At first glance, Trade looks very promising, a trendy food hall with an abundant variety of eats to choose from. You can pick from gyros, pho, burgers, tacos, and much more. It's a cute semi-outdoorsy place with lots of tables and seats and a parking lot. But really, without the rose-colored glasses, Trade is just home to some mediocre vendors. It's the kind of place people go to once to try one food item that was raved about on social media. They definitely trade in quality and taste for aesthetics. Some of the vendors are overpriced and not worth it all. The only vendor I would recommend is probably Two Birds (their fried chicken sandwich is bomb!). read more

What a lovely mini outdoor food court they have here! Although parking can be a nightmare during the lunch rush, it was so worth the wait. Almost every food vendor had a nice line going. There is plenty of seating around but it does get jam packed. You aren't sitting directly under the sun either. There's a nice open canopy that covers most of the seating area. The have different choices from Japanese to American comfort foods and even a nice open bar to grab a cold one. Like I mentioned though, the lunch rush is a killer so either be patient or come way before or way after it! read more

Came here for the grand opening. Overall the Sandwich had a great taste, not overly messy, and was a quick ordering process. I got myself the Chicken Sandwich (not the double) and my son the mac n cheese. That Mac n cheese was amazing and my son a week later is still craving it. The staff is friendly and are helpful with their suggestions. The price seems appropriate for the quality but the seating arrangements here could be better especially on a sunny day. read more

Trade - Chicken sandwich was amazing - Food Court Near Me - Irvine, California

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Cơm Tấm, aka Broken Rice, is one of my favorite Vietnamese dish. I remember every weekend, I would ask my Mom to get me the broke rice dish with grilled pork and fried eggs. Mixed with fish sauce, the dish is simply perfect * The Broken Rice at the Trade Food offers DIY bowls with broken rice, your choice of proteins, and mixed veggies They have 3 types of rice, 5 types of veggies, 5 protein choices, and 6 yummy sauces Whether you like salmon or love brussel sprouts, there are literally 450 different combinations for you! read more

Its probably one of my favorite lunch spots! Such a small hipster looking food court. One of my favorite food restaurant in here is Butterleaf. I like the set up - there is good amount of seats available in the middle and it surrounded by multiple restaurants. It is pretty easy to locate, Google Map takes you right to the location. Even though it has a private parking lot its always crowded and I have had to make couple rounds to find parking , but then I just end up parking in the parking lot next to the complex. I made a mistake of grabbing lunch with my friend around noon and it was SUPER busy. We had to wait so long just to get our food and to find seats. I will be back to try out different places, especially Sweet Comforts. read more

If you were to compare this to Anaheim Packing District & 4th Street Market in Santa Ana, this place definitely lands in 3rd place, with the ambiance, options, and overall experience. Anaheim does have a greater ambiance and lots more places to offer, and 4th street definitely has better options than this place. Not to say that this place isn't great. The dining area is very plain at the least and has no color. It is straight off just foodie's that want to eat but not feel special. The oomph is more from packing district with the art booming everywhere. The food is largely good and some hit or miss places. I think Megadon really drops down the quality of poke places versus 4th street's Mar, which would win a street fight for poke easy. Of course things even out as Pig Pen is in both locations. There's the dessert place and an all fish place which are AOK to me. It is less than half the size than both packing house and 4th street. You can say this place can evolve, and it should. Hopefully it will. Either way, I think you can have a good time there if you are with the right people. Thanks for the meal. read more

Another food eatery is in town and it has a well rounded selection I meet up a friend here for early lunch on a sunny Wednesday at around 11am. Before making my selection of where to eat for lunch, we walked around to scan what TRADE had to offered. I enjoyed the layout of it. There's an outside court side where you can dine with stand like stores/merchants surrounding it. There's also other restaurants/shops in the plaza outside of that court side. These stores include popular merchants such as Portside, Dos Chinos, Pig Pen Delicacy, Two Birds, Butterleaf and the popular Sweet Combforts. I like the outside vibe but a little more shade and cover could help for sunny and rainy days. I came early because I knew parking could become fairly bad. We got there when it was opening places and when we had sat and ate, some others that came later than 11:30am didn't have anywhere to sit. That can be a problem if you are there during your lunch break for work. I do enjoy that TRADE has a good variety to choices. I want to come back and try other things there. read more

