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    The Plot

    4.5 (194 reviews)

    The Plot Photos

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    THE PLOT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Hipster
    Casual
    Trendy

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    Recommended Reviews - The Plot

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    Reviews With Photos

    Kbbq chickën sandwich
    Kyna S.

    Such a great spot to catch up with a friend! Gabriella was awesome--super friendly and made sure our food was just right. Ordered: * KBBQ Kitchen Sandwich with truffled fries * Spicy Korean BBQ Chicken. We're not huge on spice, but she nailed the perfect level of heat. Plus, the chef sent out a delicious , rich in flavor appetizer on the house! Definitely coming back for more!

    Yuzu Yams
    Madeline S.

    I came to The Plot for the first time this weekend and was more than impressed. I love that all their food is farm to table and zero waste! While everything is completely vegan, you'd never know. Everything has a ton of flavor and is visually appealing too. I loved that the dinner starts with a complementary amuse-bouche and it was delicious. Our server was kind, attentive and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend ending your meal with the chocolate mousse! It was light, but full of flavor! Whether you're vegan or not, I think there's a little something for everyone at The Plot!

    Aja W.

    This vegan spot is delicious! The Brussel sprouts were so bomb, we ordered 2. The restaurant is round, kinda like a yurt set up. So cool! Tons of shops and other good spots around. The service was attentive. When in Costa Mesa again, will definitely visit again.

    Menu
    Rie M.

    I was particularly feeling delicate today and I am so happy with my choice for lunch because the Plot was able to match my current BEing and wanted the comfort of food... I felt like i was dining in a Michelin Star Restaurant as soon as the Winter Squash Medley plate was delivered to my table As the menu describes it includes Tahitian, Delicata, and koginut squash with pickled onion, smoked yogurt, date syrup and buckwheat delicately sprinkled in dainty amounts. It was divine. Now, if you're looking for a "hungry man" meal, this dish alone will not satiate; you would want to order at least another item on the menu! So, for this sit down at the Plot, "Christian", my server recommended the Spam Kimchi Bowl, which has red lentil spam, crispy rice scallion, sesame, napa cabbage and sea beans. The sauce on this dish was very much to my liking and the combination of textures of the meal were perfect! This is only the 2nd time that I have had sea beans in my entire life and it truly gives this unique dish a twist. From the crunch & crisp of the rice to the fantastic flavor of the red lentil "spam," this one of a kind is to be enjoyed fresh to order; DO NOT ORDER it to go! These two items are definitely meant to be served and enjoyed soon after it is prepared from the kitchen. The Plot is my go to eatery at The Camp in Costa Mesa. I have not had one meal (yet) that I have ordered that I did not enjoy! Well done Chef! Excellent customer service! Well replenished and very clean restrooms!

    Korean Chicken Sandwich
    Caroline T.

    I've heard raving reviews about this place and needed to try it myself. Let's say when I arrived, I was a bit disappointed with service. I was standing there for a good solid 15 min until the host/server realized I was there since she was chatting it up with the only table there. Place was completely empty other than the table she was talking to. Now on to the food... I had the Korean Chicken Sandwich. It was definitely delicious, but such a HUGE entree that I couldn't even finish half of the sandwich. You definitely get your moneys worth on this one. I believe that is place took over Native Foods. So there isn't much of a distinction between the two different restaurants. Lovely tent restaurant... the only that through me off was the server. She was quite pushy on getting my food in. Would I be back?! Probably not... I believe service should be better. That definitely makes a difference.

    interior
    Van D.

    I am typically a fan of plant-based food and I had been looking forward to going to the Plot for a long time. Located at the Camp where Native Foods used to be. Parking is always horrendous, but you might get lucky if you try to vulture parking. They have plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The inside area has a bar area and half booths. I was seated at a half booth, and forgotten for a bit. Service was generally on the slow side. I love that they have the Fermensch Kombucha brand ($6/can) but I was sad they didn't have the yuzu. Of their available flavors, I got the hibiscus ginger. Still good, but I just prefer the yuzu. Due to the recommendation of the waitress I got their Seasonal Toast Flight ($15). This comes with three half slices of toasts. It was overly thick and the flavors didn't stand out. The fall special flavors were goat cheese and spiced apples, pumpkin miso relish and oyster mushrooms, and tomato jam with butter beans and crispy gyro chunks. If you look at my picture you would see that I only took a bite out of 2 of them and only finished 1 after removing some ingredients. I was SO HUNGRY, so that said a lot about how I felt about this thick flavorless dry toast. I also ordered a Chicken and Waffles ($17.50). The faux chicken was just fried tofu. That syrup was much needed cause everything else was just dry. The waffles were okay after dunking into the syrup. The coating of the tofu could use more flavor. I ate a piece of each to see how it tasted fresh but I took the rest to go to take home and combine with other ingredients. I wanted to like the Plot so much since I need restaurants in my rotation for religious vegetarian days, but this was really disappointing.

    burrata & stonefruit  half farmers salad
    Alexis K.

