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    Tender Greens

    3.7 (1.4k reviews)
    Open 10:30 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Tender Greens Takeout or Delivery

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    TENDER GREENS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Tender Greens

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    Reviews With Photos

    Dave L.

    Tender Greens has been around for quite some time in the Irvine Spectrum near the Improv theater. The set up is similar to Urban Plates where you stand at a counter and order. They give you your food and you sit down on your own. The first people we saw at the restaurant was the cook who did not speak a word of English. He just pointed to the cash register. There was no host or anyone else noticed us standing there. After looking at the menu, I ordered two bowls, one with salmon and one with chicken. The staff was cordial, but not overly friendly. We paid and carried our food back to our table. Total Score: 4 stars Positives: The food was very good. We loved the rice, slaw, veggies, and proteins. The manager came over at the end and was very nice to us. The cook did give me more napkins when I spoke to him in Spanish. The amount of food was fair for the price. It's good food. Negatives: No one greeted us. It was a ghost town when we first arrived. The interior of the restaurant is outdated, cold, and reminds me of a school cafeteria. There is no curb appeal to Tender Greens. It was cold in the restaurant and outside was the same. There are no TVs, no fountain drinks, no plants, no intimate lighting, just a cafeteria to eat. An interior makeover would easily move this place from a four to five stars. Look at the interior of Urban Plates as an example. I do recommend Tender Greens as a place to get healthy, tasty food, at a good price.

    Salmon, steak, chicken
    Tiffany B.

    While having an hour to kill before movie time, we decided to grab something to eat. Weren't super hungry, so we got the tomato bisque soup and Mediterranean steak salad. Lots of green olives, fyi. Steak cooked to medium rare. Then soup was robust and simple-- it tasted like pure tomatoes and no cream or that heaviness, which is what I like. Service was fast. They weren't super busy since it was kind late into the evening. Enjoyed the salad and soup. Quiet, clean, spacious -- eat inside or outside.

    Madeline S.

    Tender Greens is a great casual dining spot within the Irvine Spectrum. They have a very large menu with all very fresh ingredients. From bowls, sandwiches, salads and more, everything here has always been yummy! They have a giant indoor cafe and outdoor shaded patio as well. You order at the counter and then they bring your food and bus it. I ordered a salad (sadly I forget the name). It had pears, squash, goat cheese, cranberry, and more. The negative for me (and why I didn't give 5 stars) is that it felt like the salad had more lettuce than anything else. It seemed like they went very light on the extra stuff. Also, the pears and squash were so hard and unripe they were nearly inedible. But, I still think the food here is really good despite those minor things. Also, I love their Auga Fresca and Mint Lemonade - I highly recommend mixing them together. Super light and refreshing! Plus they have free refills!

    Tender burger with pickles on side
    Angela C.

    Their menu offers a good variety from salads, bowls, plates and burgers. I got the tender burger which comes with a 6 Oz beef patty, and a pacific grilled salmon bowl. The burger was very underwhelming. The bun was was soft, better if it was a bit more toasted so it holds the burger together. The patty itself was not tender, and not much flavor either. For the price you pay, you get a very small burger. The salmon bowl looked presentable but the taste was also underwhelming. The sushi rice had pockets of lukewarm and cool, almost as if it was reheated. The salmon itself was okay, not overcooked thankfully. The salad side was overpowered by the vinaigrette dressing. The miso mayo it came with was also spicy and not much of a miso taste. Service was good, friendly and helpful staff and the restaurant itself was nice and clean. It's a good sit down for casual dining but the food needs to be stepped up a notch to make it comparable to the other restaurants at Spectrum.

    Seabass plate with 2 sides (veggie and farro mix) and bread. Braised beans, veggies, fries, and bread.
    Christine N.

    They have an extensive list to choose from! Order at the front then have a seat and wait for them to bring your order out to your table when it's ready. We got their seabass plate with 2 sides (veggie and farro mix) and bread. Then for the 2nd meal we selected to have Braised beans, veggies, fries, and bread. It was very filling and delicious!

    Tony M.

