We had a great experience at A +O restaurant | Bar located in the Balboa Bay Club. We enjoy stopping at A + O while visiting NPB. Although it is located in a resort, it is definitely a locals spot. Everyone appeared to know each other from the area. Very friendly. We arrived around 11:00 am for Brunch and to watch the final day of The Masters. It was a rainy morning so we elected to sit at the bar. We typically enjoy sitting outside on the patio at the tables or the fire pits, if you still at the bar, you still have a nice view of the boats lined up in the harbor. Tia was the bartender when we arrived. She was very attentive and professional. Tia explained brunch was already over which we were a little bummed but she said she could still do a couple of breakfast boards. Neither looked like what we were interested in eating so we elected to go for lunch. We ordered Bloody Marys and they were delicious. We started with the Chef's Seasonal Burrata - Pistachio pesto, roasted beets, pomegranate, lemon olive oil, fresh herbs, grilled house made focaccia. This was very refreshing and tasty. It is also GF and Veg. I ordered the A+O Burger - Brioche bun, butter lettuce, 1000 island, farmhouse cheddar, caramelized onion, pickles, fries. I ordered it Medium and unfortunately the burger was cooked well done. It had great flavor but it was a little dry since not cooked to order. The fries were delicious, hot and crispy. My husband ordered the Pork Belly Sliders - Pork belly, butterleaf lettuce, roma tomatoes, fresh sliced pickles, spicy aioli, Kings Hawaiian slider bun. He said they were delicious. Tia left and Joe took over. Joe was amazing. Very attentive and friendly. Joe went out of his way to grab a drink I requested that was not available at the bar and brought it out for me. Very nice! The bar was crowded and Joe took care of everyone with ease while giving everyone attention. Cameron also came in shift and was very friendly as well. The service was excellent and we liked the food. If they had cooked my burger to requested temp it would have been perfect. We will be back! read more

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TLDR; Pretty sure this spot used to a pretty crappy brunch buffet spot. Decided to come and see what the new spot is like. Advertised live dj on sundays when we made reservations and there was no live music. Food is overall bland as hell, steak was chewy and dry and unsalted it seems. Chicken and waffles board was probably the worst chicken and waffles I've had, and all the sides that came with it seemed random as hell. We were excited to try a newish brunch spot out and to get a bottle of champagne for mimosas. Little did we know, that the mimosa would be the best part of the meal. This spot replaced a super crappy brunch buffet, that was one of the saddest buffets I've ever been to. Saw that they opened a new concept and saw that they advertised live DJs on sundays for brunch. So we decided to try it. We sat down and ordered the chicken and waffles platter and steak and salad plate. The chicken and waffle plate was really not that good, not a single item on the platter was good. Waffles, you can tell they tried to make it fancy, but just tasted weird and dry. The syrup, looks like they make in house also, not sweet enough and bland. The chicken was the least bland item out of everything, but it's not worth it at all. The steak was one of the chewiest, dry steaks I've had in a while also under seasoned, maybe even no salt. The chicken platter also had random items on it, that made no sense. Random sprigs of rosemary, marshmallow amongst other items. Nothing seemed to gel and it looked like they were just trying to fill the space with easy things. The mimosas that came with the chicken and waffles platter was the star of our meal. Honestly, I'd say it's hard to make food taste this bland and whatevers. With what they are charging, the steak shouldn't be dry and chewy, let alone not seasoned. Everything was under seasoned like we were in a cardiatric ward in the hospital. You can make better food following any recipe on YouTube. 2 stars for the mimosa and the server was very friendly, service wasn't anything to write home about though. Not busy at all, and a lot of workers just standing around. We didn't get checked on much throughout the meal. Oh and the valet was free at least. read more

