Culinary dropout it's a beautiful place very modern with one of best espresso martini the food looks delicious that also have soup and sushi and other dishes. I came for the drink, but next time I will come back for the food. Long thank you for best customer service. read more

Culinary Dropout - espresso martini - New American Near Me - Orange, California

Went to happy hour to check this place out (ends at 6pm). It's super dim in here which was kinda fine since the majority of customers at the time were senior citizens using their phone to light the menu lol. Appetizers are pretty standard and about $12-15 and sharable. We got the house salad, brussel sprouts, house chips with onion dip, short ribs, nachos, pigs in a blanket and pretzel bits with fondue cheese. Overall most of the apps were great but the service was even greater. It was really busy on a Thursday night but we had a different server come up and check on us every 5 minutes. I do not recommend the pigs in a blanket as Albertson's makes the same thing, and the brussel sprouts were not a crowd favorite. The homemade pretzel bites and chips were stars of the show. We would go back and try entrees. read more

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My husband works in the area and he said that he and his office mates have been here three times in the last month. So when I came here with a girlfriend of mine for lunch, we decided to check this place out. It definitely didn't disappoint. We decided to split the fried chicken for lunch and it was absolutely delicious. Crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside. The service was great and the attentiveness was superb. The restaurant was clean and everything was fast and friendly. read more

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My boyfriend and I decided to take another opportunity to try something different on the menu, but we specifically went for the whipped feta and tahini dip (I pray they do not get rid of it). We decided to try out the pork belly nachos and they were underwhelming. The toppings weren't that great and the cheese seemed almost dried up when they arrived at our table. We will continue to try out new things and see what we like. We went in the early afternoon and were sat right away with quick service. read more

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My wife, son, a couple of friends and I had lunch today (Saturday) at Culinary Dropput. From start to finish, the experience was utter joy. Cory was our server and he shattered all expectations when it comes to customer service. I can't remember the last time I went to a restaurant and wondered how high of a tip is actually too much. They have complimentary valet but I opted to park in the structure down the street knowing full well we were going shopping afterwards. When I joined the table 10 minutes later I had missed the first round of excitement but I wasn't left disappointment. Apparently, they don't offer Iced Coffee and one of our guests really wanted cold coffee. Eventually Cory brought hot coffee with a cup full of ice. It was the best he could do but he didn't stop there. Mid-meal, Cory came by with an Iced Coffee from BLK Dot down the street delivered by door dash. That is Zappo's level service right there. We tried the deviled eggs and the whipped feta tahina as our appetizers. I thought the eggs were alright but the Tahina was amazing. It excited the tastebuds on many levels between the sesame flavor of the tahina, the creaminess of the feta, the taste of freshly diced mint leaves and the texture of the fresh sourdough bread they served with it. I had the Roasted Salmon. My wife went with the Chop Salad, one guest chose the pub burger while another had the butternut squash and Kale salad. My son ate some french fries. Almost all of us polished off our plates. The guest who ordered the pub burger ate half and took half to go. Considering she is a vegetarian 99% of the time, I consider it a win that she even ate 1/2 a beef burger. For dessert, we went with the Carmelized banana bar. We opted to split it 4 ways. They even brought a birthday candle for my wife and a scoop of vanilla ice cream for my 4 year old son. It was an absolute delight to spend a Saturday lunch here! read more

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Came in excited to try Culinary Dropout, but left feeling like I overpaid for pretty mediocre food. It feels like they're trying to compete with Finney's, but if you're going to charge more, the food has to be better--and it just isn't. The pretzel bites were dry and overly bready, and the provolone fondue had that thick skin on top like it had been sitting out too long. The crispy tuna was especially disappointing--small portions, high price, and nowhere near the quality you can get at O Sea down the street for less. Cocktails were forgettable and oddly expensive for what you get--you'll get a better cocktail at Haven or Gabbis at the same cost. And honestly, I don't understand the menu at all--why am I seeing sushi next to a meatloaf sandwich? With solid spots like Wazabi nearby, there's no reason to take that gamble. I would love to see this place succeed in the circle, but I just can't understand who this restaurant is for? With food that mediocre, lower prices would attract the college kids, but with the high prices, they can't expect to get regulars with the terrible food and off putting menu. 2 stars because 1 star feels harsh--maybe they are still figuring out their menu and service style. If they're still around in a year, maybe I'll try them again. read more

