We absolutely loved celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary here - we chose this location based upon the recommendation of my coworker, and loved the vibe and ambience. The whipped brie with pears (along with the braised short rib, pork chop, and Irish coffee) were heavenly. All of the staff were so friendly; they gave us a scrumptious slice of the lemon blueberry bread pudding on the house for our celebration. We will definitely be back! read more

I am torn between a 4 and a 5 for this place. As you can see I ended up with a 5. Here are the details. On the down side, fake candle (admittedly a personal issue... But I hate fake candles). More importantly, they serve their reds at room temp - disappointed that a wine place doesn't serve at the proper temp. However, the food was nothing short of exceptional. We started with the cheese fondu (see pic) and then split the mixed greens (pic) and the split the flank stake (pic). The stake was cooked perfectly and served on potato mash and seasoning. Really good! Lastly, they had live music. A guy with a guitar and he was really good. A bit of U2 along with a mix of classic rock and country. Very relaxing. The last thing I will say is the restaurant appears to be owned by the people who own the pub next store. I think they share a kitchen, which I won't hold against then. Probably a good business decision if it's true. The true test: I will go back! read more

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This place doesn't look like much from the outside but once you walk in you feel welcomed. They have a wine "store" in the front and the dinning room is behind it. I loved the decor I this place!!! The color scheme and lighting was great to create a cozy atmosphere. My husband and I shared a bottle of layered cake wine. This was our first time we had some delicious stuff mushrooms and celebrated my husbands birthday with some lava cake that was brought out !! The staff was friendly and very informative, we also met the owner whom was also a very friendly man. I am sure we come back to this place very soon and bring some of our friends! read more

Had a wonderful red blend with tasty appetizers the other night. Really enjoyed the Brie and the pizzetta, both delish and perfect for sharing. I really appreciated the obvious effort and compliance with covid safety guidelines! Masked servers, hosts, etc. tables removed for distance, even more than six feet of room between. This establishment cares about the safety of its customers, great job!!! read more

Love Dublin 4 so knew this sister restaurant next door was going to be good. Oh man was it nice. Exquisitely decorated and friendly, professional service. Started with the bone marrow and it was very rich and well flavored. Then had the lamb chops over risotto. The lamb was perfectly medium rare and seasoned to compliment the mushroom risotto and the Pinot Noir reduction. The filet was delicious. A very fine meal. So happy to have such high end dining experience close to home and without the stuffy atmosphere. read more

Wineworks For Everyone - Amazing lamb chops with risotto. Perfectly medium rare. - New American Near Me - Mission Viejo, California

What a gem in Mission Viejo! Four of us dined last night and had an awesome experience. Service, food, atmosphere all spot on. Recommend the Brie fondue, short ribs, salmon, mussels and mushroom bisque. We'll be back for the crime brûlée!! Be sure to valet as parking is a nightmare! read more

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Amazing food, great service. I love this restaurant, I love their menu choices. Best brie I've ever tasted We love their wines, their crafted cocktails. The staff is friendly, and we love the owners. We love the ambience. Our favorite restaurant in OC. read more

In M Viejo to visit my son and found the Dublin 4 Gastropub while looking for a Starbucks (see my review there ). The Pub is owned by the same couple behind the Wineworks, and they share the same kitchen. Because our lunch was so good we decided to bring my son snd his fiancee to Wineworks for dinner. The Pub is great and WW is even better. We had the pork loin medallions, the beef filet, the braised short ribs, and a pasta dish. We also had the asparagus fries and the brie plate to start. Oh...and we had 2 glasses of great wine ... each. And the bread pudding and coffee drinks for desert. We probably spent 2+ hours and never felt hurried or unattended. TJ our server was perfect, explaining all the dishes and all the wines we weren't familiar with. The place is small and the owner stopped by the table several time to check on us. Nice touch all around. Warnings .. Parking can be limited. Small can be loud. You will spend $ 75 to 100 per person if you do things right, but you will come back...its that good! read more