Lovely waterfront restaurant inside a beautiful Newport resort! Great for a special occasions or when you just wanna have a great time. We came on a Saturday and the outside seating was almost full. The seating area is along the harbor right next to many stupendously huge yachts - worthy of Instagram photos! They have a great menu with many selections, but what I like the most are their plates - at this writing they have two plates on their menu and each is interesting on their own. Each is large enough for two people, and both are priced.$30s. I think they're great deals! And the presentation is fabulous! We had the fried chicken plate, it's definitely the kind to get if you like waffles and sweets. We also ordered the lamb chops and they were great too. Service was OK, I wouldn't say they're amazing, but consider how busy they were. I think it was adequate. But this is a place that you come for the view and the nice seaside ambience. The patio dining area is lovely on a sunny day. And a quick stroll around the resort after lunch was lovely too. The resort has a huge parking lot so parking with no problem at all. And the restaurant does validate! read more

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Wonderful staycation location. The food was great and service post-seating was equally great. My only reservation of giving this establishment 4+ stars is the pre-seating service. We waited at least 10 - 15 minutes in the front before someone came to take our name down. This was consistent for both dinner and breakfast time. As a guest to the connecting hotel, we were not informed reservations would be required or would result in a 30+ minute wait. Again, service post-seating was top tier. The servers were so kind, generous and a delight. read more

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I'd recommend for the harbor views and some drinks. I would not have high expectations for the food, but definitely keep the wallet open for Newport prices. On a Friday night, service was subpar. My sense was that there was a staffing issue. My Caesar salad and focaccia were mediocre, and the tiramisu could have shone had it been allowed to warm up some more. The musician was quite good but we were not able to hear each other talk. Thanks for the views, but that's about it. read more

A+O Restaurant | Bar - Focaccia and tapenade - New American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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We had our brunch here off the menu. So impressed by the service and the food. We had an outside seating facing the yachts and the marina. The beautiful weather was unmatched with the fresh breeze. The music in the background was great. Our foods came and it was off the charts phenomenal. I would definitely recommend to try this place out. Also there's a boutique shop and they have cute items. I was with a member and had the chance to tour the members only area! read more

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Beautiful. Just blissfully beautiful. Dining the other night at A+O was truly an experience right before sunset. The Apps of the Burrata with Focaccia Bread was a perfect pair. The earthiness from the beets and colorful presentation was impeccable. The Clam Chowder had great chunks of clams potatoes and prosciutto! The only thing was that it was a bit on the saltier end of my food palette. Otherwise it was great overall. And the Fish Tacos are to dieee for. I loved it. For breakfast the next morning was even more spectacular. The server Liz was so sweet and kind enough to have our order of the steak and chimichurri pre cut and halved between myself and my friend. The fruit parfait and sliced fruit was absolutely perfect and a great ending to our meal. Cannot wait to dine in again. read more

A+O Restaurant | Bar - Full Breakfast Spread, Parfait, Sliced Fruit, Avocado Toast & Steak w/ Chimichurri - New American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Easy reservations through OpenTable unless you are a party of 5 or more. Valet parking at Balboa Bay Resort is validated through A+O. Service is very attentive initially. As the time went on, they were less attentive after all the food came out, but they were accommodating when flagged down. Food was great: a mix of contemporary and Californian. Shareables like the poke nacho, lobster roll, and the grilled shrimp were good. The Chilean sea bass was delicious. Décor is beautiful during the holiday season. The ocean views and breeze were great for outdoor dining. Lovely experience overall. read more

A+O Restaurant | Bar - Lobster roll - New American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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Location, location, location. Beautiful Sunday morning with warm weather and an outside table with views of the harbor. Life is good. Inside the Balboa Bay Club. Parking validation when dining in the restaurant. Great holiday decorations. Top notch service. Waiters were attentive and kind. I had the eggs benedict with fingerling potatoes. Great sauce with a hint of seasoning that was yummy. Potatoes were also good and cooked perfectly. Avocado toast delish. Would return and try their lunch/dinner menu. Could be 5 stars after trying something other than breakfast. read more

