Old School Offerings in Orange at the Tartan Room

 Tartan Room Restaurant

2652 North Tustin Street

Orange, CA 92865

I don't want to get too personal here, but recently, I've been making more of an effort to see my parents. Time is racing by at an alarming rate, and I don't want to have regrets later on down the line. When we visit, I ask them about their childhoods, relatives, family traditions, and general thoughts on life. I've learned a lot, and of course, we usually hold these conversations at a restaurant that I have wanted to try. On this particular Wednesday afternoon, that restaurant was the Tartan Room in Orange. 

In a city with many beloved places, the Tartan Room is definitely among them in Orange. People here really love this place. I posted about my visit on Instagram and got many comments from my followers sharing their fandom for this restaurant. It shocked me because this place is indeed hidden, and you really have to look for it to find it. 

The Tartan Room has existed for 65 years, which is eons in the restaurant business. They were initially located near where Main Place Mall stands now, and I am unsure when they moved to their present location in the Nohl Plaza, which is anchored by Vons on the corner of Lincoln and Tustin. Finding them might be easier if you look for Villa Ford, as they are neighbors separated by a fence. 

If you visit here on a sunny afternoon like we did, be prepared that this restaurant is dark and will take a few minutes for your eyes to adjust. As you enter, the bar will be to your right. When we visited, the bartender also played the role of hostess, as she was the one who sat us in the dining room. The booths here are very comfortable and bring to mind the old-school steakhouses you used to be able to find in Las Vegas. 

The Tartan Room serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, while dinner starts at 5 p.m. seven days a week. While the dinner menu features hefty entree options, the lunch menu is a little more diverse, with plenty of sandwiches, burgers, and melts available. They offer eight more substantial plates for people like me who like a bigger midday meal with soup or salad and a side item. Only the bigger plates exceed the $20 mark, with the most pricey of them, the shrimp and filet, setting you back $26. Now that our eyes were adjusted to the darkness of the Tartan Room, we made our selections and waited for our food to appear, which did not take too long.  

Online reviews for the Fried Zucchini ($14) were glowing, so I had to try it. Good fried zucchini has become a lost art lately, but the Tartan Room makes a very good one. The breading is not overpowering but flavorful and allows the zucchini to shine. The slight dusting of parmesan is a nice touch, and the provided ranch dressing coats each piece wonderfully. I'm usually partial to round zucchini pieces, but these were uniformly cut and easy to manage. 

Lunch entrees here come with your choice of soup or salad, and as it was a warmer day when we visited, I selected the House Salad. This is a traditional steak house salad with sliced beet, lettuce blend, two red onion rings, and croutons. The blue cheese dressing was challenged in the blue cheese department, but it clung to everything well. The provided fresh ground pepper woke up this salad a bit. 

When most people think of the Tartan Room, Mexican food is probably not front and center in their minds. On Wednesdays during lunch, however, they feature a Mexican plate inspired by their chef's whim. On the Wednesday we were here, the special was a Cheese Enchilada and Hard-Shelled Taco Plate ($15). My mom is a very light eater and really just wanted the cheese enchilada, but we urged her to get the meal as it came and take the taco home for lunch the next day. She finally saw this advantage and immediately boxed up the taco, so I guess I won't be reviewing that, I thought to myself. She enjoyed the rather sizeable cheesy enchilada but left most of the rice and beans untouched. I tried a bite of each and thought they were pretty good, considering this is not a Mexican restaurant.  

If you see a Monte Cristo ($16) on a restaurant menu, that restaurant is geared towards an older clientele, or they want to convey the vibe that they have been around forever. This is not the case with the Tartan Room, which has been around for 65 years. For the younger people who are unaware, the Monte Cristo is a ham and cheese sandwich that is battered and fried, then dusted with powdered sugar and served with strawberry preserves. Think of it as French toast with ham and cheese in the middle. This hefty and rich sandwich instantly calls for a nap after consuming one. My dad has lost weight lately but took this down quickly and allowed me a bite. It was terrific, with a good ham and cheese-to-bread ratio. The onion rings might not look like much, but they had a crunchy outer portion and stayed with the onion inside. If you have been looking for this cult classic sandwich, head to the Tartan Room to get your Monte Cristo fix. 