Wow! I could write a novel and it wouldn't be enough to express my gratitude to the Coyle family for making our wedding reception possible during a pandemic! I can't even tell you what a pleasure it was working with these people! Rest assured that if you'd ever like to plan a private gathering, they will go above & beyond to make your day special! Darren met with us to get a better sense of how to plan out the event and wine taste with us. We also met his wife Jean who had lovely decorative items & ideas to help make the day beautiful! We met again two weeks later to wine taste a little more. Everything seemed beautifully on track despite the global pandemic. Sure enough, 10 days before the wedding, the governor shut down all indoor dining. I thought it was over for our reception but Darren and his family came up with a great solution not only for us but first his business. He was able to move everything outside. We visited that weekend to get a look and we began to replan with the scenery change. We met with them the morning of the big day to set up and I had a lot of nerves. I was so worried being an OCD, type A controlling personality. I was scared to have everything off to someone else to set up but they sure did impress me and then some! The food was phenomenal- fresh, flavorful, hot, delicious. The drinks were amazing and the wine was well paired! They also helped us pack everything up at the end of the night. We'll forever be in their debt for making our wedding day an incredible experience! They had great care & concern about us, the event, the details and making sure that it was what we envisioned. Not enough thank yous in the world!!! read more

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I'm so disgusted by valet parking and lack of ethics there. While I get this is a restaurant review (which I will get to) this is to get the restaurant's attention for them to do something about their valet service. I asked valet if there is self park...he asked where I was going. When I told him wine works, he said you have to valet. I had no cash so was planning on driving out back and turning around. Turns out there is a small lot in the back that seems self park and also a covered parking that seems used by valet. I found an empty spot in the uncovered area and parked there. When I left the restaurant and drove out, valet stopped me saying i needed to pay. I asked for what? He said you have to pay for valet even though I did not give him my car to park. I told him just that and he said well you asked about valet earlier so basically you need to pay (which I did not...I asked for self park) So I basically had to give him money for parking in a free spot. That's how shitty the situation is there. It's not about how much it is but the principle behind it. Wineworks should have their listing list parking structure as parking option if their customers are getting badgered and bullied into paying for non-valet services valet. The restaurant food is otherwise amazing I wanted to go back but after this parking situation...it is a huge deterrent. I'm sure the restaurant can do something about this since they r really the only entity in the plaza there that would require a valet service. I also tried calling the restaurant to tell them this but they never picked up. read more

We just happened into this restaurant a week ago and are still talking about what a great time we had. Food was excellent and we tasted four different wines. The owners, Darren and Jean stopped by to chat and made the evening extra special. We are going back later this week. Definitely the best neighborhood restaurant in Mission Viejo. read more

One of our favorites. We have been going here since they opened. Everyone is always friendly and the food is consistently amazing.

Birthday dinner. Superb wine list. I had lamb, he had short ribs. Both were cooked to perfection and wonderful. Dessert of creme brûlée was a great finish. Our waitress, Jill, was the best. Look forward to our next visit. read more

Great food and environment! all types of wines and amazing chef prepares the best dishes! Dublin 4 is next store is is also owned by Darrin and has amazing food as well and all types of beer on tap...Parking in back is valet and the front parking may be a challenge. Worth the visit. read more

Love coming to this place. Family owned and operated by the same people as Dublin 4 next door, Wineworks offers a different experience with equally great food. The owner, Darren, is always there and is super friendly and accommodating. The interior of the restaurant is small and intimate but offers a couple of bar areas surrounded by seating arrangements suitable for groups or a date night. This place has a lot more to offer than a typical "wine bar", with an emphasis on the food - both the quality and selection of small plates and entrees. They offer an excellent variety of wine from all over the world, both by the glass and bottle. Our default is one of the medium bodied red Italian wines. Back to the food: Plenty of delicious small plates on offer. A favorite of ours is the cheese plate with your own selection, the prosciutto & fig, and mushroom tostinis on the happy hour menu. The wild mushroom appetizer dish is exceptional, it comes out in a small bowl topped with large croutons that you push to the bottom to soak up the delicious mushroom cream broth along with the garlicky chunks of wild mushrooms. The steak sliders are delicious as well, smaller bite size sliders great for sharing. Another notable mention is the bucatini pasta with chicken oysters (super tender chicken medallions). All in all, it's always a pleasant experience coming here and highly recommend it for a night out with friends or a quieter date night. Thank you to the Coyle family for doing a great job! read more

