I came here thinking that this was the North OC outpost of Darya in South Coast Plaza. However, after I saw the bill I found out this is the sister restaurant of an outpost in Santa Monica. All 3 just happen to have the same name. Nonetheless, I knew this place was legit either way because my yf Imran K. rated this place 5 Stars and my other yf Maggie C. rated it kinda yummylicious (her def of 3 Stars). I recently went to Saffron Grill (SG) in Orange and so I will make some comparisons. I ordered the chicken shish kabob ($11.99). It costs $1 more if you want 1/2 salad and 1/2 rice - WTH?! I thought rice costs more than salad? I also found out that the difference between chicken kabob and chicken shish kabob is that the kabob only has white meat. The shish kabob has white and dark meat and is considered more flavorful. They also offer a lot of lunch specials: Salads w/ some type of kabob on top, reasonably priced entrees and more expensive & complex dishes. This dish is $1 more than Saffron Grill and it was worth it. This dish had more flavor compared to SG. SG does provide more food (a full salad is included and you receive a full plate of rice). However, the kabob was more aromatic at Darya and the nan was better quality also: 4 Stars (knocked off one star because of the half-half thing w/ the salad and rice). The ambiance is nice. The place was buzzing on a Wed around 12:30. There were also a lot of Persians in the restaurant (always a good sign when the natives patronize their own cuisine): 4 Stars. The service was OK. It took a while for someone to acknowledge me and I had to ask for a refill on H20. However, they were not rude: 3 Stars. The verdict between Darya and Saffron Grill: I like both places and I rated both 4 stars. When I want to spend a little more, do more people watching and eat better tasting shish kabob I will come here. When I feel like having tahdig on the side, I will go to Saffron Grill. read more

Darya Restaurant - Chicken shish kabob - $11.99 - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Orange, California

I went here with my whole HUGE Persian family for dinner a few weeks ago. The food was fantastic as always, for that they get 4.5 stars. Also, the prices are reasonable for Persian food. Their service on the other hand, was TERRIBLE. Our waiter didn't give everyone menus and we had to ask him about 4 times for menus, so it took us about 20 minutes to all have menus. Then he forgot to ask us all what we wanted to drink.. so it took another 20-25 minutes to all get drinks. He took forever after that to come back and ask us what we wanted to eat and when he did he screwed up my cousin's dish 2 times, and by the time he screwed it up the second time, we were all eating so she didn't even ask him to fix it. ALSO, they wouldn't split up the checks even though there were about 5 different families paying and then there was 18% tip added to it all even though they most definitely did not deserve it. OH, and the live music and "belly dancing"was a complete joke. IT was some guy sitting in the corner quietly strumming a guitar and some fat chick shaking her rolls.. Don't get me wrong though, the kabob was delicious, as were the strews. I would come back in a small group or on a date, but defiantly never again with 20+ people. read more

Darya Restaurant - Kabob barg - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Orange, California

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We came to celebrate my mother in laws birthday and the food was deliciously on point. Elda was amazing and consistently tended to our needs and offered suggestions for food options. To end the night she surprised us all with a small treat to sing happy birthday. Thank you Elda you made our experience one to remember read more

I actually think this place deserves 3 & 1/2 stars. Parking is super easy, interior is a bit upscaled look but old. I visited here for lunch, soon it was crowded with people. I wish they have a proper lighting instead of letting natural light only through windows. Service is good, waiters are attentive. I ordered half barberry steamed rice, salad and boiled chicken. The chicken seemed like a greasier version of korean chicken soup (Sam gye tang), I like the tenderness and a big chunk of tomato. (A small breast and drumstick is one portion) salad is not fresh, too soaked in oil. Rice was buttered. But loved the tanginess of those berries. Chicken shish kebob served a bit burnt, one skewer is definitely not enough portion at all. They give you A LOT of RICE, seriously a lot of those filler! Complementary fried flat bread with butter is nothing special. read more

Darya Restaurant - Barberry rice and boiled chicken from lunch menu. Tasty! - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Orange, California

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Came here this past week after a while and was glad to see the quality in the food hasn't gone down! We got the combination platter with filet mignon, boneless chicken kabobs, and ground beef kabobs. The meat was wonderfully moist and tasty. They came with a lot of rice, grilled veggies, and salad. The hummus appetizer we ordered came with lavash bread. Prices went up a little but the food quantity and quality make up for that. read more

