Nice place with plenty of seating and an open seating bar. Patio seating available as well. Wait staff is probably all Chapman college kids. Very nice. Food is good a the menu is varied. Lots of good, unique drinks. Would recommend. read more

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The staff, Kaylan was her name I believe, was superb. She SHOULD be in hospitality because she's genuine, hospitable and a great server. The nachos must be improved. This is NOT about the lack of meat ( I want no meat on my nachos) it was about let's suggest 50 chips, 17 individual beans and faux cheez sauce. I'll pay the non-happy hour price to get something DECENT. And absolutely INSIGNIFICANT amount of pico de gallo. Everyone in SoCal LOVES and KNOWS good mexican food please dont do this to us. Korean ribs -- very tender, slaw was good. A bit sweet but most Americans would like it that way. Meatball slider -- didnt try but fellow diner said it was not very flavorbul. Vibe -- cranking at 520 on a Friday night. Space is pretty and thoughfully designed. Nice open windows at the bar which was so full we couldn't sit there but i'm going to enjoy sitting there next time. i'll come back and try some off the Happy Hour menu items. read more

What went well! I'll tell you! I live in Old Towne Orange and watched as this restaurant was built. I am very busy during the holidays with my business Nifty Package Co, so I did not realize they actually opened until my wonderful hair stylist reminded me. Reasons why I liked it: The hostess was darling and gracious. My waiter and the other waiters, dressed casual but not funky and was a nice change. Also, my waiter Martin, made recommendations. I travel all over the US and always ask for recommendations, he recommended quite a bit and I went with a few of them. The food was great! The atmosphere welcoming so for a lunch party and or celebration this is a great afternoon place to visit and very something new! If you love Old Towne, try this place! read more

Excellent vibes and service! The food and drinks were great too, between the two of us we had the Flaco Verde Margarita, the campfire vibes drink, burger, Mongolian short ribs, and potato chips with onion dip for app. All really good, but the atmosphere is the thing I'll definitely be coming back for. read more

Culinary Dropout - Flaco Verde Margarita - so good! - New American Near Me - Orange, California

Oh my gosh! I came for my birthday on a weds night. The food is Delicious! The vibe was so cozy. I went with my family and they loved it! The pretzel bites with cheese fondue is a must! I already knew I wanted to come back because as I was still eating my plate I was craving my next visit lol. The waitress was super sweet n very helpful. I forgot her name but the staff were all very nice and welcoming. Loved that! read more

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I have to give a shoutout to David, the manager--always super friendly, accommodating, and genuinely welcoming. He really fits the vibe here. The best way I can describe this place is a high-end sports bar atmosphere with a laid-back, chill staff. It's polished without feeling stuffy. The wings were amazing, and the chips (surprisingly!) were soooo good. Definitely don't skip those. Huge appreciation as well for the hostess and Alicia, who helped take my reservation and made sure it was exactly what I needed. I had very specific requests--being seated outdoors for my dog and having a clear view of a TV for my Bills--and they nailed it. 10/10 recommend. read more

Such a perfect location for this place! So excited we finally have one to enjoy in OC. Love CDO in Arizona whenever we visit Tempe. The food is always on point. Never had a bad meal. Service is always great as well and so friendly. The bar has an amazing huge window that is open up to have the best view of sunset and you can hear the parrots. First off you can't not get the homemade pretzels and fondue. Always a must. This visit we ordered the ribs ( which were super tender falling off the bone), the meatloaf (always hits if meatloaf and mash is your thing), the Pub burger ( thick burger), and the MAC burger ( dupe Big Mac)). The burgers were super juicy! The pub burger had a thick patty while the MAC was two thinner patties but still is a big burger. Gotta ask for a side of ranch for the fries. Their ranch is the best made in-house with fresh herbs. Or save the left over fondue for the fries. For the finale we split a slice of mud pie. Oh my! So rich and decadent. Perfect for all the chocolate lovers out there and definitely for sharing. Huge perk, VALET PARKING is available! Also they accept reservations on Open table which I highly recommend. This place is going to be busy. read more

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Tell your bartenders to move faster, 30 minutes to get one single drink is crazy, bartenders working as if it was a Monday morning in a Friday night. Order a pasta without mushrooms and it came with them. Order a burger and it was cold. Cool spot but bad culinary experience read more

