Real authentic Italian Pizza! I am Italian and I was super impressed! I would eat there anytime! Their salad is very special too! read more

Pizzeria Irene is one of the City of Oranges hidden gems. Located on Olive street and just off of Chapman. Cool casual vibe. Old school music playing softly in the background. And the Pizza is cooked , slightly burnt to perfection. brick oven. Place is small and they do offer reservations. Cool thing is if you try your luck and the wait too long. Just order your food to go. Take a 20 minute stroll around the plaza and head back. Food will be out shortly. Then enjoy a picnic in the circle near the fountain Started off with the Caesar Salad. Next we Ordered the Bianca Pizza "Love the fresh garlic " .... The crust is soft and burnt for that perfect Napolitano style pizza firewood heated oven. Add a side of sliced prosciutto ham. Will try the broccolini appetizer the next time we dine in. read more

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Solid, gourmet pizza that's just a bit overhyped. Gourmet is no hyperbole - everything here is as clean and fresh as can be. People raved about the Caesar salad - which was really good. But the big item here is the pizza and...it was really good. Just not maybe to the level others praised it to be. Good portions, flavorful, fresh, but something was a bit off. Not sure if the marinara was just okay, or what, but it tasted a bit more like paste than what I'm used to. Forgive my uncultured taste buds. Service rocked - we were taken care of wonderfully and the small space makes it feel pretty special. Incredibly charming and a perfect spot for a romantic night out or just a more chill space. While I'll definitely come back - it's not my first choice for food (or even pizza) in downtown Orange...but given everyone else's high praise you really should try it at least once. read more

Cute little pizzeria in old town Orange. Who doesn't love wood fire pizzas! Calabrese is my go to pizza and pizzeria Irene had a unique twist on it. They added habanero pepper sauce and boy did it have a pretty good kick! Loved the flavor combos. My friend went with his go to margherita pizza and it was simple and full of flavor. Service was on point here. Lots of parking along the street. Make sure not to park in the Citrus Grille parking lot or you'll be towed. read more

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I'm picky with tirimisu and I can honestly say this is the best tirimisu I've ever had! * came on a Saturday at 5pm, we didn't have a reservation because we didn't see the option on google . I was so excited based on google images , and wasn't disappointed . We were sat promptly , it's small inside as I've seen passing by, the ceasar salad was incredible (as someone who doesn't enjoy salad much) and the pizza was better than expected. I am impressed. The Bianca was my favorite and the fennel sausage slice I tried was good too, took dessert home! Tirimisu was INSANE , star of the show ! Everything rocked. worth every penny! read more

Pizzeria Irene - Bianca and pepperoni - Pizza Near Me - Orange, California

Hit Pizzeria Irene with some friends over the weekend. Tucked into Old Towne Orange along one of the side streets, it offers a simple menu: 4 starters, 6-8 pizzas, 3 desserts and a very interesting wine list. Ordered one of each starter. Great meatball and solid Caesar. Funny enough, Pizzeria Irene uses the same flour as Sei. Great dough...soft and chewy with a nice crisp. Gentle fermentation flavor. Fennel sausage and pepperoni. Liked them both. Dessert here is great. The cheesecake comes topped with a seasonal compote...our visit was pear. But where they shine is the ice cream game. The pistachio is the best rendition of a frozen pistachio treat since Leo's at Bulgarini. The coffee ice cream was complex with other flavors that can be found in a great coffee like warm spices. The strawberry was also good. The wine list was very interesting. Lots of options between here and Europe. We had a lovely rioja from 2015 with a pepper finish that went great with sausage and pepperoni. And it was only $100. Apparently, they had a Lafitte-Rothschild wine tasting tonight that I didn't have time for. Service was great even though we were their last reservation of the night. We felt welcomed and had a great experience. Chef here likes Truly in Dana Point and has his sights set on Sei after my recommendation. An evening stroll in the neighborhood for a nightcap is also highly recommended. read more