On a recent trip to SoCal-from Sacramento-I got invited to have a few drinks and appetizers with some local friends-they invited me to Culinary Dropout in Orange. This location is just a block or two from the cutest little downtown Orange part of town,I saw many little lively bars and restaurants in the area on my way to Dropout. Parking for this restaurant is very easy with a free city parking lot located right across the street. Upon arrival my group was in the bar having a few drinks while waiting for a table-we got there around 7p but couldnt get a table until almost 9p but in their defense we didn't have a reservation and it was a Friday night in Orange County-so I give that a pass,plus we were at the bar the entire time having drinks and socializing,so what did it really matter. When we finally sat down,we ended up ordering off the "Snacks" menu Soft Pretzels and Provolone Fondue ($17.50) and BBQ Pork Belly Nachos ($19) and Hot Wings ($18.50) to go along with our various $10 beers.....We did get one cocktail-Paloma Spritz ($16). I do apologize for lack of pics,by the time I sat at the table I may have been a bit over-served,so taking pics of this food was the last thing on my mind.I will say this though,the 3 dishes we got were awesome tasting-the chicken wings and the pretzels with that amazing fondue were pretty flawless-highly recommend both but the star of the night was for sure the pork belly nachos-very big plate with generous pieces of pork belly along with black beans,guacamole,sour cream and pico de gallo-very tasty and the perfect amount of food to help one overcome an evening of drinking. This was 1st time going to this restaurant-it had a real nice vibe to it,the staff were super friendly,the menu has so many options,just begging for you to come back another time to try something you didnt get to order-I liked this place a lot. In closing-if u ever find yourself near downtown Orange and your looking for a spot for an early evening couple of drinks or even a full dinner-I wouldnt hesitate in giving Culinary Dropout a chance-you won't be disappointed. read more

Martin made eating at the restaurant fun! He was a great server. He answered our questions and gave great suggestions. Thank you for your suggestions on appetizers, entrees, and dessert! Our party of four got food galore! We liked everything we ordered! We ordered; pretzel balls and cheese dip, Brussel sprouts, and homemade potato chips, fried chicken, fish and chips (super delicious!), curry vegetables with salmon (flavors together...WOW!) , the banana bar (amazing!!!), and the mud pie slice ( next level delicious!). The place was busy, but we were in our own world chatting it up! We went on a Saturday at 6:45pm. It was fun to see the fashion show everywhere you looked. People dressed for prom, some nice casual, sports team wear, and spring wear, and the servers express themselves with style and pizzazz. read more

Chill hangout spot with great patio section. Good for catching the game inside near the bar. Eclectic menu of tasty bar foods, good selection of drinks. Staff efficient and nice. Parking directly at the restaurant is a bit tricky but that's Old Town Orange. Lots available within a few minutes' hike. read more

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Thoroughly enjoyed my lunch at Culinary Dropout. This is a great spot for a quick lunch date or even a dinner. The menu has something for everybody to enjoy. The food is very good, it's not exceptional, but definitely is very tasty and gets the job done. I would say it's on a similar level to Yardhouse or Lazy Dog. We started off with the pretzel bites and brussel sprouts, both were delcious, especially the cheese sauce with the pretzels. The main course was a short rib dish, that was tasty, but way too saucy for our liking. Overall, fun restaurant, good vibes, and good food! read more

Culinary Dropout - New American Near Me - Orange, California

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Love the ambiance in here! It's a perfect spot for a date night or gathering with friends. The cocktails are excellent and the food was delicious too! All of the staff here were also very attentive and nice. We had a big party and wanted to each pay separately, and the server didn't skip a beat and took care of it for us which was nice. read more

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First of all we were served by Alena. An absolutely amazing experience because of her personality and awesome vibe. We had the whipped feta and tahini dip and it was a homerun. The Kale and butternut squash salad wow what a combo. Popcorn shrimp delicious, white truffle devil eggs yummy! Roasted salmon perfect! We had much more to many to list that were also mouthwatering ... all in all What a delightful experience. And free valet parking to boot!!!! read more