Trade is the new food hall that recently opened up in Irvine. It's on Michaelson and Bixby just down the street from the John Wayne Airport. It's an open-air food court with lots of offerings from Asian-Mexican fusion to waffles on sticks. I've hit up Pig Pen Delicacy, Portside, Center Hub, and Dos Chinos so far. There are more places I'd like to check out and it's a welcome addition to Irvine. I like places like this because if you're out with picky eaters, you can definitely find something for everyone in your party. This one happens to be open air and is smaller than the Packing House or Union Market. It sort of reminds me of 4th Street in Santa Ana but I daresay, smaller. A lot of these places are opening up to allow for small businesses to thrive. Great concept and definitely a great place to hang out for lunch or dinner. I do have to say that when I was there last Friday, they closed off the bathrooms to customers. This is not good, especially if you've got bar patrons. There's only one set of bathrooms, and you close them without offering an alternative? Bad business. read more

Trade - Food Court Near Me - Irvine, California

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Parking sucks during weekday lunch hours. I don't even know how in the world I was able to pull it off. TRADE is a small center with various food vendors and a bar. Yes, a bar. This center is ideal for those working around the area, and not really a place worth driving to UNLESS you're trying out the ramen place (I heard it's pretty bomb). You can totally tell it's mostly the workers by their badges and non-car transportation. I wouldn't come back here as I can get better food elsewhere with AMPLE parking. The infamous lobster elote from Dos Chinos is here, but they also have another one in Santa Ana which is way better imo. read more

Gourmet food court awesome open and airy not noisy because its an outdoor courtyard with lots of seating lots of different food to choose from including desserts great for quick lunch from work or afterwork drinks read more

A nice area for people to try a number of different kinds of food and shared setting area. Food court but with better non chain food in a pretty atmosphere. We opted to get a shake and move on instead of sitting. There was a meetup who had a long table and each person seemed to get different plates from different places. There was an Asian place, Hawaiian, bar like sport bar, desserts place and juice place. I probably missed something. Seems like a good place before or after a movie whenever there are a number of people with different tastes. No photos sun slurped up his shake to fast while I was looking at all the places. read more

I'm glad that hip food halls / food courts are becoming a thing nowadays because I'm definitely a fan of them. I love exploring cool food places, so it's great to have multiple restaurants in one location. Also, I always have trouble deciding what to eat because I want to try everything! So, food halls are great because I can get stuff at various places and share them with my friends. I like the environment of TRADE. It's located in a plaza with other businesses, so there's a good amount of parking. It's outdoors in a courtyard-like area with some shade covering, so it's perfect on a nice day. There's a good amount of small tables and communal tables. Places I've tried at TRADE: - Pig Pen Delicacy: I got the Pulled Porkie, which is a pulled pork sandwich with pickled daikon & carrots and a sunny side egg on top. It was definitely very messy to eat but was quite delicious. The pulled pork was tender and flavorful. - Portside: I got the Lil Mac n' Chowder, which I did not realize was a kids' meal until after I ordered it. But, it was the perfect amount of food, so no regrets. It came with a bacon mac n' chowder (combo of mac & cheese and clam chowder, with bacon pieces), old bay fries, a juice pack, and fruit gummies. All for $7.50, which is not too shabby! - Sweet Combforts: I got the Strawberry Babe, which is a belgium waffle with cream cheese frosting, graham cracker crumbs, strawberries, and cream cheese drizzle. The waffle was freshly made, so it was warm & soft on the inside. Overall though, it tasted alright, nothing amazing. Just another unique-looking dessert that just tastes okay. read more

Trade - pulled porkie @ pig pen delicacy | lil mac n' chowder @ portside - Food Court Near Me - Irvine, California