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Husband and I live in Orange and finally made reservations here on Saturday at 5 pm. So glad we tried this place. I'm not a huge fan of food at the Orange Circle because they're mid but not this place. We ordered the burrata and broccolini apps...delish!!! Recommend both. I asked the server which pizza he recommended and he said the most popular is the Calabrese pizza. I'm surprised this is the most popular because it is SPICY! But we can handle spicy and we enjoyed it. The crust was sooo good. We also got a bottle of wine. We are not wine drinkers but it has what looks like from an untrained eye, a great wine selection. The host, food runner and server were all amazing! The host was attentive. He must have been the owner. This place is great! I love supporting small businesses in my town. read more

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Pizzería Irene has delicious pizza and a great wine list. I recommend making a reservation, the space is small but we made a same day reservation for 4 and sat at the bar while our table was freed up. read more

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As we near the end of the year, I feel like this might be the last review of 2025. And what a way to end the year! Pizzeria Irene is a small little restaurant located near the Orange Circle. Pro tip: make a reservation! This place fills up and if you don't make one, you might have to wait a while to get seating. However, if you're lucky enough to snag a reservation, you'll enjoy this place! The aesthetics of this restaurant is nice. A lot of wine by the window and a wall full of wines. They also have a pizza oven with the "Irene" name on it. In December 2025, the prices are about $21-$30 for a pizza and the apps can range in the mid teens to about $25 I think. We ended up getting the Caesar salad and the mushroom pizza. The salad was $21 and the pizza was $27 I think. I really appreciated them offering filtered water. As a water snob, I like the sound of filtered water (as opposed to tap water). They offer a bunch of wines as well as Mexican coke and some other drinks. The service was awesome. The server was nice and took our order and was attentive to fill our waters. Rick, the owner, was very nice as well and it was cool to see his restaurant thriving. The food was excellent! The salad, while simple, was elevated. The subtle lemon flavor in every bite made it taste fresh and exciting. The pizza. Oh man. The pizza was delicious!! The crust was fantastic. The pesto on it was amazing. The mushrooms were delicious. The pizza was one of, if not, the best pizza I've had. Such an amazing pizza. If there's one downside to this place, it's definitely the price. It ain't cheap! At $21 for a salad, I would consider this a nice date spot. Granted, the food all tasted fresh and delicious. But it's expensive and won't be a weekly spot. But that's what makes this place special. The vibes and the food make this place a worthwhile spot to check out if you're in the area! read more

Pizzeria Irene - Pizza Near Me - Orange, California

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The pizza and Caesar salad were great! Small place, personal service. Highly recommend a reservation. They do accept walk ins but more relaxed if you have a set time. Even accommodating to a group of 9 last Feb for daughter's birthday. read more

This is a cozy place nestled in Old Towne Orange. I would recommend reservations because you'll likely have a long wait otherwise. The vibe is chic and I love seeing the pizza oven and the chefs in action. We got a calabrese and broccolini pizza. Calabrese- The dough is chewy with a crisp char. The spicy salame is flavorful and it's balanced out by the creamy ricotta. Finished with chilis that provide ample heat. Broccolini- You get tasty sausage accented with broccolini. The cheese is creamy and gooey. Finished with roasted garlic pieces that add a depth of flavor. Great experience overall! read more

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What an amazing meal! The food was delicious--the mushroom pizza the best pizza I've ever had. Will be dreaming about that. Beautiful space, strong wine list, excellent service and such a warm welcome from Rick. It felt like we were eating at his house. Thank you all for a spectacular evening. read more

Pizzeria Irene - Outdoor chalk board. Pizzeria Irene to left and "cruel world" to the right. Make good choices! - Pizza Near Me - Orange, California

