioppino was a favorite. Our main meals fully redeemed this place. Definitely will return. read more

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Ever since Ritters in Santa Ana closed I was looking for something to fill in the Pan Roast sized void in my stomach. I'm glad to say I found something just as good if not better at The Dive! Located in the Irvine Spectrum, its on the movie theater side and very easily accessable, with indoor dining, a bar and patio seating. They also just launched their brunch menu so I decied to come in during lunchtime to try out some of the items. Weekdays you'll likely have no problem finding a seat, and our server was attentive and our food came out promtly after ordering. This is what I tried: Truffle Mac & Cheese, I loved that it was topped with hot cheetos and there were truffle flavor throughout the entire dish. Parmesian Truffle Fries, even more truffle, but couldn't resist crispy fries. Shrimp Pan Roast: Savory, delicious and perfect for cold weather. Brunch Seak Fritter: I was pleasantly suprised by the balance of this dish, I loved how the creamy grits pairs so well with the salty spam and fried steak. Overall great reccomendation for southern food with a modern twist. read more

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I come here on Fridays with my roommate for happy hour (at least until Easter IYKYK). Food is amazing. Fish and chips: Fish is flaky and delicious, the flavor is subtle. It's good, no complaints. The sauce is a very pickle-y type of tartar sauce, if you like that (I do). Fries, ketchup, and tabasco, yum. Grilled Cheese Pan Roast: I think this is the best-tasting thing on the happy hour menu. I don't even know if this is seafood, for any picky eaters out there. You get both an amazing tomato-based soup and grilled cheese. It's a classic match made in heaven. The soup is thick and bursting with savoriness. Maybe too much, I chug water between spoonfuls. I've had the fried calamari in the past, I thought it was delicious and fried to crispy perfection. Prices went down a smidge, Happy Hour was $11 for each of these bad boys when I went on April 11, 2025. They used to be $12, I think? I saw a review about food poisoning, but I've never had oysters and I've never gotten sick after eating here. I've had good experiences every time I come here. If you're looking for inoffensive and tasty seafood (especially right after work), The Dive provides an unbelievable value. I love coming here. read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - Grilled Cheese and Pan Roast with Grilled Cheese (Happy Hour) - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

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I don't know why this spot isn't packed on a weekend night. Perhaps it was the cold rainy weather when we visited, but this is a solid spot. There was only two of us so we were limited in what we could order. Started with the clam chowder. Creamy, salty, good amount of class in every spoonful. It was so filling, I got the kid portion of pan roast with a side of white rice. This flavorful, rich, dark gravy-soup was deeper than a seafood bisque. Cajun-creole seaosnings-forward. Also ordered tbe Roasta - linguine drenched in pan roast with mussels, shrimp and sausage. Spice level us up to you. We asked for extra haberneros in the side. It wasn't super spicy,but just spicy enough so you can still enjoy the flavor of the sauce. Finished with the beignets. These were disappointing. Coated in honey, a dusting of powdered sugar and served with a side of berry compote (this was good). If you're expecting New Orleans style beignets, you'll taste the difference. A bit denser and cake-ier. Glad we tried it but won't order it again. Service was excellent. Atmosphere is casual. We saw couples, families and friends groups. We'll be back. read more

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Great spot for some casual seafood. Service was quick, food came out hot and fresh, and great vibes and music playing. Highly recommend if you're looking for a quick dinner at the Irvine Spectrum. Happy hour deals are also great - M-F until 6 read more

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

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My boyfriend and I visited on a Friday night. They have reservations you can make online but there wasn't a wait to be seated when we got there. It's located at the spectrum near the movie theater. It's a pretty casual spot, there's a bar area and a good amount of seating. Very clean! We ordered a cup of the clam chowder, the house specialty pan roast, and a couple of each oyster they offered. The oysters were very good and fresh, about $3 per oyster. The clam chowder was also good, pretty standard cup of soup. It was my first time trying pan roast but my boyfriend really likes it. We got it mild and it was just fine. It had a good thick broth, you could taste a lot of carrots and celery. They gave you a lot of seafood, definitely a dish to be shared. We got it with rice and it was good! The food was good but the service is a bit slow. read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - BOWL OF CLAM CHOWDER, HOUSE PAN ROAST - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