Prime Rib ($22) was my go-to steak as a kid. I liked to order it when we went out for my birthday or when my aunt was paying for dinner. It made me feel grown and fancy, like JR Ewing on Dallas, eating at the Cattleman's Club while working on a backstabbing deal. Okay, I'm definitely showing my age, but my point is that I've kind of grown out of prime rib since my early days. This one at the Tartan room was cooked to my desired medium rare, but except for the outer edge of this, it lacked any real flavor. Truthfully, though, I can count on one hand all the memorable prime ribs I've had in the last 40 years. The creamed horseradish and au jus helped out a bit to bring this eight-ounce slab of beef to life. I got the Twice Baked Potato for my side item, which was a little on the small side but was fine. 

Like many restaurants in Orange, they get their cakes from Rockwell's Bakery, located in nearby Villa Park. They had three cake options, but I zeroed in on the Carrot Cake ($10). This was a very dense cake with a sturdy cream cheese frosting. It came to the table very cold, making it seem slightly less fresh than if it had been served at room temperature. 

The Tartan Room was a good choice for lunch with my parents. They appreciated the varied selections on the lunch menu and the relatively modest prices. Everything we had here was okay but not mind-blowing. I'd like to revisit again for dinner to get the whole Tartan Room experience—a crooner in the corner belting out some Sinatra, a New York steak, and maybe even a martini. That's the Tartan Room I can envision people flocking to. We experienced very professional service this afternoon and would not hesitate to return for more of the old-time vibes this joint offers. 

Out of five kilts (because most of these knee-length skirts feature a tartan pattern, some representing the wearer's family), five being best to zero being worst, the Tartan Room gets 3 kilts. 

For more information about the Tartan Room, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.thetartanroom.com/

Turning the Balboa Fun Zone Into the Burger Zone

 Irv's Burgers

600 East Bay Avenue

Newport Beach, CA 92661

I love burgers, but finding delicious ones is getting harder and harder. Yes, I could go to a steak house, and I'm sure they will have a good burger, but who wants to get all dressed up for a burger. About ten years ago, I could throw a rock in any direction and hit a restaurant that serves a great burger. We had Slater's 50/50, Burger Parlor, Crow Burger Kitchen, G Burger, Mick's Karma Bar, and Vaka Burger, all serving great burgers, but they have all shuttered. They probably were all replaced with a hot chicken restaurant, or at least it feels that way. 

So when I hear about a new burger place opening up, it piques my interest. When I heard that the new burger place had been around for 78 years, I immediately moved it up in my restaurant queue. What got me moving even faster is that the new burger restaurant is located at one of my favorite places in all of OC, the Balboa Fun Zone. A spot that instantly transforms me into an eight-year-old kid playing skeeball in the arcades, riding the Ferris wheel that I swear used to be taller, and eating as many Balboa Bars as humanly possible. 

Irv's Burgers is the new burger spot in Balboa. They opened their first OC outpost in March of this year. They opened in 1946 as Queen's Burgers alongside Route 66 in West Hollywood. In 1970, a man named Irv bought the place and changed its name. He sold the business to the Hong family in 2005, and they operated it until they had some troubles in 2018 and were forced to close. Food entrepreneur Lawrence Longo entered the picture four years later and, after a rebrand, breathed new life into Irv's. They now have seven locations, including ours at the Balboa Fun Zone. 

I visited Irv's before the busy tourist season in Newport. Although they had been open only a month, they already had a steady stream of customers. They are a mere few feet from the Balboa Ferry and the Ferris Wheel I mentioned before. This used to be a pizza place, but I had never been there, always preferring the Ruby's at the end of the pier or the Orange Julius that used to be on the corner of Balboa Boulevard. The seating at Irv's is limited to six swiveling barstools, and I did not see any seating outside on my visit. Plan ahead and bring a blanket and eat on the sand or in the nearby park. 

The menu at Irv's fits right in with the Fun Zone vibe. They offer burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, fries, milkshakes, and floats. Burgers go from anywhere between $4.50 to $11, hot dogs are $5 to $8 for a chili cheese dog, and the most expensive thing on their menu is the pastrami sandwich, which will set you back $15. Combo meals are available. This location also serves breakfast sandwiches and burritos until 11am. I was here, of course, to try their burgers, so let's see how my first visit to Irv's went. 

