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    Culinary Dropout

    4.3 (359 reviews)
    ModerateNew American
    Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    Order Culinary Dropout Takeout or Delivery

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    CULINARY DROPOUT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Culinary Dropout

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    Timmy S.

    This large restaurant is located a block off Glassell near the Orange Circle. The interior feels semi-swanky with many tables and booths plus a cool bar. There is a lot of patio seating. We showed up for a late lunch and were immediately seated. Our server was excellent, very friendly and gave great recommendations. We started with an appetizer, whipped feta & tahini dip. The dip also had pomegranate seeds, apricot preserves, and "pistachio crunch' along with slices of grilled ciabatta on which to smear the dip onto. This was REALLY good and I highly recommend it as I thought it was the best part of my meal. I then ordered the crispy chicken katsu sandwich with a side salad. The sandwich used Japanese bread and added miso aioli, slaw, and hoisin sauce on the chicken. The bread was grilled a bit too much but was still crispy-good and held together well. The chicken was tender and the ingredients had good flavor, especially the bites with the slaw, but the crunchy coating (I don't think it was panko) was fried too long. The salad was fresh but bland until I spiced it up with a load of pepper. If there was dressing on it, it was tasteless. I'd rate the appetizer a 5 and the sandwich plate a 3. I'd definitely pick another sandwich or entree if I were to visit again.

    White Truffle Deviled Eggs
    Catrina R.

    Came here on a weekday at around 4:15. All in all this place hovers around a 3.5. In summation: some quality elements but not a full home run. First of all LOTS of fun and tasty drinks to choose from. This includes cocktails, non alcoholic drinks, etc. Kicked it off with their deviled eggs and their pretzel. The deviled eggs were 20/10. Bury me in those. The pretzel cheese was good and the pretzels themselves were cooked perfectly but the pretzels somehow lacked flavor and needed some more salt. On to the entrees we did the katsu sandwich and the fried chicken plate. The stars of the show were the chicken and the katsu. The way they deep fried everything was to perfection! The katsu sandwich could have used more hoisin sauce as without it was a tad dry and the French fries were lackluster. For the fried chicken plate the biscuit was homemade but was okay as was the mashed potatoes. Finishes it off with the mud pie. The non decadent lovers need not apply to this one. It was a punch (in a good way for chocolate lovers) of fudge. All in all food wise there was a star of every plate and an overwhelming ness to it at the same time. Honestly this is the perfect place for cocktails and apps before a movie! (The theater is right above it). Service was a bit slow but they added more servers as the night progressed. We did a reservation but don't think we needed to but I recommend for the weekends. The ambiance is a bit loud and yet nice. Perfect for brunch with the girlies or a first date. PS they do live music on one of the weekends. Plenty of parking!

    Rainbow roll was good but nothing special.
    Terri K.

    Great place, nice ambiance, good food & great service. The turkey pastrami sandwich on a pretzel roll was delicious! The shaved prime rib dip sandwich was equally as yummy. Ordered the rainbow roll sushi & it was good but not our favorite of the entrees. It's not the type of place to expect superior sushi. I would recommend sticking with other items. The Asian crunch salad with added chicken protein was very good, has a kick, but didn't expect it to be a chopped salad Our server Isabel was fantastic! Nice little patio out front too.

    Mongolian Short Rib*
    Suzzen P.

    What a gem. I was in a search for a good place for lunch and of course Old Towne Orange popped up with a bunch of trending spots. I chose Culinary Dropout because the name was intriguing and because it was separate from the main Circle where parking and pedestrian traffic is chaos. CD had its own parking lot across the street on Maple and Grand, saving you from dealing with the parking machine. I came here with 3 colleagues and we all loved the food. To start, we had the feta and tahini dip as well as the onion dip. The feta and tahini dip was delicious; I could've probably eaten the whole thing if I didn't have to share haha. For our entrees I had the Mongolian short rib while my colleagues ordered salad and burgers. They raved about the burgers being one of the best they ever had. I liked my short ribs as well, but wished it wasn't drowning in sauce. I could barely see the rice. Ease up on the sauce and it would be perfect. The soft boiled egg was a nice touch. I will definitely be back to try those burgers and get the dip again. This seems like a great place to hang out during happy hour.

    Shontel C.