This restaurant is totally slept on, I'm worried they'll go out of business! I've been here twice (both times on the weekend) and it's never busy in here despite the food being so delicious. I got the same thing both times--Cheesy Shrimp and Grits and the House Specialty Pan Roast, Medium Heat. The portion sizes are insane and will last you forever if you like leftovers! The dishes are seasoned so well and the seafood is cooked perfectly. I love strongly seasoned food, so the food here definitely satisfies that craving. You can really taste every component of the Pan Roast down to the trinity (bell peppers, onions, celery) which pairs well with the tomatoey cream sauce. The Cheesy Shrimp and Grits were so well incorporated. I don't like when the cheese isn't melting in well with the rest of the sauce, so they really got that part right! One thing I noticed and was really disappointed by during this visit is the lack/absence of service. That is the biggest downfall here. There are plenty of servers, and it wasn't busy since we were the only ones besides another table for a while. We didn't get checked on at all and it felt like we were forgotten about. Lack of service is much more noticeable when there is no one in the restaurant. The hostess also wasn't very welcoming when we walked in this time around. She seemed bored, like she didn't want to be there. The first time I came here was better, so my experience with the service was surprising. I'm typically wary to return to places with lack of service, but the food here is delicious enough to keep me coming back. I hope The Dive doesn't go out of business because I love the food so much. I genuinely think if the service improved, people would be more inclined to come back! read more

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Split it open and Dive right in and let the wet and flavorful fun begin! This is a great add to The Spectrum and perfect for a quick bite and drink. We ordered the two sets of oysters and the scallops. The first set of oysters were salty and briny and that's just the way I like them. I like it RAW baby! The second set was more on the sweeter side and that also was all good for me! The Peruvian Scallops were sweet, tender and subtly briny and by now you should know it was a hit with my tastebuds. We also got the Bacon Wrapped Shrimp that were nice and fat with a tasty slice of bacon wrapped around it. The place is chill with no music playing which seemed kinda strange in a way but we were there for the goods anyway. Alfresco dining is in full effect and this made the experience a little better. The service was great but just to point out that our servers need to run off on their manager, just saying. This is definitely a four and a half star experience and hopefully your experience will be to or better. And that's my take on this seafood adventure, Peace out. read more

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Everything was pretty good, we ordered scallops, oysters, mussel fries and bacon wrapped shrimp. They were very limited on the drinks like the beer, and the variety of oysters. But needless to say everything was good. The service was great our server was very friendly. This is a cool spot with an outdoor patio seating indoor seating and bar top seating. The decor is awesome just wish they had more beer options. read more

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Decided to come here because I was craving oysters and needed to do some shopping at Irvine Spectrum. Was pretty disappointed with the meal we had here. To start with the only had two kinds of oysters the day we came in. I understand that can vary, but as a place that calls itself and oyster bar they should definitely have more than 2. Even bigger of a problem for me is it didn't come with any kind of mignonette. As an oyster place you should definitely have that. We also ordered the bacon wrapped shrimp and the chowder frots. The bacon wrapped shrimp was decent, but the chowder frots weren't that good. They were pretty boring and definitely needed way more chowder. For a meal that was close to $175 we really should have enjoyed this more. read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - CHOWDER FROTS BACON WRAPPED SHRIMP - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

