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The Golden Eatery

4.3 (167 reviews)
Closed 12:00 pm - 7:00 PM

The Golden Eatery Photos

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THE GOLDEN EATERY ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - The Golden Eatery

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Reviews With Photos

Classic Smash Burger
Harrison T.

A great spot for delicious smash burgers, loaded fires, wings, and hotdogs! They are located in the 4th Street Market Food Hall and I stopped by yesterday for lunch and had a good meal here. I went for their classic smash burger and their cheese fries. My smash burger was delicious. The patty was well smashed, it was flavorful and not dry, the buns were toasted and the sauce on top added to the overall richness. The cheese fries were good and there was plenty of cheese sauce throughout the box they came in and there was a hefty amount of fries and it's easily shareable. Service was friendly and fast and ordering was a breeze. The overall atmosphere is relaxing and lively with the various other tenants open and people walking about. If you want some good comfort food, I recommend stopping by the Golden Eatery!

Tater tots
Angela Y.

There's no problem a solid smash burger can't solve. We got both the traditional and the bourbon bacon smash, and a side of tater tots. The traditional smash is beefy, juicy, and everything a good smash burger should be. But the bourbon bacon smash really stole the show. The subtle sweetness and caramelization really bring out the flavor of the beef. The tater tots are perfectly cooked as well. Love that they made it extra crispy. The meal was really filling as expected, but it's worth it for some sunshine and dank smash burger :)

CHILLI LOADED FRIES, SINGLE SMASH, NOT YOUR REGULAR CHICKEN SANDO COMBO
William M.

Hanging out in the OC and decided to stop by the 4th Street Market for lunch. My nephew decided that he wanted to try The Golden Eatery, so I went with him. Looked over the menu and I got the single smash and an order of the chili fries. My nephew got a chicken sandwich combo (FYI - it doesn't come with a drink, just regular fries). While I was placing my order some random guy (homeless???) eating a plate of food TOLD me to order him a drink. You read that right, he told me like I knew him and he was part of my party. I just looked at him confused and went about placing my order. He tapped me on the shoulder again and said "never mind" as someone else handed him a soda. (This did no influence the rating). I pay and they handed me a pager. So we walked around to see what else the Marketplace had to offer while we waited.....and waited.....and waited. It took about 15 minutes to finally get our food, which consisted of 2 burgers and 2 fries. It took a really long time for the food to be ready. My single smash burger was good - had a sort of thousand island spread on it, the buns were slightly toasted and the cheese was nicely melted. The chili fries had a good amount of chili on them, it was nice and chunky with a lot of ground beef in it. My nephew said the chicken was a decent sized and was moist. The fries were seasoned well and had a good amount of crisp. Overall the food was good . The price tag: 2 burgers, fries and an order of chili fries was over $40 and did not include drinks. Kinda hefty considering you can get the same quality of food from your local burger chain with the double palm trees. The other issue for me was the amount of time it took to get our food, it was really long and annoying, The rest of our party (who went to other vendors for food) had received their food and begun eating by the time we finally got ours. While the food was good, the wait and price just didn't work out for me.

Carolina R.

I had the Nashville Tots with the coleslaw and sauce on the side. Overall the tots were crispy but the flavor of the chicken was okay. I didn't get it spicy so maybe that is why but overall the tots were okay.

OG NASHVILLE SANDO
Elliott G.

Was looking for another restaurant actually and stumbled upon this place. I can say with certainty it was 100% worth it! I asked the guy working what he suggested for a first timer and he said the Nashville Hot Chicken. I went with medium spice and it's definitely got a bite but it was delicious! The chicken was moist and juicy, the flavor was incredible! The vibes are cool as it's in this market that has a bunch of restaurants. I can't wait to go back as they have a few more menu items that look just as good!

Nashville hot chicken breakfast burrito
Alexander F.

Came here twice for the Nashville hot chicken breakfast burrito. What a wild combination, but something I'd still come back for. It's no longer "on the menu", but I asked for it and they were able to make it. My friend also got a smash burger here the first time I went and he said it was pretty good. I can't give a full five stars because there was another time I came here, and the hours were listed at (I believe) up to 7pm on Yelp. It was like 6:20pm and they were already closing, so that was unfortunate. But yeah, would still recommend this place for the breakfast burrito and probably even try the burger and fries.

Double smash, seasoned fries IG: @bobabitchess
Audrey F.