    I just had brunch here with my family on Saturday and we had a fairly decent time. Parking is pretty scarce in this area so we took advantage of the free valet.. more on this later... The service was pretty decent, not too bad, but nothing exceptional and our food came out in good timing. The food itself was OK but I wasn't really impressed. Nothing really stood out. The restaurant itself is very pretty and I would love to go back and sit on the patio next time. Now back to the free valet, I have a jeep and the two front tops were off so when we got the car back, it was completely full with hundreds and hundreds of little tiny leaves all over the car in every crevice. Not really the valet's fault but just something to note for them if someone comes with a convertible or a Jeep do not park them under that tree. I spent 30 minutes vacuuming the whole entire car yesterday and it wasn't fun.

    Kristie G.

    The most enjoyable experience. First time dinning and drinking here. We ordered the Brussels Sprouts and Tempera Shrimp Roll. They were both very flavorful. The service was great. We sat at the bar and the bartenders were attentive and quick with service.

    Kayla A.

    Came back again for dinner and ordered the Steak Frites and Salmon. Soooo good! Service was friendly and quick. Culinary Dropout has definitely become one of my favorite spots in the Circle!

    Monkey Bread
    Nia G.

    Another slam dunk for Culinary Dropout! We came to celebrate my birthday with a large party and they were just as amazing as the last time. Food- Service- Ambiance were all exceptional. Calling in to get a table for a large party can typically be a challenge and places like this but the hosts on the phone were SO wonderful and helpful as we tried to plan a date that could accommodate our group. Thank you to a great team, signed - your fan

    Caroline C.

    We have a monthly "girls" day/night, etc. Just do it, it's good for your soul. What's a few hours of a day to reconnect with your besties? Anyways, we came here for one of them and we had a reservation. I hate looking for parking and will happily pay but, when I pulled in, it said complimentary valet! Score! The apps we got were all tasty, so were the drinks. The service was friendly and quick. Imagine some 40 something women catching up.... took forever to order our food. Most of us got a salad but, it was still a lot due to all the apps we ordered. I love variety so I prefer this! We agreed that we want to come back for dinner. Maybe on another girls day....depends on who's planning!

    Steak and fries
    Sandrine N.

    Ambience was amazing at sunset time Service was very quick and our server was nice. Originally ordered the rigatoni but they ran out but the steak and fries were a delightful detour. Steak was perfectly seasoned!

    Alec D.

    Tried the nachos at Culinary Dropout and they were honestly so good. Perfectly loaded with toppings, great flavor in every bite, and nothing felt dry or skimpy. You actually get a solid mix of everything, not just chips at the bottom. The ingredients tasted fresh, and the portions were big enough to share (but you might not want to). Definitely one of those dishes you keep going back to even when you're full. The spot itself is really cool too with a great vibe and a fun addition to the Orange Circle. Service was quick and friendly, which made the whole experience even better.

    Crispy Brussels Sprouts
    Calli Y.

    Finally got to try this place and we came for happy hour. It did not disappoint. They have several options for happy hour as far as food and drink drinks go. We were seated in the bar area and our server was attentive. We opted for the brussels sprouts, pretzel and fondue cheese dip, and the short ribs. I really enjoyed the ribs with the spicy slaw. Brussels were great as well. Great vibes!

    Great chips and dip
    Shannon C.

    What an overpriced disappointment. The chicken was burnt!!! They only offer about 6 entrees I don't know how it can get messed up so badly. The cocktail and non alcoholic drinks are good and presented nicely. The fish and chips were good. I had so much hope because the ambiance is so inviting. The name is catchy. But I can see now that they truly were a culinary drop out. Maybe they should go back to school. Our meal was $80 and not worth it.

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    Page 1 of 9

    Ask the Community - Culinary Dropout

    What is the parking situation?

    We parked across the street in the free city lot

    Are there any gluten-free options?

    Yes

    Is there a corkage fee for bringing wine in?

    Yes! $25 per bottle

    Is this an ok pace for kids?

    Yes

    Hi! Is the patio dog friendly?

    Yes, there was a beautiful German Shepard at the table in front of us on Friday.

    Are you open tomorrow?

    Hi! We are not open on Thanksgiving but will be open at 11am on Friday

    Do you offer any vegan options?

    I had a Vegan Curry dish that was good. Not sure if they have anything else specifically Vegan.

    Is a reservation necessary? Just asking because from reading some reviews it sounds like people just stopped in. Not sure if it was fully needed as the proper time we wanted wasn't available.

    Hi, reservations are not required, we always accept walk ins! However, we are always happy to get a reservation set up for you to avoid potential wait times! If you are seeing issues with the time you’re looking for, you’re welcome to message us… Read more

    Can you make reservations?