A hidden gem in an otherwise bleak landscape that is the south Orange County food scene. Food: Great for sharing. Delicious. Great presentation. High quality. Pair with wine. Staff. The owner couple are warm, personal, and inviting. Came up to our table to see how we were doing. They can often be seen mingling or eating their own food in the dining room amongst the rest of us. I think it says a lot. Environment. Cozy, warm , and inviting. read more

My husband and I recently visited this fantastic neighborhood restaurant. I loved the ambiance and the seating areas. We went in on a Friday night and nestled in cozy spot near the front bar, there was a terrific musician playing live. Every selection on the menu sounded delicious. What we chose were the mushroom soup, Brie fondue, mussels, the rack of lamb, and for dessert the creme brûlée. A decadent meal for sure. We shared everything. Every bite was deeply flavorful and divine. I also asked for suggestions with wine selections and they were perfect with our meal. The service and hospitality of the owners, servers, bartender, and sommelier were outstanding. I'm already daydreaming about enjoying another meal at Wineworks for Everyone. read more

We just went for a bottle of wine to relax after a long week. We found a decent bottle of red wine. It was priced at 59.00 which we felt was reasonable. When the bill came the receipt showed 90.00. I went back to check the bottle and weirdly enough the price tag was now no longer on the bottle. When we asked about that we were told there is a 30 dollar corkage fee....okay, I think that's a bit high, 20 is average, when we questioned the waitress she became defensive which didn't help how shady the whole incident felt. Long story, but I won't be back read more

I live in New York, but each time I come back to CA visit, I'm going to WineWorks. No question. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this restaurant. First, it was a huge hit with my family. They are notoriously picky, and everyone absolutely loved the food and wine. I had the sea bass, my dad had the pork, and my grandma had the short ribs. I don't think I've ever been at a dinner where everyone was so happy. Plus, their wine was magnificent and reasonably priced! I would have gladly paid much more for the tasty bottle of Sauvignon Blanc we enjoyed! Second, my grandmother is tiny (90 lbs) and after 1.5 glasses of wine, she was done, and I decided it was time to go home. She unexpectedly fell outside of the restaurant while walking to the car, and the entire staff was immediately there to help, including a handful of patrons (three of whom were nurses!). It was the most amazing showing of community support I've ever seen. When I called to ask if I could buy wine for the helpers, the server (who was also outside helping!) said he had already taken care of it. I am so extremely touched and appreciative. I am honestly so grateful we chose WineWorks for dinner. Not only was it incredibly tasty, the staff was beyond wonderful. I could never thank them enough for their help during a difficult time. To the owners: Keep these unmatched employees forever, they are phenomenal. Thank you, WineWorks! You have a forever customer! Did I mention that their wine was amazing??? read more

Excellent food and service. This was our fourth visit and they never disappoint. Probably not the best place for a quiet intimate meal, but outstanding nevertheless. Bring $$$. John F Laguna Niguel read more

