Trade is a little smaller and different than the other food halls popping up in OC. First, it is technically outdoors, so they allow pups with the diners, with a few dog bowls here and there. If I were out with the pooch, I would definitely consider coming here for a bite (and a drink, they let dogs in there as well). Second, it is in a strip mall with several 'normal' restaurants, so I guess if the wait for the sushi bar is too long, you can pop here for a drink or a bite, or just dinner instead. There are fewer stalls here than, say 4th St. in DTSA or the Packing House in Anaheim, but the options seem really solid. There is ample seating, and it looks comfortable (though we did sit in the bar area), and there are lots of games you can grab and play with friends to kill the time or just to show off to the solo diners how sociable you are. read more

As a food court/hall, I really like this place! It's gorgeous -- very modern and trendy, open air, lots of seating. Parking is a pain, but have a little patience or come at an off time and you can avoid this issue. There are so many food options. You'd have to be a really picky eater to not be able to find something you like here. Even people with dietary restrictions can eat something (try the vegetarian restaurant Butterleaf!). Prices are definitely not cheap. But you can find some gems in the hall that will give you your money's worth (get a bowl of fries from Two Birds for $4!). Lastly, everything looks delicious. Insta-worthy indeed. This just seems like an all-around great place to have some good food and desserts and just hang out with friends. read more

Most of the food counters are in the partially shaded courtyard area which makes this more open and airy than most of the other local "food halls" around OC. Going for dinner on a Friday night found the place busy but not without seating if you are patient or go to the indoor portion of the place. I enjoyed the relaxed and casual atmosphere. There is actually a fairly good selection of food choices plus a nice bar. Check it out! read more

Trade - Carbs! Fries, Truffle Parmesan Tots and Clam Chowder Mac & Cheese - Food Court Near Me - Irvine, California

This is a nice, small, semi-outdoor food hall in Irvine along Michelson. It has nice natural light in the day time when we had lunch there on a recent Saturday. There are plenty of tables and even some higher set tables and chairs to eat your meals at. There is also a full bar (Center Hub) in the covered part as well as a living wall that is a nice touch of greenery in that area. We walked around to see what each vendor/business had to offer. There was Dos Chinos which was seemingly along the lines of a Kogi truck style Mexican-Korean fusion. Other places that we were intrigued by were Ground House which was heavy on all things bacon and pork belly and Gyro King which had plenty of Greek cuisine options. Portside which had seafood options also looked good. Next time for sure. We decided to go with the fried chicken sandwich at Two Birds and it was a really good choice for us. I recommend their fried chicken in sandwich or salad options. Very tasty. Parking is in a busy shared lot with other businesses. I did not see any street parking immediately outside the parking lot. read more

Don't consume any alcohol here or you will lose your license just waiting for a designated driver. Be detained without your knowledge and have to wait over an hour for police to arrive and arrest you. Totally stupid security who look the other way depending on ethnicity. Also, parking is awful and you can find better dining options anywhere. Subway is the best there which is sad. read more

Ate at Fish & Chips. Had shrimp and fish. Price was reasonable & delicious. Daughter ate at veggie burger and cant wait to return here again. read more

Great lunch spot (mid-week). Lots of options ... on the higher end of the weekly lunch fund but so worth packing lunch an extra day and splurging on this place as often as possible. Fish tacos at Portside! The Mac and Chowder was odd, in a delicious way ... can't say I've ever wondered about that combination. Everything I've tried at Dos Chinos has been fantastic! Sweet or spicy salsa gives you options to add flavor. Huge, juicy chicken at Two Birds ... the double "bird in hand" was almost too much (almost). Tips: arrive by 11:15 during the week as it gets busy, both the parking lot and tables get full by 11:45a. Lines start forming and table space is scarce. Bring a bottle water as most places don't have free water and you'll end up buying a $2 bottle of water. read more