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I've been here a couple of times already and I love it. The espresso martinis are my favorite, although the matcha martini was really good too. The steak with salsa was delicious, and I've also tried the burger it's really yummy. My favorite it's the Ahi Tuna Poke. One time we came for a family birthday, and they surprised us with a beautiful and delicious cake with a candle, which I really appreciated. I love this restaurant. It's next to the marina, so you can see the boats, which makes the views beautiful during the day. At night, it gets super cozy with a great vibe, especially with the fire pits. read more

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Came here on a Friday afternoon for lunch. Had the octopus and Caesar salad and a martini. My friend got the pork belly sliders. Prices are super fair considering the location. Octopus had bright flavors, a bit salty but truly delicious; the Caesar salad was also superb. Sliders looked DELICIOUS. Deanna the server was extremely kind and made the meal more pleasant. Would return! read more

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Fourth of July fireworks could be seen from three different directions as you dine on the patio... The entertainment was really spectacular, Galo played all of our favorite songs.. throughout our entire dinner... ( we literally would come back just to hear him play) Our waiter dylan took great care of us ... the food was very nice however, it being the Fourth of July they were very busy so the service lacked just a little bit.. But you honestly cannot beat those great summer nights in the harbor.. plenty of heaters very dog friendly... Very nice size bar .... read more

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4 of us came here for dinner last Friday just in time for the perfect sunset. The marina views were amazing, especially from the outdoor patio where yachts pass by and fire pits flicker as the sun dips below the horizon. They have a couple of TVs indoors. Service was very good overall given that our lovely server seemed like the only one working that evening. When it comes to the food, the flavors were on point - I opted for something on the lighter side Ahi Tuna Poke and it was very good. I would order that again. Hubs ordered the A+O Burger with a side of Asparagus, Namaste Bowl and Steak Salad for the other couple. read more

A+O Restaurant | Bar - Ahi Tuna Poke - New American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

I am extremely disappointed with the experience we had while celebrating my daughter's college graduation, a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, that was very important to us. I hosted 16 people for this special celebration and specifically made the reservation requesting outdoor seating. I was told that we would only be moved indoors if it rained. However, when we arrived, it was a bright, sunny, completely dry day, yet we were seated inside while the outdoor tables were occupied by other guests, the same tables we reserved. We were then told you could not accommodate our original request, despite it being the main reason I made the reservation. There was nothing else I can do since my guests were arriving. To make matters worse, after the experience, I received an email asking for my number so someone could contact me and make it right. I provided my number promptly, but I never received a phone call or any follow-up communication. What should have been a joyful celebration for my daughter turned into a frustrating and disappointing experience. I expected much better customer service, communication, and follow-through. read more

AO used to be one of my favorite restaurants, but unfortunately their customer service has declined to the point that I can no longer enjoy going there. Last night, my friend and I arrived around 6:30 PM. After waiting 45 minutes, the host rudely told us they did not have a table available. There was no apology, no effort to accommodate us, and the attitude was extremely disappointing. We then decided to sit at the bar, only to wait another 20 minutes. The bartender told us there were seven people ahead of us, again with no apology and the same rude attitude. During all that time, we could not even get a glass of water. The waiters seemed overwhelmed and too busy to care. What stood out to me most was that it was not just one employee. The same attitude was visible across the entire staff, not only toward us but also toward two older couples waiting ahead of us. When the behavior is consistent across the team, it usually reflects deeper issues such as being understaffed, overworked, undertrained, or lacking proper leadership. This is a great example of the mistake some successful restaurants make when they become profitable and forget that customers are the reason for their success. Sadly, it no longer feels like customers matter there anymore. read more

A+O is a beautiful restaurant within the Balboa Bay Resort. You do not need to be a hotel guest to come to the restaurant. They offer valet and self parking too (the restaurant even validates)! They have a beautiful bar with TVs, a large interior space and a gorgeous outdoor patio that sits right near the boats and yachts in the bay. There are spectacular sunsets in the evenings. Their patio also features some cool fire pit areas which is a great touch! They have a great food, drink and dessert menu. Looking forward to coming back soon! read more