After more than one visit I can confidently say Pizzeria Irene is a super solid spot, and another great restaurant in the Orange area, specifically the orange circle. I had this restaurant on my radar for a while but the reviews seemed more mixed than I would have expected. I've honestly been disappointed with the reviewing crowd for restaurants in the OC circle as I find I generally don't follow the full opinions of highly rated / low rated establishments in the area. I can genuinely say Pizzeria Irene is spectacular. The menu is extremely limited and refined - the owner clearly honed in their pizza making skills. The dough here is probably some of the best I've come across in the OC area. It's got a beautiful bouncy / chewy textures that's hard to describe, and the crust is almost sour dough like in its bounciness. The marinara sauce they're using, I can't say with complete certainty but I taste San Marzano or an adjacent tomato used. Needless to say big plus for high quality processes, ingredients, and clearly putting quality over quantity. I've eaten a lot of pizza around the world (North and South Italy, NYC, Japan, Chicago, etc) so it's generally pretty easy to tell when some corners are cut. The menu does lean a little more expensive but you get what you pay for. For any couple visiting, I would recommend ordering the Iberico meatball dish (it's spectacular and bonus points for also using Iberico pork which is my favorite type of pork in the world) and a pizza to split. The reason you want the meatball dish is because it comes with this spectacular sauce that you can dip the crust of the pizza into for basically a "third" dish. Now one thing that surprised me was the wine program here. I've heard the owner is a sommelier so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but all the wines are very well curated and just about every option seems to pair well with every dish on the menu. You have of course your standard Italian and Spanish wines that pair well with more acidic food, but also a beautiful selection of French wines that are also delicious. I wouldn't skip trying any of the wines and speaking with your server for recommendations. It's not to say you'll necessarily have the best wine / wine pairings of your life, but it's very curated and clearly not an afterthought as an offering. For the times I've been, service is great. You can make a reservation in advance on Yelp, or walk in and seat at the bar. I've walked in every time and never had issues getting bar seatings, though if you want an actual table definitely book a reservation in advance. The actual restaurant is small and seating is limited, so keep that in mind when you visit. Overall, if you're on the fence by other reviews or you have a pizza craving definely give Pizzeria Irene a try. I personally think it's the best restaurant in the immediate orange circle area by far - coming from someone who's tried most of them. read more

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Pizzeria Irene makes an incredible wood fired pizza. The crust is thick, but has a nice bouncy chew to it that makes for an incredible eating experience. Our group got three pizzas, the mushroom pizza, margherita, and Calabrian chili. The mushroom pizza had a generous helping of cheese and mushrooms and think it was the best pizza of the three. The margherita pizza was well executed, but my wife found the crust to taste a bit burned although I thought it was an acceptable level of burned for a wood fired pizza. The Calabrian chili and ricotta paired well, but the pizza had more of a spicy kick than I was expecting. We started with the Cesar salad which had an acidic but light dressing and a heavy layer of cheese shredded on top. While not the best pizza I've had, the value for the amount of food you get earns it a 5 start from me. We had a reservation for a group of three and we're seated right away on a Saturday night. The restaurant decor and service felt like they were a level more fancy compared to the more rustic looking pizza, but we appreciated the well informed wait staff that were able to give detailed recommendations on their pizzas. The shop does have limited seating so would recommend making a reservation. read more

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Small space but great service. Food is good, pizza dough is amazing, but on the pricier side. Overall, a good try, perfect for date night! read more

Pizzeria Irene - Broccolini $12 - Pizza Near Me - Orange, California

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Came here for a valentines date and LOVED my experience, really authentic food and greatttt wine. Cant wait to go back many more times.

Thank you Rick, Yara, & Irene! I just had the most wonderful pizza dinner with friends and finally made it to the best pizza place this side of the Atlantic. Everyone is correct, it's a stellar menu. Make a reservation and order one of each. Bring your happy pants. I'll be back to take a few more looks at the ambiance because quite frankly, I was really focused on the food this time. I have one humble suggestion for the owners: Add a monthly specialty pizza recipe. It can still be a classic, it can be a complete funky invention, but add our homegrown California ingredients and a monthly or seasonal twist. Other than that, they have perfected this menu. Currently training for a race, so couldn't pair it with a wine, but excited to make it happen during the next round. read more