I was lucky enough to snag one of the six sets at the bar, with a window looking out towards the busy boardwalk. It was excellent for people-watching, but once my food tray arrived, I only had eyes for what was on it. Let's start with the burger. When a burger proclaims itself the best, I need to order it, so I got the Best Burger on the Menu ($10.95) on my maiden voyage to Irv's. This double burger comes with American cheese, grilled onions, and Irv's sauce, all on a toasted sesame seed bun. Who needs lettuce and tomato on a burger? Not me. This is no salad bar. I enjoyed this burger but will tweak it on my next visit. The outer edge of the patties had a slight crispness to them, like a smash burger, but to a lesser degree. The patties inside were juicy and more hefty than you get with a smash burger. The gooey cheese provided a nice blanket around each patty. I will ask for extra Irv's sauce next time, as I can not even describe it because they put so little on this burger. I assume it's like a thousand island sauce, but I'll have to make a return visit to confirm that. The bun was loaded with sesame seeds and was nicely toasted. Delicious burger, check. ✅

Hot dogs must be a tough sell. Every time I find an excellent hot dog restaurant, it closes. I guess there are not too many hot dog fans out there. Maybe trying this Chili Cheese Dog ($8) from Irv's might change their minds. Irv's uses Hebrew National all-beef hot dogs and then covers it with chili and shredded cheddar cheese. I loved the meatiness of the hot dog, the flavorful chili, and the fact that they use grated cheddar cheese instead of a cheese sauce. The bun was unique here, reminding me of what they use when making lobster rolls. It was toasted and did a great job keeping everything inside the bun. Delicious chili dog. Check. ✅ 

Since I had gotten chili on my hot dog, I decided against getting the chili fries and just went with Plain Fries ($4). These fries came out of the fryer very hot and were salted nicely. They were a good fast food fry, but nothing that would elevate them more than that. French Fries. 🆗

I left Irv's very satisfied with my food. I included the ala carte menu prices for the things I had here, but I did get the burger, fries, and a drink as a combo meal, which cost me $16.45. The burger and chili dog from Irv's are superb and among OC's best ones. I look forward to revisiting again soon to try their patty melt, pastrami sandwich, and chili cheese fries. Even though this was a counter-service restaurant, I must mention the guy working the register and handing out food on this particular day. I believe his name was Rico, and he was awesome. He not only kept the line moving and delivered the food as soon as it was ready, but he also memorized everyone's name and, on their way out, asked them how their food was. Very impressive, significantly since the lunch rush was ramping up, and they were getting busier by the minute. Hopefully, the arrival of Irv's Burgers will catalyze a new burger renaissance in OC. 

Out of five lost lids (because 1946 is not only the year that Irv's opened for business, but it's also the year that Tupperware was invented, and many people have lost the lids of these plastic containers over those decades), five being best to zero being worst, Irv's Burgers gets 3.5 lost lids. 

For more information about Irv's Burgers, head to their website by clicking here: https://irvsburgers.com/

Authentic Italian in Aliso Viejo?

 Trattoria Trullo 

26611 Aliso Creek Road Suite C 

Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

Traditional Italian food is a challenging sell in the US. I have never been to Italy, but I've watched enough TV shows about restaurants and talked to many people who have been there. From what I've seen on television and from people who have visited the boot-shaped nation, Italian food differs from what we have on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. 

Most of us grew up eating Italian food with heavy red sauce, lots of cheese, and heaping portions on our plates. This is not the case with authentic Italian food. I don't want to debate authentic versus US Italian cuisine; there's room for both, and I enjoy both. Traditional Italian is lighter than its American counterpart, made with higher-quality ingredients, and serving sizes are noticeably smaller. 

The days of Olive Garden and The Old Spaghetti Factory, which were the only games in town, are over. OC is now home to many authentic Italian restaurants: Bello by Sandro Nardone, Il Fornaio, Ciao Pasta, and my favorite, Oliver's Osteria, in Laguna Beach. Keep reading to see if we can add another to the list, Trattoria Trullo in Aliso Viejo. 

More than ten years ago, Aliso Viejo was a restaurant wasteland, with mediocre restaurants and overpriced chain restaurants dotting almost every shopping plaza. The restaurant landscape has slowly changed in recent years with the additions of Webb's Grainworks, Tacos de Birria Estilo Guadalajara, Chuponcito, and Trattoria Trullo, which opened in January in the always-hopping Aliso Viejo Town Center. 

Trattoria Trullo comes to us from Chef and Owner Marco Criscuolo. If his name sounds familiar, you must have been a regular at Andrea Restaurant or other eateries at the Pelican Hill Resort, where he worked for six years. A native of Puglia, Italy, Chef Marco started culinary school at the age of fifteen and, five years later, was working for the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. After a stint on the East Coast, he returned to OC and found a home for his first restaurant in Aliso Viejo. 