I think they're losing their mojo. We used to like this place and have been there many times but recently it seems like it's gone a bit downhill. Went there for a birthday dinner and my wife ordered the warm Brie appetizer. The pear slices that came with it had a hair on one of them which was a bummer. We didn't complain, just didn't eat the pear after that. It was also brown/bruised on one end and crunchy hard like an apple... That said, the mushroom appetizer was nice. Mains were ok (I enjoyed my burger) but my wife ordered the homemade bucatini. Nowhere on the menu did it mention potatoes in the pasta yet there they were (pic to prove it). She was hungry so ate the main but wasn't too pleased with it. I made a lighthearted comment to our server that since the owners are Irish they probably add potatoes to everything. In any event, it was a very marginal experience overall. The owners are super nice (they weren't there that evening) and I truly hope they turn it around but we won't be back for quite some time - if at all. read more

Wineworks For Everyone - Potato in the bucatini? - New American Near Me - Mission Viejo, California

Heard so many good things about this place from social acquaintances so the husband and I decided to try it out. Love the decor inside the restaurant. Live music wasn't overwhelming at all. Great background music over dinner. Lots of wine selection. The food - yes it was delicious. Now I know why everyone talks about it. Service - 3 Stars Only thing they fell short on during our visit was service. Maybe it was an off night but the place wasn't that busy at all but the service was pretty slow. Server rarely checked back. Had to wait a while to clear our plates and had to keep calling their attention to ask for water. Overall, it was a good experience. One last thing, what is the story behind the restaurant name? :) read more

Wineworks For Everyone - Sauce was great! - New American Near Me - Mission Viejo, California

Broad selection of wines to pair with a nice mix of small plates and entrees. Roasted Brussels sprouts paired with a white pecorino followed by pork tenderloin paired with a Granache-Syrah. Good, knowledgeable service with fair, for the locale pricing, along with by-the-glass options for 3/6/9 oz. pours, made for a pleasant evening read more

Wonderful restaurant and the owners are out of this world nice, dedicated, and talented. A little pricey but it has to be or the quality would not be this good. It's a place to go if you really want to be impressed. If not there is always Outback down the street. I would suggest spending the extra cash and experience something great. Again Darren and his wife are beyond fabulous. read more

Our first server was nice,but our second server was extremely rude. He wanted so badly to get off, he was literally pushing out the door when the restaurant didn't close for another hour. It was extremely uncomfortable. The corkage fee is outrageous & don't get the chicken oyster pasta. I won't be returning here. Bad experience tonight. read more