The staff at the restaurant is enough to make me want to come back. I went in today to pick up a to go order, while waiting they were very kinda and gave me tea and baklava. The tea was amazing until I spilled it all over myself.... Immediately the staff were up and more than helpful, they were very kind and helped me clean up without making me feel embarrassed. (The lady at the front desk was especially kind) Then after that they helped me carry my food to the car. The food at this place is always a delight, if you are craving Persian food I highly recommend it. read more

Great ambience and good food, but the experience was sub par. The waiter didn't seem have a body language. He was rolling over eyes when we were sharing our preferences of vegetarian food. He was also not so polite in offering non alcoholic drinks not in the menu. So if you are not a meat eater and prefer non alcoholic drink, I suggest you look for another restaurant to have good experience. read more

Food was good as always. Service was even better and will come back for the service. Our server was Hootan and he kept coming and helping us with our needs. Great spot for some nice persian food read more

Delivery order was inedible - food was nothing like the online menu and photos represented. The boneless chicken kabob was gristly and the salad dressing on the Darya salad was rancid. read more

It is difficult picking restaurants for the office with the redneck from Oklahoma that only eats meat and potatoes, and with the picky/grouchy Malaysian secretary who needs to approve of every place we go. Since the picky/grouchy secretary is more picky than the redneck, I let the picky/grouchy secretary pick for the going away lunch for the Thai secretary. We arrived at about 11:45 AM and were promptly seated. I was a little worried that we were the only ones in the restaurant. But, my fears were soon relieved when people started coming in. Service was great. They immediately brought us our drinks and gave us a basket of their pita bread. The bread was very good. We devoured it quickly, and ended up asking for refills of the bread 4 times. The crew ordered their Hummus. I have never liked the stuff. But, the rest of the group wanted to order it. It was the best hummus that I have ever had. It wasn't so good that I would order it again if I came here myself. But, I did like it. Most of the crew ordered the boneless chicken kabobs, gringo style with half salad and half rice. The Thai secretary ordered the beef koobideh. The picky/grouchy secretary and I ordered the Baghali Polo, or lamb shank. The food came out quickly, and everyone's food looked great. The Koobideh was huge. Everyone liked the food. No complaints from anyone. The redneck liked his chicken. The redneck is a small eater. He offered me a piece of his chicken. But, unfortunately, the wait staff was too quick. They took his place before I could grab it. The lamb shank came with a huge bed of rice. So much that I couldn't finish it. Very nice restaurant with very good service. Food is good with big portions. We may need to come back for our next celebration. read more

Yummy My friend orders it every get together so only had dine out love it Trying dine in soon

excellent service Staff is very friendly No the food was amazing it's a must in Orange County Ask for shanna read more

Nothing but great things to say. Nazi was our server and she was amazing. We had an appetizer with sautéed mushrooms and shrimp and it was superb. Our mains were the beef koobideh and filet mignon shish kabob and we were stuffed! But couldnt leave without sampling dessert. Baklava and the most amazing house cheescake ever! I am 100% coming back and seeing Nazi and having more iced tea and cheesecake Wonderful experience! read more

The place is classically decorated and quite nice, the rice is great, the chicken is good and beef kobiddeh is below the standard of LA area beef considering the Persian community. The waiter is nice and the prices are same of similar places. I am giving 3 stars due to the quality of beef kobiddeh, which is the top meal of Persian kitchen where they should make it perfect, otherwise they are 4 stars. The receptionist is so awesome lady and humble. read more

Darya Restaurant - Beef Koobideh Chicken Shish Kabob - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Orange, California

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Fine dining atmosphere with reasonable prices..we all enjoyed our meals at lunch. I even had some lamb shank to take home

Darya is wonderful, they have a wide variety menu, ever is prepared fresh and is delicious the freshly baked bread is a great starter, Darya salad is delicious as are many of the dishes I've had there. This is very friendly for business lunch or a graduate destination. Servers are attentive and friendly. read more