Don't expect to see chicken parmesan, fettuccine alfredo, spaghetti with meatballs, or carbonara on the menu at Trattoria Trullo. This is real-deal Italian food. Their online menu lists ten starters, six pasta dishes, and four more substantial entrees. Starters range between $8 and $28, pasta dishes go for $22 to $42, and the four entree selections range between $32 and $44. They also have a scaled-down lunch menu that features three sandwiches and other options. They are open for lunch every day except Mondays. Let's see our experience with real-deal Italian food from Trattoria Trullo. 

At first glance, this Focaccia Pugliese ($9) reminded me of the bread at Macaroni Grill, but after my first taste, I realized that this was way better than what passes for focaccia at that popular chain spot. The outside had a crunch, and the inside was pillowy and airy. It was a light-tasting bread that did not need the oil and vinegar flowing so freely at Macaroni Grill. However, we got the optional Burrata ($9) and the Basil Ricotta with Crushed Pistachio ($5). The burrata was the real deal; it was rich and milky, but I was more fond of the basil ricotta. I liked the flavor of the basil mingling with the ricotta and the texture of the crushed pistachios. Very well done, and it is hard to limit yourself to just one loaf.

For the entree portion of our meal, my cousin Jenny's selection is the Branzino ($35). This grilled Mediterranean sea bass won rave reviews from Jenny and me after she graciously shared a bite with me. The grill marks were aesthetically pleasing, and the crispy skin complemented the light and flaky fish underneath. It had a very mild flavor, which allowed the caramelized lemon to be the predominant flavor profile. This was paired with an artichoke ragout, which I did not get to try. This will be the next thing I try on my next visit to Trattoria Trullo. 

I'm not sure who ordered this Orecchettie alla Cime de Rapa ($26), but its vibrant green hue from across the table was visually stunning. The ear-shaped pasta was coated with a rarely-seen broccoli rabe sauce and accompanied by sausage, pecorino cheese, and breadcrumbs. A very comforting yet light dish, this is another that will soon find itself sitting in front of me at Trattoria Trullo. 

Dish number three was the Paccheri Mari E Monti ($30), which is not on their online menu now, and there are no pictures of it on their Yelp page either. They may rotate items depending on what's available. This sea and mountains dish consists of shrimp (sea), mushrooms (mountains), large tube pasta, pancetta, and provola cheese. 

Katie is always drawn to any bolognese on a menu, so she would consume the Rigatoni alla Bolognese ($24) this evening. All of their pasta is made in-house in their pasta lab daily. The fresh pasta has a very pleasing, chewy feel to it. The bolognese comprises the holy trinity of meats; beef, pork, and veal. The sauce portion was not as heavy as others, so you could taste the meat more clearly. As you can see from the picture, Katie loves parmesan cheese and had more than her fair share. Save some for the rest of us, Katie.

The most recognizable dish on this menu, which most people are familiar with, is their Lasagna Classica ($24). It's made with the same bolognese sauce that Katie had, but they also incorporate bechamel into the mix. I'm always a big fan of bechamel, as it's one of my favorite sauces. This lasagna did not use too much cheese, and I liked that the outer edges of the lasagna noodles got crispy. It's a very refined version of a quintessential Italian dish.  

My aunt Hiroko is a big seafood fan and seemed very happy with this Linguine alle Vongole ($24). The fresh clams paired nicely with a simple white wine sauce and linguine. It is very traditional in its preparation. 

Last but not least, I ordered last and had several items to try on my wishlist at Trattoria Trullo, so I picked something that nobody else had gotten: the Veal Osso Buco ($48). This ten-ounce braised veal shank was tender and comforting as I ate it. It was very tender and one of the best I have had in OC. An added bonus was the bone, with the bone marrow still inside. Deliciously decadent. The polenta was well done, but the baby spinach got lost with the overabundance of the Barolo sauce. This is easily the most substantial plate here. 

We were going across the way for some ice cream after dinner, but they were kind enough to bring out this Torta Pasticiotto ($12) for us to share. Coming from the Puglia region of Italy, I'd describe this as a very light chocolate pie. The double crust was light and flaky, and the chocolate inside was creamy but not as rich as it looked in the photo above. 