Let me start by saying that having been in the restaurant industry for over 23 years as an owner and manager of upscale fine dining restaurants for the Cohn chains and others and, I have never posted a bad review until now. I felt that this needs to be done to let the owners and guests alike know that the experience myself and Victoria, who is invested in several high-end restaurants nationally had to experience. We made a same day reservation for 7:30pm and arrived 5 minutes early. We stood at the door for at least 5 minutes until a man with a tablet came up to us and asked if we had a reservation and we stated it was at 7:30pm. He informed us that he would be right back to seat us. He sat another couple in the back area which took another 5 minutes. When he returned we again stated we had a reservation and when would we be seated. He said he was going to seat a party of 4 first and would be back. The people he was seating were already enjoying a full bottle and were on their phones at the wine bar, so he waited until they were done and sat them; another 5 minutes going on 20 total minutes since we walked in. He walked past us to welcome some people who walked in and as he walked past us we asked why he told us he would seat us after the first couple and then again after the 4-top and still we are standing in the cold doorway, and his answer was its only been 2 minutes, huh. We told him we had a reservation and asked how long of a wait would it be, so we at least had some idea as most hosts when you walk in, will usually say it will be 10 minutes or more as soon as the next table leaves. But, NO, he said he would find out how long it would be and walked away. After another 5 minutes of standing in the cold doorway, we decided to just sit at the bar-stool counter vacated by the 4-guests, and eat and drink there. So we sat ourselves and another 5 minutes went by before a server or busboy asked if we needed anything, and we said, yes menus please. In my experience in this industry, the host should have saw to it that we had place-settings brought to us and apologized for the delay and got an order from us right away. But he was never to be seen again. He never came up to us at all, EVER. This to me shows his arrogance, disregard and total lack of concern for the guests in this wine bar. Finally the waiter came by; PJ was his name. He brought us menus and we immediately ordered two ZD cabs and mussels to start. $27 for each 6oz glass. They brought the mussels but the wine was not delivered yet and when the mussels arrived, there were no utensils or napkins or plates, huh. Finally the plates and utensils arrived and by that time the overhead AC fan directly positioned over the eating area had cooled the mussels to cold, because the vent is directly over the hot food, HUH? The wine finally came but was not poured at the table like most fine wine bars do, so you can verify it is the correct wine, see the label for possible future purchase and make it possible for the waiter to up-sell to a full bottle. Again no professional procedures at this place at all. We ate the mussels and then asked for the check, not wanting to give any more money to this poor excuse of a wine bar. When PJ brought the check we explained calmly what had occurred up to this point and his response was not that of surprise but was one of, "I am so sorry that you had to have this experience here" as if this was not news to him about the host and that this was the hosts normal way of treating guests. He asked us if we were still hungry and we explained we did not want to give more money to this place but were going to an Italian place near by to eat. He suggested the Gastropub next door and would go see is there was a table. He was so concerned and nice, we said yes. He came back and said we could have the SNUG table until 9pm or so and we could take care of the check over there. He took us through the back to the SNUG. After this we we totally taken care of by him and the waitress. We spent a total of $200 and tipped 20% to both servers. I want to close by saying, the host at the wine bar should be working in the children's shoe department at sears, as this is the level of intelligence and common sense cognitive awareness he is best suited for, not a place of business that wants to give a great first impression. He never spoke to us again to say he was sorry or how was everything. Walking around with technology in his hands that he clearly does not know how to use. PJ should be the manager at this place. He did everything correct and right for this situation and the wine bar is lucky to have at least one employee that cares about the place. He is the unsung hero of this story. Please reconsider going to this place in the future as it lacks everything it should be, from customer service to basic dining procedures that are implemented even at a Red Lobster. read more

Great little restaurant that really knows what they're doing! First, the ambience is fantastic and I wish other restaurants would invest in seats this comfy! The service was terrific and food was delicious! read more

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The worst customer service I've ever experienced. The owner was extremely rude. We sat and waited for 15 minutes (probably longer) without anyone so much as looking in our direction and when we got up to leave the owner argued that we had only been sitting there for 2 minutes and continued to wave us out.... just extremely rude.... I would not suggest this place to anyone. read more

My wife and I love coming to Wine Works, the food is always consistently fantastic and the service is 2nd to none. They're great with wine education, you can walk in without any wine knowledge and have a great time. The owners are always there greeting and chatting with everyone, they make you feel special! read more

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Been going to Wineworks for years and happened to be there tonight while they're celebrating 15 years in business. Congratulations Darren and Jean and the whole kitchen and staff! There's a reason you've been so successful for so long... every course of our meal was fantastic and of course, so were the wines our server Nicole paired for us. Here's to 15 more years! read more

Stood at the front for about 7 minutes without being acknowledged, but was waiting for a friend. However, the server that walked past me four times didn't know that. There was no hostess so when my friend arrived we decided to help ourselves to the wine bar. The bartender anxiously asked if we would be ordering food and I said no, only to decide to order a couple appetizers after looking at their amazing menu. I could tell the servers were annoyed with us for arriving 40 minutes prior to close, but there were plenty of people in the restaurant that did not appear to be leaving anytime soon. The food was amazing and the wine selection also. I highly recommend the Chorizo Brussel Sprouts if still on the menu. A few other servers helped us and after two glasses each we headed out. Nice place, may come back a little earlier for dinner. Deducted a star due to the snotty initial service. read more

I just had the same experience at Wineworks as the 15 min story person being isolated or feeling that way. Was there for what felt like a long time. Asked why I was being ignored. Was told I had only been there for two minutes. So I guess I was wrong. I use that theory in my business too...the customer is wrong. So I did the only polite thing I could think of and make my seat available for the next customer. It was odd to have the owner react the way he did. I can see an employee saying that maybe. To bad... I have had a few nice experiences there in the past. read more