This place continues to disappoint me. We tried this place for the second time today (because our first experience was mid) and it was worse than the first. We went in and asked if there's available seating for 2. This blonde hostess said yes and I thought "great", she then seated us in a dusty table like literally the table was dusty to the point where dust was flying off the table (see pictures) We asked to get moved. We were then helped by a waitress that was somewhat rude, (she had long curly hair, thick build). She came to our table, didn't even say hi, just straight asked what we want to drink. We ordered 2 lemon waters and 1 coke. She brought our drinks and we asked for straws and had the nerve to give us cocktail straws (see pictures) I asked if we can get regular straws and she said we don't have any available. I looked around and all the customers on other tables had regular straws ( white long colored straws). I told her how come the other tables have regular straws, she then walked away, didn't even say "I will be right back" and then came back with a regular straws. She then said, "I didn't know we had some in the bar area". What???? You're a waitress and didn't know??? We then ordered our food, we got pretzels and fish and chips ( see pictures) the cheese was lumpy like they microwaved it. The pretzels were good but the cheese had clumps of unmelted cheese in it. The fish and chips was good and the coleslaws portion looked like a kids meal. This place needs better staff and needs to be trained in hospitality. 3/10. read more

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Culinary Dropout is a fairly average experience. Nothing terrible by any stretch - but nothing that beats the competition merely a block away. The drinks are great and the happy hour prices are really good and the service is 5 stars for sure. We loved our server who answered our questions and took great care of us. Unfortunately, Culinary Dropout has 2 problems: it's overpriced and the food is underwhelming. We ordered a French dip sandwich that was pretty unimaginative, the fries also were pretty....average? Like the local non chain burger drive through is better. Brussels sprouts were tasty though. Best part of our meal was the salad. Menu items were fairly standard (burgers, good appetizer options, standard gastro pub style fare) but just down the street you have a better food and dining experience at 1886, Bosscat and especially Finney's, which appears to have a similar menu but higher standards for flavor and menu creativity. Ambiance wise, the place looks clean but I couldn't help but feel like it was designed by an agency that wants to make it clear they specialize in "branding". Which is to say - there's no real personality other than "make it look modern". So yeah - clean, and modern but safe and corporate. It's hard to recommend the restaurant for first timers to downtown Orange when restaurants like Finney's and 1886 Brewing outshine it pretty easily. With slightly lower prices and better food, I could see it being a mainstay. I hope that ends up being the case because there's a lot of potential here and plenty of upsides. For regulars, worth checking out. Maybe I just got the wrong dishes? read more

Great experience! I'm so into it. Free valet parking made us feel like a VIP. Friendly waiter, good food and a wide selection of drinks. We came for brunch and will be back for dinner. We ordered the prime rib dip and fried chicken both were very good. Ask for a side of ranch to dip the chicken in, you won't regret it. There's also indoor and outdoor seating. read more

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Dinner at Culinary Dropout in Orange was a great experience. My wife recommended the spot, and I'm glad we went. We were seated after about a 10-minute wait, and right off the bat the place had good, cozy vibes--perfect for a cold night. I started with the Giddy Up cocktail, which was decent and easy to enjoy. For food, we ordered the hot potato chips, popcorn shrimp, and the spicy rigatoni chicken pasta. Everything came out tasting great, especially the pasta--it really hit the spot. Overall, great food, relaxed atmosphere, and a solid dinner experience. We'll definitely be coming back. read more

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Great spot for happy hour! We came on a Friday evening around 5PM and were seated pretty promptly on the patio. Ordered off the happy hour menu: pretzel bites with cheese fondue, pulled pork nachos, wagyu pigs in a blanket, crispy brussel sprouts. The "Cali and tay" cocktail was soooooo good! Spicy and yummy! The portions for happy hour were huge. Service was friendly and attentive. Free valet parking! read more