Work hired a new employee so to welcome her to the new firm, we went to Darya's to celebrate. I remember visiting Darya's in Costa Mesa a few years ago with friends and had a pleasant experience there so I was excited to go to the one in the Orange location to try Persian food again. AMBIENCE: We arrived at around 1:00 pm for lunch and it was not too busy. Overall, the decor in this place does not feel as upscale as the one in Costa Mesa and looks, smells, feels pretty worn. It also doesn't have much of a warm inviting feel, so I was a bit hesitant about the food that was to come. FOOD QUALITY: I ended up getting the Darya Salad with Chicken and it was DELICIOUS! If I could, I think I could quite possibly eat this salad every day. I mean, isn't this salad beautiful?: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/darya-restaurant-orange?select=1RYrEGoFbHPIEwhQTKkkLA#2fnLY_7A0p5DqPtLWf7GDQ The plate was super big too and it had plenty of TENDER tender chicken. I especially enjoyed the olives, lentils, feta cheese and olive oil/lime juice dressing on the salad - it tasted absolutely refreshing and delicious. SERVICE: Service was so so. The waiter would only come around and refill only one person's water cup. Then, at the end, we were pretty much left to our own devices because there was no one in sight to give hand us our bill. It took so long for our waiter to come back, we were basically the last table left in the whole restaurant. OVERALL: I would highly recommend getting the Darya Salad with chicken if you ever do come here. However, the ambience and service need a bit of work in order for me to come back again. read more

Darya Restaurant - Darya Salad with chicken - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Orange, California

The food was super good and the service was amazing! Elda and she was very helpful and they really cared about great service and allergies. Highly recommend! read more

would have been a 5 if it hadn't taken 20 minutes to get seated after showing up on time for our reservation. Food was great and bountiful. Our server Hootan was excellent. read more

Had a great experience here for my daughter's birthday, our server Paula was the best... she was very attentive and friendly, and made sure my daughter got a birthday song and birthday baklava with candles. The food was also delicious. If you're looking for a great restaurant to host a birthday or other event, definitely Darya is the place to go... especially if you have Paula as your server. read more

Darya has to be one of my favorite restaurants in Orange County by far! My family has been coming here since before I was born, and we have never been let down by their outstanding service. Darya serves great food, and offers a great ambience to accompany the delicious food. Their menu is filled with great dishes, but my go-to order at Darya has to be their Juicy Chicken, Maust' Khiar, and a slice of their artisan cheesecake. Trust me, you cannot go wrong with anything on the menu! The Juicy Chicken comes on top of a huge bed of rice and a roasted tomato, and it must be some of the best chicken I've ever had in my life. I don't know how they get the chicken so juicy and flavorful! Next, their Maust' Khiar goes well with almost everything on the menu; I eat it on my bread, on my chicken, and sometimes I even eat a spoonful by itself lol. Lastly, their Cheesecake is amazing; you don't want to forget to order the Cheesecake! If you're looking for great Persian cuisine, I'd HIGHLY recommend trying Darya, you will not be disappointed. read more

First time coming here after many years, and I was very happy with my experience back! Our server, Farnaz, treated us as family and it reminded me how much I loved this place. The food is very authentic Persian, and the treatment is equally impressive. Although this a bit further of a drive, I am going to make this a more regular trip with the family. Great food, and service, you can't go wrong. read more

Amazing ! The food is is absolutely delicious and I have been coming here for 10 plus years .. highly recommend if you love tasty beef and chicken .. also has the best cheesecake ! read more

The food was amazin! and the service is outstanding the workers are so kind. The place is absolutely beautiful and the bathroom looks great! Definitely going to come back! :D read more

Great food. I had the salmon and it was delicious. Chicken kabobs is also amazing. Our waiter Carlos was really kind and profesional.

Top to bottom great. Juicy meat, great service. Parking is snug-so heads up if you drive a large car. Only pepsi products-so heads up if you are a come drinker. Would definitely go again read more

This place is awesome. Thanks for @travelcostamesa for the GC to even get the chance to try this place out. Definitely coming back again. Fine Dining but with very nice service, not a stuck up place. Food (Lunch): -Appetizer: Wanted the Dolemeh but recommended the Borani (excellent recommendation) -Entree: Didn't want casual kabob combination orders...borrriinnnggg. Got the Special Persian Stew (sauce) Ghormeh Sabzi - recommended between the last one for salty taste. Although he did recommend the middle one (Fesenjon), I didn't feel like any sweet food at the time. Will have to try it next time. -Drink: The Republic of Tea Ginger Peach Tea unsweetened - pretty good, but wouldn't pay $4+ for it. Parking: Parking Lot, enough parking. Didn't see valet for lunch Service: Good. Busboy and clean up, excellent. They didn't care I ordered one entree when theres two people at the table, super koo! Atmosphere: Relaxed, nice pretty...its fine dining, so the usual except they didn't care we came in with such casual clothes. Had Christmas decorations up with a nice tree. Pretty decent size restaurant with seating near windows. Outdoors has a cute water fountain, theres patio seating but since it was raining its not open. Lunch time is great to bring family, which includes kids 5+. Definitely can bring company, relatives and so for nice dining. I think they even have an upstairs if you want to have a company party there - not sure, just assuming. *I added pictures if you want to see the food...its by my cell phone so quality isn't quite all there. enjoy! read more

Great Persian style and food. I havent really had the ethnic dishes as yet. But they won me over with their steak and salad.