We ordered four dishes and ate them all family-style so we could sample a little bit of everything The cheesy shrimp and grits are a must-order for the table. It comes with four very plump shrimp sitting on a bed of gooey cheese all on top of grits that provides a great contrast in texture. The New England chowder was good but the sourdough was a bit stale and hard to chew so maybe skip the bread bowl and order just the soup. I was super excited to try the house specialty pan roast with shredded blue crab, shrimp, clams, mussels, and sausage. It was loaded with a lot of seafood so they don't skimp out on that. However, the flavor was interesting since it had a smoky undertone that wasn't particularly my favorite. We got it with rice which helped balance out the flavors more but it wasn't what I was expecting. That said, the jambalaya was delicious. The rice was cooked perfectly in the tomato herb spiced sauce and they weren't lying when they said it was slightly spicy. I took small breaks because it got to me sometimes but in a good way. Don't miss out on this dish. It was quite empty on a Tuesday night so we were seated right away. The workers were very attentive and checked in on us often so the experience was great. read more

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Love the happy hour! Brussels sprouts are amazing! Fish and chips were tasty and crispy! The oysters are fresh! We've also had soft shell crab po boy and the house specialty pan roast - both were delicious! Nice indoor and outdoor seating area. Good service. read more

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Located inside the Irvine Spectrum, you can find the dive near the movie theaters. The space is open and clean. I love a good outdoor seating, there was a bar-like seating with heater above to keep you warm. Came on a weekday so it was not too busy. We ordered the soft shell crab and pan roast. The soft shell crab had a nice fry, only came with 2 pieces, 2 crabs cut in half with an aioli sauce. The pan roast was creamy and lush, but needed more spice. We had the spice on the side, they use chopped habeneros. The dish typically comes with one scoop of rice or pasta (your choice), but you can always request a second scoop with the server. I was hoping it would be like Ritter's but the flavor is diffeeent. Overall, I'd still suggest coming to try their pan roast or oysters during happy hour (3-6). read more

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I came in this past week to eat $1 oysters and try a new dish. I asked the server if the jambalaya had dairy in it meaning milk, cream, cheese, butter, etc. to which he told me, "No, the jambalaya does not contain dairy." I am severely lactose intolerant, and for the past 2.5 days I have been suffering. Our server literally walked to the back to clarify food allergens and told me in confidence that there is no dairy. Please retrain staff on food allergens as that's literally Food Handler's Certificate 101!!! Edit: I called the restaurant to confirm whether or not they use butter in the jambalaya, and the person answered, very quickly, "Yes we use butter." read more

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

Went to the dive oyster bar for date night. We always pass by it when we go to the movie theater so we finally wanted to try it. We went around Friday at 6:30 and got seated right away. The menu overall looked good but we were more intrigued by the small bites. We ended up getting the chowder frots to share. They looked a lot bigger on the picture but they were great! We really enjoyed them!!!! The chowder was delicious and we would want to come back to try it. There was a combination of fried and tots. Overall we loved the flavor but thought they were small as they looked bigger on the picture. We would come back! read more

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

I've come here multiple times for the delicious pan roast and would come back again for this dish. The ambiance of the restaurant is really nice. Employees are really friendly as well. I've never written a review for this place, even though I've had several positive visits prior. I ordered oysters here for the first time today on Labor Day. I had a massive craving for oysters and taste wise they were really delicious and were very fresh. We also got gumbo and the cajun shrimp pasta which were good. However, within two hours after consumption, I got sick with bad abdominal pain and terrible diarrhea.. I must have gotten sick from vibrio. I saw several other reviews about people vomiting and getting diarrhea after eating the oysters. I don't think I'll order oysters from this restaurant in the future due to my experience, but may come back for the other dishes. read more

I've been to Oyster and Dive twice now and unfortunately the food has been very inconsistent. The first time I went at night and ordered the pan roast, which was decent. This time I ordered the chicken po' boy and it looked completely different from the picture very disappointing presentation and not what was expected. The calamari was badly overcooked and tasted burnt. The only thing worth mentioning was the bread pudding with ice cream and fruit compote that was actually very good. Overall, the quality does not match the prices, and based on my experiences, I wouldn't return read more