    Hi Kim! We absolutely accept reservations, I'd be happy to get you situated with one! You can give us a call at 714-439-5566 or visit us on OpenTable!… Read more

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    Finney's Crafthouse - Orange

    Finney's Crafthouse - Orange

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    $$

    The food was great! We sat at the bar before the lunch rush…read morecame through on Saturday. Bar staff is attentive and quick to put in our orders after we sat down. Plenty of beer selections to choose from, but I actually opted for a dirty soda!! Diet Coke, vanilla cream, coconut and lime ‍ Good selection and variety of options on the menu, we want to come back to just try a mix of appetizers- they had a lot to pick from. We ordered a few apps and some entrees: Deviled eggs, Crispy Tuna, Southwest Chicken Bowl and Pepperoni Pizza. All were very tasty, we cleaned the plates! They have a lot of seating, as well as an outdoor patio. Plenty of TVs if you are wanting to watch a game. We will definitely be back for more options on the menu!

    I came here a few times already with my wife and this place is really good! Menu is pretty diverse…read moreand seems pretty busy the last few times we were here. Great place to come have a couple of drinks as well and watch some local sport games. There are also a few games in the back you can play. We started off with the carnitas nachos and it was pretty good. Very filling and a good amount for the both of us. No complaints there. For our main course, my wife ordered a couscous salad of some sort. She really enjoyed it. I chose the Wagyu Burger and this was expected from this restaurant. Juicy, artisan craft buns and definitely was not the first time we ordered it since we have came here a few times already. We even door dashed it one time haha. Other than that, great place to come and hang out especially on big sport days. Good vibes, great service as well. Lots of TV's which is perfect.

    Benchmark - Short Rib Rigatoni

    Benchmark

    (1.8k reviews)

    $$

    Cute, ambiguous corner, with greenery and peaceful vibes. Very much enjoyed the nature aspect of…read morethe interior design and it made a great photo opportunity for me and my friend. Service went well, checked in here and there, made sure we got our order. We tried three dishes and two drinks LAVENDER HAZE (Mocktail Version) - 3/5, very pretty, but tastes a bit watered down. Someone try the alcoholic version and let me know what it's like haha. BENCHMARK BLOODY MARY: 5/5 my friend liked it and it was spicy! ENCHILIDA SUIZAS, lobster + shrimp filling, corn, poblano cream sauce, pickled red onion, cilantro, queso fresco, I give 5/5, I enjoyed the combination of the sauce and enchiladas, it wasn't overcooked and had a great refreshing savory flavor. Plated very nicely, visually appealing. BULGOGI KIMCHI FRIED RICE, fried eggs, gochujang, green onion furikake, pickled radish, cilantro, I give 4/5, overall I enjoyed this plate, but I do feel the beef could have been slightly stronger in terms of flavor? The rice was holding all the spices and taste. DULCE DE LECHE FRENCH TOAST, crème fraîche chantilly, brûléed banana, chocolate sauce, maldon salt, I would give 5/5, presentation was beautiful, taste wise I really enjoyed it, had a very good balance of sweetness and not too strong. I know my ratings are less than a 5 in general, but I really felt the whole experience was pleasant, enjoyable, good food and good vibes, therefore 5 out of 5

    Another night. No…read morewords. Get the miso salmon. You won't regret it! This place never disappoints. The daou robles wine is perfection!!!

    Haven Craft Kitchen + Bar - The front of Haven Craft Kitchen + Bar

    Haven Craft Kitchen + Bar

    (3.3k reviews)

    $$$

    I love OC restaurant week, cuz not only do I get to try new places for affordable prices (3 course…read moremeals no less), but I also get to sneak in a date night with the hubs. Double win! This year, we opt'd to try Haven Craft Kitchen & Bar in Old Town Orange. The menu looked enticing and the Yelp reviews were positive. Such a cute, modern Californian restaurant with chill/laidback vibes. Known for their gourmet comfort food, craft cocktails, and an extensive selection of beer, wine, and whiskey, it offers a warm atmosphere with indoor and patio seating. The menu emphasizes fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. Definitely a place that could be good for brunch, dinner, happy hour, and group hangouts. Our server was nice and attentive. Just parking along the Old Towne streets can be a pain, but we lucked out with front row parking. The hubs & I got different dishes for our appetizer, entree & dessert courses, so we could try a lil bit of everything. French onion soup, duck confit & sticky toffee pudding for me and locally grown burrata, 6 oz prime flat iron steak and pumpkin cheesecake for him. My soup was deelish. Full of depth & onion flavor and cheesy goodness. Not overly salty at all, like others can sometime be. The duck was moist and accompanied the beans, pork belly sofrito & spring onion well. I was pleasantly surprised, since I'm usually not a huge fan of beans. The sticky toffee pudding was decadently sweet and rich. I could only take a few bits, but glad I was able to try it. Not something I'd order on my own accord usually. The hub's burrata app was ok, wish it was more softer in texture, to eat & spread with the grilled toast. His flat iron steak was cooked perfectly, to our medium-rare specifications. It was soft and tender. His pumpkin cheesecake was surprisingly sooo good. Definitely my fav of the 2 desserts. I'm not a huge pumpkin fan, but it was light & subtle and not an overly rich cheesecake. It was surely baked to melt in your mouth. My hubs & I finished that dessert, for sure! Mmm.. Overall, such a good food find. A must try & RxFoodie recommend ~ esp. during OCRW when it's such a deal for all that food!