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Delicious food. Service was awesome! Will definitely come back! Make sure to have reservations before you go. If yelp doesn't have what you are looking for, call the restaurant directly. read more

Holy smokes. European quality in the Orange Circle. The wine, the olives, the olive oil, the pizza! It is hard to find this level of quality anywhere in Orange County. Keeping the menu focused allows them to craft recipes with top-notch ingredients and create something superb. By the way, this is not AI crafted. And I have been an OC resident since birth. I did not know about this restaurant until today. read more

Pizzeria Irene - Pizza Near Me - Orange, California

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Service was very good and so was the Caesar salad. We were very disappointed in our sausage pizza because it was lacking sausage and cheese and the peppadew pepper was overwhelming. read more

What to say about pizzeria Irene?!? I could probably write a whole short story, but I'll keep it short and sweet. This is a must try spot! Quality ingredients and authentic cooking methods makes it a standout destination for pizza enthusiasts. The best Neapolitan style pizza I've ever had. I came here twice in one week. They also currently serve my favorite Caesar salad, it is chock full of labor the lemon S is an amazing touch and all the freshly grated cheese on top is magnificent! To start we enjoyed the burrata board! If you are a prosciutto lover, like I am then add the seven dollar side of the 24 month aged prosciutto...game changer! They have a nice variety of wines and carry some, including local beer! Servers were kind informative, and I love that you can watch them making many of the dishes in the dining area. Please note this is a cozy, intimate restaurant, and seating is limited. I highly highly recommend making a reservation through yelp or planning to have a wait time which is still worth it! read more

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Great hidden spot. Limited seating so reservations are a must. Use Yelp since you cannot do so from their website directly. Service is phenomenal as they are well versed on the menu and can offer up wonderful pairing suggestions. We went with two pies and a bottle of Chianti amount three people. Perfect amount as to save some room for dessert. read more

Came here on Saturday for lunch and had an amazing experience! It's a small restaurant so I highly recommend making reservations. Love that you can see them making the pizzas fresh right in front of you! Our server was attentive throughout the whole meal and gave great service. The Caesar salad was so fresh and crispy, it came covered in parmesan but did not feel heavy at all, the perfect compliment to the pizzas. We got the mushroom pizza and the Bianca pizza. The flavors were good and the crust was delicious, nice and crispy but also soft. Since both were white pizzas, it was a bit heavy so I recommend getting a side of anchovies, which added a nice bite of brightness to the creamy pizzas! The prosciutto was also delicious. Overall this is a perfect spot for lunch or an intimate spot for a nice date night dinner. read more

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We came on a Friday evening and were glad we made a reservation. Highly recommend doing so since the interior is pretty small and fills up quickly. Parking can be tricky since it's near the Orange Circle, so give yourself some extra time if you're coming during peak hours. We ordered the Caesar salad, Calabrese pizza, and pepperoni. The Caesar was refreshingly lemony and well-balanced, but the standout was definitely the Calabrese - slightly spicy and packed with flavor. Both pizzas were incredible, with super fluffy, chewy dough and the kind of crust you actually want to finish. Can't wait to come back! read more

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Woah talk about flavor party in your mouth. Oddly the Caesar salad was soo memorable, so simple yet so fresh and crunchy and delicious. The lemon zest really took it to another level. The ingredients on the pizza were incredible. You can taste the fresh tomatoes sauce like they flew it over from Italy and put the perfect amount of love into it. The way the cook was taking his time on each pizza was so satisfying. He was detailed, precise as if he was ensuring each pizza came out perfect. This was a great place and will definitely be going back for more date nights read more

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Our absolute favorite hometown pizza spot. Rick is the man!!! He always makes us feel so very special and like we are dining at his home. Sorry I forgot to take pics of the best Caesar salad on the planet and the incredible homemade ice cream. The vibe in Ricks restaurant is incredible and music is at a perfect level. The staff is warm and inviting and I guarantee that you will love the salad and pizza. We have tried everything on the menu except the meatball since we have been coming hear since he opened a year ago. Thank you Rick for your amazing hospitality!! read more