I'm not much of a hamburger person but the double smash burger was so good. It came with chopped grilled onions, chopped pickles, cheese, and their special sauce on a potato bun. It was super cheesy and juicy and tasted similar to a Shake Shack burger. It didn't look like a lot of food but was more than enough with a side of fries. And then the fries came packed with a seasoning similar to Old Bay Seasoning so you don't even need ranch or ketchup with them. It's located inside of 4th Street Market so it has a hip, trendy vibe. I like that they have outdoor seating both in the front and in the back, so that I can bring my dog.

Garlic Parmesan Wings
Fred G.

I dropped by this restaurant at 4th street market and couldn't have been more pleased with my decision. I'm used to dry rub garlic parmesan but this sauce was fantastic. The wings came well seasoned and of high quality and they tasted fresh. The person working there was friendly and helpful in guiding my decision making and I never felt rushed. I would highly recommend this restaurant for anyone in Santa Ana looking for wings...they can be considered somewhat pricy but the quality is tough to beat. For those used to a dry rub garlic parnesan I suggest you request it on the side as they do tend to out a lot of sauce on the wings as you can see in the pic

Hotness Scale
Mike N.

Santa Ana, Ca. I come to this kind of funky food court when I charge my car. I liked the sound of the Nashville chicken tacos so I ordered two It took awhile, partly because the cook was taking on multiple orders placed before me and partly because of this maintenance guy with a lot of keys on his belt who wanders around this mall doing noticeably nothing. He is infatuated with the woman who works here and relentlessly engages her in conversation and not only wasting her time but distracting her from her food prep duties. She was sort of unfriendly but patient with me, but willing to listen even if disinterestedly to the key dude. The tacos are large with a large piece of fried chicken breast nestled in the shell. They are loaded with a sauce and are runny and messy and difficult to eat. But they are amazingly delicious. I mean holy crap these are good. There is a hotness scale to choose from and I picked medium. I think I'll choose hot next time as medium is just a bit below the heat that I like. Copious napkins are a necessity, I had to go back with my messy hands to get many more. The ness is worth it absolutely .

Daniel M.

This place is pretty good but expensive. So beware of that. I don't really care, I've eaten here once before and it was tasty. So this time I took my GF before we went to a concert on 7/22. The Golden Eatery is located on 4th Street in the eating hall area. It's always pretty busy here so just know you can be waiting a while. We had a very simple order. 2 Smashburgers (1 Single/1 Double) w/ Tater tots and Mac & cheese. And 2 drinks. It all tasted so good! The double smash was just too much for myself, I should've definitely gotten a single lol. The mac and cheese wasn't very good at all. It tasted like it was microwaved and left sitting for a while. By the time it got to us it was cold, and not lukewarm. Besides the MAC, everything else was pretty solid.

DOUBLE SMASH COMBO
Racquel B.

My husband got the double smash burger and I tasted it. One thing I can say is this was truly a smash burger. Some places think smash means the meat is so thin it turns into to nothing but a crips. This is a real smash burger, still thick but flat. The burger was juicy and perfectly cooked. You could taste the seasoning on the meat. The fries were also delicious. The service was great as well

Kaya E.

Stopped by to get some hot fried chicken and was really happy that the restaurant isn't too far from the freeway. Parking was really easy (street parking. And it in a really cute shared market space with lots of other fast food restaurants. I ordered their chicken sliders and wedgies. It was a 4/5. I thought the chicken could've been hotter, I got medium which was not spicy at all. I wish their wedges were seasoned better and they had whatever sauce was on the sandwich offered it for the fries in a small portion. The coleslaw on the sandwich was really good and didn't make the bread soggy. I'd stop by here again if I was in the Santa Ana area.

Carlos F.

The food - terrible. Overpriced burgers. They add a sauce to the burger that is not on the menu description. Service - TERRIBLE! Counter person argued with me over their mistake. They gave us or order wrong. Charged us for the triple burger like we ordered and gave us a double. Added a sauce to our chili fries and burger. Then complained we we asked what that sauce was. We showed our order that was very specific on what we wanted. Asked her to repeat the order to ensure she got it right and ofcourse it's wrong. Receive attitude when she said she will Just make it again. I told her to give me a refund instead and she yelled make that she said she will make it again. Terrible terrible terrible. Don't waste ur time or money coming here. Terrible food. Terrible service. Did I say terrible!!!!

3 Tenders (Mild)

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9 months ago

Great service, food was pretty good and the cashier was very kind to me and my friend

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Letssss get that hot going up, we’ll see ya next time

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Overpriced. Mediocre. Also bad customer service. And yeah that's all i have to say. I know why this is making me add 85 characters

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The Golden Eatery Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - The Golden Eatery

Are you ever open?