    Neither very bad nor very good! It's an aesthetic place in the anti-mall that specializes in vegan dishes. You seat yourself, so we sat on the patio. Service was slow as there was only one server for the entire restaurant. My friend and I shared some appetizers, while my sister order a main dish. My sister really did not like her Crispy "Chicken" Sandwich. My friend and I thought the half farmers salad and burrata w stonefruit were pretty good. I personally wouldn't call the vegan cheese spread that's served with that salad to be called burrata, as it's more of a ricotta. Everything on the menu is very healthy. You won't necessarily be very disappointed. I just know for a fact that there are other, much better places in the vicinity.

    Lentil soup
    Angela B.

    If you're looking for fresh flavors and more sit-down, don't hesitate to try this place out! Yummy vegan food coming from an Asian vegetarian food enjoyer lol ========= Complimentary app of carrot hummus and Idr was yummy $30 before tip and tax for satiated/full bellies Two people got: 1 app - lentil soup 1 salad - bean salad 1 seasonal app - squash tartare with cabbage (seasonal) Normally I'm a huge fan of Asian vegetarian food, but decided to try this place out as I heard the reviews were pretty good. The food didn't taste weird like how some vegan food can be, it tasted very fresh with quality ingredients and it was scrumptious. Bae was very happy with the cold bean salad and it wasn't boring with the addition of cucumber, pickled onion, and sweet tomato that was dressed in a creamy sauce. lentil soup was tomato based, bae really liked it but I prefer chicken Maisons as a heartier flavor. squash tartare was my fav with a sweet, salty, creamy, crunchy thing going on. If it didn't have the soy dressing, it wouldn't be the same. Breakfast offerings seem more filling, since they have biscuits and gravy and shepherds pie. I don't doubt those items to be bad. Service was fine, the lady was friendly and efficient. There's a large fire outside so you can be warm during winter.

    biscuits & gravy
    El H.

    Very healthy and elevated biscuits and gravy, yet absolutely delicious! The "chicken" is tofu which was great. The staff were also very kind! My only complaint is that they don't have any spicy peppers, but they did give me hot sauce.

    Cabbage with spam and sea asparagus
    Poupee C.

    Wow! So healthy! I do love my meat, but I must say, it was one of the best vegan restaurants I have experienced in a long time. (The last vegan/vegetarian restaurant that left such an impact on me was 1994 in Belgium) We did family style and shared: xo cabbage - charred cabbage, "spam", and sea asparagus (this was not mentioned in the menu, but I only knew because I discovered this at a local Japanese market and I became a little obsessed with it) with spicy xo ponzu soy. carrotfish and chips - beer battered "fish" topped with dehydrated malt vinegar. Fries. herb aioli. Also came with "beet" catsup. Paired with kombucha: Fermensch Kombucha - Bloom flavor - Blueberry, lavender, and chamomile. Clean eating at its finest. And delicious too! Eating whole foods felt really good inside and out. Eco-friendly. Coming here gave me hope for the future. Service was polite and quick. Nestled in "The Camp" at Bristol in Costa Mesa. It was lunch hour but parking was not so bad this day.

    Specialty crepe of the day
    Alexis O.

    Incredible vibes and food! We sat on the porch with our dog, the staff was super pet friendly which is always a perk. This menu is awesome, there is something for everyone. I ordered the gluten free/vegan biscuits and gravy and the specialty gluten free crepe of the day. I have 0 complaints everything was crafted perfectly and had awesome flavor. 10/10 Everything here is vegan, but not everything is gluten free!

    Menu - 2/2
    Jennifer Y.

    The Plot is a plant-based restaurant located at the Camp. The team prioritizes sustainability and local sourcing. There are a lot of other food and drink spots here. It tends to get very busy and parking can be difficult. My friend and I came here on a weeknight and it was busy, but we we were able to find a parking spot relatively quickly. The Plot looks like a yurt. We love the design and decor of the interior. Staff greeted us upon entering and we were seated immediately. Our order consisted of the Roasted Yuzu Yam, XO Cabbage, and Biscuits and Gravy. We were also given an amuse bouche of a rice cracker with pickled vegetables. The yam and cabbage came out first. They were both plated beautifully. The yams were soft but not mushy and we could easily taste the yuzu which we enjoyed. The char flavor of the cabbage came through and the sea beans (?) on top added a pop of salt to the dish. After finishing those two, we were served the Biscuits and Gravy. The gravy was tasty and the "chicken" was seasoned well. The biscuits were on the mushy side which we were disappointed about. Otherwise, it was a solid dish. Overall, The Plot gets a 4/5. We enjoyed the ambiance and the plating of the food. This is a good spot for plant-based meals.