This spot feels like the original Tempe location went to finishing school--polished, a little more upscale, but still every bit as lovable. From the moment you pull up (hello, complimentary valet ), it's clear they're serious about the experience. Service? On point. Ambiance? Just fancy enough to impress without feeling stuffy. Food? Absolutely nails it. Do yourself a favor and order the turkey pastrami sandwich with the side salad and house-made ranch. One bite and you'll swear you've been teleported to a New York deli--minus the post-meal nap and cardiologist on speed dial. Flavorful, indulgent, but somehow still virtuous. A rare culinary unicorn. Every server we encountered looked genuinely happy to be there, which says a lot. Special shout-out to Lilly, who took great care of us and made the meal feel effortless and welcoming. Bonus points: if you've got kids at Chapman University or the law school, this is the perfect meet-up spot. It's an easy walk, neutral-territory cool, and good enough that everyone leaves happy--which is no small feat when parents are buying lunch. Bottom line: upscale comfort food done right, stellar service, and zero regrets. I'll be back. read more

Culinary Dropout - View from table - New American Near Me - Orange, California

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Great restaurant, great vibes. Great addition to Old Town Orange. Want to go back and try 36-hour pork ribs read more

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The atmosphere is very nice The service is great The cocktail menu is great Ten best menu great The only thing is we have been there few times , and the Fish and Chips has been always burned , I am 100% sure they are not changing the fryer oil . This is a high-end place , make sure your Food Service Manager monitor the fryer oil . That is not acceptable. Otherwise everything is fantastic. read more

This place is so good and such a cool little spot! The food is great and ambience is nice

As promised, we returned over the weekend to try a couple new things : Yesterdays soup which was a nice fragrant tomato bisque w/ cheese croutons (yum...asked for more croutons) and tried the Prime Dip sandwich (get it!)...we also had to get some of the repeats like the deviled eggs, chip n dip, kale salad and fried chicken!!! Service was great again and we have reservations in a couple nights to try their dinner menu, that's how much we are enjoying CD! Will post that review in a couple days. read more

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This place would be 100x better if a dropout actually made the food here. Service & hospitality were great, the ambiance and music were good but the food was NOT IT. And who thought it was ok to blindly serve customers Keystone light & a Smirnoff shot?! I got the double blind thinking they would blindly serve a can of beer & shot that matched the level of their drink menu that's full of cocktails and craft beer... instead I got a can of keystone light & a shot raspberry Smirnoff.... This was not a tasteful joke and they wouldn't take it back... Nachos had the same chips from Taco Bell, no real cheese & pork belly that clearly came from a microwave. For $18... for real? The wings... only came with 4 wings and sliced carrots tossed in the sauce with the wings... trying too hard to be crafty Ran out of fries so we got steak and mac & cheese instead of frites That actually was good. But 6oz for $40?! The fried chicken was crunchy & juicy tho! But not much flavor. This is clearly a corporate restaurant group trying to take the local pub/craft industry culture and package it up for the masses. Either it's going to ruin people's perspective of craft cocktails and dishes by being overpriced & underwhelming OR its gonna set the bar so low that when they finally have food from an actual culinary dropout/industry lifer, their mind is gonna be blown. My hope is for the latter read more

They did it again! Shout out to KT, Cat, Alyssa, Victoria, Armis, James, G, Victoria, and Tony they made my umpteenth time at Culinary Dropout a pleasure. Maybe it was the Michigan W or maybe it was the excellent bartending and serving that made it especially amazing. Also shout out David, the manager, he's always a gem every time I come around. One thing I'd be remiss to mention is that Lilly said hi even on her day off! Love it here! Such an amazing addition to the Circle and the Orange community! Oh! And what a pleasure it was that the head chef, Lewis, came out and said hi to me. They really know how to make you feel special. read more

Culinary Dropout - The Pub Burger* - New American Near Me - Orange, California

I really wanted to try this place after seeing reviews, and pictures. My heart was set on the chicken since I love chicken. My server also talked me into the pretzel bites with the fondue cheese sauce. The pretzels were so soft along with the delicious cheese fondue. I ended up bringing some home for later. The chicken came with coleslaw, mashed potatoes and gravy,and a homemade biscuit. They also give you honey. This chicken is the best I've eaten in many years. The breast was as moist as the dark meat. This doesn't happen often. The service was incredible, even other servers checked to see how I was doing. Parking is either valet, street parking, or a nearby structure. I think the valet was free. This place is great. read more

