My friends chose this spot on a whim. I was skeptical going in as it was in the afternoon on a…read moreSunday but there was a surprising amount of people inside. Service was extremely friendly and attentive. Food and drinks were great. My table got the mojito and a few other speciality drinks everyone enjoyed. The appetizers were great and I look forward to trying some of their dishes. Totally worth a visit if you're in the area. Another positive....the bathrooms were clean and didn't smell like piss

Stowaway just rolled out five new drinks for summer with a summer camp theme. This enticed us to…read morecome back and try the new drinks after our last few visits were subpar. You can make reservations on Yelp, and there is also a Yelp live wait list. We visited during happy hour (Tuesday thru Friday from 4pm to 6pm) to take advantage of their food specials. We had the coconut shrimp ($12, but $7 during happy hour) which are always good. We also had some fries ($7, but $5 during happy hour). They were good and a generous portion. She wanted to try the vegan (cauliflower) salt & vinegar wings ($14, but $9 during happy hour). They were breaded and fried well, but had very little flavor. There was just a light sprinkle of a salt & vinegar seasoning. More salt and a dash of malt vinegar on them, or a side of malt vinegar would have made them a lot better. The happy hour food was a good value and got something in our stomachs. My first cocktail was the Wilderness Badge (Tequila, Lemongrass, Basil, Bergamot, Lemon, $17). This was by far my favorite. I love Italicus liqueur and this drink had great bergamot flavor up front with a light basil flavor from the basil infused tequila. It was very balanced and I would have never guessed this was a tequila based cocktail. She started out with the Sasquatch Sighting (Jamacian Overproof Rum, Cynar, Mango, Molasses, Lime, $17). This was balanced, with a light bitterness and light sweetness with mango flavor. Next, I tried The Lost Camper (Demerara Rum, Thai Green Tea, Pineapple, Coconut, Lime, $16). It was a pineapple bomb with a hint of coconut. I didn't like it at all and actually sent it back. I did think the skeleton arm and hand swizzle stick was cool. It is served with the hand at the bottom, but I took the picture with it sticking out. Instead, I had the Black Sands from the regular cocktail menu (Bali Hai Pineapple Rum, Diplomatica Reserve Rum, Pineapple, Orange, Guava, Lime, Coco, charcoal, $18). It is served with a flaming lime and sugar cube. I've had this several times and love it. It has a great funky complex flavor. Next, she had the Naked & Afraid (Mezcal, Campari, Smoked Pineapple, Serrano, Passionfruit, Lemon, $17). This was really good with a great complex mix of smoke and bitterness with a little heat. She gulped it down, and I was lucky to get a few sips. We decided to share the last new cocktail, the Scouts Honor (Vokda, Peach, Mandarin, Orgeat, Lime, $16) so we could say we tried them all. It looks nice with a bright orange color, but it was very sweet and peach forward with a hint of orange. Our server Crystal was great, very friendly and provided great service. We started collecting mugs recently, and we bought the Belly of the Beast Monstro mug ($62) to take home. BOTB is their Pinocchio themed speakeasy in the back (separate reservation required). They also have several other Stowaway branded mugs available. This visit was definitely better than our last few. As far as the five new Summer Camp cocktails, two were excellent, one was good, one was ok, and one was not good. The food was good, and is a great value during happy hour.

So I had banh duc which is like a Vietnamese bolognese with rice flour pudding. Utterly insane. A…read moremust try. So savory and delicious. Then I had their take on a Mexican seafood cocktail (I hate the original). Amazing. Culinary engineering at its finest. They do some magic to make a clear sauce that has a hint of acid, tomato and horseradish. Octopus. Thinly sliced shrimp. Nate the chef is a master. Top 5 in Oc. The food is basically comfort food married with brilliant technique and execution. A must visit !!!!!

Wow where do I begin. Sonder really stands out from all of the countless restaurants in OC. The…read moreinside is gorgeous; both grand and retro but with a charm. It's perfect for an intimate date or fun night out. I would describe it has a vinyl bar with great cocktails and a unique menu featuring Asian fusion tapas/sharable bites. Fun fact: Sonder is owned by siblings Diane and Lamson and is located right next to Lamson's first restaurant , Kaizen Shabu! This place sometimes gets booked for private events so I HIGHLY recommend making a reservation as to not wait and guarantee it isn't closed the day you want to come. There is also usually events or a live DJ later in the evenings so check their instagram to be up at date @sonderdtsa. The food here is absolutely delicious and flavorful. It tastes both familiar but also new by putting a unique twist on dishes and flavors you already know. Some standout dishes are the little gem salad, dill milk bread, and charred beets. My only complaint is that the Sichuan fries were not as crispy and I would have liked. They are also quite greasy and heavy. But I understand why it is soggy due to being tossed in the Sichuan oil after frying to achieve the numbing flavor. We also tried the black sesame walnut for dessert and it was to die for; such a toasty flavor that paired perfectly with the creamy ice cream. While there are a few staple menu items, the kitchen seems to often be coming out with different dishes so you're sure to not be tired coming here time and time again.

Had a great experience at Twisted Tiki! The bartender was incredibly personable and made us feel…read morewelcome from the moment we sat down. I can't remember his name, but he mentioned he was from Virginia, and his friendly service really stood out. The tiki drinks were delicious and had a beautiful presentation--almost too pretty to drink! Their happy hour is a fantastic value, and we also tried the chicken skewers, which were very tasty. The tiki-themed decor is fun, colorful, and adds to the overall atmosphere. Between the great drinks, good food, and excellent service, we'll definitely be back. Highly recommend checking it out!

We were able to immediately find seating, which was nice. The service was wonderful. The ambience…read morewas lovely. I just wish they had more food options. The music was fine but maybe too loud? I enjoyed my first drink. My second drink was average. The garlic fries were absolutely delicious!!!!