Pizzeria Irene - Absolutely incredible mushroom pizza with white truffle imported from Italy. - Pizza Near Me - Orange, California

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Pizzeria Irene is 100% legit and is already in the upper echelon for wood-fired pizza places in OC. We celebrated a birthday dinner here recently and the owner Rick was very accommodating in setting up a last minute reservation via Yelp (much appreciated!). The food and service here did not disappoint. Our favorites were the margherita, pepperoni pizzas and Caesar salad. The red sauces on the pizza were a nice blend of fresh tomatoes and garlic and the wood fired crusts were just perfect. Really our group enjoyed all the dishes here and we can't wait to return here for future visits. Seating is a bit limited here at ~30 seats so plan accordingly. So glad to have found Pizzeria Irene and am looking forward to returning here again soon! read more

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Seriously the chewiest delicious piece of pizza I've had in the OC. Although this new restaurant nestled in the residential street down from Chapman is much smaller than other nearby places to eat, the intimate atmosphere and cozy seating was perfect for our group of three. I do not recommend larger groups since there is limited seating but the immense wine list and food menu is lovely for a date night. I called ahead even though there are reservations available through their website and Yelp, and Mark the host was kind enough to check what next would be available and reserve for us. I want to try the burrata and salad next time, but you can't go wrong with any of their pizzas, the dough is heavenly although understand that the crust may take up most of the slice because of how the oven cooks it. Street parking available and the city's parking structure is a short walk. read more

Pizzeria Irene - Margherita and Bianca pizzas - Pizza Near Me - Orange, California

This is a small cute pizzeria at the Orange circle which makes really good wood fired pizza. I forgot to take photos because we chomped it down to quick. The service is great friendly staff. The pistachio gelato is out of this world! I need a pint to take home if I could read more

Pizzeria Irene - Pistachio gelato - Pizza Near Me - Orange, California

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Food is so yummy. Staff is amazing. It can be crowded and a long wait Get a reservation!!! read more

Looking for quality Neapolitan style pizza in the OC? You must try pizzeria Irene. Crust is soo airy, fluffy and tasty. You can tell they take their time and use quality ingredients. Had a salad which was good but a bit too salty for my liking. Service was wonderful Ambiance super tiny with a romantic vibe. A new family favorite for sure. read more

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Had been hearing some hype around Pizzeria Irene and its Michelin star chef so naturally, made the 1.5 hr Saturday night dinner wait to give it a try. The interior drew me in immediately with its intimate swanky feel and the huge wood fire oven with tiles that spelled Irene. Started with a burrata for the table and went with the pepperoni pizza to share for the main. The burrata was good and the kicker was the roasted bulb of garlic. The pizza came out looking delicious; overall, it was a bit soggy for my liking. Not sure if the toppings made the crust soft or the oven wasn't doing its job, but the slice was floppy and not crispy. Unfortunate but such is life sometimes. The highlight was the bottled real deal Mexican coke and addictive ice. The ice was so good I'm still thinking about it. Glad to have tried this spot but not entirely sure I'll be back. read more

Pizzeria Irene - Pizza Near Me - Orange, California

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They finally are offering reservations so I was able to try it Had the mushroom pizza and Caesar salad Decent pizza. Dough feels heavy Not great Good service Good ambience read more

Pizzeria Irene - Pizza Near Me - Orange, California

Finally had a chance to dine here. Nice setting but definitely small. Our server said they were looking to expand the space. I can't remember our server's name but she was superb. This is where I struggle. This place has gotten rave reviews, and I'm sure I'm the anomaly, but I left feeling like it was good but not great. The ceasar salad was good. It had a nice crunch to it. We got the mushroom and calabrese pizzas. Mushroom was good but had way too much cheese. Calabrese was good but didn't have enough salame. Tiramasu was good. read more