    Hi Camilla, We exchanged messages 3 years ago after my last visit to Tender Greens in Irvine Spectrum. After a nightmare experience, you kindly offered to send me a gift card, which I declined because I did not plan to go back, and I haven't, for 3 years, until last weekend. On 12/21/2025 I went to Tender Greens with a relative because she was in the mood for soup. She ordered a cup of soup and a sandwich at 7:22pm; that was the timestamp on the receipt. There was one customer ahead of us in line at the register and one additional customer waiting for their order, so a total of 2 customers ahead of us and about 4 tables total with customers in the entire restaurant. It was more than 80% empty. There were also 4 people visible in your cooking area preparing food and two young women taking orders. There was one older gentleman "cleaning" but I'm not sure what he was cleaning as we had to clean our own table and the table next to us was empty and covered in crumbs and mess from whoever was there before us. As time passed, more customers arrived, and people who arrived way after us were starting to get frustrated at how long everything was taking. People started talking, asking how long other tables had been waiting for their food. At this point I checked, we had been waiting for almost 40 minutes!!!! For a cup of soup and a sandwich! So, I went to the counter and asked to speak with the manager, his name was Sean. He seemed frazzled and in way over his head. I asked about our order and he apologized and said he could make it right then and have it ready in 1 minute. I asked, if that was possible, why have we been waiting for over 40 minutes at that point? He said it was because they were so busy, but... when we arrived, the store was almost entirely empty. Over the 40 minutes we were waiting it had got to about 40% capacity, still not even half full, but definitely 5-8 new customer groups had arrived. He then sent out a cold cup of soup and a burned to a black crisp sandwich... shockingly bad. That arrived at 8:05pm. We also watched a table next to us send back the wrong food no less than 5-6 times. I honestly don't know how this location is still in business. Sean said he would issue a refund, but we have not seen that refund posted yet. He insisted he needed our receipt back, but thankfully I took a photo of it to have some sort of proof. Sean said you are not the owner, but rather an employee at the corporate office. I don't know what your company's goal or intention is with that location, but it is obviously failing miserably. It's been 3 years since my last visit and it is just as bad, if not worse and it was not only my experience, but every customer there was shocked, confused, and furious. By contrast, there is a Cheesecake Factory just a few steps away with an INFINITELY more complicated menu, similar pricing, but FAR superior service, food, and experience with every visit. They also consistently have 10 times the number of customers your store has. You're servicing the same customers, hiring from the same community, but producing WILDLY different outcomes. I would be fascinated to go to both your Tender Greens and the Cheesecake Factory next to you, with you or someone from your executive team, just to see your response. Out of pure curiosity. Tender Greens is so shockingly bad, it would make excellent television for a reality show of the worst restaurants in America. I hope you share this with your management at the corporate level and not the store level. I don't blame those store employees. They all look lost, confused, and in WAY over their heads. That is poor leadership. That is bad hiring. That is failed training. Those employees aren't failing you, you are failing them and your customers. You could offer me a $500 gift card this time and I would accept it, but never use it for myself. I won't subject myself to that experience again. I would use the $500 to order food to be delivered to a homeless shelter or something like that. Maybe a family in need. I want your company to pay a fine/penalty of some kind, I just don't ever want to return myself to deal with all that again.

    thai bowl with grilled shrimp
    Lauren D.

    We come here regularly when we go to the Spectrum Center and it's a pretty solid lunch or dinner option. They have a variety of salads, bowls, entrees and sandwiches on their menu. They occasionally have seasonal specials as well. Today I got the harvest chicken salad, which was one of their fall specials, and it had winter squash, grapes, goat cheese and pepitas in it. I loved it! The salad comes with a slice of grilled bread as well. My husband always gets the Thai shrimp bowl, which is a tiny bit spicy. Not all of their dishes are amazing, which is why I give it 4 stars instead of 5, but overall I think there are some decent options here. There's plenty of seating too so it's good for families.

    Soooo good and healthy!
    Nancy T.

    This is still one of my go-to spots whenever I'm down at Irvine Spectrum. Unfortunately, it has declined a bit in recent years, but that's likely due to the rising cost of everything these days! We were here earlier today and they cooked our steak completely wrong, as we asked for medium rare and it ended up coming out well done. The bread was hard, barely brushed with oil and half the size it used to be. I also asked to sub out the mashed potatoes on a kid's meal for fries and they forgot to do that. Seems like they are missing the mark a bit these days, but I'm still a fan.

    Great service .....

    Its unfortunate that the one person who is supposed to greet you and have that first contact with essentially first impression of an establishment is completely clueless as to her surroundings. We waited patiently to a point that we had to ask if someone was available to help us with our order. Apparently it was the one gal that walked by us minimum of 3 x's never greeting us only to walk up to the register and help the patrons behind us. Never acknowledging us. We walked out and ended up at Paul Martins instead. What a difference in service. Sadly we will never be back to Tender greens. We wanted to give the establishment the benefit of doubt despite having a 3 star rating .

    Inside
    Fran L.