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I was here last night for an engagement party and had a great time! The staff and bartenders were great, constantly checking on us and refilling drinks. We had a private menu for the event but the food was wonderful, especially considering the quantity that was made. We had a lovely view over the harbor and live music! read more

Great ambiance with good views of the water and parked boats. Beautiful food presentation. Fast and good service! Their food is delicious and they serve good coffee! I wish I tried their pastries. Best to make reservations. This is located inside the Balboa bay club and you can get validation for valet service. read more

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This restaurant doubles as a large outdoor venue that backs up into the Balboa Bay. My friend and i sat on the side of the restaurant so we were able to watch the concert happening (and hear it loudly) right next door which ended up actually being a lot of fun and very enjoyable because the music was great. Even though the restaurant was absolutely packed, service was reasonably efficient and the staff seemed to be in good spirits which is always a good sign. Most importantly - every dish we got was phenomenal. The pork belly sliders were probably (surprisingly) my favorites, while my friend raved about the Caesar salad. I would recommend every single appetizer and dessert we got, and the drinks were all great too! Very impressed by my experience here as it exceeded my expectations for a first night of vacation dinner! read more

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I wished I'd said something sooner, but with things going on it's been hard. However up until today 4/8/26 our stay at Th Balboa Bay Resort has been nothing less than AMAZING!! From the people who work there from the valet, front desk, cleaning people and the ones who work at the A & O bar have been nothing but wonderful. Our room is like a little oasis that is absolute perfect in every possible way. I've never had such amazing sleep as I do here. I've stayed at hotels in the area from The Surf and Sand, The Pendry, The Vea and Pelican Hill. All these hotels have been nice in their own way, but not one compares to the quality of The Balboa Bay Resort. I would like to name just a few people who have been taking care of us and these are the names I've gotten Faatimah, Collin, Ron, Susan and Millie have gone above and beyond. They are so kind, helpful, caring and that just adds so much more joy to our stay. I sincerely hope that these individuals get the credit and recognition they deserve. I HIGHLY recommend anyone who is in the area for a vacation or a staycation to come here and be fully satisfied. You will leave more relaxed and thinking about your next stay. read more

The views are great here, it looks out at Lido and all the boats. The restaurant is part of the Balboa Bay Resort. The service is good, the food is good, drinks are well made, nothing crazy about it. The price is a little much for what it is, but you're paying for the view and Newport. I usually eat here whenever I'm at the Balboa Bay Resort. read more

The ambience on the deck was fun, lively and the view of the yachts was incredible. The service was excellent (thank you, Phillip, for your help). Our food was delicious and we ate every crumb of every entree. The jidori chicken was my favorite! We will be back!!! read more

A+O Restaurant | Bar - New American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

This review is a little late but I must say this place is a hidden treasure in Newport Beach. Love to sit outdoors next to the beautiful yachts and water breezes. Food is always so delicious as are the cocktails. Service is also wonderful and the valet is complementary if validated. Great spot for a special celebration. read more