See all

In the area close to John Wayne Airport or working around the area? This is a great place to find various eateries and businesses. I frequent HiroNiro and USC Credit Union with an occasional visit to the outdoor eating area. The food and conducting business is okay, but varies depending on what time you decide to visit. The biggest drawback: parking gets pretty limited during the day until the businesses close and only the eateries are open. During the day, it really sucks because some businesses HAVE a designated parking spot(s) in front of their business that NON-PATRONs use, HOW RUDE! To those ppl, GO PARK IN THE BACK! Other than that, it's a good place to visit, but make sure if you have a group of ppl, CARPOOL there, so you can get parking. Happy Eating and Fight On! read more

3rd time visiting, I am disappointed with them because they didn't update their hours during COVID-19. We went there on Sunday and saw its said its open until 9 pm but when we arrived there, its already closed. There's a paper on the entrance showing their opening hours, they closed at 6 PM and we showed up at 5 pm. Have plenty of parking spots. read more

Rainy day and looking for a dog friendly place for lunch. we've been to trade in the past and decided to go there. Lots of folks there which is nice to see. Had boba, and fish and chips and ramen. read more

Weird little food court tucked away in corporate Irvine. Not our kind of food, but seemed popular enough. Parking is hideous.

TRADE is an awesome large open air food court area near the John Wayne Airport. They have many different types of dining options to choose from in what looks like an old strip mall. We did not have difficulty finding a parking space although it was inch time. There was plenty of seating in the common area. My husband and I ordered from Two Birds and Duck Donuts and plan to return to The Ground House and Sweet Combforts before the end of our long weekend in the area. The Ground House serves comfort food and Sweet Combforts has amazing looking liege waffles topped with loads of sweet treats. read more

A open concept of an outdoor eating area. There's about 6 places that offer a variety of savory and sweet dishes. The plaza is shared with other eateries so it has ample amount of parking. I ordered the Garlic Shrimp Bowl and my Bf ordered a fish platter (severed as a fish sandwich). The shrimp bowl was served with rice; radish, pickled cucumbers, imitation crab salad, large shrimps. = 14.90 The Fish platter was served with a side of season fries. Both our meals were very fulfilling but I kind of wish I got something different. We came with a large group of 10 so we each got something and just generally shared it. The best thing we had here was the fried chicken. It was season well and the meat was juicy. The portions were very generous for the chicken. We would come back solely for the chicken place. read more

I really wanted to get this place five stars. Nice places to eat. Nice owners Of the different stalls. But by God, this place is so cold. Mind you, I'm sure the summer is great, but otherwise it is absolutely freezing sitting in here. They have like a couple heating lamps. But none of them are on. Crazy. read more

Very attractive and diverse food hall (hall? it's outdoors...plaza?). Parking is tight and this place gets too popular for the number of spots offered in the lot, but if you shark around a bit, you'll probably catch someone leaving. This outdoor eating area is very easy for anyone who wants diversity, ease, and fresh air. I honestly did not expect to enjoy myself here because it presented every hallmark of young-person-hipster-central. And though I wasn't wrong, I was also happily distracted by the food. You have tacos, fried chicken, gyros, pork belly, poke, seafood, salad, bar food, bar drinks, desserts, and HiroNori ramen down the way. I don't come here often but I do keep it in mind when I'm around and looking for a bite because it's comfortable and clean and the food is actually decent. read more

See all

The OC is quickly coming the place to go for food halls. In addition to TRADE, there is Packing House District (Anaheim) and Lot 579 (Huntington Beach). I'll get into the others in a bit, but first let me talk about TRADE. I first came across trade online and when I saw all the instagram worthy food, I knew I had to give it a try. I came on a Friday night and parking was fairly limited. TRADE is located in a small strip mall. Upon entering there is a bar and courtyard that futures a variety of food vendors (around 8 or so) The courtyard is outdoor and partially covered surrounded by a bunch of food stalls with bench seating. Compared to the other food halls TRADE is rather simple. Your not going to find much of the amazing decor or setting that you have at Packing Distinct or Lot 579. What you will find is a unique array of food vendors and only food vendors. I went with Two Birds for my first visit and was not disappointed. By looks of things TRADE has food that you expect to get from great food trucks and offer a lot of unique offerings. I would say that I wouldn't mind trying just about every vendor they have there, while with most food halls there's always a couple that you decide to skip when ever you come back. Here are my rankings for OC food halls so far #1 Packing District #2 Trade #3 Lot 579 read more