Just got take out, the juicy chicken is AMAZING!! Super healthy and they're still open for take out through these trying times. read more

Darya Restaurant - Juicy chicken-SO GOOD!!! - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Orange, California

Wonderful food! I never knew that there was a Darya in Orange, but we decided to have a birthday dinner here with family and it did not disappoint. When we arrived, it looked like the belly dancers were finished at 8pm, which was a little disappointing but they did have live music and entertainment with a singer who was also playing guitar. This was definitely a nice touch! We got yogurt with shallot dip, a seasonal salad, kabob platters to share as well as crispy rice (tadigh) with some stew as well as tea to end the meal. The salad was really amazing and even had dates and lentils sprinkled inside-it was definitely unique. The complimentary bread to start was made fresh in their tandoor (stone oven) and was served piping hot. The kabobs were super juicy and very impressive. All in all, everything tasted great. The chicken kabob with bone, without bone, and chenjeh kabob was amazing. I would say this was ranked high up in the list of Persian restaurants. Being Persian myself, this is an accomplishment since I would think I know good Persian food! If it wasn't located a bit further from me, this would definitely be my go-to spot. The restaurant space is large and has a bar as well. I noticed they also have space for private events. Check it out, it is worth a try! read more

Darya Restaurant - Persian/Iranian Near Me - Orange, California

Nice vibe inside. I had Soltani, perfectly cooked. Koobide juicy and tasty! Great service. Definitely recommend

Horrible food, tasted like left overs. Expensive price for quality I got. Seems like they are using left over product and reheating it to serve their customers. I will never use this resturant again. read more

Absolutely delicious !! Nazi was just lovely . Best Mediterranean food I've ever had. Thank you!

I was introduced to this restaurant through one of my mentors at my workplace as he loved this place. Personally, I thought there were some hit and misses in some of the dishes but it may be due to my lack of diversity in Persian food + having a sensitive stomach. Food (4/5): 1) Kashkeh Bademjan (4/5): it was really good for the first few bites but it got harder to eat as I felt that it was too salty and heavy for me the more I ate. I felt that it needed something else to cut through the saltiness and heaviness 2) Hummus (3/5): I got this through checking in! I didn't really enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I thought it would be similar to the hummus you buy at grocery stores but it has a completely different flavor profile. 3) Filet Mignon Kabob (5/5): this was one of my favorite dishes of the night! Very flavorful and juicy! The pairing with veggies and rice made it very enjoyable as I like to have a balance of everything Service (3/5): It was a bit busy as we came in a Sunday late afternoon around 3 PM. The servers were really nice however, it was extremely hard to get ahold of one. Tables that sat around us a lot later were helped out asap while we were waiting for someone to help explain the menu to us. I think in the end, one of the host ended up taking care of us or the owners as I believe the servers forgot about my table. Overall, this place is a good place to try if you're interested in trying out persian food for the first time! read more

Food was ok. Restaurant was not busy at all however took quite awhile to be assisted and served. Drink cocktails were not good at all. Place decor quite outdated. read more

First time in Darya, did not disappoint me. Food was delicious, I got the chicken kahbob, it was tender and full of flavor. Love their pita bread with the hummus. The whole family enjoyed the food. Service was on the spot, Makeo, our server was very attentive and nice. Restaurant ambience is great. Will come back definitely. read more

The food is great, definitely would come back again, likewise the service, special mention to Makeo, who was very friendly and accommodating, thank you so much Makeo. For the ambiance the restaurant has nice music being played makes you feel cozy and relaxed, overall the restaurant is a great place to eat Mediterranean food read more

I had one of the best experiences dining in Darya restauran. the food and service was amazing. the lady who was helping us Nazi was so pleasant . she was so helpful and kind. We were a large party and she was so patient and helpful. I would definitely go back and highly recommend this family friendly restaurant. thank you, read more

Aroma of Persian Dishes, high quality food, nice staff and good service. Surprised to be offered in bar section cause all table were busy and there was a long wait to be seated, so they offer me to seat in bar section to avoid it. It was super comfy and nice place. Thank you PANTEA for your help n such a nice hospitality with smile on your face Weber time I asked any services. Would visit again for sure. read more

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Great and attentive service. Elda is excellent. I enjoy the Darya Salad with chicken. Ambiance is relaxed and enjoyable.