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I usually like these trendy eatery hubs, but this one seriously lacks dining space, lacks parking, lacks character. Hell, it even lacks courtesy water! I prefer the 4th Street Market in Santa Ana, which is the same concept but at least I can park easily and I usually don't have to wait for a table. At TRADE I had to wait at least 10 minutes just for a car to leave to park. Plus a teenage girl driver cut me off and stole my parking spot. And I prefer the design of similar places like Union Market, OC Mix & The CAMP, where there is more room to move about and dedicated dining spaces for each eatery. As for the food options, so far I'm not that impressed. There are one or two standouts, but the rest are skippable. I'm not sure the food is worth fighting for a parking spot with the crowds of self-absorbed people that frequent this place. read more

Fun little food court spot, nice vibe. I was disappointed with my asada burrito from Dos Chinos and my Cookie Monster shake from Sweet Combforts. The burrito had clashing flavors and it especially didn't go with the salsa verde. I was sure this would be a hit, but it just wasn't! Not sure the Asian flavors blend well with the meat. A friend eating with me and whom I split the burrito with didn't like it either. I got a Cookie Monster shake on my way out and it's pretty...that's about it. Very muted cookies and cream flavor- I was missing the sweet I was expecting. Jack in the Box's cookies and cream shake is 1000% better. Also, and sorry for the TMI, but watch out for green poo-poo the next day from this shake. It was quite startling! The only item I enjoyed was the Parmesan truffle tots from the Pig Pen place. Very yummy! Overall, meh. And very pricey, alike food trucks. read more

For it being new, I was interested in checking this place out but I was actually really unimpressed by this food court. Its small, the layout is a little odd, the color scheme is boring, the food options are just okay, the parking situation sucks (don't come during peak lunch/dinner hours)...nothing really stood out to me which is why I probably wouldn't really care to come back. I tried food at both Pig Pen and Two Birds which were good if you craved for greasy food but dealing with parking alone is a discouraging factor in wanting to come back. What a pain. Seems like these trendy food courts are opening up all over but I have gone to better ones like Steelcraft in Long Beach or even the Anaheim Packing District which is probably why the bar was already set high. Sorry Trade, I gave you a chance but I'm not really a fan. read more

Honestly, I love food halls, since I can eat whatever I am craving. One of my favorite place in here is the Portside! I love all the food places individually, and have tried all of them! I took a star off due to the horrendous parking situations in the shopping center. read more

Just what I thought it would be: a hipster place for somewhat instagram worthy overpriced food. It's a nice place to hangout, but the parking is a headache and everything is pretty pricey for what you're getting. Pig Pen's tater tots were good, the mac and cheese burger was super heavy as expected, the bar was decently priced though. Overall probably won't be coming back, this is just good to check it out once. read more

I've been watching the evolution of TRADE for quite a while and I was excited to finally visit after a botched attempt near opening week (parking just wasn't in the cards for me!). I decided to stop by a little past the lunch rush (a friend told me that 2p was a better time to go - ended up there at 1:30p). After circling the lot a few times, I found a nice parking spot and proceeded inside. First impressions - this place was packed and as it was Friday afternoon, Center Hub had the drinks flowing and everyone outdoors enjoying the weather. I did a brief walkaround before I settled on getting Two Birds Chicken (more on that in a separate post). You have to get friendly with some people because seating isn't always available but I was rolling solo so I sat at the end of a big table and shared with a family - pro tip: this hall isn't conducive to big groups who want to sit together during the lunch rush! The food hall itself is actually smaller than I anticipated, and I wish there was more signage or a way to really see what else the hall has to offer. To someone who wasn't aware, there are so many savory food options and it can get overwhelming. I ended up at Sweet Combforts for dessert but I was surprised they were the only vendor offering sweets. Aside from the shakes at Sweet Combforts and the packed Center Hub bar, the drink options also left something to be desired - perhaps a juice bar or something other than bottles of soda will be available to patrons one day - that's not a gripe, moreso a suggestion to the powers that be. Overall, in comparison to other food halls like Anaheim Packing House, Union Market, 4th Street and McFadden Public House, this place is smaller with some seating that is indoors but most of it being outdoors but has its own atmosphere that makes you forget you're in a business park in Irvine. I gave this a 3-star because I found it underwhelming after being so hyped up for its opening. the parking situation can be a little daunting at the wrong time. I hope to return and try some other vendors in the space, but overall, this place is just A-ok to me. read more