    ​A Major Disappointment: 1 out of 10 ​I visited Haven Craft…read moreKitchen + Bar this past Tuesday with some former colleagues, and unfortunately, it was a "one and done" experience for all of us. Almost everything we ordered was a massive letdown. ​The European Seabass: This was the biggest issue. The fish had a very strong, unpleasant odor and tasted just as bad. Even adding fresh lemon couldn't mask it. Worst of all, it actually made me sick afterward. ​Pappardelle Pasta with Pesto: We couldn't even finish this dish. It was so heavily seasoned with pepper that it became completely inedible. ​The Coffee: It was incredibly weak--essentially hot water with a faint hint of coffee flavor. ​The Only Highlight: The skillet cornbread was actually quite good, but it certainly wasn't enough to save the meal. ​Between the poor food quality and the physical aftermath, I cannot recommend this spot. We were very disappointed and won't be returning.

    PUBlic Legacy - Legacy Smash Burger

    PUBlic Legacy

    (440 reviews)

    $$

    I've been to this place numerous times and have never had a bad experience. It's easy to find right…read morepast the Honda center. The only downside is parking can be a little difficult during lunch time. One of the things I like about this place is when you walk through the door you already have a warm and fuzzy feeling. Almost like you're going into someone else's home for a meal. Lots of wood. Lots of dim lining. The place is very upscale without feeling stuffy. If you are going there for lunch, I highly recommend you get the burger off the menu. I am not kidding. It is one of the best tasting hamburgers I've had in a very long time. They cook it perfectly and their french fries are seasoned to perfection. Wait staff is top-notch, they definitely take care of your table while not hovering over you. One thing of note, they have great iced tea. Bottom line? If you are in town and looking for a good lunch that won't break the bank, I highly recommend public legacy, and make sure you get the burger!

    Public Legacy is a convenient spot located in the Katella Town Center, right near the movie theater…read moreand with plenty of parking available. It's a great place to grab a bite before a movie or a nearby Angels or Ducks game. The service was quick and friendly, and the menu is a decent size with a few vegan options. The restaurant offers both indoor seating and a bar area, making it a comfortable spot whether you're grabbing a casual meal or just drinks with friends. Overall, it's a convenient, reliable option in the area.

    Fat Of The Land

    Fat Of The Land

    (387 reviews)

    $$$

    When passion meets a restaurant, this is what it looks like. What a truly lovely experience…read more From the moment you walk in, every detail feels intentional. We were greeted immediately and, despite arriving a bit early for our reservation, were seated right away. The restaurant opened at 4:00 and was completely full by 4:03, always a good sign. Shortly after we sat down, the owner introduced himself and pointed out his wife, who was also helping on the floor. There was nothing pretentious about it, just genuine, down to earth hospitality. He offered wine tastings and shared a few personal favorites. The wine list felt thoughtfully curated and refreshingly different from the usual. I went with the Tempranillo, delicious. The space itself is small, intimate, and beautifully designed. You can feel the passion in every corner, it's not just decor, it's intention. Now, the food... incredible. The bread with ham butter was amazing, honestly tasted like it was baked in house. It could have been? The apple pear frisée salad was the perfect start; light, balanced, and flavorful with just the right touch of sweetness. The shrimp was incredibly fresh, generously sized, and paired with delicate slices of garlic that brought everything together beautifully. The chicken en bravas was a standout super tender, falling off the bone, with a rich sauce that was absolute perfection. And the Basque cheesecake... easily one of the best I've ever had. Light, not overly sweet, just perfectly executed. Service was just as impressive, genuine, attentive, and seamless. Constant water refills, thoughtful plate changes, and a level of care that elevated the entire experience. It almost feels wrong calling this just a "restaurant." It felt more like being invited into someone's home on vacation, with an incredible chef cooking just for you. I truly wish this couple continued success, this place is a rare gem. There's nothing quite like it. Michelin star worthy!!