Where to start. The service, I will admit, was above par. Everyone was very helpful and courteous. I just wish I could say the same about the food. Ordered: * Wagyu Pigs in a Blanket We weren't very impressed, especially considering the hype the server gave it. It honestly tasted like any typical hot dog wrapped in pastry. * "Ma... The Meatloaf" This was actually good. However, the sauce felt like an afterthought. Most places bake the sauce onto the loaf to deepen the flavor; here it was added after cooking, which made it less impactful. * Fried Chicken The flavor was ok and cooked on the chicken was a little too dark for my taste, giving it a slight burnt taste. I also requested all dark meat, and for the price, I expected two thighs and one drumstick. Instead, I received two drums and one thigh. The mashed potatoes were good, though more on the lumpy side. The biscuit was dense--more like the kind you'd pair with gravy. I wasn't impressed with it. All in all, the name of the restaurant definitely reflects the food. Maybe we'll return and give the place another try. Time will tell. read more

I was so excited to go to this place for dinner. I have been eyeing it online for a while now and it looked like a great spot. The start to our experience was the hostess just seemed like she didn't want to be there. Next it came to ordering, we ordered the shrimp appetizer and the server came back and advised they were out of shrimp so we opted for the deviled eggs (a little too salty for us, but some may like them). We then went on to order our meals, I got the steak which sounded delicious. My plate came and the steak was cold, I didn't want to send it back because I'm not a fan of doing that. My fiancé insisted we send it back especially since it was our first date night in a while and he wanted me to have a good meal and experience. Our server saw I wasn't a fan and asked if it was too rare and we explained it was cold so he took it back and we asked if they could just heat it, that'd be fine. When we got my plate back it was still cold which really upset me. Wouldn't they make sure it was hot before sending it out again. I was at the point I didn't want to be that person lol so I just ate it. My fiancé got the salmon and that didn't even come out right. It shows on the menu it comes with Brussel sprouts and he didnt get any Brussel spouts. We asked about it and he said no it's just topped with brussel sprouts, yet it wasn't even topped with them. I thought to give this place a try again because I was so excited about it, but not sure we will spend that money to possibly get cold food again and incomplete meals (so I am a little hesitant). I also advised my brother who has also been wanting to try it to maybe not go after the experience we had. I was overall very disappointed in the food quality and service, especially when the food came out cold a second time. I do not recommend this place unless it's just for drinks. read more

Outstanding! Casual and comfortable atmosphere. The food is really good! Must have the homemade potato chips and onion dip to start. I had the meatloaf with broccolini and mashed potatoes and gravy as my entree, it was delicious and the serving was hearty, took some home. Tried a couple of their cocktails, very good! Mudpie, coffee, all good. The service was excellent, seems the staff really works well together as a team, very impressive. OTO has a challenging parking situation, Culinary Dropout has valet parking at no charge, so smart! read more

Newest addition to the Circle (Plaza) and couldn't be happier. Went for brunch today. CJ was our AMAZING and FAVORITE server! His recommendations were spot on and his energy was infectious. We love him!!! The food was good. The ambience is great. Cannot recommend this place enough! read more

Culinary Dropout - Beer Battered Fish & Chips - New American Near Me - Orange, California

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So we really didn't indulge on the menu but hands down the fresh fried potato chips were amazing!!!!! This place is super cute and everyone's so kind and hospitable. I'm definitely returning just to support the new establishment and look forward to exploring their other items on the menu. Not to mention how warm, decorative and clean this place is. It's a must try for everyone! Tip: valet!!! read more

Culinary Dropout - Potato Chips - New American Near Me - Orange, California

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The drinks here were great! Happy hour is a little weak, but overall the ambiance was cute and the experience was great!

Delicious very Delicious!!! I've brought 4 groups to join me at this restaurant and ALL have amazing experiences!! The food is absolutely delicious- The fried Chicken , the Salmon and my fav Short rib plate !!!! The service is so close to perfection , very attentive and polite. i love how they recommend menu options and they truly know their skill. Sincere compliments to the chef, food is always delicious. The inside of this restaurant is kept very tidy and great smell. nothing is out of place ! Come taste the deliciousness for yourself - you will be very pleased read more

Such a cute little spot! This Culinary Dropout had a completely different feel from some of the others I've visited. It's tucked into a quiet neighborhood in Orange California-surrounded by homes and small local businesses, which gave it a fun hometown vibe. We sat out on the patio and it was such a pleasant atmosphere. The service really made the experience. Manager Matt had an awesome sense of humor and made us feel welcome from the start. Our waitress Anna was funny, kind, attentive, and gave great recommendations throughout the evening. We started with the deviled eggs and they were amazing. I had the prime rib beef dip with a salad, the meat was cooked perfectly, super tender, and the bread tasted so fresh. My guest ordered the short ribs and they were absolutely to die for. The whole place has its own hip little vibe while still feeling cozy and local. Definitely a spot I would go back to anytime I'm visiting Orange County! read more