    *Fish* and chips.  Fried carrot fish and chips
    Grace T.

    Came here whilst on a work-cation. Lots of parking were available. It's in a nice little cozy shopping area. The plot is a beautiful restaurant here with seating both inside and outside. We chose to sit outside. I loved the restaurant when I ate in oceanside. And recommended my colleagues to come with me We had delicious vegan food. Service is fantastic. We ordered multiple dishes to share. We had vegan polenta with chorizo, vegetable tempura, carrot *fish* and chips, and a kale salad with tofu. We enjoyed it so much we kept raving about it- the chef sent more food to us We were so happy and so full but we still gorged more on the extra tempura. This was a delightful meal. Good food coupled with good friends this was a great night

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    Ask the Community - The Plot

    Are there gluten free options?

    Yes they do!

    Are there allium-free options (no onion, no garlic)?

    I'm sure you can ask for food to be made without it. May be best to contact restaurant directly first.

    Is there a kids menu for dinner? I have a 9 yr old and a 5 yo old

    Not sure but the food is really good. I'm not sure how old your baby is but I might recommend getting an appetizer and entree then sharing if they're old enough to do so. Cheers.

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    What a great little trendy bar hidden away! After the OC Fair we felt like a little nightcap &…read morethrough Yelp found this little gem. The ambiance was so cool with lots of Asian inspired decorations, total eye candy. The line for the drinks was a little long but went pretty fast and we were lucky to score 2 seats inside almost immediately. If not, you can stand around or sit on other little tables on their outside patio. You can view the drinks through a QR code, a wall menu or above the bar. The drinks were really good with fun names, it was hard to decide which I'd make my first! A great place to visit and enjoy a good drink.

    A very special bar, from the drinks to the decor. I really like that they are open during the day…read moreand also late at night, with mixed indoor and outdoor seating (though the outdoor seating is a bit worn). Vibes are always good. If you have some time while browsing The Lab during the day, I recommend stopping by for a drink! It's also nice to include in your barhopping itinerary in the evening since there are a number of breweries around too. I've had mixed experiences with the bartenders. Luckily, the gentleman manning the bar during my most recent visit was very friendly. Drinks are always great. I've tried a variety of drinks from the menu here, but my favorites are: -Love in Drunk, a lovely cocktail with cucumber and grapefruit flavors that create a fresh watermelon taste when mixed together -Bee's Knees, short but strong and sweet -London Mule, very herbal thanks to the gin and very refreshing

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    Coconut pineapple peach shots. Phenomenal.
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    Verdant

    Verdant

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    We were going to OCMA so my friend suggested we dine at Verdant which is in the museum, or at least…read moreit used to be. We checked in at the museum front desk and my friend said we were going up to restaurant on the third floor. The person at the desk said they moved it and it was on the first floor now. She pointed over to what I knew to be the snack bar that had been there since opening. We went over and sure enough it was just drinks snacks and a few pre-packaged light meals. I have to guess they just quietly went away.

    I'd like to start out by thanking our server, Christian for being very accommodating and helping us…read moreout on Sunday! I had made a reservation online for 6 people at 12:30pm and my reservation was accepted. When we got to the museum, we were told the restaurant was closing at 12:30pm and I felt very upset. Why was the reservation accepted then? When I got to Verdant, there was no one in sight. The restaurant was empty and there was 1 other party, but no staff. I actually ended up making my way near the kitchen, and that's where I found Christian, who appeared really busy. He explained that they had a wedding later that day and had to close at 1pm for set up. He still sat our party and was very kind, accommodating and helpful. He gave me a great tip and said when making cafe reservations, it's best to call ahead, because they do sometimes have event buy outs. As far as the ambiance, it is a really beautiful space. But, it was SO cold. It seemed like the AC was on full blast. The food was pretty good, but the menu seemed to change since I was there last.

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    The Great Room

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    The great room is a restaurant within the Weston. It's got a casual but ups ale type vibe. I had…read morebreakfast there and it was on point. I had the classic American breakfast of eggs, bacon, hash browns and sourdough toast. The servers were attentive without being too present. I always appreciate that. I'd come back tomorrow if I was staying another night.