I don't see why food hall is any different than a food court, other then more expensive modern furnishings? When I hear the words "food hall", I expect a 30,000 sq. ft. hall, filled with hundreds of vendors; more like the Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market. When it was the old food court, there were plenty of seats, and there's a roof ! Now it's a tiny courtyard with NO ROOF. They replaced the tables and chairs with benches and bench tables, with some rattan bamboo chairs and tables. Yes, it looks hip. Yes, it looks modern. However I estimate there's only half the seats compared to the old food court. When it's super sunny, there are NO UMBRELLAS for shade. When it rains, NO cover. NO HEAT LAMPS either. Plus it's a super small parking lot to begin with; now trying to get to the credit union to do business is almost impossible because of this remake. Plan on spending 20-30 minutes looking for parking, maybe longer during lunch rush time. I thought I'd avoid the rush by coming at 11am, nope; parking lot was full and i had to wait a good 20 minutes for a spot. People coming here are rude drivers - ready to kill you over parking. The restaurants are basically little takeout windows; order, pay, and wait for your food. Mean time, you are looking around for an empty seat - very difficult to find. If you do find one, and you're by yourself, once you get up to go get your food - someone takes your spot. No place to sit down and eat, unless you want to go into the bar and pay for an alcohol drink. The bar is the only place with a few seats. Else you're looking at courtyard seating. The seating is worse than Mitsuwa's food court !!! The dessert place starts at $6.00 and most places it really costs $12-$15 without drinks. Not affordable daily lunch considering it's food truck type food. Plus if you're supporting parents and family and paying down a mortgage, not a great deal. I'd rather just go to Mitsuwa's food court. Not impressed. read more

Checked out the new/remodeled spot. Thankfully I made sure to come before the lunch rush a lil after 11:30ish but the parking lot was pretty much 95% packed already when we arrived. We quickly grabbed a big table for our group and others were like vultures after we finished our table. If you don't work within walking distance, come early or late for lunch, otherwise finding both a parking spot and table may be a challenge. Not sure how it's like during happy hour/dinner time. BTW young, single females (and perhaps guys too) you may enjoy the odds here 60-70% young males with jobs demographic here. read more

TRADE is definitely different than most other places around the area. It's a very aesthetically pleasing cafeteria-like dining area. There are plenty of options so group dining is very convenient as everyone can pick what they want from the different restaurants and then sit together to enjoy their meals. I can see this being a great option for those on their lunch breaks around the area. It can definitely get pretty busy during peak meal times and the prices are a little bit high in my opinion. However, I will definitely be back because there are lots of dishes on my list of foods to try from TRADE. Can't wait to return and give them a go! read more

I am a lover of the food hall trend popping up all over Orange County. This is one of the newer additions to places like the Packing House in Anaheim and 4th St. Market in Santa Ana. Out of all the food halls, TRADE feels the most like a glorified food court, with a airy, open interior with seats in the middle and the food stalls around the edges. What I love? Well, of course I love having something like this closer to my home in Costa Mesa. I love some of the new restaurants (not solely the "typical suspects"). I love the bar, Center Hub and the interior that's covered. What I might suggest for improvement? I cannot fathom in the slightest why this place is uncovered?? Don't they know that supposedly always-sunny California is not always sunny? I'm hoping they have a solution for the winter months, because when I was there, it was cold, and there were no overhead covers or heaters. I love Packing House & 4th St. because they have great indoor AND outdoor options- so I'm surprised that they only stuck with one (for the most part, there's a little bit of covered seating). The other main thing is the food offered: it's all so similar! I am surprised at the lack of "healthy" options and dessert options- one dessert place, 2 (sort of) "healthy" places. The rest are fried, unhealthy and feel kind of similar. Anyways, I love what I and my friends ordered- and the vibe is definitely fun. I hope in the future, they have some life music and fun events! read more