We enjoyed lunch with a small group of family here recently. The ambiance and service were great and we liked the open doors instead of cold a/c. The food is good but could be better. I don't know how the other two in our group liked their's but my husband and I both thought the prime rib dip was skimpy and the au jus was weak/watery and not enough quantity. We'll go back and try something different next time. read more

We walked up during peak dinner hours about 6:30ish got told it was about a 45 min wait which was expected for no reservations at that hour. Initial impressions everyone on staff was super friendly. When we finally got sat in a booth our service was extremely quick and friendly. We had the pigs in a blanket for an appetizer which were delicious I just wish they served them up in an even amount we received 7 it would be nice to have 8 to split evenly. I had a flaco verde margarita which was delicious a creamy refreshing drink almost like a kerns drink consistency. We ordered the fried chicken and the spicy rigatoni. Both items were exceptional. The fried chicken was extra crisp and the mash potatoes and gravy were delicious. A very relaxed environment kind gastro pub looking plenty of tvs in the bar area and they have complimentary valet service which is nice. Will be returning to try other items. read more

Came here with the family for a rainy day lunch. Nice atmosphere and the service was on point from the get-go. All of the food that we tried was really good! We started with the pretzels, I had fish and chips, my daughter had spicy tuna crispy rice, my wife had the burger, we had the house made chips, we had the brussel sprouts - everything was really delicious. As good as it was, though, our server was so on it from start to finish that it was really an exceptional experience. Highly recommend! read more

The food was very good, the service was good. Im assuming they are still Working out the kinks. A group of 8 middle aged women made reservations and sat in the bar area and had a great time. The major snafu was paying the bill at the end. They wanted us to pay with Apple Pay or Venmo. Only a few of us could do that. So after that the difficulties ensued. The wait staff were great trying to work with us but the system was not friendly. It took us about 20 minutes to close the bill. We did like the atmosphere and will definitely give another try. read more

Lively atmosphere and nice selection of lunch options. I ordered the fish and chips and others in our group had burgers, salads and sandwiches. Food and service were solid. read more

I have to give a shoutout to Brandon, Hannah and Tony. Their constant check on us was amazing. I had to name them personally because we honesty felt like we were sitting at their dining room table enjoying food drinks and food while conversing with each other. I absolutely love this place. My husband and I wanted to try this place out and we weren't disappointed. The staff is very welcoming. Making sure we enjoyed the food. The ambience is great and the customers seem to me more locals. We ordered the margarita. Amazing with the perfect balance. We also ordered the BBQ pork nachos. Amazing!!! Can't say enough about this place. read more

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Excellent new addition to the neighborhood. The food was really good, and the ambiance was great, baseball game on tv, large crowd. The staff is on top of everything. read more

Culinary Dropout - Soft pretzels with provolone fondue - New American Near Me - Orange, California

Dinner was terrific. We ordered a lot and enjoyed all of it. It's right in trend with upscale comfort food and they does it well. The pace looked like a designer living room to. Well done atmosphere. Service was great. We went with my parents and they have already gone back twice since! read more

Wow, so impressed on our visit to opening day today! The staff was courteous and professional. The ambiance is chic and lively. I can't wait to watch a sports game sitting at the bar. At the waiters recommendation, we enjoyed the homemade potato chips with onion dip, the broccoli cheddar soup and a burger. All were delicious. We can't wait to visit again! read more

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We went to Culinary Dropout on a whim and were pleasantly surprised. We sat at the bar and were served by a Selena Gomez look-alike. Drinks were awesome as were the apps we ordered. The ambiance is contemporary, with a cool vibe. Beautiful interior. We're going back for New Years Eve with friends! read more