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I wanted to like this place so badly, I even gave it multiple tries but can't say I'd come back. This is going to be long but it's necessary. My first visit I came for what I thought was brunch on Sunday. Our server Danielle gave us the lunch menu. I asked if there was brunch and she said no, only breakfast and lunch. I said bummer, I could swear there were brunch options and that I'd look online for the menu. All of a sudden she realize that yes there were brunch board available which ended in 2 hours. It was almost as if she didn't want us to order them which was strange. We ordered the chicken and waffles board which was delicious. But ordered and giving us the bill was the only time we saw Danielle. So service was below par. Decided to give it a second shot and came again this past Sunday with some friends, we wanted to do their "Gin & Jazz Afternoon Tea" event. Our server this time was Jose. We had literally just put our butts in the chairs and realized one of the seats was completely in the sun and that girl was going to burn from the sun. We asked if we could perhaps move to another table, and he said there was nothing he could do and that he couldn't move the sun...uhhh. Not what we were asking but okay. Then he follows it up asking what we want to drink, but how would we know if you see we haven't even had a moment to look at the menu?? Again, service was not good. He brought out our food but otherwise was non-existent until it was time to pay the bill. If we ever needed anything we had to ask the server of the table next to us. I felt so bad that he had to do his coworker's job for him. But all of a sudden when it's time for Jose's shift to end and he is relying on us to tip him and close out our checks, he comes by 3 times in less than 10 minutes. How convenient. I also found it strange that we were there for the afternoon tea and jazz, and specifically requested the afternoon tea menu, but we were put at the very end of the restaurant away from where the jazz band was playing...? Would've made more sense to put us by the music since we specifically requested to do the afternoon tea event, compared to others who were just there for regular lunch service. Now for the food. The afternoon tea tower was $70/ person and included a cocktail ( valued at $20). We decided to start with a 2 person tower and a chicken & waffles board. The finger food tower came out and we were shocked. They wanted $100 for barely enough food for even one person!! Please look at the picture I'm attaching and tell me that this afternoon tea tower is worth $100. I understand it's finger food and not meant to be a full meal, but there is no way that could be valued at $50/ per person for a few bites. This event would've been better off as a children's event because the quantity of finger food for 2 adults was unreasonable. We ordered another chicken & waffles board and that was great as usual, and definitely worth the value for $35. Overall, like many restaurants by the water in OC, you're really just paying for the ambiance, location, and "vibe". Definitely not the service and it's good that I saw a job posting for a server is open because they need to retrain their staff. There's no reason why I've been twice in 2 weeks and both times had rude service before I even ordered! The only saving grace of giving the 2 stars is the chicken & waffles board which was fantastic, and the server who was working with the table next to us who we had to ask to service our table because our server was nowhere to be found. His name was Phillip and he was so kind!! A true southern gentleman. Our table kept saying we wished we had him as our server instead. Phillip was considerate, attentive, kind, and so so friendly. He really was the highlight of our brunch and if for some reason I find myself back here, I will specifically ask for him. Otherwise, can't say I'd come back. read more

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Hidden gem to have a quiet meal by the ocean (actually you are lined up with the yacht docking) the food and service was great and very relaxed. read more

Great weather, great service provided by Natasha our waitress, great recommendation of cocktails and food entrees. This marina waterfront hotel restaurant was amazing. From the valet to the service. I had the smoked flavored BBQ platter, wifey had the steak frites. All tasted great. I indulge into the expresso martinis while ending the night with a smokey whistle pig old fashioned and live musical entertainment as the sun set. I'm sorry we we're hungry and forgot to snap photos. Next time read more

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The view from A&O restaurant is just wonderful on a beautiful day. The food was also pretty good. We started with the tuna sashimi (which was steller)! I just wish there were a few more pieces of fish on the plate. We then shared the club sandwich. This was also pretty good but needed more aioli or some dijon mustard. The green goddess aioli was oddly bland and made the overall sandwich bland. The fries were on point. Apparently they have live music Wed-Sat nights and on Sun afternoons so we'd like to come back for that. Service was just okay. All the servers that day and the host had a really strange affect and weren't very friendly. Maybe it was an off day? read more

A+O Restaurant | Bar - Tuna sashimi - New American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Poor experience for my first time here. Came to celebrate my fiancé's birthday and enjoy the restaurant week lunch special by the water. We waited over an hour for our food with the only explanation being that their system wasn't working properly for restaurant week, yet it still took over an hour to serve us the starter Caesar salad. It ended up being too long for us to wait for the burger so we asked for it to go (still took 25+ minutes) and it came out incorrect. Extremely disappointing. read more

Came in with a large group after the Newport Beach wine festival. The restaurant was able to accommodate us as a walk in. Drinks were delicious! I ordered the grilled octopus and it was a huge disappointment. It was tough and chewy. I haven't really had bad octopus until now. It also didn't look grilled? It had some weird coating on it, again never had a grilled octopus with a seasoned coating on it. I only took a few bites. Would not recommend the octopus to anyone. read more