I am glad that this outdoor food court survived the pandemic. I want to support these independent food vendors. With rents being outrageously expensive ...what a creative idea to cooperatively come together and provide some wonderfully creative cuisine all in one spot. Everything from Japanese Onigiri/rice balls, boba, Asian fried chicken, curry-rice dishes, Thai street food, British fish & chips, etc. This will be my once a week spot to visit, relax, and try great quality ethnic food...a trip around the world through food. If you are in the area of Irvine, please stop by and support these dedicated budding vendors. read more

Trade is a new food court located right by the 405 freeway near Jamboree in Irvine. When I saw Trade, it immediately reminded me Anaheim packing district, at least the design. Just like Anaheim packing district, there are a variety of interesting shops in trade. I have tried two birds and their grilled chicken burger was delicious. I will eventually try out other places in Trade. I love the contemporary design at Trade! very cool place to hang out with friends. Stores inside of trade. Pig Pen Delicacy Dos Chinos Center Hub Sweet Combforts Gyro King Butterleaf Two Birds Portside Megadon read more

See all

We picked the wrong day to come to Trade. Yesterday was a hot, muggy June day, but we were in the area and needed a bite to eat. We figured Trade would please all the palates in the family. We forgot about the fact that it's all outdoors, which means no A/C. And then... it started to rain. Everyone who was sitting outside immediately tried to take cover under the covered area, and it got real crowded in there real quick, since it's not that big. No tables were left, and we ended up having to sit at separate tables after staking out some people leaving. I will say that the staff is great about clearing and cleaning off the tables as soon as people leave. I love the variety and all the different establishments, but out of Union in Tustin, Packing House in Anaheim, and 4th Street Market in Santa Ana, I think I liked Trade the least. read more

Trade - Kiwi Strawberry mojito from Center Hub - Food Court Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

New food court in town! Unfortunately I arrived at prime lunch time and was immediately turned off by how crowded it was. The place was so tiny, and I didn't know where to start considering everyone was awkwardly in line either waiting to order or waiting to pay..idk. No signs, only unspoken body language. The middle area is where you can find tables and seats. Parking is also tough because space is so cramped. There may be some spots in the back. None of the food here sounded "healthy" or "not fried", maybe except poke? To me it's like food truck food, just more expensive and actually served on plates and trays. The Bar: booze. They were the only ones with covered and spacious seating Gyro King: Greek place, so sad because they were all the way in back, dark corner. The seats there barely get any sunlight. Two Birds: chicken sandwiches and fries Pig Pen: candied bacon, mac n cheese burger, everything bacon Megadon: poke Sweet Combforts: During lunch, they were so empty and no one was in line. Dos Chinos: the Asian/Mexican fusion place (also in Santa Ana) that serves tacos plates, burritos, and bowls It's nice to have options for lunch and even something for dessert, so props to the engineers and creators of this place. I'm glad to have visited and tried the food here. But perhaps I'll make another trip back when the hip dies down. read more

I didn't know until I walked into this place that I had been here over 20 years ago when I used to work aerospace in the area...back then it was a hidden hole in a wall food court for the local businesses. Fast forward and much has changed. My former offices have been leveled and made into condos and this former food court is now a trendy open air food hall of sorts with places that are basically fancy stationary food trucks of sorts. There is a bar, a burger place, a chicken place, a gyros place and few others. read more