Can't believe Irvine made a cool area to chill at! It is located in the financial district of Irvine. (totally feels like ur in the bay area) Pretty dope spot with outdoor seating. There are different food places, including a bar. It is super convenient for lunch, but I came for dinner with a friend tonight! With so many options to eat including dessert this definitely is the new cool hangout place. Though it does get packed, there is a good amount of seating, free wifi, and parking as well. All of the restaurants are reasonably priced and give a lot of food for the price. They have tons of different options from poke bowls, tacos, vegan food, burgers, greek food, etc. This was something that was missing in Irvine and is a prime spot for hangouts or even to go on dates! I definitely would not go during lunch, but during happy hour or for dinner. read more

This place has some cute gimmkk food like the waffle on a stick. The food is Big so come with a few friends try. I tried the chicken place with cottage fries and a waffle everything cause it's definitely a small place for some much to offer. It reminded me of when I was in HS. lunch was not as good and they didn't serve alcohol but same setup it even made me a little intimidated (I wasn't a good socializer in HS). read more

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Lots of yummy options in this outdoor eatery! Great spot to try out different options with friends. read more

Trade - Lobster and fries was amazing! - Food Court Near Me - Irvine, California

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New food court right by John Wayne Airport. It's a trendy place, like the Anaheim Packing House and Union Market. The different food vendors have little hole-in-the-wall booths. Everything is reasonably priced and there are plenty of options. They are all unique and all sound yummy. Today I tried butterleaf and sweet combforts. Delicious food; I wish I had this by my house! Parking is HORRENDOUS. DO NOT COME AT NOON (unless you work in the business offices and can walk over). It took me 30 minutes just to park. There is outdoor seating that is mostly shaded and some indoor seating. I will definitely be back to try all the other vendors. read more

Occassion: Dinner with the SO Thoughts: Not a review on the food we had, but a review on the TRADE area itself. Great vibe to this place. Outdoor seating was perfect for the sunny, ambient temperature. Looks like a good selection of restaurants and a place for drinks. Would definitely come with a group of people to eat or catch up over a drink. Location next to airport is ideal if you want to grab a quick bite before flying. Was not crowded when I went (Sunday early afternoon). read more

Great little food hub! What I love most is they have a variety of eateries and a lovely outdoors setting. What I hate the most? Parking. Of both times I've come here, I've found easy parking but thats given I came at pretty off hours. Once its dinner time, good luck snagging a spot. :/ While parking may be a pain in the but, I definitely enjoy this food hall concept more than the 4 in OC. Why? Its simple and small. Well yeah, the other places are just about the same but there's an ease that comes with the outdoor setting. Take a gander if you're into food-hall concepts. All vendors are a bit pricey for my liking but makes for a good place to meet friends or hang with colleagues post-work. read more

My favorite thing about this place is how easy it is to find parking. It's located in this tiny spot in a large complex. Sounds strange, I know. I expected this place to be A LOT bigger but it's a reasonable size for a quick lunch. However that's another problem because if it's sooo hard to find seating. My first time here we went at 11 so it wasn't TOO difficult to find a place to sit. But I later came at 2 on a weekend and we just ended up Togo-ing our food. It needs more venders with more options besides deep fried everything but since it's new, I think it'll eventually get there. Still a must go though due to the waffles! read more

TRADE has come a long way from its prior iteration as a dingy, 1980s-style indoor foodcourt. The new food and drink options are nice, the crowd is different (the folks in tight pants and beards wouldn't have been seen here in the old days), and the open/central seating area offers lots of light, but TRADE still leaves a lot to be desired - namely, parking and seating. The parking here during lunchtime is simply a nightmare. Not nearly enough parking spaces for the crowds, forcing you to camp out in the lot and wait for people to leave. The seating area is similar - even if you are willing to share your table with strangers it is difficult to find anything. And lord help you if you are in a big group. read more