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The service was great. The hostess portion was a little off but understandably. We were walk ins today but were told to wait 20 minutes with basically the whole dinning room empty. Everything though was worked out. The place is really loud , not in a bad way but an exciting environment. The food was served at reasonable times. The home fried potato chips and onion dip could have been done without. Pretzel balls with cheese was as expected. The Brussels sprouts were probably the tastiest food overall. The spicy rigatoni pasta was good and flavorful but a little heavy on the salt. The Mongolian was good but also heavy on the salt. Overall a good place. read more

Culinary Dropout - Spicy Rigatoni and Mongolian Short Rib* - New American Near Me - Orange, California

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

We made a reservation for a Saturday at 3:30pm. We arrived and were seated promptly. We started with the Wagyu Pigs in a blanket which came with a delicious dipping sauce. My husband had the Old Fashioned and I had the Abandoned Cadillac, both drinks were good BUT the old fashioned wasn't served with a large rock cube. Who doesn't have the big cubes now a days? This is a big nono when it comes to Old Fashioned's for my husband. My husband had the katsu sandwich which was full of delicious flavor, we loved it. I had the Steak Frites, it was just okay. I do not like when my food is not served hot and my steak wasn't even warm so that was a star off the review. The truffle butter or garlic butter sauce with the steak was GREAT! Service was very good. read more

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This was a 10/10 experience at Culinary Dropout! This is a new restaurant close to the Orange circle. I think they've only been open a few months. Everything was really good and I can't wait to go back to try more! I ordered the Mongolian short ribs and steak frites. I didn't find these items listed on their menu, but they did have them so I was happy about that. The food was amazing. My favorite out of the two dishes was the steak frites, but the Mongolian short ribs were also very good. The steak frites comes with tender and flavorful steak, fries, arugula salad on the side and cheese sprinkled on top. It was excellent! The Mongolian short ribs had some sweetness to them and were also very tender. The egg on top paired well with the short ribs and I loved the veggies they added to the dish as well. For drinks we ordered the Room Service and Evil Jungle Princess. My favorite was the Evil Jungle Princess. It's their version of a Mai Tai and is strong, tropical, and sweet. You can taste the pineapple, guava, and lime in it. The Room Service cocktail was also a good choice. It's a bit lighter with strawberry, lime, and bubbly wine. The ambiance is great at Culinary Dropout as the restaurant very clean and beautiful inside. The service was wonderful. Our server was welcoming, gave us her recommendations, and would check in on us every so often. You can find parking on the street nearby or in the parking structure by the Orange circle. I believe they also offer valet. I look forward to coming back and trying more of their food and drinks! read more

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If you're going to eat here, make sure you actually sit down and skip taking out, so that you can complain before leaving this restaurant. Ordered the most simplest thing on the menu. A SALAD, with steak. I came in around 2:40 and the restaurant was empty. First of all, look at the picture and convince me that this salad is worth $31. Secondly, they forgot to put dressing on the salad so I had to go back after arriving home to get a small little container of dressing. I've been to culinary dropout in Arizona and San Diego. This is by far the worst experience I've had here, and never coming back. That explains why there wasn't a lot of people here. Please please please do better. This is so unfortunate. If you're a student at Chapman and you're hungry, do not go here because I 100% regret coming here. read more

Culinary Dropout - $31 for this...... insane - New American Near Me - Orange, California

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Math? How do you dip the large bread into the tiny bowl? Perhaps I'm missing the point of a culinary dropout. Servers and staff are nice. Grateful that this business employs students. Disappointed by this location in Orange. Food-wise. I was originally looking forward to coming here after having a wonderful experience at the Culinary dropout in Scottsdale. Orange location... lacking in math skills and maybe some service - no extra napkins provided after asking for it. Thank you, server, for solving the geometry problem by giving me a steak knife. Instead using the bowl as dip, let's use it as a pour over. Dear Culinary Dropout, perhaps rename this menu item to pour over? read more

Culinary Dropout - Shaved Prime Rib Dip* for $26 - New American Near Me - Orange, California

