Old Towne Orange is a great place to spend an afternoon having lunch and browsing the many antique…read moreand vintage clothes shops! So many great places to eat from quick bites to sit diwn restaurant and lots of different cuisines. Each visit we try new ones. Check.begore you comes as se do take reservations or have online waitlists. Weeekends can get very busy so expect waits. Parking can be a challenge but there is a lot of street parking. There's a few public parking structures with 3 hour free parking, If you want to extend your visit, the Hilbert Art Museum (part of Chapman university) is in Old Towne Orange. It's a small and intimate museum and woth 1-2 hr visit you can enjoy the wonderful exhibits. And it's free.

I always laugh to myself when I write reviews on landmarks compared to actual businesses because…read moreit's just so random lol. Like... there are people who actually write reviews about their favorite freeways, so I get it now. No judgement though. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yeah? For a while, my OC people would mention Old Towne Orange and how it's such a nice spot to browse thru vintage/thrift shops and walk around. Honestly, I agree. As someone who's spoiled with places like North Park, South Park, Mission Hills in San Diego (and also Old Town), I never really thought much to come here. Loved all the charming shops around, though. Time felt slow here and strangers felt like neighbors. A memorable moment from this past Saturday was when my friends and I stopped to sit at the bench in the middle of Orange Circle; Met the nicest old man with the cutest and friendliest dogs. Before he left, he joked to my friends and I about how his dogs were always running away from him, like the ladies in life (obviously he wasn't rude or creepy about it). And that entire experience at Old Towne Orange made me think about how many of us yearn for connection and communities like that again. Out-of-towners: If you want something different than Disneyland or Porto's for your weekend trip outing, but still want the actual nostalgic charm experience of the ~good ol days~, look no further.

We came here for our wedding anniversary. We wanted something casual and Italian…read more We ordered: Caprese - 5/5 - very good. The mozzarella was so fresh and creamy. The tomatoes were hearty and cut a perfect thickness. Could have used more balsamic for me, but my husband liked it fine. Chef special: Swordfish picatta with mashed potatoes, vegetables & tiny salad - 4/5 This was good. The picatta sauce was delicious and the fish cooked perfectly. I would have liked a mix of different vegetables. Lasagna - 5/5 - this was my favorite. It was cheesy, served very hot, the noodles were not mushy. Just deliciousness on a plate. The service at the bar was outstanding. Our server was attentive and offered us as much bread as we wanted. He went over the menu and offered suggestions. We only drank water and the cup was always full. He was great! Seating - there was plenty of seating, so was not sure why we were only offered a choice of 2 tables both basically on top of the party next to you. I feel they can do better in that department. There was seating outside, which was also offered, but it was way too hot and humid that day to dine al fresco. We ending up sitting at the bar. Forced tipping: They add a "kitchen appreciation" fee to your bill, which I did not care for. I feel this is tacky, but if they are doing this, it should be posted somewhere that they are, feels sneaky otherwise. The food was very good & I will likely be back to try other dishes.

I initially wasn't going to write a review but I saw someone gave the restaurant 1 star 20 days ago…read morefor a similar situation that happened to us so I decided to do the same. My husband and I came across the restaurant on a Saturday at 430pm. We had our baby stroller and have been mindful on avoiding dinner rushes while going to restaurants, just in case. The Host asked us if we were a party of "3 and a half" which we laughed and said yes. We waited outside where there is patio seating and only a couple of tables taken. Inside, there were people at the bar and maybe one table occupied. The rest were open. I could see through the windows that the staff made a big deal about the stroller, they were walking around making hand motions as to where the stroller would "fit" mind you we've been to plenty of restaurants where this has NEVER been an issue. They came out to speak to us twice stating they were looking for a spot. I told my husband we should just eat elsewhere but he insisted on waiting. We did not want to sit outside due to it being hot. The host finally returned and said that they have reservations and can seat us at a table but we have an hour limit due to the reservation. My husband obliged b/c he was hungry, and I was annoyed. We got seated in the back which is fine by the big display of wine and our stroller replaced a chair. Which idk why that wasn't suggested or thought of in the first place. Our server was very nice but the other staff just kept side eyeing us. Dinner was rushed, it was tasty yet over priced. Our baby slept the entire time, No fuss thankfully. What were they to do if they had someone in a wheel chair and couldn't accommodate space? I know the comparison is far fetched compared to a stroller however it was the first time I ever encountered this. Since someone else made a comment about them not being seated due to a stroller, I would suggest avoiding this restaurant if you have small children as it seems it's not welcomed. Again, we were mindful and have been going to dinner before 5pm.

This place is great and never disappoints. The pastrami is so good it actually prevents me from…read moreever wanting to try the rest of the menu!

I grew up next to the Anaheim location so we were blessed with an In-N-Out and Cortinas within 20…read moreyards of each other. I live closer to the Orange so this is the one I go to now. This location is great. The food is just as good. My go-to is the Cortina's Special sandwich so I can't remember if they do the pizza and pasta here. The service is just as good as the Anaheim location. And as usual, my one complaint is that they do not have Coca-Cola products. My Cortina's Special sandwich would taste so good with a Diet Coke...

Thank you Hayley and the Yelp team for treating us to a cool experience located in the Orange…read moreCircle. Chaiwale and Co. replaced The Pie Hole and is located across from The Filling Station. Parking is a little difficult so make sure you give yourself extra time to allow for parking. I came on a Friday mid-afternoon and this place was pretty busy, with people seated in and outdoors. We were given a free chai and dessert. I opted for the hot CARDAMOM CHAI and the MANGO LASSI CHEESECAKE. I also got a PISTACHIO ROSE LOAF $6 so I could try some more of their offerings. I waited for about 10 minutes for my order. The cardamom chai was delicious. I devoured the mango lassi cheesecake. It could have used a little more sauce on the top, but it was very good. The pistachio rose loaf was aesthestically pleasing and very tasty. It was moist and not overly sweet. I will definitely come back here for their other items like burritos and pranthas. Thank you for the yummy treat!