    Brunch at The Great Room in Costa Mesa was such a classy casual vibe. The ambience feels modern and…read morerelaxed, and we had a lovely view of the fountain outside which made everything feel a little more elevated and serene. We ordered the Lox and Bagel with smoked salmon, capers, cream cheese, pickled red onions, fresh dill, and sun dried roasted tomatoes. The salmon was fresh and silky, and I loved the brightness from the pickled onions and dill. The roasted tomatoes added a nice depth of flavor. I also had the white crab white omelette with spinach and substituted the fruit for hash browns. The omelette was light and fluffy, and the crab added a subtle sweetness. The hash browns were crispy and satisfying. Cappuccinos were great, rich, smooth, and perfectly foamy. Just note they are nine dollars each, which feels a little steep, but they were well made. Service was pretty good overall, attentive and friendly without being overbearing. Overall, a solid four stars. Great atmosphere, quality brunch options, and a polished setting that feels perfect for a relaxed weekend catch up. I would come back for the vibes and the cappuccino.

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    We made a reservation at Pioneer and really enjoyed this little spot! It's tucked inside a diner,…read moreso it can be a little hard to find at first, but it's just inside the back patio area with a cute wooden saloon-door entrance. The space is small, cozy, and intimate with just a few tables. Our waitress was super friendly and took the time to explain the menu and different options to us. - Guava Y Queso (4.5/5): I loved this! It was really unique with the cream cheese topping, but the combination worked so well. Definitely a fun spot for cocktails and something a little different!

    Lets try this again since my original review was removed…read more The night was going great. We just had dinner near by and decided get drinks here. We've been here a few times before and always thought it was decent. So, we made the last minute reservation online and got here 15 minutes early. When we arrived, there was a short line, but per the reservation instructions, one of my friends went in to check in while we waited outside. Friend: Hi, I'm checking in for a reservation. Bartender: What time is your reservation. Friend: 10 Bartender: What time is it now? Friend: 9:45 Bartender: Then I'll see you at 10pm. Friend came back annoyed and explained what happened. The bartender didn't say it in a joking way, but with attitude and annoyance. Most staff would respond "Thank you for checking in, we will let you know when your table is available." We weren't going to let this ruin our night, so we waited and were seated by the hostess. The bar itself is dimly lit and very tight. The music was loud enough that we had to almost yell to hear each other. The waiter came by soon after and was extremely friendly. We said we'd been here a few times before, but it's been a while. He refreshes our memory by saying they specialize making variations of classics. They want customers to focus on the flavors and that's why the menu doesn't list the spirit in their drinks. Also, they only make drinks on the menu because their drinks are prebatched/premade. We ask for recommendations which he was happy to give. We each order a drink and a snack for the table. As we're talking (very loudly so we can hear each other), we lose track of time before we realize that it's been 20 minutes and we haven't gotten our drinks yet. For something that's prebatched, it shouldn't take long. Before we can flag down the waiter, he comes by and apologizes that they lost our order and had to put it back in. We appreciate the honesty and say it's no problem. 5 minutes later, our drinks and food arrives. He again apologizes for the wait and has a second order of our food that he's including for free. Honestly we were ok with just the apology, but extra food too? Hell yea. Sounds like it was turning around. The drinks were okay. Not amazing, but definitely above average 3.8 / 5. The snack, bread and butter, were surprisingly good. 4.5 / 5 When we asked for the check, the waiter brought the credit card reader and told us we can swipe our card any time and left it on our table. We look at the bill and realize the waiter not only gave us the 2nd snack for free, but comp'd 2 of the drinks also. We all agree this waiter is GREAT. So why the 2 stars? Well first let me say, I would leave it at 1 star, but the waiter definitely earned them another. We wanted to pay cash, so we waited for him to come back. Instead, the original rude bartender comes by and realizes we haven't paid yet. We ask if we can pay with cash. He explains that they don't accept cash. Friend: Are you sure? *Proceeds to try to insert cash into the chip reader slot* Bartender: You're pretty stupid, aren't you? Friend: Maybe if I swipe it instead *Doubles down and proceeds to swipe the cash through the magnetic strip reader* Bartender: Wow, you really are stupid. My friend is a 100% a goofball and having fun with the bartender. It was OBVIOUS that he was joking. Was it funny? A little. Was it stupid? 100%. But for the bartender or ANY customer service staff to call a paying customer "stupid", that's simply unacceptable. We're all pretty pissed at this point and simply swipe the card and the bartender leaves. As I said earlier, we've come here a few times. We don't live especially close, but when we're in the area, we would always consider coming here. Now, there's no chance. For any business, even if your drinks and food are great, customer service can easily DESTROY your experience and that's exactly what the bartender did. Note to the male bartender with no hair: You really shouldn't be interacting with customers. You were rude from the start and have no sense of humor. Could you be having a bad day? Sure, but that's not an excuse to be rude to customers. I know management saw my original post because it was removed, probably because I referred to the bartender by his hairstyle (or lack thereof) multiple times. If they rather remove my post than deal with their bartender, that's another sign to avoid this place.

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    The Plot - vegan - Updated August 2026

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