    Location locations and location are the most important factor for success in restaurant business. The choice of salads and bowls were pretty diverse and fast service was impressive. I had sea bass salad bowl and chicken sandwich with the softest and tastiest chicken slices with very thick sandwich bread and the chicken salad was really plentiful and delicious. The only thing was that the cashier lady kept scratching her head as if she had some terrible itching problem that turned me off. Also they had hazy IPA can displayed but wasn't available. Overall pretty decent place for pre-movie healthy option for vegetarian friendly place with the best location. I'm so happy that people are interested in eating healthy nowadays.

    harvest chicken salad (the cheese is spicy)
    Alice S.

    4 stars on service which was great and friendly, The food was ok. I'm not sure why but so many ingredients or sauces we got were spicy but weren't mentioned to be spicy in the menu description. This would be helpful to mention because I had people who can't handle spicy. The chicken was flavorful but the salmon didn't have much flavor. I was surprised because I absolutely loved the salmon I got at the other Irvine location but for some reason this salmon didn't taste seasoned. It's too bad because I'm always looking for a healthier alternative but today the food just didn't do it for me. Also the bread was spicy too, I don't remember it being spicy before.

    Grilled steak with brown rice, vegetables and watermelon agua fresca
    Philip L.

    If you want to get a healthy food for you this is the place you need to visit. You can choose your own food especially protein.

    Seating area
    Nevaeh G.

    I placed an order for pickup at this Tender Greens just to grab a watermelon agua fresca--and it did not disappoint! So tasty and refreshing. As a Latina, I really appreciated the flavor--it tasted pure and natural, not overly sweet or full of added sugar. Definitely hit the spot!

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    4 months ago

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    Camilla W.

    Thanks Sal for choosing Tender Greens! We appreciate your support!

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    This review made our day, thank you so much!

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    Camilla W.

    Thrilled to hear it hit the spot, Jordynn!

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    Page 1 of 35

    Tender Greens Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Tender Greens

    Do you take reservations?

    No - just walk in

    Can I just buy the salad dressing?

    Any delivery services for this restaurant?

    On their website it says they have partnered with Post Mates and Door Dash, so technically you could get delivery through them.

    Do you have table service?

    Hi Jeanne, We aren't a full service restaurant but we do have runners/bussers to help you to your… Read more

    Does this place have high chairs for babies/kids?

    Hi Nancy, Yes we do!… Read more

    View All 8 Questions

    Seafood 1555 Catering  - Shrimp Tacos

    Seafood 1555 Catering

    4.9(148 reviews)
    16.9 mi

    This place isn't popular enough!…read more We walked here after enjoying a fun day looking at the pet farm, winning some prizes at the fair, and built an appetite! Jack o lantern fair was just a few blocks away but we were craving seafood and we decided on Seafood 1555. Oh my gosh. We shared a steak burrito and two octopus& shrimp tacos & it was grilled to perfection. They also had 7 types of salsa as well as the fresh one they make on site. I mean I need to come back and order again because it's worth it all! Just walk behind the parking lot when you enter the church, it's behind the car repairs. And they make it looks like a farmers market with about 3-4 businesses serving food and desserts :) Service was amazing they asked if we needed any thing and we were the only customers remaining so they were patient and didn't rush us at all. Super kind cook. Pop up chairs, canopies, and beautiful dishes were served. Don't think twice. Go order some stellar seafood tacos today!!

    Seafood 1555 absolutely knocked it out of the park…read more The customer service was truly off the charts--warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming from start to finish. You can feel that they care, and it makes the whole experience even better. The shrimp tacos were loaded--generous, fresh, and insanely flavorful. Every bite was satisfying, not skimpy in the slightest, and perfectly balanced. The kind of tacos you think about later and immediately want again. And don't sleep on the chips and salsa. So many places treat it as an afterthought, but here it was very, very good--fresh, flavorful, and the perfect start to the meal. Great food, generous portions, and standout service. Seafood 1555 is a must-visit and an easy recommendation. We'll absolutely be back.

    Photos
    Seafood 1555 Catering  - They moved from their original spot in the lot but now has more tables and space

    They moved from their original spot in the lot but now has more tables and space

    Seafood 1555 Catering  - Shrimp Cocktail

    Shrimp Cocktail

    Seafood 1555 Catering  - California especial

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    California especial

    Little Sister - Seafood black rice

    Little Sister

    3.7(1.7k reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    This place has such a cool vibe from the moment you walk in. The decor is trendy and modern and…read moredefinitely of the prettier restaurant spaces in Irvine. The location at Spectrum is super convenient and parking can be little challenging depending on the time but there's plenty of spots as well as the parking structure. There's a good mix of indoor and outdoor seating, and the bar area really stands out. Food wise, everything felt flavorful and unique with a nice fusion. They have a decent amount of vegeterian friendly options which I appreciated. The drinks were equally good, creative cocktails that paired really well with the food. Service was friendly, attentive, and helpful with recommendations. Overall, a really fun spot for dinner, drinks, or even just hanging out at the bar with friends.