After our visit to Trattoria Trullo, I worried about this restaurant. It's not because the food was awful; it was terrific and definitely in my top three authentic OC Italian restaurants. It wasn't because the service was terrible either, as our server, Jordan, was fantastic, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu. My worry for Trattoria Trullo is that people of OC might not get authentic Italian cuisine, where the portion sizes are smaller, the items on the menu might not be as recognizable to them, and they may perceive the price point as being too high, even though they are serving food with high-quality ingredients. Even though I'd consider this travel-worthy Italian, I feel it would be a challenge to get people from, let's say, Newport to drive down to Aliso Viejo for dinner.  I hope I'm wrong and they have great success for years to come. Hopefully, Reading this review will urge you to make the short trip to Aliso Viejo. 

Out of five beach umbrellas (because Chef Marco is from the Puglia region of Italy, which boasts the most coastline of any mainland Italian region, hence the need for plenty of beach umbrellas), five being best to zero being worst, Trattoria Trullo gets 3.5 beach umbrellas.  

For more information about Trattoria Trullo, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.trattoriatrullo.com/

Wrapping up Restaurant Week With a Visit to Bodega Laguna

 Bodega Laguna

400 South Coast Highway

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

I did it. This was the finish line for my quest to eat at seven restaurants in seven days to celebrate OC Restaurant Week. My criteria was that I'd eat at a restaurant I had never eaten at before, which was easy to achieve since there were over 170 places to choose from for restaurant week. It was a rare Saturday off for me, and since my good friend Daren hooked us up with parking, we did not mind finishing my restaurant week quest in Laguna Beach at Bodega Laguna. 

Opened late in 2022, Bodega Laguna occupies the space formerly home to Tommy Bahama and, before that, the Jolly Roger. When it opened two years ago, it was known as Laguna Fish Company, but it was rebranded in October 2023 as Bodega Laguna. They are part of the ZA Restaurant Group, which also operates Skyloft, Rumari, and Mozambique in this picturesque seaside town.  

We arrived just before noon on a Saturday. This was before the touristy season, but they had a steady stream of customers during our stay. Back in the days when this was the Laguna Fish Company, this was an order at the counter, and then the food was brought to your table establishment. That was scrapped when they turned it into Bodega Laguna. We were seated in the restaurant's bar area, which made us think of the Central Perk coffeehouse on Friends. About six couches spread throughout the space, with bar seating and a few tables making up the rest of the front portion of the restaurant. 

The all-day menu here is good-sized, and even though they ditched the seafood name last year, their menu still has plenty of seafood to choose from, although with a Mexican semblance to it. There's also plenty of everyone's traditional Mexican favorites as well. Since this restaurant is on prime real estate across the street from the beach, it's no surprise that menu prices are on the high side at Bodega Laguna. Entrees range between $23 to $73 for a platter with steak, pork, chicken, and everything else needed to make you and a few friends some tacos. 

Happy hour is from 3 pm to 5 pm every day of the week, except holidays and holiday weekends. They also feature brunch on weekends from 10 to 1pm, which Katie took advantage of because she was not feeling the $25 OC Restaurant Week options I would be having. So, let's see if my hot streak with the restaurants I've been eating at all week will continue. 

Any Mexican restaurant worth its salt will begin each meal with at least one basket of Chips and Salsa. I was really a fan of both of these. The chips felt like they were freshly fried, light, and crispy. They came with a small side of red salsa with just the right amount of chunk. I did wish it had a bit more heat, but it was good nonetheless. They did refill the salsa and chips without us asking. 

My first item on the $25 restaurant week menu was this Chicken Tortilla Soup. Usually, I would get Caesar salad or street corn, but it was a chilly day when we were here, so I went with the soup. The soup comprised roasted corn, black beans, cilantro, poblanos, queso fresco, avocado, tortilla strips, and some cubed chicken. The flavor was good, but they were slightly stingy with some ingredients, like the avocado, chicken, and queso fresco. Only three pieces of chicken and one tiny slice of avocado were in the bowl. 

Katie almost always enjoys trying Breakfast Burritos ($19) whenever we go out on weekends. This one might have been the most colorful one we've encountered in a long time. The tortilla was filled with scrambled eggs, fingerling potatoes, chorizo, queso Oaxaca, pico de gallo, and avocado. Katie loved this burrito, calling it one of the best she's had all year. She loved that it was balanced and layered just right, so each bite combined a little bit of everything. The green salsa was delicious, with just enough heat to hang out in the background. If the burrito had been grilled on the flattop for a minute or two, or if they had not skimped on the avocado, this burrito would have been even better. 

