Came to Newport for a family vacay and was looking for nearby options for the wife and I to escape…read morefor dinner. We showed up at 9:30, and the owner and servers were so nice and understanding. We never felt rushed or pressured to order quickly. I got the spicy chicken sandwich after seeing previous reviews, and my wife got the Lagunaian wedge and Mac & cheese. Everything was exceptional. I love blue cheese, but am not the biggest fan of fried chicken with cheese on it. This combo flipped me on my head, so delicious with the blue cheese slaw. The Mac & cheese was almost like a hybrid of a baked Mac and a gooier stovetop style Mac, and the six cheese blend added a lot of depth of flavor. We have already agreed that we will be back at least once more while we're down here for the chicken sandwich again.

The interior was very classy and good for a date setting. It's in the second floor with some street…read moreviews. There's a dining section and a bar section. The service was average speed. We got our food in about 10 min or so. I got the mushroom burger which was great. The patty was medium done and very juicy. The salmon dish was not bad, but the vegetables didn't taste as good. There's parking below the restaurant and you can validate. Big plus!

It's rare for me to leave a bad review. I want businesses, especially those in my community to…read morethrive. I ordered a cocktail and asked for the drink to be served over ice. I get it, for some cocktails it's not the norm, but I happen to be one of those people who love to swirl every drink in a bunch of ice. I've never once had this request turned down. Perhaps a raised eyebrow or two from a bartender but again, never a refusal. Until tonight. The drink was wonderful. Even complimented the bartender on it, but after asking twice.. politely by the way, he still refused. Told me it would somehow compromise the integrity of the drink, can't have it posted that way on social media.. etc., etc.. Pleeeez... don't flatter yourself. Also, I prefer to drink my cocktails, not take pictures of them. All that being said, none of the above mentioned is enough to make me post a bad review if it weren't for ONE thing ..... this guy's SMUG attitude. If it weren't for his stupid, condescending demeanor, I would've just dealt with it and enjoyed the drink.

Came here for my birthday dinner! Not crowded at all on a weeknight. Intimate ambiance upstairs +…read moreoutside, plus great food. Food comes out a little slow, something to keep in mind when parking. We ordered most of the menu and loved almost every bite! Standouts were: - Bone marrow: pairs perfectly with the crispy toast. Caramelized candied onions on top were super good, never had anything like that before! - Argentine red shrimp: OMG. Must order this. Shrimp was super tender and buttery, so much good juice coming out of the head too. Great with the bread. - Pork belly and scallops: cooked perfectly and very nice with that white sauce. - Octopus ceviche: very fruity. Different from your usual lime lemon ceviche, big fan of this too. - College dropout cocktail: super acidic and fruity, loved this! Definitely want to come back for special occasions or live music on a weekend!

Vaca Spanish restaurant, in Costa Mesa, is conveniently located right next to the Segerstrom Center…read morefor the Arts, and has moderately priced valet parking. We sat at the bar while waiting for our table, and were greeted by a friendly, knowledgeable bar tender, who recommended items from the tapas menu. We requested, and were seated at, a quiet table in the back patio. The wait staff and service was friendly, professional, and outstanding. We ordered tapas, and loved every bite, from the Papas Brava and Bikini Sandwich to the Panza de Cerdo. These three tapas were more than enough for the two of us. They were filling, delicious, and did not disappoint. We topped it all off with tastes of Vaca's homemade flan and almond paste cake. DELICIOUS! But Vaca is also an expensive high-end steak and Iberian ham restaurant, with every cut of expertly aged beef and Spanish Iberian cured ham imaginable. All in all, Vaca is a great moderately priced tapas and paella restaurant, and also it is an expensive premium steak/ham restaurant. We think you'll enjoy the ambiance, service and most of all, the food. We give it our high recommendation.