We only tried small plates but it was really good. Easy sitting, casual modern setup, good service. We had the frots and chowder, and that was really tasty and you can tell the chowder is full of clams, creamy but not overly heavy. The popcorn crawfish had a good mouth feel, but the crawfish themselves didn't shine. It could have been pretty much anything. Couple of small oysters to start, perfect, sweet, creamy, a good balance. The green spicy sauce that comes with is awesome. read more

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Great service, cute restaurant and really good oysters! We stopped in for a quick meal before a movie and everything was fantastic. read more

The Dive Oyster Bar - Mixed assortment of oysters, michelada (super tasty!) and champagne. - Southern Near Me - Irvine, California

This is my second time trying the dive bar and I was really craving the calm chowder! The calm chowder was very good. It was a nice creamy soup and there were lots of calms at the bottom. The server was nice and recommended all the food items my husband and I wanted to eat. We ordered quite a lot and they were a bit concern that we ordered all these food lol. I like a big nice spread. New update about trying the food was that I didn't like the truffle oil with the Mac and cheese. I think it would taste better without the oil. The pan roast tasted better, but I would get it without the bell peppers. The calms and mussels had a nice citrus sauce flavor. Fish and chips were burnt, I was a bit sad about that. But the fries were good. Thank you. read more

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I'm a huge fan of the pan roast at Ritter's, so when I heard this place had opened up in Irvine Spectrum, I was super excited. The place is casual, with beer on tap. Service is good. I have been here twice and unfortunately, this place did not live up to expectations. I've tried multiple dishes here and they've been just okay. The pan roast was too creamy, not enough spices. The blackened salmon salad was dry and the salmon was overcooked. The jambalaya, Brussels sprouts, and chowder frots were just okay. read more

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We came for happy hour and my moms birthday. The food was great, oysters delicious and lobster rolls were great. The mussels and the juices it came with were great. The stars came off for service and lack of accommodation. We were sat outside on the patio and it was an incredibly hot day, we asked multiple times if it was possible to go inside, we had a party of 5 adults and 2 kids. There was clearly enough room inside to push together tables and at the time was not yet busy. It was our party and one other at the time of arrival. Even the waiter commented that he was hot. I found it extremely inconvenient and it really affected our experience. They either need fans outside, to be more accommodating, open the shades to give some airflow on the patio, or not sit people outside on hot days because this was unacceptable. read more

Food was amazing, went during their happy hour on a Friday! Given it was a Friday I was very surprised at how calm and relaxing. It was in the restaurant. Service was great, and the food was amazing, I got some of their happy hour oysters, which never disappoint. I was warned that their chimichurri sauce was a little spicy and I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty and spicy it was! read more

Their oysters were to die for! The chowder frogs were amazing and the ciappono, can't go wrong!!

Really wanted to like this place, but was so underwhelmed. The service was great and they were attentive, but the food was lacking in taste and quality. We ordered the lobster roll. The bun was warm as was the lobster meat, but they put OLD BAY seasoning on top and even just a little is so strong. The seasoning hides the freshness of the lobster as well as the taste. Each bite was a mouth full of old bay. We also got the clam chowder and man, that had no flavor whatsoever. Its missing the fat and salt from bacon. It tasted like mimi's cafe clam chowder... maybe even worse. Couldn't even taste the clam. Also the market price was 37$ and with other lobster joints such as hook,anchor or lobster west, or broad street oyster co to name a few, this place cannot compete. read more