Great ambiance with a very intimate & secretive feel, excellent service, very tasty drinks/food…read more Unfortunately, you can't order from the also excellent Stowaway menu when inside, but the snacks they offer are delicious and filling.

The drinks were great The service was good…read moreThe food was very average - the angry edamames were not cooked well. Some of them were quite hard

First time visiting this cocktail lounge, and it was a truly unique experience. The space is…read moreintimate with limited seating, creating a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. The service was outstanding--attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. What makes this place special is that there's no traditional cocktail menu. The bartenders craft drinks throughout the day, and guests are invited to sample them before deciding what to order. It feels personal, interactive, and completely different from the typical bar experience.

46 A speakeasy is located in Rockwell Bakery. Check in is within the bakery and reservations are…read morerequired. When making reservations a $25 deposit is required per person but will be applied to your bill day of visit. The hostess was very kind upon check in and took us to the back where the 46 door is. She provided us a code and explained the time limit along with house rules. We were then told to knock on the door and proceed with the experience. Kudos to the owner as this is the only speakeasy in the OC that has a true speakeasy feel entrance. They had a gentleman open the peephole and ask for the entry code. Once we said the code we entered a really cool mine shaft area. The attention to detail was on point and I was impressed! We were then taken upstairs to a private bar where there are four tables of four so a max of 16. This makes sense as to why reservations are hard to come by. The only ding about seating is you are sat with strangers it is not a private table. Luckily we had a fun older couple at our table so it made the conversation more lively. Otherwise don't go here with an expectation of an intimate/ private date night. They also offer a limited food menu but looked very promising. However, we were here for a night cap so just dabbled in drinks. The bartender had a seasonal menu of 4 cocktails he created. He explained the drinks and then had us try each one with a straw. We then placed our order based on what we liked. He did say if we were not a fan he could create us our own personal cocktail as well. The old fashion he created was phenomenal! Overall, a cool little spot in the OC. Do wish they were open later as they do close at 11pm on Friday and Saturday.

I don't normally like the OC businesses so much, but I LOVE this place! It's very down to earth,…read morethey have the most amazing beer selection, and terrific prices. It's packed and happening, super fun. I'll be back.

While in downtown thought we would stop by for lunch. The pictures are a little deceptive. The…read moreplace was dark and smelled of smoke of pot. Didn't see any food available. I'm sure it's a good place to hang out and drink but not really a good example of the city to friends from out of town.

Another Kei Concepts restaurant that doesn't miss. This time it's a modern twist on Chinese food…read more The menu has your traditional classic dishes like dim sum, roasted duck, braised pork belly, stir fried noodles, etc. but also many other dishes with an innovative nod but still rooted to the classics. The interior of Qua is bright, grand and stunning. Perfect for any occasion; from a casual family outing, to a nice dinner date, or celebration. I highly recommend booking a reservation to avoid a wait especially at peak meal times. Everything I've tried is beyond delicious. The crab roe with wheat noodles has a deep rich savory seafood flavor. My only complaint is the wheat noodles get stuck together (even when I mix the sauce in right away) since the noodles and sauce are served separate. The chili surf clams are my absolute favorite dish; the sauce that it's served with is sweet, salty, slightly acidic and bright. Such a refreshing appetizer. There was an oyster pancake that is now not on the menu that I loved as well- the oysters were tender but the pancake was not only crispy but slightly gooey from what I am guessing is rice flour in the batter. I really hope they bring it back one day! The egg tart trio is the perfect dessert to end your meal with. 3 egg tarts if more than enough to split among 4 people since it's so rich and creamy on the inside and with a super crispy and flakey (but not greasy) crust on the outside. You can really taste the different flavors of each one.

We made a reservation here for Father's Day, I'm a big fan of all Kei Concepts' restaurants, so I…read morewas excited to try this one. We were seated right away when we arrived. The interior is very open, high ceilings, modern. They have a large bar in the center of the restaurant which adds to the clean, contemporary vibe. We ordered a bunch of food, don't have pictures of everything, but a few standouts. First, I wasn't expecting much of the stir-fried cabbage with garlic, but it was surprisingly simple yet delicious. The cabbage had a much deeper flavor than what I expected or have tried with other stir-fried cabbage. I also really enjoyed the garlic prawns with glass noodles, but it was wayyy too much cilantro, my whole family thought so. We got an order of the mala fries, which I wasn't expecting to be so delicious! It was umami, savory, sweet, spicy - a great beer snack. Everything else was good in general, pretty consistent in flavor and presentation. My only complaint was that the food all came out way too fast and out of order. Some hot dishes/entrees came out before the cold marinated cucumber and other appetizers. It wasn't paced very well, so some of the food got cold as we ate. Other than that, service was good and they were helpful in answering all of our questions. We ordered 9 total dishes for 5 of us, and it was plenty of food. I'd like to come back here for their HH and try some more dishes.

Had an amazing time last Saturday, April 12 as we celebrated my son's 25th birthday! Sonny and his…read morestaff go out of their way to a comedy the parties he had things set up for us. We are out on the wonderful outdoor patio and he helped us order food and just kept asking if we needed anything so you're so appreciate him. It's a great attitude and he's just a really nice person. We'll definitely be booking another event there soon. And the food downstairs amazing we were able to order pizzas, Tacos hamburgers, chicken bowls. My son had a really great birthday! Thanks, Sonny I'm making that happen!

This place is a kaleidoscope of fun with varying degrees of experiences from an arcade, to a tiki…read morebar, to a speakeasy, to a restaurant. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the food was delicious. And bonus they have a Pokémon pinball machine. What really got me about the place is you can bring your kids there if you want or come with just adult activities in mind. Definitely check this place out. It's huge and tastefully magnetic.