As I walked up to Chaiwale I realized it replaced pie hole! I asked the employee for their…read morerecommendations and tried the cardamom chai and mango cheesecake. Both were really good! They are in such a good location with so many fun stores to walk around to. Parking is typical for the area, I had to search a little bit and got parking in the neighborhood nearby.

I wanted to send some love to our other neighbor Santa Ana. Downtown Santa Ana is still overrated…read morein my opinion. But people are starting to notice the fun things to do and see here now. I feel the Downtown area is becoming a familiar destination for some. Lots of events are performed here almost every month. I love the food and coffee shops here. Santa Ana still has some of the best Mexican and Latin foods here in my opinion. They also have museums of art, and Car shows here. No crime here hardly, its safe to hang out in Downtown Santa Ana, believe it or not. So, I love it. Gotta start coming out here often to spread my love for the city.

The 2024 independence day parade, was awesome, the downtown is beautiful full of restaurants,…read morefamily places like ice cream stores, for all tastes, vegetarian and vegan restaurants also, clothing stores, shoes, jewelry, bride dresses and accessories, music, kids clothing and souvenirs, everything you need you can find it at the 4th st. There's parking on the streets also parking structures. Banks, church, all very convenient. If you want to know Santa Ana and Mexican stores and Hispanic you get to visit the downtown. I love this place and highly recommend it to you all.

I was invited to this as part of a Yelp Elite event, but honestly I already loved this place before…read morethat. The tea house is super cozy and welcoming, and the staff are always so kind and helpful. I got the rose chai and the tres leches cake, and wow... so good. The chai was fragrant and comforting, and the cake was perfectly moist. Such a great combo. We really need more authentic places like this. You can tell a lot of care goes into what they do. Highly recommend if you love chai and cozy vibes.

Thank you Yelp for another great experience! I came here…read morewith my hubby today and ordered the cardamom chai (iced) along with the tres leches. I didn't love my chai, and felt like it could have maybe used a touch of sugar. The tres leches was delicious. I reluctantly shared with my husband lol but could have easily had the entire thing. Inside the place is very cute, warm and inviting. Great location on the circle.

Renata's in Downtown Orange is truly one of those places that never disappoints. Everything on the…read moremenu is so good, but what really makes it special is the atmosphere and the people. There's something refreshing about walking into a restaurant that has been part of the community for so long and still being greeted with the same genuine excitement and hospitality--as if you're the first customer they've seen all day. The service is always warm, welcoming, and makes you feel like they're genuinely happy you're there. Their little side patio has become one of my favorite spots to sit, enjoy a great meal, and take in Downtown Orange. Just a lovely neighborhood restaurant that continues to get it right year after year.

Not good! Ordered DD…read moreand they forgot part of my order. Fine, I got credit back to my account. But what the didn't forget I kinda wished they had: Watery fettuccine Alfredo. That's what they should call it on the menu. Don't serve an Alfredo dish unless its creamy and delicious. This was like water, or a microwave meal, which it may well have been. Whats more, no parmesan, no napkins, no utensils, no quality. Take some care with your orders and work on your quality.

I saw this festival in the Yelp event listings, and thought I'd drop by to see what it was all…read moreabout. I was only able to attend on Friday afternoon, so I knew I wasn't going to get the full event experience of going on Saturday and seeing some of the "bigger" names. Parking was quite confusing. I saw some signs for exhibitors to check in, but nothing about where attendees should park, and whether they needed to pay or not. The campus lots are plastered with signs stating that a paid permit is required at all times, so I saw lots of people buying permits. However, at the information booths for the festival, we were told that parking is free. I mostly wanted to see what sort of exhibits were there, since I'd been to some library and book festivals in Ohio, and wanted to see how this compared. It is definitely geared more towards readers rather than libraries; Chapman had several booths, and there were a few selling used books for fundraising. Some booths were kind of random, like the Cuisinart booth, and some made a little more sense, like the used bookstore booths. All in all, I wasn't terribly impressed, though I know this is the first year of the event, so there are some wrinkles to iron out for future events.

I was hoping for an event to bring people out who love everything about books. Instead, it was as…read moreentertaining as the library. I didn't go to any of the panels since wasn't interested in becoming a writer for fiction or history or film or any other way to make a living off writing. Naw, I'll stick to writing for Yelp. There were author signings as promised but I was hoping for a massive display of books. Nope, just a couple of carts of used books for $1. This is Gman signing off for KCCET Channel Orange.

This is a really cute store in downtown Orange. The merchandise has a focus aimed at representing…read morethe Orange Circle. They have cute clothing items for kids and adults. They even screen print shirts. Lots of fun accessories too. Come grab a little nostalgia from Orange.

So why was I today years old when I found this gem at the Orange circle. This store "The Squeeze"…read moreis so stinking cute! Love that it has soo many things Orange ranging from cute little street signs to candles, accessories and more! They also had cute and funny sayings on their items which I got a kick out of. I am so happy I stumbled upon this place. Definitely take a look see if you live in the area!

Argentina empanadas. Best this side of LA…read more The atmosphere. Desserts. Need to try their pizza special.

Stopped by this little cafe for dinner with friends on a Sunday evening and it had a steady line…read moreout the door the entire time we were eating. It's lovely to see the community supporting small and local business. The empanadas and chimichurri were flavorful and affordable. The dessert / pastries were also very good.