Trade - Courtyard inside - Food Court Near Me - Irvine, California

On Sundays the whole place closes down at 8:00pm! After I saw some windows start to pull the "gates" across their stands, I asked two vendors and the bartender and they confirmed that. The bartender was surprised when I said that three resources said they'd be closed at 10:00 tonight. Yelp, the Trade official website and Google said that Trade closes at 10:00pm Sundays and it's NOT TRUE. Get it together marketing team! We had to rally to go somewhere else when my friend who got off work at 8:00 thinking this place was still open for her. Food selection is fine but it's a tiny little courtyard. Drinks at the bar were great. read more

Another food hub central? Count me in - I love food! Located right off the 405 freeway near John Wayne Airport, this hip and modern place has a similar concept to the Anaheim Packing House and Union Market. However, these booths are more hole-in-the-wall cafeteria style with no distinction of lines to which eatery. Food was good though because obviously I am here for the food. Parking is terrible. I repeat - parking is terrible. Don't even bother telling your friends to meet up with you there separately. Just carpool to have the slightest chance of finding parking. Also, it is majority all outdoors. A scorching hot summer day would not be best to come here if you're like me and pass out easily when it's hot outside. Definitely will be back next time because Dos Chinos apparently doesn't serve lobster fries until dinner hour (WHY DOESN'T IT SAY THAT ANYWHERE???) read more

Open concept food court outside. Has a very hip vibe and has lots of food options. As a vegetarian you are a little limited but still some decent options. The bar is nice too especially for after work happy hour! read more

It's like a mini food court that has a lot of choices. Great place for going out as groups.

I got the two tacos from Dos Chinos, beef and pork. They had good flavor, but could have been warmed up a little more. The Garlic Fries that came as a side have a light garlic taste, which could be what you're looking for. Overall TRADE has a good variety and I'm looking forward to trying some of the other food there. read more

Trade - Food Court Near Me - Irvine, California

This plaza is AMAZING. It has so many options to choose from: -Dos Chinos (MUST TRY!) -Sweet Combforts -Megadon -Pig Pen -Portland Fishhouse (I think) -And More that I don't remember. I am glad Trade's owner finally changed their time to 11AM. It used to show 8AM, so I came there once & nothing was opened. I love coming here for lunch or even after work hours because there are many options I can choose from. My all time favorite go to spot is Dos Chinos. The lines might be long at lunch time, but they make their food very fast. Their food is always fresh, too. It's definitely a must try. read more

Great whiskey selection! MacAllan 12 Year three fingers deep hipster vibe and kick back atmosphere to unwind and de-stress from a week of meetings. I'll definitely be frequenting here. So much food to try! Bring a group to divide and conquer. I volunteered as table saver. #craysians #familystyle #foodhall read more

Trade - Great whiskey selection! MacAllan 12 Year three fingers deep - Food Court Near Me - Irvine, California

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Really small outside food area compared to 4th Street Market. The food stands only have pretty much fried food. They need to open up more shops! read more

Trade - Pork belly tater tots from Pig Pen (I sub the fries for tots instead) Fries would probably have been better.. Hmm. Too much sauce. - Food Court Near Me - Irvine, California

Great fun place to have lunch and dinner. They have a great selection of food from different vendor. They great lobster($$$$$), burger and bar. The only problem is they don't have enough table, when it get crowded it will take a while to find seat and bath room is not maintain that well. read more

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Came here during dinner time, roughly 9:00 pm. Parking wasn't terrible this time around, was able to find a spot to park. Was reasonably crowded in the food court but people were walking in and out of the TRADE eating area. So finding a place to sit wasn't that hard of a wait. You have a good selection of trendy eateries and some dessert places here, ranging from Latin, Asian, American, and Greek Fusion foods. This place looks like a good spot for a lunch and dinner venture with a group of friends. Would recommend this place if you're looking to try some new food. (Still salty about the first time I attempted to come here though...no parking that time). read more