What a gem of a lunch spot. Delicious, fresh food with plenty of options... and in a format that can keep up with a lunch rush? Love it. Every time I've visited it's been a consistently good experience. Great entrees, seasonally rotating side dishes that are just as good, a convenient coffee bar located at the checkout with seasonal-inspired drinks. The service is awesome too, the people working always seem in a good mood, even under the pressure of the rush. A happy face goes a long way! I've been wanting to try more of their menu, but love the salmon plate so much... I haven't convinced myself to try anything else yet because of how much I love it. Anyways, if you can afford a more upscale lunch, give this place a try, they've got something for everyone and very nice communal seating too! Since they're located in the UCI campus, they've got great WiFi and charging stations parked nearby for remote work. PS - There's a great ecological preserve/trail just past this place! Literally a 2 minute walk to the trailhead from herb and ranch :) read more

Herb & Ranch - Seared Sustainable Salmon with sides of Summer Farro Salad and Salt Roasted Smashed Potatoes. Probably my favorite lunch recently! - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

Ample parking since it's in a business park (and during COVID there's not a ton of people going around). We came in around 12:30pm on a Friday and there were a few people out but not crowded at all. Instead of having the entire hall open they have a limited menu, and you order everything from the cafe at the front (instead of having multiple counters). We got the shrimp bowl (option of salad or greens/grains), and pulled pork cheese melt sando. Both were SUPER yummy and fresh! I'd definitely come back for the shrimp - the dish was light but filling and really flavorful. We also got an iced hazelnut drink that was good (and sweet), and a chocolate chip cookie with salt on top (warmed up it was phenom!). The area caters towards businesses but during COVID there weren't a ton of people which meant seating was super available! There's also a hiking trail head near the seating if you want to walk around more and then grab food. Service was so so good and helpful since it was our first time. The place is beautiful and clean with hand sanitizer everywhere. I'm sure it's normally busy with such good food in a non-covid time, but they've done a great job keeping open, staying safe, and still creating yummy food! read more

Herb & Ranch - Down South Shrimp & Pulled Pork Melt - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

Quick drive by for some breakfast burritos and those puppies hit the spot! Everything about it was perfect, especially the chimmichuri they serve it with! Going to be my new burrito stop after a morning surf read more

I couldn't figure out what this place was based on the website. It is basically a cute little upscale food court with four "order, pick up, to go" restaurants and a coffee place (where you pay for everything). I tired the Italian deli on bread versus a wrap and the portion was pretty big. I'll definitely be back to try the other restaurants. There's plenty of parking and when you enter the building, there's a gym on the right side (kind of strange to have a gym and a food court next to each other. Haha!) and the restaurants are on the left side. There's plenty of seating inside and outside. Great place to catch up with friends or have informal meetings at because the seating area is really nice and spaced out. read more

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I'm still a regular (once a week) at Herb and Ranch. And as of the last couple of weeks, they have GELATO! They have four flavors, sweet cream, chocolate, pistachio and a special flavor only found at H&R created based on their signature blueberry muffin. All are really delicious. As for my favorite "mains," they are the Shiso Breadcrumb Crusted Ahi Tuna with greens and the kale & freekeh salad. I also love the Turkey Wrap with balsamic glazed tomatoes, mixed greens, mozzarella and basil aioli. Chef Jonah is delightful to talk to about all of the menu items and the entire staff is very friendly. It's a really treat to go to HR&. PS - They also do "pick-up" catering - side dishes for your holiday meal. read more

Great food, but consistently poor staffing strategy. This location is in the middle of a busy office park and I just walked in to see one register open and about 20 people waiting to pay, with more lined up at each station to order. I declined to wait. It stands to reason the lunch rush is a regular thing here and better planning could help move more lunch-goers in and out. It hasn't been this bad in the past, but a word to those with limited time for lunch. read more

Great service great people and unique food selections and beautiful surroundings. Only open M-F until 3- highly recommend!! read more

I ordered food twice from their Grains & Greens section and was disappointed on both occasions. Chicken and sauces were way too salty and almost inedible for me. I ended up throwing away most of my food. Also meats were hard like a brick and stone cold. read more

This place features several stations offering different cuisines from poke to banh-mi to ancient grain salads. Everything I've had so far has been excellent, but today's review is about the stellar breakfast options. I had the opportunity to try the breakfast hash bowls. The first was the Bacon hash featuring braised bacon, cauliflower, potato, carrot, parsley, scallion, and a slow-cooked egg. The bacon was cut into thick cubes; chewy with a bit of char. The vegetables were cooked perfectly and were cut into fork-sized pieces that allowed for getting every ingredient in each bite. The skin-on whole potatoes had a nice bite. The egg was rich and creamy, although I would rather it be poached to allow for more yolk to be mixed throughout the bowl. A staff member offered some fresh cracked pepper which was a nice touch. The Vegetable hash included zucchini, roasted pepper, mushroom, broccoli, kale, pecorino, and the slow-cooked egg. This one's also a keeper. The kale was nice and soft after a sautee with what I believe to be olive oil. The zucchini and broccoli were the perfect texture. I detected a touch of citrus, but that may have been the pecorino. I'll have to ask. Overall the dish was nice and light, but very filling and very good. Both bowls are made to order so there can be a wait, but at $8 each they're well worth it. read more