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

Came here for the first time at Culinary Dropout with a friend and had such a great experience! The vibe was fun, the food was really good, and our server Cory honestly made the night. We ordered the Big Mac, hot wings, and steak everything came out delicious and hit the spot. Cory was amazing, super attentive, friendly, and just had the best energy. He checked in at the perfect times, gave great recommendations, and made us feel really taken care of without being overbearing. Service like that makes all the difference. We'll definitely be back and hope he's our server again. Give that man a raise read more

Love this new addition to downtown Orange! We've dined at the Culinary Dropout in Scottsdale but I enjoyed the food better at the Orange location :) Favorite Dishes: Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice (the rice to tuna ratio was prefect), Mongolian Short Rib, Mississippi Mud Pie (sooo good!) Okay Dishes: Soft Pretzels & Provolone Fondue, Fish & Chips, Asian Crunch Salad (dressing was too heavy though) Least favorite dishes: Korean Style Rib-Eye Cap, Monkey Bread (the apple was overpowering) Our server was great, the ambiance was poppin' and they had a great cocktail and wine list. read more

5/5 ONE OF MY FAVORITES! always super consistent with there food, chicken plate and crispy chicken katsu is amazing read more

Culinary Dropout - Pretzel bites with fondue - New American Near Me - Orange, California

The service was incredible The ambience was so good. We sat outside. The inside looked cool. I feel like you can go there for a different event events like a date, girls, family...all so good. Good location. Food was mid Like lacked some flavor 1- nachos needed salsa. She gave us pico and it made it exponentially better 2- wings were just ok. It says it's got all this stuff in it but they're just wings 3- non alcoholic lemonade sparkling was bomb!!! 4- the mudpie is with chocolate ganache. It's just too decadent. It was OK for one bite. But it was entirely too rich. read more

This place was such a cute hidden gem. It was so vibey and the staff were incredible-so friendly and welcoming. David greeted me at the door and made sure he could accommodate me in any way possible, given that it was a Friday night and packed. He managed to find me a seat at the bar, where we met Tony, the coolest bartender. He was extremely attentive and made the best freaking drinks. So yummy! I had a sangria and my guest had the lemon drop, they were perfectly crafted. Now on to the food. We ordered Brussels and deviled eggs. The Brussels were the best I've ever had, but the deviled eggs were a bit lackluster and needed flavor, quite bland. For entrees I opted for the chicken katsu sandwich which was full of flavor, airy, and had the perfect crunch. The Japanese milk bread was so good and light. A mouth full of joy. My guest had the fried chicken plate and my goodness, it was so so tasty. I'm not sure how many herbs are used in it, but it was seasoned to absolute perfection. And that darn biscuit was perfect, didn't even need honey. Fluffy homemade goodness. Now for the desserts, we ordered the monkey bread and were so excited to try it, and unfortunately it was a complete let down. I'm not sure what happened there, it just tasted like baked breakfast with no sugar or that hint of salt needed to pull it together. It just missed the mark. Presentation was great, but the flavor just didn't cut it. We mentioned it to David and he insisted that we try something else, so we agreed. We tried the Mississippi mud pie, and let me tell you, it was EVERYTHING I wanted in a dessert. Decadent chocolate tied together in a heath graham cracker crust. It was impeccable. The way it finished with a rich espresso taste just took it up a notch. If you're thinking about going, just GO! You won't regret it. Such a cute place in a quaint little neighborhood. Will be back soon! read more

Culinary Dropout - The Monkey Bread - New American Near Me - Orange, California

Amazing range of food options. Delicious and reasonably priced with good service. A hidden gem!

service was great by tyler. food was amazing, currently still full. we got a variety of things to try and no bad notes about anything. i really really wanted to try there dessert but we were running late for another event so didn't have time to order it:/ i am still upset bc of that and even tho i said i'm full from my meal i was prepared for the dessert. also the whole ambiance of the place was super cute! read more

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Service was great. Pretzel were good, can't really go wrong with pretzel, fondue was barely warm. Brussels sprouts were not crispy at all, they looked crispy. Sauce was good, but flooded with it. Shrimp tempura crunch was good. Mongolian short rib was ok, once again flooded with sauce, couldn't pick up the flavor of the yuzu sticky rice, hat multiple pure pieces of fat. Fried chicken, probably our favorite dish of them all. read more