What a fabulous place to celebrate a birthday!…read more We were in the area to see a show at the Segerstrom theatre and Vaca is literally a 4 minute walk away. Which worked out for us since we were able to use the restaurants valet service and leave our car there until after the show. As soon as we walked in, I was in awe of how cool the place looked! The bar located near the front door was very inviting and definitely made me want to go back just to sit there for a couple of cocktails. Speaking of cocktails, their signature, The Vaca Tonic was my favorite cocktail that I tried. It's refreshing, pretty and definitely had me ordering a second one. They have a variety of spirits to choose from, but the Gin cocktails were definitely my favorite. For dinner, my husband and I choose the Tapas route and order a few plates to share. The Carpaccio, Gambas Al Ajillo(sautéed shrimp) and the La Bola(upscale version of potato balls) were my favorite dishes. This isn't to say that our other plates weren't delicious, I'm just saying these plates left me wanting more. Last but not least, we ended the night with a slice of their Basque Cheesecake, and oh my goodness, this had to be hands down, one of the best cheesecakes I've ever had. I was so full, but there was no way we were leaving any piece of the cheesecake uneaten. Now, this restaurant is more on the pricey side. But, I would 100% recommend to try once or make it a priority to check out when you have a special occasion to celebrate!

We went to Cafe Sevilla this weekend to catch the Mexico World Cup game and we had a great…read moreexperience! First, our server was so attentive even though it was a packed house! What we love about this place is they have happy hour everyday from open to I believe 7, you can't beat that! The food and drinks: we got a tamarindo margarita and we liked it a lot. Good flavor although it could have used a bit more alcohol. For tapas we got: croquetas de queso y jamon (we loved them, they were probably our favorite), calamari (it was so good!), empanadas (my boyfriend said they were good), short rib tacos (they were okay but not the greatest), patatas bravas (only thing I wasn't a fan of). Overall, really great food, service and ambiance. We will definitely be back!

My family and I had dinner here a few nights ago and the overall experience was very underwhelming…read more It was our first time here and as we walked in, we weren't really greeted by the hostess. She didn't really have a friendly nor welcoming demeanor which kind of bummed us out but whatever maybe it just wasn't her day. We were sat inside and our table had a booth area. Well, we sat down and noticed the booth wasn't very clean and there were crumbs in the holes where buttons were missing. My 2 year old even found an earring! They should really consider deep cleaning that thing before they open. We made our way to the restroom to wash our hands and the sink had stones in it. We noticed long strands of hair in there mixed in with the stones. The cleanliness standards were lacking to say the least. The food was OK, service was lacking, probably won't be back.

From the moment I walked in, I knew, this was going to be good. The server I think his name was…read moreBilly, really did a good job. He recommended some amazing cocktails and really good pre dinner apps. And he delivered. Our favourites were the pork skewers and the smooth operator cocktail. excited to come back here!!!

Four of us ate at Sonder last Tuesday for my birthday. We walked in and they didn't even ask my…read morename; they knew which party we were and took us immediately to our table. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable and gave great advice about which dishes to order and whether each would be enough for four. Everything was excellent. In particular we enjoyed the pork belly, the seafood cocktail, and the chicken skewers. We also had the Little Gem salad, the sourdough, and the bone marrow onigiri. We all agreed: "Not a bad bite in the bunch." The cocktails were creative and the wine selection was good, too. Music was good. It wasn't so loud that we couldn't talk. After dinner, they brought a scoop of matcha ice cream with a candle in it for me and there was enough for all of us to have a bite or two. The only drawback was that from my seat, I could see into the kitchen hallway, which wasn't very attractive. They need a noren to block the view. Minor detail, though, and I suppose that would probably make it more difficult to bring food through. Highly recommend.

My husband and I sat out on the patio with our small dog. The staff was friendly and even offered a…read morewater bowl for our dog. It was nice to sit outside and people watch, and the food was delicious!