Pizzeria Irene is a wonderful spot and absolutely worth the visit.The service was attentive, friendly, and made us feel well taken care of from start to finish. The Caesar salad was excellent. Fresh, well balanced, and full of flavor. The Calabrese pizza was perfect. The crust was beautifully cooked and the ingredients tasted high quality and thoughtfully paired. Simple, authentic, and delicious.To finish, we had the cheesecake and it was pure perfection. Creamy, not too sweet, and the ideal way to end the meal. I will definitely be coming back and recommending this place to others!! read more

A belated review but I'm back on my Pizza Tasting Trek!! After nearly an hour+ wait for seating, Pizzeria Irene was pretty lackluster. I went with my friend in which we shared a butternut squash pizza and Bianca (guancele and bechamel) and the crust was burnt and just felt inedible. I must've gotten a out of season squash because I usually love butternut squash but none of the flavor came out. Restaurant itself was very lovely and a bit too cozy as sometimes we were really close to our neighbors. Texture was not memorable, especially for being a neopolitan style so for me, it definitely was not worth the hype in terms of flavor especially for its price point and wait. read more

Sooooo good and worth the hype! I was so excited to see that they finally take reservations :) now if they were also open for lunch... :) The Caesar salad was incredible!!! My friend was vegetarian so we got the veggie version and it was sooooo delicious! I could have eaten the entire bowl! Next we tried the mushroom pizza. Also delicious! The wine list is really extensive. Pizzeria Irene is a must try if you're in the area. read more

I finally had the opportunity to come and try this place. We took a chance and didn't make reservations since there was none available for that evening. We arrived and we were able to sit at the bar. The restaurant is small it might have maybe like 8 tables and the bar which probably sits around 8 also. I like that the menu is small , it has 4 to 5 appetizers and the same amount for pizzas. It had a wide selection for wines but since I didn't know any I went ahead and ordered a seltzer that they carry from Everyday brewery in Orange. My husband just ordered a Diet Coke. For dinner we ordered the Cesar salad and we went with the pizza Bianca. The Cesar salad was delicious the dressing is tangy and creamy . It has like a nice lemony taste and lots of cheese on top. The pizza was also amazing! Reminded me of eating homemade flour tortillas from my childhood. So delicious!!!! Service was great too! We will definitely be back and try some more of the appetizers and the rest of the pizza options. read more

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Just finished having a meal here with my family and it was incredibly delicious! The menu is perfectly curated with specialty pizzas and items that are so flavorful. All the ingredients tasted so fresh! We ordered the burrata and Caesar salad as an appetizer and the Bianca and Calabrese pizzas for our entree. The Caesar salad was by far the best Caesar salad I have ever had, it was so refreshing for a salad. The freshly grated Parmesan cheese and lemon zest went perfect together. The burrata was paired with a roasted garlic and delicious flat bread. The pizzas were perfect in my opinion. The dough was soft and not thick. The Bianca was packed with flavor. The Calabrese was as well and had a nice spicy kick to it that I really enjoyed. We then had a scoop of their in house made pistachio ice cream and fell in love with the flavor. It was so creamy it felt like a ganache! The place is definitely cozy so I wouldn't recommended it for huge parties but more of a nice and cute date night. They had great music playing and the waiter was really attentive and kind. He really took the time to explain the menu to us. Overall it was a great experience! Can't wait to visit again! (I wish I would've taken more pictures but I was so distracted by how good the food was lol) read more

Pizzeria Irene - Calabrese pizza - Pizza Near Me - Orange, California

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I wanted to make reservations at this place, but they were full. But my husband and I decided to go anyway and we only had to wait for about 15 minutes. We had to sit at the bar and they said do you want a high top or a low top. Since we are older, we said low, but it was a little bit too low. Our server was Grace and she was very attentive. She made sure we had water and let me try the wine before I ordered it. They have a nice selection of wine and I chose a rosé from Spain. My husband had one of the beers that was suggested, Everywhere beer.We were not real hungry so we split a Caesar salad. It was very refreshing with a touch of lemon. Then each had a piece of pepperoni pizza and we have leftovers which I always love. It was light and airy but good. read more

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