First time visitor at the Irvine Spectrum Plenty of parking around the parking structure located next to Silverlake ramen by Javier's Happy hour options Seafood / pan roast / appetizers - easy to share, date night, or sit at the bar and watch sports from the 2 flat screens. Open and airy with both indoor and outdoor seating Was able to walk in around 9pm Hostess also the server was nice and offered recommendations Has the pan roast chicken and sausage with rice Fried oysters and chowder frots and madewest ipa Pan roast - mild with large chunks of sausage and cube chicken breast in a healthy tomato base roast with some type of malt vinegar spice taste with bell Peppers and other veggies, very shareable and wish there was a larger portion of rice provided in ratio to the large bowl Fried oyster over a bed of mix green had a nice briny taste and crisp and not overly breaded and nice little morsels - freshly fried and tasty with squeeze of lemon and added to the pan roast for extra flavor and soaking of the broth Chowder frots had fries and tator tots and cheese and chowder and purple onion and tomato on and green onion, great hangover food - not overly filling or greasy Pricing is a bit higher in relation to how much food is received so a good spot to share and be cost effective Would come back to try other things especially their oyster special of the day and or happy hour read more

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Love coming here! Food is good and always hot when it comes out. Service can be a little better, following up on orders and asking if we are ready to order. We had to wave down the server a couple of times. The playlist they have on is really good too! Will definitely be back and try happy hour! read more

Pretty good place to grab some seafood at the spectrum! Nice happy hour too from 3-6pm on Monday-Friday (Deals on beers and small bites). We ordered a bunch of different things to try! I really enjoyed the House Pan Roast and Gumbo! Good flavor and I recommend getting rice and pasta on the side to eat with it. I also really liked the chowder fries. I thought the hot Cheetos Mac and cheese was okay, it's good to try; after a few bites you kind of get tired of it, kinda heavy, but good to share! We also tried the chicken strips and I would avoid this (A little hard and dry). I didn't have any, but heard the scallops and oysters were good from other members of our party that ordered them! Overall, I would recommend this place! read more

PRO: $1 oysters CONS: Also ordered the calms and mussels on hh and received 3 clams and 4 mussels (& one of them was closed). Even for the discounted price it was pretty sad looking. Service was meh. Everyone there seemed uninterested in helping us. OVERALL: Oysters were good but definitely not rushing back to this place anytime soon read more

The Dive Oyster Bar is located at the Irvine Spectrum, close to the movie theater. There's indoor and outdoor seating and the restroom in the back is clean. Ambiance is chill and casual. Customer service is attentive and has recommendations if asked. We ordered mimosas, popcorn crawfish and po' boy. Our food came out timely, flavor was fair and proportion was good. read more

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The jambalaya was delicious and full of flavor, and the pan roast with chicken and sausage did not disappoint. If this is your first time here, trust me you need to try it. Totally worth it. read more

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

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This was my first time here and I'm already planning a trip back to one of their other locations. My friend and I visited this spot mainly because I was craving oysters and she wanted to shop. I'm no oyster connoisseur, so we opted to ask our server for the most popular. We got to try the top 4 of their most popular and boy were these all high quality delicious oysters! My friend and I also split a jambalaya which was good, but probably not something I'd get again. We paired our meals with some pinot gringo and sangria. The pinot was fantastic and the sangria literally tasted like punch. From the moment we entered, the hostess to the servers were all absolutely fantastic. This restaurant has an indoor-outdoor concept. We were sat towards the outside, but there was a heater right on top of us so it didn't even feel cold on a Friday at 6pm. This location is inside of Irvine Spectrum with parking offered for free in their structure. I did see that they have happy hour from 3-6pm so I'm excited to come back for happy hour oysters. read more

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I'm a huge fan of the Oyster bar in Palace Station in Vegas and this place serves a Pan Roast just like them. I have to admit when it first opened a year ago while good it did not match Palace Station. Since then, they've improved their pan roast and I literally do not feel the need to travel to Vegas to get my pan roast. The one thing I do ask is this place adds their sausages back into their House pan roast. Try this place out it's great. P/S their Chicken Alfredo pasta is great! read more

Our experience was good but a bit pricey for what you get. We ordered the house pan roast, clam chowder, fries, and some drinks -- everything tasted nice and fresh. The restaurant was very clean, and the staff was attentive and friendly, which made the visit pleasant. The main downside for us was the location; it's quite a walk from the parking lot, which made getting there a bit inconvenient. Overall, a decent spot but probably won't be back just because of that. read more