Such a great find! Everything we ordered was SO good, and honestly, the prices are very reasonable…read morefor the quality and portions. We tried the pork belly BLT, loco moco, crispy chicken sandwich, calamari, cracked pepper bucatini, and the crispy edge sourdough pancakes, and there wasn't a bad dish in the bunch! The crispy chicken sandwich and calamari were standouts for me, but that bucatini was seriously incredible. And the pancakes were the perfect way to end the meal. Our server Damien was also fantastic! Super friendly, attentive, and made the whole experience even better. Great food, great service, and reasonable prices. Definitely a place I'd come back to!

The atmosphere, food and the server, Jordan was amazing and made the overall experience worth it…read more Trey the corn rib and expected delight! I recommend this gem, and will be back!

Greek Salad - 4 Baked Brie - 2.5…read moreMussels/ Clams - 5 Empanadas - 3.75 Meatballs - 3.5 Filet Mignon - 4 Baklava- 3.5 Service - 5 Ambiance- 5 Really enjoyed the experience. Not loud at all; very chill. Sat at the bar and watched the cooking staff work their magic. They entertained our questions that was cool. We'll be back to try other dishes.

Mark was amazing wow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BEST SERVER EVER!!!!!!!!! 10/10 ask for mark !!!!!!read more

Brunch had a large variety of options. Mark was attentive and friendly. I would return.read more

Such a great experience here!! My boyfriend and I visited while we were in town and we were…read moredefinitely impressed. Ambiance: pretty loud on a Saturday but we were also next to a large group celebrating a birthday. The aesthetic was cute and clean. Service: Oanh was our waitress and her, along with all other staff, were super nice and helpful. definitely felt like a team effort of workers and it showed Food: YUM!!! We liked everything! - garlic chicken wings: 8/10- paired well with the sauce, though I think it would also taste really good with a side of white rice. Very garlicky and tasty! - crab congee: 9/10- tasted very buttery once mixed, very Vietnamese fusion but I really enjoyed it and my boyfriend (who grew up eating congee) said this might be the best congee he's ever had! It is very unique in terms of flavor in my opinion - ribeye garlic noodles: 8/10 meat was cooked well and it was a solid dish! - lychee lemonade: 10/10 so worth it!! It is free refills and super refreshing. If you like lychee you'll like this drink! Would recommend. Overall we had such a great experience and can't wait to come back!

Service was great, Trisha provided great service. Wouldn't wait around too long. She refilled the…read morewater jug without asking. She did let us know the kitchen is slightly behind as well. There were a lot of booths inside and lots of tables on the side and outside seating. Outside seating is pet friendly but bit crowded. Two restrooms in the back, and it even offers complimentary mouthwash! Food is absolutely amazing! The pear salad was light and fresh, with great simple flavors. It's arugula with candied walnuts, and under is burrata with Asian pear. The carne asada tostada is a very small plate, but seems more of an appetizer. Great flavor for a small dish. Saltado with Filet Mignon and Garlic Noodles were very delicious, especially the chewy and soft noodles. The meat is very tender, the fries ok, a bit overcooked. Great place for family sharing. The Saltado is $25 and a big portion.

The wonderful proprietress was so kind and understanding when the zipper on my coin pocket jammed…read more The debit machine had malfunctions and I said I could pay with cash. Except I couldn't open the stupid thing for a couple of minutes. Sure enough, a twenty got into the zipper. I was dripping sweat since I had just ascended the steep Thousand Steps Beach stairway and temperatures were rising on a muggy morning. The nice lady gave me a couple of papertowls to pat myself dry with, and did I ever need it. My legs were still burning from the ascent! What I needed wasn't booze, although I approved of the selection and reasonable prices, no, I needed sunblock. Sure enough, they carried it, plus I could have scored a Frisbee or another beach towel if necessary. I also saw a small but good cigar selection, which was funny because all morning I could smell cigar smoke and essence, even while on the beach. Anyhow, next time I need alcohol or a cigar or anything else I'll bypass the nearby 7-Eleven and come straight here!

Not sure if it's the pandemic or failure to Communicate, but…read moreyou call, no answer. You show Up, gone for 30. 30 minutes later, still gone after 3 hours.