We have been here twice so far, once with friends and once as a couple. We love the ambiance of the place. Dim lighting with cool vibe. Great 80s music was playing in background. Tonight we ordered the fried chicken as the menu states that "it's worth the wait" which led to high expectations. The plate arrived and it looked appetizing and came with cole slaw, mashed potatoes and a biscuit. Although the chicken looked great, it was overcooked and not very juicy.. In addition the coating itself did not have any flavor to it. I think they need to look re -look at the recipe because when we had gone with friends the first time, they had ordered the chicken. and didn't really care for it either. Since I love fried chicken, I wanted to try it myself. The biscuit that came with it was a bit dry and was not accompanied by butter which would've helped. It did come with honey though. We thought the coleslaw and the mashed potatoes were very good. By the way, our server was very nice and when she asked how the food was, I provided my feedback because I think it's important that the restaurant hear it and look if there is similar feedback from other tables. When she came back to our table she told us she had taken the chicken off the receipt. I told her that was totally unnecessary and that we just wanted to provide feedback.. I'm sorry that I don't remember her name because she provided very good service even without the adjustment to the receipt. The second thing we ordered was the Mac burger. The burger itself was very good and it was a nice size.. You have a choice between a salad or french fries and we got the salad which was very good although a bit small. For me, Culinary Dropout is the kind of place that I really want to like but so far falls a bit short. The ambience of the restaurant is great but so far the food is hit or miss. Will we try it again? Absolutely! I believe in giving a restaurant a few tries before making a final decision on whether to eat there on a regular basis or not. read more

Culinary Dropout - Fried chicken - New American Near Me - Orange, California

Second visit, really love the vibe. Food is great, cocktails even better, bar staff is amazing! read more

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Welcoming friendly service with a unique brunch menu, alcohol and non alcohol drinks. I had the society crush, a proprietary 1 of a kind invention drink, made with grapefruit, orange oil blend, and other citrus flavors. You can't get this anywhere else. Breakfast was a traditional 2 farm fresh eggs, potatoes bacon, toast, cooked perfectly and tasted magnificent. Even the toast was uniquely prepared. It seemed like it was ffresh bread toasted on a grill. The bacon was lean and crisp. Samantha was our most gracious and helpful server who suggested the society crush drink. Although it was around 10Am we had the outdoor heat lamp going which added to the adventurous atmosphere, watching the cars go by in Old Town Orange. It was a delightful experience. read more

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Brian our server was fabulous! Sophia the hostess so welcoming and recommended excellent appetizers. Great food and staff.

Great food and wonderful waiter by the name of James. He recommended some dishes and some drinks and we had a fabulous time.

you guys nailed it :) from the valet to the cocktails and food. We had a great time. Service was beyond excellent and attentive. The ambiance was lively but the lightening was on point. I only grabbed pictures of our drinks oops but the deviled eggs were made perfectly. The rib cap was so tender and my husband loved his prime rib dip. Next time we want to try the sushi! Thanks to the whole staff ! read more

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Great food and service. Have to have a Mexican candy shot. The turkey pastrami was delicious as well.

Seriously delicious! Sometimes takeout food is not good when you get it home. This food was amazing! I bought a variety of items for our family of 9, and everyone LOVED it! read more

The food here is delicious and the service is great. I'll be coming here again in the future.

This is a joke. I ordered a Roasted Salmon entree to go and to be so disappointed is to say the least. $31 dish and it's not even worth the price. It was supposed to come with brussel sprouts and the dish was missing that. Not even a full meal.. I have paid this at other places and the portions have been generous enough to feel like it was full meal. I had been wanting to this place since it opened... Should've passed on it.... Din't believe they hype about this place read more

Culinary Dropout - New American Near Me - Orange, California

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Came in for a fifa game, and even though it was a busy evening, the staff was beyond attentive. Different people working would check in for anything we may need. Also really convenient parking with free valet. Food & atmosphere was great. Will be back again soon! read more

First time here at culinary was in Arizona from my college town now seeing culinary dropout here in Orange County makes me so happy! They are doing just as amazing here too! Our server Blake was amazing to us and so kind and helped us with anything we needed! Ambiance was so cozy and great vibes. The food is always amazing I haven't tried the sushi yet but that is next on my list. If there is one thing you have to get, get the pretzel and cheese I always eat all of it every-time. Drinks are always so fun and good. Also shout out to CJ he is the training manager from the AZ location that I have seen before in AZ and he is doing a great job helping the culinary in OC! read more

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What a great addition to Orange Circle area. Great vibe and food. Services is outstanding parking can be an issue on weekends but, hey. The have valet parking Affordable and great menu read more

So happy we discovered this place ... First of all just love the cool vibe of interior design... modern and cozy We just had lunch but all we picked was right on the money - Caesar salad with shrimp-minestrone soup was amazing - we also had breakfast burrito Thank you great service from Justin He was so welcoming and full of recommendations We will be back ... thank you for the valet read more