Hello Pedro, yes we are open every day besides Monday 12-7 pm Thank you

Is the chicken halal?

Yes 100% halal

Is the meat halal?

Yes it is 100% halal

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The Crack Shack

The Crack Shack

4.0
(2.1k reviews)
8.3 mi
$$
Free parking
Kid friendly

Very upbeat place to eat at, and the service is second to none! The food!! Oh my gosh the food is…read moreamazing!! Jerry the manager is very friendly and very sociable, speaking with everyone to ensure their experience is exceptional! The ambiance is fun and lively. And dogs are welcome!! My favorite place to eat!!

I've passed by The Crack Shack many times when visiting Hi-Time, and I finally decided to stop in…read morefor lunch on a Saturday afternoon. There is a good sized parking lot behind the restaurant. The ordering counter is on the front side of the building. Once parked, you can either walk around the building, or walk through the open-air covered patio. I walked around to get a closer look at the unique chicken-head Beatles' Abbey Road mural on the side of the building. The menu is obviously chicken-focused, and features various sandwiches, wraps, and salads, along with several sides. They also have a small breakfast menu served until noon on the weekend. After ordering, they will give you a number and bring your food when it's ready. I really enjoyed the dining area, which is a covered, open-air space with a high ceiling. I sat in one of the booths towards the front. Each booth has a classic painting on the wall with chicken heads on it. There are also many different types of tables thoughout, and more seating upstairs on the second floor. There is also additional seating in front of their full bar. I had the Coop Deville sandwich (fried breast, pickled fresno chiles, pickles, napa cabbage, lime mayo, artisan brioche bun, $14.50). The chicken breast was thick and piping hot, and had a great crunchy crust on it. All of the ingredients went together well and I loved the flavor. The bun was very fresh, and the sandwich wasn't as messy as I thought it might be. I was still a little hungry, so I went back and ordered the regular sized hand cut fries (regular size $4.50, large size $7.50). They are tossed in schmaltz (chicken fat) and a light dusting of spices. They were hot and fresh, and the regular size was way more than I could eat by myself. They have a self-serve sauce bar with five options on tap including ketchup, Srirarcha T000 Island, Sweet Baby G's BBQ, ranch, and pineapple mustard. I dipped my sandwich in the BBQ and Srirarcha Thousand Island, and my fries in the BBQ, ranch, and pineapple mustard. They have a cornhole game towards the back, are dog friendly, and host trivia night on Thursdays. I enjoyed the food and atmosphere, and would definitely return.

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Firebird
Firebird
The Crack Shack
SoCal Cobb Salad

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SoCal Cobb Salad
Byrd's Hot Chicken

Byrd's Hot Chicken

4.4
(834 reviews)
4.7 mi
$$

When you enter, the menu is displayed on the screens and you order on a tablet. The service was…read morequick and the food was hot even after the walk back to the hotel. I got a medium spice Nashvylle and fries. The heat, I think, was more than a medium but if you eat with the bun and coleslaw it helped with the heat. I really enjoyed the sandwich. The chicken was crisp and juicy. It is a messy eat so be careful especially when eating on a hotel bed.

Byrds hot chicken - 3.5/10 Pros: Juicy chicken and friendly…read moreservice, crinkle fries, buttered and toasted bread instead of plain bread. (over toasted). Fresh and hot. Cons: No restroom, messy storefront, no fountain drinks nor refills, sticky tables, limited seating. Cheese fries were bland and it tasted to milky, wouldve been better with spice or seasoning. Regular crinkle fries were to salty and after a few bites needed a drink. It was also inconsistently cooked. The seasoning was sour, herby? The toast was burnt. The chicken needs more breading, it was also very soggy on the bottom. There was oil pooled at the bottom. The breading was falling off the chicken and made it difficult to eat. I had to take a seperate bite of chicken and then breading. The seasoning is not like your regular hot chicken and is not close to the seasoning, it reminded me very much of canes just spicy. The seasoning was very inconsistent, some be salty, spicy, or bland. The sauce was also way too herby and tasted weird, i'm not 100% sure what sauce it was but I'm thinking it was the 24K sauce. Also for a medium spice I expected it to be more spicy and colorful.

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Inside
Inside
Chicken Wings, buffalo on the side.
Chicken Wings, buffalo on the side.
Front door and Byrd's Hot Chicken sign

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Front door and Byrd's Hot Chicken sign

The Golden Eatery - chickenshop - Updated June 2026

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