I really enjoyed the feel of this place. I came at night so it was pretty dark. I also expected it to be a lot bigger. I'm not sure how it is during lunch with the rush hours but I probably wouldn't want to try coming during those times. Its also kind of outdoors, so probably not a good place to eat when it starts raining. They also have a bar area that plays some good music. Really enjoyed it but wished it was bigger and had more seating and better lighting. read more

Came here the other day with my big sis. Not sure how she always finds the best places to eat...But this little food plaza is great for people who want to get together for food but always go "what do you want to eat?" Also LOADS of FREE parking. There is a nice spacious outdoor food court in the middle of all of the food vendors and there is even a bar! There is everything from dessert waffles to Latin Asian fusion to seafood and more! We decided to split a Stonerbowl from Dos Chinos and a Crispy Chicken Salad from Two Birds. Both must tries in my opinion! Very worth the price, filling and shareable. Definitely going to come back to try those waffles and the bomb lobster! read more

Trade - Crispy Chicken Salad from Two Birds - Food Court Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Another food hall to visit but don't expect too much from it. It's a very small space with only about 8-9 restaurants or food stalls. There are a few spaces outside but I think they are actual restaurants. Don't quote me on that though. Anyhow, the friends and I got there around 11am on a Saturday and it wasn't filled with patrons yet. Around 1145am-12noon that's when the parking lot gets full and looking for seats gets a little harder. There are seats in the covered area but not much. The majority are in the open space. If you're a big group, arrive early or else you won't find a seat for your group. If you're a group of 2-4, you have a little more option for seating. The space was clean, and people overall were pretty nice. In any case, we tried several of the venues and they ranged from okay to pretty darn delicious. I would like to come back again to try the ones we didn't get to but it might not be any time soon. Like I stated, Trade was an okay place to go to. I still suggest you try it out and make sure that you go early so you can find a seat. read more

This please just open and I can tell it's in a be amazing even though her there's only five places open right now. The atmosphere is really cool very open and super packed but it's definitely worth the wait for each spot. I can't wait to try every single kiosk here. Were used to follow. This place definitely gets five stars from me! read more

See all

I advocate for locally purveyed seafood and am glad this Trade Business complex has Portside Restaurant, selling fresh seafood fares. Their seafood comes from Santa Monica Seafood Co. I loved their Fish and Chips. It was light and crispy. Instead of getting fries for the chips, I asked for Brussel sprouts and they obliged. Thank you! Another starter that was great accompaniment with the fish was their Crispy Broccoli. Their portions were good for sharing with two to three people. Looking forward to coming back and trying their plethora of good eats. read more

See all

Very very very cool and nice place! Loved it!!! I was really impressed with the decor of this place, with the open air space and lots of greens, really took me away from the busyness of the working world. I just had to take 1 star away for the hard parking spot and expensive food. Came here on a Tuesday before lunch hours (around 11am) and the place was already packed with office people. Luckily, I found a parking spot easily, but my coworkers took almost 15 minutes to find parking. When we left around 12.30pm, lots and lots of cars were waiting for parking spots. Anyway, I ordered the tacos from Dos Chinos and waffle from Sweet Combforts. Both were just okay, nothing that special. My coworkers ordered different things, some ordered chicken from Two Birds (they only had grilled chicken that day due to malfunction of their fryers), some ordered from Gyro King, some from Pig Pen, and others from the poke place. Everything was just okay, nothing stood out to me that much and most of the food here was really expensive and was not that fulfilling. I'm sorry Trade, I might trade you with other places for my lunch choice next time. Your interior impressed me, but your food didn't read more

See all

Two stars for the actual design of the food court. Not the food options. There's some decent food options here that redeems one star for them. But the parking is abysmal and so are the seating options if you come during lunch or dinner rush.. seems pretty poorly planned IMO I've tried Pig Pen Delicacy here and Two Birds. I'd recommend Two Birds over Pig Pen. read more