Herb & Ranch - Herb & Ranch - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

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I had the most interesting breakfast here... I got the corned beef and hash breakfast and my oh my was it something. It was nothing like a traditional corned beef and hash and unfortunately, the beef chunks were hard as rock. I could definitely see somebody else liking it, but it is not my thing. I will give this place a try once more, but only for lunch. read more

Very clean and modern. I was pleasantly surprised by having such a place inside UCI campus. Nicely, different food sections to choose from. The staff is very friendly and helpful. read more

So... the food is pretty good and the staff is really nice. Brian Malarkey's restaurants are super appropriation-y so I can't really give more than 3-stars. If someone wants to share something that his company does for the AAPI community besides give their ideas to him and he gets the credit, I'll boost my ratings. I don't mean that sarcastically, it's in all seriousness. Portions are soooo small for the sides. Seasonal vegetables on a salad should be more than a few carrot and radish shavings. Broccoli should be more than handful. I'm never getting a side again. Is it even organic or local? There's nothing on the website aside from a menu and contact info. I work in the area and will probably keep going because of convenience until I can find something else equidistant that is minority owned. PS - General fun fact. There is no such flavor as "Asian" read more

Herb & Ranch - Tiny side salad with "seasonal veg" AKA carrot shavings and two slices of radish. Regular sized fork for comparison. - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

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I thought their blueberry matcha was very yummy! I even recommended to my family. Such a nice place to eat and walk the Bonita canyon trail! Cute outdoor seating too! Food is good and healthy! read more

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If you're looking for that quiet space tucked away in a spot with some pretty greenery where you can enjoy amazing food - this is your place! Beautiful spot and tasty food - just perfect. I can't wait to go back and try something different. The roasted chicken curry salad with grains was so flavorful with a bit of spice. Definitely an elevated salad! read more

Herb & Ranch - Roasted Chicken Curry - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

I took the Mrs. here for lunch as we really needed to get out of the COVID lock down for a bit. Pretty darn good food! I like that they change it up and add some new gourmet ish type choices. Salads are great as is everything I have tried so far. read more

Great place with a wide variety of dining selections. We have enjoyed their soups, salads, Mac & cheese and cookies!

4 stars for service 3 stars for food. The people who work here make this place. They're all super helpful and considerate of how you like your dish. Patient at explaining how it all works to new people. Accepting of substitutions or requests to put things on the side. Genuinely just great customer service. They invest in quality so it's pricey here. $15 a dish, but if you don't eat a lot you can get like 2 meals out of one serving. I am a big fan of the breakfast menu and baked goods. Sometimes they get a little too fancy and out that one extras "exotic" ingredient that ruins a perfect product. My example: miso peanut butter jelly cookies. Those were not good, in my opinion. My savory lunch choices are grilled cheese add tomato soup (no pesto topping it's too salty) short rib, chicken katsu, and roast chicken. They serve the side salads with this nice fresh lemon vinaigrette. Baked good wins: hazelnut chocolate (Ferraro Roche) cookie, s'mores cookie, regular cookies. Chile fontina scallion scone. Blueberry lime cardamon muffin. They also make this muffin into gelato which is even better. They also have recently started selling really good gelato! The barista makes an excellent London Fog latte. The coffee here is a lighter side of a medium roast. Well prepared espresso and hot drinks. Decent tea selection. Non-dairy alternatives are available for all drinks. Some interesting signature lattes as well. I recommend this place for lunch to anyone who is in the area for business during the day. It's unique and delicious. read more

Hidden gem in Irvine! We ordered two salads-Rooting for winter AND roasted & raw. Both salads were loaded with fresh ingredients. I was debating to add proteins to my salad but turned out I was satisfied without it. Also ordered mocha & loved it. Mocha wasn't overly sweet & I can taste the quality of espresso. Very clean establishment & friendly staffs. I will definitely try other items on the menu next time I visit Irvine. read more

Excellent food! The breakfast burrito was delicious. I've also had the salmon plate twice, I recommend if you want to treat yourself with good quality fresh food. read more

Located in a business area near UC Irvine, finding it is completely worth it! Great options including gourmet, fresh salads, sandwiches, bowls, pizzas and more. The ambiance is modern farmhouse, there is seating inside and outside. I've been here a few times tried several of the different station portions and all were good selections. Definitely recommend! read more