A+O Restaurant | Bar - Grilled octopus was tough and not good - New American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Not as impressed this time. Hubby says chicken and waffles are consistently good but at $8 per cup of plain coffee, I feel taken. Two breakfasts + 2 coffees for $72 seems a bit much. Coffee should be $5 max each - come on. My bacon was burnt and not great quality. read more

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A+O is one of my favorite spots in newport. Food is so good and the view by the water is so peaceful. I highly recommend the burger, fish tacos, Caesar salad + crab tacos. The best part is Deanna and Jonathan!! The best service and always amazing to see them! Don't forget they're dog friendly :) read more

A+O Restaurant | Bar - Dog menu - New American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Such a beautiful location hidden inside a hotel! The service was great and food was decent. I can't complain. A perfect place for brunch and drinks with girlfriends. Parking can be a little hard. Self parking lot fill up fast, there is also street parking read more

A+O Restaurant | Bar - Crab Cakes & Seasoned Fries - New American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Such a beautiful night great ambiance with fireplace live music The cocktails, steaks are delicious The waitress is super nice and friendly Overall great service We really enjoyed the night! read more

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Brunch was delicious, the waiters are very attentive. It's right by the ocean so it makes the experience even more relaxing.

A+O Fails at Restaurant Week: The restaurant was advertising fireside fondue and old fashioned flights for restaurant week. We thought this sounded great, so booked a reservation for last night. When we got there we were told they can't do fondue unless you call ahead and specifically request it. There's no mention of this on their restaurant week section. It was not busy and no one else was using the fondue equipment. It's clear that the employees just couldn't be bothered to do it. read more

We enjoyed a festive Christmas dinner with friends and colleagues at the restaurant. The lobby's exquisite holiday décor created a gorgeous atmosphere. Our hostess and server provided professional and friendly service. The diverse menu offered delicious dishes, all of which were exceptionally tasty. I highly recommend making reservations, especially during the holiday season, as the restaurant was quite busy. While I cannot comment on weekday or weekend traffic outside of the holidays, the service was prompt, friendly, and well-organized. This venue is ideal for holiday dinners and events such as the boat parade. read more

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A and O Restaurant Bar is a beautiful spot on the water with a menu that actually respects plant based eaters. The VR Farms Local Summer Salad is crisp and refreshing with seasonal vegetables that taste as fresh as they look. The Strawberry Summer Salad is another standout that balances sweet and savory perfectly. For something more filling, the Organic Namaste Bowl is a must. It comes with wild rice, mushrooms, beets, avocado, rainbow carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and cashew romesco. You can add tofu to keep it fully vegan and it is satisfying without feeling heavy. Everything is presented beautifully and tastes fresh. Even friends who are not vegan found plenty of options they loved, and the cocktails pair perfectly with the food. The harbor view makes every meal feel like a getaway. The service was friendly. read more

This restaurant is near the water and has a nice atmosphere, so it's a good place for dates and get-togethers. Service was a bit hit and miss when we were here. Our server barely checked in on us or refilled our water. It was quite unexpected for a nice restaurant like this. * Shrimp fettuccini 4/5 - This was a good shrimp pasta dish with a decent portion. There was a good amount of shrimps which I liked. The flavor was good with a bit of a spicy kick to it. read more

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Great location and great service. The food, however, is unimpressive. The chicken in the Organic Namaste Bowl was beyond dry. The heaters on the patio didn't work so it was a chilly dinner with the cool ocean air. read more

Dinner with a view. Party of 4 seated outside, couldn't feel the cold thanks to the heaters. Delicious food. Multiple food items ordered, everyone satisfied with their plate: Lobster Roll Prime NY Strip Chilean Sea Bass Fish Tacos Oreo Cheesecake Theres valet parking. Would recommend this restaurant to others. read more

A+O Restaurant | Bar - New American Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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