Terrible customer service. After being seated, we ended sitting around for fifteen minutes without ever being approached by the staff. Upon leaving, we were told we had only been there for "2 minutes". The owner didn't even attempt to apologize, but rather scoffed and shooed us out the door. Very disappointed with this experience. read more

Tried this place on the recommendation of a colleague and man am i glad i did. Got there a little after 5 without a reservation and even for a party of 2 there were no tables. Bummer. But we were able to sit at the bar and order off the happy hour menu. My cousin and i each got the 3x wine which is three 3 ounce glasses of wine for $12. A great way to explore different types they carry. I got the Chardonnay, Rosé and Pinot. My cousin had the server pick 3 whites. We were both very happy with our wines. Next we got the fig appetizer which was on bread, burata and prosciutto. Delish. I got the soup and grilled cheese off the happy hour menu and my cousin got the Brie fondue. She definitely made the best selection. The mushroom soup was ok but my cousins fondue paired with pear and bread to dip was exceptional. Overall it was a delightful experience and one i look forward to repeating. There is zero parking in the tiny little lot so you're forced to pay $5 to valet which kind of sucks but cest la vie. read more

Wineworks For Everyone - Happy hour menu and glass of white. - New American Near Me - Mission Viejo, California

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They have a great selection of wine. AMazing happy hour. Terrific service!

Love this place, good food, wine , intimate setting. I moved away but always make an effort to get there when I am in the area.

This place has left such a bad taste in my mouth after ruining what was supposed to be a pleasant date night out to celebrate my fiance's birthday. Be forewarned, this review is long but there is a lot that went wrong for us... I called to make a reservation because I had read the reviews on Yelp before and saw that it was in issue to just show up. She asked for my name and my fiance's. Upon arrival we were taken to our bar seats. They had a piece of paper on the bar that read "Especially reserved for Josie & Eric" I thought to myself, oh how nice! Then it all went downhill. We talked to a woman I believe is one of the owners. She was friendly but when I asked her about tasting recommendations for the flights all she literally did was read the names of the wines off of the menu with zero description except for that the Rhone Rangers was a flight of "big reds", which I like so I ordered it. My fiance went with the Blends Have More Fun. When we received our flights I noticed that 2 of my glasses were FILTHY. And I'm not talking just a couple of water spots. There was literally soap spots/drips that were white stuck to the glass. One of them was so filthy it just looked cloudy. Are you serious? If your main focus is WINE and tastings, then you need to have properly cleaned glasses. Not glasses that are going to leave a soapy residue on my wine when I am wine tasting. When I told one of the girls that was helping us she grabbed one of the glasses and walked away (no "I'm sorry). Then I just tried to ignore the fact that my other glass was filthy and tried to keep drinking it but at a certain point I just couldn't even hold conversation without staring at the dirty glass. So I asked the blonde girl for a new glass and told her my glass was filthy. She looked at it dumbfounded and just walked away. Again, no "I'm sorry". I should've noticed her walking away without the glass meant she wasn't going to fix the issue. 10 minutes later we flagged down another girl to help us out and she got me a new glass. Again, no I'm sorry. Onto the reason why we were here: the wine! It was beyond mediocre. When the owner walked up to ask us if we liked it I was honest and said actually no we didn't. It was pretty obvious because all 3 of my tastings were just sitting there. She didn't apologize or recommend a different wine or anything to fix the issue. All she said was "Well thank God my husband's not here to hear you say that" Basically saying he would be appalled at the fact that we didn't like the wine. What? The reds were not "Big reds", AT ALL. So I don't know what in the world she was talking about when she said that. I've worked with and been taught about wine by a Master Sommelier so this wasn't my first rodeo. Throughout the night we felt ignored and felt like we got absolutely terrible service. Yes, this place was packed with a bunch of people all dressed up and trying to impress. Maybe it's because we were younger and I was just wearing a nice blouse and shorts and not some fancy black tie attire that we were ignored. We especially saw the blonde schmooze everyone else and ignore us when we needed her to fix our problem. All in all, we were treated poorly & straight up ignored. I was so over it we did not stay for an appetizer or food or anything. We asked for the check and literally started laughing when we received it. They had overcharged us on my fiance's flight on top of it all. It was listed on the menu for $23 and we were charged $27. It's only a few bucks but at this point just laughable when you take into account what the rest of our experience had been. When we asked her why we were being charged the incorrect amount she said "oh yeah, the machine rings it in as that amount, we have to fix that." Well...if you knew that already, then why did you drop the check with the incorrect amount?! Hoping we are stupid enough to pay it? Anyways, it turns out (as another reviewer has stated) the fancy "reservation" card was all a gimmick. Wineworks is overpriced and stuck up. And this place really needs to learn what customer service is all about. When you have a table that's so obviously frustrated/upset you do something. The owner never showed her face again after everything that happened. And the worst part is that they KNEW it was my fiance's birthday and we were celebrating a special occasion. We told the owner that to her face. I always leave a 20% tip but on this occasion my fiance would not allow me to and I didn't argue. He was right. read more