First and foremost I was excited when I heard this place was opening in the OC as a big fan of Brian Milarkey I was certain I'd love it. That said, I tried it once for breakfast and got an iced vanilla latte and breakfast burrito and both were unfortunately outright not good. The iced vanilla latte tasted like sour milk with no expresso or vanilla flavoring and the breakfast burrito wasn't at all Cali style it was more of souther style which is fine but the potatoes in it were almost mushy. The bacon was under cooked and the whole burrito leaked grease like a flooded apartment. Unfortunately I have yet to go back and probably wont. read more

First time trying out here because our company is going to move into this business plaza. It is a great area and environment as a business/office place. The food court is clean, modern and simple. The quality inside is overall great, napkins are very good quality as lady M. The food is generally light and good for a work day. I got my build protein dish for $15, just to try it out. The portion is small, as this price range, if you are hungry you probrally won't be full after the meal. The albacore is ok, not too much flavor. Cauliflower taste nice, good combination with the sweet and sour raisin. Cheese is fresh but the tomatoes are not. Overall it is sort of pricy. Service here are good, the cashier guy is very friendly and smiling all time. Servers also. Coffee bar is a bit slow and less friendly. Will come back and try the other dishes but won't spend money here often due to the price. read more

Herb & Ranch - Build your protein - seared albacore with two sides for $15. - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

Ordered to pick up and got comically excessive amounts of jalapeno and ginger the picture doesn't even include the jalapeno and ginger I ate already. The other parts of the bowl were fine. read more

Herb & Ranch - Albacore bowl - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

I didn't really enjoy my meal. I got salmon with a side of cauliflower and orzo. Both sides were so incredibly SALTY. I simply couldn't eat the orzo. The cauliflower was undercooked, and it was covered with some harissa that didn't go with anything. Salmon was ok, but had a weird yogurt and dill sauce that was maybe supposed to be tzatziki but wasn't. I tried my son's potatoes. They were extremely intense with weird flavors. His tuna was ok, not bad. My husband had a bowl that had a tahini vinaigrette that was so overwhelming that you couldn't taste the tahini in it. I suggest the cook resolves whatever it is that interferes with his sense of taste, because I don't like bland food but this was unbearable. Especially the orzo (which might actually not been orzo at all, but large grains of salt, I'm not sure .) And, to top it all off, three hours later, I got diarrhea. No thank you, never again. read more

Servers are super nice!! But the prices are outrageous, I got a piece of salmon with just salad, no grain just mixed green and few pieces of peppers with onion for 20 dollars not including taxes or tips. Meh! read more

Herb & Ranch - Salmon with salad - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

We are going to be the one review that mentions kids (I searched through the other reviews before coming and there wasn't a single one that mentioned anything about coming here with children). Herb and Ranch is a very nice, clean, new place in the UCI research park. It looks like a really nice place to come to lunch if you work in the area. We come to UCI all the time with our kids during the pandemic so wanted to come and check it out. Came on a Monday around 11, stayed until around 12 and it never got too busy. It's more of an order at the counter type place. You can tell a place is unfriendly to kids because there are no high chairs here, let alone anything for the kids to eat. As for the food, we got a muffin and a side of quinoa for our baby and both were delicious. However I was underwhelmed by the entrees we ordered. My husband got the galbi beef with sides of tomato mozzarella and potatoes. Sides were good but the galbi was so fatty we could barely eat it. I got the shrimp soba salad and I didn't like it at all. We also got an almond milk latte which was so so. I regretted not getting one of the sandwiches because those looked delicious. The service was very nice but I don't think I would come again read more

Great spot for some really good quality and varied food for lunch...great coffee and a the nicest people...especially the girl at the coffee check out bar...the real reason I come back...she always has a smile for me. read more

I still come here on occasion for another station, where they serve the Turkey Breast, Cauliflower (or broccoli), and Smashed Potatoes. This is my usual go to order. The first time I went, the turkey breast was EXTREMELY dry, even with the accompanying sauce and the Broccoli/Cauliflower was undercooked. The second time the Turkey was a lot better, I assume it was because it was freshly made and during the peak hour, which is unfortunate since it is so busy at that time, I wish it was maintained better warm. On a more positive note, the Smashed Potatoes are simply the best thing I've ever had, I do not understand how something this good is just an appetizer. It is a balance of sweet and buttery, I wish I had the recipe! read more

Cute place for lunch! It's located in a business plaza and close to my friends workplace so we came here to catch up over lunch. Service was great! The girls were incredibly friendly and personal with a good energy. I ordered the tamari ponzu salmon poke bowl with half greens and half grains. The dish is served with cilantro, picked ginger, and jalapeño which added a nice kick to it. The sauce was sour and refreshing. My friends said the sauce was too sour but I liked it. We all tried each other's food and the other dishes were ok. Us three shared a double chocolate cookie. It was crispy on the outside and soft and gooey inside hmmm. Outside sittings are super pretty and spacious. read more