    I am not a rich man, but I do enjoy high-end dining, as long as it's not hurt cuisine (lol HAUTE,…read morebut apropos, thanks speech to text). One of the best dinners I've ever had, which was at the water Grill was twice as much as a dinner here. There's a big difference between the two and not just because of the building, but the service and the food are equal in my mind. I do wish that they had a bit more of an expanded menu not a lot more just a bit more. But everything we had was fantastic. Definitely worth the price. So good that I'm even considering breaking my boycott of chicken just to try the chicken at this place. I do hope it's clean healthy chicken like Jidori or Halal. For being in what is essentially a very sketchy part of Santa Ana, despite OCHSA nearby, it's super cool that there's just kind of this hidden tucked away fancy Schmanski dining spot, so date night could be a little adventurous, depending on who you meet on the streets, and parking for free is a bit of a tumble through the neighborhoods, the inside is so well done that you completely forget that you're in the heart of what is an urban center. Looking forward to going back.

    The Peel - Best Mother's Day brunch near me

    The Peel

    (139 reviews)

    $$$

    If your staying at this hotel hit the bar up the bartender really knows how to make drinks !! I had…read more2 cocktail drinks from the happy hour menu !! And they only cost $8.00 and they were sooo delicious . The following day I had breakfast and I had the stuffed cream cheese French toast and it was sooo delicious !! Trust me the food and drinks are on point !!!!

    The Peel is located inside Hotel Fera and you can park in the lot just out front, on the side of…read morethe hotel there's a few spots you can scan the QR code and pay for, or you can park in the parking structure that's behind and to the right of the hotel. Parking validation is done at the front desk. They have a solid menu of appetizers, entrees and desserts and a very nice craft cocktail menu. It's sectioned off at the south east end of the lobby and feels like a more open space than a standard restaurant or bar and the vibe feels very OC, hipster, upscale. The only downside is the service is not consistent the last two times we've been here. The night we visited, there was a singer playing piano between the bar and restaurant area. I love entertainment at any venue, but the sound was way too loud for indoors and we couldn't hear each other talking. The reason I suggested The Peel for dinner was because I've been able to have conversations with friends and catch up without any competing noise from neighboring tables or crowds in the past. Maybe call ahead of time if there's going to be entertainment and if there's an event in town (Motocross was happening this weekend) to gauge the crowd and noise level before you go. The bar is fully stocked and they have a lot of craft cocktails to choose from and the drinks are consistently good. I had the Como la Flor cocktail this night and in the past I've enjoyed the Fera & the Dragonfly cocktails. The appetizers are great to share with your friends and there's lots to choose from. I enjoyed the Brussels sprouts and the mini sliders a lot and my friends really loved the chorizo flatbread. For the entree I got the smash burger and it's pretty filling and rich. You get fries with the order and the fries are perfectly crispy and tasty. For dessert we got the bread pudding, lemon cheesecake and lava cake. The lemon cheesecake was like biting a slice of lemon with some sugar. It's definitely for lemon lovers and I enjoyed it. Bread pudding ice cream was good but the bread pudding was alright and you can't go wrong with lava cake. Again, my only issue with the Peel is the service. It's not very hospitable compared to other restaurants I've visited. There was a bit of a wait from when we were seated to when our server showed up. He took our orders, the food and drinks would show up, and after that we didn't see our server for a while, so we were without drink refills and our table had dirty dishes that just sat there. I glanced around a few times and saw no servers on the floor, a server that was not ours that was far away or would try to flag one down for a refill on our waters but they were quickly leaving the area. We were waiting on the check, but just kept talking instead and then finally, when the check came we were in mid conversation catching up. He stopped by a few minutes later, picked up the check and realized we had not put our cards down to pay it and came back and dropped it off again. We paid using Google-Wallet at their point of sale system and sat back down to finish our conversation and the busser asked if he could remove the dirty dishes on our table and said, in a rude tone, "Yeah because we're closed already." We didn't realize they were closed since there was still a large crowd of people at the bar, and he could have said that in a polite way and said thank you for coming, but he made it known he has to set his jars of jam down on the table for breakfast tomorrow. Honestly, had our server come by much earlier and checked on us and left the bill, we would've left before closing. I don't usually think of a hotel restaurant as a go-to for dinner with friends, but this is the only one in a while that I would recommend because the vibe is unique. I hope the service improves, but other than that it's a solid restaurant.

    Culinary Dropout - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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