With the Restaurant Week menu, I had the choice of four entrees; a veggie burrito, three tacos, chicken enchiladas, and what I eventually ended up with Carnitas. This was a good-sized plate of slow-braised pork. There were a couple of bites where the pork was a little dry, but for the most part, the pork was tender, flavored well, and a pleasure to eat. This came with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, flour tortillas, and the same excellent green salsa that accompanied Katie's burrito. The beans were delicious, and I'm not much of a rice guy, but this rice was nicely done and blew away everyone's favorite rice from Chipotle. Katie ordered the Small Guacamole ($3.50)  to supplement the lack of avocado in her burrito. It had an excellent chunky feel, and the flavor from the onion, garlic, cotija cheese, and pepitas made this a great addition to the tacos I made with my carnitas. 

With my Restaurant Week menu, we were supposed to get only one dessert, but our server, Juan, was generous enough to bring one out for Katie. The Churro Sundae came in a waffle bowl with soft serve vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, and a churro sticking out of the top. The waffle and ice cream were fine, but the churro was excellent. It's funny that they don't even have churros on their online dessert menu, so ordering this sundae is the only way to try them. The Traditional Flan was topped with some strawberries and a tiny amount of caramel sauce. It was rather drab, and I let Katie eat most of it. 

Based on this visit, Bodega Laguna is a good Mexican restaurant. With a few tweaks to what we consumed this afternoon, it could eventually become one of the better Mexican spots in Laguna Beach. Right now, I feel they are only chasing Coyote Grill, La Sirena Grill, and Rasta Taco, two of which are fast-casual restaurants. Service was outstanding on this early afternoon, as our server, Juan, took great care of us during our stay. Prices are steep in this neck of the woods, but take advantage of their happy hour or wait for OC Restaurant Week to roll around again. Bodega Laguna helped make me seven for seven during my week-long sojourn to experience Restaurant Week. Not a clunker in the bunch. We'll see if that streak continues next March. 

Out of five birds (because the Northern California city Bodega Bay was the setting for the Hitchcock film "The Birds."), five being best to zero being worst, Bodega Laguna gets 3 birds. 

For more information about Bodega Laguna, head to their website by clicking here: https://bodegalaguna.com/

Holy Smokes Another Barbecue Spot (Plus My Updated Top Ten OC BBQ Restaurants)

 Hole Smokes BBQ

1500 Adams Ave. #100B

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Barbecue places are suddenly springing up at a pretty good clip. I struggled to create a top-ten list of barbecue restaurants when I started this blog. There just weren't that many good choices in OC. That all began to change at the start of this decade when Heritage BBQ, The SmoKing Rib, and Evan's Smokehouse hit the scene. These people are artisans and showed the good people of this county that there was ho-hum barbecue and then elevated barbecue that they crafted. 

We all know that the restaurant business takes work to succeed at. I'd argue that barbecue restaurants are the hardest to keep afloat. Not only is the food a time-consuming effort to make, but it's also not food the average consumer could eat daily. Proof in point, I created my top ten list of barbecue restaurants in OC a little over 3 years ago, and four of those ten spots have closed up shop. So, it's time for me to create another list of the top ten barbecue spots, which you can see below this review of a restaurant that might just be included on the new list.  

Hole Smokes has been open for almost three years, but it only came across my radar when I saw that they participated in this year's OC Restaurant Week. The men behind this Texas-style barbecue spot are Ian Bason and Chef Dan Ramon. Bason also runs his family's Mexican restaurant, Hole Mole, which has seven locations, including one in this shopping plaza. Chef Dan is a San Antonio native who brings his love of Texas barbecue to the people of OC. 

This was day 6 of my participation in OC Restaurant Week. I attempted to eat at seven different spots in seven days. Hole Smokes offered a $45 dinner, including a starter, three types of meat, and two sides. I figured Katie and I could share this, as I've eaten my fair share of food this week. Our good friends Scott and Cynthia joined us this evening and also took advantage of this great deal. Let's see if Hole Smokes would be added to my top ten barbecue list of OC. 

First up were the starters, and we chose the Fried Pickles ($6.95), and Cynthia and Scott picked the Chips and Queso ($7.95). I'm not a big pickle fiend, but my favorite way to eat them is fried. These were some delicious fried pickles. The batter was light and puffy, not greasy, and the outside of each pickle was lightly salted. I believe they were dill, but I did not get confirmation. The provided ranch dressing made these even better. 