Herb & Ranch - Tamari Ponzu Salmon Poke - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

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Last night I picked up a great Valentine meal at Herb & Ranch to share with my wife and it was just terrific. If you were thinking about getting one of their to go meals featuring Beef Wellington and waited too long, sorry, you did miss out. Now we have done this before with other groups and at $125 (including Tax, Tip is up to you, but let's not be cheap) is down right great for all you get. Frankly, one of the best parts was the detailed instructions on how to prepare once you get it home. They were very conversational and funny. Jokes don't translate, so be sure to order one next special holiday. Starter was shrimp cocktail that it was more like Ceviche but whatever you call it, it was great. The next step was the Blistered Tomato & Burrata Salad. A party in your mouth! Now to the Beef Wellington. It was great. Yes you prepare it at home but the pastry was perfect. Very crunchy and the meet was like butter. We have some great steak knives but you didn't need them. Served with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Baby Carrots. This is my only complaint, where there was enough food for 2 hearty eaters or 4 average humans, I really wanted more of those carrots. The last element was the Chocolate Lava Cake. Who would have thought that a lava cake could travel, but it did, very nicely and the creme, berries and chocolate sauce really set it off. Next time, order early and don't be miss out! Say hit to Christine (the GM) she is a hoot as well! read more

Came here with a friend to do some work. They had a nice outdoor seating area with super easy parking, fast wifi, and outlets! I ordered an iced oat milk latte which was very good and she ordered an iced matcha latte with oat milk that was very grainy and watery LWhen we went back in a few minutes later there was a new barista and he was SO sweet about it, insisting he remake the matcha. This time it was absolutely DELICIOUS! Great customer service, great work environment, and ended up with two great drinks. Will definitely return! read more

We ordered the Valentine's Day dinner kit for two. It was the best meal we've had in a long time. The menu combined traditional favorites (Beef Wellington, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Roasted Carrots) with some modern twists (Baja Shrimp Cocktail, Blistered Tomato and Burrata Salad). Four courses for $125 - with this quality, it was well worth it. The meal came partially cooked with detailed instructions to finish and plate. It even included a meat thermometer with instructions to finish the Wellington to your liking. We will definitely be on the lookout for more special take home meals from Herb & Ranch! read more

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I found my new lunch spot!! This place is amazing. As I walked in I was greeted by a friendly employee. Being my first time I asked them what they recommend. She recommended the salmon with the side of potatoes. It was cooked perfectly and was seasoned to perfection. The tzatziki sauce they put on was a great touch. They have a great coffee selection as well and I order a coffee for when I was finished with my lunch, which she brought perfectly on time and was a great way to end the meal. Great service, great food, plenty of parking and easy to get to. I will be back. Highly recommend. read more

Herb & Ranch - New American Near Me - Irvine, California

Everything here is premade but of very high quality. Had the Asian chicken salad and it was tasty. The honey oat coffee was also delicious. Quick tasty meal on the UCI campus read more

I love H&R. The staff are so friendly and accommodating, especially Chastity and Christina. Pretty much their entire menu is both healthy and delicious. I particularly like their breakfast burrito with short rib added, their salmon, and their coffee. The chef is talented, and you can actually buy their cooking/flavoring oils. My only qualm is that I wish there was a location open on weekends or after 3pm. read more

Very clean facilities. Breakfast burrito was delicious. Servers were very friendly and patient.

The food, atmosphere and wide range of seating options are excellent. It is in a beautiful setting where you can enjoy your delicious lunch at picnic tables, hammock chairs, park benches, etc. After lunch, you can play corn hole and ping pong in the covered seating/picnic area. There is also an adjacent nature preserve where you can walk after lunch. Great thought was put into the planning of this eating and gathering place. read more

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This place has tasty food and several healthy options. I generally purchase some animal protein with some broccoli and a mozzarella cheese and tomato stack. The main flaw of this establishment is their lack of a soda fountain. I guess they think they're above that. If you want a drink, they sell extremely expensive cans for about $5.00 each, which makes me feel like I'm at the movie theatre. I cannot give 5-stars until the beverage situation is resolved. read more

Fantastic selection and location. It's in a business corridor so easy to miss but I recommend seeking it out. There are multiple counters; sandwiches, salads, plates (steak, chicken, fish, tofu), and poke bowls. The outside seating areas are nice and relaxing. They also sell some beers and wine! I highly recommend. read more

Best breakfast and coffee in Irvine! The staff and service is also spectacular! It's perfect ambiance as well because it's located next to a small relaxing park. read more