Occassion: Dinner with the SO Thoughts: Not a review on the food we had, but a review on the TRADE area itself. Great vibe to this place. Outdoor seating was perfect for the sunny, ambient temperature. Looks like a good selection of restaurants and a place for drinks. Would definitely come with a group of people to eat or catch up over a drink. Location next to airport is ideal if you want to grab a quick bite before flying. Was not crowded when I went (Sunday early afternoon). read more

Talk about an excellent cafeteria! These seem to be popping up everywhere in the OC area, and this one seems to be the best in my opinion. Two Birds is excellent, and absolutely delicious chicken sandwiches. Gyro King is without a doubt the BEST Gyro I've ever had (and I've been to Israel!). Portside has great fish tacos (but the rest of their food is meh). Steer clear of Dos Chinos (at least their asada) and the Burger place (it's awful). And I ain't a pansy so I don't mess with that odd vegetarian place Butterleaf. Parking is an absolute NIGHTMARE! Best bet is to park behind the center where there's some spaces, or if you're lucky just know someone who works across the street and park in their garage. This is my go to place tho! read more

Nice place if you and your friends all want something different. From gyros to vegetarian burgers, this place as a range of options. Overall on the pricey side, you can find some smaller cheaper eats here. Big downside is how busy it gets at lunch! Parking is very limited at the time. I spent maybe 20 minutes looking for parking. Dinner tends to be less crowded. read more

See all

Trade is a cute public food court area- good for dinner and great for lunch! It's not your typical food court because it doesn't contain food chains like McDonalds, Panda Express, etc. Rather, they carry plenty of unique and diverse restaurants (seafood, dessert, fried chicken, poke, etc. and even a bar!) My review is specifically for the waffle dessert place in Trade. It is the first food vendor on the left when you walk into the food court. They serve belgian waffles with delicious toppings. We ordered the Strawberry Babe (cream cheese, strawberries, graham crackers, strawberry drizzle) and the Churro Crunch (cinnamon toast crunch, cream cheese, cinnamon drizzle). Both were delicious! I can't wait to come back and try other flavors. I highly recommend getting a vanilla soft serve with your waffle(s). One thing I would like to see at Trade is a really good boba joint. This will definitely add that "cherry-on-top" of a good meal and experience. read more

Trade - Food Court Near Me - Irvine, California

Really cool modern outdoor/indoor food court thing. I tried 3 places in here and they were all pretty good. I think I would give the food 3 stars and the ambiance 4 stars. They have nice decorations and tables. The bar looks super cool but I didn't get a chance to stop by. I came during a weekday and the parking lot was still pretty packed. I wonder how it works when it rains...There's an open space right in the middle. read more

Based on food and area... FOOD: 3 stars Went to Pig Pen Delicacy and got MAPLE JAMMIN' BURGER & BMC FRIES. Burger was alright. Without the aioli sauce this burger would've been just a regular burger to me but with better quality meat I guess. Nothing special in my opinion. BMC fries was good and enjoyed it more than the burger. Different than the usual fries because of the mac and cheese on top. I would prob get the fries again but might opt out on the burger. LOCATION / ATMOSPHERE: 3 stars Its nice that it is close by to work but parking? Sucks! Sitting area? Not so much. You have to go ahead of time or it'll be a nightmare. Waiting for food took forever - 20 min for my burger and fries. Definitely a Hipster place and it's nice if you can find a place to sit. Hipster. Chill. Casual. read more

See all

Great place when the dreaded "I don't know" arises from "what should we eat." Lots of different choices so there's something for everyone!