    I had a great experience with my friend. We ordered the pan fried eggplant without pork and the…read morecrispy tofu salad w papaya salad. Both entrees were INCREDIBLE so tasty and delicious. The crispy tofu is protected crisped and spongy the best tofu I've ever had and when you dip it in both sauces it's out of this world. The chef brought us some milky bun to try and we were blown away. Perfect crisp and soooooo soft. The butter and honey on it. Wow. We couldn't believe how amazing it was. My friend ordered the bee sting, it was kinda spicy and very refreshing so good. I ordered the Kennedy, I asked for no egg whites and the server shared that it wasn't egg white anymore it was something else and whatever it was was SO good. The butterfly jelly was a super cute touch and was yummy too. I really loved this drink. I really enjoyed my experience and I would come again to make the same exact order

    Photos
    Little Sister - Cool ambience

    Cool ambience

    Little Sister - Seafood rice

    Seafood rice

    Little Sister - Fried sea bass

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    Fried sea bass

    Mastro's Ocean Club - Dry aged ribeye steak, a little tough and light on flavor.

    Mastro's Ocean Club

    4.0(170 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$$

    Loved the ambiance, we sat outside which was great since it's a bit warm. Our serve Raymond was…read moreamazing! Always checking on us and recommending yummy drinks. Will definitely come back

    I was hesitant to try this Mastro's because I've always considered this restaurant as more of a…read moredestination dining experience. Decided to finally give this location a try and I was not disappointed. We decided to splurge and started off with the Dungeness Crab Cocktail and Wagyu Beef Roll. The Crab Cocktail was served with an amazing smoky presentation. Each piece of crab was so sweet and moist. The Wagyu Beef Roll was kind of a weird mix of flavors with aspaagus, jalapeno, and the sauce. For our entrees we ordered the 22oz Bone-in Ribeye with Peppercorn sauce and the Crispy Garlic Bigeye Tuna Sashimi. The Ribeye was cooked to a perfectly juicy Medium Rare and the Sashimi was packed with flavor. The sides we ordered were the Scalloped Potatoes and Creamed Corn. The Creamed Corn was some the best I've had, but our potatoes were undercooked and hard. Our server was quick to swap them out for the Garlic Mashed Potatoes, which were much better. Overall the food was top notch and the service was on point. I used to come here when it was Del Frisco's and I'm impressed with how they remodeled the interior to achieve more of a fine dining atmosphere.

    Photos
    Mastro's Ocean Club - Our special occasion table in the back of the overflow room, with workers coming and going all night.

    Our special occasion table in the back of the overflow room, with workers coming and going all night.

    Mastro's Ocean Club - Cobb salad! Excellent and generous portion for split plate.

    Cobb salad! Excellent and generous portion for split plate.

    Mastro's Ocean Club - Oh this pork belly was so tasty! A must try!

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    Oh this pork belly was so tasty! A must try!

    Fukada - Tanuki Hot Udon

    Fukada

    4.1(3.1k reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    Fukada is an OG traditional Japanese comfort food restaurant located in the Los Olivos area in…read moreIrvine. This spot is located in a plaza with a good amount of parking spots. They are technically a takeout spot, but they do have a good amount of seating inside and outside after you get your food. For their menu, they have an extensive selection of foods you can mix and match with for combos. I ended up getting the Katsu Don and the Mixed Tempura and everything tasted delicious. All of the staff here are very friendly and welcoming. There is a reason why this spot has over 3,000+ positive reviews!

    Service was great. The nice gentleman who helped me brought out my food as soon as I paid…read more Everything was packed up nicely and secured. I always get the Lunch Special Noodle Combination. Kake Udon 4/5 I love a good udon with just green onions. Their broth is really good and it totally hit the spot for me. Spicy Tuna Don 5/5 Love it so much! My friend introduced us to this place three years ago. At the time, I was pregnant and got the Oyakodon (It was tasty, but I know people come for their spicy tuna don) , but she said that I had to come back and try it. I did and ever since, that's what I order. They also give you a heart amount of rice, which I told mind because I love rice. I'm a carb girly. The next time I come back to Fukada, I want to try their Seafood Salad. My husband really likes it.

    Photos
    Fukada
    Fukada - Miso Chilean Seabass

    Miso Chilean Seabass

    Fukada - Seafood Salad. 5/5

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    Seafood Salad. 5/5

    Tender Greens - salad - Updated May 2026

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