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I had heard good things about this restaurant and was eager to try it. The space was quite busy, and we could tell that this was the new trendy hang out in the area. We were greeted by a personalized reservation placard our table and seated in the back of the restaurant. The menu looked good, with a wide array of choices. We ordered appetizers, drinks, and mains all in one go. It took almost 30 minutes to receive our appetizer of cheese (read: no cooking required). It would take another 20 minutes to receive 1 plate of salad. During this time our only interaction with anyone on staff was when they brought the food. We were sitting right by the kitchen and had made eye contact with severs multiple times. We were never offered an apology, reassurance, or drink while we waited. We could read the frustration on other tables. We learned that the restaurant was having a wine tasting that night. A full 1 hour and 15 minutes after ordering our main course it arrived. It was good, especially for Mission Viejo, but surely not worth the wait. I was very disappointed in the sheer lack of service. The personalized reservation paper seemed like a silly gimmick now. It seemed incredibly greedy to staff the restaurant with only a few servers on such a busy night. Please be wary of eating here on wine tasting nights. read more

My family had just moved to Mission Viejo and he loves to dine and wine, so he got excited when he saw this local place. The first few times were fine, until he went once on a "date" night with our daughter for dinner and the owner brought out this wine called, "Head Honcho" and he asked my daughter if she knew what it meant. She replied, "No" and he answered, "The boss", looking at my husband. My husband felt offended and he did not feel welcomed at all. My husband is in the service industry, he is a people person, he likes to support local businesses, and he was being his usual, friendly self, but I guess it was misinterpreted! When he and my daughter left, the owner only said goodbye to her and not to my husband. It was very strange and my husband felt very uncomfortable! We have never been back since, and that's unfortunate for their business! read more

Holy cow!!! I discovered this place on a whim while driving off Oso. Upon entering I felt like I was being whisked away from the OC straight into a wine bar you might see on the side streets of Soho, New York. I love how this place is a sheer assault to the senses in the most alluring way possible. A musician greets you with melodic beats from an acoustic guitar or deep toned bass. Wines of all different colors and regions surround the walls categorized by color and intensity in their own glowing wine shaped cubbies. Their wine and food is delectable to say the least--I have not yet been disappointed with any of my choices. The Atrea Zin paired with the Lamb Sliders...are so GOOD...*drool* Excuse me! And don't forget the LAVA CAKE...it even pairs well with the Zin if you babysit your wine to the end. Being a family owned operation, this venue has no stink of pretentiousness. The customers and staff all share in laughs and smiles and the guests never manifest an ounce of disappointment. Calling this place a hidden gem could quite possibly be an understatement. read more