The chips and queso were straight and to the point. The chips were your regular Mexican restaurant chips, but the queso was kind of addicting. This is not surprising since the chef is from Texas, and people from that state definitely know how to make a good queso. 

Let's start with the most essential thing in a barbecue restaurant: the meat. Katie and I got what I consider the holy trinity of Texas barbecue: Smoked Brisket, St. Louis Ribs, and a Hot Link. I was excited about all the meats we tried at Hole Smokes. The brisket had everything you look for when eating brisket: a fantastic outside bark and the meat was tender and juicy. It's not the best brisket in OC, but it's way better than most. The hotlink had a snappy casing, and the meat inside was solid. I would have liked some spiciness to have been included, though.  The pork ribs we got were noticeably smaller than the ones that came with Scott and Cythia's plate. The pork was good, but there was not enough of it. The only meat I was not so excited by was the tri-tip, which was a little too dry and not as flavorful as the others. As if we needed more food, Katie also got the Pulled Pork Sandwich ($14.95). The sandwich came with pulled pork, barbecue sauce, and coleslaw on a nice and glossy brioche bun. Katie felt this sandwich was good, but the coleslaw and barbecue sauce overshadowed the pork. 

Sides are also essential to the barbecue experience, and we tried five of the six sides offered. Sorry, we will have to try the fries next time. My favorite was the Brussels Sprouts ($6), followed by the Mac and Cheese ($6). Brussels sprouts are not something you usually see on a barbecue restaurant menu, but they were nice and crispy, had some bits of pork added, and a hint of smokiness in each bite. They kept it simple, not going too crazy, with a sweet sauce covering the sprouts. The mac and cheese was pretty straightforward as well. It won't overwhelm you with a big flavor, but the cheese was present and clung to the macaroni well. I enjoyed their Big Daddy Sweet Beans ($6), which came with little pieces of brisket, but the liquid-to-bean ratio was way off. The Coleslaw ($6) needed some work. It was really just shredded cabbage, and the dressing was applied with what seemed like an eye dropper. The Potato Salad ($6) had a good texture, and the sprinkled paprika was a welcome touch. I'm not the biggest Cornbread ($6) fan, but everyone liked this version. I found it a little too dry and wished it to be sweeter. A little extra butter would have been nice, too. 

Dessert time, and we finished things off with Banana Pudding ($8) and Fried Ice Cream ($8). We devoured both, but I liked the banana pudding the best. It had a very light feel to it, but the banana flavor came through, and they added some Nilla Wafer pieces for some texture. The type of dessert that you want after a heavy meal in a barbecue restaurant. The fried ice cream was executed well and was not a sloppy mess when we finished it. The ice cream stayed cold while we chipped away at it with our spoons. 

So, what are Hole Smokes's positives and negatives? Most of the meats we had were very well done. The brisket is the show's star, with the sausage a close second. The prices are not as outrageous as other barbecue restaurants in OC. You and two of your friends can get in and out of here for less than $100, which is not easy to do at most restaurants these days.  There's also a good amount of variety on the Hole Smokes menu. They not only offer barbecue, but they also have tacos, burgers, sandwiches, and wings. On the negative side, I'd say the sides are the weak link here. None, besides the brussels sprouts, really stood out to me. Side items are a significant part of any barbecue experience, so it's a bummer when they are not up to the standards of the proteins. The meats alone are enough to get them into my updated top ten OC BBQ list, but you'll have to scroll down to see where they ended up. 

Out of five goats (because before the urbanization of Costa Mesa, the city's unofficial nickname was Goat Hill), five being best to zero being worst, Hole Smokes gets 3 goats. 

For more information about Hole Smokes, head to their website by clicking here: https://holesmokes.com/

Here's my updated list of OC's top ten BBQ restaurants so far, with links to my reviews.  

#10 Blake's Place - Anaheim

#9  Brew Hawg - Orange

#8  Hole Smokes - Costa Mesa

#7  Ribbro BBQ - Newport Beach

#6  Sauced BBQ and Spirits - Orange

#5  The SmoKING Ribs - Garden Grove

#4  JW Hayes (review not written yet) - Newport Beach

#3  Craft by Smoke and Fire - Anaheim

#2  Evan's Smokehouse - Yorba Linda

#1  Heritage BBQ - San Juan Capistrano