We Stopped Here For A Afternoon Olf Fashioned. Fun Place Buzzing Vibe, Assortment Of Food Choices. The Bar Has A Open Feel, You Get That Urban Vibe, It Is very Cool. We had A Couple Of "Old Fashioned's" Fantastic! Nice Break In The Afternoon. Nice Music Playing, Fun Ambience, The Living Walls Give This Place A Beautiful Touch. Friendly Staff & Vry Relaxing. Cheers! read more

Trade - Delicious Old Fashioned's "Perfection" !! - Food Court Near Me - Irvine, California

Finally trade this place last Sunday on their "dog days". I love that it is an open air food court area. It is much smaller than I imagined, but I like the open modern feel. There are numerous eateries here. It almost like a cafeteria style were you order food at the counters, pick up the food and eat at whatever table you want. I love taking my dog everywhere, and on Sundays, they advertise that dogs are very much welcomed from 11p-2pm. I however, saw no dogs there, but seeing how it's an outdoor patio seating, I am pretty sure dogs can come during other days also. Since it was just my dog and me, I did not get to try as much as I had hoped. My friend got sick and had to cancel, but I still wanted to go, so my dog and I made the trek to try some new eats. Specifically, I wanted to try Krisp, Portside Fish Co, Dos Chinos, and Two Birds. I only was able to try Krisp and Portside Fish Co. Krisp is a coffee place that is actually located outside of the immediate Trade food hall. I ordered a mocha and it was super delicious!! It was tasty and not overly sweet! Prices are also pretty fair and on par with most coffee shops. Next time I would like to try the matcha and acai bowls also!! A big plus, they were very welcoming to my dog when I brought him in to order a drink! I would for sure order from here again! The other place I tried was Portside. This is mainly a seafood place. I ordered numberous smaller plates to get more of a taste, but I really wanted the San Pedro Platter which comes with basically everything. The platter is market price, and for that particular day, it was about $60! Too much to spend on just myself, so instead I ordered the calamari, fish and chips, as well as the bacon mac and cheese. I forgot to show my check in for free chips and salsa. Oh well, next time. I was barely able to finish half the stuff I ordered. The mac and cheese was delicious!! I really enjoyed it! It came with bacon and potatoes as well. A small order is actually really hearty! The calamari was also good. It had a bit of a kick to it. One order was actually quite big for $9. Next was the fish and chips. It was cripsy and tasty as well and came with a large order of fries! For $15 it was worth the price. The portions here are definitely meant to be shared!! I saw people ordering burritos and they are HUGE!! I would like to come here again and try the platter and the broiler in the can, as well as their tacos and burritos, basically everything! haha When I came here around 1pm on a Sunday, it was not packed and parking was plentiful. I would for sure come back here again. Seeing how it's open air patio seating, I believe you can bring dogs anyday, not just Sundays. I think Sundays is just designated dog days. This place would be a good place to go with groups. There are giant games for people to play, such at jenga and the ball throw. There needs to be more places like this!! read more

Good choices of food and good quality too. Expensive liquor and wine but quality does not match prices, specifically the wine. It would be nice to have proper silverware that goes with the food served. It's not easy to eat a great piece of salmon or halibut with plastic cutlery. read more

The Trade is a little cute outdoor food court. So many restaurants you can choose from!!! You got everything here from beers to desserts to asian fusion and all American style food. There's also plentiful of tables to seat, and the Trade has its own restroom. Let's talk about food: Can you say "heart attack" or what? We tried PIGPEN first. I really needed to do a 5k run after eating a MACDADDY burger! This burger is massive and messy; I was surely halving the burger with my sister. Only half a burger and I was sooo stuffed! I was really digging the flavors of the mac and cheese, I actually ate the mac and cheese parts first then the meat itself. The bacon was good with the BBQ sauce, it's sweet and tangy. The meat was properly seasoned well too! We will come back to try something different from the menu. We also tried fish and chips next to pigpen,, I forgot the name of it. But totally was not impressed. Don't get me wrong the fries were good, but not the fish part. First it was burnt. Second it doesn't have any seasoning. I would not recommend it. Also try the horchata Thai tea at Dos Chinos. Overall, I will come back again to stuff!!! read more

See all

Located in a strip mall section which shares parking with other stores which makes it slightly more difficult to find parking. There's about 8 various restaurants to try that vary in difference of cuisine. The center is where the seating is located. It is supposedly able to sit 177 people. read more

See all